Health check-up of a freshwater bivalve exposed to lithium.

Lithium (Li) has become essential for energy and digital transitions, especially as a component of rechargeable batteries. Its growing uses worldwide lead to increasing anthropogenic releases of Li into the environment, which is making Li as an emerging contaminant. It is thus critical to evaluate the ecotoxicological impact of Li, which has been poorly studied unlike its human toxicology.

Self-Collection for HPV Testing: Potential Issues Related to Performance Measures and Quality Improvement Among Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Context: Most incident cases of cervical cancer in the United States are attributable to inadequate screening. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) serve a large proportion of women who are low-income, have no insurance, and are underserved-risk factors for insufficient cervical cancer screening. FQHCs must maintain quality measures to preserve their accreditation, address financial reimbursements, and provide quality care.

Photodegradation of disposable polypropylene face masks: Physicochemical properties of debris and implications for the toxicity of mask-carried river biofilms.

COVID-19 outbreak led to a massive dissemination of protective polypropylene (PP) face masks in the environment, posing a new environmental risk amplified by mask photodegradation and fragmentation. Masks are made up of a several kilometres long-network of fibres with diameter from a few microns to around 20 µm. After photodegradation, these fibres disintegrate, producing water dispersible debris.

Kinetics of metal detection by luminescence-based whole-cell biosensors: connecting biosensor response to metal bioavailability, speciation and cell metabolism.

Luminescent whole-cell metal biosensors are genetically engineered cells used for the detection of metals in aqueous solutions. Herein, we detail the quantitative connections between time-response of luminescent bacterial metal sensors and the bioavailability of free and complexed metal species. To that end, we formulate the biophysicochemical dynamics of metal partitioning at a biosensor/solution interface and integrate the required metabolism contribution to cell response.

Self-Collection for Primary HPV Testing: Perspectives on Implementation From Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Introduction: Primary testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) by self-collection could result in higher rates of cervical cancer screening. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the US serve a large proportion of women who have low income and no health insurance and are medically underserved - risk factors for being insufficiently screened for cervical cancer. Although the implementation of self-collection for HPV testing is not yet widespread, health care entities need to prepare for its eventual approval by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Simulated Microgravity Created Using a Random Positioning Machine Induces Changes in the Physiology of the Species Complex.

is a phytopathogenic fungus involved in human pathology and is present in space stations. It is essential to understand the effects of microgravity on the physiology of this fungus to determine the potential risks to the health of crew members and to propose the necessary countermeasures. This study aimed to determine changes in the physiological parameters of the species complex under simulated microgravity generated using a random positioning machine (RPM) and phenotypic approaches.

Comparative Analysis of Cell Metabolic Activity Sensing by Escherichia coli rrnB P1-lux and Cd Responsive-Lux Biosensors: Time-Resolved Experiments and Mechanistic Modelling.

Whole-cell bacterial sensors are used in medical/environmental applications to detect chemicals, and to assess medium toxicity or stress. Non-specific constitutive biosensors generally serve the latter purpose, whereas chemical detection is performed with biosensors involving a specific chemical-inducible promoter. Herein, we show that functioning principles of specific and non-specific whole-cell biosensors are not exclusive as both can probe modulations of cell metabolic activity under stressing conditions.

Exploiting Catabolite Repression and Stringent Response to Control Delay and Multimodality of Bioluminescence Signal by Metal Whole-Cell Biosensors: Interplay between Metal Bioavailability and Nutritional Medium Conditions.

The time-dependent response of metal-detecting whole-cell luminescent bacterial sensors is impacted by metal speciation/bioavailability in solution. The comprehensive understanding of such connections requires the consideration of the bacterial energy metabolism at stake and the effects of supplied food on cells' capability to convert bioaccumulated metals into light. Accordingly, we investigated the time response (48 h assay) of PzntA- Cd biosensors in media differing with respect to sources of amino acids (tryptone or Lysogeny Broth) and carbon (glucose, xylose and mixtures thereof).

Vertebral morphology in extant porpoises: Radiation and functional implications.

Vertebral morphology has profound biomechanical implications and plays an important role in adaptation to different habitats and foraging strategies for cetaceans. Extant porpoise species (Phocoenidae) display analogous evolutionary patterns in both hemispheres associated with convergent evolution to coastal versus oceanic environments. We employed 3D geometric morphometrics to study vertebral morphology in five porpoise species with contrasting habitats: the coastal Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides); the mostly coastal harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and Burmeister's porpoise (Phocoena spinipinnis); and the oceanic spectacled porpoise (Phocoena dioptrica) and Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli).

Development of a new TaqMan PCR assay for the detection of both Entamoeba gingivalis genotypes.

Entamoeba gingivalis is a parasitic protozoan found in the mouth of patients suffering from periodontitis, a widespread oral disease with an underestimated prevalence and major consequences on health. We present the development of the first TaqMan PCR assay targeting both E. gingivalis subtypes.

Protein N-glycosylation alteration and glycolysis inhibition both contribute to the antiproliferative action of 2-deoxyglucose in breast cancer cells.

Purpose: Cancer cells often elicit a higher glycolytic rate than normal cells, supporting the development of glycolysis inhibitors as therapeutic agents. 2-Deoxyglucose (2-DG) is used in this context due to its ability to compete with glucose. However, many studies do not take into account that 2-DG inhibits not only glycolysis but also N-glycosylation.

Multi-locus sequence typing provides epidemiological insights for diseased sharks infected with fungi belonging to the Fusarium solani species complex.

Fusarium spp. are saprobic moulds that are responsible for severe opportunistic infections in humans and animals. However, we need epidemiological tools to reliably trace the circulation of such fungal strains within medical or veterinary facilities, to recognize environmental contaminations that might lead to infection and to improve our understanding of factors responsible for the onset of outbreaks.

Δ2-Troglitazone promotes cytostatic rather than pro-apoptotic effects in breast cancer cells cultured in high serum conditions.

We have previously shown that Δ2-Troglitazone (Δ2-TGZ) displayed anticancer effects on breast cancer cell lines grown in low serum conditions (1% fetal calf serum (FCS)). The present study was performed in order to characterize the effects of Δ2-TGZ in high serum containing medium and to determine if starvation could influence the response of breast cancer cells to this compound, keeping in mind the potential interest for breast cancer therapy. We observed that in high serum conditions (10% FCS), a 48 h treatment with Δ2-TGZ induced a decrease in cell numbers in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.

The immunological diagnosis of HBsAg liver disease by combined screening for the e system in the serum and the HB core and surface antigens in liver biopsy samples.

Serological screening for HBeAg and anti-HBe, combined with the immunohistochemical localization of the hepatitis B core and surface antigen in 110 HBsAg carriers, established different immunological profiles indicative of the liver status and prognostic of the future absence or progression of the disease. Intrahepatic HBcAg and serum HBeAg appeared the most sensitive indexes of chronic and progressive liver disease, anti-HBe and large amounts of cytoplasmic HBsAg suggest, instead, the asymptomatic carrier state without liver damage. Only the nuclear localization of HBcAg in immunohistochemical studies was a reliable prognostic indicator of transition to chronicity; absence or presence of serum HBeAg was of no help in predicitng the outcome of acute HBsAg hepatitis.