[Level and health evaluation of rare earth elements in human blood and hair in the mining areas in Northwest Hubei].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the content of rare earth elements(REs)in blood and hair of residents in a RE mining area in Northwest Hubei, and evaluate the impact of REs on the health status of local residents. METHODS: A total of 191 residents from the core area of RE mining areas and 186 residents from non RE mining areas, aged 20-69, were selected. The content of REs in the blood and hair of the survey subjects was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and compared with existing literature values. At the same time, blood tests and questionnaire surveys will be conducted on the health status of residents to examine whether human RE enrichment can lead to endemic diseases. RESULTS: The average total content of REs in the blood of residents in the mining area was 60.22 ng/mL, which was 3.35 times that of the control area; The average total content of REs in hair was 1197.91 ng/g, which was 6.32 times higher than the control area. As age increasing, the abundance of REs in the blood and hair of both men and women in mining areas increased. The proportion of Yttrium and Scandium in the blood and hair were much higher than that in the soil. Compared to hair, Yttrium and Scandium were more easily enriched in the blood. There was no significant difference in the probability of fatty liver, hepatitis B, hypoglycemia, hypotension, hypertension and heart disease and the average life span between residents in RE mining areas and those in the control area. CONCLUSION: The high daily average dietary intake of REs in residents leads to a relatively large accumulation of REs in human blood and hair, but no significant and substantial human health damage has been found at present.

FTIR spectroscopy for assessment of hair from lung cancer patients and its application in monitoring the chemotherapy treatment effect.

Lung cancer is the most common cancer and the leading cause of death in China. The current gold standard for clinical lung cancer diagnosis is based on histopathological examination of tumors, but it has the limitation for easy operation and convenient applications. Therefore, researchers are still striving to develop other tools and methods for non-invasive and rapid assessment of the health conditions of lung cancer patients. Hair, as a reflection of the metabolism of the body, is closely related to human health conditions. In principle, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy can probe the major chemical compositions in the hair. However, as indicated by previous studies, there is still the challenge to make good use of FTIR spectroscopy for achieving reliable analysis of hair from cancer patients. In this study, hair samples from 82 lung cancer patients were collected and subjected to FTIR measurements and analysis, which showed the protein content in the hair is closely related to the protein content in the blood serum of patients, and the contents of protein and lipid are statistically lower in the lung cancer patients. Furthermore, we demonstrated that FTIR spectroscopy could be employed to monitor the hair of lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and confirmed that the FTIR spectra of the hair may reflect the resultant effect of the chemotherapy. As such, this work validates the way of using FTIR spectroscopy in hair analysis for the assistance of medical diagnosis of lung cancer as well as monitoring the conditions of the patients under the medical treatment.

Assessment of some toxic elements (Co, Cr, Mn, Se, and As) in muscle, offal, hair, and blood of camels (Camelus dromedaries) and their risk assessment.

Background: Camel meat tainted with heavy metals or trace elements may pose a health risk to consumers. Heavy metal contamination poses a severe danger due to both their toxicity and bioaccumulation in the food chain. Aim: To estimate the residual levels of heavy metals (Co, Cr, Mn, Se, and As) in muscle, liver, kidney, hair, and serum of three camel breeds (Magaheem, Maghateer, and Wadha) collected from Al-Omran abattoir, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A total of 225 tissue samples (muscles, liver, kidney, serum, and hair) were taken and analyzed using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Health risk assessment was assessed using the guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Results: Camel breed significantly (p < 0.05) influences Co, Cr, Mn, and Se accumulation and distribution in organs and muscle; however, arsenic accumulation was not significantly affected (p < 0.05) by camel breeds. The highest values of Co, Cr, Se, and Mn in all examined samples were detected in the liver samples of Maghateer and Magaheem breeds. Furthermore, significant strong positive correlation between serum and liver cobalt, chromium, manganese, and arsenic. The estimated daily intake owing to camel meat consumption was less than the tolerated daily intake. Conclusion: Heavy metals were distributed among different breeds of camel. Trace elements (Pb and Cd) in meat and offal were below the international maximum permissible limit. The correlation between samples reflects the role of hair as a good tool for the identification of heavy metal pollution.

