Public Health Hazard Research Articles

A Review of Medical Waste, its Environmental Consequences and Management Strategies: A Burning Issue of the Present Day Society

Medical waste has enormous consequences for human health and the environment. It has the potential to cause severe disease, if not death. If drugs end up near wildlife refuges like parks, lakes, and other natural environments, whole populations of species might be wiped off therefore its management is vital due to the potential for environmental and public health hazards, especially in countries which are in the process of development. It is crucial to collect data and examples from a developed nation or a nation with an efficient medical waste management system. Cities are expected to accommodate 65 percent of the globe's population by 2030. The amount of residential waste produced in Mumbai on a regular basis is approximated to be the equal of an eight-story building complex. The atmosphere in cities is so bad that an estimated two million kids under the age of five die from respiratory problems each year. Hospitals, retail stores selling vegetables, seafood, and other items, as well as bus stops, train stations, and amusement parks, are all filthy and serve as breedi­ng grounds for dangerous diseases. In developing nations like India, the amount of trash generated by hospitals is significantly rising, hence monitoring is important. The growing interest for public health excellence and pollution management, necessities that the large quantity of hazardous waste be rendered as innocuous very quickly, prior to its disposal. The main aim of this paper is to highlight the issues surrounding medical waste, its environmental repercussions, and the management procedure.

Insight into the uptake, translocation, metabolism, dissipation and risk assessment of tolfenpyrad in romaine and edible amaranth grown in hydroponic conditions

Tolfenpyrad is an alternative to highly water-soluble and ecotoxic insecticides that is widely used in China. It is absorbed and accumulates in vegetables, leading to potential public-health hazards. A systematic study of the fate of tolfenpyrad is necessary for proper application and food safety. Herein, we report on the uptake, translocation, metabolism, dissipation, and dietary risks of tolfenpyrad in hydroponic romaine and amaranth plants. Roots easily absorbed and accumulated tolfenpyrad, although transport was moderate in both vegetables. Basipetal translocation of tolfenpyrad occurred in romaine but not in edible amaranth, owing to differences in specific transport behaviour in each case. Six metabolites and three pathways were proposed. Tolfenpyrad affected antioxidant enzyme activities in different parts of the two vegetables. Tolfenpyrad dissipation proceeded swiftly, entailing an acceptable risk to humans. Our results provide information on the distribution and transport of tolfenpyrad, as well as on the safety in using it on vegetables.

Prevalence of food additive in hen meat products

The present investigation aimed to assess chemical monosodium glutamate as flavoring agent in processed hen meat products. One hundred random of processed hen meat samples were estimated. The highest concentration mean± SE chemical Food additive Monosodium glutamate (mg/g.) as an flavoring agent was found in samples of canned hen (3.950 ± 0.51) than in hen pannae samples (1.850 ± 0.28), hen minced meat samples were the highest concentration (2.750 ± 1.05), followed by hen shawerma samples (1.730 ± 0.220), and fried hen meat samples (1.470 ± 0.850) mg/g. of chemical Food additive Monosodium glutamate as flavoring agent. So, the current estimated chemical Food additive Monosodium glutamate as flavoring agent contents in the examined processed hen samples were less than the acceptable levels stated by Egyptian Standards, FDA stated that contamination of the examined chicken meat samples in this study revealed that the amount of chemical monosodium glutamate as flavoring agent causing reactions in human being ranged from 0.500 to 3.00 mg. so a typical serving of a foodstuff with added chemical Monosodium glutamate as flavoring agent has less than 0.50 g. of Monosodium glutamate as flavoring agent. Reduction the public health hazards of exposure to these food additives as flavoring agent. The corrected and safe doses of chemical Food additive Monosodium glutamate as flavoring agent in food of human.

