Human Balance Research Articles

Evaluation of physical and heavy metal contamination and their distribution in waters around Maddhapara Granite Mine, Bangladesh

The Maddhapara Granite Mine is a significant contributor to Bangladesh's economy, causing considerable environmental concern due to the discharge of untreated mine water. This water presents possible hazards to local ecosystems, agriculture, and public health. For this investigation, we obtained water samples from 15 distinct places in the vicinity of the granite mine. A comprehensive analysis of the physicochemical properties was conducted including pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and dissolved oxygen (DO) and an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer to quantify the heavy metals’ levels, specifically Ni, Zn, Fe, Pb, Cu, and Cr, following the requirements set by the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Department of Energy (DoE) in Bangladesh. The study was carried out on various pollution indices i.e., Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), Heavy Metal Evaluation Index (HEI), and Degree of Contamination (Cd). The pH of the samples varied from 6.27 to 8.86. Furthermore, the samples’ TDS and EC ranged from 36 mg/l to 392.56 mg/l and 102.78 μS/cm to 611.51 μS/cm, respectively. The HPI values exhibited substantial variation, with the highest HPI-a (WHO) measuring 52215.6, indicating a severe level of heavy metal contamination. Similarly, the HEI-a (WHO) reached a maximum value of 1252.45, while the highest contamination degree (Cd-a, WHO) was 1248.45 and these results are beyond the acceptable limits for human consumption and ecological balance. Immediate actions are required to develop treatment technologies and management strategies to prevent the potential health risks associated with using untreated mine wastewater.

Research on the Application of MA Algorithm in the Optimization of Human Resource Allocation in Enterprises

Abstract MA algorithms have received extensive attention from scholars soon after they were proposed, and are rapidly developing in various fields such as the problem of project schedule and the optimal allocation of cloud resources. In this paper, firstly, to address the lack of performance of the ordinary MA algorithm, Kent chaotic mapping is used in the initialization position to improve the initial traversal ability, and Sigmoid function is introduced to optimize the step-size settings in different stages of the crawling process. Different test functions are chosen to compare the efficiency of the solution and verify the performance of the improved MA algorithm. Finally, the improved MA algorithm is applied to allocate human resources in a city called China Mobile and a multi-project environment. Searching for the optimal solution and solving for the optimal value is the strongest performance of the improved MA algorithm compared to the other three algorithms. The human resource balance metrics of a city China Mobile are optimized and the peak human resource demand reaches the project below 120, reducing the waste of resources by about 20 people. In a multi-project environment, where 4 employees perform four different tasks, the optimal solution was found, resulting in an improvement in profitability.

Investigation into the Optimization Process of Adsorbent Dosage on Heavy Metal Removal

Heavy metals represent pervasive environmental hazards, posing significant threats to human health and ecological balance owing to their enduring presence and toxic nature. Addressing the removal of heavy metals from Ahmadu Bello University’s wastewater stabilization pond (WSP) which was designed to handle the organic pollutants and heavy metals found in the university's generated wastewater, stands as a critical imperative in curtailing these deleterious impacts. Employing adsorption techniques with appropriate adsorbents emerges as a promising avenue for achieving efficient heavy metal removal. This study delves into the optimization of adsorbent dosage using pH of 7.0 condition to study the efficiency of cadmium removal as the selected response, whose optimum variables were used to investigate the effect of pH variation and time for the removal efficacy of other heavy metals, specifically chromium, lead, and copper from WSP. Leveraging a design of experiments approach, the corn cob adsorbent dosage (ranging from 10 to 20 g) and concentrations of cadmium heavy metal solutions (ranging from 20 to 100 g) were varied, utilizing Design Expert software, aimed at pinpointing the optimal dosage and assessing adsorption capacities. The experimental findings underscore the pivotal role of optimized adsorbent dosage and pH conditions in enhancing the efficiency of heavy metal removal from the WSP. The optimum corn cob adsorbent dosage of 15 g exhibited commendable cadmium heavy metal removal efficiency which was selected for optimization study among the other identified heavy metals present in the WSP used, reaching 94.8 % at the end of 98th days. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that peak adsorption efficiencies at the end of study period of 98th days for chromium, lead, and copper were attained at a neutral pH of 7.0, yielding removal percentages of 94.5 %, 93.6 %, and 93.6 %, respectively. In conclusion, these insights emphasize the critical importance of systematically fine-tuning adsorbent dosage and pH conditions to maximize heavy metal removal efficacy.

