High Levels Of Consumption Research Articles

The Next 2 Billion: Can the World Support 10 Billion People?

AbstractThe UN projects that world population will peak at 10.3 billion in 2084, a 2.1 billion increase from 2024. Can the world provide food, water, and other resources to 10.3 billion people? How will additional population exacerbate resource challenges and worsen climate change? This paper analyzes these questions by looking at the last 60 years and by simulating the future impact of population growth and rising incomes on food, water, energy, and CO2 emissions. Looking back, food production has increased faster than the population in all regions, and we have not experienced significant shortages in nonrenewable resources. The history of water and CO2 emissions is less encouraging, however, with declining water levels in many aquifers and global warming threatening to undermine progress in all areas. Looking forward, population growth will be concentrated in poor countries, while rich countries, with higher consumption levels and emissions, will experience population decline. Population growth is projected to significantly increase demand for food and water in coming decades but is projected to have only modest impacts on energy and CO2, with population decline in high‐emission higher income countries more than offsetting the impact of population growth in low‐emission lower‐income countries.

Consumption of low-calorie sweetened products and intakes of free sugar and energy among UK adults

Abstract Background Policies to reduce free sugar intake in the population often suggest alternative low or no sugar products that may contain low-calorie sweeteners (LCS). However, the health effects of LCS are controversial and little is known about whether free sugar and energy intake differ between people with varying levels of LCS product consumption. This study examines the associations between LCS product consumption and free sugar and energy intake in UK adults from 2008 to 2019. Methods Repeat cross-sectional data from the UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008/09 to 2018/19) involve 8304 adults aged ≥18 years (mean 48.7, SD 18.3) with 58.4% being women. Consumption of LCS products (grams/day) were obtained from 4-day diet diaries and participants were categorized into four groups (No-LCS, Low-LCS, Mid-LCS, High-LCS) based on LCS consumption tertiles in 2008/09. Linear regression analysed associations with LCS group, year, their interaction, and adjusted for sociodemographic factors. Results All four groups consumed free sugar (relative to total energy intake) above recommended levels (5% kcal/day) throughout the study period. In 2008/09, the mean free sugar intake for the No-LCS group was 58.1 grams/day, and the mean total energy intake was 1855.7 kcal/day, which were not significantly different from the High-LCS group. Over time, free sugar intake declined by -1.0 g/year (95%CI: -1.4, -0.6) whereas total energy intake declined by -6.0 kcal/year (95%CI: -11.4, -2.1) in the No-LCS group. The High-LCS group showed similar declines leading to no significant difference in mean free sugar and total energy intake between the No-LCS and High-LCS groups in 2018/19. Conclusions In this representative study of UK adults, similar levels of free sugars and total energy intake were observed among those with no LCS and those with the highest LCS product consumption from 2008 to 2019. Absence of LCS product consumption in diets were not associated with higher free sugar intake. Key messages • The high level of LCS product consumption was not associated with lower free sugar intake among UK adults. These finding challenges policies promoting LCS to reduce UK adults’ free sugar intake. • The finding that UK adults consistently consumed free sugar above recommended levels highlights the ongoing need for policy interventions.

Protective Effect of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Cancers, Gastrointestinal Cancers, and All-Cause Mortality: A Competing Risk Analysis in a Southern Italian Cohort

