Common Route Research Articles

The Role of Traditional and Reverse Algorithms in the Diagnosis of Syphilis in HIV-Infected Individuals: A Case Study on Istanbul

Background/Objectives: T. pallidum subsp. pallidum is a spirochete that only causes disease in humans as the causative agent of syphilis. HIV and syphilis have common transmission routes. In the present study, our aim was to evaluate the presence of syphilis coinfection in people living with HIV using conventional and reverse algorithms and to investigate its effects on laboratory parameters. Methods: The traditional algorithm for syphilis begins testing with the non-treponemal test. If the non-treponemal test is reactive, a treponemal test is then used to confirm syphilis infection. The reverse algorithm for syphilis begins testing with the treponemal test. If this test is reactive, then a non-treponemal test is performed. When the non-treponemal test is non-reactive, a second treponemal test is performed. Results: A total of 200 patients were included in the study. While 22 patients were determined to be syphilis-positive using the traditional algorithm, 37 patients were determined to be syphilis-positive using the reverse algorithm. Most of the patients who had syphilis coinfection were homosexual. Conclusions: It was found that syphilis coinfection had no effects on CD4+ T-lymphocyte and CD8+ T-lymphocyte values, CD4/CD8 rates, and HIV RNA amounts. People living with HIV must be screened and followed up for syphilis and other sexually transmitted diseases at certain intervals.

Modeling Toxoplasma gondii-gut early interactions using a human microphysiological system.

Oral transmission of parasites via environmentally resistant cyst stages in contaminated food or water is a common route of human infection, but there are no effective vaccines available for any enteric parasitic infection. Our knowledge of parasite cyst stage conversion and interaction with the intestinal tract is limited. Here, we investigate infection dynamics of Toxoplasma gondii cyst-stage in murine jejunum and human intestinal microphysiological systems. We focus on parasite ingress, replication, and conversion of the cyst stage to the rapidly replicating dissemination stage. In vivo bioluminescent imaging of mice fed cysts revealed spots of infection throughout the jejunum and ileum, which were selected for further analyses. Immunostaining showed parasite migration and replication predominantly in the stroma, with minimal replication in enterocytes. We recapitulated bradyzoite infection in human intestinal microphysiological systems and showed stage conversation and migration through collagen. This integrated approach elucidates complex host-parasite interactions, highlighting the value of microphysiological systems in advancing understanding and identifying potential therapeutics.

Estimating illicit production of MDMA from its production waste, a Dutch case study

The Netherlands plays a key role in the global production of the synthetic illicit drug MDMA. However, the actual Dutch production of MDMA is difficult to quantify. The illicit production of MDMA results in large amounts of waste. This study uses amounts of waste found in the environment and production-related MDMA residues in wastewater to estimate the amount of MDMA that is produced. The MDMA produced, associated to the amount of waste found in the environment is 4.2 and 5.8 tons per year for two common synthesis routes. The MDMA produced, associated to production-related residues in wastewater is significantly larger, with 39.2 tons per year. The estimated MDMA production associated to waste in the environment and wastewater analysis is 43.4 and 45.0 tons per year for two common synthesis routes. Even though these estimates are difficult to validate, they are feasible when compared to prevalence-based consumption estimates or production estimates based on interceptions of precursors. The current study illustrates that waste of an illicit industry can shed light on its production volumes, thereby, complementing other efforts to estimate production, trade and use of synthetically produced illicit substances.

Acute and chronic cannabis vapor exposure influences basal and stress-induced release of glucocorticoids in male and female rats.

