La methode developpee consiste a assimiler le tremblement a une vibration, a le mesurer et l'analyser comme telle. L'interet suscite par les premiers resultats publies depuis 1979 a incite a preciser certains parametres pouvant influencer, soit le tremblement lui-meme, soit son enregistrement. D'autre part, cette etude vise aussi a simplifier le depouillement et l'analyse de l'enregistrement, a definir les indices les plus aptes a carateriser le spectre du tremor, enfin a apprecier la reproductibilite inter- et intra-individuelle. Sont presentes ici les resultats d'une etude du tremor de la main portant sur un groupe de 30 personnes en bonne sante. Il est prevu d'utiliser la methode dans diverses situations cliniques. (FRA)
Acrylamide, a substance potentially carcinogenic in humans, represents a very prevalent contaminant in food and is also contained in tobacco smoke. Occupational exposure to higher concentrations of acrylamide was shown to induce neurotoxicity in humans. To minimize related risks for public health, it is vital to obtain data on the actual level of exposure in differently affected segments of the population. To achieve this aim, acrylamide has been added to the list of substances of concern to be investigated in the HBM4EU project, a European initiative to obtain biomonitoring data for a number of pollutants highly relevant for public health. This report summarizes the results obtained for acrylamide, with a focus on time-trends and recent exposure levels, obtained by HBM4EU as well as by associated studies in a total of seven European countries. Mean biomarker levels were compared by sampling year and time-trends were analyzed using linear regression models and an adequate statistical test. An increasing trend of acrylamide biomarker concentrations was found in children for the years 2014-2017, while in adults an overall increase in exposure was found to be not significant for the time period of observation (2000-2021). For smokers, represented by two studies and sampling for, over a total three years, no clear tendency was observed. In conclusion, samples from European countries indicate that average acrylamide exposure still exceeds suggested benchmark levels and may be of specific concern in children. More research is required to confirm trends of declining values observed in most recent years. © 2022 by the authors
Background There has been a rising interest within the scientific community and the public about the environmental risk related to the abundance of microplastics in aquatic environments. Up to now, however, scientific knowledge in this context has been scarce and insufficient for a reliable risk assessment. To remedy this scarcity of data, we investigated possible adverse effects of polystyrene particles (104 particles/L) and the pesticide methiocarb (1 mg/L) in juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta f. fario) both by themselves as well as in combination after a 96 h laboratory exposure. PS beads (density 1.05 g/mL) were cryogenically milled and fractionated resulting in irregular-shaped particles (<50 (micro)m). Besides body weight of the animals, biomarkers for proteotoxicity (stress protein family Hsp70), oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase, lipid peroxidation), and neurotoxicity (acetylcholinesterase, carboxylesterases) were analyzed. As an indicator of overall health, histopathological effects were studied in liver and gills of exposed fish. Results Polystyrene particles by themselves did not influence any of the investigated biomarkers. In contrast, the exposure to methiocarb led to a significant reduction of the activity of acetylcholinesterase and the two carboxylesterases. Moreover, the tissue integrity of liver and gills was impaired by the pesticide. Body weight, the oxidative stress and the stress protein levels were not influenced by methiocarb. Effects caused by co-exposure of polystyrene microplastics and methiocarb were the same as those caused by methiocarb alone. Conclusions Overall, methiocarb led to negative effects in juvenile brown trout. In contrast, polystyrene microplastics in the tested concentration did not affect the health of juvenile brown trout and did not modulate the toxicity of methiocarb in this fish species. © The Author(s) 2020