Background/Objectives: This study investigates the association between extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) consumption and mortality risk in a cohort of Italian adults adhering to the Mediterranean diet. Methods: In a 17-year follow-up study involving participants from Castellana Grotte, Italy (2005–2023), we analyzed dietary intake and mortality data. Participants were categorized into three EVOO consumption groups: <30 g/day, 30–50 g/day, and >50 g/day. Mortality Hazard Ratios (HR) and Subdistribution Hazard Ratios (SHR) were calculated to assess the relationship between EVOO intake and all-cause and cancer mortality. Results: Higher EVOO consumption was associated with significantly reduced cancer and all-cause mortality. Specifically, the daily intake of 30–50 g of EVOO was linked to a 24% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.63–0.93), while the consumption of more than 50 g/day was associated with a 20% reduction (HR 0.80; 95% CI 0.65–0.98). The most pronounced benefit was observed for gastrointestinal cancers, with a 60% lower mortality risk for those consuming over 50 g/day (SHR 0.39; 95% CI 0.21–0.73). A 50% reduction in mortality risk from other cancers was also noted for the highest consumption category (SHR 0.50; 95% CI 0.31–0.81). Conclusions: The findings support the beneficial role of EVOO in reducing cancer mortality, particularly with higher consumption levels. The results underscore EVOO’s potential as a dietary intervention for cancer prevention, aligning with the Mediterranean diet’s overall health benefits. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.

Peculiarities of brain cell functioning during hyperglicemia and diabetes mellitus

Hyperglycemia is a symptom and damaging factor of diabetes mellitus (DM) that leads to systemic complications in the body, including macro- and microangiopathies of the brain, impaired blood supply, the appearance of foci of neurodegeneration and might be a trigger of neuroinflammation. Nervous tissue is characterized by a high level of energy consumption and is highly sensitive to fluctuations in the level of metabolic substrates. Therefore, it is extremely important to study the effect of high glucose levels on the functional state of the central nervous system. This review attempts to comprehensively assess the effects of hyperglycemia on brain cells. Analysis of experimental data obtained in in vivo and in vitro models of diabetes on the morphofunctional state of neurons, microglia and astrocytes showed that the direct and indirect effects of glucose in high concentrations depends on the cell type. Receptors and intracellular signaling cascades of astrocytes and microglia, that mediate the effects of hyperglycemia and the development of neuroinflammation, can act as therapeutic targets for the correction for the consequences of diabetes. Thus, finding ways to modulate the functional activity of glial cells may be an effective strategy to reduce the severity of the consequences of CNS damage.

TRENDS PUBLICATION ONLINE IMPULSE BUYING 2014-2023 ON WEB OF SCIENCE (WOS)

Buying behavior has occurred for a long time, but now impulse buying has shifted to online platforms because of the convenience it offers. This research aims to determine the development of impulse buying publications carried out on online platforms. Researchers used quantitative methods with bibliometric analysis. Data was obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) database using the keywords impulse buying and online based on topic. Then the search results are exported in BibTex format and analyzed using the biblioshiny web interface from R Studio software. The research results obtained 234 documents in the limited period of 2014-2023 from two types of documents, articles and conference papers. The analysis results show that impulse buying publications on online platforms are growing worldwide and are related to other fields, not only economics. The significant development is mainly from authors and countries that have the densest population because impulse buying online affects the high level of consumption in these countries.

Understanding consumption and purchase of tap water and diverse tap-alternative drinking water sources in Detroit, Michigan

ABSTRACT Several gaps remain in understanding individuals' water consumption reliance outcomes in disadvantaged communities. We utilize a cross-sectional sample of household-level survey data from predominantly low-income, minoritized households in Detroit, MI, to examine the relationship between tap and tap-alternative drinking water consumption and purchase behavior. We collected survey data from one English-speaking adult per household in May–October 2021 (n = 259). Consistent with past studies, tap water consumption is negatively correlated with single-use bottled water consumption and consuming drinking water from multiple sources. We also find tap distrust is correlated with tap-alternative water consumption, yet there is a surprising positive relationship between tap and overall bottled water consumption levels. Very low-income households were more likely to rely on bottled water and multiple other water sources simultaneously. Female respondents reported lower levels of most types of water consumption. Black respondents reported lower tap water and bottled water consumption but had higher levels of other tap-alternative source consumption. Our results call into question whether higher tap water consumption is synonymous with tap trust or with reduced bottled water consumption. Public health interventions must further address high levels of bottled water consumption among low-income individuals, and low tap water consumption among Black individuals.

Healthy eating behaviors and food consumption frequencies of retail workers.