Mineral patterns in hair: A decisive factor between reproducible and repeat breeder dairy cows.

Reproduction, especially impregnation, is a critical aspect of dairy cow management that directly influences herd milk productivity. We conducted a noninvasive hair mineral assay to compare the mineral profiles of two dairy cow groups: reproducible and repeat breeder, by investigating the levels of 11 essential minerals (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Cr, Se, and P) and 6 toxic elements (Hg, Pb, Cd, Al, As, and Ni) in both groups. We also conducted principal component and correlation matrix analyses to compare hair mineral patterns between the groups. Compared to their reproducible counterparts, repeat breeder cows had lower levels of Na, K, and Se. However, Fe, Cd, Al, and As levels were higher in repeat breeders than in their reproducible counterparts. The correlation matrix showed notable correlation patterns for each group. Ca, K, and Na levels were positively correlated in reproducible cows, whereas repeat breeder cows showed positive correlations only between Ca and K levels. Se showed positive correlations with Zn only in the reproducible cow group. Negative correlations were not found in the reproducible group, whereas the repeat breeder group exhibited 7 negative correlations. Despite the limitations of hair mineral analysis, this study provided useful insights into the reproductive potential of dairy cows. These findings aid in easing the prediction of repeat breeder occurrences in herds and are expected to facilitate timely mineral supplementation and other interventions to improve overall herd reproduction in dairy farms.

Optimization of Bear Oil Extraction Process and Hair Growth Activity.

According to ancient Chinese books, bear grease has the effects of strengthening muscles and bones, which is beneficial for weakness, but there is relatively little research on it. Thus, the extraction of it is beneficial for compensating for research in this area. In this study, a uniform experimental design method was used to optimize the extraction process of bear grease by enzymatic hydrolysis extraction, and the extraction rate can reach 81.89% under optimized extraction conditions. Furthermore, the components of bear grease obtained by this study were analyzed by GC-MS, and the results showed that ursolic oil was rich in unsaturated fatty acids (67.51%), which was higher than that of the traditional method (66.92%). The composition of bear grease extracted by the enzymatic method was also better than that extracted by the traditional method. In addition, bear grease obtained in this study had the obvious activity of promoting hair growth. The length, weight, and number of hair follicles in the depilation area of mice in the high-dose group were significantly different from those in the blank group (p < 0.01). This study optimized the extraction process of bear grease and conducted a preliminary analysis of its fatty acid composition, which is expected to provide some reference for the development of the medicinal value of bear grease.

Prenatal stress and hair cortisol in a sample of Latina women.

BACKGROUND: Stress during pregnancy adversely impacts maternal and infant health. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary axis is a mediator of the relationship between stress and health. Evidence supporting an association between prenatal chronic stress and cortisol is limited, and the majority of research published has been conducted amongst White participants, who experience less chronic stress than people of color. AIM: This study investigated associations between various measures of prenatal stress and hair cortisol concentrations which is a biomarker of the integrated stress response in a sample of Latina participants during the third trimester of pregnancy. METHOD: Pregnant women (n=45) were surveyed with scales measuring chronic stress, perceived stress, pregnancy-related and pregnancy-specific anxiety. Hair samples were collected as an objective neuroendocrine measure of chronic stress. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess associations between stress measures and hair cortisol. Pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking during pregnancy, and steroid use during pregnancy were used as covariates in adjusted models. RESULTS: Chronic stress, operationalized as maternal reports of neighborhood/housing strain, daily activities and relationship strain, discrimination, and financial strain, was significantly associated with higher hair cortisol concentrations. No significant associations were found between hair cortisol and perceived stress, pregnancy-related anxiety, nor pregnancy-specific anxiety in adjusted models. CONCLUSION: Chronic stress may be a more robust correlate of physiological stress, as measured by hair cortisol in pregnancy, than other common measures of prenatal stress and anxiety.

