Organ at risk

This study explores the eco-geno-toxic impact of Acyclovir (ACV), a widely used antiviral drug, on various freshwater organisms, given its increasing detection in surface waters. The research focused on non-target organisms, including the green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata, the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus, the cladoceran crustacean Ceriodaphnia dubia, and the benthic ostracod Heterocypris incongruens, exposed to ACV to assess both acute and chronic toxicity. The results indicate that while acute toxicity occurs at environmentally not-relevant concentrations, a significant chronic toxicity for C...

3,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126) is the most toxic congener of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL PCBs), while nanoplastics (NPs) have recently emerged as significant marine pollutants, both posing threats to aquatic organisms and human health. They coexist in the environment, but their comprehensive toxicological effects remain unclear. In this study, zebrafish embryos were simultaneously exposed to PCB126 and 80-nanometer nanoplastyrene (NPS). Researchers utilized fluorescence microscopy, qPCR, histopathological examination, and transcriptomic sequencing to investigate the developmental toxicity of different concentrations of PCB126 and NPS individually or in combination on zebrafish embryos and larvae...

Evidence increasingly suggests molybdenum exposure at environmental levels is still associated with adverse human health, emphasizing the necessity to establish a more protective reference dose (RfD). Herein, we conducted a study measuring 15 urinary metals and 30 clinical health indicators in 2267 participants residing near chemical enterprises across 11 Chinese provinces to investigate their relationships. The kidney and cystatin-C emerged as the most sensitive organ and critical effect indicator of molybdenum exposure, respectively...

BACKGROUND: The new round of WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease assessment requires futher research to provide more evidence, especially on the health impact of ambient air pollution around the workplace. However, the evidence linking obstructive ventilatory dysfunction (OVD) to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) and its chemical components in workers is very limited. Evidence is even more scarce on the interactive effects between occupational factors and particle exposures...

Currently, the hidden risk of microplastics in the coagulation process has attracted much attention. However, previous studies aimed at improving the removal efficiency of microplastics and ignored the importance of interactions between microplastics and natural organic matter (NOM). This study investigated how polystyrene micro/nano particles impact the release of NOM during the aging of flocs formed by aluminum-based coagulants Al13 and AlCl3 . The results elucidated that nano-particles with small particle sizes and agglomerative states are more likely to interact with coagulants...

This study presents a comprehensive approach to estimating annual atrazine residues in China's agricultural soils, integrating machine learning algorithms and mechanism-based models. First, machine learning was used to predict essential parameters influencing atrazine's adsorption, degradation, and dispersivity of solute transport. The results demonstrated that soil organic matter was the most important input variable for predicting adsorption and degradation; clay content was the primary variable for predicting dispersivity...

Lymphocytes, which are highly sensitive to radiation, play a crucial role in the body's defense against tumors. Radiation-induced lymphopenia has been associated with poorer outcomes in different cancer types. Despite being the largest secondary lymphoid organ, the spleen has not been officially designated as an organ at risk. This study hypothesizes a connection between spleen irradiation and lymphopenia and seeks to establish evidence-based dosage limits for the spleen. We retrospectively analyzed data from 96 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer who received postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) between May 2010 and May 2017...

BACKGROUND: Smallholder farmers receive educational interventions on safe pesticide handling by governmental agencies, industries, or nongovernmental organizations to reduce exposure risks. However, existing educational interventions have limited effects on changing behaviors. Targeting psychosocial determinants of behavior change in educational interventions through theory- and evidence-based approaches may enhance their effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: We aim at describing the intervention development and study design of a 3-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess the effects in improving safe pesticide handling and reducing pesticide exposure of (1) an existing educational intervention and (2) a newly developed SMS text messaging intervention based on the Risks, Attitudes, Norms, Abilities, and Self-regulation (RANAS) behavior change approach...

On 7 December 2022, the State Council of China released 'Measures to Further Optimize the Implementation of the Prevention and Control of the New Coronavirus Epidemic'. The previous three-year dynamic zero epidemic prevention policy was then replaced with a full liberalization policy. On 5 May 2023, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 no longer constituted a 'public health emergency of international concern.' However, given the ongoing prevalence of coronavirus, emerging mutations, and the liberalization of restrictions, there are increased risks of vulnerable people contracting new variants...

