Respiratory Symptoms of Exposure to Substances in the Workplace among Bulgarian Dental Students: a Self-report Questionnaire Survey.

Background: Dental students are at high risk of developing adverse respiratory reactions as a result of their practical work during their dentistry degree program when they come into contact with multiple airborne irritants and allergens.

Aim: To estimate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms of exposure to substances in the workplace and associated risk factors in Bulgarian dental students.

Results: The prevalence of self-reported respiratory symptoms related to the pre-clinical and clinical training courses of the dentistry program was 12.

Monolayer formed by l-Asp-based gemini surfactants self-assembled in 1D nanostructures.

Herein, studies on the surface activities of newly synthesized l-Asp-based gemini surfactants, both nonionic and anionic, are presented. Conductometry, tensiometry, and the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film technique were applied for this purpose. - isotherms were obtained with a Langmuir trough and Wilhelmy balance.

Phospholipase A2-Induced Remodeling Processes on Liquid-Ordered/Liquid-Disordered Membranes Containing Docosahexaenoic or Oleic Acid: A Comparison Study.

Vesicle cycling, which is an important biological event, involves the interplay between membrane lipids and proteins, among which the enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2) plays a critical role. The capacity of PLA2 to trigger the budding and fission of liquid-ordered (L(o)) domains has been examined in palmitoyl-docosahexaenoylphosphatidylcholine (PDPC) and palmitoyl-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC)/sphingomyelin/cholesterol membranes. They both exhibited a L(o)/liquid-disordered (L(d)) phase separation.

Development of 2D and 3D mucus models and their interactions with mucus-penetrating paclitaxel-loaded lipid nanocapsules.

Purpose: To study, diffusion through mucus (3D model) of different formulations of paclitaxel loaded lipid nanocapsules (Ptx-LNCs), to interpret the results in the light of LNC behavior at air-mucus interface (2D model).

Methods: LNC surface properties were modified with chitosan or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) coatings of different size (PEG 2,000 to 5,000 Da) and surface charges. LNC diffusion through 446 μm pig intestinal mucus layer was studied using Transwell(®).