Marine grade oil adsorption performance of artisanal felt mat made using waste human hair.

This is an experimental study that aims to use waste hair in the fight against oil pollution in the sea and to support the art of felt making, which is in danger of extinction. In this way, it is aimed to contribute to sustainability by producing a product for environmental improvement from waste material that does not have any value, and by creating employment by preserving a handicraft with historical basis. As a result of the experiments, it was observed that adsorbent materials made from sheep wool with human hair added in different proportion showed adsorbent performance comparable to their equivalents and superior to some of them.

Ascertaining sensitive exposure biomarkers of various metal(loid)s to embryo implantation.

Close relationships exist between metal(loid)s exposure and embryo implantation failure (EIF) from animal and epidemiological studies. However, there are still inconsistent results and lacking of sensitive metal(loid) exposure biomarkers associated with EIF risk. We aimed to ascertain sensitive metal(loid) biomarkers to EIF and provide potential biological explanations. Candidate metal(loid) biomarkers were measured in the female hair (FH), female serum (FS), and follicular fluid (FF) with various exposure time periods. An analytical framework was established by integrating epidemiological association results, comprehensive literature searching, and knowledge-based adverse outcome pathway (AOP) networks. The sensitive biomarkers of metal(loid)s along with potential biological pathways to EIF were identified in this framework. Among the concerned 272 candidates, 45 metal(loid)s biomarkers across six time periods and three biomatrix were initially identified by single-metal(loid) analyses. Two biomarkers with counterfactual results according to literature summary results were excluded, and a total of five biomarkers were further determined from 43 remained candidates in mixture models. Finally, four sensitive metal(loid) biomarkers were eventually assessed by overlapping AOP networks information, including Se and Co in FH, and Fe and Zn in FS. AOP networks also identified key GO pathways and proteins involved in regulation of oxygen species biosynthetic, cell proliferation, and inflammatory response. Partial dependence results revealed Fe in FS and Co in FH at their low levels might be potential sensitive exposure levels for EIF. Our study provided a typical framework to screen the crucial metal(loid) biomarkers and ascertain that Se and Co in FH, and Fe and Zn in FS played an important role in embryo implantation.

Influences of hair dyeing on the distribution shapes of zolpidem and methoxyphenamine in hair.

In order to investigate the influences of hair dyeing on the distribution shapes of drugs in hair, different hair dyeing processes ("semi-permanent coloring without bleaching" and "permanent coloring with bleaching") were performed in vitro on black hair specimens collected from two subjects (Asians) who took a single dose of zolpidem (ZP, 10 mg of ZP tartrate) or methoxyphenamine (MOP, 50 mg of MOP hydrochloride). Under the following three different dyeing conditions, (1) semi-permanent coloring, (2) permanent coloring (once), (3) permanent coloring (twice), drug distributions in single hair specimens were investigated using a 2-mm segmental analysis by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Distribution shapes of drugs changed significantly only under the permanent coloring (twice) condition, resulting in reduced peak concentration and extended distribution width. There was, however, no significant difference in the amounts of drugs in hair between non-treated and dyed specimens, suggesting the drugs hardly leaked out of hair or were only slightly degraded during dyeing. In addition, while assuming contact with aqueous environment such as daily hair washing after dyeing, dyed hair specimens were individually immersed in ultrapure water for 20 hours, then the outflow of drugs in ultrapure water as well as the distribution shapes of drugs remaining in hair were determined. The drug outflow after permanent coloring (once and twice) was significantly larger than those after semi-permanent coloring, and the outflow ratios, [outflow]/([outflow] + [amount remaining in hair]), ranged over 9.8-24% (n = 3) for ZP and 68-71% (n = 3) for MOP after permanent coloring (once), and 54-72% (n = 3) for ZP and 86-91% (n = 3) for MOP after permanent coloring (twice). The distribution shapes of drugs after 20 h of immersion tended to flatten as outflow ratios increased, resulting in no change in the shapes after semi-permanent coloring, and complete collapse of their shapes after permanent coloring (twice). Thus, the present results indicated that hair dyeing involving bleaching and subsequent contact with aqueous environment after dyeing could significantly influence distribution shapes of drugs in hair.

