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PloS One 2013Health risk for well drinking water is a worldwide problem. Our recent studies showed increased toxicity by exposure to barium alone (≤700 µg/L) and coexposure to...
Health risk for well drinking water is a worldwide problem. Our recent studies showed increased toxicity by exposure to barium alone (≤700 µg/L) and coexposure to barium (137 µg/L) and arsenic (225 µg/L). The present edition of WHO health-based guidelines for drinking water revised in 2011 has maintained the values of arsenic (10 µg/L) and barium (700 µg/L), but not elements such as manganese, iron and zinc. Nevertheless, there have been very few studies on barium in drinking water and human samples. This study showed significant correlations between levels of arsenic and barium, but not its homologous elements (magnesium, calcium and strontium), in urine, toenail and hair samples obtained from residents of Jessore, Bangladesh. Significant correlation between levels of arsenic and barium in well drinking water and levels in human urine, toenail and hair samples were also observed. Based on these results, a high-performance and low-cost adsorbent composed of a hydrotalcite-like compound for barium and arsenic was developed. The adsorbent reduced levels of barium and arsenic from well water in Bangladesh and Vietnam to <7 µg/L within 1 min. Thus, we have showed levels of arsenic and barium in humans and propose a novel remediation system.
Topics: Adsorption; Arsenic; Bangladesh; Barium; Calcium; Drinking Water; Hair; Humans; Magnesium; Mass Spectrometry; Nails; Strontium; Water Wells
PubMed: 23805262
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066681 -
Nature Communications Feb 2017Arsenic and barium are ubiquitous environmental toxins that accumulate in higher trophic-level organisms. Whereas metazoans have detoxifying organs to cope with toxic...
Arsenic and barium are ubiquitous environmental toxins that accumulate in higher trophic-level organisms. Whereas metazoans have detoxifying organs to cope with toxic metals, sponges lack organs but harbour a symbiotic microbiome performing various functions. Here we examine the potential roles of microorganisms in arsenic and barium cycles in the sponge Theonella swinhoei, known to accumulate high levels of these metals. We show that a single sponge symbiotic bacterium, Entotheonella sp., constitutes the arsenic- and barium-accumulating entity within the host. These bacteria mineralize both arsenic and barium on intracellular vesicles. Our results indicate that Entotheonella sp. may act as a detoxifying organ for its host.
Topics: Animals; Arsenic; Bacteria; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Barium; Calcification, Physiologic; Cytoplasmic Vesicles; Hazardous Substances; Microbiota; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Symbiosis; Theonella
PubMed: 28233852
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14393 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2021This research paper is concentrated on the design of biologically compatible lead-free piezoelectric composites which may eventually replace traditional lead zirconium...
This research paper is concentrated on the design of biologically compatible lead-free piezoelectric composites which may eventually replace traditional lead zirconium titanate (PZT) in micromechanical fluidics, the predominantly used ferroelectric material today. Thus, a lead-free barium-calcium zirconate titanate (BCZT) composite was synthesized, its crystalline structure and size, surface morphology, chemical, and piezoelectric properties were analyzed, together with the investigations done in variation of composite thin film thickness and its effect on the element properties. Four elements with different thicknesses of BCZT layers were fabricated and investigated in order to design a functional acoustophoresis micromechanical fluidic element, based on bulk acoustic generation for particle control technologies. Main methods used in this research were as follows: FTIR and XRD for evaluation of chemical and phase composition; SEM-for surface morphology; wettability measurements were used for surface free energy evaluation; a laser triangular sensing system-for evaluation of piezoelectric properties. XRD results allowed calculating the average crystallite size, which was 65.68 Å confirming the formation of BCZT nanoparticles. SEM micrographs results showed that BCZT thin films have some porosities on the surface with grain size ranging from 0.2 to 7.2 µm. Measurements of wettability showed that thin film surfaces are partially wetting and hydrophilic, with high degree of wettability and strong solid/liquid interactions for liquids. The critical surface tension was calculated in the range from 20.05 to 27.20 mN/m. Finally, investigations of piezoelectric properties showed significant results of lead-free piezoelectric composite, i.e., under 5 N force impulse thin films generated from 76 mV up to 782 mV voltages. Moreover, an experimental analysis showed that a designed lead-free BCZT element creates bulk acoustic waves and allows manipulating bio particles in this fluidic system.