Management of stress and anxiety is often listed as the primary motivation behind cannabis use. Human research has found that chronic cannabis use is associated with increased basal cortisol levels but blunted neuroendocrine responses to stress. Preclinical research has demonstrated mixed effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; the psychoactive constituent of cannabis), much of which is suggestive of dose-dependent effects; however, the predominance of this work has employed an injection method to deliver cannabis. As inhalation is the most common route of administration in humans, we employed a translationally relevant model of inhaled cannabis vapor exposure to help characterize the extent to which acute and chronic cannabis exposure modulates neuroendocrine responses to stress. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were acutely (single day) or chronically (10 days) exposed to cannabis or vehicle vapor, and the stress hormone, corticosterone, was analyzed prior to and following an acute 30-min restraint stress. Our results indicate that initial exposure to the vapor chambers, regardless of vehicle or cannabis exposure, is sufficient to elevate corticosterone levels in male and female rodents. Further, acute cannabis exposure was capable of increasing corticosterone levels in both male and female rats, however, this effect was modified by the habituation to the vapor chambers differentially in males and females. Regardless of sex, chronic cannabis exposure is sufficient to both elevate basal corticosterone levels and blunt stress-induced increases in corticosterone following a restraint stressor. Collectively, these data help characterize the impacts of cannabis vapor exposure on basal and stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

O‐Bridged Co‐Cu Dual‐Atom Catalyst Synergistically Triggers Interfacial Proton‐Coupled Electron Transfer: A New Approach to Sustainable Decontamination

AbstractHeteroatom‐bridged dual‐atom catalysts (DACs), featuring more flexible active sites and intermetallic interaction, provide an opportunity for sustainable environmental remediation. Herein, an innovative oxygen‐bridged Co‐Cu DAC supported on nano‐alumina (CoOCu‐DAC) is fabricated using a straightforward two‐step process. The as‐prepared catalyst significantly enhances both decontamination kinetics and peroxymonosulfate (PMS) utilization efficiency by 1–3 orders of magnitude toward monoethanolamine (MEA, pKa = 9.5) compared to Co single‐atom catalyst (Co‐SAC) and bulk metal catalysts, and largely outperforms previously reported systems. In‐situ ATR‐FTIR and theoretical investigations reveal that the secondary introduction of Cu plays multiple important roles: it activates lattice oxygen to trigger key proton transfer (PT) of MEAH+ via nucleophilic attack at the interface and subsequently favors deprotonated MEA as an efficient electron donor to accelerate electron transfer (ET) by enhancing orbital overlaps for the co‐activation of O2 and PMS. Such a stepwise proton‐coupled electron transfer (PCET)‐enhanced catalytic pathway mediated by CoOCu‐DAC is fundamentally different from common route identified in Co‐SAC‐involved Fenton‐like system. The established binary QSAR further substantiates the universality of PCET‐enhanced strategy toward versatile nitrogen‐containing organic compounds. This study offers a new perspective for sustainable water decontamination and other related areas of catalysis based on rationalized design of multifunctional catalysts at atomic level.

Poison Center Surveillance of Occupational Incidents with Hazardous Materials (2016–2023): Insights for Risk Mitigation and Incident Preparedness

Incidents involving hazardous materials (HAZMAT incidents) can impact human health and the environment. For the development of risk mitigation strategies, it is essential to understand the circumstances of such incidents. A retrospective study (2016–2023) of acute occupational HAZMAT incidents involving multiple patients (>1, including workers, emergency responders and bystanders) reported to the Dutch Poisons Information Center was conducted. We only included incidents that occurred during the performance of work or as a result of a disruption of a work-related process. Patient characteristics, exposure circumstances (such as the substances involved, chemical phase, and type of release (e.g., spill/release or fire/explosion)) and business classes were analyzed to identify risk factors. From 2016 to 2023, the DPIC was consulted about 516 HAZMAT incidents. Inhalation was the most common route of exposure (89%). Patients were often exposed to chemical asphyxiants (n = 156) and acids (n = 151). Most incidents occurred in fixed facilities (n = 447), while 49 incidents occurred during transport. The primary cause was a spill/release (n = 414), followed by a fire/explosion (n = 65). Most patients were exposed to a gas/vapor (n = 421), followed by a liquid (n = 59) or solid (n = 28). Incidents frequently occurred in industry (20%). The majority of patients reported mild to moderate health effects. Surveillance data on HAZMAT incidents are essential for incident preparedness. Poison Center data can help identify risk factors, which can be used to develop risk mitigation strategies to prevent future incidents.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Repurposed Antiretrovirals in Hepatitis B Virus Treatment: A Narrative Review of the Pros and Cons