Lead Exposure Survey Tool (LEST): A methodological approach to highlight the invisible lead poisoning

Lead is the most common heavy metal found in the Earth's crust. Lead has been widely dispersed and incorporated in the natural world since prehistoric times. In the majority of wealthy countries, the amount of lead entering the atmosphere has been significantly reduced. Acute lead exposure becomes relatively low, but chronic lead exposure remains a substantial public health hazard. Disadvantaged people, are developing and industrializing countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Between 1981 and 2018, a comprehensive literature search was undertaken in the PubMed and Scopus databases. All studies were evaluated equally based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Delphi method was used to identify numerous resources of lead pollutants. The Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to evaluate the quality of identified papers for inclusion in the systematic review synthesis. The studies and sources of lead toxicology were further evaluated using a scale of evidence to establish the degree of evidence based on SIGN & GRADE standards. There were 14 genres and 82 subgenres identified. Through a comprehensive analysis, our cohort developed an exposure survey tool that takes into account the local sociocultural aspects of MENA countries, which will serve as a resource forresearchers,medical toxicologists, and public health professionals in the MENA region to enhance early detection of potential subjects, conduct further studies and implement exposure prevention strategies.•There is no single tool available to detect the invisible lead poison. Lead poisoning is a serious public health problem that can have devastating consequences.•The tool, called the Lead Exposure Survey Tool (LEST), uses a combination of but not limited to data sources, including blood lead levels, environmental lead levels, and demographic information, to identify subjects who are at risk of lead poisoning. LEST is a powerful tool that can help to improve early detection and prevention of lead poisoning.•The development of LEST is a major breakthrough in the fight against lead poisoning. This tool has the potential to save lives and improve the health of high risk subjects around the world.

Multi-drug Resistant Mannheimia hemolytica and Pasteurella multocida in Pneumonic Sheep in Bangladesh

Background: Pneumonia in sheep is a complicated multicausal disease which affects the respiratory system causing increased morbidity and herd mortality rate. The members of Pasteurellaceae family are one of the prime causes of bacterial pneumonia in ruminants. Once infected by these organisms, antimicrobial therapy becomes obligatory. In Bangladesh, causation of pneumonic pasteurellosis and their antibiogram is unknown in sheep which insists the veterinarians to choose empirical antimicrobial therapy. Objectives: This study was undertaken to identify multidrug resistant Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia hemolytica in sheep suspected with pneumonia. Methodology: The samples of nasal swab and the lungs were collected aseptically. After overnight incubation in Brain Heart Infusion broth, the samples were streaked onto 5.0% sheep Blood Agar to obtain pure colony with characteristic features which were subjected to biochemical tests, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and antibiogram study against eight antibiotics. Results: A total number of 140 samples were collected of which 120 nasal swabs and 20 lungs were collected aseptically. In total, 16.7% pneumonia cases in sheep were found to be caused by Pasteurella species. Out of 140 samples, 43.57% (61/140) were positive for Mannheimia hemolytica (68.85%) and 19.67% for Pasteurella multocida. The mixed infection by both organisms was 11.48%. The Mannheimia hemolytica (MH) was predominant in lungs (100.0%) and nasal swab samples (18.3%) than Pasteurella multocida (PM) which were 15% and 7.5% respectively. All the isolates were found to be multi-drug resistant where resistance against Penicillin and Ampicillin was 100% for all isolates. The resistance of Mannheimia hemolytica and Pasteurella multocida towards sulfonamide, ceftriaxone, oxytetracycline, gentamicin, and streptomycin were 63.33%, 49.44%, 44.44%. 16.67%, 11.11% and 78.22%, 45.46%, 45.45%, 36.36%, 27.27% respectively. Among all antibiotics tested, Chloramphenicol stands out to be the most effective one (100% sensitive). Conclusion: This study states the first molecular identification of Mannheimia hemolytica and Pasteurella multocida from sheep suspected with pneumonia in Bangladesh and their antibiogram pattern against commonly prescribed antimicrobials. Due to their commensalism nature and wide host coverage, these MDR pathogens warrant judicious use of antibiotics in small ruminants to reduce veterinary public health hazard. Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases, June 2023;10(1):16-23

Exploring the virulence potential of immune evasion cluster genes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from cancer patients

