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Neurology India Jan 2024
Topics: Humans; Siderosis
PubMed: 38443043
DOI: 10.4103/neurol-india.Neurol-India-D-24-00018 -
BMC Psychiatry Mar 2024The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) has been used in a range of occupational cohorts, but only recently in stone benchtop workers undergoing screening for silicosis. The...
BACKGROUND
The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) has been used in a range of occupational cohorts, but only recently in stone benchtop workers undergoing screening for silicosis. The aim of this study was to compare psychometric properties of the PSS-10 in stone benchtop workers amongst those born overseas or who used an interpreter.
METHODS
Stone benchtop workers in Melbourne, Australia completed the PSS-10 as part of their occupational screening for silicosis. Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach's α for the total score and the positive and negative subscales. Validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Analysis was performed for the total group and for subgroups according to sex, interpreter use, overseas-born, and language spoken at home.
RESULTS
The results of 682 workers with complete PSS-10 scores were included in analysis. Most participants were male (93%), with mean age 36.9 years (SD 11.4), with just over half (51.6%) born in Australia, 10.1% using an interpreter, and 17.5% using a language other than English at home. Cronbach's α for the overall group (α = 0.878) suggested good internal consistency.
DISCUSSION
CFA analysis for validity testing suggested PSS-10 performance was good for both sexes, moderate for country of birth and language spoken at home categories, but poorer for those who used an interpreter. Whilst professional interpreters provide a range of benefits in the clinical setting, the use of translated and validated instruments are important, particularly in cohorts with large numbers of migrant workers.
CONCLUSION
This study describes the psychometric properties of the PSS-10 in a population of stone benchtop workers, with good internal consistency, and mixed performance from validity testing across various subgroups.
Topics: Female; Male; Humans; Adult; Silicon Dioxide; Psychometrics; Linguistics; Silicosis; Psychological Tests; Self Report
PubMed: 38439053
DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05613-6 -
BMC Pulmonary Medicine Mar 2024The main focus on the characteristics of malignant lung tumours has been the size, position within the lobe, and infiltration into neighbouring structures. The aim of...
BACKGROUND
The main focus on the characteristics of malignant lung tumours has been the size, position within the lobe, and infiltration into neighbouring structures. The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution and characteristics of malignant tumours between the lung lobes and whether the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome differed based on location.
METHODS
This study is based on 10,849 lung cancer patients diagnosed in 2018-2022 with complete data on the location and characteristics of the tumours. The proportions of tumours in each lobe divided by its volume were termed the relative proportion.
RESULTS
The right upper lobe comprised 31.2% of the tumours and 17.6% of the lung volume. The relative proportion of 1.77 was higher than in the other lobes (p < 0.001). The right middle lobe had a relative proportion of 0.64 but the highest proportion of neuroendocrine tumours (26.1% vs. 15.3 on average). Surgical resection was more often performed in patients with tumours in the lower lobes, and curative radiotherapy was more often performed in the upper lobes. After adjusting for age, sex, stage, and histology, the location of the tumour was found to be a significant independent predictor for resection but not for survival.
CONCLUSION
The main finding of the right upper lobe as a site of predilection for lung cancer is similar to tuberculosis and pneumoconiosis. This may be explained that most of the inhaled air, containing bacilli, inorganic particles or tobacco smoke goes to the upper and right parts of the lung.
Topics: Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Lung
PubMed: 38439038
DOI: 10.1186/s12890-024-02918-w -
Particle and Fibre Toxicology Mar 2024Crystalline silica (cSiO) is a mineral found in rocks; workers from the construction or denim industries are particularly exposed to cSiO through inhalation. cSiO...
BACKGROUND
Crystalline silica (cSiO) is a mineral found in rocks; workers from the construction or denim industries are particularly exposed to cSiO through inhalation. cSiO inhalation increases the risk of silicosis and systemic autoimmune diseases. Inhaled cSiO microparticles can reach the alveoli where they induce inflammation, cell death, auto-immunity and fibrosis but the specific molecular pathways involved in these cSiO effects remain unclear. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive state of the art on omic approaches and exposure models used to study the effects of inhaled cSiO in mice and rats and to highlight key results from omic data in rodents also validated in human.
