Lower Risk Exposure Research Articles

Degradation, adsorption, and bioaccumulation of novel triketone HPPD herbicide tembotrione.

Tembotrione is a new triketone HPPD herbicide widely used in Europe, USA, and other areas. However, tembotrione is moderately to highly toxic to algae and daphnia in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, hydrolysis, photolysis, soil degradation, soil adsorption, and bioaccumulation of tembotrione were systematically studied. Hydrolysis experiment revealed that tembotrione was stable in acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions with half-lives of 231-289 days. The photolysis half-lives of tembotrione were 112-158 days and 76-107 days in pH 4, 7, 9 buffer solutions and on three soils surface, respectively, which demonstrated that tembotrione could be persisted in soil and water. Meanwhile, tembotrione Kfoc was 128-196 mL/g, indicating that tembotrione was not easily adsorbed to soil, and the adsorption capacity increased with the decrease in pH. The half-lives of tembotrione in the test soil were 32-48 days, and high organic matter soil is conducive to microbial activity and accelerates the degradation of tembotrione. Moreover, bioaccumulation experiment demonstrated that tembotrione with a BCF of 0.664 to 0.724 had a low risk of exposure to zebrafish. This study is very helpful for the evaluation environmental risk and safe use of tembotrione.

Climate risk exposure and the cross-section of Chinese stock returns

This paper examines the role of climate risk exposure in the cross-sectional pricing of individual stocks in China. We find a premium of low climate risk exposure: stocks with low climate risk exposure significantly outperform those with high climate risk exposure by 0.83% to 0.90% per month in the future, on a risk-adjusted basis. Results of Fama-MacBeth regressions show that the premium of low climate risk exposure remains after controlling for well-known pricing factors. Moreover, a range of alternative settings confirms that the premium is extremely robust. Finally, climate risk exposure is a combination of pricing factors such as profitability and investment, which provides potential explanations for our results. Our study documents the importance of climate risk in cross-sectional pricing in the Chinese stock market.

The impact of antibiotic residues on resistance patterns in leek at harvest

When crops are cultivated on fields fertilized with animal manure, the risk exists that plants may take up antibiotic residues and may be exposed to antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic resistant bacteria. During cultivation in a greenhouse pot experiment, leek (Allium porrum) was fertilized with either pig slurry or mineral fertilizer and exposed to either no antibiotics, doxycycline (10,000 μg/kg manure), sulfadiazine (1000 μg/kg manure), or lincomycin (1000 μg/kg manure). At harvest, 4.5 months later, lincomycin, sulfadiazine or doxycycline were not detected in any of the leek samples nor in their corresponding soil samples. Further, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on 181 Bacillus cereus group isolates and 52 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from the grown leek. For the B. cereus group isolates, only a small shift in MIC50 for lincomycin was observed among isolates from the lincomycin and control treatment. For P. aeruginosa, only in the setup with doxycycline treatment a higher MIC50 for doxycycline was observed compared to the control, specifically the isolates selected from growth media supplemented with 8 mg/L doxycycline. Nine antibiotic resistance genes (tet(B), tet(L), tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), tet(W), erm(B), erm(F) and sul2) were investigated at harvest in the leek and soil samples. In the leek samples, none of the antibiotic resistance genes were detected. In the soil samples fertilized with pig slurry, the genes erm(B), erm(F), tet(M), sul2, tet(W) and tet(O) were detected in significantly higher copy numbers in the lincomycin treatment as compared to the other antibiotic treatments. This could be due to a shift in soil microbiota induced by the addition of lincomycin. The results of this study indicate that consumption of leek carries a low risk of exposure to antibiotic residues or antibiotic resistance to doxycycline, sulfadiazine or lincomycin.

Detecting mpox infection in the early epidemic: an epidemiologic investigation of the third and fourth cases in Korea.

