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Context There is a lack of data on pesticide exposure levels during spraying with a knapsack, while it could have important implications for their users' health. Methods We assessed levels and determinants of exposure in 24 male private landscapers/gardeners and municipal workers in France in 2011. Actual dermal exposure to glyphosate was assessed with cotton undergarments and gloves, and a cotton coverall changed between mixing and spraying to assess the contribution of each phase and body area to overall contamination. A field monitor observed the whole workshift and filled in a standardized observation grid. Results The median actual contamination was 5,256 µg for the body, and 4,620 µg for hands. Spraying was more exposing than mixing/loading for all body parts except hands, which contributed to nearly 90% of body exposure during mixing/loading, and 30% during spraying, followed by back (14%). In the most exposed quartile, levels were close to some observations in agriculture. Conclusion Our study provides new data on pesticide exposure levels of knapsack sprayer users; it should lead to a reinforced prevention, in order to make exposures as low as possible and lessen the risk of chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors whose incidence is nearly 5 per 100 000 inhabitants in Europe. Their causes are poorly understood, although occupational exposures (especially farming and pesticides) are suspected. The AGRICAN cohort is a prospective study of 181 842 individuals enrolled in 2005 to 2007 who completed an enrolment questionnaire with data on lifelong agricultural exposure. Associations between agricultural exposure and sarcoma overall, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and myomatous and fibrous sarcoma together, were analyzed with a Cox model. Until 2015, 188 incident cases of sarcoma were identified. Increased risks were observed (a) among cattle farmers working <10 years (HR<10years = 2.45, 95% CI 1.36‐4.43) and breeding ≥50 livestock (HR≥50animals = 3.84, 95% CI 1.60‐9.22), especially if involved in animal care and building disinfection, (b) in greenhouse production (HR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.01‐3.30) and (c) in field‐grown vegetable production (HR = 1.49, 95% CI 0.96‐2.32). Concerning histological subtypes, GIST were positively associated with pesticide use in vineyards (HR = 2.24, 95% CI 0.95‐5.30). For myomatous and fibrous sarcoma, the only increase was seen in field‐grown vegetable production (HR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.16‐4.85). In AGRICAN, the risk of sarcomas was increased in several farming activities with differences according to histological subtype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing technologies, it is evident that more than two-thirds of the mammalian genome is transcribed and nearly 98% of the transcriptional output in humans constitute noncoding RNA, comprising tens of thousands of small and long noncoding RNAs. These observations have put the study of RNA expression levels at the center of molecular biology research. The transcriptional output of cells changes temporally throughout different cell cycle phases, or in response to a large panel of stimuli. In such instances, the measure of induced RNA transcripts might be obscured by the presence of steady-state RNA levels in the total transcriptome. With this protocol, we provide a method for labeling and purification of the nascent RNAs transcribed over short periods of time in cultured cells. The supplementation of cell culture medium with a chemically modified analog of uridine, ethynyl-uridine, allows for the subsequent biotinylation of ethynyl-uridine residues with a click-chemistry reaction. The labeled RNA is then purified on streptavidin beads and eluted. The purified RNA is suitable for use in RT-qPCR assays as well as in deep sequencing applications.