Harmful Health Effects Research Articles

SAT639 Electronic Cigarettes-exposed Mice Have Impairments In Skeletal Muscle Mediated By Impaired Ampk Activation

Abstract Disclosure: J. Rivera: None. J. Espinoza-Derout: None. K.M. Hasan: None. C. Lao: None. J.B. Wilson: None. X.M. Shao: None. Y. Tintut: None. M. Jordan: None. K.P. Roos: None. A.P. Sinha-Hikim: None. T.C. Friedman: None. Electronic cigarettes (E-Cig) are a relatively new way to deliver nicotine (Nic). E-Cigs are gaining popularity, especially among youth and young adults, who do not realize their harmful health effects. Our laboratory has been a pioneer in demonstrating the adverse effects of E-Cigs on the liver and the heart. Skeletal muscle is a bigger tissue with physical and metabolic importance fundamental for human health. We previously reported that IP injection of Nic with a “second-hit” such as a high-fat diet (HFD) caused skeletal muscle damage. This study evaluated the detrimental effects of E-Cigs administration on skeletal muscle. We used an E-Cig inhalation model to deliver Nic in a similar way to humans. C57BL6 mice were fed with an HFD, divided into three groups, and exposed to a saline solution (control group), commercially available E-Cig (bluCig) in absence of Nic (E-Cig 0%), or E-Cig with the presence of Nic (E-Cig 2.4%) for 12 weeks. Results showed that the skeletal muscle exposed to E-Cig 2.4% had a reduction of the phosphorylation of the metabolic regulator, AMPK, and the pro-lipolytic enzyme ATGL as measured by western blot analyses in relation to control saline and E-Cig 0% groups. This metabolic impairment was accompanied by a reduction of the homeostatic mechanism, autophagy by a decrease of the ratio LC3II/LC3I, in the group exposed to E-Cig 2.4% in relation to the saline group. Electron microscopy showed intramyofibrillar mitochondrial with cristolysis, vacuolization, and intramyocellular lipid deposits in the E-Cig 2.4% group. Additionally, we observed an increase in oxidative stress suggested by the increase of the antioxidant enzyme HO-1 in the E-Cig 2.4%, and the reduction of the protein levels of SOD1 and SOD2. Finally, the previous changes trigger the activation of cellular stress pathways such as the phosphorylation of p38 and the increase in inflammasome protein, Nrlp3 in the E-Cig 2.4% compared to the saline group. This study suggests skeletal muscle abnormalities in mice vaping E-Cig 2.4% can alter muscle health. We believe these abnormalities will have important consequences in the skeletal muscle considering the early life stage of the consumers. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Analysis, validation, and discussion of key genes in placenta of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication during pregnancy, which can have harmful health consequences for both the mother and the fetus. Given the placenta's crucial role as an endocrine organ during pregnancy, exploring and validating key genes in the placenta hold significant potential in the realm of GDM prevention and treatment. In this study, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from two databases, GSE70493 and PRJNA646212, and verified by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in placenta tissues. DEGs expression was detected in normal or high-glucose-treated HTR8/SVneo cells. We also investigated the relationship between DEGs and glucose levels in GDM patients. By selecting the intersection of the two databases, we screened 20 DEGs, which were validated in GDM patients. We observed an up-regulation of SLAMF, ALDH1A2, and CHI3L2, and a down-regulation of HLA-E, MYH11, HLA-DRB5, ITGAX, GZMB, NAIP, TMEM74B, RANBP3L, PAEP, WT-1, and CEP170. We conducted further investigations into the expression of DEGs in HTR8/SVneo cells exposed to high glucose, revealing a significant upregulation in the expression of SERPINA3, while the expressions of HLA-E, BCL6, NAIP, PAEP, MUC16, WT-1, and CEP170 were decreased. Moreover, some DEGs were confirmed to have a positive or negative correlation with blood glucose levels of GDM patients through correlation analysis. The identified DEGs are anticipated to exert potential implications in the prevention and management of GDM, thereby offering potential benefits for improving pregnancy outcomes and long-term prognosis of fetuses among individuals affected by GDM.