Retail workers comprise millions of people, but little is known about their eating behaviors and food consumption patterns. To examine the healthy eating behaviors and food consumption frequencies of retail workers in shopping malls. The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 385 retail employees working in ready-made garment stores of shopping malls in Istanbul (42% of those eligible). A descriptive information form, the nutrition subscale of the Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), and the Food Consumption Frequency Survey were used as data collection tools. It was determined that more than half of the participants skipped breakfast and other meals and consumed fast food and packaged and acidic drinks five to six days a week. The mean score of the participants on the HPLP-nutrition subscale was determined to be 11.79±3.29. The retail workers in shopping malls were found to have insufficient healthy eating behaviors, a low frequency of healthy food consumption, and a high level of fast-food consumption. Maintaining healthy eating habits is crucial for the health of employees. It is necessary for workplaces to take steps to help their employees become aware of and practice healthy eating. Workplaces should also be encouraged to provide healthy food options for their employees.

Dietary patterns related to attention and physiological function in high-altitude migrants.

High altitude exposure negatively affects human attentional function. However, no studies have explored the regulation of attentional and physiological functions from a dietary perspective. A total of 116 Han Chinese students from Tibet University who were born and raised in a plain area and had been living in Tibet for > 2 years were recruited. All participants were male migrants. A food frequency questionnaire, complete blood count, and attention network test were performed on the participants. Pearson's correlation was applied to assess the reliability and validity of the food frequency questionnaire. Principal component analysis was utilized to extract dietary patterns. A linear mixed model was employed to account for individual differences. The results showed that the five main dietary patterns were coarse grain, alcohol, meat, protein, and snacking dietary patterns. Furthermore, individuals who adhered to the coarse grain dietary pattern and had high mean corpuscular hemoglobin showed better attentional performance. Individuals with high alcohol consumption and systemic immune-inflammation index levels exhibited worse attentional performance. These findings imply that high-altitude migrants should include more coarse grains in their daily diet and avoid excessive alcohol consumption to improve attention.

Trends of fully alcohol-attributable mortality rates before and during COVID-19 in the Baltic and other European countries.

We tested the polarization hypothesis, which postulates that during times of crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption increases among the heaviest drinkers but decreases among most other drinkers, resulting in an overall decrease in consumption among the population. We posited the increase in heavy drinking would lead to increases in 100% alcohol-attributable (AA) mortality. Furthermore, based on the high level of alcohol consumption in the Baltic countries compared to other European countries, we predicted that the increases in AA mortality would be more pronounced in these countries. Data for 100% AA deaths were obtained from the World Health Organization for the period 2010 to 2022, and standardized to the regional age distribution for 2010. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used to test the study hypotheses. The mean age-standardized 100% AA mortality rate increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in the 19 European countries with data by 3.12 deaths per 100,000 population, constituting an 18% increase (tested against no change: t = 2.52; df = 18; p = 0.021). This increase was higher in the Baltic countries (mean difference = 13.41 deaths per 100,000 population; standard deviation (SD) = 7.44; 46% increase) than for other European countries (mean difference = 1.19; SD = 1.55; 8% increase). The increases in 100% AA mortality were associated with decreases in the level of alcohol consumption in the majority of countries. As predicted, 100% AA mortality increased in 19 European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Baltic countries seeing a higher increase. Renewed alcohol control policy efforts should be considered.