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is accountable for a plethora of infections, ranging from minor cutaneous manifestations to grave metastatic conditions. The dissemination of MRSA among cancer patients poses a substantial public health hazard on a global scale. This study explores the association between MRSA and bacteriophage-encoded immune evasion cluster (IEC) genes. This investigation employed a total of 168 pathogenic MRSA collected from 38 cancer and 130 non-cancer patients. A cefoxitin disc diffusion method followed by PCR analysis was used to identify the mecA gene. In this study, we employed singleplex and multiplexed PCR techniques to detect specific IEC genes. No association (p = 0.98) was observed between the sex and age of patients and MRSA isolates. However, MRSA isolates demonstrated a notable association (p = 0.01) with pus samples in non-cancer patients and skin swabs in cancer patients. The resistance profiles of MRSA strains from cancer and non-cancer patients did not show significant differences (p > 0.05). Notably, the sea gene was found to be more prevalent in MRSA isolates from cancer patients, displaying a significant association (p = 0.03). Additionally, this study identified two novel and distinct combinations of IEC types, namely V1 (sea, chp, scn) and V2 (sea, scn). Cancer patients had higher multidrug resistance and toxin gene abundance than non-cancer patients. The identification of two novel IEC patterns underscores the urgent need to control MRSA dissemination in hospitals and monitor emerging clones.

Titanium‐based MOFs‐derived Cabon‐supported Photocatalysts for the Efficient Degradation of Tetracycline

AbstractIn order to eliminate the public health hazard of tetracycline in a more environmentally friendly and efficient manner, a titanium‐based metal‐organic framework material containing Co ions was synthesised as a precursor by the traditional solvothermal method. Subsequently, a series of titanium‐based MOFs‐derived carbon‐supported photocatalysts were synthesised by calcining the precursor at different temperatures in air. All the prepared catalysts achieved effective degradation of the model pollutant tetracycline (TC). By adjusting the parameters such as TC concentration, catalyst dosage and irradiation time, the optimised composite material (TiCoOC‐800‐1) has a degradation rate of 99.4 % for the model pollutant TC with a concentration of 100 mg/L after under the UV irradiation during 30 min. Radical scavenging experiments showed that the main oxide species responsible for the rapid photodegradation of tetracycline were superoxide radicals (⋅O2−) and holes (h+). Finally, the liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method was used to detect the molecular degradation intermediates of TC and a possible degradation pathway was proposed. This work will provide new ideas for the development of more efficient photocatalysts for the degradation of TC in wastewater.

Paratyphoid Salmonella serovars in chickens: molecular detection of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes

Paratyphoid salmonellosis is a serious disease threatens the poultry industry worldwide, besides its public health hazard. The aims of this study were characterization of paratyphoid Salmonella spp. in chicken flocks of some Egyptian governorates, demonstration of the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated Salmonella spp., and detection of some virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes using recent molecular techniques. A total of 238 organ samples were collected from 52 broiler, layer, and breeder chicken flocks, representing 9 Egyptian governorates. Conventional characterization of Salmonella isolates revealed a total isolation rate of 56.3% (134/238). Moreover, the isolation rates of Salmonella spp. were (49/79; 62%), (47/81; 58%), (10/18; 55.5%), (9/20; 45%), (2/6; 33.3%), (2/3; 66.7%), and (15/82; 53.6%) from liver, yolk sac, heart, spleen, caecum, ovary, and dead-in-shell embryos, respectively. A total of 32/238 (13.44%) isolates of Salmonella were found. Serological identification revealed presence of S. enteritidis (21.9%), S. kentucky (15.6%), S. typhimurium (12.5%), S. molade (12.5%), S. takoradi (9.4%), S. wingrove (6.3%), S. infantis (6.3%), S. tsevie (6.3), S. shangani (3.1%), S. bargny (3.1%), and S. papuana (3.1%). All Salmonella strains (32/32; 100%) were resistant to streptomycin, while almost all of them (31/32; 96.9%) were susceptible to meropenem. The amplification of 16S rRNA gene of Salmonella isolates using uniplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) generated a specific Salmonella product of approximate 550 base pair. The multiplex PCR revealed presence of invA (100%), stn (65.6%), and sopB (40.6 %) virulence-associated genes as well as aadA1 (100%), blaTEM (59.4%), aadB (18.75%), and sul1 (28.1%) antibiotic resistance genes. In conclusion, virulent paratyphoid Salmonella spp. are circulating in the Egyptian flocks, causing economic loses. Additionally, they became resistant to the most commonly used field antibiotics. Therefore, regular molecular surveillance studies on the circulating Salmonella spp. and their resistance to the used antibiotics are of significant importance.

