RMIT University

About: RMIT University is a education organization based out in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 40468 authors who have published 82923 publications receiving 1729499 citations. The organization is also known as: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology & Melbourne Technical College.

Risk Factors of Healthcare Workers With Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Designated Hospital of Wuhan in China.

Abstract: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China, has caused many healthcare workers (HCWs) to be infected. Seventy-two HCWs manifested with acute respiratory illness were retrospectively enrolled to analyze the risk factors. The high-risk department, longer duty hours, and suboptimal hand hygiene after contacting with patients were linked to COVID-19.

Manganese Toxicity Upon Overexposure: a Decade in Review

Abstract: Exposure to manganese (Mn) causes clinical signs and symptoms resembling, but not identical to, Parkinson's disease. Since our last review on this subject in 2004, the past decade has been a thriving period in the history of Mn research. This report provides a comprehensive review on new knowledge gained in the Mn research field. Emerging data suggest that beyond traditionally recognized occupational manganism, Mn exposures and the ensuing toxicities occur in a variety of environmental settings, nutritional sources, contaminated foods, infant formulas, and water, soil, and air with natural or man-made contaminations. Upon fast absorption into the body via oral and inhalation exposures, Mn has a relatively short half-life in blood, yet fairly long half-lives in tissues. Recent data suggest Mn accumulates substantially in bone, with a half-life of about 8-9 years expected in human bones. Mn toxicity has been associated with dopaminergic dysfunction by recent neurochemical analyses and synchrotron X-ray fluorescent imaging studies. Evidence from humans indicates that individual factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, genetics, and pre-existing medical conditions can have profound impacts on Mn toxicities. In addition to body fluid-based biomarkers, new approaches in searching biomarkers of Mn exposure include Mn levels in toenails, non-invasive measurement of Mn in bone, and functional alteration assessments. Comments and recommendations are also provided with regard to the diagnosis of Mn intoxication and clinical intervention. Finally, several hot and promising research areas in the next decade are discussed.

Surface binding of aflatoxin B(1) by lactic acid bacteria.

Abstract: Specific lactic acid bacterial strains remove toxins from liquid media by physical binding. The stability of the aflatoxin B1 complexes formed with 12 bacterial strains in both viable and nonviable (heat- or acid-treated) forms was assessed by repetitive aqueous extraction. By the fifth extraction, up to 71% of the total aflatoxin B1 remained bound. Nonviable bacteria retained the highest amount of aflatoxin B1. Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain GG (ATCC 53103) and L. rhamnosus strain LC-705 (DSM 7061) removed aflatoxin B1 from solution most efficiently and were selected for further study. The accessibility of bound aflatoxin B1 to an antibody in an indirect competitive inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay suggests that surface components of these bacteria are involved in binding. Further evidence is the recovery of around 90% of the bound aflatoxin from the bacteria by solvent extraction. Autoclaving and sonication did not release any detectable aflatoxin B1. Variation in temperature (4 to 37°C) and pH (2 to 10) did not have any significant effect on the amount of aflatoxin B1 released. Binding of aflatoxin B1 appears to be predominantly extracellular for viable and heat-treated bacteria. Acid treatment may permit intracellular binding. In all cases, binding is of a reversible nature, but the stability of the complexes formed depends on strain, treatment, and environmental conditions. Food contaminants entering the body through the oral route are directly exposed to the action of gut microflora. Normal healthy intestinal microflora contains many strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), some of which have been isolated, ascribed health benefits, and termed probiotic strains (22). The protective effect of LAB against food mutagens such as heterocyclic amines, N-nitroso compounds, and aflatoxins has been reported (8, 12, 19, 24, 27). Many of these studies have involved Lactobacillus strains, and physical binding has been proposed as one mechanism of mutagen removal. This study focuses on the nature of the binding of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) by 12 LAB strains. The potent mycotoxin AFB1 is a secondary metabolite of Aspergillus fungi that grow on a variety of food and feed commodities at any stage during growth, harvest, storage, and transportation. The occurrence of aflatoxin contamination is global, with severe problems especially prevalent in developing countries (11). Aflatoxins are of great concern because of their detrimental effects on the health of humans and animals, including carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and immunosuppressive effects (3). Aflatoxins are also of industrial importance due to the economic losses resulting from condemnation of contaminated crops, cheese defects, and impaired growth and feed efficiency of animals fed contaminated feeds. Consequently there is a great demand for