Prospective associations of technostress at work, burnout symptoms, hair cortisol, and chronic low-grade inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Working conditions in the age of digitalization harbor risks for chronic stress and burnout. However, real-world investigations into biological effects of technostress, that is stress in the context of digital technology use, are sparse. This study prospectively assessed associations between technostress, general work stress, burnout symptoms, hair cortisol, and chronic low-grade inflammation. METHODS: Hospital employees (N = 238, 182 females, Mage = 28.5 years) participated in a prospective cohort study with two follow-ups six months apart (T2, T3). Participants answered standardized questionnaires on general job strain (job demand-control ratio), technostressors (work interruptions, multitasking, information overload), burnout symptoms (exhaustion, mental distance), and relevant confounders. Moreover, they provided capillary blood samples for C-reactive protein (CRP) and hair strands for hair cortisol concentration (HCC) analysis. Structural equation modelling was performed. RESULTS: The factorial structure of survey measures was confirmed. Burnout symptoms (MT2 = 2.17, MT3 = 2.33) and HCC (MT2 = 4.79, MT3 = 9.56; pg/mg) increased over time, CRP did not (MT2 = 1.15, MT3 = 1.21; mg/L). Adjusted path models showed that technostress was negatively associated with HCC (ß = -0.16, p =.003), but not with burnout and CRP. General work stress in contrast, was not significantly associated with burnout, HCC or CRP. Furthermore, there were reciprocal effects of CRP on HCC (ß = 0.28, p =.001) and of HCC on CRP (ß = -0.10, p ≤.001). Associations were robust in additional analyses including further confounders. CONCLUSION: This is the first study on prospective effects of technostress on employees' endocrine and inflammatory systems. Results suggest differential effects of technostress on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity. Given its key role for long-term health, the findings have important implications for occupational health and safety in digitalized work environments.

A novel approach using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometric analysis to distinguish male and female human hair samples.

This article presents an attempt to discriminate between human male and female hair samples using a single strand of scalp hair. The methodology involves the non-destructive application of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy coupled with chemometric analysis. A total of 96 hair samples, evenly distributed between 48 male and 48 female volunteers from India, were collected. Spectral analysis revealed subtle differences between the two groups, and reliance on visual interpretation might introduce biasness. To avoid subjective biases, chemometric techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were employed for enhanced data visualization and separation. PCA results revealed that the first 10 principal components accounted for 93% of the total variance, with three significant PCs. The PLS-DA model demonstrated a remarkable sensitivity and specificity in sex discrimination from hair samples, establishing its efficacy as a robust classification tool. Furthermore, the proposed model exhibited 100% accuracy in predicting unknown samples, underscoring its potential applicability in real-world scenarios. These outcomes affirm the viability of our approach for non-invasive classification of human male and female hair based on single-strand scalp hair analysis.

Evaluation of amphetamines diffusion in hair after contact with amphetamines-containing blood.

Amphetamine-type stimulants are the third most widely consumed category of illicit drugs worldwide. Faced with the growing problem of amphetamine-type stimulants, numerous qualitative and quantitative techniques have been developed to detect amphetamine (AMP), methamphetamine (MET), MDMA, MDEA or MDA in biological matrices, including hair. Hair analysis is widely used in forensic medicine, but one of its main drawbacks remains external contamination. In this study, we investigated the possibility of hair contamination through external exposure to blood containing AMP, MET MDMA, MDEA or MDA at 2 ng/mL; 20 ng/mL; 200 ng/mL or 2000 ng/mL after 6 h, 1, 3, 7 or 14 days of contact protected from light at room temperature (RT or 20 °C) or at 4 °C. Dried extracts of hair samples were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS after extensive washings in several baths of water, methanol and acetone before grounding. At the end of our study, contamination of hair was observed from 6 h of contact with all tested amphetamine-type stimulants. The concentrations found in hair ranged from 3 ± 1 to 1464 ± 10 pg/mg, 5 ± 1 to 5070 ± 160 pg/mg, 3 ± 1 to 1269 ± 60 pg/mg, 4 ± 1 to 1860 ± 113 pg/mg and from 8 ± 1 to 1041 ± 44 pg/mg for AMP, MET, MDMA, MDEA and MDA, respectively. Possibly due to its low polar surface area, MET was the most prone to contaminate. As anticipated, hair contamination was mainly dependent on the concentration of all molecules in the contaminating blood, reaching the SOHT cut-off of 200 pg/mg when amphetamine-type stimulants are at toxic or lethal concentrations in the blood. These observations call for caution in interpreting exposure to these substances in such forensic situations.

