Health Research Articles

Assessment of trace element occurrence in Nile Tilapia from the Rosetta branch of the River Nile, Egypt: Implications for human health risk via lifetime consumption

River pollution can harm human health through direct contact, drinking water, and the consumption of contaminated fish and irrigated agricultural products. Surface water and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) samples were collected monthly from July 2022 to June 2023 at three sites (El-Rahawy, Sabal, and Tala) along the Rosetta Nile branch in Egypt to monitor the presence of eight trace elements. The potential human health risks from consuming contaminated fish were also assessed. Iron and manganese were consistently detected in all water samples across most seasons and locations, with concentrations generally below the WHO permissible levels. All 72 analyzed fish muscle samples were found to contain trace elements. The mean concentrations of metals in the fish muscle samples, in descending order, were: iron > zinc > copper > manganese > tin > antimony > lead > mercury. Significant spatial and seasonal variations were observed in both water and fish samples. El-Rahawy was identified as the most contaminated site, with summer exhibiting the highest contamination rate compared to other seasons. Fish samples collected from El-Rahawy demonstrated the highest bioconcentration factor (BCF) values for most elements, particularly mercury, lead, iron, manganese, and antimony. Target hazard quotient (THQ) calculations for the trace elements in Nile tilapia muscles revealed that all trace elements, except antimony, had THQ values below 1, suggesting that consuming Nile tilapia from these sites is unlikely to cause adverse health effects. However, THQ values for antimony exceeded the threshold of 1, indicating a potential health risk for consumers. Although the detected trace elements in the fish were below the permissible toxicity limits, some could pose a future threat to human health, necessitating further studies, ongoing monitoring, and preventive measures.

Embedding Multimodal Rehabilitation Within Routine Cancer Care in Sheffield-The Active Together Service Evaluation Protocol.

Approximately 3 million people in the United Kingdom are currently living with or beyond cancer. People undergoing treatment for cancer are at risk of complications following treatment. Increasing evidence supports the role of rehabilitation (including prehabilitation) in enhancing psychological and physical well-being in patients with cancer and improving outcomes. Active Together is an evidence-based, multimodal rehabilitation service for patients with cancer, providing support to help patients prepare for and recover from treatment. This paper presents the evaluation protocol for the Active Together service, aiming to determine its impact on patient-reported outcomes and clinical endpoints, as well as understand processes and mechanisms that influence its delivery and outcomes. This evaluation comprises an outcome and process evaluation, with service implementation data integrated into the analysis of outcome measures. The outcome evaluation will assess changes in outcomes of patients that attend the serviceand compare health care resource use against historical data. The process evaluation will use performance indicators, semistructured interviews, and focus groups to explore mechanisms of action and contextual factors influencing delivery and outcomes. Integrating psychological change mechanisms with outcome data might help to clarify complex causal pathways within the service. Evidence to support the role of multimodal rehabilitation before, during, and after cancer treatment is increasing. The translation of that evidence into practice is less advanced. Findings from this evaluation will contribute to our understanding of the real-world impact of cancer rehabilitation and strengthen the case for widespread adoption of rehabilitation into routine care for people with cancer.

Nutrition Role in Maintaining Health and Preventing Disease

Abstract: A person's body depends on nutrients, which are the components of food that drive biological activity. A healthy lifestyle includes having a good diet. All that we eat and drink is what human bodies are made of and how they are powered. Proteins, lipids, carbs (sugars, dietary filter), vitamins, and minerals are the several categories that they belong to nutrients, and each one of these performs a crucial job. Building all body parts, including muscle, bone, teeth, and blood. Generating energy and maintaining the body's functionality. A complete condition of emotional and physical well-being is referred to as being "healthy." Optimal nutrition, which supplies all nutrients at sufficient and suitable levels, is the cornerstone of good health and the forerunner of prevention. The most significant ongoing environmental influences influencing our growth, development, functional abilities, and health are the meals we eat and the nutrients they should include. If we want to successfully reduce the excessive premature morbidity and death from our top killer diseases-heart disease, cancer, and stroke-we must educate the general population, especially health professionals, about nutrition. Our lifestyle choices, such as eating, disciplining our health habits, and exercising, will significantly impact our individual health and lower the costs of our existing catastrophic medical treatment. The main environmental factors that continue to impact our ability to grow and develop health are the meals we eat and the nutrients they should include. In this review, we discuss how nutrients play an important role in preventing our body from disease and maintaining health.

