Depressive symptoms and suicide attempts among farmers exposed to pesticides.

Pesticides safeguard crop health but may diminish cholinesterase activity in farmers, potentially leading to psychiatric disorders like depression and suicide attempts. This study, with 453 participants (225 pesticide-exposed farmers, 228 non-farmers) in Almería, Spain, aimed to investigate the presence of depressive symptoms and suicide attempts, the decrease acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity, and their relationship with pesticide exposure in farmers. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Spanish adaptation of the Beck Depression Inventory, and blood samples were analyzed for AChE and BChE activity. Farmers showed significantly increased risk of moderate/severe depression and suicide attempts compared to non-farmers (OR = 2.18; p = 0.001), with highest risks observed among mancozeb users (OR = 2.76; p = 0.001 for depression) and malathion users (OR = 3.50; p = 0.001 for suicide attempts). Findings emphasize elevated depression and suicide risks among pesticide-exposed farmers, particularly associated with chlorpyrifos, mancozeb, and malathion exposure.

State-trait anxiety levels and vital signs of pregnant women following intervention with virtual reality during the nonstress test: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women often experience anxiety due to pregnancy, negatively impacting their and their fetus' health. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as virtual reality (VR), could reduce anxiety levels, potentially impacting non-stress tests or the physiological responses of the pregnant woman and the fetus. METHODS: A randomized clinical trial conducted between February and December 2022 involved 286 term pregnant women. They were divided into a VR intervention group (146 women) and a control group (140 women). The intervention consisted of 20 min of 3D glasses with images and sounds during a third-trimester nonstress test. Anxiety was measured using the Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), alongside physiological parameters. RESULTS: The VR group exhibited lower anxiety levels compared to controls (STAI score: Rosenthal's r: -0.54, p = 0.01; state anxiety: Rosenthal's r: -0.40, p = 0.001; trait anxiety: Rosenthal's r: -0.41, p = 0.001). Within the VR group, there was a significant reduction in trait anxiety (Rosenthal's r, 1.27; p < 0.001) and total anxiety (Rosenthal's r, 1.63; p < 0.001) post-intervention, along with decreased systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (p < 0.001), and maternal heart rate (p = 0.02). LIMITATIONS: Future research could explore additional pregnancy-related variables, such as postpartum anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm that the use of VR is beneficial for pregnant women and their fetuses, as it decreases anxiety levels, and improves physiological parameters such as blood pressure and maternal heart rate during the nonstress test. VR is a technique that is easy to integrate into the healthcare system due to its non-invasive and non-pharmacological nature.

Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses of Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) Females to Aldehyde Volatiles from Dried Fruits.

Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea) is a notorious pest of stored grain globally. The dried fruits (Ziziphus jujuba, Malus pumila, and Fragaria ananassa) can strongly attract P. interpunctella. However, specific volatile compounds responsible for such effects have not been identified. Volatiles were analyzed by using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) techniques. Five aldehyde compounds were selected for electroantennogram (EAG), single sensillum recording (SSR), and behavioral response assays. The three chemicals that elicited the strongest EAG responses to mated females at 100 µg/µL include hexanal (1.13 mV), heptanal (0.92 mV), and octanal (0.73 mV). In SSR experiments, the basiconic sensilla of the antennae responded to these aldehyde compounds. The results of behavioral responses showed that all aldehydes exhibited dose-dependent responses, with hexanal having the highest attractant rate of 74.56%. These compounds have the potential to be used for monitoring P. interpunctella and its integrated management program.

Behavioral, Electrophysiological, and Toxicological Responses of Plutella xylostella to Extracts from Angelica pubescens.