The Invisible Killer: Investigating the Lack of Research on Smog in Pakistan

Smog, a combination of smoke and fog, is a major public health hazard in Pakistan, although it has gotten little attention and research. Despite the negative impacts of smog on the population, there is a dearth of studies and data on the subject, making it difficult for politicians and public health professionals to properly comprehend the issue and design effective solutions. Smog hurts public health
 in Pakistan, with research attributing it to an increase in respiratory infections and mortality. However, a paucity of study makes it difficult to completely comprehend the scope of the problem and its impact on the community. The purpose of this article is to highlight the critical need for additional study and data collection on the issue of smog in Pakistan and its effects on public health. We also emphasize the need for the government to prioritize this issue and take steps to alleviate the consequences of smog on the population.

Health Needs Assessment: Comparison of Applications of All-in-One AI Platform during the COVID-19 Pandemic between Mainland China and Hong Kong

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a public health hazard since 2020. Preventive measures taken in mainland China and Hong Kong to control the spread of COVID-19, including quarantine, could potentially affect people's physical and mental health. Methods: We used a snowball sampling method to investigate the experience of people in mainland China and Hong Kong using AI chatbots during the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain information on mental health related to COVID-19, the current situation, and the multi-dimensional experience of using AI chatbots. The people who participated in the survey were residents aged 18-75 in the 2 areas. Results: The effective response rate of the questionnaire was 98%. Concerning demographics, 91.1% of the target group were 18-55 years old. The most important sources of information for the respondents were WeChat and Web pages. There was no difference between Hong Kong and mainland China in terms of access to COVID-19-related mental health information (??2=0.59, p=.444), and no difference shown in access to information by gender (??2=0.01, p=.942). There was no difference in age group (??2=2.97, p=.594) and was not related to whether respondents were in the provincial capital city area (??2=0.62, p=.429). Age groups “<18 years old” and “56-65 years old” were related to giving a higher (4 or 5) score to AI text questions answering chatbot (p=.030), and there is a positive relationship between the satisfactory of AI text question answering chatbot and that of AI voice question answering chatbot (R2=0.8074, p=.038). Conclusion: There is no significant difference in the use of all-in-one AI platforms in mainland China and Hong Kong, and both have large market potential in the field of AI services for mental health. This platform is suitable for people of all ages in both regions. The results of this study provide forward-looking guidance for our team to develop robots based on an all-in-one AI platform.

The characteristics of mcr-bearing plasmids in clinical Salmonella enterica in Sichuan, China, 2014 to 2017.

Salmonella is one of the most important zoonotic pathogens and a major cause of foodborne illnesses, posing a serious global public health hazard. The emergence of plasmid-mediated mcr genes in Salmonella has greatly reduced the clinical choice of salmonellosis treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the plasmid characteristics of mcr-positive Salmonella identified from patients in Sichuan, China during 2014 to 2017 by whole genomes sequencing. In this study, a total of 12 mcr-positive isolates (1.15%, ; mcr-1, n=10; mcr-3, n=2) were identified from 1046 Salmonella isolates using PCR. Further characterization of these isolates was performed through antimicrobial susceptibility testing, conjugation assays, whole genome sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. The mcr-1 gene in these isolates were carried by three types of typical mcr-1-bearing plasmids widely distributed in Enterobacteriaceae (IncX4, IncI2 and IncHI2). Of note, two mcr-1-harboring IncHI2 plasmids were integrated into chromosomes by insertion sequences. Two mcr-3-bearing plasmids were IncC and IncFIB broad-host-range plasmids respectively. Genetic context analysis found that mcr-1 was mainly located in Tn6330 or truncated Tn6300, and mcr-3 shared a common genetic structure tnpA-mcr-3-dgkA-ISKpn40. Overall, we found that mcr gene in clinical Salmonella were commonly carried by broad-host plasmids and have potential to transfer into other bacteria by these plasmids. Continuous surveillance of MDR Salmonella in humans and investigation the underlying transmission mechanisms of ARGs are vital to curb the current severe AMR concern.