The impact of short-lived climate pollutants on the human health

The impact of short-lived climate pollutants on the human health

Synergistic combination of Mn/Fe bimetal-doped carbon nitride and peroxymonosulfate for efficient photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics

The widespread of antibiotics has resulted in potential threats to the aquatic environment and human health. The visible light-assisted peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation method is considered to be an effective way to remove antibiotics in wastewater. In this study, Mn/Fe bimetal doped graphitic carbon nitride (MnFe-CN-x) was first synthesized for PMS activation under visible light towards tetracycline (TC) removal. The optimized MnFe-CN-50 possessed the excellent photocatalytic activity, PMS activation performance and photo-Fenton-like synergistic effect. In the photo-Fenton-like system, TC (20mgL-1) was degraded by 99% in 50min and the kinetic constant was 0.074min-1. The high dispersion of Mn and Fe in carbon nitride inhibited the recombination of charge carriers in MnFe-CN-x, increased its photocurrent density and charge mobility, effectively optimized the electronic structure, and promoted the generation of 1O2. Based on the analytical results of predictive toxicity evaluation software (TEST), it was confirmed that MnFe-CN-x could effectively reduce the environmental risks associated with antibiotic contamination. This study provided new insights into synthesizing bimetal-doped graphitic carbon nitride and the use of synergistic effects of photocatalysis and PMS activation to remove organic pollutants from wastewater.

Impact of Summer North Atlantic Sea Surface Temperature Tripole on Precipitation over Mid–High-Latitude Eurasia

Abstract Eurasia is a sensitive and high-risk region for global climate changes, where climate anomalies significantly influence natural ecosystems, human health, and economic development. The North Atlantic tripole (NAT) sea surface temperature anomaly is crucial to interannual precipitation variations in Eurasia. Several studies have focused on the link between the NAT and climate anomalies in winter and spring. However, the mechanism by which the summer NAT impacts climate anomalies in Eurasia remains unclear. This study examines how the NAT impacts interannual variations of summer precipitation in mid–high-latitude Eurasia. Precipitation variations are associated with the atmospheric teleconnection triggered by the NAT. When the NAT is in its positive phase, the anomalous atmospheric diabatic heating over the North Atlantic excites an equivalent-barotropic Rossby wave train response that propagates eastward toward Eurasia, resulting in atmospheric circulation anomalies over the region. The combined effects of atmospheric circulation, radiative forcing, and water vapor transport anomalies lead to decreased precipitation across northern Europe and central Eurasia, with higher precipitation anomalies over northeast Asia. Finally, numerical experiments verify that the summer NAT excites atmospheric teleconnections that propagate downstream, affecting precipitation anomalies in mid–high-latitude Eurasia. This study provides a scientific basis for predicting Eurasian summer precipitation and strengthening disaster management strategies.

Antimony exposure affects oocyte quality and early embryo development via excessive mitochondrial oxidation and dysfunction

Antimony (Sb) is a metalloid, widely presents in the environment and associates with human health. In this study, we aimed to decipher whether Sb exposure is harmful to female reproduction and explore the underlying mechanisms. The ICR mice were exposed to 0, 5, 10, and 20mg/kg acetate potassium Sb tartrate trihydrate by intraperitoneal injection for 10 days, then mouse oocytes were collected for further analysis. We first found a significant decrease in the proportion of MII-stage oocytes obtained from supernumerary ovulation in the fallopian tubes and early embryo development under Sb treatment. Then a series of tests showed Sb affects oocyte maturation by damaging the cytoskeleton of microtubule and actin. Moreover, the abnormal distribution of cortical granules and their component Ovastacin in oocytes, combined with reduced expression levels of Juno, affected sperm-oocyte binding and led to fertilization failure. Based on the sequencing results and experimental validation, it was demonstrated that Sb exposure impairs mitochondrial distribution and membrane potential, elevated levels of mitochondrial superoxide, finally caused energy supply deficits. Mitochondrial damage in oocytes after Sb exposure results in the excessive oxidative stress and early apoptosis. Taken together, these data suggest that Sb exposure decreases oocyte quality and female fertilization ability by impairing mitochondrial function and redox perturbation.

Sub-acute Inhalation Exposure to Aluminum Oxide Nanoparticles and its Effects on Wistar Rats as Opposed to the Micro-sized Chemical Analog.

Aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3 NPs) are widely used in various productions. Simultaneously, many research works report the toxic effects of this nanomaterial. Given that, there is a growing risk of negative effects produced by Al2O3 NPs on public health. This study aims to investigate the toxic effects of Al2O3 NPs as opposed to the micro-sized chemical analogue under sub-acute inhalation exposure. We identified the physical properties of Al2O3 NPs as opposed to the micro- sized chemical analogue, including size, specific surface area, and total pore volume. Inhalation exposure to Al2O3 NPs was simulated on Wistar rats in a chamber for whole-body. The animals were exposed for 4 hours each day for 28 days. NPs and MPs concentrations in the chamber were kept at ~ 1/4000 from LC50. Rats' behavior was examined prior to the exposure period and after it; after the last daily exposure, we examined biochemical and hematological blood indicators, NPs and MPs bioaccumulation, and pathomorphological changes in organ tissues. The tested Al2O3 sample is a nanomaterial according to its analyzed physical properties. Rats' behavior changed more apparently under exposure to NPs compared to MPs. Aluminum levels, which were 1.62-55.20 times higher than the control, were identified in the lungs, liver, brain, and blood under exposure to NPs. These levels were also 1.55-7.65 times higher than the control under exposure to MPs. Biochemical indicators of rats' blood also changed under exposure to NPs against the control. We identified more active ALT, AST, ALP, and LDH, elevated levels of GABA, MDA, and conjugated bilirubin, and a lower level of Glu. As opposed to exposure to MPs, ALT, AST, and ALP were more active; GABA and MDA levels were higher; Glu level was lower. Under exposure to NPs, the number of platelets grew, whereas no similar effect occurred under exposure to MPs. We established pathomorphological changes in tissues of the lungs, brain, heart, and liver under exposure to Al2O3 NPs; similar changes occurred only in the lungs under exposure to MPs. Exposure to NPs induced changes in tissue structures in a wider range of various organs, and these changes were more apparent than under exposure to MPs. Greater toxicity of Al2O3 NPs as opposed to MPs is evidenced by a wider range of organs where their bioaccumulation occurs, more apparent pathomorphological and pathological functional changes. Established peculiarities of toxic effects produced by the analyzed nanomaterial should be considered when developing hygienic recommendations aimed at preventing and mitigating adverse impacts of Al2O3 NPs on human health under inhalation exposure.

Exploration of microRNAs from blood extracellular vesicles as biomarkers of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ubiquitously environmental contaminant, leads to the development of major toxic effects on human health, such as carcinogenic and immunosuppressive alterations reported for the most studied PAH, i.e., benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P). In order to assess the risk associated with this exposure, it is necessary to have predictive biomarkers. Thus, extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their microRNA (miRNA) contents, have recently been proposed as potentially interesting biomarkers in Toxicology. Our study here explores the use of vesicles secreted and found in blood fluids, and their miRNAs, as biomarkers of exposure to B(a)P alone and within a realistic occupational mixture. We isolated EVs from primary human cultured blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and rat plasma after PAH exposure and reported an increased EV production by B(a)P, used either alone or in the mixture, in vitro and in vivo. We then investigated the association of this EV release with the blood concentration of the 7,8,9,10-hydroxy (tetrol)-B(a)P reactive metabolite, in rats. By performing RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of miRNAs in PBMC-derived EVs, we analyzed miRNA profiles and demonstrated the regulation of the expression of miR-342-3p upon B(a)P exposure. We then validated B(a)P-induced changes of miR-342-3p expression in vivo in rat plasma-derived EVs. Overall, our study highlights the feasibility of using EVs and their miRNA contents, as biomarkers of PAH exposure and discusses their potential in environmental Toxicology.

Childhood adversity, accelerated GrimAge, and associated health consequences.

Childhood adversity is linked to psychological, behavioral, and physical health problems, including obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Epigenetic alterations are one pathway through which the effects of early life stress and adversity might persist into adulthood. Epigenetic mechanisms have also been proposed to explain why cardiometabolic health can vary greatly between individuals with similar Body Mass Index (BMIs). We evaluated two independent cross-sectional cohorts of adults without known medical illness, one of which explicitly recruited individuals with early life stress (ELS) and control participants (n = 195), and the other a general community sample (n = 477). In these cohorts, we examine associations between childhood adversity, epigenetic aging, and metabolic health. Childhood adversity was associated with increased GrimAge Acceleration (GAA) in both cohorts, both utilizing a dichotomous yes/no classification (both p < 0.01) as well as a continuous measure using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) (both p < 0.05). Further investigation demonstrated that CTQ subscales for physical and sexual abuse (both p < 0.05) were associated with increased GAA in both cohorts, whereas physical and emotional neglect were not. In both cohorts, higher CTQ was also associated with higher BMI and increased insulin resistance (both p < 0.05). Finally, we demonstrate a moderating effect of BMI on the relationship between GAA and insulin resistance where GAA correlated with insulin resistance specifically at higher BMIs. These results, which were largely replicated between two independent cohorts, suggest that interactions between epigenetics, obesity, and metabolic health may be important mechanisms through which childhood adversity contributes to long-term physical and metabolic health effects.

