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Impact of nanoparticles on human health and disease.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are small particles with a surface area ranging from 1 to 100 nm in diameter that are rampantly used in different fields, e.g., medicine, engineering, and others. Because of their unique properties, such as their tiny size, magnetic properties, quantum size effects, and macroscopic quantum tunnelling effects, they are crucial for a wide range of potential applications. NPs play a significant role in the treatment of vascular disorders, the production of vaccines, and the development of drug carriers for diverse therapies due to their bioavailability, targeting ability, and efficacy. However, significant risks to the environment and health are also associated with it. NPs cause necrotic plasma membrane rupture or apoptosis, which leads to cell death. NPs interfere with cell signalling, endosomal membranes, and organelles like the nucleus or mitochondria, affecting their function. NPs cause autophagic cell death, which causes a stress response and sterile inflammation. The primary routes for the entry of NPs into the human body are inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. NPs accumulate in the respiratory system based on their size, shape, and surface properties. NPs can cause lung inflammation and fibrosis, disrupt the endocrine system by attaching to hormone receptors, and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated with DNA damage, oligospermia, and male infertility. Carcinogenic properties of NPs cause mutations, apoptosis, and inflammatory responses. Collaborative research between ecologists and epidemiologists may enlighten ways to reduce the harmful effects of NPs.

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Need for evidence synthesis for quality control of healthcare decision-making.

Systematic reviews that are out-of-date delay policymaking, create controversy, and can erode trust in research. To avoid this issue, it is preferable to keep summaries of the study evidence. Living evidence is a synthesis approach that provides up-to-date rigorous research evidence summaries to decision-makers. This strategy is particularly useful in rapidly expanding research domains, uncertain existing evidence, and new research that may impact policy or practice, ensuring that physicians have access to the most recent evidence. Addressing global challenges - ranging from public health crises to climate change or political instability - requires evidence-based judgements. An obsolete, biased, or selective information poses risks of poor decisions and resource misallocation. The relatively nascent practice of living evidence proves invaluable in maintaining continuous interest and team engagement. The concept of living evidence has been particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the rapidly evolving nature of the virus, the urgent need for timely information, and the continuous emergence of new research findings. Although the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of evidence systems, researchers and funders of research should rigorously test the living-evidence model across diverse domains to further advance and optimize its methodology.

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The effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of the people in the Indian subcontinent: A scoping review.

Indian subcontinent has high mental heath burden and low resources to cope the mental health challenges. Assessment of impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health would help to prioritize the resource allocations. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of people in the Indian subcontinent. Following the PRISMA 2020 guideline, a scoping review was performed by systematically searching the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases to identify original studies that assessed mental health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Indian subcontinent. In this review, a total of 34 studies conducted between 2020 and 2022 were analyzed. The prevalence of anxiety disorders was found to range widely, from 2.5% in North Indian urban slum to 53% in Bangladesh and 21.7% in Pakistan. Similarly, the prevalence of depression varied widely, with rates ranging from 3.5% in North India to 29.8% in Pakistan. The prevalence of stress-related problems ranged from 18.3% in Pakistan to 59.7% in Bangladesh. Factors such as female gender, married status, healthcare workers, and mental illness were identified as important predictors of anxiety and depressive disorders. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in Indian subcontinent varies widely based on study population and methods. Therefore, a cautious interpretation is needed while generalizing the study results.

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Pushing the Boundaries of Scientific Research with the use of Artificial Intelligence tools: Navigating Risks and Unleashing Possibilities.

The language of science is communicated through various modes, such as lectures, informal discussions, conferences, and peer-reviewed publications. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based writing tools, like ChatGPT, have recently become increasingly popular due to natural language processing technology advancements. ChatGPT is an AI language model that can generate text close to human writing, making it suitable for tasks such as summarizing literature, composing essays, and producing statistical studies. This technology has the potential to transform scientific communication, but concerns have been raised about its impact on the integrity of research and the role of human researchers. While this technology has advantages such as accelerating the innovation process and enhancing diversity in scientific viewpoints, it is important for the scientific community to debate and envision the consequences of its use. Publishers are working to develop guidelines for its application, which may be capable of future activities such as experiment design and peer review. As we enter the early stages of the AI revolution, it is imperative that the scientific community engages in discourse and contemplate the potential outcomes of this potentially transformative technology. With this in mind, we have outlined relevant topics as a starting point for discussion.

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Dentists' perception of health-risk associated with cigarettes and alternative tobacco products: A descriptive study.

Cigarettes and alternative tobacco products cause various oral health issues ranging from minor tooth decay/gum-diseases to oral cancer. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), over 40% of adult cigarette smokers have untreated tooth decay which later leads to severe oral health problems. The present study intended to assess the impact of dentists' perceived risk of smoking tobacco products on their attitude and practice toward tobacco cessation advice. It was a cross-sectional study to collect data on the perception of dentists who are smokers, regarding smoking-related health risks. Dentists' attitude was measured using a questionnaire with a 5-point rating scale and a practice list of items with a 3-point rating scale. Descriptive/inferential techniques were applied, and a significance level was fixed at 5%. Among the 31 tobacco users, 80.6% of dentists perceived severe risk with cigarette use as compared to alternative tobacco products (71%). Positive attitude and good practice were observed among those who perceived severe risk; however, no statistical significance was observed (p-value >0.05). Young dentists, males, Arab nationals, highly educated and specialists had a positive attitude toward smoking cessation activities. Among the smokers, dentists recognize their role and responsibility very seriously in building a smoke-free community, but their risk perception and good attitude did not positively reflect on their clinical practice in smoking cessation programs. Though the dentists had a better perception and attitude towards smoking cessation, their clinical practice in offering advising sessions is inversely related to their perception/attitude.

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