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THS results when exhaled smoke and smoke emanating from the tip of burning cigarettes gets on surfaces such as clothing, hair, homes, and cars. THS has been shown, in mice, to cause type 2 diabetes, hyperactivity, liver and lung damage, and wound-healing complications. Using a system in which the exposure of mice to THS mimics that of human exposure in the homes of smokers, the researchers investigated the effects of THS exposure on biological molecular markers -- or "biomarkers" -- found in serum, and in liver and brain tissues. The liver plays a major role in metabolism and detoxification; the brain plays significant roles in behavior. "Our goal was to determine the minimum amount of time required to cause physiological changes in mice when they are exposed to THS, using an exposure system that mimics human exposure," said Manuela Martins-Green, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular , Cell and Systems Biology, who led the research. "We foun...

These are the findings of a representative study recently conducted by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) on the risk perception of contaminants in food that was published in the public health journal B undesgesundheitsblatt -- Gesundheitsforschung -- Gesundheitsschutz . "People feel most at risk from synthetic substances and heavy metals," says BfR President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel. "Appropriate risk communication on contaminants should take this subjective risk perception into account." Contaminants are undesirable substances that unintentionally find their way into food products. They can occur naturally in the environment and in the processing of raw materials into food products or can be released into the environment through human activity and thereby enter the food chain. Contaminants are undesirable because they can impair health under certain circumstances. 1,001 people were asked about contaminants in food in the represent...