Effects of occupational exposures on respiratory health in steel factory workers.

Background: The steel factory work environment contains various chemical exposures that can affect indoor air quality and have impact on respiratory health of the workers. Aims: The objective of this study was to assess potential effects of occupational exposures in steel factory workers in Iran on the respiratory symptoms, occurrence and the lung function levels. Method: This was a cross-sectional study of 133 men working in a steel factory forming the exposed group and 133 male office workers forming the reference group from a steel company in Iran. The participants filled in a questionnaire and underwent spirometry. Work history was used both as dichotomous (exposed/reference) and a quantitative measure of exposure, the latter measured as duration of exposure in the specified work (in years) for the exposed group and zero for the reference group. Results: Multiple linear regression and Poisson regression were used to adjust for confounding. In Poisson regression analyses, an increased prevalence ratio (PR) of all respiratory symptoms was observed in the exposed group. Lung function parameters were significantly reduced in the exposed group (p < 0.001). There was a dose-response relation between duration of occupational exposures and reduction in the predicted value of FEV1/FVC level (0.177, 95% CI -0.198 to -0.156) in all models. Conclusion: The results of these analyses showed that occupational exposures in steel factory work increase the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and reduce lung function. Safety training and workplace conditions were found to need improvement. In addition, use of proper personal protective equipment is recommended.

Effects of Au@Ag core-shell nanostructure with alginate coating on male reproductive system in mice.

Despite the widespread use of silver nanoparticles (NPs), these NPs can accumulate and have toxic effects on various organs. However, the effects of silver nanostructures (Ag-NS) with alginate coating on the male reproductive system have not been studied. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impacts of this NS on sperm function and testicular structure. After the synthesis and characterization of Ag-NS, the animals were divided into five groups (n = 8), including one control group, two sham groups (received 1.5 mg/kg/day alginate solution for 14 and 35 days), and two treatment groups (received Ag-NS at the same dose and time). Following injections, sperm parameters, apoptosis, and autophagy were analyzed by the TUNEL assay and measurement of the mRNA expression of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3, LC3, and Beclin-1. Fertilization rate was assessed by in vitro fertilization (IVF), and testicular structure was analyzed using the TUNEL assay and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The results showed that the NS was rod-shaped, had a size of about 60 nm, and could reduce sperm function and fertility. Gene expression results demonstrated an increase in the apoptotic markers and a decrease in autophagy markers, indicating apoptotic cell death. Moreover, Ag-NS invaded testicular tissues, especially in the chronic phase (35 days), resulting in tissue alteration and epithelium disintegration. The results suggest that sperm parameters and fertility were affected. In addition, NS has negative influences on testicular tissues, causing infertility in men exposed to these NS.

Does Gold-Silver Core-Shell Nanostructure with Alginate Coating Induce Apoptosis in Human Lymphoblastic Tumoral (Jurkat) Cell Line?

Background: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is known as an aggressive malignant disease resulting from the neoplastic alteration of T precursor cells. Although treatment with stringent chemotherapy regimens has achieved an 80% cure rate in children, it has been associated with lower success rates in adult treatment. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have a toxic effect on human breast cancer cells, human glioblastoma U251 cells, and chronic myeloid leukemia cells in vitro. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Ag nanostructures (Ag-NSs) on Jurkat cells' viability and apoptosis. Methods: The Jurkat cell line was acquired. Following the synthesis Ag-NSs and their characterization, they were incubated with Jurkat cells at different doses for 24, 48, and 72 hours to determine the optimal time and dose. Two groups were examined: a control group with Jurkat cells without nanostructure maintained in the same medium as the cells in the treatment group without changing the medium, and a treatment group with cells treated with the Ag nanostructure solution at a dose of 75 µg/ml for 48 hours according to the MTT results. After 48 hours, the cells from the two groups were used for the q RT-PCR of the apoptotic genes (BAX, BCL-2, and CASPASE-3). Results: According to our results, the rod-shaped silver nanostructures had a size of about 50 nm, increased apoptotic markers, including BAX and CASPASE-3, and induced cell death. Conclusions: Ag-NSs have anticancer properties and can induce apoptosis of cells; therefore, they may be a potential candidate for the treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Current status and future prospects of nanoscale metal-organic frameworks in bioimaging.

The importance of the early-stage diagnosis and in situ monitoring of lesion regions and transportation of bioactive molecules has a pivotal effect on successful treatment, reducing side effects, and increasing the chances of survival in the case of serious diseases such as cancer. This strongly depends on the development of contrast agents and biomarkers together with the appropriate use of bioimaging techniques. Because of their exceptionally high surface area and porosity, nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) have been the subject of numerous studies in the biomedical domain as drug carriers, diagnostic and therapeutic agents, and biosensors. This review provides a summary of the recent advancements in the use of MOFs as nanoscale platforms for biomedical imaging via magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, computed tomography (CT), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), fluorescence (FL) imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), photoacoustic (PA) imaging, and photothermal (PT) imaging modalities. Initially, we describe the principles of a specific imaging technique in each section, and then present the recent reports on MOFs for monomodal and multimodal imaging and the following information: (i) how to synthesize MOFs and modify their surface and (ii) their utilization in bioimaging or theranostic applications.

Spiritual Health and Stress in Pregnant Women During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Stress is one of the effective factors in the occurrence of negative effects during pregnancy that can cause adverse outcomes such as preterm delivery and reduced intrauterine growth of the fetus in pregnant women. Therefore, one of the serious concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic is the physical health and mental health of pregnant women. This study aimed to evaluate the physical health status with the spiritual and mental health of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is a descriptive study in 2019-2020 and the samples were randomly selected from all pregnant women who referred to hospitals and private maternity centers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and performed all pregnancy and fetal health tests. It was performed on 560 pregnant female samples. The mental status of pregnant women was assessed using the DASS Spiritual Health and Stress Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software (version 24). The results of this study showed that preterm birth, height, weight, and head circumference of babies and lungs and respiratory status of children with mental health and stress levels of pregnant women during the corona are significant compared with the previous of corona (p < 0.05). Increasing stress and decreasing the mental health of pregnant women during COVID-19 pandemic can increase the influencing factors in preterm delivery and unhealthy birth.

Estimating transition probability of different states of type 2 diabetes and its associated factors using Markov model.

AIMS: Type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder and one of the most common non-contagious diseases which is on the rise all over the world. The present study aims to assess the trend of change in fasting blood sugar (FBS) and factors associated with the progression and regression of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, this study estimates transition intensities and transition probabilities among various states using the multi-state Markov model. METHODS: In this study Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) dataset, from a longitudinal study, was used. The study, at the beginning, included 6814 individuals who were followed during the five phases of the study. FBS, serving as the criterion to assess the progression of diabetes, was classified into four states including (a) normal (FBS<100mg/dl), (b) impaired fasting glucose I (IFG I) (100mg/dl126mg/dl). A continuous-time Markov process was used to describe the evaluation of disease changes over the four states. The model estimated the mean sojourn time for each state. RESULTS: Based on the results obtained from fitting the Markov model, the transition probability for a normal individual to remain in the same status over a 10-year period was 0.63, while the probability for a person in the diabetes state was 0.40. The mean sojourn time for the normal and diabetic individuals aged 45-84 years was 6.26 and 5.20 respectively. The covariates of age, race, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and blood pressure, significantly affected the progression and regression of diabetes. CONCLUSION: An increase in physical activity could be the most important factor in the regression of diabetes, while an increase in WHR and BMI could be the most significant factors in progression of the disease.