High Consumption Rates Research Articles

Association between alcohol restriction policies and rates of alcohol-related harms in remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: a systematic review.

The objective of this review was to examine the association between alcohol supply restriction policies and rates of alcohol-related harms in remote Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in remote communities experience a higher rate of alcohol-related harms than other Australians. High rates of alcohol consumption are associated with a range of physical and social harms. Restricting the supply of alcoholic beverages in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is often used by governments as a strategy to reduce these harms, but the current evidence is conflicting. This review considered all quantitative studies with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants living in remote communities in Australia, where the participants were exposed to restrictions on the supply of alcoholic beverages. Harms of interest were i) physical injuries (whether secondary to assaults or accidents), measured as hospital admissions, Royal Flying Doctor Service attendance and transfers, and reported assaults, including intimate partner or family violence; ii) alcohol-related illnesses, measured as hospital admissions for conditions primarily attributed to alcohol consumption; and iii) rates of alcohol consumption, measured as alcohol sales per person or as self-reported consumption. We searched a wide range of databases and gray literature resources for published and unpublished, English-language studies from 1998 to 2020. Two reviewers independently screened search results and selected citations for full-text retrieval. Two reviewers independently assessed each article for congruence to the inclusion criteria. Critical appraisal and data extraction were conducted by two reviewers working independently. Data were narratively synthesized because statistical pooling was not possible. We included 13 observational studies with more than 15,800 participants. Most included studies reported some harm reductions in association with a variety of alcohol supply restrictions; however, these reductions were sometimes short-lived. Studies reported on a variety of supply reduction strategies, ranging from small limitations on when alcohol could be sold to total prohibition of alcohol within the community. None of the interventions examined in the included studies reported consistent results. Total prohibition of alcohol was initially associated with large reductions in consumption but also led to unintended consequences, such as illicit substance use, alcohol consumption outside of the community, and illegal importation of alcohol into the community. We were unable to make any strong recommendations based on the included studies due to inherent bias in the study designs employed. Problematic use of alcohol by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is unlikely to be solved by a single strategy. Total alcohol prohibition does not stop people from seeking and accessing alcohol, and may in fact lead to a range of negative unintended consequences. Future studies should be more rigorously designed and reported to increase the strength of the evidence and certainty in the results.

Implementation of Chemical Health, Safety, and Environmental Risk Assessment in Laboratories: A Case-Series Study.

IntroductionCharacterizing risks associated with laboratory activities in universities may improve health, safety, and environmental management and reduce work-related diseases and accidents. This study aimed to develop and implement a chemical risk assessment method to determine and prioritize more hazardous chemicals in the academic laboratories.MethodsA case-series study was conducted at five academic laboratories and research facilities of an Iranian medical sciences university in 2021. A risk assessment was developed and implemented in three phases to identify, evaluate, and classify potential risks and hazards. The approach provided an innovative tool for evaluating and prioritizing risks in chemical laboratories. Hazards were classified on a five-level scale. The technique reviewed both quantitative and qualitative data and pieces of evidence using Laboratory Safety Guidance (OSHA), Occupational Hazard Datasheet (ILO), the standards of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) codes.ResultsOverall, the frequency of risks rated from “moderate” to “very high” levels was determined for the health hazards (9.3%), environmental hazards (35.2%), and safety hazards (20.4%). Hydrochloric acid had a high consumption rate in laboratory operations and received the highest risk levels in terms of potential hazards to employees' health and the environment. Nitric acid, Sulfuric acid, Formaldehyde, and Sodium hydroxide were assessed as potential health hazards. Moreover, Ethanol and Sulfuric acid were recognized as safety hazards. We observed adequate security provisions and procedures in academic laboratory operations. However, the lack of awareness concerning health, safety, environmental chemical hazards, and inappropriate sewage disposal systems contributed to the increasing levels of laboratory risk.ConclusionsChemicals used in laboratory activities generate workplace and environmental hazards that must be assessed, managed, and risk mitigated. Developing a method of rating health, safety, and environmental risks related to laboratory chemicals may assist in defining and understanding potential hazards. Our assessment suggested the need for improving the risk perception of individuals involved in handling chemicals to prevent exposure from workplace duties and environmental pollution hazards.

Predator control of marine communities increases with temperature across 115 degrees of latitude.