Shuttle Time for Seniors: The Impact of 8-Week Structured Badminton Training on Markers of Healthy Aging and Evaluation of Lived Experiences-A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Engagement in sport offers the potential for improved physical and psychological well-being and has been shown to be beneficial for promoting healthy aging. Opportunities for older adults to (re)engage with sport are limited by a paucity of age-appropriate introductory sports intervention programs. As such, the study evaluated the efficacy of a newly designed 8-week badminton training program (Shuttle Time for Seniors) on markers of healthy aging and the lived experiences of participation. Forty-three older adults assigned to a control (N = 20) or intervention group (N = 23) completed pre-post assessment of physical and cognitive function, self-efficacy for exercise, and well-being. Focus groups were conducted for program evaluation and to understand barriers and enablers to sustained participation. Those in the intervention group increased upper body strength, aerobic fitness, coincidence anticipation time, and self-efficacy for exercise. Objectively improved physical and cognitive functions were corroborated by perceived benefits indicated in thematic analysis. Shuttle Time for Seniors was perceived as appropriate for the population, where the age-appropriate opportunity to participate with likeminded people of similar ability was a primary motivator to engagement. Despite willingness to continue playing, lack of badminton infrastructure was a primary barrier to continued engagement. Shuttle Time for Seniors offered an important opportunity for older adults to (re)engage with badminton, where the physical and psychosocial benefits of group-based badminton improved facets important to healthy aging. Significance/Implications: Age-appropriate introductory intervention programs provide opportunity for older adults to (re)engage with sport. However, important barriers to long-term engagement need to be addressed from a whole systems perspective.

The Effects Of Mobile Health Interventions On The Physical And Mental Health Of Sedentary Male University Students

The Effects Of Mobile Health Interventions On The Physical And Mental Health Of Sedentary Male University Students

Associations Between Physical Activity Wearable Device Adherence, Health Outcomes, And Psychosocial Indicators Among High School Adolescents From Underserved Populations: A School-based Observational Study

Associations Between Physical Activity Wearable Device Adherence, Health Outcomes, And Psychosocial Indicators Among High School Adolescents From Underserved Populations: A School-based Observational Study

A Scoping Review of Multimodal, Dyadic Early Relational Health Interventions in NICUs in the United States.

Early relational health (ERH) interventions can buffer toxic stress and improve the developmental trajectories of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants. The purpose was to examine the current state of the science related to multimodal, dyadic ERH interventions implemented in the NICU setting in the United States and identify gaps in the current literature. PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and PsycInfo were searched in November 2022 and November 2023 for original studies and conference proceedings from 1970 to present in the English language. Gray literature searches were performed in February 2023 and December 2023. English language, original research, with a focus on multimodal, dyadic ERH interventions that took place primarily in a NICU in the United States were included. Outcome measures could be related to implementation, relational health, or physical and/or mental health outcomes of parent and/or infant. Eighteen of 2021 reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted for author, year, intervention, purpose, methods, sample, paternal inclusion, dyadic components, non-dyadic components, and major outcomes/results and distilled for study characteristics, multimodal, dyadic intervention characteristics, and outcome measures. Several multimodal dyadic interventions exist to aid ERH in the NICU, providing evidence of improved outcomes for infants and families. More research is required using higher sample sizes and replication studies. ERH interventions show promise in improving neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and maternal mental health outcomes and should be considered for implementation into NICU services.

Effects Of Boosted-Mindfulness Exercise Training On Physical And Mental Health Of Female Univerisity Students

Effects Of Boosted-Mindfulness Exercise Training On Physical And Mental Health Of Female Univerisity Students

Effects of Detraining on Physical Capacity and Its Relationship With Depressive Symptoms, Quality of Life and Sedentary Behavior in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

Detraining is the partial or complete loss of physical training-induced adaptations as a result of exercise interruption or reduction. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the discontinuation of many older adult exercise programs and led to increased depressive symptoms (DS), increased sedentary behavior (SB), and decreased quality of life (QoL). To evaluate the effects of detraining, in the pandemic, on physical capacity and its relationship with DS, QoL, and SB of community-dwelling older adults. The physical capacity (static balance, dynamic balance, and lower limb and handgrip strength) of 35 participants was assessed prepandemic and after 18 and 24 months of the pandemic. DS, QoL, and SB were evaluated only at 18-month period. The analysis of variance for repeated measures or the Friedman and Pearson or Spearman tests were used for statistical analysis. There was a decline in dynamic balance (p < .001) and strength in the lower limbs (p < .001) in the first 18months, as well as maintenance in the following 6months. The reduction in dynamic balance during the 18months of the pandemic was associated with greater DS (p = .015; r = .414) and worse QoL (p = .024; r = -.381) in this period. More time spent on SB (p = .024; r = .386) in the 18th month was associated with worse dynamic balance in the following 6months. Detraining in the pandemic setting led to long-lasting harmful effects, which can last for 2years, on the physical capacity of community-dwelling older adults. Our findings highlight how periods of detraining can interfere in physical and mental health of older adults.

