New approach methodologies to enhance human health risk assessment of immunotoxic properties of chemicals - a PARC (Partnership for the Assessment of Risk from Chemicals) project.

As a complex system governing and interconnecting numerous functions within the human body, the immune system is unsurprisingly susceptible to the impact of toxic chemicals. Toxicants can influence the immune system through a multitude of mechanisms, resulting in immunosuppression, hypersensitivity, increased risk of autoimmune diseases and cancer development. At present, the regulatory assessment of the immunotoxicity of chemicals relies heavily on rodent models and a limited number of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) test guidelines, which only capture a fraction of potential toxic properties.

Mapping malaria vectors and insecticide resistance in a high-endemic district of Haryana, India: implications for vector control strategies.

Background: Achieving effective control and elimination of malaria in endemic regions necessitates a comprehensive understanding of local mosquito species responsible for malaria transmission and their susceptibility to insecticides.

Methods: The study was conducted in the highly malaria prone Ujina Primary Health Center of Nuh (Mewat) district of Haryana state of India. Monthly entomological surveys were carried out for adult mosquito collections via indoor resting collections, light trap collections, and pyrethrum spray collections.

Leaders as the targets of workplace bullying - prevalence and outcomes.

Purpose: Bullying of leaders is an underexplored topic in organizational research. To fill this knowledge gap, the aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of bullying of leaders and to examine whether holding a formal leadership position influences the relationships between exposure to bullying and the outcomes job satisfaction and depression.

Methods: Data from two separate surveys were employed: (1) A cross-sectional occupation specific sample comprising 678 Norwegian child welfare social workers; (2) A nationally representative probability sample of 1,608 Norwegian employees with two time-points (6 months' time-lag).

Determinants of discomfort from combined exposure to noise and vibration in dumper operators of mining industry in India.

In the mining industry, dumper operators are exposed to combined noise and vibration, leading to discomfort. Dumpers are heavy earth-moving machines that are used for carrying bulky material in mining industries. Dumper operators are exposed to physical hazards such as vibration, noise, heat, and humidity, throughout their lifetime of work.

Simulated quick returns in a laboratory context and effects on sleep and pre-sleep arousal between shifts: a crossover controlled trial.

This trial presents a laboratory model investigating the effect of quick returns (QRs, <11 h time off between shifts) on sleep and pre-sleep arousal. Using a crossover design, 63 participants worked a simulated QR condition (8 h time off between consecutive evening- and day shifts) and a day-day (DD) condition (16 h time off between consecutive day shifts). Participants slept at home and sleep was measured using a sleep diary and sleep radar.

Job function as determinant of clinker exposure at workplaces during cement production.

Objectives: In the cement production industry, exposure to airborne particulate matter is associated with a decline in lung function and increased airway symptoms. Exposure to clinker-the major constituent of cement and supposedly the cause of the observed adverse health effects-was determined recently in 15 cement production plants located in 8 different countries (Estonia, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey). It was shown that the median clinker abundance in the thoracic fraction varied between approximately 20% and 70% for individual plants.

Acceptance and expectations of healthcare workers and community during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Bhavnagar city, western India: a qualitative exploration.

Background: COVID-19 vaccine was launched in India on January 16, 2021. There is a paucity of robust evidence from qualitative studies on the acceptability and expectations of potential recipients from the COVID-19 vaccine around the time of its rollout in India. We conducted this study to explore the acceptance and expectations of the COVID-19 vaccine among the healthcare workers and community in Bhavnagar, India.

Brain Mitochondria as a Therapeutic Target for Carnosic Acid.

Carnosic acid (CA), a diterpene obtained mainly from and , exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects in mammalian cells. At least in part, those benefits are associated with the ability that CA modulates mitochondrial physiology. CA attenuated bioenergetics collapse and redox impairments in the mitochondria obtained from brain cells exposed to several toxicants in both and experimental models.

Transcriptional and phenotypical alterations associated with a gradual benzo[a]pyrene-induced transition of human bronchial epithelial cells into mesenchymal-like cells.

The role of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a prominent genotoxic carcinogen and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand, in tumor progression remains poorly characterized. We investigated the impact of BaP on the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in normal human bronchial epithelial HBEC-12KT cells. Early morphological changes after 2-week exposure were accompanied with induction of SERPINB2, IL1, CDKN1A/p21 (linked with cell cycle delay) and chemokine CXCL5.

Physicochemical properties of 26 carbon nanotubes as predictors for pulmonary inflammation and acute phase response in mice following intratracheal lung exposure.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) vary in physicochemical properties which makes risk assessment challenging. Mice were pulmonary exposed to 26 well-characterized CNTs using the same experimental design and followed for one day, 28 days or 3 months. This resulted in a unique dataset, which was used to identify physicochemical predictors of pulmonary inflammation and systemic acute phase response.

Metagenomics analysis of mice gut microbiome to unravel the role of metal exposure and piperine.

The gut and intestinal microbiota consists of trillions of microorganisms inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract. It plays a crucial role in human health leading to understanding the dynamic crosstalk of host-microbe interaction in the gut and has become necessary for the detection, prevention, or therapy of diseases. Gut microbiota deviations are linked with many diseases, suggesting that various pathways involved in immunity, energy, lipid, and glucose metabolism are affected.

Blood lead levels in pregnant women and their newborn infants at an Indian teaching hospital.