METHODS
The protocol of systematic review follows PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Eligible articles were identified in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. The search strategy included original articles published after 1990 and written in English which included mouse or rat models exposed to cSiO and utilized omic approaches to identify pathways modulated by cSiO. Data were extracted and quality assessment was based on the SYRCLE's Risk of Bias tool for animal studies.
RESULTS
Rats and male rodents were the more used models while female rodents and autoimmune prone models were less studied. Exposure of animals were both acute and chronic and the timing of outcome measurement through omics approaches were homogeneously distributed. Transcriptomic techniques were more commonly performed while proteomic, metabolomic and single-cell omic methods were less utilized. Immunity and inflammation were the main domains modified by cSiO exposure in lungs of mice and rats. Less than 20% of the results obtained in rodents were finally verified in humans.
CONCLUSION
Omic technics offer new insights on the effects of cSiO exposure in mice and rats although the majority of data still need to be validated in humans. Autoimmune prone model should be better characterised and systemic effects of cSiO need to be further studied to better understand cSiO-induced autoimmunity. Single-cell omics should be performed to inform on pathological processes induced by cSiO exposure.
Topics: Animals; Rats; Inflammation; Lung; Proteomics; Silicon Dioxide; Silicosis; Mice
PubMed: 38429797
DOI: 10.1186/s12989-024-00573-x -
Environmental Health : a Global Access... Mar 2024Occupational exposure to artificial stone, a popular material used for countertops, can cause accelerated silicosis, but the precise relationship between silica dose and...
BACKGROUND
Occupational exposure to artificial stone, a popular material used for countertops, can cause accelerated silicosis, but the precise relationship between silica dose and disease development is unclear.
OBJECTIVES
This study evaluated the impact of silica exposure on lung function and chest imaging in artificial stone manufacturing workers.
METHODS
Questionnaire and spirometry assessments were administered to workers in two plants. A high-exposure subset underwent further evaluation, including chest CT and DLco. Weighting factors, assigned as proxies for silica exposure, were based on work tasks. Individual cumulative exposures were estimated using area concentration measurements and time spent in specific areas. Exposure-response associations were analyzed using linear and logistic regression models.
RESULTS
Among 65 participants, the mean cumulative silica exposure was 3.61 mg/m-year (range 0.0001 to 44.4). Each 1 mg/m-year increase was associated with a 0.46% reduction in FVC, a 0.45% reduction in FEV1, and increased lung function abnormality risk (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.03-1.56). Weighting factors correlated with cumulative exposures (Spearman correlation = 0.59, p < 0.0001), and weighted tenure was associated with lung function abnormalities (aOR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.09). Of 37 high-exposure workers, 19 underwent chest CT, with 12 (63%) showing abnormal opacities. Combining respiratory symptoms, lung function, and chest X-ray achieved 91.7% sensitivity and 75% specificity for predicting chest CT abnormalities.
CONCLUSION
Lung function and chest CT abnormalities occur commonly in artificial stone workers. For high-exposure individuals, abnormalities on health screening could prompt further chest CT examination to facilitate early silicosis detection.
Topics: Humans; Silicosis; Silicon Dioxide; Occupational Exposure; Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; Lung
PubMed: 38429786
DOI: 10.1186/s12940-024-01067-1 -
Journal of Ayub Medical College,... 2023Anthracosis is a type of mild pneumoconiosis secondary to harmless carbon dust deposits. Although anthracosis was previously associated with inhaled coal particles, such...
