Level Of Protection Research Articles

Social protection strategies in relations between Ukraine and the European Union

In today’s world, social protection is becoming an increasingly important topic that combines economic, political, and social aspects. Regardless of the level of development of a country, people are constantly looking for ways to ensure their well-being and protect themselves from negative influences. Social protection strategies are of particular importance in relations between Ukraine and the European Union. Ukraine, as a sovereign state, monitors the needs of its population and tries to adapt its social system to European standards. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to analyze the current state and prospects for the development of social protection strategies in Ukraine in the context of cooperation with the European Union to identify possible areas for improving the social sphere and ensuring a high level of social protection for the Ukrainian population. The study uses a variety of methods, including analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, comparative legal, dialectical, and others. Considering cooperation with the European Union helps to solve socioeconomic problems and ensure a high level of social protection.

A prospective humoral immune monitoring study of kidney transplant recipients receiving three doses of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), like other solid organ transplant recipients display a suboptimal response to mRNA vaccines, with only about half achieving seroconversion after two doses. However, the effectiveness of a booster dose, particularly in generating neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), remains poorly understood, as most studies have mainly focused on non-neutralizing antibodies. Here, we have longitudinally assessed the humoral response to the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in 40 KTRs over a year, examining changes in both anti-spike IgG and NAbs following a booster dose administered about 5 months post-second dose. We found a significant humoral response increase 5 months post-booster, a stark contrast to the attenuated response observed after the second dose. Of note, nearly a quarter of participants did not achieve protective plasma levels even after the booster dose. We also found that the higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) correlated with a more robust humoral response postvaccination. Altogether, these findings underscore the effectiveness of the booster dose in enhancing durable humoral immunity in KTRs, as evidenced by the protective level of NAbs found in 65% of the patients 5 months post- booster, especially those with higher eGFR rates.

A hybrid steganography and watermark algorithm for copyright protection by using multiple embedding approaches

In this modern era, it has become much simpler to replicate, sell, and copy the copyright owners' works without their permission as a result of the expansion of digitalization, and it is difficult to identify such violations, posing a threat to the creators' and copyright owners' rights. For many years, the internet has been regarded as one of the most serious threats to copyright, and the content available has varying levels of copyright protection. On the internet, there are numerous copyrighted works, including e-books, movies, news, and so on. Therefore, by using watermarking and steganography techniques, these issues can be solved, which are based on the author's signature information or logo. This paper concluded that the techniques of discrete cosine transform (DCT), discrete wavelet transform (DWT), one-time pad (OTP), and playfair are highly effective when used together to watermark an image or embed a secret message, our lab results validate that our algorithm scheme is robust against several sets of attacks, where the algorithm was assessed by computation of many evaluation metrics such as mean square error (MSE), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR).

Overbounding Ifree errors based on bayesian Gaussian mixture model for ground-based augmentation system

A dual-frequency measurement is employed in conjunction with an innovative Ifree filtering technique for mitigating the primary sources of Ifree influence on ground-based augmentation systems (GBAS) to safeguard the reliability of GBAS. The protective level achieved through the conventional Gaussian overbounding approach that are considered as much conventional technique. This adherence to tradition results in decreased reliability and a higher likelihood of false alarms. In contrast, the utilization of the Ifree algorithm contributes to reducing errors associated with dual-frequency measurements. This paper proposes the overbounding process according to Bayesian Gaussian mixture model (GMM) for maintaining Ifree-based GBAS range error. The Bayesian GMM is utilized for single-frequency model errors to examine the ambiguity estimations. The Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is established for defining estimated GMM assurance level accuracy which is attained through the general estimation method. Then, the last Bayesian GMM which is utilized for overbounding Ifree error distribution is investigated. According to the property of convolution invariance, the vertical protection in position field is determined without presenting difficult numerical calculations.

Harnessing the runoff reduction potential of urban bioswales as an adaptation response to climate change

Nature-based solutions (NbS), including China's Sponge City Program (SCP), can address the challenges urban communities face due to surface runoff and flooding. The current capacity of SCP facilities in urban environments falls short of meeting the demands placed on communities by climate change. Bioswales are a form of SCP facility that plays an important role in reducing surface runoff by promoting infiltration. This study assesses the potential of SCP facilities to reduce runoff in urban communities under climate change using the storm water management model. The study site in Ningbo, China, was used to evaluate the potential role of bioswales in reducing runoff risks from climate change. We found that bioswales were most effective in scenarios when rainfall peaks occurred early and were less effective in right-skewed rainfall events. The overall performance of SCP facilities was similar across all climate scenarios. To maintain the current protection level of SCP facilities, bioswales would need to cover at least 4% of the catchment area. These findings from Ningbo provide a useful method for assessing NbS in other regions and indicative values for the increase in the bioswale coverage needed to adapt to climate change.