As few mpox cases have been reported in Korea, we aimed to identify the characteristics of mpox infection by describing our epidemiologic investigation of a woman patient (index patient, the third case in Korea) and a physician who was infected by a needlestick injury (the fourth case). We conducted contact tracing and exposure risk evaluation through interviews with these 2 patients and their physicians and contacts, as well as field investigations at each facility visited by the patients during their symptomatic periods. We then classified contacts into 3 levels according to their exposure risk and managed them to minimize further transmission by recommending quarantine and vaccination for post-exposure prophylaxis and monitoring their symptoms. The index patient had sexual contact with a man foreigner during a trip to Dubai, which was considered the probable route of transmission. In total, 27 healthcare-associated contacts across 7 healthcare facilities and 9 community contacts were identified. These contacts were classified into high (7 contacts), medium (9 contacts), and low (20 contacts) exposure risk groups. One high-risk contact was identified as a secondary patient: a physician who was injured while collecting specimens from the index patient. The index patient visited several medical facilities due to progressive symptoms prior to isolation. Although the 2022 mpox epidemic mainly affected young men, especially men who have sex with men, physicians should also consider mpox transmission in the general population for the timely detection of mpox-infected patients.

Groundwater Quality and Health Risk Assessment Using Indexing Approaches, Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Artificial Neural Networks, and GIS Techniques in El Kharga Oasis, Egypt

The assessment and prediction of water quality are important aspects of water resource management. Therefore, the groundwater (GW) quality of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer (NSSA) in El Kharga Oasis was evaluated using indexing approaches, such as the drinking water quality index (DWQI) and health index (HI), supported with multivariate analysis, artificial neural network (ANN) models, and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. For this, physical and chemical parameters were measured for 140 GW wells, which indicated Ca–Mg–SO4, mixed Ca–Mg–Cl–SO4, Na–Cl, Ca–Mg–HCO3, and mixed Na–Ca–HCO3 water facies under the influence of silicate weathering, rock–water interactions, and ion exchange processes. The GW in El Kharga Oasis had high levels of heavy metals, particularly iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn), with average concentrations above the limits recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. The DWQI categorized most of the samples as not suitable for drinking (poor to very poor class), while some samples fell in the good water class. The results of the HI indicated a potential health risk due to the ingestion of water, with the risk being higher for children in only one location. However, for both children and adults, there was a low risk of dermal and ingestion exposure to the water in all locations. The contaminants could be from natural sources, such as minerals leaching from rocks and soil, or from human activities. Based on the results of ANN modeling, ANN-SC-13 was the most accurate prediction model, since it demonstrated the strongest correlation between the best characteristics and the DWQI. For example, this model’s thirteen characteristics were extremely important for predicting DWQI. The R2 value for the training, cross-validation (CV), and test data was 0.99. The ANN-SC-2 model was the best in measuring HI ingestion in adults. The R2 value for the training, CV, and test data was 1.00 for all models. The ANN-SC-2 model was the most accurate at detecting HI dermal in adults (R2 = 0.99, 0.99, and 0.99 for the training, CV, and test data sets, respectively). Finally, the integration of physicochemical parameters, water quality indices (WQIs), and ANN models can help us to understand the quality of GW and its controlling factors, and to implement the necessary measures that prevent outbreaks of various water-borne diseases that are detrimental to human health.

The Relationship between COVID-19 Exposure Risk and Burnout in Prehospital Emergency Medical Technicians.

Exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused many physical and psychological effects on front-line healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to assess the relationship between the exposure risk to COVID-19 disease and burnout in prehospital emergency medical technicians (EMTs). In this correlational study, 335 prehospital EMTs were selected by random sampling method from the 49 stations of emergency medical services in the northwest of Iran. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the world health organization for the risk assessment and management of exposure of health care workers to COVID-19. Moreover, Pines burnout measure was used for the assessment of participants' burnout. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 13. Results showed that 30.7 % of prehospital EMTs had a high burnout score against COVID-19 disease. The prehospital EMTs who had a high occupational exposure risk experienced a high risk of burnout (P=0.03). The results of the linear regression analysis showed that prehospital EMTs who had a low exposure risk of COVID-19 had a low burnout score (β=-9.30; P<0.001), and those who had less than 10 years of work experience showed less burnout (β=-10.54; P<0.001). According to the results, the exposure risk to COVID-19 increases the prehospital EMT's burnout. As a result, reducing the exposure risk to COVID-19 by providing adequate access to personal protective equipment (PPE), development of training and following standards and protocols can be effective in controlling burnout in HCWs.