Early naturalists suggested that predation intensity increases toward the tropics, affecting fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes by latitude, but empirical support is still limited. Several studies have measured consumption rates across latitude at large scales, with variable results. Moreover, how predation affects prey community composition at such geographic scales remains unknown. Using standardized experiments that spanned 115° of latitude, at 36 nearshore sites along both coasts of the Americas, we found that marine predators have both higher consumption rates and consistently stronger impacts on biomass and species composition of marine invertebrate communities in warmer tropical waters, likely owing to fish predators. Our results provide robust support for a temperature-dependent gradient in interaction strength and have potential implications for how marine ecosystems will respond to ocean warming.

The Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in a Michigan Cohort of Infants and Toddlers

ObjectivesThe proportion of Americans with overweight/obesity continues to rise such that 40% of children and teens are impacted and 14% of toddlers are considered obese. Many long-term health consequences are associated with childhood obesity demonstrating the importance of diet quality early in life. The objective of this study was to use data from a longitudinal cohort study to determine juice and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and compare to national data. MethodsData were collected through surveys filled out by mothers when the child was 12 (n = 44), 24 (n = 46), and 36 (n = 32) months of age. At 12 and 24 months, the survey contained a 24-hour diet recall and a 24-hour diet checklist. At 36 months, only the 24-hour dietary checklist was collected. Data were compared to results from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS), a national study of infant and toddler dietary intake, using chi square tests. ResultsThe 24-hour dietary recall indicated an increase in the proportion of infants consuming juice starting at 19.6% at 12 months, and increasing to 54.3% at 24 months, and 55.6% at 36 months. This was consistent with FITS data, which started with 27% consuming juice at ∼12 months and increased to 55% at ∼24 months. The 24-hour recall indicated an increase in non-juice SSB consumption from 0%, 10.9%, and 22.2% at 12, 24, and 36 months respectively. FITS reported 8.5% of infants at ∼12 months and 31% by ∼24th months consumed non-juice SSB. Notably, at 12 and 24 months, the consumption of non-juice SSB in FITS was significantly higher than in our cohort. ConclusionsThis population of Michigan children has consistent high rates of juice consumption, but lower rates of non-juice SSB consumption compared to rates reported nationally. Results suggest future efforts should emphasize the health implications of juice intake to caregivers. Funding SourcesUnrestricted funds provided to SSC by Michigan State University.

APPLICATION OF CHOOSING BY ADVANTAGE (CBA) TO SELECT MOST SUSTAINABLE PROJECT, METRO EXTENSION CASE STUDY

Sustainable construction aims to minimize harm and maximize value by achieving a balance between social, economic, technical, and environmental aspects, commonly known as the pillars of sustainability. In recent years, the construction industry has drawn increasing criticism due to its low productivity and high rates of energy consumption, generation of wastes, and greenhouse gas emissions. Traditionally, projects are selected based on return on investment and economic impact, whereas social and environmental considerations have received relatively little attention. When all pillars of sustainability are considered during the selection, taking a decision becomes more complicated. As such, in many cases, the owner opts not to employ a formal decision-making process in determining the most sustainable alternatives. This paper developed a multi-criteria Decision Support System (DSS) to aid stakeholders in deciding on the most sustainable option among many alternatives. Choosing by Advantage (CBA) has been used in this paper for developing a decision-making model considering the four pillars of sustainability. Multiple social, economic, technical, and environmental criteria are identified and evaluated through a case study. The selection of metro rail project from three alternative routes was assessed considering sustainability criteria using the CBA model. The case study stands as a valuable point of reference for identifying the best possible alternative for comparable future projects. Moreover, the developed DSS is expected to enhance objectivity and consistency in selection and to aid in making better decisions in terms of sustainability for any similar construction projects.