Waning of Humoral Immunity to Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Children Treated for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Single-Center Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis.

The survival rates of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved over the years, but infections remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Chemotherapy has a range of harmful side effects including the loss of protective antibodies against vaccine-preventable diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the serological status of pediatric ALL cases before and after the intensive chemotherapy. Children treated and followed up for ALL at Dokuz Eylül University were included in this retrospective cross-sectional study. Antibody levels against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and rubella were routinely assessed both at the time of diagnosis and six months after completion of chemotherapy. However, measles, mumps, and varicella antibody levels were evaluated just six months after the treatment. Seventy-eight children who completed chemotherapy for ALL were recruited. All participants had nonprotective antibody levels for at least one of the diseases. The highest seropositivity rate was found for hepatitis A (55.1%) and the lowest for measles (17.9%) after chemotherapy. Overall, 50.7%, 30.6%, and 45.7% of the patients significantly lost their humoral immunity against hepatitis B, hepatitis A, and rubella, respectively. Patients in the higher-risk group for ALL had a lower seropositivity rate than the other risk group patients. There were statistically significant relations between the protective antibody rates of hepatitis A and varicella and the age of the patients. Except for the hepatitis A vaccination, pre-chemotherapy vaccination did not affect post-chemotherapy serology. On the other hand, all children with a history of varicella before the diagnosis showed immunity after chemotherapy. All patients, including those previously fully vaccinated, are at great risk of infection due to the decrease in protective antibody levels after chemotherapy. There is a need for routine post-chemotherapy serologic testing and re-vaccination based on the results obtained.

Construction and optimization of Green Infrastructure Network in mountainous cities: a case study of Fuzhou, China

Green infrastructure networks enhance the protection and improvement of urban ecological environments, augment the efficiency and quality of ecosystem services, and furnish residents with healthier and more comfortable living conditions. Although previous research has investigated the construction or optimization methods of green infrastructure networks, these studies have been relatively isolated and lacking in case studies for mountainous cities. In the development of green infrastructure, mountainous cities must specifically consider the impact of terrain on network construction. Taking Fuzhou, a mountainous city in China, as an example, this study constructs and optimizes the green infrastructure network by employing morphological spatial pattern analysis, connectivity analysis, the Minimum Cumulative Resistance model, and circuit theory. These methodologies increase the connectivity of the Green Infrastructure within the study area, thereby promoting the health of the local ecosystem and creating conducive circumstances for the city’s sustainable development. The findings reveal that: (1) Green infrastructure in Fuzhou takes up 5366.38 ha, constituting 21.76% of the study area, primarily situated in the northwest and south; (2) Fuzhou’s Green Infrastructure network comprises 10 hubs and 17 corridors with a hub area of 1306.98 ha, predominantly distributed in the mountains encircling the city, including Meifeng Mountain, Gaogai Mountain, and Qingliang Mountain; (3) Based on optimization, the circuit centrality index categorizes hub importance into three protection levels, pinpointing nine crucial protected areas in the corridors and 680 areas requiring enhancement, including 68 areas for first-level improvement, 149 areas for second-level improvement, and 463 areas for third-level improvement. This research offers a methodological reference for constructing and optimizing green infrastructure networks in mountainous cities, providing both theoretical and practical foundations for optimizing green infrastructure networks in Fuzhou City.

Dynamical Behaviors of Stochastic SIS Epidemic Model with Ornstein–Uhlenbeck Process

Controlling infectious diseases has become an increasingly complex issue, and vaccination has become a common preventive measure to reduce infection rates. It has been thought that vaccination protects the population. However, there is no fully effective vaccine. This is based on the fact that it has long been assumed that the immune system produces corresponding antibodies after vaccination, but usually does not achieve the level of complete protection for undergoing environmental fluctuations. In this paper, we investigate a stochastic SIS epidemic model with incomplete inoculation, which is perturbed by the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process and Brownian motion. We determine the existence of a unique global solution for the stochastic SIS epidemic model and derive control conditions for the extinction. By constructing two suitable Lyapunov functions and using the ergodicity of the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process, we establish sufficient conditions for the existence of stationary distribution, which means the disease will prevail. Furthermore, we obtain the exact expression of the probability density function near the pseudo-equilibrium point of the stochastic model while addressing the four-dimensional Fokker–Planck equation under the same conditions. Finally, we conduct several numerical simulations to validate the theoretical results.