Contamination of Baby Foods by Plastic Additives: A Pilot Screening Study

Despite the fact that food production and processing may involve various appliances and materials containing plastic additives (PAs), potential food contamination by a variety of PAs has not been sufficiently investigated, particularly in baby foods. In this study, we screened for a total of 245 legacy and emerging PAs in representative baby foods (n = 70), including formulas, cereals, vegetable/fruit purees, and meat products. Total concentrations of ΣPAs ranged from 3.86 to 9580 ng/g (median of 194 ng/g), and 47 PAs were detected in >50% of the samples, among which 16 were detected for the first time in baby foods. Non-phthalate ester plasticizers exhibited the highest abundances (median of 52.7 ng/g), followed by phthalate esters (46.1 ng/g), organophosphate esters (8.20 ng/g), synthetic antioxidants (8.15 ng/g), ultraviolet stabilizers (1.56 ng/g), bisphenols (0.51 ng/g), and parabens (0.04 ng/g). Food categories and the types of packaging materials appeared to influence the levels and compositional profiles of PA contamination. The estimation of daily intake suggested a low risk of dietary exposure. However, the high complexity of PAs detected in baby foods raises concern about the exposure to an increasing list of industrial chemicals, due to potential cocktail effects, limited knowledge of biological effects of emerging substances, and exposure from additional sources.

Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Emerging Alternatives in Road Dust, Shijiazhuang

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs, n=22), including emerging alternatives, in dust samples were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to study their pollution characteristics. These samples were collected from main and minor roads in Shijiazhuang. Some of the roads were located near sewage treatment plants and fire stations. The results showed that PFASs were ubiquitous in the road dust of Shijiazhuang; in particular, hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), an alternative, was measured for the first time in China. The total concentrations of PFASs ranged from 2.62 to 137.65 ng·g-1. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the dominant PFAS, followed by perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), HFPO-DA, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The highest and lowest levels of PFASs were observed in the northwest and southeast regions of Shijiazhuang, respectively. The compositions of PFASs were obviously different in road dust near sewage treatment plants and fire stations, especially for the types of emerging alternatives. Health risk assessment indicated that road dust intake had a low risk of human exposure to PFASs and emerging alternatives. Among the three routes (ingestion intake, inhalation intake, and dermal contact), ingestion intake was the main route for PFASs and emerging alternatives in road dust to enter the human body. Under the same exposure route, the exposure dose of children was higher than that of adults.

Do factors associated with older pedestrian crash severity differ? A causal factor analysis based on exposure level of pedestrians

Objective Older pedestrians are more likely to have severe or fatal consequences when involved in traffic crashes. Identifying the factors contributing to the severity and possible interdependencies between factors in specific exposure areas is the first step to improving safety. Therefore, examining the causal factors’ impact on pedestrian-vehicle crash severity in a given area is vital for formulating effective measures to reduce the risk of pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Methods This study implements the Thiessen polygon algorithm deployed to define older pedestrians’ exposure influence area. Enabling trip characteristics and built environment information as exposure index settings for the background of the pedestrian severity causal analysis. Then, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to conduct a factor analysis of the crash severity in high- and low-exposure areas. The SEM evaluates latent factors such as driver risk attitude, risky driving behavior, lack of risk perception among older pedestrians, natural environment, adverse road conditions for driving or walking, and vehicle conditions. The SEM crash model also establishes the relationship between each latent factor. Results In total, drivers’ risky driving behavior (0.270, p < 0.05) in low-exposure areas significantly impacts older pedestrian crash severity more than in high-exposure areas. Lack of risk perception among older pedestrians (0.232, p < 0.05) is the most critical factor promoting crash severity in high-exposure areas. The natural environment (0.634, p < 0.05) in high-exposure areas positively influences older pedestrians’ lack of risk perception more than in low-exposure areas. Conclusions Significant group differences (p-values ∼ 0.001-0.049) existed between the causal factors of the high-exposure risk areas and the low-exposure risk factors. Different exposure intervals require detailed scenarios based on the critical risks identified. The crash severity promotion measures in different exposure areas can be focused on according to the critical causes analyzed. Those clues, in turn, can be used by transportation authorities in prioritizing their plans, policies, and programs toward improving the safety and mobility of older pedestrians.