A heterostructure of halide and oxide double perovskites Cs2AgBiBr6/Sr2FeNbO6 for boosting the charge separation toward high efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible-light irradiation

Halide and oxide double-perovskites (HODPs) are a novel class in semiconductor photocatalysts, which have been deemed as auspicious alternatives to replace the toxic lead-halide perovskites due to their impressive photophysical properties. However, poor charge separation and severe charge recombination have restrained their photocatalytic activities. Described herein is a heterostructure of Cs2AgBiBr6/Sr2FeNbO6 (CABB/SFNO) double perovskites, which is demonstrated for boosting the charge separation efficiency toward efficient photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Comprehensive investigations based on in-situ light-irradiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra, electron spin resonance spectra and density functional theory, illustrate that a unique direct Z-scheme electron transfer mode in the CABB/SFNO heterostructure is demonstrated, resulting in a significant spatial charge separation as verified by various characterization techniques including photoelectrochemical measurements, photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved PL. Consequently, remarkable photocatalytic CO and CH4 production rates of 50.00 and 8.12 µmol g-1h−1, respectively, and a high electron consumption rate of 164.96 µmol g-1h−1, were achieved with visible-light (λ ≥ 420 nm) even without loading any cocatalysts. Representing the highest value among all reported lead-free double perovskite photocatalysts even is comparable with the benchmark CsPbBr3-based Z-scheme. This work certified that HODPs hold great potential for developing efficient and eco-friendly photocatalysts for photocatalytic applications.

Modern High-Performance Methods for Special Processing of Arms, Military and Special Equipment

Carrying out special treatment is one of the main measures to maintain the combat capability of troops in conditions of chemical and biological contamination or radiation contamination of the area. The purpose of the work was to assess the current state of the means of special processing of military equipment and to identify possible ways to improve their effectiveness. The existing means of special processing of military equipment basically meet the requirements, however, in modern conditions they have a number of shortcomings and need to be improved. Thus, aqueous solutions of degassing and disinfecting substances and organic formulations of special treatment are used with a relatively high consumption rate of up to 4,5 l/m2 and 0,6 l/m2 , respectively, while the treatment time for 1 m2 can be 1 minute, which is related as with the physicochemical properties of the solutions and formulations used, as well as with the features of the methods of their application. In addition, technical means of special processing are not intended for processing the internal volumes of military equipment, and preparatory measures require a set of tools. In the course of the analysis, it was found that a decrease in the consumption rate and an increase in the rate of special circulation can be achieved as a result of the use of foam concentrates that give a prolonging effect to aqueous solutions of chemically active substances. Increasing the automation and productivity of special processing of military equipment up to 30–40 units/h can be achieved as a result of the development of an in-line processing method. This method consists in applying degassing formulations to the treated surface in the form of an aerosoldroplet flow using centrifugal nozzles located on a semi-arched movable structure. At the same time, the increase in productivity is primarily achieved as a result of an increase in the simultaneously processed area of the object. Reducing the time for preliminary preparation of objects and increasing the completeness of measures for the special processing of military equipment can be achieved as a result of the development of a multi-stage method of degassing, disinfection and decontamination. The method consists in the successive application of high-pressure water jets and foam-forming or solvent formulations with a given treatment exposure time. In some cases, along with the treatment of external surfaces, it becomes necessary to carry out degassing and disinfection of the internal habitable compartments of military equipment. One of the possible directions for solving this problem is a qualitative expansion of the capabilities of technical means of special treatment as a result of the development of a method for using ultra-small volumes of special treatment formulations in the form of a highly dispersed aerosol. It is advisable to spray solutions of chemically active substances by hydraulic or pneumohydraulic methods, while maintaining the main indicators of the quality of the formulations. The use of the presented means and methods of special treatment will improve the efficiency of ongoing measures for degassing, disinfection and decontamination as a result of increasing productivity, reducing the consumption rate of solutions and formulations of special treatment, increasing process automation and reducing labor intensity.

Effects of Formulation on the Palatability and Efficacy of In-Feed Praziquantel Medications for Marine Finfish Aquaculture.