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) continue to be global public health issues. Globally, about 39.9 million persons live with HIV in 2023, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 2024 Fact Sheet. Consequently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that about 1.5 million new cases of HBV occur, with approximately 820 thousand mortalities yearly. Conversely, the lower percentage of HBV (30%) cases that receive a diagnosis is a setback in achieving the WHO 2030 target for zero HBV globally. This has necessitated a public health concern to repurpose antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for the treatment of HBV diseases. This review provides an introductory background, including the pros and cons of repurposing antiretrovirals (ARVs) for HBV treatment. We examine the similarities in replication mechanisms between HIV and HBV. We further investigate some clinical studies and trials of co-infected and mono-infected patients with HIV–HBV. The topical keywords including repurposing ARV drugs, repurposing antiretroviral therapy, Hepatitis B drugs, HBV therapy, title, and abstracts are searched in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. The advanced search includes the search period 2014–2024, full text, clinical trials, randomized control trials, and review. The search results filtered from 361 to 51 relevant articles. The investigations revealed that HIV and HBV replicate via a common route known as ‘reverse transcription’. Clinical trial results indicate that an early initiation of ARVs, particularly with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) as part of a regimen, significantly reduced the HBV viral load in co-infected patients. In mono-infected HBV, timely and correct precise medication is essential for HBV viral load reduction. Therefore, genetic profiling is pivotal for successful ARV drug repurposing in HBV treatment. Pharmacogenetics enables the prediction of the right dosages, specific individual responses, and reactions. This study uniquely explores the intersection of pharmacogenetics and drug repurposing for optimized HBV therapy. Additional in vivo, clinical trials, and in silico research are important for validation of the potency, optimum dosage, and safety of repurposed antiretrovirals in HBV therapy. Furthermore, a prioritization of research collaborations comprising of regulators and funders to foster clinically adopting and incorporating repurposed ARVs for HBV therapy is recommended.

Dynamics of predator-prey system with the consequences of double Allee effect in prey population.

A underlying complex dynamical behavior of double Allee effects in predator-prey system is studied in this article to understand the predator-prey relation more intensely from different aspects. We first propose a system with the Caputo sense fractional-order predator-prey system incorporating the Allee effect in prey populations to explain how the memory effect can change the different emergent states. Local stability analysis is analyzed by applying Matignon's condition for the FDE system. Further, we consider a discrete-time system to show the influence of double Allee effects in non-overlapping generations. For discrete-time system, different bifurcations like Neimark-Sacker, flip bifurcations, irregularity in periodic oscillations, are observed. Irregularity occurs through a period-doubling cascade which is a common route to chaos in a dynamical sense. Maximum Lyapunov exponent (MLE) is shown to illustrate the irregular behaviors of discrete-time systems. The Allee effect influences system stability where the strong Allee effect enhances system stability whereas the stability is lost for the weak Allee effect. The extinction risk of populations in the presence of the Allee effect is a concerning issue. We have insight into how all populations survive along with stable extinction equilibrium. Our proposed systems exhibit different alternative states. Multiple stable attractor basins are plotted to depict the different alternative states of the FDE system as well as the discrete-time system. Initial population densities play a key role in the coexistence of all the populations otherwise there is a risk of species extinction. Besides analytical results, numerical simulation is performed to valid our analytical findings of different dynamical states like bifurcation, stability, irregularity as well as multi-stability.

Non-Stoichiometric Amorphous Calcium Carbonate Forms in Macromolecular Condensates via Interphase Diffusion.