Evaluation of Immune Characteristics and Factors Associated with Immune Response following Hepatitis B Vaccination among Ghanaian Adolescents

Background. WHO recommends HBV-negative babies in high-prevalence (8%) countries receive anti-HBV vaccination. Ghana initiated mass immunization in 2002, but concerns remain about vaccine effectiveness and long-term protection. We evaluated immune characteristics and factors following hepatitis B vaccination among Ghanaian adolescents who received HBV vaccines. Methods. In this longitudinal cross-sectional study, 74 participants were enrolled from the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics of participants were obtained using a questionnaire. Blood samples were obtained before and after booster administration for anti-HBsAg, IL-6, and IL-10 estimations using ELISA kit (Shanghai Chemical Ltd., China). Anti-HBsAg titers ≥10 mIU/ml were considered protective. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS version 26.0 and R programming language, p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. We found 100% seroconversion rate, with 25.7% seroprotection rate (anti-HBsAg >10 mIU/ml). Gender (p=0.009), age (p=0.001), and exercising (p=0.044) were significantly associated with seroprotection. Following booster administration, 59.4% were hyporesponders (10 ≤ anti-HBsAg titre ≤99 mIU/ml) whilst 40.6% were good responders (anti-HBsAg titre ≥100 mIU/ml). Exercise (p=0.034) was significantly associated with immune response after booster administration. Moreover, we reported significant positive correlation between cytokines [IL-6 (r = 0.817, p<0.001) and IL-10 (r = 0.928, p<0.001)] and anti-HBsAg titre. Conclusion. Approximately two thirds of adolescents vaccinated at birth lack protective levels of antibodies against hepatitis B virus. Booster vaccines could aid in mounting protective levels of anti-HBsAg. Physical exercise was negatively associated with immune response to hepatitis B vaccinations.

3D ocean assessments reveal that fisheries reach deep but marine protection remains shallow

The wave of new global conservation targets, the conclusion of the High Seas Treaty negotiations, and the expansion of extractive use into the deep sea call for a paradigm shift in ocean conservation. The current reductionist 2D representation of the ocean to set targets and measure impacts will fail at achieving effective biodiversity conservation. Here, we develop a framework that overlays depth realms onto marine ecoregions to conduct the first three-dimensional spatial analysis of global marine conservation achievements and fisheries footprint. Our novel approach reveals conservation gaps of mesophotic, rariphotic, and abyssal depths and an underrepresentation of high protection levels across all depths. In contrast, the 3D footprint of fisheries covers all depths, with benthic fishing occurring down to the lower bathyal and mesopelagic fishing peaking in areas overlying abyssal depths. Additionally, conservation efforts are biased towards areas where the lowest fishing pressures occur, compromising the effectiveness of the marine conservation network. These spatial mismatches emphasize the need to shift towards 3D thinking to achieve ocean sustainability.

Global drivers of mangrove loss in protected areas.

Despite increasing efforts and investment in mangrove conservation, mangrove cover continues to decline globally. The extent to which protected area (PA) management effectively prevents mangrove loss globally across differing management objectives and governance types is not well understood. We combined remote sensing data with PA information to identify the extent and the drivers of mangrove loss across PAs with distinct governance types and protection levels based on categories developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Mangrove loss due to storms and erosion was prevalent across all governance types and most IUCN categories. However, the extent of human-driven loss differed across governance types and IUCN categories. Loss was highest in national government PAs. Private, local, shared arrangement, and subnational government agencies had low human-driven mangrove loss. Human-driven loss was highest in PAs with the highest level of restrictions on human activities (IUCN category I) due to mangrove conversion to areas for commodity production (e.g., aquaculture), whereas PAs that allowed sustainable resource use (e.g., category VI) experienced low levels of human-driven mangrove loss. Because category I PAs with high human-driven loss were primarily governed by national government agencies, conservation outcomes in highly PAs might depend not only on the level of restrictions, but also on the governance type. Mangrove loss across different governance types and IUCN categories varied regionally. Specific governance types and IUCN categories thus seemed more effective in preventing mangrove loss in certain regions. Overall, we found that natural drivers contributed to global mangrove loss across all PAs, whereas human-driven mangrove loss was lowest in PAs with subnational- to local-level governance and PAs with few restrictions on human activities.