Praziquantel (PZQ) provides an effective treatment against monogenean parasitic infestations in finfish. However, its use as an in-feed treatment is challenging due to palatability issues. In this study, five formulations of PZQ beads (1–4 mm) were developed using marine-based polymers, with allicin added as a flavouring agent. All formulations attained PZQ loading rates ≥74% w/w, and the beads were successfully incorporated into fish feed pellets at an active dietary inclusion level of 10 g/kg. When tested for palatability and digestibility in small yellowtail kingfish, the PZQ-loaded beads produced with alginate-chitosan, alginate-Cremophor® RH40, and agar as carriers resulted in high consumption rates of 99–100% with no digesta or evidence of beads in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of fish fed with diets containing either formulation. Two formulations produced using chitosan-based carriers resulted in lower consumption rates of 68–75%, with undigested and partly digested beads found in the fish GIT 3 h post feeding. The PZQ-loaded alginate-chitosan and agar beads also showed good palatability in large (≥2 kg) yellowtail kingfish infected with gill parasites and were efficacious in removing the parasites from the fish, achieving >90% reduction in mean abundance relative to control fish (p < 0.001). The two effective formulations were stable upon storage at ambient temperature for up to 18 months, showing residual drug content >90% compared with baseline levels. Overall, the palatability, efficacy and stability data collected from this study suggest that these two PZQ particulate formulations have potential applications as in-feed anti-parasitic medications for the yellowtail kingfish farming industry.

A putatively new family of alphaproteobacterial chloromethane degraders from a deciduous forest soil revealed by stable isotope probing and metagenomics

BackgroundChloromethane (CH3Cl) is the most abundant halogenated organic compound in the atmosphere and substantially responsible for the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer. Since anthropogenic CH3Cl sources have become negligible with the application of the Montreal Protocol (1987), natural sources, such as vegetation and soils, have increased proportionally in the global budget. CH3Cl-degrading methylotrophs occurring in soils might be an important and overlooked sink.Results and conclusionsThe objective of our study was to link the biotic CH3Cl sink with the identity of active microorganisms and their biochemical pathways for CH3Cl degradation in a deciduous forest soil. When tested in laboratory microcosms, biological CH3Cl consumption occurred in leaf litter, senescent leaves, and organic and mineral soil horizons. Highest consumption rates, around 2 mmol CH3Cl g−1 dry weight h−1, were measured in organic soil and senescent leaves, suggesting that top soil layers are active (micro-)biological CH3Cl degradation compartments of forest ecosystems. The DNA of these [13C]-CH3Cl-degrading microbial communities was labelled using stable isotope probing (SIP), and the corresponding taxa and their metabolic pathways studied using high-throughput metagenomics sequencing analysis. [13C]-labelled Metagenome-Assembled Genome closely related to the family Beijerinckiaceae may represent a new methylotroph family of Alphaproteobacteria, which is found in metagenome databases of forest soils samples worldwide. Gene markers of the only known pathway for aerobic CH3Cl degradation, via the methyltransferase system encoded by the CH3Cl utilisation genes (cmu), were undetected in the DNA-SIP metagenome data, suggesting that biological CH3Cl sink in this deciduous forest soil operates by a cmu-independent metabolism.

Adaptive Clustering Algorithm for IIoT Based Mobile Opportunistic Networks

The clustering algorithms play a crucial role for energy saving solutions in mobile opportunistic networks. If the selection of cluster head is made appropriately, then the energy can be consumed optimally. The existing clustering algorithms do not consider the optimal selection of the cluster head resulting in low survival rates and high energy consumption rates in nodes. The adaptive clustering is required in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) based sophisticated networks where seamless connectivity is imperative for rapid communication. In order to meet this research gap, an adaptive clustering algorithm for mobile opportunistic networks is proposed within military bases that uses a heuristic algorithm (GA) for adaptive clustering. An analysis of the opportunity network at the connected military base is carried out and the mobile opportunity model is constructed using the adaptive clustering for the similar traffic. In a mobile machine network, the next hop node is determined by the node clustering principle. A LEACH clustering protocol enables communication between cluster heads and base stations based on single-hop and multihop cluster nodes. In order to perform adaptive clustering of mobile network nodes based on network partitioning and scheduling of clusters, genetic algorithms are used. The proposed approach can be applied to the IIoT systems in places where adaptive clustering is required to optimize energy consumption, to reduce latency rates, and to enhance the throughput of mobile networks. The experimental findings suggest that the proposed adaptive strategy is capable of optimizing energy consumption rates, reducing network latency, and boosting efficiency by increasing throughput in mobile opportunistic networks.

