A newfound appreciation for the benefits of herbal treatments has emerged in recent decades. However, herbal medication production still needs to establish standardized protocols that adhere to ...strict guidelines for quality assurance and risk minimization. Although the therapeutic effects of herbal medicines are extensive, the risk of herb-drug interactions remains a serious concern, limiting their use. Therefore, a robust, well-established liver model that can fully represent the liver tissue is required to study potential herb-drug interactions to ensure herbal medicines' safe and effective use. In light of this, this mini review investigates the existing
liver models applicable to detecting herbal medicines' toxicity and other pharmacological targets. This article analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of existing
liver cell models. To maintain relevance and effectively express the offered research, a systematic strategy was employed to search for and include all discussed studies. In brief, from 1985 to December 2022, the phrases "liver models", "herb-drug interaction", "herbal medicine", "cytochrome P450", "drug transporters pharmacokinetics", and "pharmacodynamics" were combined to search the electronic databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library.
Chronic air pollution exposure during pregnancy can cause oxidative stress leading to adverse birth outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess and compare oxidative stress response in peripheral ...lymphocytes isolated from pregnant women from a highly industrialized locale (south Durban (SD); n = 50) and a control with lower air pollutant levels (north Durban (ND); n = 50). Oxidative stress response was measured by quantifying malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and a SuperArray gene panel. Mitochondrial function (adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels and mitochondrial depolarization), DNA integrity (comet assay and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) viability) and DNA repair (OGG1) were assessed. Antioxidant response was assessed by quantification of glutathione (GSH) and SOD2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. Levels of MDA (p = 0.9), mitochondrial depolarization (p = 0.88), ATP (1.89-fold), SOD2 (1.23-fold) and UCP2 (1.58-fold) gene expression were elevated in the SD group with significantly higher UCP2 protein levels (p = 0.05) and longer comet tail length (p = 0.0004). The expression of Nrf2 protein (p = 0.03) and mRNA levels (-1.37-fold), GSH concentration (p < 0.0001), mtDNA amplification (-2.04-fold) and OGG1 mRNA (-2.78-fold) activity were decreased in the SD group. Of the 84 oxidative stress-related genes evaluated, 26 were differentially regulated. Pregnant women exposed to higher air pollutant levels showed increased markers for oxidative stress and compromised DNA integrity and repair.
Chronic air pollution exposure during pregnancy can cause oxidative stress leading to adverse birth outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess and compare oxidative stress response in peripheral ...lymphocytes isolated from pregnant women from a highly industrialized locale (south Durban (SD); n = 50) and a control with lower air pollutant levels (north Durban (ND); n = 50). Oxidative stress response was measured by quantifying malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and a SuperArray gene panel. Mitochondrial function (adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels and mitochondrial depolarization), DNA integrity (comet assay and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) viability) and DNA repair (OGG1) were assessed. Antioxidant response was assessed by quantification of glutathione (GSH) and SOD2, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. Levels of MDA (p = 0.9), mitochondrial depolarization (p = 0.88), ATP (1.89-fold), SOD2 (1.23-fold) and UCP2 (1.58-fold) gene expression were elevated in the SD group with significantly higher UCP2 protein levels (p = 0.05) and longer comet tail length (p = 0.0004). The expression of Nrf2 protein (p = 0.03) and mRNA levels (−1.37-fold), GSH concentration (p < 0.0001), mtDNA amplification (−2.04-fold) and OGG1 mRNA (−2.78-fold) activity were decreased in the SD group. Of the 84 oxidative stress-related genes evaluated, 26 were differentially regulated. Pregnant women exposed to higher air pollutant levels showed increased markers for oxidative stress and compromised DNA integrity and repair.