Errors in clinical diagnosis: a narrative review.

Diagnostic errors are often caused by cognitive biases and sometimes by other cognitive errors, which are driven by factors specific to clinicians, patients, diseases, and health care systems. An experienced clinician diagnoses routine cases intuitively, effortlessly, and automatically through non-analytic reasoning and uses deliberate, cognitively effortful analytic reasoning to diagnose atypical or complicated clinical cases. However, diagnostic errors can never be completely avoided. To minimize the frequency of diagnostic errors, it is advisable to rely on multiple sources of information including the clinician's personal experience, expert opinion, principals of statistics, evidence-based data, and well-designed algorithms and guidelines, if available. It is also important to frequently engage in thoughtful, reflective, and metacognitive practices that can serve to strengthen the clinician's diagnostic skills, with a consequent reduction in the risk of diagnostic error. The purpose of this narrative review was to highlight certain factors that influence the genesis of diagnostic errors. Understanding the dynamic, adaptive, and complex interactions among these factors may assist clinicians, managers of health care systems, and public health policy makers in formulating strategies and guidelines aimed at reducing the incidence and prevalence of the phenomenon of clinical diagnostic error, which poses a public health hazard.

Anthropogenic activities and COVID-19 effects on natural water bodies: Arroyo Seco’s case

Concerns about pollution in Arroyo Seco, an important natural water body in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area, have been reported due to possible wastewater discharges and solid waste mismanagement, turning the river into a potential public health hazard in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, a volunteer clean-up campaign denominated “Arroyo Vivo” has been promoted by Distrito Tec and the Campana-Altamira initiative. To aid in the efforts, ammonium, nitrates, nitrites, and sulfate concentrations, total solids, and total organic matter were measured in parallel with SARS-CoV-2 detection and quantification in river water samples. Compared with applicable regulations (NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021, NOM-127-SSA1-2021), total suspended solid levels (55-365 mg/L) were found above the maximum limit (84 mg/L), while ammonium (0.0175-0.198 mg/L), nitrite (0.0585-0.169 mg/L), nitrate (1.065-3.285 mg/L), sulfate (91.2-111 mg/L), and chemical oxygen demand (16.95-43.1 mg/L) were consistently below the maximum limits (0.50, 0.90, 11.00, 84.00, 400.00, and 100.00 mg/L, respectively), showing that no large-scale wastewater discharges had taken place in Arroyo Seco. However, SARS-CoV-2 genetic material was detected at three sampling sites, indicating some degree of sewage leakage and inadequate management of solid waste containing respiratory fluids of infected patients. While reports indicate that water bodies are not sources of SARS-CoV-2 infection in surrounding populations, it proves that waste disposal policies must be enforced more strictly to ensure water quality and environmental protection towards sustainable development. Nonetheless, continued efforts to screen concerning contaminants are still needed to fully assess the environmental status of the stream and propose relevant public policy.

Relevance of Meat Juice Seroprevalence and Presence of Yersinia enterocolitica and Salmonella spp. in Pig Tonsils for Risk Management at Slaughter