Quantitative and qualitative risk-informed energy investment for industrial companies

In the ongoing energy transition, small and medium-sized industrial companies are making energy equipment investments due to the obsolescence of their current equipment as well as social, political and market pressures. These firms typically choose investments with low risk exposure based on a combination of criteria that are not always quantifiable. However, published studies on energy investment to date have not been suitable for industrial SMEs because they do not assess the value of the investment over time, ignore the qualitative aspects of decision-making, and do not consider uncertainties. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper proposes a methodology that considers both quantitative and qualitative parameters and risks over time through an extended two-stage risk-informed approach. The proposed methodology includes fuzzy and statistical techniques for evaluating both qualitative and quantitative parameters, as well as their uncertainties, at the time of decision-making and over the investment lifetime. Fuzzy logic is used in the first stage of the optimisation process to measure qualitative parameters and their uncertainty, while quantitative parameters are expressed using probability density functions to account for their uncertainty and measure the quantitative risk assumed by the investor. This methodology is applied to a case study involving a real industrial SME, and the results show that considering both quantitative and qualitative parameters and uncertainties in the optimisation process leads to a more balanced consideration of economic, environmental and social criteria and reduces the variability of the outcome compared to economic-only approaches that do not account for risks. Specifically, the case study shows that considering these parameters and uncertainties resulted in a 15.7% reduction in the size of the cogeneration system due to its environmental and social impacts, and 4.2% reduction in the variability of the economic result.

COVID-19-related hospital admission in spouses of partners in at-risk occupations.

This study aimed to quantify the risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in spouses living with partners in at-risk occupations in Denmark during 2020-21. Within a registry-based cohort of all Danish employees (N=2 451 542), we identified cohabiting couples, in which at least one member (spouse) held a job that according to a job exposure matrix entailed low risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (N=192 807 employees, 316 COVID-19 hospital admissions). Risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission in such spouses was assessed according to whether their partners were in jobs with low, intermediate or high risk for infection. Overall and sex-specific incidence rate ratios (IRR) of COVID-19-related hospital admission were computed by Poisson regression with adjustment for relevant covariates. The risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission was increased among spouses with partners in high-risk occupations [adjusted IRR (IRRadj)1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-2.2], but not intermediate-risk occupations (IRRadj 0.97 95% 0.8-1.3). IRR for having a partner in a high-risk job was elevated during the first three pandemic waves but not in the fourth (IRRadj 0.48 95% CI 0.2-1.5). Sex did not modify the risk of hospital admission. SARS-CoV-2 transmission at the workplace may pose an increased risk of severe COVID-19 among spouses in low-risk jobs living with partners in high-risk jobs, which emphasizes the need for preventive measures at the workplace in future outbreaks of epidemic contagious disease. When available, effective vaccines seem essential.

A Dose of Truth: A Qualitative Assessment of Reactions to Messages about Fentanyl for People Who Use Drugs

Background: Fentanyl-related overdoses are occurring at alarming rates and developing campaigns to increase awareness about fentanyl and harm-reduction strategies is critical. A Dose of Truth is an educational campaign aiming to increase knowledge about the threat of fentanyl and risk of exposure among people who use drugs (PWUD). The current study tests preliminary concepts and messages for the campaign. Methods: Twenty-one one-on-one interviews were conducted with young adults ages 18-35 who use drugs. Participants discussed knowledge of fentanyl and perceived risk of exposure, and provided feedback on four concepts. Thematic analysis of transcripts generated insights about promising approaches and topics. Results: Findings demonstrated that fentanyl awareness is growing among PWUD, but they perceive low risk of exposure because they trust a source. Messaging that challenged that trust, by highlighting that contaminated drug supplies are increasingly widespread, made personal risk salient. Additionally, messaging conveyed through a personal narrative that encouraged carrying naloxone to protect friends was perceived as personally relevant. Conclusions: While opioid- and fentanyl-related campaigns exist, few have used an evidence-based process to guide campaign development. Addressing gaps in knowledge and developing messages that are personally relevant are foundational steps in creating effective campaigns on fentanyl and other substances.

