18 research outputs found
Simultaneous Analysis of Mycotoxins, Potentially Toxic Elements, and Pesticides in Rice: A Health Risk Assessment Study
Rice is a widely consumed food worldwide; however, it can be a source of pollutants, such as potentially toxic elements (PTEs), mycotoxins, and pesticides. Sixty rice samples imported from Pakistan (PAK), India (IND), and Thailand (THAI), as well as domestic Iranian (IRN) rice, were collected from Bushehr, Iran, and investigated for the contamination of PTEs, including arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni); pesticides, including chlorpyrifos, trichlorfon, diazinon, fenitrothion, and chlorothalonil; mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEN), ochratoxin A (OTA), and deoxynivalenol (DON); and molds. Estimated daily intake (EDI) and hazard quotient (HQ) of pollutants and hazard index (HI) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) of rice types for the Iranian adult population were calculated. The content of PTEs in Iranian rice was not higher than Iran’s national standard limits. In contrast, other types of rice (imported) had at least one PTE above the permissible level. OTA content was below the detection limit, and all other mycotoxins were within the allowable range in all rice types. Thai rice was the only group without pesticides. The HI order of rice types was as follows: HIPAK = 2.1 > HIIND = 1.86 > HIIRN = 1.01 > HITHAI = 0.98. As was the biggest contributor to the HI of Iranian and Thai rice, and diazinon in the HI of Pakistani and Indian rice. The calculation of ILCR confirmed that the concentrations of Ni and Pb in Pakistani and Ni and As in Indian, Thai, and Iranian rice were not acceptable in terms of lifetime carcinogenic health risks. © 2023 by the authors
Calcium ion currents mediating oocyte maturation events
During maturation, the last phase of oogenesis, the oocyte undergoes several changes which prepare it to be ovulated and fertilized. Immature oocytes are arrested in the first meiotic process prophase, that is morphologically identified by a germinal vesicle. The removal of the first meiotic block marks the initiation of maturation. Although a large number of molecules are involved in complex sequences of events, there is evidence that a calcium increase plays a pivotal role in meiosis re-initiation. It is well established that, during this process, calcium is released from the intracellular stores, whereas less is known on the role of external calcium entering the cell through the plasma membrane ion channels. This review is focused on the functional role of calcium currents during oocyte maturation in all the species, from invertebrates to mammals. The emerging role of specific L-type calcium channels will be discussed
Proposed Standards for Medical Education Submissions to the Journal of General Internal Medicine
To help authors design rigorous studies and prepare clear and informative manuscripts, improve the transparency of editorial decisions, and raise the bar on educational scholarship, the Deputy Editors of the Journal of General Internal Medicine articulate standards for medical education submissions to the Journal. General standards include: (1) quality questions, (2) quality methods to match the questions, (3) insightful interpretation of findings, (4) transparent, unbiased reporting, and (5) attention to human subjects’ protection and ethical research conduct. Additional standards for specific study types are described. We hope these proposed standards will generate discussion that will foster their continued evolution
Enforcing Multifunctionality: A Pressure-Induced Spin-Crossover Photomagnet
Photomagnetic compounds are usually
achieved by assembling preorganized
individual molecules into rationally designed molecular architectures
via the bottom-up approach. Here we show that a magnetic response
to light can also be enforced in a nonphotomagnetic compound by applying
mechanical stress. The nonphotomagnetic cyano-bridged Fe<sup>II</sup>–Nb<sup>IV</sup> coordination polymer {[Fe<sup>II</sup>(pyrazole)<sub>4</sub>]<sub>2</sub>[Nb<sup>IV</sup>(CN)<sub>8</sub>]·4H<sub>2</sub>O}<sub><i>n</i></sub> (<b>FeNb</b>) has been
subjected to high-pressure structural, magnetic and photomagnetic
studies at low temperature, which revealed a wide spectrum of pressure-related
functionalities including the light-induced magnetization. The multifunctionality
of <b>FeNb</b> is compared with a simple structural and magnetic
pressure response of its analog {[Mn<sup>II</sup>(pyrazole)<sub>4</sub>]<sub>2</sub>[Nb<sup>IV</sup>(CN)<sub>8</sub>]·4H<sub>2</sub>O}<sub><i>n</i></sub> (<b>MnNb</b>). The <b>FeNb</b> coordination polymer is the first pressure-induced spin-crossover
photomagnet
Reconstruction of atmospheric lead and heavy metal pollution in the Otrêbowskie Brzegi peatland (S Poland)
peer reviewe