Objective This study aimed to determine the minimum toenail mass needed for reliable fluoride analysis, and to compare fluoride extraction efficiency (%FE) using two protocols. Methods Toenail samples (n = 98 from 11 participants) were grouped into masses ranging from 1.0 to 5.0 mg (± 0.5 mg). Fluoride content was analyzed using a hexamethyldisiloxane(HMDS)-facilitated diffusion method and a fluoride-ion selective electrode. P...

To assess the strength of the relationships between fluoride concentrations in tap water, toenails, and urine in a U.S. cohort of pregnant participants using private, unregulated water systems. We analyzed fluoride concentrations in residential tap water directly with a fluoride-specific electrode, and in toenail and spot urine samples using a micro-diffusion technique. We collected samples from 436 pregnant women in the New H...

Anthropogenic fires pose a serious threat to many terrestrial ecosystems because they can cause loss of biodiversity and carbon stocks in the biosphere. Specifically, wildfires impacting natural conservation areas such as European Natura 2000 sites (N2K) are of particular concern. The main study objective was to evaluate the long-term effects of wildfires on the organic layer and some physical, chemical and biological properti...

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in long-lived human populations have led to identification of variants associated with Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease, the latter being the most common cause of mortality in people worldwide. In contrast, naturally occurring cancer represents the leading cause of death in pet dogs, and specific breeds like the Golden Retriever (GR) carry up to a 65% cancer-related death ra...

Bone metastases are common in advanced breast cancer (BC) patients and increase the risk for skeletal-related events (SREs), which present a significant health and economic burden. Bone targeting agents (BTAs) can improve health-related quality of life by delaying or preventing SREs; nevertheless, a significant portion of eligible BC patients are not receiving this therapy. A bone health education needs assessment survey was c...

Modiolus modiolus (horse mussel) reefs are an example of marine biodiversity hotspots of high conservation importance. Due to historical destruction and slow rates of recovery, the habitat is considered threatened and/or declining under the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic 1992, and therefore incorporated into the conservation legislation of several countries. An analysis...