Brief Guide to Sustainable Practices in Hospitals

With the impacts of climate change becoming more apparent than ever, it is time to look at the leading causes of the worsening state of the globe. Not only will resolving these sources of environmental decay create a safer planet, it will lead to better health for those that populate it. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has found that environmental hazards, to include air pollution, chemical exposures and extreme weather changes, can lead to several illnesses to include chronic disease such as cancer and asthma and acute symptoms such as heat exhaustion. Resolving these issues will lead to better lifestyles and life longevity. Surprisingly enough, researchers at Yale University and Northeastern University have found that hospital buildings are ranked second in the amount of energy that is used amongst all commercial buildings. The harmful health effects caused by the ones that treat and care for illnesses is ironic to say the least. It is important for changes in the healthcare industry to improve the community by practicing safer and greener methods of care. A few of the major areas that can improve sustainable practices within hospital systems are discussed below.

Evaluation of Different Natural Ventilation Strategies by Monitoring the Indoor Air Quality Using CO2 Sensors.

Indoor air quality is a characteristic that depends on air pollutants inside a building and that can be affected by different ventilation strategies. There is strong evidence linking poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and harmful health effects, especially on vulnerable collectives, such as children in schools. Due to this concern, this work aims to provide guidance on the design of highly efficient ventilation strategies to improve the air quality of schools' classrooms. For this, IAQ monitoring has been carried out in eight educational in real conditions centres using CO2 concentration as an IAQ indicator. Variables such as the presence of students and their number, activity developed in the classroom and ventilation strategy used together with break time duration have been also recorded to analyse their influence on CO2 concentration levels. Concluding results have allowed us to determine the maximum number of students allowed in a closed room to maintain CO2 levels at normal concentrations and the time needed to reduce these CO2 levels depending on the ventilation strategy adopted. Moreover, it has been discussed how surrounding school conditions (pollution or noise) and the building isolation are impacting the final IAQ in the classrooms studied.

Understanding the Impact of Biodegradable Microplastics on Living Organisms Entering the Food Chain: A Review.

Microplastics (MPs) pollution has emerged as one of the world's most serious environmental issues, with harmful consequences for ecosystems and human health. One proposed solution to their accumulation in the environment is the replacement of nondegradable plastics with biodegradable ones. However, due to the lack of true biodegradability in some ecosystems, they also give rise to biodegradable microplastics (BioMPs) that negatively impact different ecosystems and living organisms. This review summarizes the current literature on the impact of BioMPs on some organisms-higher plants and fish-relevant to the food chain. Concerning the higher plants, the adverse effects of BioMPs on seed germination, plant biomass growth, penetration of nutrients through roots, oxidative stress, and changes in soil properties, all leading to reduced agricultural yield, have been critically discussed. Concerning fish, it emerged that BioMPs are more likely to be ingested than nonbiodegradable ones and accumulate in the animal's body, leading to impaired skeletal development, oxidative stress, and behavioral changes. Therefore, based on the reviewed pioneering literature, biodegradable plastics seem to be a new threat to environmental health rather than an effective solution to counteract MP pollution, even if serious knowledge gaps in this field highlight the need for additional rigorous investigations to understand the potential risks associated to BioMPs.

The European Union assessments of radiofrequency radiation health risks- another hard nut to crack (Review).

