Nuclear abnormalities in aspirated thyroid cells and chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of residents near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

Chromosomal studies in peripheral lymphocytes from 63 residents near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, at ages of 52–63 years old, were performed in 2001–2002. A higher rate of chromosome aberrations was observed in the two contaminated villages, Dolon and Sarjal, compared with the control village, Kokpekti. Moreover, a relationship of frequency of cells with radiation induced chromosome aberrations and the previously estimated exposure dose was observed. Furthermore, apparent nuclear abnormalities (ANA) of thyroid follicular cells were studied in 30 out of 63 residents, who were examined for chromosome aberrations. A higher rate of ANA was also found in the residents in the exposed villages compared with those in the control village. These results suggest radiation effects both on the chromosomes in peripheral lymphocytes and on the follicular cells in the thyroid

Nuclear abnormalities in aspirated thyroid cells and chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes of residents near the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

Chromosomal studies in peripheral lymphocytes from 63 residents near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, at ages of 52–63 years old, were performed in 2001–2002. A higher rate of chromosome aberrations was observed in the two contaminated villages, Dolon and Sarjal, compared with the control village, Kokpekti. Moreover, a relationship of frequency of cells with radiation induced chromosome aberrations and the previously estimated exposure dose was observed. Furthermore, apparent nuclear abnormalities (ANA) of thyroid follicular cells were studied in 30 out of 63 residents, who were examined for chromosome aberrations. A higher rate of ANA was also found in the residents in the exposed villages compared with those in the control village. These results suggest radiation effects both on the chromosomes in peripheral lymphocytes and on the follicular cells in the thyroid

Is the Association between Suicide and Unemployment Common or Different among the Post-Soviet Countries?

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) collapsed in 1991 and separated into the 15 post-Soviet countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The post-Soviet countries have faced many economic problems, including unemployment. The association between suicide and unemployment in post-Soviet countries has not been well studied. Here, we researched the annual suicide rate and the unemployment rate during the 28-year period from 1992 to 2019 in the 15 post-Soviet countries. We calculated the correlation coefficients between the suicide rate and the unemployment rate in each of the countries during this period, and we determined the association between the suicide rate and unemployment rate. Our major findings were that (1) the suicide rates among both males and females were significantly associated with the unemployment rate in nearly half of the 15 countries, and (2) for nearly 70% of the males in the entire set of 15 countries, there was an association between the suicide rate and the unemployment rate. Suicide-prevention researchers and organizations should be aware of our findings, and specific suicide-prevention measures based on these results are desirable

Quantitative Analysis of Effects of a Single 60Co Gamma Ray Point Exposure on Time-Dependent Change in Locomotor Activity in Rats

Investigating initial behavioral changes caused by irradiation of animals might provide important information to aid understanding of early health effects of radiation exposure and clinical features of radiation injury. Although previous studies in rodents suggested that radiation exposure leads to reduced activity, detailed properties of the effects were unrevealed due to a lack of proper statistical analysis, which is needed to better elucidate details of changes in locomotor activity. Ten-week-old male Wistar rats were subjected to single point external whole-body irradiation with 60Co gamma rays at 0, 2.0, 3.5, and 5.0 Gy (four rats per group). Infrared sensors were used to continuously record the locomotor activity of each rat. The cumulative number of movements during the night was defined as “activity” for each day. A non-linear mixed effects model accounting for individual differences and daily fluctuation of activity was applied to analyze the rats’ longitudinal locomotor data. Our statistical method revealed characteristics of the changes in locomotor activity after radiation exposure, showing that (1) reduction in activity occurred immediately—and in a dose-dependent manner—after irradiation and (2) recovery to pre-irradiation levels required almost one week, with the same recovery rate in each dose group

Radiation makes cells select the form of death dependent on external or internal exposure: apoptosis or pyroptosis

Abstract Internal radiation exposure from neutron-induced radioisotopes environmentally activated following atomic bombing or nuclear accidents should be considered for a complete picture of pathologic effects on survivors. Acute and localized high dose radiation exposure from hot particles taken into the body must induce cell death and severe damage to tissues, whether they are proliferating or not. However, very little the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this internal radiation pathology has been investigated. Male Wistar rats were internally exposed to 56MnO2 powder by inhalation. Small intestine samples were investigated by histological staining at acute phase (6 h, 3 days and 14 days) and late phase (2, 6 and 8 months) after the exposure. Histological location and chemical properties of the hot particles embedded in small intestinal tissues were analyzed by synchrotron radiation—X-ray fluorescence—X-ray absorption near-edge structure (SR–XRF–XANES). Hot particles located in the intestinal cavity were identified as accumulations of Mn and iron. Pathological changes showed evidence of crypt shortening, massive cell death at the position of stem cell zone, including apoptosis and pyroptosis from 6 h through 8 months in the internal exposed rats