Thoughts and suggestions on ecological cultivation of Gastrodia elata

Due to the special biological characteristics, Gastrodia elata suffers from high resource consumption and low utilization rate in modern agricultural production, which significantly block the green and healthy development of this industry. Based on the theory and technology in ecological cultivation of Chinese medicinal materials, this study analyzed the challenges in ecological cultivation of G. elata, such as waste of fungus material, a few cultivation modes available, continuous cropping obstacles, frequent occurrence of diseases, and poor stability of ecological structure. According to the production practice, the following suggestions were proposed for ecological cultivation of G. elata: following the principle of environmental protection and no pollution, selecting suitable habitats to yield high-quality medicinal materials, committing to green control of diseases and pests, upgrading industrial structure to maximize the benefits, establishing a sound mechanism for protecting the genetic diversity of wild G. elata, carrying out simulative habitat cultivation to improve medicinal material quality, adopting science-based planning of fungus resources to relieve forestry pressure, enhancing the recycling and utilization of fungus materials, and applying diversified cultivation modes to improve the stability of ecological structure. The result is expected to provide a reference for the quality development of G. elata industry.

Sulfur in lucinid bivalves inhibits intake rates of a molluscivore shorebird.

A forager's energy intake rate is usually constrained by a combination of handling time, encounter rate and digestion rate. On top of that, food intake may be constrained when a forager can only process a maximum amount of certain toxic compounds. The latter constraint is well described for herbivores with a limited tolerance to plant secondary metabolites. In sulfidic marine ecosystems, many animals host chemoautotrophic endosymbionts, which store sulfur compounds as an energy resource, potentially making their hosts toxic to predators. The red knot Calidris canutus canutus is a molluscivore shorebird that winters on the mudflats of Banc d'Arguin, where the most abundant bivalve prey Loripes orbiculatus hosts sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. In this system, we studied the potential effect of sulfur on the red knots' intake rates, by offering Loripes with various sulfur content to captive birds. To manipulate toxicity, we starved Loripes for 10days by removing them from their symbiont's energy source sulfide. As predicted, we found lower sulfur concentrations in starved Loripes. We also included natural variation in sulfur concentrations by offering Loripes collected at two different locations. In both cases lower sulfur levels in Loripes resulted in higher consumption rates in red knots. Over time the red knots increased their intake rates on Loripes, showing their ability to adjust to a higher intake of sulfur.

Biological invasions alter consumer-stress relationships along an estuarine gradient.

Estuaries represent steep stress gradients for aquatic organisms, with abiotic stress due to temperature and salinity typically increasing with distance into estuary. Invertebrate communities and their predators are strongly influenced by these stress gradients. The environmental stress model predicts that the importance of predation in structuring communities decreases with increasing environmental stress. Estuaries contain a stress gradient for marine organisms this includes salinity, temperature, and other abiotic properties. Additionally, estuaries are hotspots for biological invasions; increased stress tolerance among non-native species could change the predictions of the environmental stress model. In this study, we investigate how introduced species alter the predictions of the environmental stress model by examining the effects of predators on sessile invertebrates across an estuarine gradient. To do this, we deployed recruitment plates across the estuarine gradient of Tomales Bay, California, USA using various caging treatments over the summer of 2019. We found that the effect of predation changed across sites, with the mid-estuary site experiencing the greatest reductions in prey abundance and prey species richness when exposed to predators. This was likely to be due to higher proportions of non-native prey and predator taxa mid-estuary, including solitary ascidians, which are highly susceptible to predation. Overall, predation did not follow the predictions of the environmental stress model, but rather followed the abundance of functional groups with non-native species, whose distribution could be mediated by environmental stress gradients. We suggest that this may be a general result and that communities subject to large numbers of stress-tolerant invaders may have high rates of consumption in high stress areas, contrasting predictions by previous models.

Critical reflections on "humane" meat and plant-based meat "alternatives"

Canadians are among the top meat consumers in the world. Greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, animal stress and suffering, worker health and safety, and cardiovascular disease are among the multitude of issues tied to high rates of meat consumption. In response to rising concern and debate over the impacts of meat consumption, two sectors of the food industry have grown considerably in recent years: "humane" meat and plant-based meat "alternatives." The former attempts to ameliorate harms via more ethical farming practices, and the latter utilizes technological innovations to replace animal-based meat. In this article, we outline a dilemma wherein pathways to more sustainable and ethical food systems may require both an acceptance of these solutions and a push beyond them towards more complex, systemic changes. We conclude with a brief discussion of critical food guidance, and the potential roles of law, regulation, and policy in driving incremental but important changes.