Salmonella spp. and Yersinia enterocolitica are priority bacteriological public health hazards in pork safety. For more successful control, it is necessary to collect data on their prevalence throughout the meat chain using the concept of harmonized epidemiological indicators. The aim of this study was to determine their prevalence in fattening pigs under different housing conditions by recovering the pathogen from tonsils and by serological testing of diaphragm meat juice at slaughterhouses. The overall prevalence of Salmonella spp. and Y. enterocolitica in tonsils was 9.8% and 6.5%, respectively, with no significant differences between large and small farms (p > 0.05). In general, seroprevalence of Salmonella spp. was 48.35% and of Yersinia 13.18% (p < 0.05) but without significant differences of individual seroprevalence between farm types. No association was found between detection of Salmonella spp. or Y. enterocolitica in tonsils and seroprevalence (φc = 0.121, p = 0.420; φc = 0.027, p = 0.718, respectively). Significantly higher seroprevalence of Salmonella spp. was found on farms with lower biosecurity status (p < 0.05). A higher recovery rate of Salmonella spp. and Y. enterocolitica from the tonsils may be expected in seropositive pigs (OR 1.56–2.36), but without statistical significance. The results showed that Salmonella and Yersinia meat juice serology can be considered for risk categorization of pig farms as a less-time consuming and more sensitive method compared to microbiological testing of tonsils but must be combined with analyses of other risk factors relevant to infection or contamination in the pork chain.

Nonhuman Primates in Public Health: Between Biological Standardization, Conservation and Care

By the mid-1960s, nonhuman primates had become key experimental organisms for vaccine development and testing, and was seen by many scientists as important for the future success of this field as well as other biomedical undertakings. A major hindrance to expanding the use of nonhuman primates was the dependency on wild-captured animals. In addition to unreliable access and poor animal health, procurement of wild primates involved the circulation of infectious diseases and thus also public health hazards. This paper traces how the World Health Organization (WHO) became involved in the issue of primate supply, and shows how by the late 1960s concerns for vaccine development and the conservation of wildlife began to converge. How did the WHO navigate public health and animal health? What characterized the response and with what implications for humans and animals? The paper explores how technical standards of care were central to managing the conflicting concerns of animal and human health, biological standardization, and conservation. While the WHO’s main aim was to prevent public health risks, I argue that imposing new standards of care implied establishing new hierarchies of humans and animals, and cultures of care.

Sentiment analysis of epidemiological surveillance reports on COVID-19 in Greece using machine learning models.

The present research deals with sentiment analysis performed with Microsoft Azure Machine Learning Studio to classify Facebook posts on the Greek National Public Health Organization (EODY) from November 2021 to January 2022 during the pandemic. Positive, negative and neutral sentiments were included after processing 300 reviews. This approach involved analyzing the words appearing in the comments and exploring the sentiments related to daily surveillance reports of COVID-19 published on the EODY Facebook page. Moreover, machine learning algorithms were implemented to predict the classification of sentiments. This research assesses the efficiency of a few popular machine learning models, which is one of the initial efforts in Greece in this domain. People have negative sentiments toward COVID surveillance reports. Words with the highest frequency of occurrence include government, vaccinated people, unvaccinated, telephone communication, health measures, virus, COVID-19 rapid/molecular tests, and of course, COVID-19. The experimental results disclose additionally that two classifiers, namely two class Neural Network and two class Bayes Point Machine, achieved high sentiment analysis accuracy and F1 score, particularly 87% and over 35%. A significant limitation of this study may be the need for more comparison with other research attempts that identified the sentiments of the EODY surveillance reports of COVID in Greece. Machine learning models can provide critical information combating public health hazards and enrich communication strategies and proactive actions in public health issues and opinion management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quality of Fermented Coffee Skin Waste with Several Types of Probiotics and Fermentation Time


 
 
 
 Coffee skin waste, which is abundant in Bali's coffee-producing regions, has not been utilized and has become a public health hazard. Therefore, it is necessary to make an effort to utilize it as a beneficial raw material for animal feed, while simultaneously enhancing its quality through fermentation. Using various types of probiotics, the research conducted seeks to improve the quality of the fermentation of coffee skin waste. The study employed a completely randomized design with four kinds of probiotics: EM-4 (P1), Bio Bali Tani (P2), MOL from coffee husk (P3), and Aspergillus niger (P4), with each treatment being administered three times. In weeks 1, 2, and 3, the grade of the fermented product was evaluated in the laboratory. The results demonstrated that fermentation of coffee skin residue improved the quality of coffee skin by reducing the crude fiber content from 27.17–29.46% to 19.18–19.44% and increasing the crude protein content from 9.53–10.23% to 11.56–17.67%. The optimal fermentation period was 2 weeks, with a protein concentration of 14.67%, which was significantly different (P 0.05) from 1 week and 3 weeks. It was statistically significant (P 0.05) that LMO probiotics were 16.67% higher than EM-4 probiotics, Bio-Bali Tani, and Aspergillus niger probiotics. It can be concluded that the fermentation of coffee skin waste as animal feed can enhance the crude protein (CP) content, with local microorganisms (LMO) and a fermentation time of two weeks being optimal.
 