Antibiotic identification in aqueous solution by a two-dimensional cadmium-based coordination polymer with excellent fluorescence properties

Over the past two decades, large amounts of antibiotics have been discharged into the aquatic environment, threatening human health and ecological balance. Meanwhile, numerous reports have documented coordination polymers as a fluorescent sensing material for detecting pollutants in aqueous environments. We successfully synthesized a two-dimensional coordination polymer using Cd2+ ions and the rigid ligand 1-(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)-4-hydroxypyridin (H2L) and named it [Cd(L)]n (1). In this complex, each cadmium ion exhibits a six-coordinated pattern and forms a two-dimensional network structure with a (6,3)Ia-type topology according to the ToposPro software. In addition, the good stability and excellent fluorescence properties of the complex made it an excellent fluorescent sensor for the identification of ciprofloxacin and oxytetracycline in aqueous solution with low limits of detection (0.28 μM for ciprofloxacin and 36.5 μM for oxytetracycline). Finally, we investigated the detailed mechanism of the fluorescence sensing behavior of the complex by performing density functional theory calculations.

Evaluation of Open and Green Space Systems in the Context of Urban Livability

Urban that has overgrown in recent years have affected human lifestyle and ecological balance in a negative way. Open and green spaces decreased. With this, unhealthy urban conditions occur. Therefore, urban is becoming more unlivable. The aim of this study, starting from the problem of insufficient/unqualified open and green areas in urban, is to show that cities are more livable when the open and green spaces system is designed. The “top 10 livable cities” ranking the world cities are listed by 6 different institutions and the same cities included in this list are selected. The open and green areas of 4 different selected cities were examined. In the scope, two basic concepts are based on: open-green space systems and urban livability. As a result of the study, it has been seen that open and green space systems affect cities more livable. Therefore, open and green areas are planned systematically for maximum benefit with a sustainable approach. However, systems also need new approaches at some points. At this point, a hypothetical open green space system is proposed in this study. The concept of urban liveability and open and green spaces, an index of urban liveability, are explained. Then, open and green space systems in the literature are clarified with examples. To show the relationship between urban liveability and open green spaces, the research results done by different institutions, the most overlapping cities have been selected according to the top 10 list of most liveable cities list. The value of this study to make itself original and the literature contribution is that at the end of the research, a new open and green system was suggested based on the open and green systems in the literature.

Simulations of the human heat balance during Mount Everest summit attempts in spring and winter

The majority of research dealing with the impacts of the Himalayan climate on human physiology focuses on low air temperature, high wind speed, and low air pressure and oxygen content, potentially leading to hypothermia and hypoxia. Only a few studies describe the influence of the weather conditions in the Himalayas on the body’s ability to maintain thermal balance. The aim of the present research is to trace the heat exchange between humans and their surroundings during a typical, 6-day summit attempt of Mount Everest in the spring and winter seasons. Additionally, an emergency night outdoors without tent protection is considered. Daily variation of the heat balance components were calculated by the MENEX_HA model using meteorological data collected at automatic weather stations installed during a National Geographic expedition in 2019–2020. The data represent the hourly values of the measured meteorological parameters. The research shows that in spite of extreme environmental conditions in the sub-summit zone of Mount Everest during the spring weather window, it is possible to keep heat equilibrium of the climbers’ body. This can be achieved by the use of appropriate clothing and by regulating activity level. In winter, extreme environmental conditions in the sub-summit zone make it impossible to maintain heat equilibrium and lead to hypothermia. The emergency night in the sub-peak zone leads to gradual cooling of the body which in winter can cause severe hypothermia of the climber’s body. At altitudes < 7000 m, climbers should consider using clothing that allows variation of insulation and active regulation of their fit around the body.

