Respirable size-selective sampler for end-of-shift quartz measurement: Development and performance

Aims of this study were to develop a respirable size-selective sampler for direct-on-filter (DoF) quartz measurement at the end-of-shift (EoS) using a portable Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer and to determine its size-selective sampling performance. A new miniaturized sampler has been designed to have an effective particle deposition diameter close to the portable FTIR beam diameter (6 mm). The new sampler (named the EoS cyclone) was constructed using a 3D printer. The sampling efficiency of the EoS cyclone was determined using polydisperse glass sphere particles and a time-of-flight direct reading instrument. Respirable dust mass concentration and quartz absorbance levels of samples collected with the EoS cyclone were compared to those collected with the 10-mm nylon cyclone. The EoS cyclone operated at a flow rate of 1.2 l min^?1 showed minimum bias compared to the international standard respirable convention. The use of the EoS cyclone induced respirable dust mass concentration results similar but significantly larger (5%) than those obtained from samples collected with 10-mm nylon cyclones. The sensitivity of the DoF-FTIR analysis in estimating quartz was found increased more than 10 times when the samples were collected with the EoS cyclone. The average particle deposition diameter was 8.8 mm in 60 samples. The newly developed user friendly EoS cyclone may provide a better sampling strategy in quartz exposure assessment with faster feedback.     

A comprehensive assessment of exposures to respirable dust and silica in the taconite mining industry

This study assessed the present-day levels (year 2010–2011) of exposure to respirable dust (RD) and respirable silica (RS) in taconite mines and evaluated how the mining process influences exposure concentrations. Personal samples (n = 679) were collected to assess exposure levels of workers to RD and RS at six mines in the Mesabi Iron Range of Minnesota. The RD and RS concentrations were measured using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 0600 and NIOSH 7500, respectively. Between-mine, between-SEG (similar exposure groups), within-SEG, and within-worker components of variability for RD and RS exposures were estimated using a two- or three-way nested random-effects ANOVA model. The majority of RD concentrations across all mines were below the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL). The highest concentrations of RD were often observed in either the Pelletizing or Crushing departments, which are inherently dusty operations. With a few exceptions, the concentrations of RS in the crushing and concentrating processes were higher than those in the other mining processes, as well as higher than the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for RS. The magnetic separation and flotation processes in the concentrating department reduced the levels of RS significantly, and lowered the percentage of quartz in RD in the pelletizing department. There was little variability among the six mines or between the two mineralogically distinct zones for either RD or RS exposures. The between-SEG variability for RS did not differ substantially across most of the mines and was a major component of exposure variance. The within-SEG (or between-worker) variance component was typically the smallest because in many instances one worker from a SEG within a mine was monitored multiple times. Some of these findings were affected by the degree of censoring in each SEG and mine, characteristics of the taconite rock, seasonal effects during sampling, or the tasks assigned to each job in that mine.     

Time-weighted averages, peaks, and other indices of exposure in occupational epidemiology.

Dose surrogates commonly used in occupational epidemiology are exposure intensity, exposure duration, and cumulative exposure. The appropriateness of any of these measures as dose indicators depends on the nature of the induction process for the disease under consideration. Peak exposure intensity is often associated with acute health outcomes, whereas cumulative exposure is generally more relevant for diseases with long induction times, i.e., "chronic" diseases. However, there may be situations where peak exposure is etiologically relevant in chronic disease induction, such as might occur with nonlinear rates of damage during brief intervals of very high exposure. An approach is described for evaluating the effect of peak exposures in which peaks may be defined on a relative basis for each worker, or with respect to an absolute value, such as the permissible occupational exposure limit. The analytic strategy is illustrated with data from a case-control study of silicosis in relation to quantitative estimates of silica exposure. In this example, relative peak exposures and average non-peak exposures appear to be better predictors of silicosis risk than cumulative exposure.     

介孔二氧化硅纳米粒增溶型非诺贝特片剂的制备及体内外研究

目的 制备介孔二氧化硅纳米粒(mesoporous silica nanoparticles,HK)增溶型非诺贝特(fenofibrate,FNB)片剂并进行体内外研究。方法 用吸附法以HK为FNB的载体制成固体分散体(FNB-HK)。采用差示扫描量热法、X射线衍射法和傅里叶红外光谱法分析非诺贝特在FNB-HK中的存在状态。通过考察体外溶出度,优化处方并制片。将自制片和市售片分别对家兔单剂量口服给药,采用高效液相色谱法测定家兔血浆药物浓度。结果 FNB-HK表征表明HK能够抑制非诺贝特的结晶。经过处方优化,乳糖做填充剂,8%羧甲基淀粉钠为崩解剂时,片剂能够达到最理想的溶出速率。自制片与市售片相比,体内达峰时间提前,达峰浓度增大,相对生物利用度为149.95%。结论 本研究研制的片剂能显著改善FNB的溶出速率,提高其口服生物利用度。     

Facile Synthesis of Core–shell Magnetic Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for pH‐sensitive Anticancer Drug Delivery

The facile synthesis of core–shell magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ NPs) was reported in aqueous phase using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a template under alcohol‐free conditions. Compared to the conventional synthesis method for core–shell Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ NPs, the approach in this study is rapid (only 5‐min reaction time), cheap (without using organic agents), and environmentally friendly (one‐step synthesis in alcohol‐free medium). Doxorubicin (DOX)‐loaded Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ NPs exert extraordinarily high specificity for liver cancer cells, which was due to the pH‐sensitive doxorubicin release, as well as higher endocytosis capacity in liver cancer cells rather than normal liver cells. The potential advantages of using such Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ NPs as the vehicle of anticancer drugs were that the Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ NPs exhibit good biocompatibility, high loading and protection of the guest molecules, selective killing effect, and efficient cellular uptake. The exciting pH‐dependent release properties of doxorubicin‐loaded Fe₃O₄@mSiO₂ NPs make their use a promising strategy for enhancing efficient therapy toward tumors, while reducing the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin to human normal neutral tissue or cells.     

