Re: Pierce et al. Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione Exposures Associated with Cigarette Smoking: Implications for Risk Assessment of Food and Flavoring Workers Crit Rev Toxicol, 2014; 44(5): 420-435

We were greatly dismayed by Pierce et al.’ s report on the associations between exposure to Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione and cigarette smoking (Pierce et al. 2014). It stated that “ Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione exposures from cigarette smoking far exceed occupational exposures for most food/flavoring workers who smoke. ” Based on this finding, the authors suggested that “ previous claims of a significant exposure – response relationship between diacetyl inhalation and respiratory disease in food/flavoring workers were confounded because none of the investigations considered or quantified the non-occupational diacetyl exposure from cigarette smoke, yet all the cohorts evaluated had considerable smoking histories.

ERAWATCH country reports 2011: Turkey

The main objective of the ERAWATCH Annual Country Reports is to characterise and assess the performance of national research systems and related policies in a structured manner that is comparable across countries. The 2011 country reports assess the evolution on the national R&D investments targets, the efficiency and effectiveness of national policies and investments into R&D, the articulation between education, research and innovation, with an increased focus on the last two in terms of their wider governance and policy mix. The reports for EU MS and AS integrates in the assessment the evolution of the national policy mixes in the perspective of the Europe 2020 Strategy goals and on the realisation and better governance of ERA.JRC.J.2-Knowledge for Growt

United Airways Disease Among Florists

Previously we observed an excess risk for occupational asthma among florists with rhinitis. To further evaluate the link between upper and lower airways, we investigated united airways disease in the same occupational group. Occupational history, symptoms and atopy were investigated among 128 florists. Age-, smoking-, and gender-adjusted risks were calculated using logistic regression models comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. The prevalence of work-related rhinitis symptoms was 13.3%, conjunctivitis symptoms and asthma-like symptoms were 14.1%. We observed an excess risk of work-related asthma symptoms among florists with work-related conjunctivitis (OR: 8.5, 95% CI: 2.4-29.9) and rhinitis (OR: 13.1, 95% CI: 3.0- 58.0). Florists with positive allergen skin test for flower mix were 13.0 times more likely to have work-related rhinitis and 12.5 times more likely to have work-related conjunctivitis. The observed relationship between work-related asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis is supportive of the concept of the united airways disease

Nest

The major themes in this body of work are time and layers. These themes are linked by the materiality of the work. Intentional destruction and recreation, perpetually. The work is constantly being made, destroyed, and remade. It is always partly past and partly future. Nest is a self portrait displaying objects acquired and made over the past several years

Gold Nanoparticle Biodistributions and Stability in Vivo from Mass Spectrometric Imaging

Their smaller size, inherent non-toxicity and tunable properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) attract researchers for their use in biological applications such as drug delivery, imaging and therapeutics. Understanding the in vivo fate of these AuNPs are essential for their potential effects in both the environment and the body. In this dissertation, mass spectrometric imaging methods using laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and laser desorption/ionization (LDI-MS) have been investigated to monitor the in vivo fate of AuNPs. AuNP injected mouse tissue samples can be obtained and readily imaged to track the injected AuNPs using these methods. A first-ever imaging of 2 nm monolayer protected AuNPs in vivo using LA-ICP-MS is described. In addition, sub-organ biodistribution of AuNPs using LA-ICP-MS has been investigated. An alternative quantification strategy that can be used for LA-ICP-MS is expressed. A dual mode imaging method that can be used to monitor the stability of AuNPs by combining LA-ICP-MS and LDI-MS is reported

Socio-cultural adjustment among international students in Malaysian Universities in the Northern Region of Peninsular Malaysia

The present study aims to examine the influence of locus of control and social support on socio-cultural adjustment among international student in public universitites in Northern Region of Peninsular Malaysia. A total of 120 international students in Malaysian Universities in Northern Region of Peninsular Malaysia participated in the study. Regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis. The results showed that the external locus of control had a significant and positive impact on impersonal endeavour, cultural relatedness and cultural empathy. Moreover, it was found that internal locus of control had a significant and negative influence on cultural empathy. Further, social support from family and significant others had a significant and negative impact on cultural relatedness. Lastly, social support from friends was not a significant predictor of all dimension in socio-cultural adjustment. Practical and theoritical implication, limitations of the study and recommendations for future research were also highlighte

