The Health Status of Dentists Exposed to Mercury from Silver Amalgam Tooth Restorations

The authors employed pharmacy utilization data to evaluate the health status of a representative sample of 600 dentists, matched to control subjects, for gender, age, geographical area, and insurance plan structure. Dentists demonstrated significantly more prescription utilization of specific illness medications than did Controls, for the following disease categories: Neuropsychological, Neurological, Respiratory, and Cardiovascular. The greater majority of pediatric and general practice dentists still use mercury amalgam restorations. This places them at greater risk than the general population for those disorders, as well as threatening the future health of America's children and adults who continue to receive silver amalgam restorations.

Culture of human cell lines by a pathogen-inactivated human platelet lysate

Alternatives to the use of fetal bovine serum (FBS) have been investigated to ensure xeno-free growth condition. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of human platelet lysate (PL) as a substitute of FBS for the in vitro culture of some human cell lines. PL was obtained by pools of pathogen inactivated human donor platelet (PLT) concentrates. Human leukemia cell lines (KG-1, K562, JURKAT, HL-60) and epithelial tumor cell lines (HeLa and MCF-7) were cultured with either FBS or PL. Changes in cell proliferation, viability, morphology, surface markers and cell cycle were evaluated for each cell line. Functional characteristics were analysed by drug sensitivity test and cytotoxicity assay. Our results demonstrated that PL can support growth and expansion of all cell lines, although the cells cultured in presence of PL experienced a less massive proliferation compared to those grown with FBS. We found a comparable percentage of viable specific marker-expressing cells in both conditions, confirming lineage fidelity in all cultures. Functionality assays showed that cells in both FBS- and PL-supported cultures maintained their normal responsiveness to adriamycin and NK cell-mediated lysis. Our findings indicate that PL is a feasible serum substitute for supporting growth and propagation of haematopoietic and epithelial cell lines with many advantages from a perspective of process standardization, ethicality and product safety

Supporting Survivors of Public Mass Shootings

Mass casualty incidents, particularly mass shootings, are a serious issue in the United States. These incidents have increased over the past two decades and more than 32 public mass shootings have occurred since 2016, with approximately 12.8 incidents occurring each year. Since 1966, there have been over 1,202 fatalities and countless injuries due to public mass shooting incidents. Therefore, it is essential that professional counselors are equipped to treat primary, secondary, and tertiary victims of these incidents. The purpose of this article is to examine the current literature on public mass shootings, including psychological consequences, treatment considerations, ethical and legal issues, and cultural factors. Vicarious traumatization and self-care are also explored. Recommendations for training and resources are offered, and implications for professional counselors and counselor trainees are discussed

Two-year observations of the Jupiter polar regions by JIRAM on board Juno

We observed the evolution of Jupiter's polar cyclonic structures over two years between February 2017 and February 2019, using polar observations by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper, JIRAM, on the Juno mission. Images and spectra were collected by the instrument in the 5‐μm wavelength range. The images were used to monitor the development of the cyclonic and anticyclonic structures at latitudes higher than 80° both in the northern and the southern hemispheres. Spectroscopic measurements were then used to monitor the abundances of the minor atmospheric constituents water vapor, ammonia, phosphine and germane in the polar regions, where the atmospheric optical depth is less than 1. Finally, we performed a comparative analysis with oceanic cyclones on Earth in an attempt to explain the spectral characteristics of the cyclonic structures we observe in Jupiter's polar atmosphere

Health technology assessment of pathogen reduction technologies applied to plasma for clinical use

Although existing clinical evidence shows that the transfusion of blood components is becoming increasingly safe, the risk of transmission of known and unknown pathogens, new pathogens or re-emerging pathogens still persists. Pathogen reduction technologies may offer a new approach to increase blood safety. The study is the output of collaboration between the Italian National Blood Centre and the Post-Graduate School of Health Economics and Management, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. A large, multidisciplinary team was created and divided into six groups, each of which addressed one or more HTA domains.Plasma treated with amotosalen + UV light, riboflavin + UV light, methylene blue or a solvent/detergent process was compared to fresh-frozen plasma with regards to current use, technical features, effectiveness, safety, economic and organisational impact, and ethical, social and legal implications. The available evidence is not sufficient to state which of the techniques compared is superior in terms of efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness. Evidence on efficacy is only available for the solvent/detergent method, which proved to be non-inferior to untreated fresh-frozen plasma in the treatment of a wide range of congenital and acquired bleeding disorders. With regards to safety, the solvent/detergent technique apparently has the most favourable risk-benefit profile. Further research is needed to provide a comprehensive overview of the cost-effectiveness profile of the different pathogen-reduction techniques. The wide heterogeneity of results and the lack of comparative evidence are reasons why more comparative studies need to be performed

GMF: A Model Migration Case for the Transformation Tool Contest

Using a real-life evolution taken from the Graphical Modeling Framework, we invite submissions to explore ways in which model transformation and migration tools can be used to migrate models in response to metamodel adaptation.Comment: In Proceedings TTC 2011, arXiv:1111.440

An Analysis of MARSIS Radar Flash Memory Data from Lunae Planum, Mars: Searching for Subsurface Structures