Green Communication in IoT for Enabling Next-Generation Wireless Systems

Recent developments and the widespread use of IoT-enabled technologies has led to the Research and Development (R&D) efforts in green communication. Traditional dynamic-source routing is one of the well-known protocols that was suggested to solve the information dissemination problem in an IoT environment. However, this protocol suffers from a high level of energy consumption in sensor-enabled device-to-device and device-to-base station communications. As a result, new information dissemination protocols should be developed to overcome the challenge of dynamic-source routing, and other similar protocols regarding green communication. In this context, a new energy-efficient routing protocol (EFRP) is proposed using the hybrid adopted heuristic techniques. In the densely deployed sensor-enabled IoT environment, an optimal information dissemination path for device-to-device and device-to-base station communication was identified using a hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) and the antlion optimization (ALO) algorithms. An objective function is formulated focusing on energy consumption-centric cost minimization. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed protocol outperforms the Greedy approach and the DSR protocol in terms of a range of green communication metrics. It was noticed that the number of alive sensor nodes in the experimental network increased by more than 26% compared to the other approaches and lessened energy consumption by about 33%. This leads to a prolonged IoT network lifetime, increased by about 25%. It is evident that the proposed scheme greatly improves the information dissemination efficiency of the IoT network, significantly increasing the network’s throughput.

IoT Sensor Network Electricity Consumption Behaviour Using ClusterAnalysis Algorithm for Network Environment

The Internet of Things (IoT) sensor network plays a crucial role in monitoring electricity consumption behavior by collecting real-time data from various connected devices. Utilizing cluster analysis algorithms, researchers can effectively segment and analyze consumption patterns within a network environment. By grouping similar usage behaviors, these algorithms reveal insights into energy efficiency, peak usage times, and anomalies in consumption. The paper presents a novel methodology for analyzing and classifying users' electricity consumption behavior, utilizing the Clustering Behavior Analysis Weighted Classification (CBAWC) algorithm. By leveraging cluster analysis techniques and weighted classification, the proposed approach allows for the segmentation of consumers into distinct clusters based on their consumption patterns. Through the application of CBAWC, the study provides insights into the diverse behaviors exhibited by consumers, ranging from moderate to high consumption levels, varied peak hours, and peak days. The classification results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm in accurately assigning users to their respective clusters, enabling stakeholders to better understand consumption trends and tailor energy management strategies accordingly. Through the application of CBAWC, consumers are segmented into distinct clusters based on their consumption patterns. For example, clusters exhibit varying average daily consumption levels, with Cluster 1 consuming around 300 kWh, Cluster 2 consuming approximately 450 kWh, and Cluster 3 consuming about 280 kWh on average. Additionally, clusters display different peak hours per day and peak days per month. The classification results demonstrate the algorithm's effectiveness, with high accuracy scores ranging from 0.86 to 1.00 across different user groups.

Effect of Acute Alcohol Consumption in a Novel Rodent Model of Decision Making.

Alcohol use, especially at high consumption levels, can lead to irrational decision-making. In humans, this can lead to harmful outcomes often seen in the context of driving under the influence and or aggressive behavior. To date, the field is lacking comprehensive animal models to examine the impact of alcohol use on decision making in rodents, particularly to examine sex differences in choice behavior. To address this issue, the present study examined the effects of acute alcohol consumption during a behavioral approach-avoidance task that captures momentary changes in decision-making behavior and choice selection in female and male rats. Our team has developed a novel behavioral protocol involving a concurrent choice to consume four different concentrations of alcohol and sucrose combinations. During the task, female or male rats can approach or avoid drinking solutions in four distinct corners of our test apparatus. The solutions were prepared in inverse concentrations (higher sucrose was paired with lower alcohol and vice versa) so that the rodents pursue minimal alcohol use by consuming the higher sucrose concentrations or higher concentrations of alcohol by drinking the lower sucrose concentrations. The animals also have the option to avoid drinking alcohol by not approaching any of the drinking cups. Behavior and choice were tracked during task performance involving different solution concentrations of alcohol and sucrose. The choice of consuming different concentrations of alcohol or sucrose resulted in sex-dependent differences in an approach-avoid trade-off pattern of behavior that was sensitive to different concentrations of alcohol/sucrose combinations. Notably, males were greatly affected by the introduction of alcohol into the task environment, approaching higher alcohol concentrations significantly more often than the non-alcohol containing options. In contrast, females choice patterns and task performance were largely unchanged during alcohol and non-alcohol containing tasks. Regardless of sex, we identify a novel method for identifying individual subject decision-making abnormalities during and after alcohol consumption. This research reveals a novel approach for examining the effects of acute alcohol exposure during a trade-off task, with decision patterns being more impacted by alcohol use in males as compared to females. We also offer the field a novel approach for identifying individual abnormalities in decision making behavior with the presentation of alcohol. Future research can explore these abnormal patterns in both acute and chronic alcohol conditions to develop methods for identifying subjects at-risk for developing an alcohol use disorder and the deleterious impact of alcohol on rational decision making.

