Exposure to indoor air pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, toluene, benzene) in Mexican indigenous women

Indoor air pollution is considered to be a serious public health issue in Mexico; therefore, more studies regarding this topic are necessary. In this context, we assessed exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds in: (i) women who use firewood combustion (indoor) for cooking and heating using traditional open fire; (ii) women who use firewood combustion (outdoor) for cooking and heating using traditional open fire; and (iii) women who use LP gas as the principal energy source. We studied 96 healthy women in San Luis Potosi, México. Urine samples were collected, and analyses of the following urinary exposure biomarkers were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography: 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), trans, trans-muconic acid, and hippuric acid (HA). The highest levels of 1-OHP, trans, trans-muconic acid, and HA were found in communities where women were exposed to indoor biomass combustion smoke (or products; geometric mean ± s.d., 3.98 ± 5.10 μmol/mol creatinine; 4.81 ± 9.60 μg/l 1-OHP; 0.87 ± 1.78 mg/g creatinine for trans, trans-muconic acid; and 1.14 ± 0.91 g/g creatinine for HA). Our findings indicate higher exposure levels to all urinary exposure biomarkers studied in women who use indoor firewood combustion for cooking and heating (using traditional open fire). PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: High mean levels of 1-hydroxypyrene, t,t-muconic acid, and hippuric acid were found in women who use firewood combustion (indoor) for cooking and heating using traditional open fire and taking into account that millions of women and children in Mexico are living in scenarios similar to those studied in this report, the assessment of health effects in women and children exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds is urgently needed. Moreover, it is immediately necessary an intervention program to reduce exposure.     

Redesigning an assembly line through lean manufacturing tools

The implementation of a lean manufacturing strategy represents a robust contribution to the phase sequence that leads to operational excellence and the continuous improvement through the elimination of nonvalue-added activities. Therefore, lean practices contribute substantially to plant operational performance. This paper studies the use of value stream mapping (VSM) as a tool in lean manufacturing implementation and a framework of improvement activities, in particular for an efficient introduction of kanban and milkrun techniques. A case study illustrates VSM use, as well as kanban and milkrun systems application on an assembly line. Finally, the results obtained show the path of improvement, measured through the lean rate (LR) and dock-to-dock time (DtD).     

Assessment of Novel Water-Borne Coatings Obtained from Composite Latex Particles and Reinforced with TiO2 Nanotubes

Novel, environmentally friendly waterborne coatings were obtained from the filmification of nanostructured latex particles reinforced with inorganic nanotubes. The latex used to form the coatings consists of core-shell particles with a shell functionalized with different amounts of acrylic acid (AA). This external polymer layer was doped, in some cases, with TiO₂ nanotubes at three different concentrations: 100, 500 and 1000 ppm. The composite particles were synthesized in two steps by semi-continuous emulsion polymerization at 75°C. A series of films was prepared by employing core-shell particles with different sizes, core cross-linking and shell functionalization. The coatings obtained were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA). Drying rates and tests were also performed to further evaluate these films. It was observed that the addition of small amounts of TiO₂ nanotubes contributes to improve the application properties, mainly adhesion to metallic substrates and water impermeability. The resistance to thermal degradation was also strongly increased, as showed by the DSC and TGA analyses.     

Urban regeneration policies and mental health in a context of economic crisis in Andalusia (Spain)

Literature suggests that urban regeneration policies might contribute towards improving mental health of residents, but to date there is a lack of empirical research on how these policies and downward social mobility can interact and influence health outcomes. The current study aims to explicitly test whether regeneration policies implemented in deprived Andalusian urban places (southern Spain) moderate the use of anxiolytics and/or antidepressants, taking into consideration families’ downward social mobility during the recent period of economic crisis in Spain. We designed a post intervention survey to retrospectively compare the evolution of psychotropic drug consumption in target and comparison areas. We observe a general increase in the use of anxiolytics and/or antidepressants from 2008 to 2015, specifically for people in whose families the economic crisis had the greatest impact (odds ratio?=?2.18; p value?<?0.001). However, better evolution is observed among residents of the target areas compared with residents of similar urban areas where this kind of polices have been not in force (odds ratio?=?0.50; p value?<?0.05). Therefore, urban regeneration policies might act as moderators of the risk of mental health, particularly when people are subject to the loss of individual/family resources in urban vulnerable contexts.

     

High concentration of phosphorus is a distinctive feature of myelin. An X‐Ray elemental microanalysis study using freeze‐fracture scanning electron microscopy of rat sciatic nerve

We have used rat sciatic nerves submitted to freezing and freeze‐fracture to determine the elemental composition of small domains of the peripheral nerve studied at high resolution by scanning electron microscopy. We found that myelin of Schwann cells is unique in its high content in phosphorus (P) that was more than 10 times higher than P measured in any other cells. This high concentration in P makes myelin chemistry suitable of monitoring at the subcellular level using the herein described methodology. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:537–539, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Gene Therapy in HIV‐Infected Cells to Decrease Viral Impact by Using an Alternative Delivery Method

The ability of dendrimer 2G‐[Si{O(CH₂)₂N(Me)₂⁺(CH₂)₂NMe₃⁺(I^?)₂}]₈ (NN16) to transfect a wide range of cell types, as well as the possible biomedical application in direct or indirect inhibition of HIV replication, was investigated. Cells implicated in HIV infection such as primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and immortalized suspension cells (lymphocytes), primary macrophages and dendritic cells, and immortalized adherent cells (astrocytes and trophoblasts) were analyzed. Dendrimer toxicity was evaluated by mitochondrial activity, cell membrane rupture, release of lactate dehydrogenase, erythrocyte hemolysis, and the effect on global gene expression profiles using whole‐genome human microarrays. Cellular uptake of genetic material was determined using flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection efficiency and gene knockdown was investigated using dendrimer‐delivered antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNA (siRNA). Very little cytotoxicity was detected in a variety of cells relevant to HIV infection and erythrocytes after NN16 dendrimer treatment. Imaging of cellular uptake showed high transfection efficiency of genetic material in all cells tested. Interestingly, NN16 further enhanced the reduction of HIV protein 24 antigen release by antisense oligonucleotides due to improved transfection efficiency. Finally, the dendrimer complexed with siRNA exhibited therapeutic potential by specifically inhibiting cyclooxygenase‐2 gene expression in HIV‐infected nervous system cells. NN16 dendrimers demonstrated the ability to transfect genetic material into a vast array of cells relevant to HIV pathology, combining high efficacy with low toxicity. These results suggest that NN16 dendrimers have the potential to be used as a versatile non‐viral vector for gene therapy against HIV infection.