Transient amorphous phases are known as functional precursors in the formation of crystalline materials, both in vivo and in vitro. A common route to regulate amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) crystallization is via direct interactions with negatively charged macromolecules. However, a less explored phenomenon that can influence such systems is the electrostatically driven formation of Ca-macromolecule dense phases. In this study, it is shown how Ca-macromolecule condensates that form via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) can be used to control the formation of metastable ACC via diffusion-based mass transport. Contrary to the solid-like ACC particles that form in the dilute phase via rapid nucleation and growth, the condensate ACC gradually forms via carbonate diffusion into the dense droplets. This yields transient phases with non-stoichiometric compositions, similar to a solid solution. It is shown that the ability to control the concentration gradients across the phase boundary can be used to finely regulate the composition and stability of these amorphous precursors, offering new routes to control mineralization through transient phases.

The coiled-coil protein carrier structure affects the activation of certain endocytosis pathways.

Coiled-coil protein carrier (CCPC) 140 is a rigid and anisotropically structured cationic coiled-coil artificial protein that has displayed up to a 1000 times higher level of cellular internalization activity than that of unstructured cell-penetrating peptides. Previous studies have demonstrated that CCPC 140's rigid and anisotropic structural properties and cationic surface properties are important for its superior cellular internalization activity. In this study, we investigated whether each physicochemical characteristic of CCPC 140 effectively contributed to activating the cellular internalization pathway. By evaluating CCPC 140's ability to penetrate glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-lacking cells, the activation of GAG-dependent endocytosis by electrostatic interactions between cationic CCPC 140 and anionic GAGs has been found to play a major role in CCPC 140's superior cellular internalization activity. Using endocytosis inhibitors, it was revealed that the GAG-binding-dependent activation of caveola-mediated endocytosis plays a role in cellular internalization, which requires rigid and anisotropic structural properties, not the cationic properties of CCPC 140. Macropinocytosis is a common route of cellular internalization. However, CCPC 140's rigid and anisotropic structural properties activate macropinocytosis, but this does not involve the Rho-family GTPase-dependent macropinocytosis pathway.

Equine epizootic lymphangitis: A synopsis and current development

Equine Epizootic Lymphangitis (EEL) is a highly infectious and contagious systemic fungal disease caused by Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum. It can affect all equids, but primarily horses and mules. Although the disease has been eradicated in many countries, it still exists in some Mediterranean countries, as well as in India, Pakistan, Japan, North Africa, and East Africa, notably Ethiopia. EEL is prevalent in rural, urban, and peri-urban areas where equids significantly contribute to the socioeconomic well-being of people who rely on these animals for their livelihood. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) classifies it as a listed disease due to its importance in economic and public health for countries involved in animal trade. Indeed, the disease can be transmitted through inhalation, ingestion, flies, fomites, and direct contact. The skin of equids typically becomes infected when the fungus enters through open wounds, which is the most common route of infection. Clinically, the disease presents in four forms: cutaneous, ocular (keratoconjunctivitis), respiratory (multifocal pulmonary lesions), and asymptomatic forms. The isolation is based on the isolation of Histoplasma capsulatum and serology; however, challenges arise due to the slow growth of the organism, which complicates isolation. Care must be taken to minimize contamination, as samples are primarily collected from abscesses, mucopurulent discharge, scabs, and tissues. This paper summarizes findings from various studies regarding the prevalence of EEL and its association with altitude and climate. In conclusion, implementing control measures is crucial for managing EEL. These measures include educating horse owners on the importance of regularly cleaning horse equipment, controlling flies, preventing wounds through proper harnessing, routine deworming, and protecting horses from feral dogs and hyena attacks.

Global phylogeography and antibiotic resistance characteristics of Morganella: An epidemiological, spatial, comparative genomic study.