Topics: Acoustics; Barium; Biocompatible Materials; Ceramics; Electrophoresis; Equipment Design; Glycerol; Lead; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Olive Oil; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; X-Ray Diffraction; Zirconium
PubMed: 33445501
DOI: 10.3390/s21020483 -
Clinical Gastroenterology and... May 2018Esophageal retention is typically evaluated by timed-barium esophagram in patients treated for achalasia. Esophageal bolus clearance can also be evaluated using...
BACKGROUND & AIMS
Esophageal retention is typically evaluated by timed-barium esophagram in patients treated for achalasia. Esophageal bolus clearance can also be evaluated using high-resolution impedance manometry. We evaluated the associations of conventional and novel high-resolution impedance manometry metrics, esophagram, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in achalasia.
METHODS
We performed a prospective study of 70 patients with achalasia (age, 20-81 y; 30 women) treated by pneumatic dilation or myotomy who underwent follow-up evaluations from April 2013 through December 2015 (median, 12 mo after treatment; range, 3-183 mo). Patients were assessed using timed-barium esophagrams, high-resolution impedance manometry, and PROs, determined from Eckardt scores (the primary outcome) and the brief esophageal dysphagia questionnaire. Barium column height was measured from esophagrams taken 5 minutes after ingestion of barium (200 mL). Impedance-manometry was analyzed for bolus transit (dichotomized) and with a customized MATLAB program (The MathWorks, Inc, Natick, MA) to calculate the esophageal impedance integral (EII) ratio.
RESULTS
Optimal cut points to identify a good PRO (defined as Eckardt score of ≤3) were esophagram barium column height of 3 cm (identified patients with a good PRO with 63% sensitivity and 75% specificity) and an EII ratio of 0.41 (identified patients with a good PRO with 83% sensitivity and 75% specificity). Complete bolus transit identified patients with a good PRO with 28% sensitivity and 75% specificity. Of the 25 patients who met these cut points for both esophagram barium column height and EII ratio, 23 (92%) had a good PRO. Of the 17 patients who met neither cut point, 14 (82%) had a poor PRO (Eckardt score above 3).
CONCLUSIONS
In a prospective study of 70 patients with achalasia, we found EII ratio identified patients with good PROs with higher levels of sensitivity (same specificity) than timed-barium esophagram or impedance-manometry bolus transit assessments. The EII ratio should be added to achalasia outcome evaluations that involve high-resolution impedance manometry as an independent measure and to complement timed-barium esophagram.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Barium; Diagnostic Tests, Routine; Dilatation; Electric Impedance; Esophageal Achalasia; Female; Gastrointestinal Transit; Humans; Male; Manometry; Middle Aged; Myotomy; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
PubMed: 29155168
DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.11.019 -
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology... Jun 2017The objectives of the present work were: (1) to assemble population-level biomonitoring data to identify the concentrations of urinary and plasma barium across the...