In 2017 an article was published on the unwillingness of the WHO to acknowledge the health effects associated with the use of wireless phones. It was thus stated thatthe WHO is 'A Hard Nut to Crack'. Since then, there has been no progress, and history seems to be repeating in that the European Union (EU) is following in the blind man's footsteps created by the WHO. Despite increasing evidence of serious negative effects from radiofrequency radiation on human health and the environment, the EU has not acknowledged that there are any risks. Since September 2017, seven appeals by scientists and medical doctors have been sent to the EU requesting a halt to the roll-out of the fifth generation of wireless communication (5G). The millimeter waves (MMW) and complex waveforms of 5G contribute massively harmful additions to existing planetary electromagnetic pollution. Fundamental rights and EU primary law make it mandatory for the EU to protect the population, especially children, from all kinds of harmful health effects of wireless technology. However, several experts associated with the WHO andthe EU have conflicts of interest due to their ties to industry. The subsequent prioritizing of economic interests is resulting in human and planetary health being compromised. Experts must make an unbiased evaluation with no conflicts of interest. The seven appeals to the EU have included requests for immediate protective action, which have been ignored. On the issue of wireless radiation and the health ofcitizens, the EU seems to be another hard nut to crack.

Mismatched Social Welfare Allocation and PM2.5-Related Health Damage along Value Chains within China.

Value chains have played a critical part in the growth. However, the fairness of the social welfare allocation along the value chain is largely underinvestigated, especially when considering the harmful environmental and health effects associated with the production processes. We used fine-scale profiling to analyze the social welfare allocation along China's domestic value chain within the context of environmental and health effects and investigated the underlying mechanisms. Our results suggested that the top 10% regions in the value chain obtained 2.9 times more social income and 2.1 times more job opportunities than the average, with much lower health damage. Further inspection showed a significant contribution of the "siphon effect"─major resource providers suffer the most in terms of localized health damage along with insufficient social welfare for compensation. We found that inter-region atmosphere transport results in redistribution for 53% health damages, which decreases the welfare-damage mismatch at "suffering" regions but also causes serious health damage to more than half of regions and populations in total. Specifically, around 10% of regions have lower social welfare and also experienced a significant increase in health damage caused by atmospheric transport. These results highlighted the necessity of a value chain-oriented, quantitative compensation-driven policy.

Prevalence, knowledge and factors associated with shisha smoking among university students in Cameroon.

BACKGROUND: Young adults consider shisha (water-pipe) less harmful than other smoking methods, but it has been reported to expose its users to excess levels of tobacco. This study sought to determine the prevalence, knowledge and factors associated with shisha use among university students in Buea, Cameroon.METHODS: Consenting participants were included in a cross-sectional study. Knowledge was assessed using a knowledge summary score and logistic regression used to identify factors associated with shisha smoking. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS: There were 1,008 student participants; 509 (50.9%) were female. The mean age was 22.9 ± 3.1 years. The prevalence of shisha smoking was 26% (95% CI 23.3-28.8). Most respondents had good knowledge about shisha (59.2%). Poor knowledge about shisha (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.37, 95% CI 1.57-3.59)], living in a hostel (aOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.29-3.11), friends' use of shisha (aOR 5.41, 95% CI 3.03-10.43) and alcohol consumption (aOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.24-2.94) were associated with shisha smoking.CONCLUSION: The prevalence of shisha smoking among university students in Buea is high; about one-quarter of the students have poor knowledge about its harmful health effects. There is an increasing need for sensitisation of these young adults to the harmful effects of tobacco smoking.

Alcohol in minors - a harmless fad or a serious problem?