Morganella morganii has been recognized as an important opportunistic pathogen that is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. However, the current global evolutionary dynamics and emergence of ARGs remain obscure. The present study determined the global distribution, genomic classification, phylogeny, and monitor longitudinal resistome changes. During 1900-2024, a total of 1027 non-duplicate Morganella genomes have been reported from 49 countries. The countries with the highest number were China (433), the USA (143), and France (74). Through ANI distance analysis and core genome phylogeny, Morganella was reclassified into six species: M. morganii, M. sibonii, M. chanii, M. laugraudii, M. kristinii, M. psychrotolerans. Further analysis using cgMLST identified 87 distinct genetic clusters and 737 singleton strains, indicating a high level of multi-locus sequence type diversity and local clonal outbreaks. Bayesian evolutionary analysis revealed the most recent common ancestor year and potential global transmission routes. A total of 195 ARGs were carried by Morganella isolates, with each genome containing between 2 and 544 ARGs. The most common ARGs were associated with resistance to the following drug-classes: aminoglycosides, beta-lactam, chloramphenicol, sulfamides, and tetracycline. Twenty-one carbapenemase-encoding genes were identified in 22 countries, with blaNDM-1, blaKPC-2, blaIMP-27, blaOXA-48, blaNDM-5, blaNDM-7, and blaVIM-1 being the most prevalent. Positive correlations were observed between ARGs and mobile genetic elements, like plasmids, ISs, and Tns, indicating frequent mobilization of certain ARGs by different mobile genetic elements (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Morganella isolates that are showing an upward trend in resistance and infection rates warrant a reclassification of their taxonomy and continuous monitoring for resistance.

Self-assembled hyaluronic acid nanoparticles delivered by polymeric microneedles for targeted and long-acting therapy of psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune-driven inflammatory skin disease, clinically characterized by skin thickening, erythema, and scaling, significantly impacting patients' life quality and mental health. Clinically, oral pill or injection of methotrexate (MTX) formulation is a common route for psoriasis therapy, while both methods often cause undesired toxicity due to systemic administration, and limit patient compliance because of the frequent-dosing requirement. Here, we introduce a dissolvable microneedle (MN) patch made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) that incorporates self-assembled hyaluronic acid (HA) nanoparticles (NPs) conjugating MTX, which is designed for treating skin diseases, offering reduced adverse effects and improved patient adherence through its targeted and long-acting properties. Upon transdermal delivery via polymeric MNs, the HA-based therapeutic NPs actively target to the inflammatory skin cells via the interaction of HA group with CD44 protein that is highly expressed on the cell membrane in the psoriatic skin. Moreover, the HA-based NPs undergo slow dissociation, thereby achieving sustained release of the MTX drug at the lesion site over 7days. Due to the favorite features, in the imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic mouse, only one application of the polymeric MN patch achieves diminished epidermal hyperplasia, and reduced inflammatory factors expression, ultimately improving the psoriasis-like skin condition in vivo.

Insight into Covid Associated Mucormycosis: A Prospective Study.

The notable increase in cases of rhino-orbito-cerebral Mucormycosis during the COVID pandemic is alarming. Both share a common route of entry, the nasal mucosa, leading to speculation about whether similar receptors play a role in both diseases. We aim to compare the expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in the nasal and paranasal sinus tissues among patients with COVID-19-associated Mucormycosis (CAM), COVID-19-negative mucormycosis (CNM), and healthy individuals. This prospective study included patients with CAM, CNM, and healthy individuals who underwent surgical management. Immunohistochemistry was performed in the sino-nasal tissue to detect the presence of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 receptors. The level was compared among the three groups. The study encompassed 44 patients with CAN, 20 with CNM, and ten healthy individuals. ACE2 positivity was seen only in the apical cilia, with no significant difference among the groups (p=0.6). In contrast, TMPRSS2 positivity was seen in the cytoplasm and nucleus of epithelium and submucosal glands in addition to apical cilia. TMPRSS2 was increasingly expressed in patients with CAM compared to CNM (p=0.009) and the healthy group (p=0.002). The expression of TMPRSS2 receptors is elevated in patients with COVID-19-associated mucormycosis with no significant change in the expression of ACE2 receptors. This finding could account for the heightened susceptibility to infection by SARS-CoV-2 and the subsequent immune dysregulation, providing a fertile ground for Mucorales co-infection.