Comparing the diagnostic performance of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus with QFT-GIT, T-SPOT.TB and TST: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundQuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) is an important test that has emerged in recent years for detecting TB infection. We conducted a review to compare the sensitivity, specificity and positive rate of QFT-Plus with that of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT), T-cell spot of tuberculosis assay (T-SPOT.TB) and Tuberculin test (TST).MethodsPubMed and Embase were searched, without language restrictions, from 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2022 using “Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infections” and “QuantiFERON-TB-Plus” as search phrases. We estimated the sensitivity from studies of patients with active tuberculosis, specificity from studies of populations with very low risk of TB exposure, and positive rate from studies of high-risk populations. The methodological quality of the eligible studies was assessed, and a random-effects model meta-analysis was used to determine the risk difference (RD). We assessed the pooled rate by using a random-effects model. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD 42021267432).ResultsOf 3996 studies, 83 were eligible for full-text screening and 41 were included in the meta-analysis. In patients with active TB, the sensitivity of QFT-Plus was compared to that of QFT-GIT and T-SPOT.TB, respectively, and no statistically differences were found. In populations with a very low risk of TB exposure, the specificity of QFT-Plus was compared with that of QFT-GTI and T-SPOT.TB, respectively, and no statistically differences were found. Two studies were eligible to compare the specificity of the QFT-Plus test with that of the TST test, and the pooled RD was 0.12 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.22). In high-risk populations, 18 studies were eligible to compare the positive rate of the QFT-Plus test with that of the QFT-GIT test, and the pooled RD was 0.02 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.03). The positive rate of QFT-Plus was compared with that of T-SPOT.TB and TST groups, and no statistically differences were found.ConclusionsThe diagnostic performance of QFT-Plus was similar to that of QFT-GIT and T-SPOT.TB, but was slightly more specific than TST.

Adherence to and experiences of K-12 students in modified and standard home quarantine during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Missouri.

In November 2020, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Missouri allowed local public health jurisdictions the option to implement a modified quarantine policy allowing kindergarten through 12 (K-12) students with low-risk exposures to continue in-person learning. We assessed adherence to quarantine among participants in modified quarantine and standard home quarantine and the psychosocial impacts of quarantine on students and families. In January-March 2021, as part of an investigation of in-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2, parents of 586 participating K-12 students identified as a close contact with a person with SARS-CoV-2 were sent a survey to assess their activities and psychosocial impacts to the child and family. Among the 227 (39%) survey respondents, 26 (11%) participated in modified quarantine and 201 (89%) participated in standard home quarantine. Forty-six percent of students in modified quarantine and 72% of students in standard home quarantine reported abstaining from non-school activities during quarantine. Parents of 17 (65%) students in modified quarantine and 80 (40%) in standard home quarantine reported low or neutral levels of stress in their children. Parents of students in standard home quarantine described greater stress, negative impacts to family functioning, and interruptions to educational opportunities for students. Students in modified quarantine reported lower adherence to quarantine recommendations but lower daily impact and stressors than those in standard home quarantine. Because in-school transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to be low when layered prevention strategies are in place regardless of the use of modified or standard home quarantine, this modified quarantine approach provides a reasonable option for balancing the needs of students and families with SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures.

Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and temperature increases gynecological cancers

BackgroundCervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers are three major gynecological cancers (GCs) leading to heavy disease burden and high mortality among women worldwide, which are associated with environmental exposure. However, the role of air pollution and temperature on GCs remains unclear. ObjectiveTo assess the combined effects of short-term, medium-term, and long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and temperature indicators on GCs in women. MethodsA case-control study was conducted in XiangYa Hospital from 2010 to 2018 at Changsha, China. A standard questionnaire was designed to collect the health status and personal factors of 305 cases with GCs including cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers and 399 healthy women as control group. Personal exposure to ambient air pollution (PM10, SO2, and NO2), temperature, and diurnal temperature variation (DTV) during past one year, past five years, and past ten years was calculated by inverse distance weighted (IDW) method based on each subject's home address. Multiple logistic regression model was used to analyse the relationship of GCs with outdoor air pollution and temperature indicators. ResultsExposure to NO2 during past five years and past ten years was significantly associated with GCs, with adjusted ORs (95% CI) of 1.40 (1.02–1.91) and 1.41 (1.03–1.93). Furthermore, an increase in temperature during past ten years was related with GCs, with OR (95% CI) = 1.95 (1.16–3.25). We strikingly found that high temperature increased the effect of long-term exposure to PM10 and NO2 during past ten years on GCs, while low DTV elevated GCs risk of air pollution exposure. Sensitivity analysis suggests that some specific subjects were more susceptible to the effect of air pollution and temperature indicators on GCs. ConclusionRelatively long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution (NO2) and increased temperature played important roles in the development of women's GCs. There may be interactions between air pollution and temperature indicators on GCs.

Assessment of risk factors and preventive measure compliance against COVID-19 among healthcare workers at tertiary care hospital: a retrospective study.

SARS-CoV-2 has created a significant challenge to healthcare systems, since the disease has spread rapidly, outweighing hospital capacity and exposing Health Care Workers (HCWs) to the risk of infection. The main objective of this study shows the HCW's self-reported use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), symptoms, and exposure to revealed and suspected people during the pandemic, as well as the implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines that effectively limit the spread of the infection among healthcare personnel. A single-center retrospective cohort study has been done at a tertiary care hospital. There were 3,651 hospital employees of these 1,890 HCWs and 1,761 nonclinical staff among those who were proven or suspected COVID-19 cases and had symptoms were included. The data was gathered using a standardized self-assessment questionnaire. Information about quarantine protocol and line listing was collected through telephonic conversations. The majority of the participants were males (66%). The average age was 32.1±7.62. Out of 432 HCWs, 32.9% with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR findings were nurses, 19.2% were doctors, and 47.9% were non-clinical employees from the hospital's inpatient and outpatient departments. 31.5% had a higher-risk exposure, 64.1% had a moderate-risk exposure, and 4.4% of practitioners with COVID-19 had a lower-risk exposure. A statistically significant association was found between COVID-19 disease and adherence to PPE and risk exposure. This study represents the healthcare workers' experience with COVID-19 patients in the early stages of the pandemic and emphasizes the measures required to overcome the problems, however, this study highlights that HCWs are being progressively infected with COVID-19 as a result of inadequate/ inappropriate PPE wear.

Health risk assessment, water quality indices and reproductive hormone profile among Abakpa citizens in Enugu metropolis