Blood lead, cadmium and hair mercury concentrations and association with soil, dust and occupational factors in e-waste recycling workers in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling activities release toxic metals, which pose substantial hazard to the environment and human health. We evaluated metal concentrations in biological and environmental samples, and examined the associations between biological lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) with soil and dust metals, and other possible determinants, among populations exposed and non-exposed to e-waste in Bangladesh. METHODS: A total of 199 e-waste workers and 104 non-exposed individuals were recruited. We measured blood Pb (BPb) and Cd (BCd) concentrations and total Hg (THg) from hair samples. Data were collected on occupational, and behavioral factors. We fitted an elastic net regression (ENET) to model the relationship between a set of influencing factors and metals as outcome variables while controlling for potential covariates. RESULTS: The median concentrations of BPb (11.89 µg/dL) and BCd (1.04 µg/L) among exposed workers were higher than those of non-exposed workers (BPb: 3.63 µg/dL and BCd: 0.83 µg/L respectively). A 100 ppm increment in soil Pb level was associated with an increase in ln-Pb (transformed) in blood (ß = 0.002; 95% CI = 0.00, 0.02). Similarly, ln-BCd level increased (ß = 0.02; 95% CI = 0.001, 0.07) with every ppm increase in dust Cd level. The number of years worked in e-waste activities was associated with elevated ln-BPb (ß = 0.01; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.02) and ln-BCd levels (ß = 0.003; 95% CI = 0.00, 0.05). Smoking significantly contributed to elevated levels of ln-BCd (ß = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.43, 0.73). An increment of 100 kg of e-waste handling per week led to an increase in ln-BPb levels (ß = 0.002; 95% CI = 0.00, 0.01), while respondents knowledge about adverse impact on e-waste reduced the ln-BPb level (ß = -0.14; 95% CI = -0.31, -0.03). Fish consumption frequency had a positive association with THg in hair. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show the need for workplace controls to reduce exposure to Pb and Cd with a broader view of exposure source taken.

Hair cortisol concentration and its association with acute stress responses and recovery in a sample of medical students in Germany.

INTRODUCTION: Experiencing acute and chronic stress can contribute to adverse health outcomes. Responses to acute stress differ between individuals (i.e., stress reactivity) and the experience of chronic stress has been discussed to be associated with acute stress responses and stress recovery. This study thus aims to investigate whether hair cortisol concentration (HCC), being an indicator for hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity over a prolonged period of time, is associated with acute stress responses and recovery in a sample of medical students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From July 2020 to July 2021, medical students (n = 54) underwent a virtual-reality Trier Social Stress Test in which their blood pressure and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured, and hair samples were taken to determine HCC. Piecewise linear growth analyses were used to investigate whether HCC (categorized into low, medium and high levels) is associated with acute stress responses and recovery regarding blood pressure and HRV. RESULTS: Significant interaction effects in piecewise linear growth analyses showed that participants with higher levels of HCC had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses compared to participants with medium levels of HCC. No significant interaction effects were observed for HRV responses or for recovery measures. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that higher levels of HCC are associated with a lower cardiovascular response in terms of blood pressure to an acute stressor in medical students. Therefore, long-term HPA-axis activity may contribute to different magnitudes of acute stress responses in the autonomic nervous system. As the shown lower blood pressure responses to acute stress in individuals with increased long-term HPA-axis activity may represent inadequate stress responses, these should be further studied in order to find out more about their interaction and potential subsequent disease risks.