Evaluation of Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Related to Toxoplasmosis Among Females in Algeria.

Toxoplasmosis is a major veterinary and public health issue affecting humans and animals, where felids represent the definitive hosts of the causative agent Toxoplasma gondii. While the infections are mostly asymptomatic, the disease could be severe in immune-compromised patients and pregnant women. This study was conducted to evaluate the level of knowledge, practice, and attitude toward this disease among a sample of Algerian women. A cross-sectional poll was conducted between 25 March and 28 August 2024, using a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that only 53% of the 545 respondents heard of the disease before this survey, and being married increased the odds of awareness (AOR: 3.597 95% CI: 1.598-8.099). Among those who heard of the disease (288 women), 52.7% correct responses were obtained with varied frequencies regarding the mode of transmission and symptoms. The participants were aware of the role of cats as a source of contamination for humans (83.3%) and the common routes of transmission, including contact with cat feces (83.7%) and the consumption of undercooked meat (75%), but the role of unpasteurized milk from infected animals (40.3%), untreated water (35.8%), and blood transfusions (26.4%) was not well understood. The majority of participants ignored symptoms such as skin rashes (29.2%) and swollen lymph nodes (36.5%), as well as sequelae including mental impairment (32.3%) and eyesight issues (35.1%). Results showed also a high rate of appropriate practices and positive attitudes, where 90.3% of the participants said they were in favor of any action that intended to control toxoplasmosis. These results suggest the need to increase the level of awareness of Algerian women regarding this disease.

Prevalence and characteristics of poisoning calls/cases in Saudi Arabia: a single-center experience from a tertiary care hospital

Objectives Poison centers (PCs) are few in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to describe the poisoning pattern among exposures reported at the specialized PC of a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods A retrospective study was conducted to review all cases of acute poisoning reported at the PC specialized call center from January 2013 to June 2021. Results A total of 2168 exposures were documented, the majority of which occurred at home (n = 2090, 96.4%) and were accidental in nature (n = 1739, 80.2%) Ingestion was the most common route of exposure (n = 2026, 93.4%). Children less than five years old registered the highest number of cases (n = 1508, 69.6%) and pharmaceuticals (n = 1485, 68.5%) were the most common substance reported in poisoning cases. Conclusion In this retrospective study spanning 8.5 years, a snapshot of poisoning cases has been documented. While the study cannot be generalized throughout Saudi Arabia, it is apparent that public health awareness on the prevention of poisoning cases is warranted as the data suggests significant underestimation. A specialized call center should be made available to the public and a more comprehensive documentation of cases to include outcomes of management may provide compelling evidence to establish a national PC.

People's perception of toxic substances (based on data on arsenic poisoning in the Urals in the 19th — early 20th century)

The article examines the criminal practices of people handling toxic substances based on data on arsenic poisoning from investigation materials and publications on forensic medicine of the 19th — early 20th century. Residents of the Urals treated arsenic as a poison/potion (“zel'e”). This ambivalent perception did not prevent people from having a significant amount of objective knowledge in toxicology. Persons with medical education passed on this knowledge, skills and abilities to the people. The contingent of such persons during the 19th century increased in the Urals: doctors, physicians (“lekar's”), pharmacists, paramedics, and most often apprentice physicians (“lekarskie ucheniki”) appeared in court cases. The most common route of arsenic entering the body was oral (through the mouth). Women added poison to food and drink and poisoned their husbands. Knowledge about the way poison enters a woman’s body through the genitals was classified as “secret”. This method was used by men against women. It was identified by forensic experts extremely rarely and considered as doubtful. The criminals also varied the dose of arsenic (toxic — fatal), the state of aggregation of the poison (solid — liquid), and the degree of dissolution of this hardly soluble substance. These parameters changed the speed and intensity of poisoning (acute — chronic). Their different combinations changed the symptoms of poisoning: signs of damage to either the gastrointestinal tract or the nervous system were observed. The variety of symptoms of poisoning made it difficult to establish an accurate diagnosis, allowed disguising the crime as different diseases, prevented the victim from receiving proper medical care, and helped the criminal evade responsibility for the poisoning.

NGF-mediated crosstalk: unraveling the influence of metabolic deregulation on the interplay between neural and pancreatic cancer cells and its impact on patient outcomes.

Neural invasion is one of the most common routes of invasion in pancreatic cancer and it is responsible for the high rate of tumor recurrence after surgery and the pain generation associated with pancreatic cancer. Several molecules implicated in neural invasion are also responsible for pain onset including NGF belonging to the family of neutrophins. NGF released by cancer cells can sensitize sensory nerves which in turn results in severe pain. NGF receptors, TrkA and P75NTR, are expressed on both PDAC cells and nerves, strongly suggesting their role in neural invasion. The crosstalk between the nervous system and cancer cells has emerged as an important regulator of pancreatic cancer and its microenvironment. Nerve cells influence the pancreatic tumor microenvironment and these interactions are important for cancer metabolism reprogramming and tumor progression. In this review, we summarized the current knowledge on the interaction between nerves and pancreatic cancer cells and its impact on cancer metabolism.

Assessment of the Efficiency of Respiratory and Skin Protection Equipment Toward Controlling Nanoparticles in the Workplace with a Scoping Review Approach

Introduction: In recent years, exposure to nanomaterials has been known as a challenge among occupational health experts. In this line, personal protective equipment has been considered as a solution to reduce the worker’s exposure. Since respiratory and skin tracts represent the most common workplace exposure routes, knowledge of the efficiency of respiratory and skin protection equipment is particularly important. So, the aim of this study is the assessment of the efficiency of respiratory and skin protection equipment toward controlling nanoparticles in the workplace with a scoping review approach. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in 2022 with a scoping review approach. Arksey and O’Malley’s five-step framework was chosen as the research method. The search strategy was followed in the databases necessary to access the research data, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Scopus. Also, EndNote X9® and Microsoft Excel software were used to collect and analyze studies, respectively. Results: In the first step, 1014 articles were identified. Finally, 38 articles were included in the study to examine quantitative and qualitative information about the efficiency of respiratory and skin protective equipment. Twenty-five articles were related to breathing masks, and six studies were about protective gloves, and seven other articles were devoted to protective clothing. According to the studies of breathing masks, the mean total penetration of nanoparticles was estimated at 2.27%. Also, based on the studies of protective clothing, the maximum penetration of nanoparticles was 30nm for protective clothing made of polypropylene and polyethylene with different layers. Conclusion: Although the efficiency of existing personal protective equipment showed a good result for controlling nanoparticles, the size of nanoparticles is one of the essential parameters in determining the efficiency of the equipment, which should be considered the workplaces. So, it is recommended that more studies be considered to improve their efficiency, and standard tests should be developed to evaluate them.

Toxicological Trends Of Poisoning At Tertiary Care Hospital In Ahmedabad: A Retrospective Study

Poisoning is a major problem all over the world, though the type of poison and the associatedmorbidity and mortality varies from place to place and changes over a period of time.A retrospective study of 154 cases of poisoning received in the casualty of G.C.S. Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Ahmedabad during a span of last 3 years (Jan 2021 to Dec 2023) was done to know the demographic profile and pattern of acute poisoning in the region.Knowing the pattern of poisoning cases in a region helps in suggesting proper earliest preventive measures and also in early management of cases. Out of total cases majority of the cases were male (36 %), unmarried (54.5 %), and most commonly affected age group was 31 to 40 years (19.5 %). Household poisoning cases (21.43 %) were the most common type of poisoning. Majority of the cases intentionally consumed poison(56.50 %). Oral ingestion was the most common route of exposure (94.8 %).