Plutella xylostella L. is a destructive pest affecting cruciferous vegetables, causing massive economic losses worldwide. Plant-based insecticides are considered promising insect control agents. The Angelica pubescens extract inhibited female oviposition, with an oviposition deterrence index (ODI) of 61.65% at 12.5 mg/mL. We aimed to identify the bioactive compounds in A. pubescens extract. The compounds from A. pubescens extract were analyzed using LC-MS techniques. The toxicity and behavioral responses of larvae and adults of P. xylostella to ten compounds were investigated. We found that the caryophyllene oxide and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid inhibited female oviposition; the ODIs were 98.31% and 97.59% at 1.25 mg/mL, respectively. The A. pubescens extract, caryophyllene oxide, and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid caused larval mortality, with LC50 values of 21.31, 4.56, and 5.52 mg/mL, respectively. The EAG response of females was higher than that of males under A. pubescens extract conditions, while the EAG response of males was higher than that of females in caryophyllene oxide and 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid conditions. The A. pubescens extract and caryophyllene oxide showed repellent activity against both female and male adults, while the 3,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid did not elicit any notable behavioral responses from P. xylostella adults. A. pubescens extract and caryophyllene oxide are potential insecticides, oviposition deterrents, and behavioral regulators against P. xylostella, and they could be potential candidates for the development of biological insecticides to control P. xylostella.

Determination of Foetal Scalp Blood Sampling pH as an Indicator of Loss of Foetal Well-Being in Women Undergoing Caesarean Section.

Asphyxia during birth is one of the three leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality among newborns carried to term. The objective of this study was to evaluate the measurement of the foetal scalp blood pH as a measure of foetal status, evaluating: cord gases, meconium-stained fluid, APGAR score or the need for neonatal resuscitation in pregnant women undergoing caesarean sections. A cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of 5 years (2017-2021) at the Hospital de Poniente (southern Spain). A total of 127 pregnant women participated from whom a foetal scalp blood pH sample was taken and used to indicate the need for an urgent caesarean section. The results showed a correlation between the pH of the scalp blood and the pH of the umbilical cord artery, umbilical cord vein (Rho of Spearman arterial pH: 0.64, p < 0.001; Rho of Spearman venous pH: 0.58, p < 0.001) and the APGAR test one minute after delivery (Spearman's Rho coefficient of 0.33, p < 0.01). These results suggest that the foetal scalp pH should not be considered a foolproof method to indicate an urgent caesarean section. Foetal scalp pH sampling can be used as a complementary test, in conjunction with cardiotocography, to indicate whether an emergency caesarean section is necessary due to loss of foetal well-being.

Occupational Exposure to Pesticides as a Risk Factor for Sleep Disorders.

Inadequate sleep has been linked to a variety of impairments in bodily functions, including endocrine, metabolic, higher cortical function, and neurological disorders. For this reason, the aim of this study was to analyze the link between occupational pesticide exposure and sleep health among farmers in Almeria. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a population living on the coast of Almeria (southeastern Spain), where about 33,321 hectares of land are used for intensive agriculture in plastic greenhouses. A total of 380 individuals participated in the study: 189 greenhouse workers and 191 control subjects. The participants were contacted during their annual scheduled occupational health survey. Data on sleep disturbances were collected using the Spanish version of the Oviedo Sleep Questionnaire. Agricultural workers were found to be at a significantly higher risk of insomnia, especially among those who did not wear protective gloves (OR = 3.12; 95% C.I. = 1.93-3.85; p = 0.04) or masks (OR = 2.43; 95% C.I. = 1.19-4.96; p = 0.01). The highest risk of insomnia related to pesticide applicators was observed in those who did not wear a mask (OR = 4.19; 95% C.I. = 1.30-13.50; p = 0.01) or goggles (OR = 4.61; 95% C.I. = 1.38-10.40; p = 0.01). This study supports previous findings indicating an increased risk of sleep disorder in agricultural workers exposed to pesticides at work.

Synthesis of Two Porous CdS Rods by Anion Exchange Method and Their Photocatalytic Properties.

