One of the major obstacles that limits the use of magnetic nanoparticles in biomedical applications is their potential toxicity. In the present study, we evaluated the cytotoxic effects of thiol-functionalized silica-coated iron oxide (Fe3O4@SiO2-SH) nanoparticles using human lung epithelial cells A549. We investigated the effect of Fe3O4@SiO2-SH nanoparticles on the cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle distribution, adhesion, apoptosis, and the orientation of the cytoskeletal networks, as well as on expression of proteins involved in cell death, cell survival, and cell adhesion. We demonstrated that exposure of A549 cells to Fe3O4@SiO2-SH nanoparticles resulted in severe disruption of the actin microfilaments and microtubule cytoskeleton and reduced the size of focal adhesions. Furthermore, cell adhesion was significantly affected as well as the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and p38. Our findings highlight the need for in-depth cytotoxic evaluation of nanoparticles supporting their safer use, especially in biomedical applications.
The seven-item QEAS-7 questionnaire (exposure to asbestos questionnaire) has been designed as a useful and simple tool to establish the probability of exposure to asbestos. The objective of the present study is to validate the QEAS-7 following the recommended methodology.
The QEAS-7 was prospectively administered to 90 subjects with and without asbestos-related disease (ARD), on two consecutive occasions by two independent researchers. Logical and content validity was evaluated by a committee of experts and construct validity through hypothesis testing. Intra- and interobserver reliability was assessed by calculating Cohen's Kappa index (κ), which was estimated as weak if below 0.40, moderate if between 0.41 and 0.60 and good/very good if above 0.60. The comparison between proportions was examined using Pearson's Chi-square test.
The majority of participants (88.9%) were male. Mean age was 70.8 years (SD = 8.4) and most of the sample had completed primary education but had not progressed further (62.2%)linical practice in the foreseeable future? This questionnaire can be of help for physicians attending to patients with suspected asbestos-related diseases both in the hospital and in the primary care setting.The dairy industry plays an important role in the economy and food security of India. A study of the dairy value chains was conducted in Punjab, India, to identify production constraints and biosecurity risks. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted during 2018-2019 with a total of 119 participants comprising veterinarians (41), paraveterinarians (15), veterinary academics (12), dairy farmers (46) and key informants (5). Input and output value chains were created, and potential risk nodes were identified that could facilitate the transmission of pathogens between animals, farms and villages. The majority of the participants were male (93%), middle-aged (68%) or worked in rural areas (75%). Most of the farmers self-cultivated their green fodder (82%), used the wheat straw from their own fields (60%) but purchased commercial feed (63%). Artificial insemination was used by 85% of farmers for cattle, but only 68% for buffaloes. Most of the farmers (76%) reported getting their animals vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease and hemorrhagic septicemia. Animals were sold and purchased without any health certification and testing in most cases. Adoption of biosecurity measures by farmers and the use of personal protective equipment by veterinary personnel were very low. We recommend conducting epidemiological studies to further characterize the identified risk nodes, training of veterinary practitioners and farmers to ensure adequate biosecurity practices and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment.Extruded polystyrene (XPS) is a thermal insulation material extensively applied in building systems. It has attracted much attention because of outstanding thermal insulation performance, obvious flammability shortcoming and potential energy utilization. To establish the reaction mechanism of XPS's pyrolysis, thermogravimetric experiments were performed at different heating rates in nitrogen, and multiple methods were employed to analyze the major kinetics of pyrolysis. More accurate kinetic parameters of XPS were estimated by four common model-free methods. Then, three model-fitting methods (including the Coats-Redfern, the iterative procedure and masterplots method) were used to establish the kinetic model. CX-5461 clinical trial Since the kinetic models established by the above three model-fitting methods were not completely consistent based on different approximations, considering the effect of different approximates on the model, the reaction mechanism was further established by comparing the conversion rate based on the model-fitting methods corresponding to the possible reaction mechanisms. Finally, the accuracy of the above model-fitting methods and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm were compared. Results showed that the reaction function g(α) = (1 - α)-1 - 1 might be the most suitable to characterize the pyrolysis of XPS. The conversion rate calculated by masterplots and PSO methods could provide the best agreement with the experimental data.Continuous updates of knowledge among professionals in physical education (PE) and sport are essential for the goal of developing quality professional work [...].Increasing evidence indicates that angiogenesis is crucial in the development and progression of gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to develop a prognostic relevant angiogenesis-related gene (ARG) signature and a nomogram. The expression profile of the 36 ARGs and clinical information of 372 GC patients were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Consensus clustering was applied to divide patients into clusters 1 and 2. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analyses were used to identify the survival related ARGs and establish prognostic gene signatures, respectively. The Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG) (n = 300) was used for external validation. Risk score of ARG signatures was calculated, and a prognostic nomogram was developed. Gene set enrichment analysis of the ARG model risk score was performed. Cluster 2 patients had more advanced clinical stage and shorter survival rates. ARG signatures carried prognostic relevance in both cohorts. Moreover, ARG-risk score was proved as an independent prognostic factor.CX-5461 clinical trial
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