A multi-algorithm approach for operational human resources workload balancing in a last mile urban delivery system

Efficient workload assignment to the workforce is critical in last-mile package delivery systems. The explosive increase of e-commerce and last-mile package logistics after the COVID-19 pandemic has produced, among other issues, difficulties in balancing the daily workload of the workforce in many delivery zones. In this context, traditional methods of assigning package deliveries to workers based on geographical proximity can be inefficient and surely guide to an unbalanced workload distribution among delivery workers. In this paper, we look at the problem of operational human resources workload balancing in last-mile urban package delivery systems. The idea is to consider the effort workload to optimize the system, i.e., the optimization process is now focused on improving the delivery time, so that the workload balancing is complete among all the staff. This process should correct significant decompensations in workload among delivery workers in a given zone. Specifically, we propose a multi-algorithm approach to tackle this problem. The proposed approach takes as input a set of delivery points and a defined number of workers, and then assigns packages to workers, in such a way that it ensures that each worker completes a similar amount of work per day. The proposed algorithms use a combination of distance and workload considerations to optimize the allocation of packages to workers. In this sense, the distance between the delivery points and the location of each worker is also taken into account to minimize the travel time of the workers. The proposed multi-algorithm methodology includes different versions of k-means, evolutionary approaches, recursive assignments based on k-means initialization with different problem encodings, and a hybrid evolutionary ensemble algorithm. We have successfully illustrated the performance of the proposed approach in a real-world problem of human resource balancing in an urban last-mile package delivery workforce operating at Azuqueca de Henares, Guadalajara, Spain.

Rapid and Sensitive On-Site Detection of Fipronil in Foods Using Evanescent Wave Fluorescent Immunosensor

Fipronil (FIP), a broad-spectrum phenylpyrazole insecticide, is highly toxic and threatens human health and ecological balance. Developing convenient, rapid, portable analytical technology for on-site and high-frequency testing of FIP is essential to reduce its damage. Herein, a monoclonal antibody (Clone F-3F6) against FIP, with high affinity and specificity, was produced using a novel immunogen, FIP-BSA, which was simply and directly synthesized by conjugating FIP with bovine serum albumin (BSA). Among the previously reported antibodies, F-3F6 acts more specifically against FIP. The FIP metabolites fipronil desulfinyl, fipronil sulfide, and fipronil sulfone showed lower cross-reactivity, and other pesticides were not recognized. To achieve high-frequency and on-site measurements of FIP, an evanescent wave fluorescence biosensor was built by integrating evanescent wave fluorescence technology, a functionalized fiber bioprobe, and a fluorescence-labeled F-3F6 antibody. The detection limit of FIP was 0.032 μg/L. The detection results of real milk and water samples showed that all the coefficients of variation were less than 10%, and the recovery ranged from 90 to 120%. The high reusability and stability of functionalized fiber bioprobe enables the accurate, cost-effective, high-frequency, and facile quantitative detection of FIP. This highly specific and reliable evanescent wave fluorescence biosensor will be well suited to the sensitive and high-frequency on-site analysis of only FIP in food.

Designing a heuristic computing structure to solve the human balancing model

The current study provides numerical solutions to the human balancing system using novel framework-based artificial neural networks and the hybrid competency of global heuristic genetic algorithm and local search sequential quadratic programming. These networks tend to handle complicated tasks and perform contemporary performance in different areas. The neural networks performances based on the hybridization schemes are presented using the discretization of the model to express the fitness function in the sense of mean square error. The numerical representations are presented for three cases of the delay terms-based human balancing model in order to validate the consistency and efficacy of the proposed stochastic scheme. The acceptability of the proposed solver is oppressed through the overlapping of obtained and reference results. The negligible values of absolute error also provide the accuracy of the scheme. Additionally, the graphs based on the statistical interpretations provide the precision, and convergence of stochastic computing solver.

Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion of [14C]BS1801, a Selenium-Containing Drug Candidate, in Rats.