Evaluating Competitiveness of Container Shipping Operators in the Sustainability and Digitalization Era

This study aims to comprehensively analyze the operational status and international competitiveness of global container shipping enterprises in the era of sustainability and digitalization within the field of international container transportation. Utilizing the entropy method, this study quantitatively evaluates the direct operational strength of 14 leading container shipping enterprises while considering multiple factors including environmental protection, service quality, company scale, customer satisfaction, research and development level, and brand influence. The contributions of this study to the existing knowledge are primarily manifested in several aspects: firstly, by constructing a comprehensive evaluation framework, it offers a new perspective for assessing the international competitiveness of container shipping enterprises, facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. Secondly, this study emphasizes the crucial roles of environmental protection and customer service in the competitiveness of shipping enterprises, providing new strategic directions for the industry’s sustainable development and digital transformation. Lastly, through detailed analysis of the operational performance of different companies, this study provides specific improvement suggestions for shipping enterprises, aiding them in achieving more precise management and more efficient development. The research findings demonstrate that companies exhibit varied performance in different aspects, showcasing their respective strengths and challenges. Particularly, this study identifies leading enterprises that have made significant progress in environmental technology innovation and customer service, while also highlighting deficiencies in some companies regarding scale expansion and brand building. These findings not only offer valuable insights for the development of the shipping industry but also serve as a window for policymakers, investors, and consumers to gain a deeper understanding of the shipping market. Through the thorough analysis conducted in this study, we aim to contribute to the sustainable development and digital transformation of the global container shipping industry.

Antibody persistence to diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid, Bordetella pertussis antigens, and Haemophilus influenzae type b following primary and first booster with pentavalent versus hexavalent vaccines

ABSTRACT Thailand has incorporated the whole-cell (wP) pertussis vaccine into the expanded program on immunization since 1977 and has offered the acellular pertussis (aP) vaccine as an optional vaccine for infants since 2001. We followed healthy children from a clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02408926) in which children were randomly assigned to receive either pentavalent (DTwP-HB-Hib) or hexavalent (DTaP-IPV-HB-Hib) vaccines for their primary series (administered at 2, 4, and 6 months) and first booster vaccination (18 months). Both groups received Tdap-IPV as a second booster at the age of 4 y. Blood samples were collected for evaluation of antibody persistence to diphtheria toxoid (DT), tetanus toxoid (TT), and Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) between 2 and 6 y of age annually, and for the immunogenicity study of Tdap-IPV at 1 month after the second booster. Antibody persistence to Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was followed until 3 y of age. A total of 105 hexavalent-vaccinated children and 91 pentavalent-vaccinated children completed this study. Both pentavalent and hexavalent groups demonstrated increased antibody levels against DT, TT, and B. pertussis antigens following the second booster with Tdap-IPV. All children achieved a seroprotective concentration for anti-DT and anti-TT IgG at 1 month post booster. The hexavalent group possessed significantly higher anti-pertactin IgG (adjusted p = .023), whereas the pentavalent group possessed significantly higher anti-pertussis toxin IgG (adjusted p < .001) after the second booster. Despite declining levels post-second booster, a greater number of children sustained protective levels of anti-DT and anti-TT IgG compared to those after the first booster.

HEPATITIS B VACCINATION STATUS AMONG A TARGET GROUP BORN IN 1992-2000: A STUDY FROM BULGARIA

The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of stress among students of various health Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and a leading cause of chronic liver disease. Vaccination has a key role in hepatitis B prevention. Compulsory immunization for all healthy newborns was introduced in Bulgaria in 1992 as part of the WHO global strategy. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the extent of post-vaccination seroprotection among persons born in 1992 – 2000 who received recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. Material/methods: A total of 923 serum samples of a target group of vaccinated individuals (412 males and 511 females) at a mean age of 23.0±2.7 years were tested over a two-year period (2018-2019). The quantitative analysis of hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs) levels was performed by CLIA using a LIAISON® anti-HBs II quantitative diagnostic kit (Dia Sorin, Italy). Results: All 923 individuals included in the study were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative. Protective anti-HBs titers ranging from 11 to &gt;1000 mIU/mL were found in 45.3% of them. The sex distribution of the tested subjects varied significantly between years (p=0.023). The difference in protective anti-HBs levels between the two sexes was non-significant (p&gt;0.05). There was a weak negative correlation between year of birth and anti-HBs titer (Pearson's r=0.351, p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: The results of this large study conducted among subjects immunized against hepatitis B in childhood showed varying levels of post-vaccination seroprotection. On average, 23 years after universal immunization, 54.7% of the study cohort had no protective levels of anti-HBs (negative or equivocal result).