Prenatal toxicity of synthetic amorphous silica nanomaterial in rats

Synthetic amorphous silica is a nanostructured material, which is produced and used in a wide variety of technological applications and consumer products. No regulatory prenatal toxicity studies with this substance were reported yet. Therefore, synthetic amorphous silica was tested for prenatal toxicity, according to OECD guideline 414 in Wistar rats following oral (gavage) administration at the dose levels 0, 100, 300, or 1000 mg/kg bw/d from gestation day 6–19. At gestation day 20, all pregnant animals were examined by cesarean section. Numbers of corpora lutea, implantations, resorptions, live and dead fetuses were counted. Fetal and placental weights were determined. Fetuses were examined for external, visceral and skeletal abnormalities. No maternal toxicity was observed at any dose level. Likewise, administration of the test compound did not alter cesarean section parameters and did not influence fetal or placental weights. No compound-related increase in the incidence of malformations or variations was observed in the fetuses. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) was 1000 mg/kg bw/d.     

Ordered mesoporous silica modified with lanthanum for ibuprofen loading and release behaviour

The ordered mesoporous silicas SBA-15 and KIT-6, modified with lanthanum, have been for the first time applied in investigation of ibuprofen adsorption and release. The materials of hexagonal and regular structure were obtained by the hydrothermal method using a triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 as a template. The mesoporous silicas were impregnated with an aqueous solution of lanthanum(III) chloride in the amount necessary to obtain 1, 3 and 5 wt.% La loading. The physicochemical properties of the modified silicas were characterised by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, UV–Vis spectrophotometry and low-temperature nitrogen sorption. The results showed that lanthanum strongly determined structural as well as textural properties of the silicas. The samples of modified silica were checked for the ability to adsorb and release of ibuprofen. The storage capacity of the modified silicas obtained increased with increasing their average pore diameter and percentage content of lanthanum. The amount of ibuprofen adsorbed onto KIT-6 silica modified with La was higher than that adsorbed onto SBA-15 materials. The high coverage of lanthanum on the surface of KIT-6 and SBA-15 solids was found to increase the amount of ibuprofen and the rate of its release.     

新型冠状病毒肺炎病例的血清学检测结果初步分析

目的 了解新型冠状病毒肺炎确诊病例、无症状感染者、密切接触者和其他相关人员血清中IgM和IgG抗体产生情况。 方法 采集研究对象的全血并及时分离血清,采用ELISA和胶体金法对确诊病例和无症状感染者血清进行IgM和IgG抗体检测,采用ELISA对密切接触者和其他相关人员血清进行检测。 结果 用ELISA和胶体金法进行抗体检测,42例确诊病例的阳性情况为:采样日期从第二周起,不论是IgM还是IgG的阳性率均出现增长,第15~35 d组,阳性率最高,IgM抗体阳性率ELISA和胶体金法分别为72.7%与36.4%,IgG抗体阳性率分别为72.7%与90.9%。用ELISA检测,8例无症状感染者为IgM阳性5例(62.5%)和IgG阳性5例(62.5%)。密切接触者为IgM阳性1例(1.7%)和IgG阳性2例(3.4%)。其他相关人员为IgM阳性1例(2.0%)和IgG阳性2例(4.1%)。ELISA IgM、胶体金IgM、ELISA IgG以及胶体金IgG试验检测出阳性确诊病例的发病日期至采样日期的间隔时间中位数分别为16、14、12、13 d。ELISA与胶体金法比对,IgM抗体检测的Kappa值为0.614,IgG的Kappa值为0.716。 结论 新型冠状病毒肺炎确诊病例血清抗体阳性率从第二周起出现显著增长,不同类型人员阳性率差异有统计学意义,ELISA与胶体金法比较中高度一致。     

Harmful at non-cytotoxic concentrations: SiO2-SPIONs affect surfactant metabolism and lamellar body biogenesis in A549 human alveolar epithelial cells

The pulmonary delivery of nanoparticles (NPs) is a promising approach in nanomedicine. For the efficient and safe use of inhalable NPs, understanding of NP interference with lung surfactant metabolism is needed. Lung surfactant is predominantly a phospholipid substance, synthesized in alveolar type II cells (ATII), where it is packed in special organelles, lamellar bodies (LBs). In vitro and in vivo studies have reported NPs impact on surfactant homeostasis, but this phenomenon has not yet been sufficiently examined. We showed that in ATII-like A549 human lung cancer cells, silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide NPs (SiO₂-SPIONs), which have a high potential in medicine, caused an increased cellular amount of acid organelles and phospholipids. In SiO₂-SPION treated cells, we observed elevated cellular quantity of multivesicular bodies (MVBs), organelles involved in LB biogenesis. In spite of the results indicating increased surfactant production, the cellular quantity of LBs was surprisingly diminished and the majority of the remaining LBs were filled with SiO₂-SPIONs. Additionally, LBs were detected inside abundant autophagic vacuoles (AVs) and obviously destined for degradation. We also observed time- and dose-dependent changes in mRNA expression for proteins involved in lipid metabolism. Our results demonstrate that non-cytotoxic concentrations of SiO₂-SPIONs interfere with surfactant metabolism and LB biogenesis, leading to disturbed ability to reduce hypophase surface tension. To ensure the safe use of NPs for pulmonary delivery, we propose that potential NP interference with LB biogenesis is obligatorily taken into account.