BS1801 is a selenium-containing drug candidate with potential for treating liver and lung fibrosis. To fully elucidate the biotransformation of BS1801 in animals and provide sufficient preclinical drug metabolism data for human mass balance study, the metabolism of BS1801 in rats was investigated. We used radiolabeling techniques to investigate the mass balance, tissue distribution, and metabolite identification of BS1801 in Sprague-Dawley/Long-Evans rats after a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg (100 μCi/kg) [14C]BS1801: 1. The mean recovery of radioactive substances in urine and feces was 93.39% within 168 h postdose, and feces were the main excretion route. 2. Additionally, less than 1.00% of the dose was recovered from either urine or bile. 3. BS1801-related components were widely distributed throughout the body. 4. Fifteen metabolites were identified in rat plasma, urine, feces, and bile, and BS1801 was detected only in feces. 5. BS1801-M484, the methylation product obtained via a N-Se bond reduction in BS1801, was the most abundant drug-related component in plasma. The main metabolic pathways of BS1801 were reduction, amide hydrolysis, oxidation, and methylation. Overall, BS1801 was distributed throughout the body, and excreted mainly as an intact BS1801 form through feces. No differences were observed between male and female rats in distribution, metabolism, and excretion of BS1801.

The Role of Women in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) In Islam: An Analysis of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in the Modern World.

This study will investigate the role of women in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Islam, especially gender equality and women empowerment in the modern world. The source and method of data collection and analysis will be based on the qualitative approach, which involves textual analysis, and data will be collected from books and journal articles. To reach the goals of this research, we will examine how women contribute to achieving sustainable development goals in line with Islamic principles. The Islamic approach is crucial for reaching these goals as it emphasizes a balanced realization of human rights, consumer welfare, social justice, ecological balance, and economic progress. Achieving these aims is not possible without the active involvement of women. The study will also investigate gender equality issues related to sustainable development goals, exploring the scientific approach Islam provides to women's rights and roles in various sectors like social, economic, political, religious, and educational domains. Islam grants them an independent identity and provides their inheritance rights, marriage, and participation in developing sectors. Overall, this research will evaluate the role of women in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), which are focused on gender equality and women empowerment based on Islam.

Editorial

Editorial

Deciphering the synergistic effects of photolysis and biofiltration to actuate elimination of estrogens in natural water matrix

The presence of estrogens in water environments has raised concerns for human health and ecosystems balance. These substances possess potent estrogenic properties, causing severe disruptions in endocrine systems and leading to reproductive and developmental problems. Unfortunately, conventional treatment methods struggle to effectively remove estrogens and mitigate their effects, necessitating technological innovation. This study investigates the effectiveness of a novel sequential photolysis-granular activated carbon (GAC) sandwich biofiltration (GSBF) system in removing estrogens (E1, E2, E3, and EE2) and improving general water quality parameters. The results indicate that combining photolysis pre-treatment with GSBF consistently achieved satisfactory performance in terms of turbidity, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), UV254, and microbial reduction, with over 77.5 %, 80.2 %, 89.7 %, and 92 % reduction, respectively. Furthermore, this approach effectively controlled the growth of microbial biomass under UV irradiation, preventing excessive head loss. To assess estrogen removal, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) measured their concentrations, while bioassays determined estrogenicity. The findings demonstrate that GSBF systems, with and without photolysis installation, achieved over 96.2 % removal for estrogens when the spike concentration of each targeted compound was 10 µg L−1, successfully reducing estrogenicity (EA/EA0) to levels below 0.05. Additionally, the study evaluated the impact of different thicknesses of GAC layer filling (8 cm, 16 cm, and 24 cm) and found no significant difference (p>0.05) in estrogen and estrogenicity removal among them.