Introduction and purpose: Alcohol has been known for centuries. In recent years, awareness of the effects of its consumption has been growing and acceptance of the drink has been declining. Despite this, there is an increase in young alcohol consumption and a decrease in the age of alcohol initiation. In this work, the problem of alcohol consumption by minors will be reviewed based on the evaluation of hospitalizations in the Clinical Department of Toxicology and Cardiology of the Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski Regional Hospital in Lublin in 2022. The aim of the study is to draw attention to this important, although often downplayed, problem. Material and method: The study was retrospective in nature. It used an analysis of the records of 120 intoxications in people under the age of 18, from which a group of alcohol-poisoned people was distinguished, consisting of 37 cases. Results: Hospitalization of 7 patients aged 13 to 18 years was reported due to alcohol intoxication. Of these, 22 (59.5%) female and 15 (40.5%) male patients were singled out. Most were urban residents 29 (78.4%). Isolated alcohol intoxication was the cause of 18 hospitalizations(48.6%). The remaining cases were accompanied by drug intoxication 11 hospitalizations (29.7%) and drug intoxication 8 hospitalizations (21.6%). All analyzed intoxications were intentional, of which 9 (24.3%) were suicide attempts. In 14 cases (37.9%), patients were burdened with mental illness, the most common of which was depressive disorders. There were no deaths in the study group. Conclusions: Alcohol should be forbidden and unacceptable in the family and young people's environment. Parents and young people should be made aware of the harmful effects, psychological, social and health consequences of its consumption.

Prediction of the concentrations of PM2.5 and NOx using machine learning-based models

Air pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) are important to study due to their harmful health effects; therefore, it is essential to accurately predict them. However, due to a lack of effective monitoring and modeling methodologies, the accurate prediction of these air pollutants is challenging. The advancement in computational methodologies and the availability of larger data sets have expanded the opportunities of modeling for application in wide-ranging air pollution studies. Previous studies have utilized a lesser amount of data to predict air quality; therefore, a machine learning-based approach can be useful by utilizing a larger dataset for accurate pollutant predictions. Hence, a pilot study was carried out by utilizing two-month datasets for May and June for the year 2018 to predict PM2.5 and NOx concentration at three locations in Jaipur city, India. A multiple linear regression (MLR) based machine learning model has been developed in this study. The input parameters were selected using the Pearson correlation coefficient method. Specifically, PM10, NOx, and benzene were selected for PM2.5 prediction, and NH3, CO, O3, and benzene were used for NOx prediction. The model results were further refined by the outlier’s removal method. The final values of R2 for PM2.5 varied from 0.59 to 0.68, and for NOx, it ranged from 0.56 to 0.81 at the three different sites of Jaipur city, representing the effectiveness of the model developed. Overall, the results of this study will be useful in measuring and managing air quality in urban cities in India.

Distribution and health risk assessment on dietary exposure of PAHs in vegetables and fruits of Asir, Saudi Arabia

GC/MS/MS was used to examine quantities, sources, and hazards of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in vegetable, leafy vegetables and fruit samples collected from Asir (Saudi Arabia). PAHs were varied from 10.11 to 604.43 (average 147.04), 38.35–798.21 (average 261.30), and 10.32–204.85 (average 90.65) ng/g, respectively. The order of ∑FPAH (fossil fuel PAHs) was Coriander > Eggplant > Grape, with 763.31, 575.93, and 204.85 ng/g, respectively. However, the order of ∑CARC (carcinogenic PAHs) was Carrot > Pear > Dill with 404.73, 35.91, and 34.01 ng/g, respectively. In addition, the order of ∑COMB (combustion PAHs) was cauliflower > lettuce > banana, with 42.31, 69.62, and 11.61 ng/g, respectively. Generally, the order of different PAH categories was ∑FPAHs > ∑CARC > ∑COMB. The hazard index (HI) for phenanthrene, Pyrene, fluoranthene, and anthracene was 10.73, 2.25, 1.65, and 1.13, respectively, indicating undesirable consequences. Phenanthrene recorded HQ > 1, indicating a probable deleterious effect, and other PAHs recorded HQ of about one, indicating that no harmful health effects from them. The diagnostic ratio of PAHs in fruits and vegetables indicated pyrolytic and petrogenic origins, via incomplete combustion of organic components. Finally, PAHs recorded in our samples were slightly greater than other regions of Saudi Arabia and that recorded in Asian and African countries.