BACKGROUND: Large language models (LLMs) are computational artificial intelligence systems with advanced natural language processing capabilities that have recently been popularized among health care students and educators due to their ability to provide real-time access to a vast amount of medical knowledge. The adoption of LLM technology into medical education and training has varied, and little empirical evidence exists to support its use in clinical teaching environments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to identify and qualitatively evaluate potential use cases and limitations of LLM technology for real-time ward-based educational contexts...

UNLABELLED: Pelvic exenteration (PE) is a technically challenging surgical procedure. More recently, quality of life and survivorship following PEs are being increasingly acknowledged as important patient outcomes. This includes evaluating major long-term complications such as hernias, defined as the protrusion of internal organs through a facial defect (The PelvEx Collaborative in Br J Surg 109:1251-1263, 2022), for which there is currently limited literature. The aim of this paper is to ascertain the incidence and risk factors for postoperative hernia formation among our PE cohort managed at a quaternary centre...

PURPOSE: Research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and precursor states demonstrates a thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (NFL) compared to age-similar controls. Because AD and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) both impact older adults and share risk factors, we asked if retinal layer thicknesses, including NFL, are associated with cognition in AMD. METHODS: Adults ≥ 70 years with normal retinal aging, early AMD, or intermediate AMD per Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) nine-step grading of color fundus photography were enrolled in a cross-sectional study...

Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), such as pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and urinary incontinence (UI), severely affect women's quality of life. Among these, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common, impacting a significant proportion of women. In the US, the lifetime risk of undergoing surgery for UI or POP stands at 20%. Pregnancy-related factors, notably delivery method and UI occurrence during pregnancy, have a potent correlation with PFD onset. The pathophysiology of PFDs during pregnancy is complex, with factors like increased intra-abdominal pressure, changes in bladder neck mobility, and shifts in pelvic floor muscle strength and collagen metabolism playing pivotal roles...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has revolutionized solid organ transplantation by providing an opportunity to utilize organs from HCV-viremic donors. Though transplantation of HCV-viremic donor organs into aviremic recipients is safe in the short term, midterm data on survival and post-transplant complications is lacking. We provide a midterm assessment of complications of lung transplantation (LT) up to 2 years post-transplant, including patient and graft survival between HCV-viremic transplantation (D+) and HCV-aviremic transplantation (D-)...

BACKGROUND: Children with intellectual disabilities are at heightened risk for traumatization, though underserved due to silos of care, diagnostic overshadowing, and lack of adapted treatment. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), an evidence-based childhood trauma therapy, is described with recommended adaptations for use with children who have intellectual disabilities. METHOD: We present a suggested theoretical and clinical guide for treating children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities...

BACKGROUND: Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) is a treatment approach that combines the benefits of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) techniques such as minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) or minimally invasive multivessel CABG (MICS-CABG) with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for carefully selected patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MV CAD). The extant body of research primarily concentrates on the comparison of outcomes between HCR and CABG or PCI...

Systemic dosing of adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors poses potential risk of adverse side-effects including complement activation triggered by anti-capsid immunity. Due to the multifactorial nature of toxicities observed in this setting, a wide spectrum of immune modulatory regimens (IMR) are being investigated in the clinic. Here, we discover an IgM cleaving enzyme (IceM) that degrades human IgM, a key trigger in the anti-AAV immune cascade. We then engineer a fusion enzyme (IceMG) with dual proteolytic activity against human IgM and IgG...

An increased risk of target organ damage (TOD) has been reported in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA). However, there is relatively little related research on the correlation between the degree of TOD and those with and without PA in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. The aim of this study was to assess the association between PA and TOD among patients with newly diagnosed hypertension. Newly diagnosed hypertensive patients were consecutively recruited from January 2015 to June 2020 at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital...

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU)-survivors have an increased risk of mortality after discharge compared to the general population. On ICU admission subphenotypes based on the plasma biomarker levels of interleukin-8, protein C and bicarbonate have been identified in patients admitted with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) that are prognostic of outcome and predictive of treatment response. We hypothesized that if these inflammatory subphenotypes previously identified among ARDS patients are assigned at ICU discharge in a more general critically ill population, they are associated with short- and long-term outcome...

BACKGROUND: Distal pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) represents an innovative surgical approach for locally advanced pancreatic body cancer in cases involving celiac axis invasion. However, this procedure carries significant perioperative risks, including arterial aneurysms and organ ischemia. Understanding these risks is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and guiding treatment decisions. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report describes a unique case of a 74-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic body cancer with invasion of the celiac and splenic arteries...