Retrospective analysis of adverse effects associated with pyrethrins-containing products

The Pyrethrins Stewardship Program (PSP) was established to better understand adverse effects following exposure to pyrethrins-containing insecticide products. Running from April 2010 through December 2016, symptomatic dermal and inhalation exposures were entered into Phase I of the PSP and analyzed for exposure details and nature of the effects reported. Phase II consisted of an in-depth telephone interview using an enhanced questionnaire to investigate additional exposure details. Phase III scored the association between exposure and reported effects. Based on the data collected and analyzed, we conclude that: (1) Both in absolute number and relative to the wide distribution and use by consumers, adverse respiratory or dermal events after product exposure were rare; (2) Most outcomes for the reported events involving either dermal or respiratory effects were of minor severity and self-limiting; (3) None of the data collected and analyzed indicate that pyrethrins-containing products, including those formulated with synthetic pyrethroids and/or synergists, pose a significant risk of serious dermal or respiratory reactions even in cases where the exposed individual reported having allergies or asthma; (4) No additional label warnings or other mitigation techniques are warranted with pyrethrins-containing products formulated with or without synthetic pyrethroids and/or synergists.

Analytical Solution of a New SEIR Model Based on Latent Period-Infectious Period Chronological Order

The Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) and SIR derived epidemic models have been commonly used to analyze the spread of infectious diseases. The underlying assumption in these models, such as Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model, is that the change in variables E, I or R at time t is dependent on a fraction of E and I at time t. This means that after exposed on a day, this individual may become contagious or even recover on the same day. However, the real situation is different: an exposed individual will become infectious after a latent period (l) and then recover after an infectious period (i). In this study, we proposed a new SEIR model based on the latent period-infectious period chronological order (Liu X., Results Phys. 2021; 20:103712). An analytical solution to equations of this new SEIR model was derived. From this new SEIR model, we obtained a propagated curve of infectious cases under conditions l>i. Similar propagated epidemic curves were reported in literature. However, the conventional SEIR model failed to simulate the propagated epidemic curves under the same conditions. For l<i, the new SEIR models generated bell-shaped curves for infectious cases, and the curve is near symmetrical to the vertical line passing the curve peak. This characteristic can be found in many epidemic curves of daily COVID-19 cases reported from different countries. However, the curve generated from the conventional SEIR model is a right-skewed bell-shaped curve. An example for applying the analytical solution of the new SEIR model equations to simulate the reported daily COVID-19 cases was also given in this paper.

Understanding Pattern Hair Loss—Hair Biology Impacted by Genes, Androgens, Prostaglandins and Epigenetic Factors

Pattern hair loss (PHL) is the most frequent cause of hair loss in men and women, accounting for 65% of consultations in a hair referral center. PHL is understood to represent a hereditary, age-dependent progressive thinning of the scalp hair, which follows distinct clinical patterns with notable differences depending on sex and age of onset. Clinical and investigative advances have helped us to understand some of the pathogenic steps, leading to PHL. Besides genetic factors and peculiarities of androgen metabolism, additional pathogenic factors that are suspected include microbiomata, oxidative stress, and microinflammation. While further suspects are likely to be exposed, individual diversity of causal agents, as well as of the sequence of events, or combined factors, must be kept in mind. A large number of therapeutic molecules claimed to be active and patented in this field, and their limited efficacy in offering a definitive cure of PHL confirm the complexity of PHL. The aim of therapy is to retard progression of hair thinning and increase hair coverage of the scalp. As yet, two FDA-approved drugs are available for this purpose, oral finasteride, and topical solution of minoxidil. Variations in posology and formulation allow for an enhancement of patient comfort and treatment efficacy. Antiandrogen treatments in women with normal androgen levels have questionable efficacy while having health risks.

Vocal plasticity in harbour seal pups

Vocal plasticity can occur in response to environmental and biological factors, including conspecifics' vocalizations and noise. Pinnipeds are one of the few mammalian groups capable of vocal learning, and are therefore relevant to understanding the evolution of vocal plasticity in humans and other animals. Here, we investigate the vocal plasticity of harbour seals ( Phoca vitulina ), a species with vocal learning abilities observed in adulthood but not puppyhood. To evaluate early mammalian vocal development, we tested 1–3 weeks-old seal pups. We tailored noise playbacks to this species and age to induce seal pups to shift their fundamental frequency ( f 0 ), rather than adapt call amplitude or temporal characteristics. We exposed individual pups to low- and high-intensity bandpass-filtered noise, which spanned—and masked—their typical range of f 0 ; simultaneously, we recorded pups' spontaneous calls. Unlike most mammals, pups modified their vocalizations by lowering their f 0 in response to increased noise. This modulation was precise and adapted to the particular experimental manipulation of the noise condition. In addition, higher levels of noise induced less dispersion around the mean f 0 , suggesting that pups may have actively focused their phonatory efforts to target lower frequencies. Noise did not seem to affect call amplitude. However, one seal showed two characteristics of the Lombard effect known for human speech in noise: significant increase in call amplitude and flattening of spectral tilt. Our relatively low noise levels may have favoured f 0 modulation while inhibiting amplitude adjustments. This lowering of f 0 is unusual, as most animals commonly display no such f 0 shift. Our data represent a relatively rare case in mammalian neonates, and have implications for the evolution of vocal plasticity and vocal learning across species, including humans. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Voice modulation: from origin and mechanism to social impact (Part I)’.