Closing Ventanas to open doors: an ethical approach to public health research in areas of high climate vulnerability

In the context of climate change, the complex relationship between humanity and nature is revealed. This context provides an excellent opportunity to understand the tensions, ethical, and philosophical aspects involved in health research in areas of high climatic vulnerability. To address this problem, the situation of the Concón, Quintero, and Puchuncaví area, one of the five environmental sacrifice zones established in Chile, is used as a case study. After years of studies on the harmful health effects of this industrial center and governmental inaction, the executive power decided to close the Codelco Ventanas Division Smelter. This closure allows us to reflect on the opportunities for developing ethical public health research in areas of high climate vulnerability, in addition to making clear the role of public health professionals under the principle of responsibility, using environmental, climate, and intergenerational justice

Low doses of radiation — impact on the environment and human

The health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation are critical in such important fields as X-ray imaging, radiotherapy and nuclear energy. However, all existing and potential applications are being challenged by public concerns and regulatory constraints. The goal was to review the literature in which health damage caused by radiation is assessed. An extensive search on PubMed was made. Particular attention was paid to articles cited in comprehensive reviews of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the 2016 report of the United Nations Scientific Committee on Atomic Radiation. Epidemiological data provide essentially no evidence of harmful health effects at doses below 100 mSv, and several studies suggest beneficial effects. There is growing evidence that low-dose radiation, such as that used in X-ray imaging, including computed tomography (CT), has beneficial health effects rather than poses a risk. A common trend observed in many occupationally exposed cohorts worldwide is that their mortality rate is generally lower than that of the general population.

Microplastics in water: types, detection, and removal strategies.

Microplastics are one of the most concerning groups of contaminants that pollute most of the surroundings of the Earth. The abundance of plastic materials available in the environment moved the scientific community in defining a new historical era known as Plasticene. Regardless of their minuscule size, microplastics have posed severe threats to the life forms like animals, plants, and other species present in the ecosystem. Ingestion of microplastics could lead to harmful health effects like teratogenic and mutagenic abnormalities. The source of microplastics could be either primary or secondary in which the components of microplastics are directly released into the atmosphere and the breakdown of larger units to generate the smaller molecules. Though numerous physical and chemical techniques are reported for the removal of microplastics, their increased cost prevents the large-scale applicability of the process. Coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and ultrafiltration are some of the methods used for the removal of microplastics. Certain species of microalgae are known to remove microplastics by their inherent nature. One of the biological treatment strategies for microplastic removal is the activated sludge strategy that is used for the separation of microplastic. The overall microplastic removal efficiency is significantly high compared to conventional techniques. Thus, the reported biological avenues like the bio-flocculant for microplastic removal are discussed in this review article.

BPA; An Endocrine Disruptor Induced Biochemical Changes and Histopathological Damage in the Kidneys of Rats (Rattus Norvegicus)

Background: Xenoestrogens are chemical compounds that are similar to estrogen in effect but not in structure. Bisphenol A is an endocrine disruptor, that mimics the action of endogenous estrogen and activates the estrogen receptor. It is produced in large volumes and incorporated in many plastic industries worldwide. BPA is extensively used in food and beverages. The ubiquitous and extensive use of BPA containing products results in high human exposure, and its effects on the human body are of great concern. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of BPA on biochemical and histopathological parameters of the kidney. Material and Methods: Forty adult male rats were assigned into five groups of eight rats each. One group was served as a control and other groups were treated with BPA. Rats were administered orally with different doses of BPA 10mg/Kg and 25mg/Kg for 6 and 12 weeks, respectively. All doses of BPA were dissolved in corn oil and orally administered to rats. After 6 and 12 weeks, blood and kidney samples were collected for evaluation of biochemical parameters and histopathological analyses. Results: Serum levels of urea and creatinine were significantly increased, and uric acid levels in serum were increased but not significantly. The biochemical parameters variations were confirmed by histopathological investigations. BPA induced toxicity may lead to harmful health effects. Conclusion: Results showed that the oral administration of BPA significantly affects biochemical parameters and renal tissue architecture.

