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How do chemically defended animals resist their own toxins? This intriguing question on the concept of autotoxicity is at the heart of how species interactions evolve. In this issue of Molecular Ecology (Molecular Ecology, 2024, 33), Bodawatta and colleagues report on how Papua New Guinean birds coopted deadly neurotoxins to create lethal mantles that protect against predators and parasites. Combining chemical screening of the plumage of a diverse collection of passerine birds with genome sequencing, the researchers unlocked a deeper understanding of how some birds sequester deadly batrachotoxin (BTX) from their food without poisoning themselves. They identified that birds impervious to BTX bear amino acid substitutions in the toxin-binding site of the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.4, whose function is essential for proper contraction and relaxation of vertebrate muscles. Comparative genetic and molecular docking analyses show that several of the substitutions associated with insensitivity to BTX may have become prevalent among toxic birds through positive selection. Intriguingly, poison dart frogs that also co-opted BTX in their lethal mantles were found to harbour similar toxin insensitivity substitutions in their Nav1.4 channels. Taken together, this sets up a powerful model system for studying the mechanisms behind convergent molecular evolution and how it may drive biological diversity.

Clarkeinda trachodes is an interesting agaric and has been acknowledged as one of the poisonous mushrooms worldwide. This species has mentioned to be found in tropical regions of Asia, including Indonesia. However, no clear record has been found regarding the primary information and herbarium collection of this species in Indonesia. During our regular mushroom foraging at IPB University campus forest Indonesia, the basidiomata of Clarkeinda was encountered. The current study aimed to confirm the taxonomical position of our specimens based on morphological and molecular evidence. Fresh basidomata was observed on the macro- and micromorphological features. The molecular analysis and phylogenetic tree construction were done based on ITS 1/2 sequence. The combination of morphological and molecular evidence confirmed our specimen as C. trachodes. Morphologically, Clarkeinda trachodes BO24637 can be determined by a large basidiocarp of Agaricales, prominent pellicle on disc pileus, notable ring, reddish brown context and stipe when injured, and truncate apex of basidiospores. The BLAST result showed that our specimen has a high similarity to C. trachodes as the top hits. In addition, the phylogenetic tree constructed by ITS sequence committed specimen BO24637 as C. trachodes with 100% BS value. The current study resolves a clear and accessible document of C. trachodes in Indonesia. In addition, we provided the morphological and molecular information as well as herbarium collection of C. trachodes in Indonesia, which can be used for future study of this species.