Utilização da técnica microbiológica convencional, Reação em Cadeia pela Polimerase (PCR) e ensaio imunoenzimático (ELISA) no monitoramento de Salmonella em carcaças de frango para o controle higiênico-sanitário do processo de abate

O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar uma análise comparativa das técnicas de Reação em Cadeia pela Polimerase (PCR) e Ensaio Imunoenzimático (ELISA - SALVIA ®) com o método microbiológico convencional para detecção de Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), S. Typhimurium (ST), S. Gallinarum(SG) e S. Pullorum (SP) em carne de frango. As amostras foram contaminadas artificialmente com diluições de 10-7, 10-8 e 10-9 para SE e ST e de 10-4, 10-5 e 10-6 para SG e SP, com cinco repetições de cada diluição, totalizando 300 análises. Os testes foram realizados em cinco diferentes laboratórios para a validação das técnicas. Na avaliação geral dos dados obtidos, a microbiológica convencional obteve 56,67% (170/300) de recuperação das amostras contaminadas por Salmonella artificialmente, enquanto que as técnicas de ELISA e PCR representaram 71% (213/300) e 75% (225/300), respectivamente. A análise dos resultados de detecção de Salmonella através dos testes ELISA e PCR, em relação ao microbiológico convencional, apresentaram diferença estatística (p=0,0001, teste de MacNemar). Não houve diferença significativa entre os resultados da PCR e do ELISA. Após essa etapa do trabalho, as três técnicas também foram testadas a campo, na qual foram utilizadas três categorias de matadouros: um com abate totalmente automatizado (ATA) e dois com abate semi automatizado, sendo um de grande porte (ASAGP) e outro com pequeno porte (ASAPP). Em todos os matadouros as coletas foram realizadas obedecendo a mesma metodologia, utilizandose os seguintes procedimentos: em cada matadouro foram coletadas amostras de 20 lotes, distribuídos em 20 pools de suabes cloacais de 100 aves, 20 carcaças de frango após a evisceração e antes do chiller e 20 carcaças de frango após o chiller, totalizando 60 lotes e 180 amostras. A metodologia das análises foi a mesma empregada na etapa anterior. Os resultados mostraram que, na microbiologia convencional (MC) foram isoladas 47/180 amostras positivas (26%), ELISA 32/ 180 (17,8%) e PCR 22/180 (12,2%). Houve diferença estatística significativa entre as três técnicas, sendo que a MC apresentou eficácia superior (p=0,05) na detecção de Salmonella em relação as demais técnicas. Nessa etapa também foi investigada a presença de Salmonella em diferentes etapas do processamento industrial das três categorias de matadouro avícola. No matadouro com tecnologia totalmente automatizada foram identificadas 30/60 (50%) amostras positivas para Salmonella, sendo 12/20 (60%) no suabe cloacal, 14/20 (70%) antes do chiller e 4/20 (20%) após o chiller. No matadouro com tecnologia semi-automatizada, 4/20 (20%) amostras foram positivas no suabe cloacal, 5/20 (25%) antes do chiller e 8/20 (40%) após o chiller, totalizando 17/60 (28,3%) amostras positivas, enquanto que no matadouro com tecnologia manual não houve isolamento de Salmonella. Das 180 amostras analisadas, isolou-se Salmonella em 47 (26,11%), das quais 63,9% (30/47) foram S. Heidelberg, 31,9% (15/47) S. Enteritidis, 2,1% (1/47) S. Worthington e 2,1% (1/47) S. Tennessee

Pesticide Exposure in the Caribbean: A Case From Nutmeg Processing

Many developed countries around the world have implemented regulations to phase out or greatly restrict the use of pesticides. Pesticides are still utilized with minimal restrictions, however, in fumigating agricultural commodities in developing countries such as Grenada. This special report presents the case of a nutmeg factory worker in Grenada who worked with various pesticides including methyl bromide, magnesium phosphide (magtoxin), and aluminum phosphide (phostoxin) without the proper awareness and utilization of health and safety measures. The nutmeg factory worker later developed metastatic bladder cancer, which may have been triggered by a combination of individual risk factors along with long-term occupational exposure to these pesticides. In this special report, the occupational health importance of prevention in a work environment with significant exposure to pesticides is highlighted as well as some of the fundamental deficiencies in awareness among workers in developing nations concerning the deleterious effects of frequent exposure to pesticides