The objectives of the present work were: (1) to assemble population-level biomonitoring data to identify the concentrations of urinary and plasma barium across the general population; and (2) to derive biomonitoring equivalents (BEs) for barium in urine and plasma in order to facilitate the interpretation of barium concentrations in the biological matrices. In population level biomonitoring studies, barium has been measured in urine in the U.S. (NHANES study), but no such data on plasma barium levels were identified. The BE values for plasma and urine were derived from U.S. EPA's reference dose (RfD) of 0.2 mg/kg bw/d, based on a lower confidence limit on the benchmark dose (BMDL) of 63 mg/kg bw/d. The plasma BE (9 μg Ba/L) was derived by regression analysis of the near-steady-state plasma concentrations associated with the administered doses in animals exposed to barium chloride dihydrate in drinking water for 2-years in a NTP study. Using a human urinary excretion fraction of 0.023, a BE for urinary barium (0.19 mg/L or 0.25 mg/g creatinine) was derived for US EPA's RfD. The median and the 95 percentile barium urine concentrations of the general population in U.S. are below the BE determined in this study, indicating that the population exposure to inorganic barium is expected to be below the exposure guidance value of 0.2 mg/kg bw/d.
Topics: Animals; Barium; Creatinine; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Nutrition Surveys; Reference Values; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 28359824
DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2017.03.022 -
American Journal of Biological... Jan 2023Intra-tooth patterns of trace elements barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) have been used to infer human and nonhuman primate nursing histories, including australopithecine...
OBJECTIVES
Intra-tooth patterns of trace elements barium (Ba) and strontium (Sr) have been used to infer human and nonhuman primate nursing histories, including australopithecine and Neanderthal juveniles. Here we contrast the two elemental models in first molars (M1s) of four wild baboons and explore the assumptions that underlie each.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was employed to create comprehensive calcium-normalized barium and strontium (Ba/Ca, Sr/Ca) maps of M1 enamel and dentine at 35 micron resolution.
RESULTS
Postnatal Ba/Ca values were typically high, peaking ~0.5 years of age and then decreasing throughout M1 crown formation; all four individuals showed minimal Ba/Ca values between ~1.2-1.8 years, consistent with field reports of the cessation of suckling. Enamel Sr/Ca did not support patterns of previous LA-ICP-MS spot sampling as the enamel rarely showed discrete Sr/Ca secretory zonation. Increases in Sr/Ca appeared in coronal dentine beginning ~0.3 years, with varied peak value ages (~0.7-2.7 years) and no evidence of a predicted postweaning decline.
DISCUSSION
Inferences of baboon weaning ages from initial Ba/Ca minima are more congruent with behavioral observations than Sr/Ca maxima; this is consistent with studies of captive macaques of known weaning ages. Elemental variation is more apparent in the coronal dentine than the enamel of these baboons, which may relate to its more rapid mineralization and protection from the oral environment. Inferences of nursing histories from enamel Sr/Ca patterns alone should be reconsidered, and elevated values of Ba/Ca and Sr/Ca in teeth formed after weaning require further study.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Weaning; Barium; Tooth; Strontium; Papio
PubMed: 37406034
DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24655 -
Abdominal Radiology (New York) Jul 2021No guidance exists on how to safely perform modified barium swallows (MBS) in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable airborne respiratory infections... (Review)
Review
No guidance exists on how to safely perform modified barium swallows (MBS) in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic or other communicable airborne respiratory infections (C-ARI). MBS has the potential to become an aerosol generating procedure (AGP) as it may trigger a cough or necessitate suctioning which may result in transmission of C-ARI putting patients and health care workers at risk. Regulations and best practices from international and US governmental and commercial agencies were reviewed. This review led to the multidisciplinary development of best practices of the safety measures and structural requirements to avoid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 or other C-ARIs when performing MBS. Implementation of these best practices resulted in structural changes to the fluoroscopy suite and protocol workflows. This enabled patients with COVID-19 to undergo MBS while maintaining patient and staff safety including mitigation of potential risk of onward transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to other patients. With proper modifications, MBS can be safely performed on patients with C-ARI such as COVID-19 while maintaining patient and health care worker (HCW) safety.
Topics: Barium; COVID-19; Fluoroscopy; Humans; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33772613
DOI: 10.1007/s00261-021-03025-8 -
Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine... Dec 2020Exposure of toxic metals from e-cigarette use is a cause for public health concern because youth, young adults, and non-smokers are the target population rapidly...