Copyright of Inorganic Chemicals Industry is the property of Editorial Office of Inorganic Chemicals Industry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: to identify the knowledge of the nursing staff in dealing with bothropic accident victims in the emergency service. Methods: descriptive, exploratory study with a qualitative approach. Developed in 2019, with professionals from the nursing staff of the adult emergency sector of a University Hospital. A semi-structured interview was used, transcribed and analyzed using simple descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results: 34 professionals from the nursing team participated in the study, being 82% female, with an average age of 37 years. The content analysis revealed three categories: knowledge about accidents caused by poisonous animals, academic and professional trajectory in the context of poisonous animals and management of the nursing team to the patient victim of bothropic accidents. Conclusão: the results demonstrate the knowledge and behaviors of the nursing staff in face of bothropic accidents and highlight the need to sensitize the nursing staff regarding the recognition of the snakebite accident, especially regarding the characteristics presented by the venomous animal and the clinical manifestations presented by the patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on tropical fungi remain scant, especially in Borneo. Kadamaian is located near the Kinabalu National Park and has an aberrantly high species diversity. Borneo Geographic Expedition (BGE) was conducted at Kadamaian from 14th to 25th of October 2019. In this expedition, macrofungi surveys were conducted at five different trails within the vicinity. Conspicuous sporocarps were collected through opportunistic sampling, curated, and identified based on morphology and molecular techniques. Barcoding of cryptic samples was carried out using Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) marker. A total of 126 specimens were collected and categorized into two phyla -- Basidiomycota and Ascomycota, comprising of 27 families and 47 genera. Sixty percent of the macrofungi recorded were saprophytic, 37% were ectomycorrhizal and 3% were parasitic. Twenty-seven specimens were categorized as edible mushrooms, ten specimens were bioluminescent fungi, ten specimens were poisonous mushrooms, and six specimens were medicinal mushrooms. Entoloma mastoideum, E. bloxamii, Cookeina sinensis, and Lignosus hainanensis serve as new records in Malaysia. This study will expand upon the existing checklist of macrofungi in Sabah and contribute to macrofungal knowledge in tropical Asia. Further studies using molecular identification should be utilized to justify all morphological species identification for cataloging of macrofungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of the evaluation of the current review is to offer a report on toxic vegetation with healthful properties and plants that are accustomed to treat infectious agent diseases (antiviral properties). Use of plants is as old as mankind, even then poisonous plants come under the most underrated category of plants all over the world and used less often due to folklores about their adverse effects. Knowledge of poisonous plants is important as some of them are useful to treat remedies. The poisonous feature of plants is due to the production of toxic substance which includes alkaloids, amines, saponins, tannins, etc. To illustrate improved affinity and effectiveness for health endorsement, they should be explored more. Along with the medicinal impact of the plants against various diseases, they are also used to treat viral diseases. Antiviral property is the most common medicinal asset of poisonous floras and used since ancient times. Natural treatment is cheap and claimed to be safe. Long ago, the investigation into antiviral action of assorted capable plants was restricted due to the extremely communicable nature of viruses and deficiency of applicable separation procedures for the documentation of antiviral plants from other plants. As we know that, Viruses nowadays, lead to situations of pandemics all over the world. This bibliographic analysis is therefore compendium of information on plants used for the treatment of viral sicknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This new 10-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department is intended to inform home gardeners, pest management professionals, and other plant enthusiasts of some of the most common poisonous invasive plants or weed species common in home landscapes in Florida, with particular focus on species that could potentially cause harm if ingested. Written by Yuvraj Khamare and Chris Marble. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep631

Poison frogs acquire chemical defenses from the environment for protection against potential predators. These defensive chemicals are lipophilic alkaloids that are sequestered by poison frogs from dietary arthropods and stored in skin glands. Despite decades of research focusing on identifying poison frog alkaloids, we know relatively little about how environmental variation and subsequent arthropod availability impacts alkaloid loads in poison frogs. We investigated how seasonal environmental variation influences poison frog chemical profiles through changes in the diet of the Climbing Mantella (Mantella laevigata). We collected M. laevigata females on the Nosy Mangabe island reserve in Madagascar during the wet and dry seasons and tested the hypothesis that seasonal differences in rainfall is associated with changes in diet composition and skin alkaloid profiles of M. laevigata. The arthropod diet of each frog was characterized into five groups (i.e. ants, termites, mites, insect larvae, or other) using visual identification and cytochrome oxidase 1 DNA barcoding. We found that frog diet differed between the wet and dry seasons, where frogs had a more diverse diet in the wet season and consumed a higher percentage of ants in the dry season. To determine if seasonality was associated with variation in frog defensive chemical composition, we used gas chromatography / mass spectrometry to quantify alkaloids from individual skin samples. Although the assortment of identified alkaloids was similar across seasons, we detected significant differences in the abundance of certain alkaloids, which we hypothesize reflects seasonal variation in the diet of M. laevigata. We suggest that these variations could originate from seasonal changes in either arthropod leaf litter composition or changes in frog behavioral patterns. Although additional studies are needed to understand the consequences of long-term environmental shifts, this work suggests that alkaloid profiles are relatively robust against short-term environmental perturbations.