Maternal immunization and vitamin A sufficiency impact sow primary adaptive immunity and passive protection to nursing piglets against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) causes a highly contagious enteric disease with major economic losses to swine production worldwide. Due to the immaturity of the neonatal piglet immune system and given the high virulence of PEDV, improving passive lactogenic immunity is the best approach to protect suckling piglets against the lethal infection. We tested whether oral vitamin A (VA) supplementation and PEDV exposure of gestating and lactating VA-deficient (VAD) sows would enhance their primary immune responses and boost passive lactogenic protection against the PEDV challenge of their piglets. We demonstrated that PEDV inoculation of pregnant VAD sows in the third trimester provided higher levels of lactogenic protection of piglets as demonstrated by &amp;gt;87% survival rates of their litters compared with &amp;lt;10% in mock litters and that VA supplementation to VAD sows further improved the piglets’ survival rates to &amp;gt;98%. We observed significantly elevated PEDV IgA and IgG antibody (Ab) titers and Ab-secreting cells (ASCs) in VA-sufficient (VAS)+PEDV and VAD+VA+PEDV sows, with the latter maintaining higher Ab titers in blood prior to parturition and in blood and milk throughout lactation. The litters of VAD+VA+PEDV sows also had the highest serum PEDV-neutralizing Ab titers at piglet post-challenge days (PCD) 0 and 7, coinciding with higher PEDV IgA ASCs and Ab titers in the blood and milk of their sows, suggesting an immunomodulatory role of VA in sows. Thus, sows that delivered sufficient lactogenic immunity to their piglets provided the highest passive protection against the PEDV challenge. Maternal immunization during pregnancy (± VA) and VA sufficiency enhanced the sow primary immune responses, expression of gut–mammary gland trafficking molecules, and passive protection of their offspring. Our findings are relevant to understanding the role of VA in the Ab responses to oral attenuated vaccines that are critical for successful maternal vaccination programs against enteric infections in infants and young animals.

Can EU Law Be Used to Challenge Better Regulation Practices That Do Not Lead to Better Health?

Legislation produced under the EU Commission's Better Regulation Agenda sometimes fails to achieve the Treaty obligation to ensure a high level of health protection in all EU policies and activities. Public health advocates have raised the question of whether EU law can be employed to challenge this apparent breach of Treaty obligations at the proposal preparation stage, compelling the Commission to amend prospective EU legislation so that it better protects health. This article will demonstrate that unfortunately this is not possible due to the justiciability of both Article 168 TFEU and the Better Regulation Agenda. However, this awareness can help public health advocates to re-focus their efforts on strategies that will likely have a greater impact in swaying the direction of EU health policy.

Privacy‐preserving data aggregation achieving completeness of data queries in smart grid

AbstractIn smart grid systems, the control center formulates strategies and provides services by analyzing electricity consumption data. However, ensuring the privacy and security of user data is a critical concern. While traditional data aggregation schemes can provide a certain level of privacy protection for users, they also impose limitations on the control center's access to fine‐grained data. To address these challenges, we propose a privacy‐preserving data aggregation scheme supporting data query (PAQ). We designed a multi‐level data aggregation mechanism based on Paillier semi‐homomorphic encryption to achieve efficient aggregation of user data in the control center. Additionally, a data query mechanism based on electricity consumption intervals is introduced, allowing the control center to query aggregated ciphertexts for different user categories from outsourced data on the cloud server. Security analysis demonstrates that PAQ design effectively solves security issues in data aggregation and query processes. Performance analysis indicates that the proposed scheme outperforms existing solutions in terms of efficiency.

Baseline characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine non-responders in a large population-based sample.