BACKGROUND
Exposure of toxic metals from e-cigarette use is a cause for public health concern because youth, young adults, and non-smokers are the target population rapidly adopting e-cigarette use. The purpose of this research is to determine the association of the body burden of heavy metals with e-cigarette use using NHANES (U.S.) 2015-2016 data.
METHODS
Blood lead (N = 1899) and urinary cadmium, barium, and antimony (N = 1302) data were extracted from NHANES, 2015-2016; geometric means were calculated and bivariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted. Participants were categorized as having neither e-cigarette nor cigarette use; smoking history (including dual use with e-cigarettes); and only e-cigarette (current or former).
RESULTS
In multivariable analyses adjusted for sex, race/ethnicity, age, and poverty levels, current or former e-cigarette use failed to reach a statistical significance in the association with metals. However, participants with a smoking history were more likely to have higher blood lead and urinary cadmium than participants who neither used e-cigarettes nor cigarettes.
CONCLUSION
Blood lead levels, and urinary cadmium, barium, and antimony levels were similar between participants who used e-cigarettes and participants who did not.
Topics: Adult; Antimony; Barium; Cadmium; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Female; Humans; Lead; Male; Multivariate Analysis
PubMed: 32650063
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2020.126602 -
Scientific Reports Dec 2022Recent trends in tissue engineering technology have switched to electrical potentials generated through bioactive scaffolds regarding their appropriate effects on cell...
Recent trends in tissue engineering technology have switched to electrical potentials generated through bioactive scaffolds regarding their appropriate effects on cell behaviors. Preparing a piezo-electrical stimuli scaffold with high electrical conductivity for bone and cartilage tissue regeneration is the ultimate goal of the present study. Here, Barium Titanate nanoparticles (BaTiO NPs) were used as piezoelectric material and highly conductive binary doped Polyaniline nanoparticles (PANI NPs) were synthesized by oxidative polymerization. Polycaprolactone (PCL) was applied as carrier substrate polymer and conductive spun nanofibrous scaffolds of PCL/PANI composites were prepared in two different amounts of PANI (3 and 5 wt.%). The conductivity of PCL/PANI nanofibers has been analyzed by standard four probes test. Based on the obtained results, the PCL/PANI5 (with 5 wt.% PANI) was selected due to the superior electrical conductivity of 8.06 × 10 s cm . Moreover, the piezoelectric nanofibrous scaffolds of PCL/BT composite were electrospun in three different amounts of BT (20, 30, and 40 wt.%). To investigate the synergic effect of conductive PANI and piezoelectric BT, ternary nanocomposite scaffolds of PCL/PANI/BT were prepared using the dual jet electrospinning technique. The piezoelectric properties have been analyzed by determining the produced voltage. The morphological assessment, contact angle, mechanical test, and MTT assay have been conducted to evaluate other properties including biocompatibility of nanofibrous scaffolds. The PCL/PANI5/BT40 composite resulted in an unprecedented voltage of 1.9 Volt. SEM results confirm that BT NPs have been distributed and embedded inside PCL fibers quite appropriately. Also, the chosen scaffolds were homogeneously intertwined and possessed an average fiber diameter of 288 ± 180 nm, and a contact angle of 92 ± 7°, making it a desirable surface for cell attachment and protein interactions. Moreover, Young's modulus, ultimate tensile stress, and elongation were obtained as 11 ± 1 MPa, 5 ± 0.6 MPa, and 109 ± 15% respectively. Obtained results assert the novel potential of piezo-electrical stimuli conductive nanocomposite scaffold for tissue engineering applications.
Topics: Barium; Tissue Engineering; Electric Conductivity; Nanocomposites
PubMed: 36460783
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25332-w -
British Medical Journal Mar 1971
Topics: Barium; Deglutition Disorders; Endoscopy; Esophageal Stenosis; Humans
PubMed: 5548295
DOI: No ID Found