Filetype
We investigated the relationship between lipid binding glycoprotein apolipoprotein E (apoE; gene APOE) polymorphisms (ε4 allele carriers versus no carriers = ε4+/ε4−) and trace elements (TEs) (e.g., (methyl)mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, selenium, manganese, copper, and zinc) in mothers (N = 223) and their new-borns (N = 213) exposed to potentially toxic metal(loid)s from seafood consumption. Th
Background Urine cadmium (Cd) and renal function biomarkers, mostly analysed in urine spot samples, are well established biomarkers of occupational exposure. Their use and associations at low environmental level are common, but have recently been questioned, particularly in terms of physiological variability and normalisation bias in the case of urine spot samples. Aim To determine the appropriate
The relationships between inorganic arsenic (iAs) metabolism, selenium (Se) status, and genetic polymorphisms of various genes, commonly studied in populations exposed to high levels of iAs from drinking water, were studied in a Croatian-Slovenian population from the wider PHIME-CROME project. Population consisted of 136 pregnant women in the 3rd trimester and 176 non-pregnant women with their chi
Phthalates are mainly used as plasticizers and are associated inter alia with adverse effects on reproductive functions. While more and more national programs in Europe have started monitoring internal exposure to phthalates and its substitute 1,2-Cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (DINCH), the comparability of results from such existing human biomonitoring (HBM) studies across Europe is challenging. Th
Background: The European Union's 7th Framework Programme (EU's FP7) project HEALS – Health and Environment-wide Associations based on Large Population Surveys – aims a refinement of the methodology to elucidate the human exposome. Human biomonitoring (HBM) provides a valuable tool for understanding the magnitude of human exposure from all pathways and sources. However, availability of specific bio
At three uranium (U) legacy sites in Kyrgyzstan, namely, Kadji Sai, Mailuu-Suu and Sumsar, an initial human bio-monitoring programme was introduced as a complementary activity to environmental impact studies in these areas. The aim was to assess trace element (TE) contents in blood and genetic susceptibility for Pb as one of the contaminants. The programme included the determination of 9 TE in blo
Few data are available on the exposure of children to glyphosate (Gly) in Europe. Within HBM4EU, new HBM exposure data were collected from aligned studies at five sampling sites distributed over Europe (studies: SLO CRP (SI); ORGANIKO (CY); GerES V-sub (DE); 3XG (BE); ESTEBAN (FR)). Median Gly concentrations in urine were below or around the detection limit (0.1 µg/L). The 95th percentiles ranged
There are extensive data on the toxicity of glyphosate (GLY) based herbicides (GBH), however the interpretation of some data (e.g. carcinogenic effect) are subject to controversy. For the appropriate health risk assessment more data on exposure levels in the general population, especially in susceptible groups such as pregnant women, the elderly and children are needed. The aims of the present stu
The difference in arsenic concentration and speciation between benthic (Pteromylaeus bovinus, Myliobatis aquila) and pelagic rays (Pteroplatytrygon violacea) from the northern Adriatic Sea (Gulf of Trieste) in relation to their size (age) was investigated. High arsenic concentrations were found in both groups with tendency of more efficient arsenic accumulation in benthic species, particularly in
Background: Phthalates are ubiquitous in the environment. Despite short half-lives, chronic exposure can lead to endocrine disruption. The safety of phthalate substitute DINCH is unclear. Objective: To evaluate associations between urinary concentrations of phthalate/DINCH metabolites and body mass index (BMI) z-score among children and adolescents. Method: We used Human Biomonitoring for Europe A
Background: There is almost no data on the combined associations between apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) genotypes, trace elements (TEs), and lipid peroxidation in vivo. The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between APOE genotypes and TE levels in blood (B-TEs) and erythrocytes (E-TEs), and 8-isoprostane in urine (U-8-isoprostane) in women with low exposure to potentially toxic TEs and
Globalisation is characterised not only by long-distance exchange by commodities and people, but also by a microbial unification of the world (une unification microbienne du monde), as was described by Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie in the 1970s. Proof of microbial unification can be seen through the dramatic consequences of the Black Death in the 14th century CE as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, which i
Does socially desirable responding produce exaggerated correlations between self-ratings of personality and positive psychology constructs? We operationalized social desirability as the evaluative factor, i.e. the tendency to react to evaluative content in questionnaire items and related one standard measure and one evaluatively neutralized measure of the Big Five to measures of five key positive
European forests are being shaped by active human use and management, and by harvesting of wood in particular. Yet, our understanding of how forests are harvested across Europe is limited, as the real harvest regimes are not well described by currently available data. Here, we analyse recent harvests, as observed in permanent plots of forest inventories in 11 European countries, totaling to 182,64
Rates of tree mortality are increasing globally, with implications for forests and climate. Yet, how and why these trends vary globally remain unknown. Developing a comprehensive assessment of global tree mortality will require systematically integrating data from ground-based long-term forest monitoring with large-scale remote sensing. We surveyed the metadata from 466 865 forest monitoring plots
The longitudinal motion and the intramural shear strain of the arterial wall increase dramatically in response to blood pressure, thereby impacting the vascular wall microenvironment. Exposure to a sedentary lifestyle has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it has been shown that intermittent physical activity embedded into everyday life is enough to impro
This research explores the impact of structural variations in laminarins derived from seaweed on their immunomodulatory properties. Laminarins from Laminaria digitata, L. hyperborea, and Saccharina latissima, were obtained using a two-step water extraction protocol, followed by structural characterization by FT-IR spectroscopy, 1H NMR, and MALDI-TOF MS. The laminarin backbones were confirmed as β–
Sveriges högsta elkostnader är resultatet av Kraftringens spretighet och dess historiskt höga benägenhet att investera i allsköns misslyckade projekt långt utanför Lunds kommungräns, skriver Lars Jonung, professor emeritus i nationalekonomi på Lunds universitet och Jan Rydenfelt, tidigare finansdirektör.