Empowering Tomorrow’s Advocates: Real-time Teaching And Learning When Promoting Physical Activity And Health To Children

Empowering Tomorrow’s Advocates: Real-time Teaching And Learning When Promoting Physical Activity And Health To Children

Scalable, acid-resistant polyaniline deposited amidoxime PAN nanofibers for efficient adsorption and detoxification of Cr(VI) wastewater

Chromium (Cr(VI)) metal ions used in industries pose a serious threat to the health of humanity due to the challenge of removal from wastewater and high biotoxicity. Herein, a novel stable and scalable amidoxime modified polyacrylonitrile/polyaniline (AOPAN/PANI) nanofibers membrane (NFM) was prepared via a combined facile electrospinning and interfacial polymerization strategy, and investigated Cr(VI) adsorption performances by batch experiments. The adsorption kinetics, influencing factors, and removal mechanism of Cr(VI) through the scalable AOPAN/PANI NFM was systematically analyzed. The results indicated that the scalable AOPAN/PANI NFM was successfully prepared, and exhibited excellent Cr(VI) absorption capacity (299.56mg/g), moreover, the prepared NFM exhibits good acid-resistance(pH=2). The pseudo-second-order model conformed to the adsorption kinetics, and the results from batch experiments were matched by the Langmuir adsorption isothermal model. The adsorption of Cr(VI) by the scalable AOPAN/PANI-16 NFM is a non-spontaneous exothermic process. The adsorption mechanism includes electrostatic interaction of Cr(VI) and the scalable AOPAN/PANI NFM, and convert Cr(VI) into low toxicity Cr(III) and chelate. In addition, the scalable AOPAN/PANI nanofibers membrane has good reusable performance. More importantly, this work fully demonstrates the great technical advantages of the industrial application of preparing adsorbent by electrospinning, and provides a novel stable, simple and efficient treatment method for the detoxification treatment of Cr(VI) in acid wastewater.

Lack of effects of polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics on activity and expression of human drug transporters

Micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) constitute emerging and widely-distributed environmental contaminants to which humans are highly exposed. They possibly represent a threat for human health. In order to identify cellular/molecular targets for these plastic particles, we have analysed the effects of exposure to manufactured polystyrene (PS) MPs and NPs on in vitro activity and expression of human membrane drug transporters, known to interact with chemical pollutants. PS MPs and NPs, used at various concentrations (1, 10 or 100µg/mL), failed to inhibit efflux activities of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters P-glycoprotein, MRPs and BCRP in ABC transporter-expressing cells. Furthermore, PS particles did not impair the transport of P-glycoprotein or BCRP substrates across intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers. Uptake activities of solute carriers (SLCs) such as OCT1 and OCT2 (handling organic cations) or OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OATP2B1, OAT1 and OAT3 (handling organic anions) were additionally not altered by PS MPs/NPs in HEK-293 cells overexpressing these SLCs. mRNA expression of ABC transporters and of the SLCs OCT1 and OATP2B1 in Caco-2 cells and human hepatic HepaRG cells were finally not impaired by a 48-h exposure to MPs/NPs. Altogether, these data indicate that human drug transporters are unlikely to be direct and univocal targets for synthetic PS MPs/NPs.

Exploring Lycopene: A Comprehensive Review on its Food Sources, Health Benefits and Functional Food Applications

Abstract: The importance of dietary composition to human health has raised consumer interest in consuming fruits, vegetables, and foods containing bioactive chemicals and nutraceuticals. Lycopene belongs to the carotenoids abundantly found in tomato and tomato-based food products. It also can be present in other types of fruits like watermelon and pink guava. This review aims to outline the lycopene sources, health benefits, their applications as functional food ingredients and the challenges to commercialization. It has been reported that dietary lycopene has multifunctional health activities, including anticancer on various types of cancer, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, and bone protective effects identified in clinical and preclinical studies. This is because, lycopene primarily affects oxidative stress, inflammation, and pathways implicated in carcinogenesis and cell proliferation. The effects of preparation and processing factors that may impair the bioavailability of lycopene consumed through diet are addressed in this review. Overall, lycopene is a valuable natural colourant that can enhance the nutritional value of foods leading to the development of new functional foods in the food industry.