Impacts of Urbanization on Energy Consumption in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Zone

Energy resources play a vital role in the process of urbanization, and the high level of energy consumption has significantly created an alarming situation for environmental degradation. Increased demand for energy consumption in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) zone is a core concern for decreasing the existing reserves of energy, especially nonrenewable energy, when the growth of urbanization is increasing also. This study investigates the impacts of urbanization on energy consumption in this region by identifying factors that influence energy use. We employed globally used econometric techniques to examine the relationship between energy use and urbanization. The results of the study indicate that all the independent variables used in the model (except urban population growth) were statistically significant with a 99% level of confidence. In addition, the findings of this study recognized three long-run causalities running from the GDP (gross domestic product) to energy consumption, energy consumption to GDP, and energy consumption to the industry’s share of the countries’ GDP. We recommend (i) taking the initiative to invest in renewable energy, (ii) implementing green energy-efficient technologies in the industrial sector, and (iii) raising public awareness of the negative effects of energy use on the environment through education.

Power Dispatching Strategy Considering the Health Status of Multi-Energy Conversion Equipment in Highway Power Supply Systems

In order to extend the service life of a highway power supply system and the level of new energy consumption, a power dispatching strategy considering the health status of multi-energy conversion equipment is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the energy and load forms of the highway power supply system are introduced, and the structure of the multi-energy conversion equipment, the topological structures of the DC–DC and DC–AC modules, and the operating characteristics are analyzed. Secondly, the module temperatures and output voltages are used as main parameters to establish the health indexes of DC–DC and DC–AC modules, and then the health index of the multi-energy conversion equipment is further calculated. Thirdly, the new energy consumption index is defined, and a multi-objective optimization model for power dispatching of highway power supply systems is established with the goal of improving the health index of multi-energy conversion equipment and the new energy consumption index. The case study shows that the power dispatching strategy in this paper can better control the temperature of each module, improve the health status of multi-energy conversion equipment, and have a high level of new energy consumption.

Regression Analysis of the Impact of Foreign Direct Investments, Adjusted Net Savings, and Environmental Tax Revenues on the Consumption of Renewable Energy Sources in EU Countries

It is very important for EU countries to achieve energy independence. But this is actually impossible without a high level of use or consumption of renewable energy (RE) sources. Important parameters affecting the consumption of RE sources are as follows: foreign direct investments (FDI), adjusted net savings (ANS), and environmental tax revenues. In the presented work, the likely impact of the above indicators on the level of use of RE sources was estimated using a second-order regression equation. As a result, it was established that the growth of the adjusted net savings indicator and an increase in environmental tax revenues (ETR) have a positive effect on the level of use of RE sources. With significant FDI, the level of ANS does not have a very obvious effect on the growth of the level of use of RE sources. An increase in the level of ANS allows for an increase in ETR, which in turn contributes to an increase in the level of consumption of RE sources. It was also established that an increase in the level of ANS contributes to a more complete realization of the potential of FDI for the development of RE. It has been empirically established that a consistently high consumption of renewable energy sources is actually possible in the countries with a high level of adjusted net savings, high environmental tax revenues, and active attraction of foreign direct investments.