Monte Carlo Simulation-Based Calculations of Complex DNA Damage for Incidents of Environmental Ionizing Radiation Exposure

In this paper, we present a useful Monte Carlo (MC)-based methodology that can be utilized to calculate the absorbed dose and the initial levels of complex DNA damage (such as double strand breaks-DSBs) in the case of an environmental ionizing radiation (IR) exposure incident (REI) i.e., a nuclear accident. Our objective is to assess the doses and complex DNA damage by isolating only one component of the total radiation released in the environment after a REI that will affect the health of the exposed individual. More specifically, the radiation emitted by radionuclide 137Cs in the ground (under the individual’s feet). We use a merging of the Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport code (MCNP) with the Monte Carlo Damage Simulation (MCDS) code. The DNA lesions have been estimated through simulations for different surface activities of a 137Cs ground-based γ radiation source. The energy spectrum of the emitted secondary electrons and the absorbed dose in typical mammalian cells have been calculated using the MCNP code, and then these data are used as an input in the MCDS code for the estimation of critical DNA damage levels and types. As a realistic application, the calculated dose is also used to assess the Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) for eight hypothetical individuals, living in different zones around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, exposed to different time periods at the days of the accident in 1986. We conclude that any exposition of an individual in the near zone of Chernobyl increases the risk of cancer at a moderate to high grade, connected also with the induction of complex DNA damage by radiation. Generally, our methodology has proven to be useful for assessing γ rays-induced complex DNA damage levels of the exposed population, in the case of a REI and for better understanding the long-term health effects of exposure of the population to IR.

Charting a Course towards Resilience Following Adverse Childhood Experiences: Addressing Intergenerational Trauma via Strengths-Based Intervention

Early research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) provided staggering evidence of the significant ramifications of ACEs on physical health and functioning. It brought to the forefront the importance of addressing trauma and family dysfunction to enhance public health. Over the past several decades, the study of childhood adversity has blossomed, with expanded conceptualizations and assessments of ACEs. This review brings together various biological, psychological, and sociological principles that inform our understanding of ACEs and our approach to treatment. Specifically, we document the evolution of ACEs research, focusing on the intergenerational impact of ACEs, the importance of incorporating a resilience framework when examining ACEs, and implementing interventions that address adversity across generations and at multiple levels of the social ecology. Evidence is provided to support the evolving perspective that ACEs have long-lasting effects beyond the ACE(s)-exposed individual, with significant attention to the impact of parental ACEs on child development. An intergenerational and multilevel approach to understanding and addressing ACEs offers specific areas to target in interventions and in public policy.

Avaliação do perfil dosimétrico do setor de hemodinâmica / Hemodynamics sector’s dosimetric profile evaluation

Introdução: Os avanços tecnológicos das últimas décadas permitiram que a cardiologia intervencionista se expandisse visivelmente propiciando o diagnóstico e terapêutica de cardiopatias através de procedimentos médicos pouco invasivosguiados por imagens radiológicas de escopia. Devido à necessidade de aproximação ao paciente e ao tubo de raios-X durante todo o procedimento existe um risco potencial para o aumento da dose nos IOEs. Objetivo: Traçar o perfil dosimétrico da sala de hemodinâmica durante um procedimentopadrão utilizando-se medidores de alta precisão. Método: A dosagem de radiação foi realizada no serviço de Hemodinâmica da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo que utiliza um equipamento modelo MAVIG INNOVA IGS 5 da marca General Electrie-GE e no Hospital Santa Isabel, que utilizaum equipamento modelo ALLURA XPER FD 20 da marca PHILIPS. A medição consistiu em observar alterações na dose acumulada principalmente nos pontos em que se concentram os profissionais durante os procedimentos, quando dainterposição de barreira plumbífera através da distribuição da dose nestes pontos. Resultados: O estudo mostrou que a dose pode ser reduzida em até 90% com a interposição da barreira plumbífera de proteção. Foi possível observar a redução de 75% da dose ao aplicarmos a lei do inverso do quadrado da distância nos principais pontos estudados. Conclusão: O uso de aparatos de proteção proporcionou diminuir a alta taxa de dose e a probabilidade de ocorrência dos efeitos biológicos da radiação ionizante.Palavras-chave: Hemodinâmica, Exposição ocupacional, Proteção radiológica, Raios X, Radiologia intervencionistaABSTRACTIntroduction: The technological advances of the last decade allowed the intervencionist cardiology to expand visibly providing the diagnostic and therapeutic of cardiopathies through less invasive medical procedures guided by radiological images of endoscopy. Due to the need for the presence of the patient and the x-ray tube during all the procedure a potencial risk exist in the increase of the dose for the Occupational Exposed Individual (IOEs). Objective: Trace a dosimetric profile of the hemodynamic room during the standard procedure using measuring equipments of high precision. Method: Radiation dosing was performed at the Hemodynamics Service of Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, which uses a MAVIG INNOVA IGS 5 model equipment from General Electrie-GE and at Hospital Santa Isabel, which uses an ALLURA XPER FD 20 model equipment. PHILIPS brand. The measurement consisted ofobserving changes in the accumulated dose, mainly in the points where the professionals are concentrated during the procedures, when the lead barrier is interposed through the dose distribution in these points. Results: The studyshowed that the dose can be reduced by up to 90% with the interposition of the protective lead barrier. It was possible to observe a 75% reduction in the dose when applying the inverse law of the square of the distance in the main pointsstudied. Conclusion: The use of protective devices has reducedthe high dose rate and the likelihood of the biologicaleffects of ionizing radiation.Keywords: Hemodynamics, Occupational exposure, X rays,Radiation protection, Radiology Interventional.