Workplace inhalational hazards remain common worldwide, even though they are ameliorable. Previous American Thoracic Society documents have assessed the contribution of workplace exposures to asthma ...and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on a population level, but not to other chronic respiratory diseases. The goal of this document is to report an in-depth literature review and data synthesis of the occupational contribution to the burden of the major nonmalignant respiratory diseases, including airway diseases; interstitial fibrosis; hypersensitivity pneumonitis; other noninfectious granulomatous lung diseases, including sarcoidosis; and selected respiratory infections.
Relevant literature was identified for each respiratory condition. The occupational population attributable fraction (PAF) was estimated for those conditions for which there were sufficient population-based studies to allow pooled estimates. For the other conditions, the occupational burden of disease was estimated on the basis of attribution in case series, incidence rate ratios, or attributable fraction within an exposed group.
Workplace exposures contribute substantially to the burden of multiple chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma (PAF, 16%); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (PAF, 14%); chronic bronchitis (PAF, 13%); idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (PAF, 26%); hypersensitivity pneumonitis (occupational burden, 19%); other granulomatous diseases, including sarcoidosis (occupational burden, 30%); pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (occupational burden, 29%); tuberculosis (occupational burden, 2.3% in silica-exposed workers and 1% in healthcare workers); and community-acquired pneumonia in working-age adults (PAF, 10%).
Workplace exposures contribute to the burden of disease across a range of nonmalignant lung conditions in adults (in addition to the 100% burden for the classic occupational pneumoconioses). This burden has important clinical, research, and policy implications. There is a pressing need to improve clinical recognition and public health awareness of the contribution of occupational factors across a range of nonmalignant respiratory diseases.
ObjectivesUnregulated use of pesticides continues in developing countries in the presence of illiteracy and limited safety training and practices. This paper describes training and safety practices ...when mixing and spraying pesticides, and acetylcholinesterase levels among women farmers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.MethodsA cross-sectional study conducted in women working in small-scale agriculture in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in 2006 assessed pesticide training and safety practices using a questionnaire survey and measured acetylcholinesterase levels in 803 women. Three components of safety behaviour were identified through principle component analysis and described.ResultsThe mean age of participants was 41.8 years (range 18–82 years) with a mean of 6.9 years (range 1–12 years) of education among school attendees. Among the 803 women included, 366 (45.6%) were the primary sprayers on their farm. Only 16.4% of the sprayers had ever attended a pesticide training course and only 18.0% reported ever reading pesticide labels. Of the women using some form of protective equipment, 56.7% and 54.9% reported doing so when mixing and spraying pesticides, respectively. The mean acetylcholinesterase level corrected for haemoglobin among study participants was 28.9 U/g Hb (95% CI 28.4 to 29.4).ConclusionWomen working in small-scale agriculture in rural KwaZulu-Natal with limited access to pesticide training observe few safety practices when mixing and spraying pesticides.
BACKGROUND: The aim of these clinical standards is to provide guidance on ‘best practice’ care for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of post-COVID-19 lung disease.METHODS: A panel of ...international experts representing scientific societies, associations
and groups active in post-COVID-19 lung disease was identified; 45 completed a Delphi process. A 5-point Likert scale indicated level of agreement with the draft standards. The final version was approved by consensus (with 100% agreement).RESULTS: Four clinical standards were agreed
for patients with a previous history of COVID-19: Standard 1, Patients with sequelae not explained by an alternative diagnosis should be evaluated for possible post-COVID-19 lung disease; Standard 2, Patients with lung function impairment, reduced exercise tolerance, reduced quality of life
(QoL) or other relevant signs or ongoing symptoms ≥4 weeks after the onset of first symptoms should be evaluated for treatment and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR); Standard 3, The PR programme should be based on feasibility, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness criteria, organised according
to local health services and tailored to an individual patient’s needs; and Standard 4, Each patient undergoing and completing PR should be evaluated to determine its effectiveness and have access to a counselling/health education session.CONCLUSION: This is the first consensus-based
set of clinical standards for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of post-COVID-19 lung disease. Our aim is to improve patient care and QoL by guiding clinicians, programme managers and public health officers in planning and implementing a PR programme to manage post-COVID-19 lung disease.
