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Coal is a major global energy resource, but its extraction raises significant environmental and health concerns. Mining activities release large amounts of particulate matter, including nanoparticles (NPs), into the environment. These NPs are hazardous due to their content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, oxides, and other compounds capable of disrupting cellular and molecular processes. This study evaluated the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of coal-derived NPs on V79 and HaCaT cell lines, focusing on their impact on DNA stability and the mechanisms responsible for cellular damage. NPs were isolated using an acid-based separation method and applied to cells at concentrations of 50, 150, and 300 μg/mL. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) provided topographical characterization, while dynamic light scattering (DLS) confirmed their tendency to agglomerate. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) confirmed NP morphology and elemental composition, including carbon, oxygen, iron, calcium, silicon, aluminum, and copper. Cytotoxicity was assessed using resazurin and sulforhodamine B assays, and genotoxicity was evaluated using the comet assay, micronucleus test, and γH2AX immunostaining. Results showed a clear dose-dependent effect, with coal NPs inducing genomic instability and increased cell mortality, mainly through apoptosis. These findings highlight the importance of characterizing coal-derived NPs to better assess their environmental and health risks, particularly regarding respiratory diseases.

Abstract We analyzed the impact of the diagnosis-to-treatment interval (DTI) on survival in patients with CD5-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (CD5 + DLBCL), using a data set of newly diagnosed patients. Among the 336 eligible patients, 247 (74%) received R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone), and 89 (26%) were treated with dose-adjusted (DA)-EPOCH-R (etoposide, prednisolone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and rituximab). The median DTI was 18 days (range 0–118). The short DTI (≤ 14 days) group included 135 patients (40%), and the long DTI (> 14 days) group included 201 patients (60%). Compared with the long DTI group, the short DTI group had more aggressive disease characteristics. Both the progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.01) and the overall survival (OS) (P < 0.01) were significantly inferior in the short DTI group compared with those in the long DTI group. Among 89 patients who received DA-EPOCH-R, no significant differences in PFS (P = 0.92) or OS (P = 0.86) were observed between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that no DA-EPOCH-R was a risk factor for PFS in the short DTI group (P = 0.06). A short DTI was a negative prognostic factor in our CD5 + DLBCL cohort. DA-EPOCH-R could be considered a potential treatment option for patients with a short DTI.

Trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) is established as a treatment for colorectal liver metastases and may also be beneficial in other tumour entities. This prospective analysis aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of TARE in patients with liver metastases of non-colorectal origin. Data were extracted from the prospective, multicentre, observational CIRSE Registry for SIR-Spheres Therapy (CIRT). Adult patients with liver metastases of non-colorectal origin, including neuroendocrine tumours (NET), breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma treated with TARE Yttrium-90 resin microspheres, were included. Safety and survival analyses were conducted. Assessment for independent prognostic factors was conducted using Cox proportional hazards models. Adverse events were defined according to the CTCAE 4.03. A total of 169 patients underwent TARE: NET (n = 58), breast cancer (n = 47), pancreatic cancer (n = 32), and melanoma (n = 32) with median follow-up of 19.3, 9.6, 5.6 and 14.8 months, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) was 33.3 (22.4-NA), 10.7 (7.7–16.3), 5.6 (4.9–10.1), 14.7 (8.7–27) months, for the NET, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma cohorts, respectively. Overall, severe adverse events (grade ≥ 3) occurred in 10

Potassium citrate is widely used as oral alkali therapy for the prevention of recurrent nephrolithiasis. Despite its long-standing clinical use, systematically collected real-world safety data remain limited. We performed a pharmacovigilance analysis to characterize adverse event reports associated with potassium citrate using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). FAERS reports submitted between 2014 and 2025 listing potassium citrate as the primary suspect drug were analyzed. Duplicate records were removed, and adverse events were coded using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) at both the system organ class and standardized event term levels (preferred terms, PTs). Disproportionality analyses were conducted using reporting odds ratio, proportional reporting ratio, bayesian confidence propagation neural network, and multi-item gamma poisson shrinker methods. A total of 408 unique reports were included. Most reports involved adults and were physician-reported from the United States. Disproportionality analysis identified potential safety issues (signals), defined as drug event associations reported more frequently than expected in FAERS and therefore warranting further evaluation, although not establishing causality. The strongest associations involved product-related issues, laboratory investigations, and gastrointestinal disorders. When these potential safety issues were described using standardized MedDRA event terms most reflected formulation- and administration-related problems, including tablet residue in stool, abnormal solubility, swallowing difficulty, throat irritation, and foreign body sensations. Reports of rash were infrequent. This first FAERS-based analysis of potassium citrate highlights that most reported adverse events are related to formulation and administration characteristics rather than drug toxicity. These findings support the overall tolerability of potassium citrate while underscoring the importance of adherence, patient education, and formulation-specific considerations in clinical practice. As a spontaneous reporting system, FAERS is valuable for hypothesis generation, label expansion, and post-marketing surveillance, but it is not suitable for estimating the incidence or absolute risk of adverse events.

Background/Objective:Depression among physicians is a growing concern due to its impact on personal health and clinical performance. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in rheumatologists from Latin America and identify demographic, professional, and psychosocial factors associated with depressive symptoms.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study between August and November 2020, using a multilingual (Spanish and Portuguese) online survey distributed by national rheumatology societies under the Pan-American League of Associations for Rheumatology. The survey included the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to assess depression and the Maslach Burnout Inventory for burnout. Depression was defined as a PHQ-9 score >= 10. Descriptive statistics, chi 2, t tests, and multivariate logistic regression were used for analysis. A total of 297 rheumatologists over the age of 25 actively practicing in 15 Latin American countries were included.Results:Of 297 participants, 15.8% had moderate to severe depression, and 33% had mild symptoms. Burnout affected 56.6%. Depression was more prevalent among younger physicians, those with fewer years in practice, lower income (<=$25,000/year), shorter vacation time, and those experiencing burnout. In multivariate analysis, burnout and lower happiness were independently associated with depression.Conclusions:Nearly half of Latin American rheumatologists reported depressive symptoms. Burnout and psychosocial stressors were major contributors. Early identification and institutional strategies to promote well-being and mental health are critical.