Background And Aim: With the growth of the world's economy and industrialization, lead (Pb) contamination in the environment has become a major issue on a global scale. Lead is typically linked to unfavorable pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth, low birth weight preterm, and spontaneous abortion. In this study, we evaluated the blood lead levels of pregnant women and their birth outcomes attending an Indian tertiary care teaching hospital, those who were not exposed to any lead-associated industry or shops.

Is new tech a pain in the neck? The impact of introducing new technologies in home-care on neck pain: a prospective study.

Background: Home healthcare services are increasingly utilizing novel technologies to enhance quality and efficiency of caregiving, to reduce workloads and compensate for expected labor shortages in the future due to ageing populations. However, rapid, ongoing implementation of new technologies may demand considerable adaptation for employees. The objective of this study was to prospectively examine associations of newly introduced work technologies with neck pain complaints.

Socioeconomic differences in working life expectancy: a scoping review.

Background: In the last decade, interest in working life expectancy (WLE) and socioeconomic differences in WLE has grown considerably. However, a comprehensive overview of the socioeconomic differences in WLE is lacking. The aim of this review is to systematically map the research literature to improve the insight on differences in WLE and healthy WLE (HWLE) by education, occupational class and income while using different ways of measuring and estimating WLE and to define future research needs.

Post-injury long-term sickness absence and risk of disability pension: The role of socioeconomic status.

Introduction: Previous research has identified low socioeconomic status (SES) as a risk factor for long-term sickness absence (LTSA) and disability pension (DP) following trauma. However, most studies lack information on medical diagnoses, limiting our understanding of the underlying factors. To address this gap, we retrieved information about diagnostic causes for receipt of welfare benefits to explore the role of SES in the transition from post-injury LTSA to permanent DP among the working population in Norway.

Prevalence and predictors of high-frequency hearing loss among mine workers in Gujarat, western India: a cross-sectional study on the need to implement a comprehensive hearing conservation program.

Background: High-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) stands as a prevalent occupational morbidity globally, with numerous associated risk factors, some of which are modifiable. In the context of a comprehensive hearing conservation program, the initial steps involve early screening and identification of workers with these modifiable risk factors, aiming to reduce the prevalence of hearing loss. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of HFHL and determine its predictors among mine workers.

Data Management: The First Step in Reproducible Research.

Reproducibility is a preferred aim in any scientific research, including occupational health research. Datamanagement is an important and essential step in marching towards reproducibility. A good datamanagement helps us stay organized, improve transparency, quality and fosters collaboration.

Prevalence and predictors of self-reported hearing aid use and benefit in Norway: the HUNT study.

Background: Knowledge on hearing aid use and benefit is important to ensure appropriate and effective treatment. We aimed to assess prevalence and predictors of hearing aid use and benefit in Norway, as well as possible birth cohort changes.

Methods: We analyzed two large cross-sectional, population-based hearing surveys of 63,182 adults in 1996-1998 and 2017-2019 (the HUNT study).

ABDpred: Prediction of active antimicrobial compounds using supervised machine learning techniques.

Background Objectives: Discovery of new antibiotics is the need of the hour to treat infectious diseases. An ever-increasing repertoire of multidrug-resistant pathogens poses an imminent threat to human lives across the globe. However, the low success rate of the existing approaches and technologies for antibiotic discovery remains a major bottleneck.

Artificial intelligence in advancing occupational health and safety: an encapsulation of developments.

Objectives: In an era characterized by dynamic technological advancements, the well-being of the workforce remains a cornerstone of progress and sustainability. The evolving industrial landscape in the modern world has had a considerable influence on occupational health and safety (OHS). Ensuring the well-being of workers and creating safe working environments are not only ethical imperatives but also integral to maintaining operational efficiency and productivity.

Intranasal immunization of mice with chimera of Salmonella Typhi protein elicits protective intestinal immunity.

Development of safe, highly effective and affordable enteric fever vaccines is a global health priority. Live, oral typhoid vaccines induce strong mucosal immunity and long-term protection, but safety remains a concern. In contrast, efficacy wears off rapidly for injectable, polysaccharide-based vaccines, which elicit poor mucosal response.

Impact of individual level uncertainty of lung cancer polygenic risk score (PRS) on risk stratification.

Background: Although polygenic risk score (PRS) has emerged as a promising tool for predicting cancer risk from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the individual-level accuracy of lung cancer PRS and the extent to which its impact on subsequent clinical applications remains largely unexplored.

Methods: Lung cancer PRSs and confidence/credible interval (CI) were constructed using two statistical approaches for each individual: (1) the weighted sum of 16 GWAS-derived significant SNP loci and the CI through the bootstrapping method (PRS-16-CV) and (2) LDpred2 and the CI through posteriors sampling (PRS-Bayes), among 17,166 lung cancer cases and 12,894 controls with European ancestry from the International Lung Cancer Consortium. Individuals were classified into different genetic risk subgroups based on the relationship between their own PRS mean/PRS CI and the population level threshold.

Mushroom Poisoning Outbreaks - China, 2023.

What Is Already Known About This Topic?: Mushroom poisoning poses a significant food safety concern in China, with a total of 196 species identified in poisoning incidents by the end of 2022.

What Is Added By This Report?: In 2023, the China CDC conducted an investigation into 505 cases of mushroom poisoning spanning 24 provincial-level administrative divisions. This investigation resulted in 1,303 patients and 16 deaths, yielding a case fatality rate of 1.