Mushroom is found to be one of the best nutritional foods with high proteins, vitamins and minerals. Only some of the mushroom varieties were found to be edible. Some of them are dangerous to consume. To distinguish between the edible and poisonous mushrooms, we use machine learning algorithms to classify them. Classification is performed using various machine learning classifiers and Logistic regression showed better results compared to other algorithms. A survey of various algorithms resulted in KNN giving an accuracy of 100% at k=1 using 800 samples. A change k value is leading to a decrease in accuracy. By using hybrid algorithms (i.e., using two or more algorithms) which includes a combination of dimensionality reduction techniques such as Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) along with existing classifiers better performance is achieved. Logistic Regression along with Principal Component Analysis is used to increase the accuracy. The results are shown in form of bar plots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Plants; Machine learning; Smartphone; Poisonous EN Plants Machine learning Smartphone Poisonous 159 162 4 03/24/22 20220401 NES 220401 Data in this manuscript were previously presented at the Annual Meeting of the North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology (NACCT) in October 2021. Given that poison centers often have images of plants rather than actual plant specimens, this study used digital photographs of toxic plants obtained from a textbook. All pictures contained in this textbook were analyzed except for 25 photos: 2 of jewelry, 1 of dried plant roots, 1 of microscopic plant crystals, and 21 drawings of plants. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: to compare the time of the knockdown effect between the pesticides prallethrin and dichlorvos on Africanized Honey bees (AHB). Method: this is an experimental study. The effect of these two pesticides over time was evaluated based on a life table methodology. The probability of survival between the two groups was compared based on the Mantel-Cox test. Results: it was observed that within 40 seconds the estimated probability of survival (no knockdown) was approximately 20% for prallethrin and 70% for dichlorvos. Estimated probability of survival (no knockdown) for prallethrin was lower in comparison to dichlorvos up to approximately 90 seconds. After that, the estimated survival for both pesticides became closer and stable. After 300 seconds almost all AHB were eliminated by both pesticides. Prallethrin showed better effect to control AHB when compared to dichlorvos. Conclusion: based on the results and considering that prallethrin presents lower toxicity to humans and to the environment it can be a safer alternative rather than dichlorvos to control AHB in urban areas.

The human life, today, is dependent upon the Information Technology (IT), that result an increasing number of electronic devices used in this technology, as well as the need for a huge infrastructure to cover all the needs of the world’s growing population of information transfer and preservation. However, these rapid and steady increases have made environmentalists examine the potential for IT to have an impact on the environment and on natural resources. They have concluded through their in-depth studies of this hypothesis that there are negative impacts of IT on the natural environment, and therefore called on all governments to embrace a Green Information Technology. For this purpose, this article discusses some of the legal solutions approved by states to adopt Green IT, both international level through international conventions and at national level through national legislations

Medicinal plants are a two-edged sword that might be exploited as a treatment specific dosage, and as deadly poisonous substances to commit murder or suicide when administered in high doses. Forensic experts can collect traces and residual materials from these toxic medicinal plants at a crime scene as forensic evidence. Further, more investigations need to be deeply implemented to in the future to understand the significance of medicinal plants in forensic investigations to detect these criminal offenses. Additionally, to provides a deep understanding of chemical substances that can impact human life positively or negatively with different doses as well as identifying the optimal or overdose concentrations for either treatments or poisonous effects using recent biotechnological approaches. This review aims to illustrate different contributions and the significance of medicinal plants in the field and further employment in the context of forensic science, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camels (Camelus dromedarius) have access to different browsing plant that is a major source of feed and therapeutic value but also has the potential to cause poisoning to the camel. A survey was conducted between July and September 2017 to generate information on medicinal uses, toxicity, and chemical composition of major browsing plant in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. A total of 150 respondents were interviewed using a structured questionnaire, and supplementary information was gathered through field observation and focus group discussions. The study showed 13 medicinal plants as being used by the respondents for the treatment of various camel ailments. The common part of the plant used to treat various aliment was leaves followed by root and bark. Dermal was the preferred route of remedy application followed by oral. The respondents identified 10 major toxic browsing plants. Those plants affect camels mainly in the dry and early rainy seasons when feed supply is scarce. Yet, poisonous browsing plants were the bottleneck problem and a major cause of economic loss in camel production in all study districts despite controlling poisonous plants through the indigenous approach. In total, 12 browse plants relished by camels were subjected to the chemical composition analysis. Laboratory result shown the chemical composition of browsing plants relished by camels has disparity except for the dry matter, and they have moderate crude protein content. Hence, the present study implies that the identified medicinal and preferred browsing plants have a significant contribution in supporting camel production in the pastoral area, but the emphasis should be given to reduce/eradicate poisonous plants that cause acute illness and death of camel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drimia (synonym Urginea) plants are bulbous plants belonging to the family Asparagaceae (formerly the family Hyacinthaceae) and are distinctive, powerful medicinal plants. Just some species are indigenous to South Africa and have been traditionally utilized for centuries to cure various diseases and/or ailments. They have been recognized among the most famous and used medicinal plants in South Africa. Traditionally, the plants are used for various illnesses such as dropsy, respiratory disease, bone and joint complications, skin disorders, epilepsy and cancer. A number of studies have reported biological properties such as antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anticancer activities. Their bulbs are a popular treatment for colds, measles, pneumonia, coughs, fever and headaches. However, some plant species are regarded as one of the six most common poisonous plants in Southern Africa that are toxic to livestock and humans. Due to the therapeutic effects of the Drimia plant bulb, research has focused on the phytochemicals of Drimia species. The principal constituents isolated from this genus are cardiac glycosides. In addition, phenolic compounds, phytosterols and other phytochemical constituents were identified. This study constitutes a critical review of Drimia species’ bioactive compounds, toxicology, biological properties and phytochemistry, advocating it as an important source for effective therapeutic medicine. For this purpose, various scientific electronic databases such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed and Web of Science were researched and reviewed to conduct this study. Despite well-studied biological investigations, there is limited research on the toxic properties and the toxic compounds of certain Drimia species. Searching from 2017 to 2021, Google Scholar search tools retrieved 462 publications; however, only 3 investigated the toxicity and safety aspects of Drimia. The aim was to identify the current scientific research gap on Drimia species, hence highlighting a thin line between poisonous and healing compounds, dotted across numerous publications, in this review paper.

Many popular ornamental shrubs are not only beautiful but also toxic when ingested in sufficient quantities. Common toxic landscaping shrubs in North America include yew (Taxus spp), oleander (Nerium oleander), and rhododendrons and azaleas (Rhododendron spp). Horses are often exposed when plant trimmings are placed within reach or discarded in pastures. Occasionally clippings or fallen leaves contaminate hay. Some plants are unpalatable unless dried and mixed with hay or lawn clippings but others are ingested more readily. In many cases, disease can be severe and treatment unrewarding; therefore, client education is critical to preventing serious and potentially fatal poisonings., Competing Interests: Disclosure The author has nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Copyright of Journal Health NPEPS is the property of Journal Health NPEPS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Plants are like a two-edged sword, which cuts on either pointing side. All living organisms exclusively depend on plants for their survival while, on the other hand, the same plants, just like the two-edged sword, are capable of killing any living organisms engaged with it. Identifying the fulcrum point of balancing the engagement level to avoid any harm, is a critical challenge to humanity! Jatropha curcas is an example of such a two-edged sword plant. All parts of J. curcas have been used in a folk remedy as human and veterinary medicines for a long time without any harm while its products such as oil have been conventionally applied in many industrial processes. Surprisingly, the seeds of J. curcas contain highly poisonous jatrophin, toxalbumin curcin and carcinogenic phorbol. Ingesting as few as three untreated seeds can be fatal to humans. The discussion in this case report is based on children who ate raw seeds of J. curcas. This is a testimony that children’s knowledge about plants is limited and more effort should therefore be dedicated to teaching about poisonous plants. Lessons from this report are, before exploiting any plant for whatever application in the society, it is critical to have an in-depth scientific study of each part of the plant and generate information and henceforth knowledge to advise accordingly. More efforts should be concentrated on the identification and scientific evaluation of the unknown plants in our respective environments and any information generated should be put in the public domain to avoid any future calamity.

In the following pages there are presented the main apartment and ornamental plants that can be possible poisonous for our pets.

Amatoxins are produced primarily by 3 species of mushrooms: Amanita, Lepiota, and Galerina. Because amatoxin poisonings are increasing, the objective of this review was to identify all amatoxin-containing mushroom species, present a toxidromic approach to earlier diagnoses, and compare the efficacies and outcomes of therapies. To meet these objectives, Internet search engines were queried with keywords to select peer-reviewed scientific articles on amatoxin-containing mushroom poisoning and management. Descriptive epidemiological analyses have documented that most mushroom poisonings are caused by unknown mushrooms, and most fatal mushroom poisonings are caused by amatoxin-containing mushrooms. Amanita species cause more fatal mushroom poisonings than other amatoxin-containing species, such as Galerina and Lepiota. Amanita phalloides is responsible for most fatalities, followed by Amanita virosa and Amanita verna. The most frequently reported fatal Lepiota ingestions are due to Lepiota brunneoincarnata, and the most frequently reported fatal Galerina species ingestions are due to Galerina marginata. With the exception of liver transplantation, the current treatment strategies for amatoxin poisoning are all supportive and have not been subjected to rigorous efficacy testing in randomized controlled trials. All patients with symptoms of late-appearing gastrointestinal toxicity with or without false recovery or quiescent periods preceding acute liver insufficiency should be referred to centers providing liver transplantation. Patients with amatoxin-induced acute liver insufficiency that does not progress to liver failure will have a more favorable survival profile with supportive care than patients with amatoxin-induced acute liver failure, about half of whom will require liver transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many reports have indicated the medical importance of animal poisons in Iran. The significance numbers of Iranians are injured from high endemic to sporadic, by venomous snakes, scorpions, wasps, bees, fire and velvet ants, spiders and backswimmer bugs, so their nuisance prevention is an important task.

The aim of this review is to provide a report on poisonous medicinal plants using for various treatments. Medicinal plants have been used for centuries, and numerous cultures still rely on indigenous medicinal plants for their primary health care needs. Poisonous medicinal plants are used for various ailments such as Antidiabetic, Anticancer, Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Cytogenetic effect. The review reveals that wide numbers of phytochemical constituents have been isolated from the various medicinal plants which possess activities like diuretic, purgative, laxative, anti-allergic and various other important medicinal properties. This information is most important for pharmaceutical companies could formulate drug.

Accidents with hymenoptera are few incidents in Brazil and usually have benign evolution, however severe cases with evolution to anaphylactic shock and death have already been recorded. In this context, it is essential to build knowledge about this risk of accidents and seriousness, especially with regard to the population to identify the risk and to seek health services early, both for health professionals, so that they are prepared to Quality assistance. It is still essential to discuss the effectiveness of the notifications of the occurrences, as thus the accidents with wasps and ants will be registered, promoting the knowledge about the real dimension of the problem in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accidents with aquatic invertebrates are a public health problem that is not discussed, but knowledge about them should be encouraged to guide the assistance strategies as well as dissemination for educational purposes. In view of the scarcity of information, despite the frequent occurrence of cases in a country with a large coastal area, and with a large fresh water network, it is necessary to pay attention to accidents, including allergic / pathological processes caused by sponges of Freshwater, almost always neglected especially in the Amazonian biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: understand the situation of poisoning in the region of the Health Superintendence of Ponte Nova, Minas Gerais, between 2007 and 2012. Method: an exploratory study, based on data available in the Notification of Injury Information System. They were collected and analyzed according to the incidence, territorial distribution, seasonality, age, sex, animal, severity, time of care and case evolution. Results: there were 3,128 cases, with an average annual incidence of 152.2 accidents per 100,000 inhabitants and lethality of 0.3%. The municipality of Raul Soares presented greater expressiveness of injuries and the scorpions were the animals mainly involved, followed by the snakes. Among poisonings, 10.9% of ophidian accidents and 62.3% of araneídeos were classified as ignored / white. Males between 20 and 39 years of age were predominantly affected. Accidents showed, in the majority, light classification, care in up to 3 hours and evolution to cure. Conclusion: with the study, it was possible to describe characteristics of the accidents and to identify gaps for the permanence of the investigations on: scorpion disorders in children under one year; Association of poisonings to occupational accidents and determination of the causality of high registrations in the skipped/blank category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to present the biology and distribution of the fauna of venomous animals of medical interest existing in the city of Rio de Janeiro, as well as ways of prevention and treatment of possible accidents. Method: an exploratory and quantitative study, in data of the Information System of Notifiable Diseases, analyzing the accidents between the years of 2007 to 2015 comprised in this municipality. Results: in Rio de Janeiro, snake accidents are the ones with the highest number of notifications, mainly with the snakes of the genus Bothrops, followed by accidents by spiders. Most reports of spider accidents do not identify the gender of the accident due to the difficult identification of the health teams. Conclusion: due to the great biodiversity of venomous animal fauna and the distribution frequently altered by the action of man in the environment, the accident profiles vary regionally in the country. In this way, regional epidemiological studies are extremely important in the development of public health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania is blessed with a rich spontaneous flora, but some of the plants are toxic by their consumption in cattle, affecting the health, productions and endangering consumer safety. Sometimes even the consumption of small amounts causes poisoning with a broad extension: from mild, moderate to severe and with chronic or acute manifestations. Plant action is not similar. Taxus Buccata, Eupatorium spp. (E. rugosum, E. urticaefolium, E. ogeratoides) are cardiotoxic plants, but, Eupatorium spp. also acts through depression of the central nervous system; Datura stramonium (Jimson weed), Solanum spp. (nightshades), Atropa belladonna (belladonna), are plants with cholinergic blocking; haemolytic anemia is caused by Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken fern) and Equisetum (horsetail). The poisoning with cyanogenic principles occurs at Sorghum spp (Johnson grass, sudan grass); Elderberry consumption, Senecio spp. and Hypericum (St Joh's wort) induces liver toxicity. Plants containing alkaloids outside their toxicity also have teratogenic action: Lupinus spp., Nicotiana spp, Conium maculatum, Veratrum album. However, some of these plants can be used in certain cows' treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O estudo zoológico realizado no Ensino Fundamental se apresenta como motivo de alto interesse por parte dos alunos. Dentre os grupos, os ofídios despertam grande fascínio em questões particulares, principalmente no questionamento sobre a classificação de serpentes peçonhentas. Com a preocupação de apontar os fatores prejudiciais no processo de aprendizado da temática, usou-se um questionário investigativo de identificação de características fisiomorfológicas com o objetivo de avaliar as literaturas didáticas sob a ótica do ensino das principais características das serpentes peçonhentas brasileiras, traçando um paralelo da influência direta que tais livros exercem sobre o conhecimento adquirido nos discentes analisados. Os dados apontam para uma maior eficiência da utilização de uma linguagem narrativa em relação aos quadros comparativos. Concluiu-se pela necessidade fundamental da implantação de revisões mais criteriosas, realizadas por especialistas, a fim de minimizar os impactos negativos e muitas vezes desastrosos no processo de aprendizagem dos nossos alunos.The zoological study conducted in Elementary Schools is presented as a reason for high interest from students. Among the groups, snakes evoke great fascination on particular issues, especially in questions about the classification of venomous snakes. Anxious to point out the harmful factors in the process of learning the subject, a questionnaire was used to identify investigative physio-morphological characteristics in order to assess the educational literature from the perspective of the teaching of the main characteristics of Brazilian venomous snakes, tracing parallels the direct influence of these books have on the knowledge gained from the students analyzed. The data suggest that more efficient use of a narrative language in relation to the comparative tables. It was concluded by the fundamental need of implementing more careful review, conducted by experts in order to minimize the negative and often disastrous in the learning process of our students.

FUNDAMENTOS: Nos últimos anos, existe um aumento progressivo do contato de moradores urbanos com ambientes selvagens devido a atividades de lazer. Com isso, algumas dermatites pouco conhecidas podem ser observadas nas clínicas privadas e ambulatórios dermatológicos, especialmente nos inícios de semana e finais de férias. OBJETIVOS: Obter e fornecer informações para dermatologistas sobre o problema. PACIENTES E MÉTODOS: O autor observou, em adultos e crianças, dermatites agudas associadas a plantas ou animais em Ubatuba, cidade litorânea de São Paulo, por dois meses (junho/julho de 2006) e na Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, também por dois meses (junho/julho de 2007). RESULTADOS: Foram observados 25 pacientes na área rural e 43 na área litorânea nas condições estabelecidas. Em áreas rurais, foram mais observadas fitofotodermatites e picadas de insetos, enquanto em áreas litorâneas traumas por ouriços-do-mar e fitofotodermatites predominaram; entretanto, em ambas as áreas ocorreram outros acidentes de difícil identificação na prática diária. CONCLUSÕES: Devemos estar atentos ao fato de o paciente procurar o dermatologista somente após as fases agudas dos acidentes. Informações sobre as enfermidades mais comuns e suas características podem ser muito úteis para a prática nos consultórios. O autor sugere uma tabela algorítmica para auxílio diagnóstico.BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been increasing contact between human beings that live in urban regions and the wild environment due to a series of activities. As a result, some poorly known dermatitis may present in private and dermatological clinics, especially early in the week and at the end of vacation periods. OBJECTIVES: To obtain and provide information for dermatologists on the problem. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The author observed adult and pediatric patients with acute dermatitis associated with plants or animals in Ubatuba, coastal city of Sao Paulo for 2 months (June / July 2006) and Medical School of Botucatu (June / July 2007). RESULTS: We observed 25 patients in the rural area and 43 in the coastal environment. In rural areas, the most common dermatitis were phytophotodermatitis and the stings of insects and in coastal areas, sea urchin injuries and phytophotodermatitis, but in both areas there were some other accidents that were difficult to identify by regular daily practice. CONCLUSION: We should be alert to the fact that patients seek a dermatologist after the acute phase of injuries. Information on the most common diseases and their characteristics can be very useful to practice in ermatologic clinics. The author suggests an algorithm to support diagnosis.

Leeches are being used by of human kind for centuries for treating many disorders. Though it is very useful tool and is propagating throughout the world as a special medical device, side effects of leech bites in some cases have been found from time to time. It is because of improper knowledge of non-poisonous and poisonous leeches. Sushruta’s classification shows us the passage to the proper use of leeches for leech therapy. In this study, Sushruta’s classification of leeches was compared and paired with that of phylum Annelida and was found effective in scientifically differentiating between non-poisonous and poisonous leeches.

Germanium-containing dust as an intermediate by-product in the process of zinc hydrometallurgy, which often contains a large number of heavy metal substances. Due to the constraints of economic benefits and process technology, green and efficient treatment of germanium-containing dust is always a great challenge. In this work, XRD, ICP-OES, XPS, SEM and other characterization methods were used to analyze the existing state and quantity of main substances in germanium-containing dust. It was found that the occurrence state of germanium was closely related to sphalerite. At the same time, longer reaction time would lead to continuous hydrolysis of silicate, which would eventually affect the recovery of zinc, germanium and lead and the fixation of toxic substances. Therefore, the ultrasonic enhanced ammonium persulfate oxidation process was proposed to control the waste of resources and environmental pollution caused by the accumulation of germanium-containing dust. The final results showed that more than 95% of zinc and 89% of germanium were efficiently recovered, and heavy metals such as arsenic and cadmium were fixed in the liquid, and then concentrated in the purification and impurity removal stage. The residue after reaction is high-grade lead sulfate residue, which can be returned to the lead smelting system for recycling. In summary, the ultrasonic-enhanced ammonium persulfate process eventually makes all substances in germanium-containing dust harmless and resource treatment. [Display omitted] • A green, energy-efficient process was designed to recover Zn and Ge. • The occurrence mechanism of ultrasonic wave and (NH 4) 2 S 2 O 8 was studied. • The migration rules of Zn and Ge in ultrasonic–(NH 4) 2 S 2 O 8 –H 2 SO 4 system was studied. • The recovery rate of Zn and Ge were increased by 10%, lead grade increased to 48%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In Ecuador, poisonous snakebites are a public health problem. However, there is no recent hospital information from the Amazon. Objective: To retrospectively analyse the clinical-epidemiological characteristics of snakebites in patients admitted to a hospital in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at the Nueva Loja-Sucumbíos Provincial Hospital, bordering Colombia (2017-2021). Demographic, epidemiological and clinical variables, and condition at hospital discharge, were obtained from the epidemiological file of the Ministerio de Salud Pública. Results: In 5 years, 147 patients (29.4 per year) were hospitalized with no mortality. They corresponded to 26, 34, 32, 29 and 26 cases, in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Men with 99 (67.3%), aged 21-30 years with 28, mixed race with 94 cases, students, and farmers, were the most affected. The most affected (99; 67.3%) were men, people 21 to 30 years-old (28; 19.0%), mestizos (94; 63.9%), students, and farmers. The median age was 28 (range: 4-81) years. Prevalence was higher in April, June, and September. All accidents were caused by Viperidae snakes. Twenty (13.6%) cases were mild, (61.2%) were moderate and 37 (25.2%) were severe. The feet with 45 were the most bitten. Pre-hospitalization anti-venom serum was received by 53.1% and tourniquet by 19.8% patients. Median hospital arrival time was 5 (range 1-192) hours, mostly between 2-3 hours with 41 cases. No statistically significant differences were found considering the severity. Conclusions: A high prevalence of snakebites was evidenced in the north of the Amazon in Ecuador, with a higher incidence in the rainy season and all by Viperidae species. It is important to highlight the null mortality. Information campaigns on prevention and first aid, such as discouraging the use of tourniquets, especially among vulnerable groups.

Until very recently, toxicity was not considered a trait observed in birds, but works published in the last two decades started to shed light on this subject. Poisonous birds are rare (or little studied), and comprise Pitohui and Ifrita birds from Papua New Guinea, the European quail, the Spoor-winged goose, the Hoopees, the North American Ruffed grouse, the Bronzewings, and the Red warbler. A hundred more species are considered unpalatable or malodorous to humans and other animals. The present review intends to present the current understanding of bird toxicity, possibly pointing to an ignored research field. Whenever possible, biochemical characteristics of these poisons and their effects on humans and other animals are discussed, along with historical aspects of poison discovery and evolutionary hypothesis regarding their function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the following pages there are presented the main apartment and ornamental plants that can be possible poisonous for our pets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review is to provide a report on poisonous medicinal plants using for various treatments. Medicinal plants have been used for centuries, and numerous cultures still rely on indigenous medicinal plants for their primary health care needs. Poisonous medicinal plants are used for various ailments such as Antidiabetic, Anticancer, Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Cytogenetic effect. The review reveals that wide numbers of phytochemical constituents have been isolated from the various medicinal plants which possess activities like diuretic, purgative, laxative, anti-allergic and various other important medicinal properties. This information is most important for pharmaceutical companies could formulate drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accidents caused by snakes should be dealt with attention by public health organs, for these accidents are very frequent and serious. The treatment standardization is indispensable for helping health workers to diagnose and treat the victims. However, sometimes the case clinical evolution presents peculiarities, mainly in accidents with children and elderly people. This study aims at describing and analyzing two clinical cases of accidents with children and snakes of the genera Bothrops spp. and Crotallus spp., which were notified at an information and toxicological assistance center in northwestern Parana (Brazil). We could find some positive aspects in the assistance, such as the precocious access to the health unit, identification of symptoms and antivenom treatment and the lack of antivenom adverse reactions. The negative aspects noticed are the lack of recommended biochemical examinations, for a better diagnosis, as well as an early hospital discharge, disconsidering the possibility of adverse reactions.

The aim of this study was to determine the Brazilian reality for the envenomations in the period from January 2009 to October 2012. This study allowed to obtain information such as notifying region, sex and age of individuals affected, the type of accident, the final classification and animals involved. We recorded 476.811 cases of envenomations in the period considered, and the Northeast and Southeast regions of Brazil that the most reported. The envenomations were most prevalent in men aged 20 to 39 years (n = 163 193). Based on the type of accidents, 42% were caused by scorpions, snakes by 23% and 19% by spiders. Most of these accidents were considered light and developed to cure. From the data of this study, we realized the need to develop strategies to promote sensitizing sending notifications to fill complete and reliable data, in addition to implementation of a computerized information system with forms containing fields required, providing the interconnection existing systems, in order to standardize the variables on the subject, increase the accuracy of data and reduce underreportin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude is the property of Revista de Atencao Primaria a Saude and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)