The Role of Oxidative Stress in Skeletal Muscle Myogenesis and Muscle Disease.

The contractile activity, high oxygen consumption and metabolic rate of skeletal muscle cause it to continuously produce moderate levels of oxidant species, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Under normal physiological conditions, there is a dynamic balance between the production and elimination of ROS/RNS. However, when the oxidation products exceed the antioxidant defense capacity, the body enters a state of oxidative stress. Myogenesis is an important process to maintain muscle homeostasis and the physiological function of skeletal muscle. Accumulating evidence suggests that oxidative stress plays a key role in myogenesis and skeletal muscle physiology and pathology. In this review, we summarize the sources of reactive oxygen species in skeletal muscle and the causes of oxidative stress and analyze the key role of oxidative stress in myogenesis. Then, we discuss the relationship between oxidative stress and muscle homeostasis and physiopathology. This work systematically summarizes the role of oxidative stress in myogenesis and muscle diseases and provides targets for subsequent antioxidant therapy and repair of inflammatory damage in noninflammatory muscle diseases.

Appropriateness of alert antibiotics measured by repeated prevalence surveys and impact of direct prescriber interaction and feedback

ABSTRACT Objectives Hospital point prevalence surveys (PPS) are shown to help identifying determinants for inappropriate antimicrobial therapy (AMT) and create feedback opportunities to optimize AMT. Methods PPS were performed at the AZNikolaas hospital, on four wards with high consumption rates of three alert antibiotics (AB) to judge their appropriateness. The impact of a multidisciplinary interaction between a medical microbiologist, a clinical pharmacist and the prescriber on inappropriate AMT, hospital costs and intravenous AMT days, was analyzed. Results During this survey, 7,39% of hospitalized patients in the selected wards received one or more of three alert antibiotics. Out of 78 prescriptions, 35.90% were judged appropriate, 39.74% inappropriate and 24.36% had insufficient data for judgment. Only the oncology ward was associated with more frequent appropriate use of alert AB. In case of an unknown infection focus or a catheter-related infection, the relative risk of inappropriate use was the highest. Multidisciplinary interaction improved inappropriate AMT in 59% of cases. It resulted in a 2478€ healthcare AMT cost saving and a reduction of 30 intravenous AMT days. Conclusions This survey shows high consumption rates and a high rate of inappropriate use of three alert AB in the observed wards. It revealed the lack of a local guideline concerning treatment of neutropenic fever of unknown origin and the need for more diagnostic information in electronical medical records. The survey demonstrated that direct feedback on inappropriate AMT to clinicians can be of added value, cost-saving and reducing length of intravenous AMT days. However, more studies are needed to confirm this.

An Enhanced Heterogeneous Gateway-Based Energy-Aware Multi-Hop Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) continue to provide essential services for various applications such as surveillance, data gathering, and data transmission from hazardous environments to safer destinations. This has been enhanced by the energy-efficient routing protocols that are mostly designed for such purposes. Gateway-based Energy-Aware Multi-hop Routing protocol (MGEAR) is one of the homogenous routing schemes that was recently designed to more efficiently reduce the energy consumption of distant nodes. However, it has been found that the protocol has a high energy consumption rate, lower stability period, and poorer data transmission to the Base station (BS) when it was deployed for a longer period of time. In this paper, an enhanced Heterogeneous Gateway-based Energy-Aware multi-hop routing protocol (HMGEAR) is proposed. The proposed routing scheme is based on the introduction of heterogeneous nodes in the existing scheme, selection of the head based on the residual energy, introduction of multi-hop communication strategy in all the regions of the network, and implementation of energy hole elimination technique. All these strategies are aiming at reducing energy consumption and extend the life of the network. Results show that the proposed routing scheme outperforms two existing ones in terms of stability period, throughputs, residual energy, and the lifetime of the network.

