N95 respirator purification a survey within reusability

Several in vitro OECD test guidelines address key events 1-3 of the adverse outcome pathway for skin sensitization, but none are validated for sensitizer potency assessment. The reaction of sensitizing molecules with skin proteins is the molecular initiating event and appears to be rate-limiting, as chemical reactivity strongly correlates with sensitizer potency. The kinetic direct peptide reactivity assay (kDPRA), a modification of the DPRA (OECD TG 442C), allows derivation of rate constants of the depletion of the cysteine-containing model peptide upon reaction with the test item. Its reproducibility was demonstrated in an inter-laboratory study. Here, we present a database of rate constants, expressed as log kmax, for 180 chemicals to define the prediction threshold to identify strong sensitizers (classified as GHS 1A). A threshold of log kmax -2 offers a balanced accuracy of 85% for predicting GHS 1A sensitizers according to the local lymph node assay. The kDPRA is proposed as a stand-alone assay for identification of GHS 1A sensitizers among chemicals identified as sensitizers by other tests or defined approaches. It may also be used for the prediction of sensitizer potency on a continuous scale, ideally in combination with continuous parameters from other in vitro assays. We show how the rate constant could be combined with read-outs of other in vitro assays in a defined approach. A decision model based on log kmax alone has, however, a high predictivity and can be used as stand-alone model for identification of GHS 1A sensitizers among chemicals predicted as sensitizers.
Resistant starch (RS) confers many health benefits, mostly due to nonenzymatic human digestion and gut microbiota fermentation capacity. The usual intake of naturally occurring dietary RS in US adults is unclear.
This study estimated usual daily RS intake in grams per 1000kcal in US adults by sex, age, and ethnic group, as well as the most frequent food category contributing to RS intake using data from the NHANES 2015-2016.
RS content of foods consumed was matched with Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies food codes. The National Cancer Institute method was used to estimate adults' usual RS intake from 2 24-h dietary recalls. Day 1 RS contribution from food groups to overall RS intake was ranked for the total sample, across age-sex categories, and across ethnic groups.
In total, 5139US adults (48.4% male) had a mean daily usual intake of RS of 1.9±0.0g/(1000kcal⋅d).Males and females had a similar intake of RS [2.0±0.0g compared with 1.9±0.0g/(1000kcal⋅d)] with no differences between sexes within the same age category. When comparing ethnic groups within each age category, the non-Hispanic white males and females had significantly lower RS intake than all other ethnic groups [range 1.7-1.8 compared with 2.1-2.3g RS/(1000kcal⋅d), respectively], with no differences among the other ethnic groups. French fries and other fried white potatoes, rice, and beans, peas, and legumes were the most frequently consumed food categories contributing to RS intake in all adults.
US adults should improve the intake of natural RS food sources. Increasing RS intake will improve gastrointestinal health as a prebiotic and potentially increase insulin sensitivity with adequate consumption (e.g., ∼15g/d).
US adults should improve the intake of natural RS food sources. Increasing RS intake will improve gastrointestinal health as a prebiotic and potentially increase insulin sensitivity with adequate consumption (e.g., ∼15 g/d).
Targeted next generation sequencing offers the potential for consistent, deep coverage of information rich genomic regions to characterize polyclonal Plasmodium falciparum infections. However, methods to identify and sequence these genomic regions are currently limited.
A bioinformatic pipeline and multiplex methods were developed to identify and simultaneously sequence 100 targets and applied to dried blood spot (DBS) controls and field isolates from Mozambique. For comparison, WGS data were generated for the same controls.
Using publicly available genomes, 4465 high diversity genomic regions suited for targeted sequencing were identified, representing the P. falciparum heterozygome. For this study, 93 microhaplotypes with high diversity (median HE = 0.7) were selected along with 7 drug resistance loci. JNJ-64264681 in vivo The sequencing method achieved very high coverage (median 99%), specificity (99.8%) and sensitivity (90% for haplotypes with 5% within sample frequency in DBS with 100 parasites/µL). In silico analyses revealed that microhaplotypes provided much higher resolution to discriminate related from unrelated polyclonal infections than biallelic SNP barcodes.
The bioinformatic and laboratory methods outlined here provide a flexible tool for efficient, low-cost, high throughput interrogation of the P. falciparum genome, and can be tailored to simultaneously address multiple questions of interest in various epidemiological settings.
The bioinformatic and laboratory methods outlined here provide a flexible tool for efficient, low-cost, high throughput interrogation of the P. falciparum genome, and can be tailored to simultaneously address multiple questions of interest in various epidemiological settings.
Excess sodium intake and insufficient potassium intake are risk factors for hypertension, but there is limited knowledge regarding genetic factors that influence intake. Twenty-hour or half-day urine samples provide robust estimates of sodium and potassium intake, outperforming other measures such as spot urine samples and dietary self-reporting.
The aim of this study was to investigate genomic regions associated with sodium intake, potassium intake, and sodium-to-potassium ratio measured from 24-h or half-day urine samples.
Using samples of European ancestry (mean age 54.2 y; 52.3% women), we conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in 4 cohorts with 24-h or half-day urine samples (n=6,519), followed by gene-based analysis. Suggestive loci (P<10-6) were examined in additional European (n=844), African (n=1,246), and Asian (n=2,475) ancestry samples.
We found suggestive loci (P<10-6) for all 3 traits, including 7 for 24-h sodium excretion, 4 for 24-h potassium excretion, and 4 for sodium-to-potassium ratio.