Semiconductor materials with pore structure have excellent physicochemical properties for photocatalytic reactions. Here, the one-step vulcanization of Cd-based MOF solid rods was successfully developed to synthesize two kinds of CdS rods with pore structure: hollow rods (HRs) and mesoporous rods (MRs). Among the three catalysts, the CdS HRs showed the highest photocatalytic efficiency, which could remove about 96.0% of RhB in 30 min under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of CdS HRs benefits from its novel hollow structure, which enhances the visible light absorption capability and the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The successful synthesis of CdS HRs has guiding significance for the design and synthesis of other hollow structures with high photocatalytic activity.

Ulinastatin plus biapenem for severe pneumonia in the elderly and its influence on pulmonary function and inflammatory cytokines.

To estimate the efficacy of ulinastatin (UTI) plus biapenem (BIPM) in the treatment of severe pneumonia in the elderly and its influence on pulmonary function (PF) and inflammatory cytokines. METHODS: We included 97 elderly patients with severe pneumonia in the present study. Patients in control group (n=47) were given BIPM, and those in research group (n=50) were treated with BIPM plus UTI. The clinical efficacy, adverse reactions, arterial blood gas (ABG) indices, PF and inflammatory cytokines were recorded. RESULTS: Patients in the research group had earlier fever clearance, inflammation absorption and cough disappearance than those in control group, as well as better clinical efficacy. In addition, no significant differences were found in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups during treatment. Monitoring changes in ABG indices, PF, and inflammatory cytokines revealed increased levels of PaO2, pH, FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC after treatment, but levels of PaCO2, IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and hs-CRP decreased compared to before treatment. Levels of indices that increased after treatment in the research group were higher than those in the control group, whereas the levels of other indices that decreased after treatment were lower. CONCLUSION: The combination of UTI and BIPM shortens the time of symptom disappearance, enhances PF, and inhibits inflammation, achieving higher efficacy in the treatment of severe pneumonia in the elderly.

Effects of doxorubicin and gemcitabine on the induction of apoptosis in breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in females worldwide. The efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs on breast cancer is hindered by many factors, including that cancer stem-like side population (SP) cells may contribute to tumorigenesis and resistance to chemotherapy. Doxorubicin and gemcitabine are two of the most effective and widely used chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of various human malignancies. To the best of our knowledge, the effects of doxorubicin and gemcitabine on breast cancer SP cells are poorly understood. In the present study, we examined the potential roles of doxorubicin and gemcitabine in breast cancer main population (MP) and SP cells, and the mechanisms of doxorubicin and gemcitabine. The results showed that doxorubicin and gemcitabine decreasede proliferation, and increased apoptosis in the MCF7 MP and SP cells in vitro. Furthermore, doxorubicin and gemcitabine inhibited tumor growth and improved the survival rate of mice in vivo. Additionally, the mechanisms of doxorubicin and gemcitabine in MCF7 MP and SP cells were determined.

Effects of bortezomib in sensitizing human prostate cancer cell lines to NK-mediated cytotoxicity.

The proteasome inhibitor, bortezomib, has been demonstrated to sensitize tumor cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis. Natural killer (NK) cells represent potent antitumor effector cells. They also express TRAIL. Therefore, we investigated whether bortezomib could sensitize tumor cells to NK cell-mediated killing, and have the same effect in human prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and DU145). We found that bortezomib strongly inhibits proliferation in both cell lines. Furthermore, compared with LNCaP cells, DU145 cells are more sensitive to bortezomib-induced apoptosis. However, bortezomib is unable to sensitize these two cell lines to NK cell-mediated killing in short-term assays. In long-term assays, we found that killing mediated by activated NK cells following bortezomib treatment leads to greater antitumor effects than either treatment alone. In addition, treatment with bortezomib causes these cells to upregulate apoptosis-related mRNA as well as death receptors and downregulate the major histocompatibility class (MHC)-I molecule on the cell surface of DU145 cells. In contrast, LNCaP cells are not sensitized by this treatment. Death receptors and the MHC-I molecule did not change in this cell line. These data suggest that bortezomib can be used to sensitize prostate cancer cells to NK cell-mediated killing and improve current cancer therapies. This therapeutic strategy may be more effective in patients with androgen-insensitive prostate cancer.