Anthracosis is a type of mild pneumoconiosis secondary to harmless carbon dust deposits. Although anthracosis was previously associated with inhaled coal particles, such as coal workers' pneumoconiosis, this hypothesis was later abandoned; pathology has been associated with inhaled dust particles. Our paper is the first case report of ANCA-associated vasculitis and anthracosis coexistence. In addition, it aims to highlight that histopathologically proven anthracotic granulomatous nodules can show high FDG uptake in PET/CT contrary to expectation. We present a case of a 73-year-old male with p-ANCA-associated vasculitis and anthracotic lung nodules accompanied by radiological and clinical findings. The patient got diagnosis with p-ANCA-associated vasculitis with serological and rheumatological tests. Atypically, the clinical findings of the patient were weak (No dyspnoea, cough or additional pulmonary complaints). Nodules were present on X-ray graphics and nodules' contours were irregular on CT. On PET/CT, SUV values of the nodules were high [12 kBq/mL]. Histopathological specimens showed multiple lung granulomas including anthracosis particles. Until performing the biopsy, we could not exclude the possibility of malignancy. Conclusion: When lung involvement of vasculitis is superimposed by anthracosis, it can create granulomas with high SUV values. The relationship between anthracosis and parenchymal lung diseases is a current topic and many recently published papers are present on this subject. To the best of our knowledge, our paper is the first paper showing the relationship between parenchymal involvement of vasculitis and anthracosis in the literature. Environmental pollution and dust particles are the known reasons for anthracosis particles in the nodules. It is open to future research on whether air pollution triggers new atypical cases or not.
Topics: Male; Humans; Aged; Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; Anthracosis; Pneumoconiosis; Dust; Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis; Coal; Granuloma
PubMed: 38404098
DOI: 10.55519/JAMC-03-11529 -
Biomolecules Jan 2024Long-term silica particle exposure leads to interstitial pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis, called silicosis. Silica-activated macrophages secrete a wide range of...
Long-term silica particle exposure leads to interstitial pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis, called silicosis. Silica-activated macrophages secrete a wide range of cytokines resulting in persistent inflammation. In addition, silica-stimulated activation of fibroblast is another checkpoint in the progression of silicosis. The pathogenesis after silica exposure is complex, involving intercellular communication and intracellular signaling pathway transduction, which was ignored previously. Exosomes are noteworthy because of their crucial role in intercellular communication by delivering bioactive substances, such as lncRNA. However, the expression profile of exosomal lncRNA in silicosis has not been reported yet. In this study, exosomes were isolated from the peripheral serum of silicosis patients or healthy donors. The exosomal lncRNAs were profiled using high-throughput sequencing technology. Target genes were predicted, and functional annotation was performed using differentially expressed lncRNAs. Eight aberrant expressed exosomal lncRNAs were considered to play a key role in the process of silicosis according to the OPLS-DA. Furthermore, the increased expression of lncRNA MSTRG.43085.16 was testified in vitro. Its target gene was critical in regulating apoptosis based on bioinformatics analysis. In addition, the effects of exosomes on macrophage apoptosis and fibroblast activation were checked based on a co-cultured system. Our findings suggested that upregulation of lncRNA MSTRG.43085.16 could regulate silica-induced macrophage apoptosis through elevating PARP1 expression, and promote fibroblast activation, implying that the exosomal lncRNA MSTRG.43085.16 might have potential as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of silicosis.
Topics: Humans; Silicon Dioxide; RNA, Long Noncoding; Exosomes; Silicosis; Macrophages; Fibroblasts; Apoptosis
PubMed: 38397383
DOI: 10.3390/biom14020146 -
PloS One 2024At this stage, there are many dust-hazardous industries, and occupational pneumoconiosis has a high incidence for a long time. To solve the dust pollution problem in...
At this stage, there are many dust-hazardous industries, and occupational pneumoconiosis has a high incidence for a long time. To solve the dust pollution problem in coal processing plant workshops, the dust particle field and liquid droplet particle field were numerically simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and the influences of the induced airflow and corridor wind speed on the internal airflow field of the workshop were investigated to derive the dust pollution mechanism in the coal plant workshop under the change in the wind flow field. In this study, it was shown that the wind flow rate in the coal processing plant workshop is mainly affected by the corridor wind speed, and the higher the corridor wind speed is, the higher the wind flow rate. The induced airflow mainly affected the direction of the wind flow field in the workshop. According to the conclusions obtained from the simulations, a spray dust reduction system was designed for the coal processing plant workshop and applied in the Huangyuchuan coal processing plant. On-site measurement revealed that the dust reduction effect inside the coal processing plant workshop is obvious, and the overall dust reduction efficiency in the workshop reaches more than 94%, which meets the requirements of environmentally sustainable development and clean production.