For cash, the planet, or for both: Evaluating an informational intervention for energy consumption reduction

Reductions in residential energy demand (especially by high-consuming households) are critical for climate change mitigation. Interventions that inform people about their energy use and its consequences may encourage them to reduce energy consumption, but such informational interventions have not always been found to be effective. In addition, little is known about the factors that determine the effectiveness of informational interventions. Here, we examined the effect of an informational intervention campaign on household energy use (electricity and gas) in Mechelen, Belgium. Neighborhoods were randomized to different variants of the intervention that emphasized the monetary, environmental, or monetary and environmental consequences of saving energy. Across a three-year study period, we observed significantly larger reductions (two additional percentage points) in gas consumption in the intervention city than in four comparable control cities. This effect was largely driven by reductions in neighborhoods with high baseline levels of gas consumption. No substantial changes were found between neighborhoods that received monetary information, environmental information, or both. Our findings support the effectiveness of informational interventions for the reduction of energy use, point to the special role of high-consuming households, and can inform the design of future intervention campaigns.

Resilient city construction efficiency and its influencing factors in China's Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle: Considering both construction input and resilience level of the city

The growing expansion of urban centers combined with a deteriorating climatic environment raises the likelihood and severity of urban disasters. Thus, there is an urgent need to accelerate the resilient city construction. Here, we use efficiency theory to structure an assessment indicator system of the resilient city construction efficiency to examine the actual correlation of urban resilience enhancement and urban resource consumption. Specifically, 16 key cities in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) are investigated using the super-efficient SBM and GTWR models. The findings reveal that the resilient city construction efficiency varies greatly among cities in the region, but most cities have relatively low resilient city construction efficiency, showing high resource consumption and low resilience levels. Also, the lower efficiency of regional resilient city construction is mainly due to the serious ineffectiveness of technical and resource inputs, insufficient outputs of ecological resilience and engineering resilience, and is also greatly influenced by factors such as the economic level and the technological innovation level. Upon this basis, we suggest the development strategies for resilient city construction in CCEC. This study broadens the perspective and scope of urban resilience research, and also provides a realistic reference for accelerating the construction of resilient cities.

Islamic Consumption Behavior In Realizing Family Welfare

Consumption in a country's economy, with higher levels of consumption causing increased economic activity and changes in a country's national income. The impact of consumption on household financial stability, with excessive spending relative to income causing personal financial problems. material and spiritual well-being in the household, is very important in balancing worldly and spiritual needs for overall well-being. This research is qualitative research with a normative approach. Obtaining secondary data in the form of data on welfare indicators which refer to the consumption behavior of Indonesian people obtained from the Central Statistics Agency in a certain period. This data is used as a reference in the importance of discussing consumption behavior, especially in the context of sharia. Meanwhile, the behavioral theory approach is used for the purposes of analyzing the goals of consumption behavior by adhering to Islamic principles to realize prioritized welfare among households. Research shows that consumption behavior in realizing the welfare of Muslim families can be seen from several indicators listed in data processed by the Central Statistics Agency. Consumption pattern indicators are influenced by income levels which reflect people's purchasing power and abilities. Meanwhile, other indicators can be seen from the quality of health and nutrition, education, housing and other social issues, such as a lifestyle that follows the times

NTP monograph on the state of the science concerning fluoride exposure and neurodevelopment and cognition: a systematic review.

