BACKGROUND Lead (Pb) is a toxic element that occurs in elevated concentrations in soils, mostly as a result of anthropogenic activities. This study assess the Pb bioavailability in soils from two areas with different contamination level using Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Films (DGT) technique, single extractions and metal contents of vegetables grown on contaminated soils. RESULTS In the area ...

INTRODUCTION To assess the salivary composition of proteins and minerals in smokers compared with non-smokers. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study we compared the total protein and Ca, Na, K, Mg, Pb of whole saliva in two groups of men (28 smokers and 31nonsmokers) aged between 29-41years. RESULTS Fifty-nine participants were evaluated. The mean age was 33.14±5.32 years among smokers and 32...

Blood lead among pregnant women, even at modest levels, may impair offspring cognitive development. We examine whether blood lead levels (BLLs) result from current versus historic exposures, among a cohort of pregnant women. Cumulative logit models were used to characterize the relationship between maternal risk factors and higher BLLs. Maternal blood lead levels more likely result from lead re...

Geogenic and anthropogenic activities introduce certain metals into the environment which tend to deteriorate the quality of both surface and groundwater in the Bosomtwe Crater Lake and its surroundings. In this study spatio-temporal variations in concentrations and risk assessment of selected trace metals (As, Fe, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd and Ni) were investigated during the wet and dry seasons for surf...

The aims of this study were to determine Cd and Pb contents in wild mushrooms from the eastern region of the “Green Lungs” of Poland (GLP), compare them to Cd and Pb contents in some popular species of cultivated mushrooms, and evaluate mushroom contribution to the daily intake of Cd and Pb. Trace elements were determined in 21 species of edible mushrooms: 18 species of wild mushrooms and 3 spe...

Pathogens that evolve resistance to drugs usually have reduced fitness. However, mutations that largely compensate for this reduction in fitness often arise. We investigate how these compensatory mutations affect population-wide resistance emergence as a function of drug treatment. Using a model of gonorrhea transmission dynamics, we obtain generally applicable, qualitative results that show ho...

OBJECTIVE We determined which children should be tested for elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in the face of financial and practical barriers to universal screening efforts and within 2009 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations allowing health departments to develop BLL screening strategies. METHODS We used the Michigan database of BLL tests from 1998 through 2005, which c...

The influence of alloy composition of lowmelting Sn-Bi-Cu lead-free solder alloys on mechanical properties and solder joint reliabilities were investigated. The mechanically optimum alloy composition is Sn-40Bi-0.1Cu (mass%). The addition of 40mass%Bi improves the ductility and restrains the fillet-lifting, which are problems of lead-free solders with Bi. The addition of copper improves both th...

INTRODUCTION Like all living things, cattle ticks have the ability to overcome adversity in order to survive. They can adapt genetically over time so that they and their offspring build up resistance to the normal tick treatments used. This is known as tick acaricide (chemical) resistance. The prolonged or incorrect use of tick chemicals can lead to resistance in ticks, enabling the ticks to to...

Multidrug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis seriously threaten tuberculosis (TB) control and prevention efforts. Molecular studies of the mechanism of action of antitubercular drugs have elucidated the genetic basis of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis. Drug resistance in M. tuberculosis is attributed primarily to the accumulation of mutations in the drug target genes; these muta...