BACKGROUND A few recent studies have demonstrated heightened hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity to acute stress in animals exposed to heavy metal contaminants, particularly lead. However, Pb-induced dysregulation of the HPA axis has not yet been studied in humans. OBJECTIVE In this study, we examined children's cortisol response to acute stress (the glucocorticoid product of...

Chemiluminescent response of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) was assessed to determine the effect of various concentrations of diazinon on the phagocytosis of grass carp in order to evaluate the fish immunity after exposure to this toxic chemical. One hundred and twenty specimens with individual weight of 850±155g were exposed to various concentrations of diazinon at 1, 2 and 4mg/L provide...

Breastfeeding is known as the most efficient way to prevent infectious disease in early life. Maternal anti-microbial immunoglobulins transfer through milk confers passive immunity to the breastfed child while his immune system is maturing. Maternal milk also contains bioactive factors that will stimulate this maturation. From the literature on breastfeeding prevention of immune-mediated diseas...

Intensive treatments for youth obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are important and underresearched. This study used three adolescent cases to assess the preliminary efficacy of an intensive treatment combining acceptance commitment therapy (ACT) with exposure response prevention (ERP) OCD. Participants received 15 h per week weeks. Assessments were collected at pre-treatment, weekly during tr...

BACKGROUND Fine particulate matter exposure from both ambient air pollution and secondhand cigarette smoke has been associated with larger risks of cardiovascular mortality than would be expected on the basis of linear extrapolations of the relative risks from active smoking. This study directly assessed the shape of the exposure-response relationship between cardiovascular mortality and fine p...