Fluoride is a common exposure in our environment that comes from a variety of sources and is widely promoted for its dental and overall oral health benefits. Contributions to an individual's total exposure come primarily from fluoride in drinking water, food, beverages and dental products. A 2006 evaluation by the National Research Council (NRC) found support for an association between consumption of high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water and adverse neurological effects in humans and recommended further investigation. The evidence reviewed at that time was from dental and skeletal fluorosis-endemic regions of China. Since the NRC evaluation, the number and location of studies examining cognitive and neurobehavioral effects of fluoride in humans have grown considerably, including several recent North American prospective cohort studies evaluating prenatal fluoride exposure. In 2016, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) published a systematic review of the evidence from experimental animal studies on the effects of fluoride on learning and memory. That systematic review found a low-to-moderate level of evidence that deficits in learning and memory occur in non-human mammals exposed to fluoride. To conduct a systematic review of the human, experimental animal, and mechanistic literature to evaluate the extent and quality of the evidence linking fluoride exposure to neurodevelopmental and cognitive effects in humans. A systematic review protocol was developed and utilized following the standardized OHAT systematic review approach for conducting literature-based health assessments. This monograph presents the current state of evidence associating fluoride exposure with cognitive or neurodevelopmental health effects and incorporated predefined assessments of study quality and confidence levels. Benefits of fluoride with respect to oral health are not addressed in this monograph. The bodies of experimental animal studies and human mechanistic evidence do not provide clarity on the association between fluoride exposure and cognitive or neurodevelopmental human health effects. Human mechanistic studies were too heterogenous and limited in number to make any determination on biological plausibility. This systematic review identified studies that assessed the association between estimated fluoride exposure and cognitive or neurodevelopmental effects in both adults and children, which were evaluated separately. The most common exposure assessment measures were drinking water concentrations and estimates of total fluoride exposure, as reflected in biomarkers such as urinary fluoride. In adults, only two high-quality cross-sectional studies examining cognitive effects were available. The literature in children was more extensive and was separated into studies assessing intelligence quotient (IQ) and studies assessing other cognitive or neurodevelopmental outcomes. Eight of nine high-quality studies examining other cognitive or neurodevelopmental outcomes reported associations with estimated fluoride exposure. Seventy-two studies assessed the association between fluoride exposure and IQ in children. Nineteen of those studies were considered to be high quality; of these, 18 reported an inverse association between estimated fluoride exposure and IQ in children. The 18 studies, which include 3 prospective cohort studies and 15 cross-sectional studies, were conducted in 5 different countries. Forty-six of the 53 low-quality studies in children also found evidence of an inverse association between estimated fluoride exposure and IQ in children. Existing animal studies provide little insight into the question of whether fluoride exposure affects IQ. In addition, studies that evaluated fluoride exposure and mechanistic data in humans were too heterogenous and limited in number to make any determination on biological plausibility. The body of evidence from studies in adults is also limited and provides low confidence that fluoride exposure is associated with adverse effects on adult cognition. There is, however, a large body of evidence on associations between fluoride exposure and IQ in children. There is also some evidence that fluoride exposure is associated with other neurodevelopmental and cognitive effects in children; although, because of the heterogeneity of the outcomes, there is low confidence in the literature for these other effects. This review finds, with moderate confidence, that higher estimated fluoride exposures (e.g., as in approximations of exposure such as drinking water fluoride concentrations that exceed the World Health Organization Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality of 1.5 mg/L of fluoride) are consistently associated with lower IQ in children. More studies are needed to fully understand the potential for lower fluoride exposure to affect children's IQ.

Biomass Resources and Emission Reduction Potential of Agricultural and Livestock Residues in Mainland China from 2013 to 2022

Controlling carbon emissions is a global goal, and China is actively implementing carbon reduction measures. As a major agricultural nation, China has considerable potential for developing agricultural residues as renewable and environmentally friendly biomass energy. In this study, we obtained data on crop yields, crop-to-grain ratios, and livestock excretion coefficients to calculate the biomass resources of agricultural and livestock residues in Chinese provinces from 2013 to 2022. Crop residue biomass resources showed a distribution pattern with higher levels in the north than in the south and the east than in the west. Henan and Heilongjiang provinces consistently had the highest resource levels, exceeding 35 million tons annually for 10 years. The biomass resources from livestock residues were relatively abundant in Sichuan, Henan, Yunnan, Shandong, Hunan, and Inner Mongolia. Inner Mongolia, Sichuan, Shandong, and Henan had the greatest potential for CO2 emission reductions, primarily located in regions abundant in biomass resources and with high traditional energy consumption levels. ArcGIS was used to apply natural break classification to categorize the potential for emission reductions from agricultural and livestock residues across China from 2013 to 2022 into five classes. Based on factors such as crop planting area and livestock numbers, the spatiotemporal distribution of factors influencing the quantity of biomass resources was examined using Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression. A tailored and integrated approach should be used for biomass, and the development of biomass energy should be promoted through policy support and technological innovation.