Lunae Planum is a Martian plain measuring approximately 1000 km in width and 2000 km in length, centered at coordinates 294°E-11°N. MOLA elevations range from +2500 m to +500 m in the south, gently sloping northward to -500 m. The plain is part of a belt of terrains located between the southern highlands and the northern lowlands, that are transitional in character (e.g., by elevation, age and morphology). These transitional terrains are poorly understood, in part because of their relative lack of major geomorphological features. They record however a very significant part of Mars's geologic history. The most evident features on Lunae Planum's Hesperian surface are regularly spaced, longitudinally striking, wrinkle ridges. These indicate the presence of blind thrust faults cutting through thick stacks of layers of volcanic or sedimentary rocks. The presence of fluidized ejecta craters scattered all over the region suggests also the presence of ice or volatiles in the subsurface. In a preliminary study of Lunae Planum's subsurface we used the Mars Express ground penetrating radar MARSIS dataset [1], in order to detect reflectors that could indicate the presence of fault planes or layering. Standard radargrams however, provided no evidence of changes in value of dielectric constant that could indicate possible geologic discontinuities or stratification of physically diverse materials. We thus started a new investigation based on processing of raw MARSIS data. Here we report on the preliminary results of this study. We searched the MARSIS archive for raw data stored in flash memory. When operating with flash storage, the radar collects 2 frequency bands along-track covering a distance = 100-250 km, depending on the orbiter altitude [2]. We found flash memory data from 24 orbits over the area. We processed the data focusing radar returns in off-nadir directions, to maximize the likelihood of detecting sloping subsurface structures, including those striking parallel to the Mars Express sub-polar orbits. We plan to follow this study by applying a new processor aimed at improving the resolution and signal to noise ratio of the data. [1] Caprarelli et al. (2017), LPSC 48, 1720. [2] Watters et al. (2017), LPSC 48, 1693

Prioritization of high-cost new drugs for HCV: making sustainability ethical

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem worldwide. Chronic HCV infection may in the long run cause cirrhosis, hepatic decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma, with an ultimate disease burden of at least 350,000 deaths per year worldwide. The new generation of highly effective direct acting antivirals (DAA) to treat HCV infection brings major promises to infected patients in terms of exceedingly high rates of sustained virological response (SVR) but also of tolerability, allowing even the sickest patients to be treated. Even in the face of the excellent safety and efficacy and wide theoretical applicability of these regimens, their introduction is currently facing cost and access issues denying their use to many patients in need. Health systems in all countries are facing a huge problem of distributive justice, since while they should guarantee individual rights, among which the right to health in its broader sense, therefore not limited to healing, but extended to quality of life, they must also grant equal access to the healthcare resources and keep the distribution system sustainable. In the face of a disease with a relatively unpredictable course, where many but not of all chronically infected will eventually die of liver disease, selective allocation of this costly resource is debatable. In most countries the favorite solution has been a stratification of patients for prioritization of treatment, which means allowing Interferon-free DAA treatment only in patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, while keeping on hold persons with lesser stages of liver disease. In this report, we will perform an ethical assessment addressing the issues linked to access to new therapies, prioritization and eligibility criteria, analyzing the meaning of the term “distributive justice” and the different approaches that can guide us (individualistic libertarianism, social utilitarianism and egalitarianism) on this specific matter. Even if over time the price of new DAA will be reduced through competition and eventual patent expiration, the phenomenon of high drug costs will go on in the next decades and we need adequate tools to face the problems of distributive justice that come with it

Selective Depletion of αβ T Cells and B Cells for Human Leukocyte Antigen–Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. A Three-Year Follow-Up of Procedure Efficiency

HLA-haploidentical family donors represent a valuable option for children requiring allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Because graft-versus-host diseases (GVHD) is a major complication of HLA-haploidentical HSCT because of alloreactive T cells in the graft, different methods have been used for ex vivo T cell depletion. Removal of donor αβ T cells, the subset responsible for GVHD, and of B cells, responsible for post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorders, have been recently developed for HLA-haploidentical HSCT. This manipulation preserves, in addition to CD34+ progenitors, natural killer, γδ T, and monocytes/dendritic cells, contributing to anti-leukemia activity and protection against infections. We analyzed depletion efficiency and cell yield in 200 procedures performed in the last 3 years at our center. Donors underwent CD34+  hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) peripheral blood mobilization with granulocyte colony–stimulating factor (G-CSF). Poor CD34+ cell mobilizers (48 of 189, 25%) received plerixafor in addition to G-CSF. Aphereses containing a median of 52.5 × 109 nucleated cells and 494 × 106 CD34+ HSC were manipulated using the CliniMACS device. In comparison to the initial product, αβ T cell depletion produced a median 4.1-log reduction (range, 3.1 to 5.5) and B cell depletion led to a median 3.4-log reduction (range, 2.0 to 4.7). Graft products contained a median of 18.5 × 106 CD34+ HSC/kg recipient body weight, with median values of residual αβ T cells and B cells of 29 × 103/kg and 33 × 103/kg, respectively. Depletion efficiency monitored at 6-month intervals demonstrated steady performance, while improved recovery of CD34+ cells was observed after the first year (P = .0005). These data indicate that αβ T cell and B cell depletion of HSC grafts from HLA-haploidentical donors was efficient and reproducible

Detection and investigation of extracellular vesicles in serum and urine supernatant of prostate cancer patients

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is one of the most frequently identified urological cancers. PCa patients are often over-diagnosed due to still not highly specific diagnostic methods. The need for more accurate diagnostic tools to prevent overestimated diagnosis and unnecessary treatment of patients with non-malignant conditions is clear, and new markers and methods are strongly desirable. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) hold great promises as liquid biopsy-based markers. Despite the biological and technical issues present in their detection and study, these particles can be found highly abundantly in the biofluid and encompass a wealth of macromolecules that have been reported to be related to many physiological and pathological processes, including cancer onset, metastasis spreading, and treatment resistance. The present study aims to perform a technical feasibility study to develop a new workflow for investigating EVs from several biological sources. Serum and urinary supernatant EVs of PCa, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients, and healthy donors were isolated and investigated by a fast, easily performable, and cost-effective cytofluorimetric approach for a multiplex detection of 37 EV-antigens. We also observed significant alterations in serum and urinary supernatant EVs potentially related to BPH and PCa, suggesting a potential clinical application of this workflow