Estimation of the dietary intake of cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic by the population of Santiago (Chile) using a Total Diet Study.

Dietary intake of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) by the population of Santiago (Chile) was determined using a Total Diet Study in the market basket modality. After conducting a survey of the foods consumed in the last 24 h, the most consumed food products were included in the basket. Subsequently, they were cooked or prepared according to typical Chilean procedures and grouped into 17 food categories according to their chemical characteristics. The fish and shellfish group had the highest contents of As (1351 ng/g wet weight, ww), Cd (277 ng/g ww), and Hg (48 ng/g ww), while the sugar group had the highest content of Pb (251 ng/g ww). For a person with a body weight of 68 kg, the dietary intakes of As (77 microg/day), Cd (20 microg/day), Hg (5 microg/day), and Pb (206 microg/day) are lower than the provisional tolerable weekly intake values established by the FAO/WHO. Consequently, the total intakes of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in Santiago (Chile) are within the limits estimated as safe.     

C-reactive protein,platelets, and patent ductus arteriosus

The association between inflammation, platelets, and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) has not been studied so far. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) is related to low platelet count and PDA. This was a retrospective study of 88 infants with a birth weight ≤1500 g and a gestational age ≤30 weeks. Platelet count, CRP, and an echocardiogram were assessed in all infants. The subjects were matched by sex, gestational age, and birth weight. Differences were compared using the χ², t-test, or Mann–Whitney U-test, as appropriate. Significant variables were entered into a logistic regression model. The association between CRP and platelets was evaluated by correlation and regression analysis. Platelet count (167 000 vs. 213 000 µl^?1, p = 0.015) was lower and the CRP (0.45 vs. 0.20 mg/dl, p = 0.002) was higher, and the platelet count correlated inversely with CRP (r = ?0.145, p = 0.049) in the infants with vs. without PDA. Only CRP was independently associated with PDA in a logistic regression model (OR 64.1, 95% confidence interval 1.4–2941, p = 0.033).     

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Liver Radioembolization: A Review

CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology - Yttrium-90 radioembolization (RE) is a widely used transcatheter intraarterial therapy for patients with unresectable liver cancer. In the last decade,...