Fabrication and characterization of cobalt- and copper-doped mesoporous borate bioactive glasses for potential applications in tissue engineering

Developing novel compositions of bioactive glasses (BGs) is key for accelerating tissue repair and regeneration. In this work, we developed a series of cobalt (Co)- and copper (Cu)-doped mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBGs) based on borate 13-93B3 composition using nitrate precursors. We took benefit from data science algorithms to predict and assess the physico-chemical and biological properties of the samples. The results showed that the presence of the dopants (Co and Cu) in the MBGs could change the glass transition temperature (Tg) (from 773 to 539 °C), the zeta potential (from -12 to -43 mV), and surface area (from 54 to 194 m2/g). However, the presence of 2.5 mol% of dopants in the composition led to just a slight decrease in their bioactivity. In vitro biocompatibility assays confirmed that all the glass samples were biocompatible. Furthermore, the doped MBGs exhibited potent antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, these glasses could induce the mobility of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and enhance new blood vessel formation in ovo. According to the obtained data, it can be stated that this type of doped borate MBGs held great promise in tissue engineering applications

A systematic review and meta-analysis of human biomonitoring studies on exposure to environmental pollutants in Iran

Population exposure to environmental contaminants can be precisely observed through human biomonitoring studies. The present study aimed to systematically review all the biomonitoring studies conducted in Iran on some selected carcinogen environmental pollutants. In this systematic review study, 11 carcinogen agents were selected including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, lindane, benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), pentachlorophenol (PCP), radon-222, radium-224, � 226, � 228, and tobacco smoke. The Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English. After several screening steps, data were extracted from the studies. Meta-analyses (a random-effect model using the DerSimonian-Laired method) were performed only for the biomarkers with more than three eligible articles, including cadmium in blood and breast milk, and arsenic in breast milk. Methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. Of the 610 articles found in the database search, 30 studies were eligible for qualitative review, and 13 were included in the meta-analysis (cadmium in blood (n = 3), cadmium in breast milk (n = 6), and arsenic in breast milk (n = 4)). The overall pooled average concentrations (95 CI) of cadmium in blood, cadmium in breast milk, and arsenic in breast milk were 0.11 (95 CI: 0.08, 0.14), 5.38 (95 CI: 3.60, 6.96), and 1.42 (95 CI: 1.02, 1.81) µg/L, respectively. These values were compared with the biomarker concentrations in other countries and health-based guideline values. This study showed that there is a need for comprehensive action plans to reduce the exposure of general population to these environmental contaminants. © 202

Association of short-term exposure to air pollution with mortality in a middle eastern tourist city

This study investigated the association of short-term exposure to PM10, PM2.5, NO2, O3, and CO with daily all-cause, cardiovascular, ischemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular, and respiratory deaths in Mashhad, a tourist megacity in Iran (2014�2018). A distributed-lag-day, nonlinear model (DLNM) and generalized additive model (GAM) based on the quasi-Poisson distribution were used to explore the exposure-lag-day-response associations. The average (± standard deviation) concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, O3, and CO were 67.1 (± 35.5), 29.6 (± 14.2), 57.3 (± 24.1), 55.9 (± 16.9), and 1907.6 (± 1362.7) μg/m3, respectively. NO2 was associated with IHD mortality in lag-days 0 to 0�7, and lag-day 1. The relative risks (RRs) for a 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 ranged from 1.01 (95 CI 0.93, 1.11) at lag-day 0 to 1.04 (95 CI 0.94, 1.16) and 1.03 (95 CI 0.93, 1.14) for lag-day 0�1 (cumulative) and lag-day 1 (non-cumulative), respectively. For all-cause mortality, cumulative exposure to PM2.5 for lag-day 0�7 (1.07, 95 CI 1.00, 1.15) and non-cumulative exposure to NO2 at lag-day 6 (1.02, 95 CI 1.00, 1.03) were significant. Exposure to PM10 (per 10 μg/m3) was significantly associated with respiratory mortality at several lag-days. Adjusting for Ramadan did not significantly affect the results. PM10 had significant associations with respiratory mortality of people ' 65 years old, and men for several lag-days. For IHD, NO2 affected older people, and men and women over different lag-days. Results of multi-pollutant models were similar to the single-pollutant model outcomes. In conclusion, NO2 and PM10 had more significant relationships with adverse health outcomes than the other pollutants. © 2020, Springer Nature B.V