Comparison of infection control strategies to reduce COVID-19 outbreaks in homeless shelters in the United States: a simulation study

Background COVID-19 outbreaks have occurred in homeless shelters across the US, highlighting an urgent need to identify the most effective infection control strategy to prevent future outbreaks. Methods We developed a microsimulation model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a homeless shelter and calibrated it to data from cross-sectional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) surveys conducted during COVID-19 outbreaks in five homeless shelters in three US cities from March 28 to April 10, 2020. We estimated the probability of averting a COVID-19 outbreak when an exposed individual is introduced into a representative homeless shelter of 250 residents and 50 staff over 30 days under different infection control strategies, including daily symptom-based screening, twice-weekly PCR testing, and universal mask wearing. Results The proportion of PCR-positive residents and staff at the shelters with observed outbreaks ranged from 2.6 to 51.6%, which translated to the basic reproduction number (R0) estimates of 2.9–6.2. With moderate community incidence (~ 30 confirmed cases/1,000,000 people/day), the estimated probabilities of averting an outbreak in a low-risk (R0 = 1.5), moderate-risk (R0 = 2.9), and high-risk (R0 = 6.2) shelter were respectively 0.35, 0.13, and 0.04 for daily symptom-based screening; 0.53, 0.20, and 0.09 for twice-weekly PCR testing; 0.62, 0.27, and 0.08 for universal masking; and 0.74, 0.42, and 0.19 for these strategies in combination. The probability of averting an outbreak diminished with higher transmissibility (R0) within the simulated shelter and increasing incidence in the local community. Conclusions In high-risk homeless shelter environments and locations with high community incidence of COVID-19, even intensive infection control strategies (incorporating daily symptom screening, frequent PCR testing, and universal mask wearing) are unlikely to prevent outbreaks, suggesting a need for non-congregate housing arrangements for people experiencing homelessness. In lower-risk environments, combined interventions should be employed to reduce outbreak risk.

Transforming Trauma With Lifestyle Medicine

A common misconception is that trauma—“injury” to the mind, body, and spirit—comes only to those individuals who have experienced threats of death, sexual violence, or serious injury. The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and the widespread disruption, anxiety, and stress it has left in its wake have shown us that this is not the case; trauma is universal. Left unaddressed, trauma can have long-term physical and psychological consequences. It appears that the consequences of trauma can also be transmitted from generation to generation through modifications in the DNA of the exposed individual that alter the function of one or more genes. Meditation and other practical, evidence-based mind-body skills can reverse what has been damaged by traumatic events and long-term stress. The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), established in 1991, has developed a comprehensive, innovative, and evidence-based model that has been used by diverse populations to heal psychological trauma and promote resilience. Comprehensive, easily available programs of self-care and group support, such as The CMBM’s Mind-Body Skills Group Model, can ensure that children and adults everywhere have the psychological skills they need to address the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fish zoonoses of the tropics: A Review

The possibilities of pathogens transmitting zoonotic diseases to fish or aquatic environments are dependent on seasons, patients’ contact with fish or fish related environment, nutritional habits and the immune system level of the exposed individual. Consumption of aquatic food is on the increase, and thus explains the answers to the increase in zoonotic contraction cases found in man. Zoonotic infections can be classified into infections caused by: a) direct interaction with infected animals b) consumption of raw or undercooked aquatic products. Pathogens may be natives of the said aquatic environment or may occur as a result of environmental pollution such as the use of fertilizer, human waste or any of the anthropogenic substances. Zoonotic infections can be passed to man through fish via any of the following hosts: Helminths, Bacteria, Protozoa and Arthropods.Nevertheless, once the chemistry and control of zoonoses is understood, putting up measure to adequately address them when necessary will not be challenging. More so, educating the public on the need for prevention, proper cooking of aquatic products, and also a constant reminder of potential dangers are necessary to reinforce proper sea food handling practices. Keywords: Zoonoses, Fish, Effect and Control