Toxicological effects of AgNPs on duckweed (Landoltia punctata).

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely applied in several types of products since they act as a biocide. However, their high level of release into the environment can bring risks to ecosystems. Thus, the toxicity of AgNPs toward duckweed (Landoltia punctata) was investigated by monitoring the growth rate inhibition and the effect on the photosynthetic metabolism through morphological and ultrastructural analysis.

Determinants for Meaningful Clinical Improvement of Pain and Health-Related Quality of Life After Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Intractable Pain.

Objectives: Previous studies demonstrated significant improvement in mean pain scores and quality of life (QOL) scales in patients with chronic pain who underwent spinal cord stimulation (SCS). However, the number of individuals who experience relevant improvements in QOL, termed the meaningful clinical improvement (MCI), is not known. The present study investigated changes in pain measurements based on MCI after SCS.

Tattoo inks: Characterization and in vivo and in vitro toxicological evaluation.

Tattoo inks represent a growing market in the world economy, but this growth is associated with an increase in reports of adverse effects caused by the use of this product. In this study, four commercial tattoo inks (blue, green, red and black) were studied to characterize the composition and particle size and identify possible in vivo and in vitro toxicological effects on Daphnia magna and HaCaT cells, respectively. Compositional analysis confirmed the functional groups in the vehicles and organic pigments.