Modeling, quality assessment, and Sobol sensitivity of water resources and distribution system in Shiraz: A probabilistic human health risk assessment.

Given water's vital role in supporting life and ecosystems, global climate change and human activities have significantly diminished its availability and quality. This study explores the health risks of drinking water consumption in the shiraz county water resources and distribution system. The result showed that the water was slightly alkaline. However, the average pH values during the study were within the permissible range. The area's abundance of total hardness and calcium was due to the high concentration of minerals in rocks and soils. The nitrate and fluoride concentrations in drinking groundwater varied from 0.02 to 116.70 mg/L and 0.10-1.85 mg/L, respectively. Although the water quality index indicated that 52.63, 45.03, and 20.3 percent of samples were of excellent, good, and poor quality in 2020, those percentages obtained 46.05, 52.09, and 14.0 percent in 2021. The regression values of training, testing, validation, and the proposed artificial neural network model were 0.93, 0.92, 0.85, and 0.92. The maximum levels of hazard quotient of nitrate and fluoride (except for adults) were higher than 1 in all age groups, indicating a high non-carcinogenic risk by exposure to nitrate. Furthermore, according to the Monte Carlo simulation, the 95th percentile hazard index in all groups was more than 1. Children and infants were more inclined towards risk than teens and adults based on the intake of nitrate and fluoride from drinking water. The Sobol sensitivity reflected that the nitrate concentration and ingestion rate are vital parameters that influence the outcome of the oral exposure model for all age groups. The interaction of ingestion rate with a concentration of nitrate and fluoride is an important parameter affecting the health risk assessment. In conclusion, these findings suggest that precise measures can reduce health risks and guarantee safe drinking water for residents of Shiraz County.

Therapeutic Potential of Bee and Scorpion Venom Phospholipase A2 (PLA2): A Narrative Review.

Venomous arthropods such as scorpions and bees form one of the important groups with an essential role in medical entomology. Their venom possesses a mixture of diverse compounds, such as peptides, some of which have toxic effects, and enzymatic peptide Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) with a pharmacological potential in the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Bee and scorpion venom PLA2 group III has been used in immunotherapy, the treatment of neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases. They were assessed for antinociceptive, wound healing, anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, and anti-angiogenesis effects. PLA2 has been identified in different species of scorpions and bees. The anti-leishmania, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-malarial activities of scorpion PLA2 still need further investigation. Many pieces of research have been stopped in the laboratory stage, and several studies need vast investigation in the clinical phase to show the pharmacological potential of PLA2. In this review, the medical significance of PLA2 from the venom of two arthropods, namely bees and scorpions, is discussed.

Molecular characterization of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in Lucilia sericata larvae for potential therapeutic applications

Background: The salivary glands of Lucilia sericata are the first organs to express specific endopeptidase enzymes. These enzymes play a central role in wound healing, and they have potential to be used therapeutically. Methods: Rapid amplification of cDNA ends and rapid amplification of genomic ends were used to identify the coding sequence of MMP-1 from L. sericata. Different segments of MMP1 gene, namely the middle part, 3' end, and 5' end, were cloned, sequenced, and analyzed using bioinformatics tools to determine the distinct features of MMP-1 protein. Results: Assembling the different segments revealed that the complete mRNA sequence of MMP-1 is 1932 bp long. CDS is 1212 bp long and is responsible for the production of MMP-1 of 404 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 45.1 kDa. The middle part, 3' end, and 5' end sequences were 933, 503, and 496 bp. In addition, it was revealed that the MMP-1 genomic sequence includes three exons and two introns. Furthermore, the three-dimensional structure of L. sericata MMP-1 protein was evaluated, and its alignment defined that it has high similarity to chain A of human MMP-2 with 100% confidence, 72% coverage, and 38% identity according to the SWISS-MODEL modeling analysis. Conclusions: MMP-1 of L. sericata has a close relationship with its homologs in invertebrates and other insects. The present study significantly contributes to understanding the function, classification, and evolution of the characterized MMP-1 from L. sericata and provides basic required information for the development of an effective medical bioproduct.

The effects of exposure to pesticides on the fecundity status of farm workers resident in a rural region of Fars province, southern Iran.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of fecundity and other reproductive problems among a group of farmers in Kavar district of Fars province, southern Iran. METHODS: A total of 268 randomly selected married male farm workers were investigated. A questionnaire was devised and validated [Cronbach's α-coefficient (0.81)]. Subjects were directly interviewed and the questionnaire forms were completed for them. RESULTS: The prevalence of current primary infertility among the studied population was about 7.4% (P=0.001). Similarly, 6.3% of farm workers had offsprings with congenital malformations. Finally, 1.5% and 9% of farmers' wives had a history of stillbirth and abortion, respectively. It was concluded that the prevalence of current primary infertility were higher among farm workers families than in the normal population (P<0.05). Additionally, stillbirth and spontaneous abortion were more common in the wives of farm workers than in the normal population, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: These effects are likely to be attributed to the exposure of farm workers to pesticides.

Respiratory morbidity induced by occupational inhalation exposure to high concentrations of wheat flour dust.

INTRODUCTION: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the respiratory effects of exposure to high airborne concentrations of wheat flour dust. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out at a local wheat flour mill in Shiraz, southern Iran. Thirty-five male workers exposed to flour dust and 32 healthy male nonexposed employees were investigated. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms among them was evaluated and parameters of their pulmonary function were measured. Moreover, to assess the extent to which subjects were exposed to flour dust, airborne concentrations of its inhalable and respirable fractions were measured. RESULTS: Airborne concentrations of dust exceeded current permissible level. The prevalence of regular cough, productive cough, wheezing, phlegm and dyspnea was significantly higher in exposed subjects than in nonexposed employees. Similarly, both acute and chronic significant (p < .05) decrements in most parameters of pulmonary function were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide corroborative evidence to further support the notion that exposure to flour dust is associated with a significant increase in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms as well as ventilator disorders of the lungs.