Respiratory and population effects of e-cigarettes: A Chinese perspective.

Respiratory and population effects of e-cigarettes: A Chinese perspective.

Polymer stabilized, phenytoin-loaded nanomicelles as promising nanocarriers: In silico and in vitro evaluations

Many drugs currently used in clinics to treat different diseases show low solubilities in aqueous solutions and must be then administered with the aid of organic solvents within the designed formulations leading to harmful health effects. For such reason, drug delivery using nanocarriers appears as an excellent alternative since it improves the solubilization and controlled release of many different pharmaceuticals, favoring the decrease of the overall administered therapeutic doses and by diminishing the risk of potential associated adverse side effects. Among the different types of nanocarriers, those based on polymeric micelles are an excellent option since the polymer structure and composition may be tuned in order to regulate the characteristics and properties of the resulting nanoassemblies to maximize drug solubilization and release profiles. For this reason, in this paper a drug delivery nanosystem based on oil-in-water polymeric-based microemulsion used to load the anti-epileptic phenytoin drug (PHT) was developed in the oily phase. Two different biocompatible polymers were evaluated to form the nanomicelles and maximize encapsulation efficiencies and colloidal stability: The amphiphilic triblock copolymer Pluronic F127, which poses the ability to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), and the natural lipophilic lignin, which bears antipathogenic properties. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed with the 6-31G(d) basis set to elucidate the interactions of PHT with F127 and lignin monomers. Simulation data showed that hydrogen bonding (HB) interactions between PHT, F127 and lignin are the predominant force to allow for drug solubilization and stability. Atoms in molecules (AIM) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses were performed to evaluate the strength of such HB. and their drug encapsulation efficiency, release profiles, and antibacterial susceptibility were determined. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of the developed nanoformulations together with a morphological examination of PC12 and NIH cells after drug-loaded nanocarrier administration and subsequent uptake were also investigated. In this manner, the obtained nanocarriers were also characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential, showing a nanometer size (between ca. 16 and 22 nm) and surface negative charge. PHT loading into F127 and lignin nanomicelles were ca. 96.7 ± 1.5% and 68.2 ± 3.5%, respectively, and the drug release profile kinetics of F127/PHT-loaded nanomicelles was rather slower compared to that of lignin/PHT-loaded ones. On the other hand, in vitro cytotoxicity data confirmed the lack of any significant cytotoxicity of PHT-loaded nanomicelles in both NIH/3T3 and PC12 cell lines, but a slightly higher cell viability and well-preserved cell morphology was observed for PC12 cells compared to NIH/3T3 ones. After culturing in chocolate blood agar medium inoculated with F127/PHT-loaded and lignin/ PHT-loaded nanomicelles, pathogenic bacteria did not grow despite confirming certain antimicrobial character of the encapsulated drug. Hence, thanks to their excellent encapsulation and biocompatibility properties, these nanocarriers appear as an excellent option to configure new drug delivery nanocarriers of hydrophobic drugs.

Assessment of concentration of the potentially toxic elements and associated human health risk from particulate matter exposure along road intersections in Ibadan, southwestern Nigeria