Analytical methods and biomonitoring results in hair for the assessment of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: A literature review.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) are compounds that alter functions of the endocrine system due to their ability to mimic or antagonize endogenous hormones, or that alter their synthesis and metabolism, causing adverse health effects. Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a reliable method to assess human exposure to chemicals through measurement in human body fluids and tissues. It identifies new sources of exposure and determines their distribution, thereby enabling detection of the most exposed populations. Blood and urine are commonly used for HBM of EDC, but their interest is limited for compounds presenting short half-lives. Hair appears as an interesting alternative insofar as it provides a large exposure window. For the present study, we evaluated the relevance of hair in determining EDC exposure. With this in mind, we undertook a literature review focusing on the bioanalytical aspects and performances of methods developed to determine EDC in hair. The literature review was performed through methodical bibliographical research. Relevant articles were identified using two scientific databases: PubMed and Web of Science, with search equations built from a combination of keywords, MeSH terms and Boolean operators. The search strategy identified 2949 articles. After duplicates were removed, and following title, abstract, and full-text screenings, only 31 were included for qualitative synthesis. Hair collection was mainly performed in the back of the head and preparation involved two processes: cutting into small pieces or grounding to powder. The off-line LC-MS/MS method remains the main technique used to assess EDC through hair. Differences regarding the validation of analytical methods and interpretation of HBM results were highlighted, suggesting a need for international harmonisation to obtain reliable and comparable results. External contamination of hair was identified as a main limitation in the interpretation of results, highlighting the need to better understand EDC transfers through hair and to develop relevant hair decontamination processes.

Biomonitoring of parabens in wild boars through hair samples analysis.

Parabens are compounds widely utilized in the industry as preservative additives to personal care products, cosmetics and food. They pollute the environment and penetrate to the living organisms through the digestive tract, respiratory system and skin. Till now the knowledge about exposure of terrestrial wild mammals to parabens is extremely scarce. Therefore, this study for the first time assessed the concentration levels of five parabens commonly used in industry (methylparaben-MeP, ethylparaben-EtP propylparaben-PrP, benzylparaben -BeP and butylparaben-BuP). Substances have been analyzed in hair samples collected from wild boars using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. The hair is a matrix, which allows to study long-term exposure of organisms to parabens. During this study MeP was noted in 96.3% of samples with mean 88.3±72.9 pg/mg, PrP in 87.0% of samples with mean 8.5±3.3 pg/mg, BeP in 44.4% of samples with mean 17.2±12.3 pg/mg and EtP in 11.1% of samples with mean 17.2±4.8 pg/mg. In turn BuP was noted only in 3.7% of samples with concentration levels below limit of quantification (2.6 pg/mg). Statistically significant intragender differences in parabens levels have not been noted. Only BeP concentration levels depended on industrialization and density of human population of area, where the animals lived. This study indicates that wild boars are exposed to parabens, especially to MeP and PrP, and analysis of the hair seems to be a useful tool of biomonitoring of parabens in wild mammals.

Untargeted metabolomics for lifestyle biomarker discovery in human hair.