Numerous substances has been attributed to elicit endocrine-disruption and may potentially affect healthy reproductive functions. This study was carried out to determine the health risk assessment, water quality indices and reproductive hormone profile among citizens of Abakpa in Enugu metropolis. Ten (10) water sampling points comprising of wells and streams were analyzed for chemical properties such BOD, COD, DO, pH, TSS, TDS, Total Hardness, and Alkalinity and Heavy metal composition such as Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg) using the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) guidelines and Atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) respectively. Five (5) blood samples comprising males and females was collected across the sampling areas and assayed for reproductive hormone profile such as Testosterone, Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Progesterone, Prolactin, Estradiol and the enzyme Aromatase was using the ELISA kit method. The result of chemical properties such as TSS, TDS, COD, Total hardness and Alkalinity were all within World Health Organization (WHO) stipulated limits, whereas DO, BOD and pH were higher than WHO limits across all sampling points from the sampling area. Some parameters showed significance difference while some sample did not at different sampling locations at 95% confidence level. The result of heavy metals showed very high concentrations of analyzed metals with Hg present in five water samples from Abakpa at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 1.96 ppm. Pb concentration ranged between 0.06-0.35 ppm; Zn 24.93- 33.65 ppm; Cr 0.00 – 0.23 ppm; Cd. 0.11 – 0.17 ppm across all sampling points. All the result of reproductive hormone showed lower concentration of testosterone in men (1.99 to 2.19 ng/ml) and high concentration in females (2.03 to 2.06 ng/ml) across all sampling points. The concentration of FSH was in the range of 0.67 to 0.77 ng/ml in males, while the level was between 0.71 to 0.83 ng/ml in female. Prolactin results was 3.49 to 3.86 ng/ml for males and 3.44 to 3.59 ng/ml in females. Estradiol levels were 8.48 to 9.54 ng/ml and 9.61 to 9.84 ng/ml for females and males respectively. However, progesterone level were between 34.08 to 37.45 ng/ml for females and 36.48 to 39.56 ng/ml. The aromatase enzyme was averagely below 4.0 Pmol/mg in both male and female. The risk assessment showed low risk exposure but mercury had high risk exposure tendencies of 16.333 when compared to other heavy metals from all samples. Consumption of water in sampled area’s may pose a serious health challenge; high concentration of heavy metals could be attributed to the hormonal imbalance recorded in the research as most heavy metals is seen to reduce the expression and activity of 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD, which could be facilitated by high acidic nature of the water. Thus, interfering with steroidogenesis. Therefore, continuous monitoring of water quality in Abakpa in Enugu metropolis is highly recommended in order to ensure the health safety of humans living in such environment.

Mpox: What Practicing Gastroenterologists Need to Know

Mpox: What Practicing Gastroenterologists Need to Know

Environmental assessment of heavy metals in soils around Al-Janabeen Dam, southwest Saudi Arabia

Thirty surface soil samples were collected from soils around Al-Janabeen Dam, southwest Saudi Arabia to assess the contamination and environmental risk of heavy metals (HMs) using various pollution measurements, sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), and statistical methods. The average concentrations of HMs (μg/g) were listed in the following decreasing order: Fe (5487.73) > Mn (323.54) > Cr (37.52) > Cu (30.25) > Zn (24.55) > Ni (17.48) > Co (9.51) > Pb (7.50) > Cd (0.81). The investigated soils were very severely enriched, moderate severe enriched with Cu and Pb, and moderate enriched with Co, Cr, Ni and Zn. The reported values of Cd, Zn, Pb, and Co were lower than the ISQG-Low values, while few samples reported levels of Ni, Cr, and Cu between the ISQG-Low and ISQG-High values, implying a low risk of exposure to these HMs. Statistical analysis indicated natural sources for Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni; and anthropogenic effects for Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb.

Phenotypic divergence in sleep and circadian cycles linked by affective state and environmental risk related to psychosis.

Environmental cues influence circadian rhythm timing and neurochemicals involved in the regulation of affective behavior. How this interplay makes them a probable nonspecific risk factor for psychosis is unclear. We aimed to identify the relationship between environmental risk for psychosis and circadian timing phenotypes sampled from the general population. Using an online survey, we devised a cumulative risk exposure score for each of the 1898 survey respondents based on 23 empirically verified transdiagnostic risks for psychosis, three dimensions of affect severity, psychotic-like experiences, and help-seeking behavior. Quantitative phenotyping of sleep and circadian rhythms was undertaken using at-home polysomnography, melatonin and cortisol profiles, and 3-week rest-activity behavior in individuals with a high-risk exposure load (top 15% of survey respondents, n = 22) and low-risk exposure load (bottom 15% of respondents, n = 22). Psychiatric symptoms were present in 100% of the high-load participants and 14% of the low-load participants. Compared to those with a low-load, high-load participants showed a later melatonin phase which was reflected by a greater degree of dispersion in circadian timing. Phase relationships between later circadian melatonin phase and later actigraphic sleep onsets were maintained and these were strongly correlated with self-reported sleep mid-points. No differences were identified from polysomnography during sleep between groups. Distinguishing circadian timing from other sleep phenotypes will allow adaptation for dosage of time-directed intervention, useful in stabilizing circadian timekeeping physiology and potentially reducing the multisystemic disruption in mental health disorders.