Objective:
Nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS intensify inflammation during pregnancy and linked with adverse birth outcomes (ABOs). MicroRNA (miRNA)-146a ...plays a crucial role in regulating inflammation in the NF-κB pathway. The G/C rs2910164 dampens miRNA-146a activity and linked with inflammatory diseases. The present study investigated whether HIV/AIDS and NOx exposure throughout pregnancy further intensifies ABO in Black South African women genotyped for the rs2910164.
Methods:
Pregnant women (n = 300) were subdivided into low, medium and high NOx exposure groups, genotyped for the miRNA-146a G/C rs2910164 using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and further stratified based on HIV status.
Results:
Unstratified data (HIV+ and HIV− mothers combined): Mothers from the high NOx group with the variant C-allele had low blood iron levels (p = 0.0238), and had babies with reduced birthweights (p = 0.0283). As NOx increased, the prevalence of preterm birth and low birth weight also increased in mothers with the variant C-allele versus wildtype G-allele. HIV-infected mothers: In all NOx exposure groups, mothers with the variant C-allele had higher systolic blood pressure (low: p = 0.0386, medium: p = 0.0367 and high: p = 0.0109) and had babies with lower Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity and Respiration scores at 1 min (low: p = 0.0190, medium: p = 0.0301 and high: p = 0.0361).
Conclusion:
Maternal rs2910164 variant C-allele, NOx pollution and HIV/AIDS might collectively play a role in intensifying gestational hypertension and ABO.
The developing lung is highly susceptible to environmental toxicants, with both short- and long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants linked to early childhood effects. This study assessed the ...short-term exposure effects of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10) on lung function in infants aged 6 weeks, 6, 12 and 24 months, the early developmental phase of child growth.
Lung function was determined by multiple breath washout and tidal breathing measurement in non-sedated infants. Individual exposure to NO2 and PM10 was determined by hybrid land use regression and dispersion modelling, with two-week average estimates (preceding the test date). Linear mixed models were used to adjust for the repeated measures design and an age*exposure interaction was introduced to obtain effect estimates for each age group.
There were 165 infants that had lung function testing, with 82 of them having more than one test occasion. Exposure to PM10 (μg/m3) resulted in a decline in tidal volume at 6 weeks -0.4 ml (−0.9; 0.0), p = 0.065, 6 months -0.5 ml (−1.0; 0.0), p = 0.046 and 12 months -0.3 ml (−0.7; 0.0), p = 0.045. PM10 was related to an increase in respiratory rate and minute ventilation, while a decline was observed for functional residual capacity for the same age groups, though not statistically significant for these outcomes. Such associations were however less evident for exposure to NO2, with inconsistent changes observed across measurement parameters and age groups.
Our study suggests that PM10 results in acute lung function impairments among infants from a low-socioeconomic setting, while the association with NO2 is less convincing.
•Short-term exposure to particulate matter results in acute lung function impairments among infants.•Exposure to particulate matter adversely affected functional residual capacity, tidal volume, respiratory rate and minute ventilation, known markers of respiratory health.•Repeated pollutant related effects in infancy compromises lung development and likely has implications for long term lung health.
Spatial modulation (SM) is a recent multiple-input multiple-output transmission technique, which entirely avoids an interchannel interference as well as the need for transmit antenna synchronisation. ...The first objective of this study is to present an asymptotic bound to quantify the average bit error rate (BER) performance of M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) SM with optimal-based detection over independent and identically distributed Rayleigh flat fading channels. The analytical frameworks are validated by Monte Carlo simulation results, which show that the derived lower bounds are increasingly tight for large signal-to-noise ratio values. The second objective is to introduce a novel SM detection scheme, termed multiple-stage (MS) detection. Performance and complexity comparisons with existing SM detectors show the two main benefits of MS detection: near-optimal BER performance and up to a 35% reduction in receiver complexity as compared to the maximum likelihood-based SM detector.
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