Dayanne Mozaner Bordin

E-cigarettes are promoted as a safer alternative to conventional tobacco, yet emerging evidence indicates they may expose users to harmful metals. While prior research has focused on nicotine and organic constituents, the bioaccumulation and spatial distribution of toxic metals in lung tissue remain poorly understood. In this study, a multi-platform analytical approach combining ICP-MS, GC-ICP-MS, GC-MS, and LA-ICP-MS/MS was employed to characterise the elemental and organic composition of refillable e-cigarette liquid and its corresponding aerosol, and to assess metal accumulation in murine lung tissue following short-term exposure. Balb/c mice (7 weeks, n = 8 per group) were exposed to nicotine-containing e-cigarette aerosols (8, 16, or 32 puffs; 30 min, twice daily for 4 days) or ambient air (control). Results showed that multiple toxic metals and organometallic species were detected in both e-liquid and aerosol, including species of Al, Ni, Cu, As, Br, Sn, and Hg. Elemental bioimaging of murine lungs found heterogeneous focal accumulation patterns in lung tissue, with increased Cu, significantly elevated Ni and Pb, and significantly reduced pulmonary Fe concentrations (p ≤ 0.005). Metal distribution patterns were exposure-related but not strictly dose-dependent, indicating a complex deposition and clearance mechanism. This study provides the first evidence of metal-containing (organometallic) species in e-cigarette aerosols and exposure-associated metal accumulation in murine lung tissue. These findings reinforce the need for further mechanistic and longitudinal investigations to assess the health risks associated with chronic vaping exposure. Graphical abstract The alt text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Purpose: Convalescent plasma (CP), obtained from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, has been widely explored as a potential therapeutic option, particularly in the absence of vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CP therapy in improving survival among non-immunized COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Brazil. Methods: This retrospective unicentric cohort study was conducted at a private hospital in Campo Largo, Paraná, Brazil, from July 2020 to February 2021. A total of 245 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were included, confirmed by RT-qPCR or antigen testing. Patients were divided into two groups: those receiving CP alongside standard treatment (n=100) and those receiving standard treatment alone (n=145). Survival outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression, while inflammatory responses were evaluated through C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements. Results: Patients treated with CP had a significantly higher survival rate (91%) compared to the control group (82.8%) (P=0.0363). The survival benefit persisted throughout the follow-up period, with a 2.25-fold lower risk of death in the CP group after adjusting for age (P=0.0480). However, no significant differences in CRP levels were observed between groups at discharge, suggesting that CP's benefits may be mediated through immune modulation rather than direct anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that CP therapy significantly improves survival in non-immunized COVID-19 patients, reinforcing its potential role in settings with limited access to advanced treatments. Future studies should explore CP’s mechanisms of action and its integration into broader therapeutic strategies.

This work presents a low-cost transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) instrument for nucleic acid detection, employing an Arduino Nano microcontroller. The cooling system includes customized printed circuit boards (PCBs) that serve as electrical resistors and incorporate fans. An aluminum block is designed to accommodate eight vials. The system also includes two PCB heaters—one for sample heating and the other for vial lid heating to prevent condensation. The color detection system comprises a TCS3200 color 8-sensor array coupled to one side of the aluminum heater body and a white 8-LED array coupled to the other side, controlled by two Multiplexer/Demultiplexer devices. LED light passes through the sample, reaching the color sensor and conveying color information crucial for detection. The top board is maintained at 110 ± 2 °C, while the bottom board is held at 65 ± 0.5 °C throughout the RT-LAMP assay. Validation tests successfully demonstrated the efficacy of the colorimetric RT-LAMP reactions using SARS-CoV-2 RNA amplification as a sample viability test, achieving 100% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity with 66 clinical samples. Our instrument offers a cost-effective (USD 100) solution with automated result interpretation and superior sensitivity compared to visual inspection. While the prototype was tested with SARS-CoV-2 RNA samples, its versatility extends to detecting other pathogens using alternative primers, showcasing its potential for broader applications in biosensing.