 
 
 
 

FOHC: Firefly Optimizer Enabled Hybrid approach for Cancer Classification

Early detection and prediction of cancer, a group of chronic diseases responsible for a large number of deaths each year and a serious public health hazard, can lead to more effective treatment at an earlier stage in the disease's progression. In the current era, machine learning (ML) has widely been used to develop predictive models for incurable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, among others, taking into account both existing datasets and personally collected datasets, more research is still being conducted in this area. Using recursive feature elimination (RFE), principal component analysis (PCA), the Firefly Algorithm (FA), and a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, this study proposed a Firefly Optimizer-enabled Hybrid approach for Cancer classification (FOHC). This study considers feature selection and dimensionality reduction techniques RFE and PCA, and FA is used as the optimization algorithm. In the last stage, the SVM is applied to the pre-processed dataset as the classifier. To evaluate the proposed model, empirical analysis has been carried out on three different kinds of cancer disease datasets including Brain, Breast, and Lung cancer obtained from the UCI-ML warehouse. Based on the various performance parameters like accuracy, error rate, precision, recall, f-measure, etc., some experiments are carried out on the Jupyter platform using Python codes. This proposed model, FOHC, surpasses previous methods and other considered state-of-the-art works, with 98.94% accuracy for Breast cancer, 95.58% accuracy for Lung cancer, and 96.34% accuracy for Brain cancer. The outcomes of these experiments represent the effectiveness of the proposed work.

Disposal of household medications and consumer perception of risk

The objective of this research is to investigate the relationship between the disposal of household medication waste and the perception of risks associated with the disposal of household medication waste in the Sertão region of Pernambuco, Brazil. Despite the respondents of the survey demonstrating a high level of agreement (around 90%) regarding the risks associated with improper medication disposal, such as accidental ingestion, soil and water pollution, and public health hazards, the Chi-Square test of independence did not identify a relationship between the variables of having already disposed of medication, disposal of liquid medications, and disposal of pills/capsules. In other words, having an awareness of the risks does not necessarily promote proper disposal of these unused medications. However, having awareness of the risks does increase the likelihood of participating in medication take-back programs at local pharmacies. Therefore, it is crucial to implement social awareness initiatives aimed at increasing citizens' perception of proper management of household medication waste.

Self-Assembled Amino Acid Microstructures as Biocompatible Physically Unclonable Functions (BPUFs) for Authentication of Therapeutically Relevant Hydrogels.

Counterfeited biomedical products result in significant economic losses and pose a public health hazard for over a million people yearly. Hydrogels, a class of biomedical products, are being investigated as alternatives to conventional biomedical products and are equally susceptible to counterfeiting. Here, a biocompatible, physically unclonable function (BPUF) to verify the authenticity of therapeutically relevant hydrogels are developed. The principle of BPUF relies on the self-assembly of tyrosine into fibril-like structures which are incorporated into therapeutically relevant hydrogels resulting in their random dispersion. This unclonable arrangement leads to distinctive optical micrographs captured using an optical microscope. These optical micrographs are transformed into a unique security code through cryptographic techniques which are then used to authenticate the hydrogel. The temporal stability of the BPUFs are demonstrated and additionally, exploit the dissolution propensity of the structures upon exposure to an adulterant to identify the tampering of the hydrogel. Finally, a platform to demonstrate the translational potential of this technology in validating and detecting tampering of therapeutically relevant hydrogels is developed. The potential of BPUFs to combat hydrogel counterfeiting is exemplified by its simplicity in production, ease of use, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness.