Search Results (49)

Background: The prospective relationship between coffee and tea consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is seldom assessed in older adults. This study investigated the association between coffee and tea consumption and the 10-year incidence of T2DM in older Australian adults. Method: Data were collected from participants aged 49 years or above at baseline of the Blue Mountains Eye Study (n = 1668). Coffee and tea intakes were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. T2DM was ascertained by the self-reported history, fasting blood glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L, or self-reported use of diabetes medication. Associations were assessed using discrete-time logistic regression, adjusting for lifestyle and demographic factors. Results: Compared to no consumption, coffee intake of 1 cup/day was associated with a lower risk of developing T2DM (multivariate-adjusted HR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.91) in the 10-year follow-up period. However, consumption of 2–3 cups/day (HR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.37, 1.18) or ≥4 cups/day (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.52, 2.08) showed no significant association. Tea consumption at any level was not significantly associated with T2DM incidence. Results were similar after excluding participants with implausible energy intake. Conclusions: In older adults, moderate coffee intake (1 cup/day) was associated with lower T2DM incidence, while higher coffee consumption and tea intake at any level were not. The lack of a dose-dependent effect in coffee consumption warrants further investigation. These findings should be verified in larger studies, considering different coffee and tea types and potential age-related and genetic factors. Full article

Background: Endoscopic assessment for the diagnosis of gastric cancer is limited by interoperator variability and lack of real-time capability. Recently, Raman spectroscopy-based artificial intelligence (AI) has been proposed as a solution to overcome these limitations. Objective: To compare the performance of the AI-enabled Raman spectroscopy with that of high-definition white light endoscopy (HD-WLE) for the risk classification of gastric lesions. Methods: This was a randomized double-arm feasibility proof-of-concept trial in which participants with suspected gastric neoplasia underwent endoscopic assessment using either the Raman spectroscopy-based AI (SPECTRA IMDx™) or HD-WLE performed by expert endoscopists. Identified lesions were classified in real time as having either low or high risk for neoplasia. Diagnostic outcomes were compared between the two groups using histopathology as the reference. Results: A total of 20 patients with 25 lesions were included in the study. SPECTRA, in real-time, performed at a statistically similar level to that of HD-WLE performed by expert endoscopists, achieving an overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 100%, 80%, and 89.0%, respectively, by patient; and 100%, 80%, and 92%, respectively, by lesion, while expert endoscopists using HD-WLE attained a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 100%, 80%, and 90%, respectively, by patient; and 100%, 83.3%, and 91.7%, respectively, by lesion, in differentiating high-risk from low-risk gastric lesions. Conclusions: The SPECTRA’s comparable performance with that of HD-WLE suggests that it can potentially be a valuable adjunct for less experienced endoscopists to attain accurate and real-time diagnoses of gastric lesions. Larger-scale prospective randomized trials are recommended to validate these promising results further. Full article

Microplastic contamination in terrestrial environments has risen significantly, far exceeding levels in marine environments. This shift underscores the concerning prevalence of microplastics (MPs) in sewage sludge and soil, raising environmental apprehensions. Microplastics from various sources accumulate in sewage systems, consequently, sewage sludge and soil have transformed into primary reservoirs of microplastic pollutants, capable of infiltrating aquatic ecosystems. While using sludge to enrich soil provides nutrients, it simultaneously introduces substantial microplastic content, posing environmental hazards. These microplastics can accumulate in the soil, altering its properties and potentially polluting deeper soil layers and groundwater, compounding environmental risks. This review scrutinizes the abundance, types, and shapes of microplastics in sewage sludge and soil, evaluating their impacts and suggesting future research directions. Statistical analysis reveals higher microplastic concentrations in sludge (271 Particles/kg dry weight) than in soil (34.6 Particles/kg). Strong correlations between microplastic concentrations in soil and sludge (R² = 0.95) underscore the significant influence of sludge application on soil ecosystems. The p-value of 0.0001 indicates a significant correlation between MP amounts in soil and sludge, while the p-value of 0.47 suggests no significant association between MP concentrations in wastewater and sludge. Research confirms that microplastics influence sludge properties, microbial communities, and soil characteristics, contingent on microplastic attributes and soil conditions. Predominantly, microplastic shapes found in sludge and soil are fibers and fragments, often linked to agricultural fertilizer use. Microplastics detrimentally affect soil bulk density and aggregate stability, impairing soil structure and surface. Furthermore, their presence alters pollutant transport behavior in soil, emphasizing the imperative to investigate microplastics’ effects and transport mechanisms for mitigating environmental and health risks. Full article

The global concern over trace and heavy metal contamination in aquatic environments necessitates the development of effective remediation strategies. Using aquatic plants for heavy metal removal is a relatively economical and sustainable technology worldwide. This study involved collecting sediment and aquatic plant samples (Acanthus ilicifolius, Typha elephantina, and Cynodon dactylon) from a highly urbanized estuary to analyze metal concentrations in sediment, assess ecological risks, and explore the phytoremediation potential. Trace and heavy metals were detected using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (EDXRF). The sediment metal concentrations were found in decreasing order of Fe, Ti, Mn, Rb, Zr, Zn, Sr, Cu, Co, and As. Fe, Sr, and As concentrations were below certified values, whereas Cu, Zn, and Rb exceeded them. Cumulatively, the pollution load index (PLI) values were close to 1 (0.845), indicating that the study area is likely experiencing metal pollution. The Contamination Factor (CF) values, ranging from 1 to 3, indicated a moderate degree of sediment pollution for Ti, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Rb. The Enrichment Factor (EF) values similarly showed moderate enrichment for these metals, with Cu exhibiting the highest degree of enrichment. Ecological risk assessment highlighted the only metal, Cu, as posing the greatest risk among the studied metals. In terms of phytoremediation potential, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) followed the decreasing order of C. dactylon > A. ilicifolius > T. elephantina for most metals, with low BCF values (<1) indicating low accumulator potential. However, the translocation factor (TF) values for Zn (1.464) and Rb (1.299) in A. ilicifolius species were greater than 1, indicating low accumulation potential but hyper-metabolizing capabilities, allowing the plant to accumulate metals in its aerial parts, making it effective for phytostabilization. Full article

The widespread occurrence of heavy metals in aquatic environments, resulting in their bioaccumulation within aquatic organisms like fish, presents potential hazards to human health. This study investigates the concentrations of five toxic heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Zn, Cu, and Cr) and their potential health implications in two economically important fish species (Otolithoides pama and Labeo bata) from a subtropical estuarine wetland system (Feni estuary, Bangladesh). Muscle and gill samples from 36 individual fish were analyzed using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). The results revealed that the average quantities of heavy metals in both fishes’ muscle followed the declining order of Zn (109.41–119.93 mg/kg) > Cu (45.52–65.43 mg/kg) > Hg (1.25–1.39 mg/kg) > Pb (0.68–1.12 mg/kg) > Cr (0.31–5.82 mg/kg). Furthermore, Zn was found to be present in the highest concentration within the gills of both species. While the levels of Cu, Zn, and Cr in the fish muscle were deemed acceptable for human consumption, the concentrations of Pb and Hg exceeded the permissible limits (>0.5 mg/kg) for human consumption. Different risk indices, including estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and carcinogenic or target risk (TR), revealed mixed and varying degrees of potential threat to human health. According to the EDI values, individuals consuming these fish may face health risks as the levels of Zn, Cu, and Cr in the muscle are either very close to or exceed the maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI) threshold. Nevertheless, the THQ and HI values suggested that both species remained suitable for human consumption, as indicated by THQ (<1) and HI (<1) values. Carcinogenic risk values for Pb, Cr, and Zn all remained within permissible limits, with TR values falling below the range of (10⁻⁶ to 10⁻⁴), except for Zn, which exceeded it (>10⁻⁴). The correlation matrix and multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) findings revealed that Pb and Cr primarily stemmed from natural geological backgrounds, whereas Zn, Cu, and Hg were attributed to human-induced sources such as agricultural chemicals, silver nanoparticles, antimicrobial substances, and metallic plating. Given the significance of fish as a crucial and nutritious element of a balanced diet, it is essential to maintain consistent monitoring and regulation of the levels and origins of heavy metals found within it. Full article

Biomedical sensing technology is developing at a tremendous pace and is expected to become an effective clinical tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of human health. The development of sensing devices has successfully transformed the specific sensor prototype designed in the laboratory into a commercially feasible clinical disease detection device. Recently, sensing devices have been accelerated and extended to various fields beyond disease detection, including the measurement of gastrointestinal physiological parameters such as pH, VOC detection, small-molecule gas sensing, and noninvasive screening of oral and lung diseases such as oral cancer, gastric cancer, and other major diseases. In this review, the applications of sensors and electronic nose devices in the diagnosis and monitoring of oral, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal diseases are reviewed, as well as the design and application of sensor materials in disease markers and in situ detection. This article also introduces the practical application of sensing devices in human disease detection, critically analyzes their detection mechanisms and clinical utility, and discusses their future development in medicine. We believe that this review will help readers, especially practitioners in the medical field, provide ideas for the development of sensing devices. Full article

Many women of reproductive age have poor diet quality and are at higher risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Triglycerides are a critical risk factor for chronic diseases, and although they can be influenced by diet, there are minimal dietary intervention studies identifying key foods/food groups that reduce triglycerides. We performed data simulation modelling to estimate the potential reductions in fasting triglycerides that could be achieved by different dietary strategies in reproductive age women. The model was created using data from the 2011–2013 Australian Health Survey and incorporated various factors such as demographics, nutrient intake, and plasma biomarkers. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to estimate triglyceride levels, considering nutrient intake and pre-determined covariates. Dietary scenarios were developed, reducing the consumption of processed/ultra-processed foods, while increasing the intake of minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts. A total of 606 women were included. Reducing processed foods by 50% plus increasing intakes of fruits (75–225 g/day), vegetables (75–225 g/day), or nuts (10–40 g/day) decreased triglycerides by up to 4.3%. Additionally, incorporating 80 g/day of omega 3 fish (>800 mg long-chain omega 3/100 g) decreased triglycerides by 8.2%. The clinical relevance of lowering triglycerides for cardiometabolic disease management should be tested in dietary intervention studies in women. Full article

Microplastics (MPs) ingestion by fish signifies a worldwide threat to human health but limited research has examined their existence within the consumable portions (muscle) of fish. Thus, this study was undertaken to unveil the prevalence, characterization, and contamination extent of MPs across various body tissues, including the muscle of the king mackerel (S. guttatus) from the lower Meghna estuary in Bangladesh—a pioneering investigation in this region. In our analysis, we identified a total of 487 MPs, with an average abundance of 48.7 ± 20.3 MPs/individual. These MPs were distributed across different tissues, with respective concentrations of 0.84 ± 0.45 items/g in the digestive tract, 2.56 ± 0.73 items/g in the gills, and 0.3 ± 1.72 items/g in the muscle tissue. The observed variations among these tissue types were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Moreover, a significant positive correlation indicated that fish with higher weight had higher MPs in their gills and DT (digestive tract). The majority were <0.5 mm in size (97.74%) and exhibited a fiber-like shape (97.74%), with a notable prevalence of transparent (25.87%) and a pink coloration (27.92%). Remarkably, the majority of MPs were discovered within the size range of <0.5–1 mm (100%), particularly in the muscle tissue, signifying a substantial transfer of MPs into the human diet. Besides, we discovered only three polymer types of microplastics which could be attributed to the extensive use of food packaging, plastic containers, wrapping plastics, residential garbage, and plastic pipes that end up in the aquatic environment via river discharges. The contamination factor (CF) values of fish muscle (5.75) and the digestive tract (5.50) indicated that these fish organs were considerably contaminated (3 < CF < 6) with MPs. The pollution index of MPs (PLI > 1) indicated a high contamination level for MPs pollution of S. guttatus in the lower Meghna River estuary. Full article

Chlorpyrifos has been used extensively for decades to control crop pests and disease-transmitting insects; its contribution to increasing food security and minimizing the spread of diseases has been well documented. Pymetrozine and Avermectin (also known as abamectin) have been used to replace the toxic organophosphate insecticides (e.g., Chlorpyrifos) applied to rice crops in China, where the overuse of pesticides has occurred. In addition, climate change has exacerbated pesticide use and pollution. Thus, farmers and communities are at risk of exposure to pesticide pollution. This study reviews the contamination, exposure, and health risks through environmental and biological monitoring of the legacy pesticide Chlorpyrifos and currently used insecticides Pymetrozine and Avermectin in China; it investigates whether changes in pesticide usage from Chlorpyrifos to Pymetrozine and Avermectin reduce pesticide contamination and health hazards to communities and residents. In addition, this review discusses whether Pymetrozine and Avermectin applications could be recommended in other countries where farmers largely use Chlorpyrifos and are exposed to high health risks under climate change scenarios. Although Chlorpyrifos is now banned in China, farmers and residents exposed to Chlorpyrifos are still experiencing adverse health effects. Local farmers still consider Chlorpyrifos an effective pesticide and continue to use it illegally in some areas. As a result, the concentration levels of Chlorpyrifos still exceed risk-based thresholds, and the occurrence of Chlorpyrifos with high toxicity in multiple environmental routes causes serious health effects owing to its long-term and wide application. The bioaccumulation of the currently used insecticides Pymetrozine and Avermectin in the environment is unlikely. Pymetrozine and Avermectin used in paddy water and soil for crop growth do not pose a significant hazard to public health. A change in pesticide use from Chlorpyrifos to Pymetrozine and Avermectin can reduce the pesticide contamination of the environment and health hazards to communities and residents. Finally, we recommend Pymetrozine and Avermectin in other countries, such as Vietnam, and countries in Africa, such as Ghana, where farmers still largely use Chlorpyrifos. Full article

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as Hg, As, and Pb have become concentrated in the aquatic ecosystem as a result of increased human activities. However, these substances frequently have synergistic or antagonistic effects on the human body or other animals. As a result, there are concerns world-wide that commercially available food products, especially fish, may be contaminated with hazardous elements. In this study, samples of four selected fishes, Gutum (Lepidocephalichthys guntea), Baim (Macrognathus pancalus), Baila (Glossogobius giuris), Meni (Nandus nandus) were analyzed from one of the largest freshwater wetlands (designed as a Ramsar Site) in South Asia to evaluate PTEs contamination status and human health risk assessment. The result demonstrated that the degree of contamination for six PTEs decreased in the following sequences for fish: Fe > Zn > Cu > Pb > As > Hg. The edible part of G. giuris had the maximum value for Hg (0.42 μg/g dw), while N. nandus predominantly accumulated As (<0.41 μg/g dw). The estimated daily intake (EDI) values ranged from 0.003 to 1.75, which was much lower than the recommended values. The hazard index (HI), THQ, total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) scores through consuming fish followed the decreasing order of Fe > Hg > Cu > Zn > Pb. The values for each index were less than 1, indicating that there were no substantial health risks for the consumers. The carcinogenic risks (CR) derived from the intake of Pb ranged from 4.92 × 10⁻⁸ to 4.14 × 10⁻⁸ for males and 5.45 × 10⁻⁸ to 4.59 × 10⁻⁸ for females, which also did not exceed the standard limit (1.00 × 10⁻⁶). This study demonstrated that, under the existing consumption rate, there was no potential health harm to consumers from consuming the studied fishes. This study offers a chance to regularly check PTEs in this environment, reducing the contamination of heavy metals. Full article

Wetlands are highly productive and diverse ecosystems providing home to thousands of organisms. These ecosystems reduce water pollution, sequester carbon, support livelihoods, and increase food security. However, these ecological functions are being impeded due to increased levels of metals in the environment. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the degree of metal contamination in the surface sediment of a wetland, Tanguar Haor, for the first time. The result demonstrated that the mean concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Pb and Hg varied from 13140.39 to 45675, 40.07 to 46.29, 47.60 to 57.15, 18.89 to 35.23, 1.24 to 2.64, and 0.35 to 0.42, respectively. The concentration of As was found to be higher than the average shale value. The concentration of Cu (44.19 μg/g) and Hg (0.38 μ/g) was very close to the shale value (45 μg/g and 0.40 μg/g, respectively), indicating a moderate level of contamination. The contamination level was further evaluated by multi-indices, e.g., the contamination factor (CF), the enrichment factor (EF), and the geo-accumulation index (I_geo). The average EF values for As (115.41), Cu (57.68), and Hg (55.47) were >50, indicating a high degree of contamination (extremely severe enrichment). However, CF values showed varied levels of pollution; for example, the majority of the area was only somewhat contaminated with As, Cu, and Hg, but less contaminated with Fe, Zn, and Pb. According to I_geo, sampling sites were found to be unpolluted or less polluted by heavy metals. Based on potential ecological risk assessment (PERI), the degree of risk from the six heavy metals decreased in the following sequence: As > Cu > Zn > Pb > Cr > Ni. PERI values indicated the study area has been exposed to moderate risk to As and low risk to other metals. This study provides an opportunity for frequent monitoring of heavy metals in this ecologically critical environment, and thus curbing heavy metal pollution. Full article

Biopolymers have recently shown great potential to replace traditional binding materials in geotechnical engineering; however, more research is required to reach a deeper understanding of biopolymer-treated soil behavior. The objective of this study was to investigate the most important parameters that affect the behavior of biopolymer-treated soil, including biopolymer content, dehydration time, soil type effect, and durability. Sodium alginate and agar biopolymers were used due to their stability under severe conditions and the reasonable costs to study these parameters. A broad range of soil particle sizes was used to optimize the kaolinite-sand combination. As one of the main concerns in the behavior of biotreated soils, durability was investigated under five cycles of wetting and drying. In addition, a comprehensive microstructural study was performed by FTIR analysis and SEM images, as well as chemical interaction analysis. The results indicated that the optimized biopolymer content was in the range of 0.5–1% (to soil weight) and the dehydration time was 14 days. A soil combination of 25% kaolinite and 75% sand provided the highest compressive strength. Under wetting and drying conditions, biopolymers significantly increased soil resistance against strength reduction and soil mass loss. This study provides an understanding how agar and sodium alginate changes the behavior of the soil and can be used as a reference for further studies in the future. Full article

The paper focuses on the relationship between firms’ characteristics and cross-section returns. The author reviews and critically assesses the most recent contributions in the literature. After comparing the abnormal returns (Alpha) and t statistics of the original works with those of replication works, the author concludes that 94 characteristics are robust. The limitation of the paper is that measurement errors in the COMPUSTAT could affect the predictability of cross-section returns. The practical implication of the paper is that the author validates the practice of fundamental analysis. Investors could benefit from those discovered characteristics. The author validates the policy consequence and connects the theoretical frameworks with empirical results. The author evaluates the empirical methodology and proposes several methods to improve future research. Full article

The performance of a biofilm system, single-stage flexible fibre biofilm reactor (SS-FFBR) treating milk processing wastewater (MPW) is evaluated under various process and operational conditions. The system behavior is analyzed with different biological and physical parameters. Results show that the high COD removal efficiency of 95% is obtained at a low COD_in concentration of 809 mg/L. However, the COD removal is slightly decreased to 91.7% once the COD_in concentration incremented to nearly 4000 mg/L. The effect of organic loading rate (OLR) on the SS-FFBR performance is examined as total suspended solids removal efficiency, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. The SS-FFBR showed considerable performance, so that 89.9% and 89.7% removal efficiencies in terms of COD and TSS removals, respectively, obtained at the highest OLR of 11.7 kg COD/m³d. TSS removal efficiency of 96.7% is obtained at a low OLR of 1.145 kg COD/m³d. A linear relationship between the OLR and COD removal rate was revealed. The COD removal rate was incremented from 1.08 to 10.68 kg COD/m³d as the OLR increased from 1.145 to 11.7 kg COD/m³d. Finally, the operating system is a promising technique recommended to treat various industrial wastewaters with high OLR. Full article