There is a risk of crimes remaining unsolved when no matching DNA profiles or fingermarks are found. If this is the case, forensic investigations are faced with a significant shortage of evidence and information regarding the unknown perpetrator and/or victim as well as any missing persons. However, a rather commonly found biological trace encountered at crime scenes is human hair. As hair acts as a biochemical reservoir, it may contain valuable information regarding one's characteristics and habits. This study aimed to build an analytical method capable of determining a marker set of relevant metabolites in hair, eventually building up a profile of its donor. To find potential markers, an untargeted metabolomics approach was developed to select and identify statistically significant features. For that purpose, a total of 68 hair samples were collected at several hairdresser shops in varying neighbourhoods. Compound extraction was achieved via methanolic incubation overnight and analysis performed using a high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) Orbitrap Q Exactive Focus. The acquired data was uploaded and statistically evaluated using two free online software/libraries, where a total of eight compounds have given a match on both tools. Their presumptive identity was confirmed using reference standards and consequently added to a dynamic target donor profiling list. These results show the potential of using untargeted metabolomics for the search for lifestyle biomarkers capable of differentiating individuals. Such tools are of paramount importance in a forensic setting with little or no evidence available and no clear tactical leads.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in dust, hair and urine: Exposure, excretion.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been detected in various environmental media and human tissues. PBDEs concentrations in dust from college buildings and homes and in paired hair and urine samples from students were determined. This is of great significance to explore the accumulation and excretion patterns of PBDEs in the human body. The median PBDEs concentrations in the dust (College: 84.59 ng/g; Home: 170.32 ng/g) and hair (undergraduate: 6.16 ng/g; Home: 3.25 ng/g) samples were generally lower than were found in the majority of previous studies. The PBDEs concentrations in the hair and urine samples were subjected to principal component analysis, and the results combined with the PBDEs detection rates confirmed that hair is a useful non-invasive sampling medium for assessing PBDEs exposure and the risks posed. Body mass indices (BMIs) were used to divide students who had not been exposed to large amounts of PBDEs into groups. Body fat percentage is an important factor affecting the accumulation of PBDE in the human body. Environmental factors were found to affect the PBDEs concentrations in the hair and urine samples less for normal-weight students (BMI≤24) than overweight students (BMI>24). Short-term environmental changes to more readily affect the PBDEs concentrations in the tissues of the normal-weight than overweight students. PBDEs with seven or more bromine substituents were found not to be readily excreted in urine. Performing molecular docking simulations of the binding of isomers BDE-99 and BDE-100 to megalin. The binding energy was higher for BDE-100 and megalin than for BDE-99 and megalin, meaning BDE-99 would be more readily excreted than BDE-100.

Analytical techniques for screening of cannabis and derivatives from human hair specimens.

Cannabis and associated substances are some of the most frequently abused drugs across the globe, mainly due to their anxiolytic and euphorigenic properties. Nowadays, the analysis of hair samples has been given high importance in forensic and analytical sciences and in clinical studies because they are associated with a low risk of infection, do not require complicated storage conditions, and offer a broad window of non-invasive detection. Analysis of hair samples is very easy compared to the analysis of blood, urine, and saliva samples. This review places particular emphasis on methodologies of analyzing hair samples containing cannabis, with a special focus on the preparation of samples for analysis, which involves screening and extraction techniques, followed by confirmatory assays. Through this manuscript, we have presented an overview of the available literature on the screening of cannabis using mass spectroscopy techniques. We have presented a detailed overview of the advantages and disadvantages of this technique, to establish it as a suitable method for the analysis of cannabis from hair samples.

Association of serum and hair antioxidant minerals with an oxidative stress marker in relation with characteristics of healthy adults: a cross-sectional study.

Excess oxidative stress generated in the body causes various types of cellular damage, including DNA damage. Certain trace minerals act as antioxidants by functioning as cofactors for antioxidant enzymes. This study was conducted to evaluate the serum and hair concentrations of major antioxidant trace minerals (zinc, manganese, selenium, and chromium) and to determine the association between the oxidative stress marker urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and serum or hair antioxidant trace mineral concentrations, according to the general characteristics of healthy adults. Study participants were selected after screening, and 108 participants aged 19-69 years were finally included. Serum and hair trace mineral concentrations were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and urine 8-OHdG levels were quantified using an ELISA kit. Results showed that urinary 8-OHdG levels were significantly higher in exercisers than in those who did not exercise. Correlation analysis revealed that urinary 8-OHdG was negatively correlated with hair zinc in participants over 60 years of age and with poor health status, and positively correlated with hair chromium in participants with irregular dietary habits. In conclusion, these results suggest that urinary 8-OHdG is particularly correlated with hair zinc and chromium levels. Additional large-scale epidemiological studies are needed to generally confirm these findings.