Studies indicate that individuals with chronic conditions and specific baseline characteristics may not mount a robust humoral antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. In this paper, we used data from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey (Texas CARES), a longitudinal state-wide seroprevalence program that has enrolled more than 90,000 participants, to evaluate the role of chronic diseases as the potential risk factors of non-response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in a large epidemiologic cohort. A participant needed to complete an online survey and a blood draw to test for SARS-CoV-2 circulating plasma antibodies at four-time points spaced at least three months apart. Chronic disease predictors of vaccine non-response are evaluated using logistic regression with non-response as the outcome and each chronic disease + age as the predictors. As of April 24, 2023, 18,240 participants met the inclusion criteria; 0.58% (N = 105) of these are non-responders. Adjusting for age, our results show that participants with self-reported immunocompromised status, kidney disease, cancer, and "other" non-specified comorbidity were 15.43, 5.11, 2.59, and 3.13 times more likely to fail to mount a complete response to a vaccine, respectively. Furthermore, having two or more chronic diseases doubled the prevalence of non-response. Consistent with smaller targeted studies, a large epidemiologic cohort bears the same conclusion and demonstrates immunocompromised, cancer, kidney disease, and the number of diseases are associated with vaccine non-response. This study suggests that those individuals, with chronic diseases with the potential to affect their immune system response, may need increased doses or repeated doses of COVID-19 vaccines to develop a protective antibody level.

Implications of Microplastic Pollution for the Conservation of Marine Protected Areas Authors

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) function as a tool for the protection and conservation of marine ecosystems. These designated areas should be free of any environmentally harmful pollutants. Microplastics (MPs) are plastic fragments measuring less than 5 mm (about 0.2 in). These fragments are an emerging threat to our oceans, and we are investigating the effectiveness of MPAs against these pollutants. We analyzed data gathered from research conducted on microplastic concentrations in MPAs and non-MPAs around the world. 53 MPAs and 53 non-MPAs around the world were used and the microplastic concentrations were deemed low, medium, or high by using the classifications established by the researchers. The Marine Protection Atlas (MPATLAS), created by the Marine Conservation Institute, was used to identify the levels of protection of each MPA and confirm the size of the protected area. The population density of cities nearest to an MPA or non-MPA was obtained by dividing the city’s population by the total area. Microplastics were found in all 106 sites researched, including waters near Antarctica and the northern waters of Greenland. When compared to non-MPAs, MPAs showed a higher number of areas with a “high” or “medium” concentration of microplastics. This indicates that Marine Protected Areas are an inefficient conservation tool against microplastic pollution. Population density did not appear to have a relationship with microplastic concentrations in MPAs and non-MPAs. The prominence of microplastics in protected marine ecosystems highlights the urgency to uncover their effects and a way to combat these anthropogenic pollutants.

A study of the effect of organic acids (gallic acid and ascorbic acid) on the coloration and functionalization of wool yarns with Millettia laurentii sawdust natural dye

Wastewater from the textile industry, especially the dyeing sector, is a major contaminant for aquatic ecosystems. Synthetic dye compounds and metal salts from leftover mordant and dyeing baths are washed into rivers, endangering aquatic life and the environment. In regards to the current study’s examination of Millettia laurentii sawdust’s potential as a natural color source, eco-friendly organic acids (gallic acid and ascorbic acid) were studied in conjunction with small amounts of metal salts (aluminum sulfate, stannous chloride, copper sulfate, and ferrous sulfate) for enhancing the color shade palette with simultaneous functionalization (antimicrobial and UV-protection) of wool yarns. The effects of metal salts up to ecologically permissible concentration limits on the dyeing and functional properties were assessed in combination with organic acids. The study focused on optimizing dyeing variables including pH (2–8), temperature (65–95 °C), dye concentration (25–125% o.w.f.), and dyeing time (15–90 min) using a one-factor-at-a-time (OFT) optimization by determining the color depth (K/S) values on the wool yarns. The optimized dyeing conditions were pH of 4, temperature of 95 °C, dye concentration of 75.0% (o.w.f.), and dyeing time of 60 min. The color characteristics (CIEL*a*b*c*ho) and fastness (Wash, rub, and light) properties are evaluated comparatively against control dyed wool yarns using standard methods. The antimicrobial activity of control dyed and mordanted dyed wool yarns was evaluated in terms of the percentage microbial reduction of bacterial colonies. Metal salts especially ferrous sulfate in conjunction with gallic acid (Fe/GA) provided the highest average color strength (13.50) with a maximum percentage microbial reduction of 96.67%. UV protection ability was assessed by an Australian and New Zealand standards (AS/NZS 4399: 1996) method in terms of UPF values. UV protection levels were significantly improved by using binary combinations of organic acids and metal salts with the maximum protection offered by Fe/GA (97.66) and Sn/GA (97.90). Dyeing outcomes were significantly impacted by the chemical structure of organic acids (gallic acid and ascorbic acid) and the type of metal salts; the research proposes a more environmentally friendly natural dyeing process for the textile industry.