Vulnerability of multi-designated landscape and its connectivity toward conservation: A case study in Kampar Kerumutan, Riau, Indonesia

Indonesia is declared by the United Nations as a country that meets its conservation targets. However, Indonesia has not maximized the potential conservation of its territory, and the ecosystem is still threatened by anthropogenic activity, particularly due to small and large scales cultivation. Besides, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) built taskforces at the national level to avoid greenhouse gas emissions through FOLU Net Sink 2030 that could tackle climate and biodiversity crises. Therefore, identifying OECMs and creating a sustainable management framework by elaborating on the carbon pool and its dynamics across the Indonesian landscape is crucial to meet the targets of the global conservation agenda. Kampar Kerumutan Landscape (KKL) is one of the critical landscapes in Indonesia with high potential conservation for biodiversity and high intervention from various concessions. Our result showed that most KKLs were categorized as potential restoration areas. Industrial forest plantations (IFP) had the highest threat for conservation. To connect the potential highly conserved areas within KKL for species mobility, restoration projects (particularly in IFP, Protected Areas, and Non-managed areas) should be conducted to achieve human and nature balance in the KKL.

Cross-species drug metabolism and impact of metabolic stability testing under anaerobic condition on predicting pharmacokinetics of keto-enol containing compound in humans

After oral administration of [14C]-S-1360 in rats and dogs, [14C]-S-1360 was absorbed rapidly and the bioavailability was 93.7% in rats and 75.1% in dogs. Based on the results in animals, good systemic exposure would be expected in humans. In contrast to the expectation, the exposure was low in healthy volunteers compared to the exposure expected. In addition, human mass balance study using [14C]-S1360 revealed that a large amount of metabolites existed in human plasma. The major metabolites in human plasma were reduced metabolite (HP1) and S-1360 N-glucuronide, and they respectively accounted for approximately 30% of total AUC. Unchanged S-1360 accounted for only 14% of total AUC. The results showed that a significant difference between humans and animals were observed in metabolism of S-1360. Although S-1360 was stable in human hepatocytes under aerobic condition (approximately 84% remaining at 1 h), S-1360 was labile under anaerobic condition (approximately 55% remaining at 1 h). The present study revealed that the reductive metabolism pathways are the key metabolic pathway of S-1360, especially the metabolic stability test under anaerobic condition is important to predict pharmacokinetics of keto-enol containing compound, such as S-1360.

Gugatan Citizen Law Suit: Progresivitas Penyelesaian Sengketa Lingkungan Hidup dalam Praktik Hukum di Indonesia

The legal progressivity of environmental law looks at the development of the world and humans so that the law moves for the benefit of humans and ecological principles. The effectiveness of environmental law is inseparable from the performance of administrative and law enforcement officials related to citizen law suit. Some court decisions have rejected citizen law suits due to problems in setting the formal requirements of the lawsuit. The aim of this research is to determine the mechanism and progressivity of citizen law suit lawsuits as an effort to enforce environmental law in Indonesia. This research uses normative juridical research that focuses on statutory approach and conceptual approach. The search results are based on secondary data collection consisting of primary, secondary, and tertiary legal materials through literature studies. While the data analysis method uses a qualitative research method that emphasizes analysis or descriptive and is concluded using the deductive method. The results showed that the citizen law suit was aimed at the government with the argument of tort in Article 1365 of the Civil Code, the government was considered to have failed in carrying out its obligations to protect and manage the environment. Citizen law suit as a form of environmental law progressivity that refers to civil procedural law in Indonesia, the difference lies in the formal requirements based on KMA Number 36/KMA/SK/II/2013. Therefore, progressive law and law enforcement in Indonesia must be considered again for the realization of human welfare and natural balance, especially the regulation of citizen law suits.

Human body heat balance equation to consider core body temperature in assessment of heatstroke risk

Increased core body temperature and dehydration are critical thermal physiological responses to heat disorders. Dehydration is preventable through adequate water intake. However, a simple heat balance equation for assessing the heatstroke risk considering the core body temperature is currently lacking. Hence, this study proposes an equation for evaluating heatstroke risk. To derive the equation, the thermal regulation of the human body and heat interactions between the body core, skin, clothing, and indoor and outdoor environments were considered. The heat flow and heat capacity were represented as water flows caused by the water head difference and cross-sectional area of the tanks, respectively. Subsequently, the importance of considering the above elements as a unified system for designing a thermally comfortable environment and preventing heatstroke is discussed. Next, a heatstroke threshold equation is presented in the form of human body heat balance equation, which considers the core body temperature. This equation enabled us to evaluate the threshold for the combination of the environmental, clothing, and activity parameters beyond which the body temperature exceeds the acceptable limit for heatstroke. The equation was validated by comparing the thresholds with the reported upper limit of the prescriptive zone. The calculated thresholds for various parameters revealed that the parameters related to evaporative heat loss, such as clothing evaporative resistance, were the dominant parameters influencing the threshold. Although the equation can evaluate the influences of various types of activity and clothing, it can be applied only to acclimatized workers in good health with sufficient water and salt intake.