The harmful health effect of suspended particulate matter (PM10) is mostly associated with its mass concentrations and chemical compositions. Therefore, this study focuses on the determination of the particulate matter (PM10) concentrations and their potentially toxic elements (PTEs) composition from different road networks in Ibadan southwestern, Nigeria. In addition, human health risk assessment was estimated from the PTE data. The PM10 samples were collected from different road networks such as national highway roads (NHR), inner-city major roads (ICR), and remote roads (RRD) in Ibadan, Nigeria. The sampling was carried out with a high-volume air sampler (model #15000 manufactured by Science Resource, Walboro, USA) with a PM10 cut-off on a Whatman cellulose filter during the harmattan period. The PM10 concentrations and PTEs compositions (Al, Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, La, Mo, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) were determined by gravimetry and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) methods (VISTA-MPX manufactured by Varian Incorporation), respectively. The PM10 concentrations in all three road networks were more than 3 folds higher than World Health Organization (WHO), United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and United Kingdom Environmental Protection Agency (UKEPA) standards (50 µg/m3) for 24 h. The maximum average contents of Ba, Cd, Cu, La, Mn, Pb, and V, were observed at NHR, while that of Al, Fe, Mo, and Zn, were found at ICR. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that PC1 (Ba, Cd, Cu, La, Mo, Pb, and V) and PC4 (Zn) were characterised by elemental markers of both exhaust emission and non-exhaust emissions, while PC2 (Mn) and PC3 (Al, Fe) were characterised by crustal elements. The Enrichment factor (EF) analysis classified all the PTEs as moderately to very highly enriched, especially in NHR and ICR, except Al, Fe, and to some extent Mn. Both the maximum and average hazard quotient (HQ) levels of Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn were < 1, which was within the permissible level. Also, the carcinogenic risk (CR) was also within the permissible limit.

Renewable energy of wastewater heat recovery.

Wastewater heat recovery (HR) is one of the renewable energy sources. The associated harmful environmental, health, and social effects of traditional biomass, fossil fuel, and other polluted sources have enhanced the growing interest in the search for an alternate cleaner energy source globally. The major objective of this study is to develop a model to assess the impacts of wastewater flow (WF), the temperature of wastewater (TW), and internal temperature in sewer pipes (TA) on the performance of HR. Sanitary sewer networks in Karbala city of Iraq were chosen as a case study in the present research. Statistical and physically based models such as the storm water management model (SWMM), multiple-linear regression (MLR), and structural equation model (SEM) were used for this purpose. The model outputs were analyzed to assess the performance of HR in the context of changing WF, TW, and TA. The results showed that the total amount of HR from wastewater in Karbala city center during the 70 days was 136,000 Mw. The study clearly showed that WF in Karbala played a major role in HR. Basically, the heat from wastewater is CO2-free and represents a significant opportunity for the energy transition in the heating market.

Pregnancy and Delivery Complications Between Adolescent and Adult Women at Mosul Maternity Teaching Hospitals: A Comparative Study

Background: Adolescent pregnancy is one of the common public health problems worldwide today, with harmful health effects to the foetus, mother and the neonate. Aims of the study: To identify the demographical characteristics of the study sample and to compare the complications of pregnancy and delivery between adolescent and adult pregnant women and to find out the relationship between demographical characteristics and study variables Patients and Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional observational study design was conducted in four maternity teaching hospitals in Mosul, Iraq, from the 10th of December 2021, until the 1st of March 2022. The study group included 100 pregnant adolescents aged 10–19 years, and the comparable group included 157 pregnant women aged between 20 and 45 years. Result: In comparison to adult women, adolescent women are more likely to suffer from anemia (77%), IUGR (13%), abruptio placenta (15%), psychological problems (24%), cervical insufficiency (20%), preterm labor (26%), obstructed labor (41%), prolonged labor (29%), postdate (30%), neonatal death (6%), and episiotomy (36%). Conclusion: There is a statistically significant difference (p&lt;0.05) between the two groups in terms of anemia, gestational diabetes, urinary tract infection, intrauterine growth restriction, abruptio placenta, psychological problem, incompetence cervix, preterm labour, prolong labour, postdate, obstructed labour, dead newborn, episiotomy, and there is a direct and positive correlation between a husband's job with H.T and between BMI with (UTI, IUGR, preterm labour, prolonged labor) and between educational level with (abruptio placenta, CPD, postdate) and occupation with abruptio placenta. Recommendation: Instructing the Iraqi courts and the Ministry of Justice to legislate a law prohibiting the adolescent marriage and encourage the Iraqi Ministry of Health to activate family planning programs to delay pregnancy until the young girl's reach maturity. Keyword: adolescent, pregnancy, delivery, complication, adult