Enhanced nitrogen removal of constructed wetlands by coupling with the bioelectrochemical system under low temperature: Performance and mechanism

Constructed wetland (CW) integrated with the bioelectrochemical system (BES-CW) is a novel and efficient low-strength wastewater treatment technology. In this study, the integrated CW (E-CW), open-circuit BES-CW (O-CW) and conventional CW (Control) were operated to investigate the performance and mechanism of nitrogen removal in E-CW under low temperature (10 °C). Results showed that low temperature nearly completely inhibited nitrate removal in Control and O-CW, but improved ammonia oxidation efficiencies (99.46% and 99.63%, respectively) due to high dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in cold influent and enhanced ammonia oxidation archaea (AOA) growth. However, nitrite oxidation became the limited step of nitrification and partial nitrification and denitrification (PND) played the main role in TN removal under low temperature in Control and O-CW. On the contrary, nitrate was almost completely removed in E-CW (98.12%) on the 2nd day even at 10 °C due to its enhanced cold-resistant autotrophic denitrifying bacteria growth by applying low voltage and high DO consumption rate, and accordingly further improved its TN removal efficiency (82.26%), while the average nitrate and TN removal efficiencies in Control were only 11.10% and 37.26%, respectively. Thermomonas, Arenimonas, Gallionella and Thiobacillus were the main denitrifying bacteria attributed to nitrate removal in E-CW under low temperature involving autotrophic denitrification and cathode-driven bioelectrochemical denitrification. Moreover, extremely lower N2O emission from E-CW (0.81%) was obtained than the Control (12.76%), which indicated that the integration of CWs and the bioelectrochemical system is a viable technology for mitigation of greenhouse gas emission from CWs.

Adolescent substance use: Findings from a state-wide pilot parent education program

BackgroundAdolescent substance use has long been a top public health priority. In Indiana, concerning recent trends show high rates of youth alcohol consumption coupled with increasing use of opioids, synthetic marijuana, and over-the-counter drugs. Based on research indicating that parent-based prevention efforts may be a particularly effective way to target adolescent substance use, and in a direct effort to address Indiana’s 2017 Strategic Plan to Address Substance Use, we conducted an applied research study targeting parents’ knowledge regarding adolescent substance use in Indiana.MethodsThis community-based applied research study included: (i) a needs assessment of Indiana Extension Educators’ concerns regarding adolescent substance use, (ii) creation and dissemination of an evidence-informed parent education program on adolescent substance use in collaboration with Purdue Extension (a key community stakeholder), and (iii) qualitative focus group discussions at the end of each program that assessed the challenges families face regarding adolescent substance use, the types of information and resources they wish they had, and the usefulness of our program.ResultsThe needs assessment revealed that Indiana communities would most benefit from education regarding ways to spot and monitor substance use in teens, and strategies to communicate with teens about substance use. Additionally, Extension Educators thought that existing resources to tackle substance use largely did not match the needs of Indiana communities. Qualitative analysis of the focus group discussions across 8 pilot programs revealed five important themes: (1) The need for current, evidence-informed information regarding adolescent substance use among parents and youth-involved professionals in Indiana, (2) Concern regarding Indiana adolescents’ ease of access to substances and lack of healthy recreational activities, (3) Communicating with teens about substance use is crucial but difficult to implement, (4) Indiana communities’ need to prioritize funding for evidence-informed prevention programming, and (5) The need for community-based parent and caregiver support groups.ConclusionsOverall, the program was well-received and participants indicated that there was a strong need for this programming in their communities, but suggested collaborating with schools or similar local community stakeholders to increase attendance. Findings from this pilot study can inform future community-based adolescent substance use prevention efforts state-wide.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs): Environmental and public health risks

AbstractPharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are those substances used for medical care, cosmetics, hygiene and health care purposes. Due to their globally high production and consumption rates and rapid discharge into the environment without control, they are of considerable public concern. Many of them, particularly antibiotics, analgesics, endocrine disruptors and microbial/disinfecting substances are frequently detected in wastewater treatment effluents, fresh water systems and groundwater in concentrations ranging from ng L−1 to mg L−1. Moreover, most of them are persistent and tend to bioaccumulate in cell tissue, being transported subsequently to vegetables, crops and drinking water sources. As such, a large group of PPCPs are recognized with their potential to impair the ecosystem and/or to induce health risks, so that they have been classified under “emerging contaminants.” The present study is a comprehensive review of the literature on the occurrence, fate and potential environmental and health risks of PPCPs in the aquatic and terrestrial environments. It also encompasses the reported cases of human health disorders or risks, although the data so far is inadequate for presenting a complete assessment. Finally, the study covers a short review of the most promising advanced technologies for their partial or ultimate elimination from wastewater treatment effluents and water.