A novel dual-signal amplification photofuel cells aptasensor for atrazine ultrasensitive detection in grapes and tomatoes

The residual of atrazine (ATZ) can disrupt the production of testosterone in animals, causing chemical castration in animals. Therefore, the monitoring of ATZ residue is essential for human health and ecological balance. Herein, a novel dual-signal amplification photofuel cells (PFC) aptasensor was proposed. The presence of a hole mediator and hollow structure enhances the efficiency of electron-hole pair separation and visible light absorption in the photoanode. Additionally, the effect of dye sensitization plays a crucial role in improving the conversion efficiency of photon-to-electrons in the photocathode. The as-prepared aptasensor realized sensitive detection of ATZ, with a board linear range from 1.0 × 10−13 ∼ 1.0 × 10−6 mol L−1 and a low detection limit of 3.3 × 10−14 mol L−1. The reliability of the as-prepared PFC aptasensor was verified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Therefore, the manufactured PFC aptasensor is a prospective detection method for fruit and vegetables safety analysis.

Conference report for the 10th China Bioanalysis Forum annual meeting.

The 10th China Bioanalysis Forum annual conference was held in Suzhou between 9 and 11 June 2023. This year a full range of bioanalytical topics were discussed such as new technology and bioanalytical approaches for biotherapeutics and biomarkers, particularly in the areas of gene and cell therapy. Another research area covered extensively at the conference was drug metabolism, including new drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic methods; absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of new modality drugs, recent regulatory guidance such as human mass balance study and preclinical study of antibody-drug conjugates and case studies of drug metabolism support to newly approved drugs.

Niepewność pomiarów średniej temperatury promieniowania za pomocą termometrów kulistych = Uncertainty of mean radiant-temperature measurements using globe thermometers

In the analysis of the human heat balance, the biggest problem is to precisely determine the amount of energy absorbed by a human organism under dynamically changing solar conditions and while being surrounded by many different surfaces that can absorb, emit or reflect solar radiation in different ways. Therefore, in thermal comfort studies some simplifications of the radiation field around human body are necessary and thus the concept of mean radiant temperature (Mrt) is most often used. Mrt values can be derived either from direct instrumental measurements or calculated by one of the microclimate models. The most accurate way to determine the Tmrt outdoors is by integral radiation measurements and the calculation of angular factors (i.e. the proportion of radiation received by the human body from different directions). This method involves simultaneous measurements of long- and short-wave radiation flux densities in six directions, which requires three sets of net radiometers. Although this method of Mrt determination describes the radiation environment accurately and independently of the variable wind field, it requires the use of expensive and complex measurement devices. Cheap and easy to operate alternative offers globe thermometer. In steady state conditions, readings from the air temperature sensor inside the globe thermometer (tg) will reflect the convective and radiative heat exchange around the globe thermometer. Knowing tg, as well as globe emissivity and diameter, the Mrt may be calculated. In this research three different globe thermometers were used to determine Mrt: 15-cm standard globe thermometer (SGT) and two 4-cm custom made acrylic globe thermometers (AGT) painted in black and grey. The measurements were conducted in the summer in Warsaw, on two selected green areas, under sunny and warm weather conditions. In each location Mrt measurements were taken in two spots – in the shade of trees and in the open grassy spaces, with high SVF. Our results demonstrate, that globe thermometers, although being relatively cheap and less complex instruments for determining Mrt, can be used to a limited extend, due to high instability of their indications under significant radiative loads.