Topics: Humans; Dust; Coal Mining; Environmental Pollution; Pneumoconiosis; Coal
PubMed: 38394085
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299328 -
BMC Public Health Feb 2024In industries worldwide, crystalline silica is pervasive and poses risks of pneumoconiosis and respiratory malignancies, with the latter being a knowledge gap in disease...
Burden of silica-attributed pneumoconiosis and tracheal, bronchus & lung cancer for global and countries in the national program for the elimination of silicosis, 1990-2019: a comparative study.
BACKGROUND
In industries worldwide, crystalline silica is pervasive and poses risks of pneumoconiosis and respiratory malignancies, with the latter being a knowledge gap in disease burden research that this study aims to address. By integrating both diseases, we also seek to provide an in-depth depiction of the silica-attributed disease burden.
METHODS
Data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 were extracted to analyze the disease burden due to silica exposure. The trends of age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR) from 1990 to 2019, as well as the age-specific number and rate of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 1990 and 2019, were presented using GraphPad Prism software. The average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) on ASMR and ASDR were calculated using joinpoint regression models.
RESULTS
The global trends of disease burden due to silica exposure from 1990 to 2019 showed a significant decrease, with AAPCs on ASMR and ASDR of -1.22 (-1.38, -1.06) and - 1.18 (-1.30, -1.05), respectively. Vietnam was an exception with an unprecedented climb in ASMR and ASDR in general over the years. The age-specific deaths and DALYs mainly peaked in the age group 60-64. In comparison to 1990, the number of deaths and DALYs became higher after 45 years old in 2019, while their rates stayed consistently lower in 2019. Males experienced an elevated age-specific burden than females. China's general age-standardized burden of pneumoconiosis and tracheal, bronchus & lung (TBL) cancer ranked at the forefront, along with the highest burden of pneumoconiosis in Chilean males and South African females, as well as the prominent burden of TBL cancer in Turkish males, Thai females, and overall Vietnamese. The age-specific burden of TBL cancer surpassed that of pneumoconiosis, and a delay was presented in the pneumoconiosis pinnacle burden compared to the TBL cancer. Besides, the burden of pneumoconiosis indicated a sluggish growth trend with advancing age.
CONCLUSION
Our research highlights the cruciality of continuous enhancements in occupational health legislation for countries seriously suffering from industrial silica pollution and the necessity of prioritizing preventive measures for male workers and elderly retirees.
Topics: Aged; Female; Male; Humans; Middle Aged; Silicon Dioxide; Lung Neoplasms; Silicosis; Pneumoconiosis; Perinatal Death; Bronchi
PubMed: 38388421
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18086-9 -
Scientific Reports Feb 2024Novel methods are required to enhance lung cancer detection, which has overtaken other cancer-related causes of death as the major cause of cancer-related mortality....
Novel methods are required to enhance lung cancer detection, which has overtaken other cancer-related causes of death as the major cause of cancer-related mortality. Radiologists have long-standing methods for locating lung nodules in patients with lung cancer, such as computed tomography (CT) scans. Radiologists must manually review a significant amount of CT scan pictures, which makes the process time-consuming and prone to human error. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems have been created to help radiologists with their evaluations in order to overcome these difficulties. These systems make use of cutting-edge deep learning architectures. These CAD systems are designed to improve lung nodule diagnosis efficiency and accuracy. In this study, a bespoke convolutional neural network (CNN) with a dual attention mechanism was created, which was especially crafted to concentrate on the most important elements in images of lung nodules. The CNN model extracts informative features from the images, while the attention module incorporates both channel attention and spatial attention mechanisms to selectively highlight significant features. After the attention module, global average pooling is applied to summarize the spatial information. To evaluate the performance of the proposed model, extensive experiments were conducted using benchmark dataset of lung nodules. The results of these experiments demonstrated that our model surpasses recent models and achieves state-of-the-art accuracy in lung nodule detection and classification tasks.
Topics: Humans; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule; Neural Networks, Computer; Lung; Lung Neoplasms; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 38365831
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51833-x