Estimation Of Quotient Research Articles

Strategic Integration: A Cross-Disciplinary Review of the fNIRS-EEG Dual-Modality Imaging System for Delivering Multimodal Neuroimaging to Applications.

Background: Recent years have seen a surge of interest in dual-modality imaging systems that integrate functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) to probe brain function. This review aims to explore the advancements and clinical applications of this technology, emphasizing the synergistic integration of fNIRS and EEG. Methods: The review begins with a detailed examination of the fundamental principles and distinctive features of fNIRS and EEG techniques. It includes critical technical specifications, data-processing methodologies, and analysis techniques, alongside an exhaustive evaluation of 30 seminal studies that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the fNIRS-EEG bimodal system. Results: The paper presents multiple case studies across various clinical domains-such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, infantile spasms, depth of anesthesia, intelligence quotient estimation, and epilepsy-demonstrating the fNIRS-EEG system's potential in uncovering disease mechanisms, evaluating treatment efficacy, and providing precise diagnostic options. Noteworthy research findings and pivotal breakthroughs further reinforce the developmental trajectory of this interdisciplinary field. Conclusions: The review addresses challenges and anticipates future directions for the fNIRS-EEG dual-modal imaging system, including improvements in hardware and software, enhanced system performance, cost reduction, real-time monitoring capabilities, and broader clinical applications. It offers researchers a comprehensive understanding of the field, highlighting the potential applications of fNIRS-EEG systems in neuroscience and clinical medicine.

Resonance Frequency Analysis Identifies Implant- and Host-Related Factors Associated With Bone-Anchored Hearing Implant Stability.

Resonance frequency analysis (RFA) is a reliable, noninvasive method to assess the stability of bone-anchored hearing implants (BAHIs), although surgical-, implant-, and host-related factors can affect its outcome. BAHI plays an important role in restoring hearing function. However, implant- and host-related factors contribute to premature implant extrusion. To mitigate this, noninvasive methods to assess implant stability, along with a better understanding of factors contributing to BAHI failure, are needed. We evaluated the utility of RFA to quantify implant stability in sawbone (bone mimicking material), 29 human cadaveric samples, and a prospective cohort of 29 pediatric and 27 adult participants, and identified factors associated with implant stability. To validate the use of RFA in BAHI, we compared RFA-derived implant stability quotient (ISQ) estimates to peak loads obtained from mechanical push-out testing. ISQ and peak loads were significantly correlated (Spearman rho = 0.48, p = 0.0088), and ISQ reliably predicted peak load up to 1 kN. We then showed that in cadaveric samples, abutment length, internal table bone volume, and donor age were significantly associated with implant stability. We validated findings in our prospective patient cohort and showed that minimally invasive Ponto surgery (MIPS; versus linear incision), longer implantation durations (>16 wk), older age (>25 yr), and shorter abutment lengths (≤10 mm) were associated with better implant stability. Finally, we characterized the short-term reproducibility of ISQ measurements in sawbone and patient implants. Together, our findings support the use of ISQ as a measure of implant stability and emphasize important considerations that impact implant stability, including surgical method, implant duration, age, and abutment lengths.

Spatial distribution, mass flux, and ecological risk of antibiotics in Taiwan and Luzon Straits: A case in the West Pacific Region

Emerging pollutants are hazardous to the ecological environment and human health, and these issues have attracted increasing attention from scholars. In the current study, the Taiwan Strait is long and narrow, highly influenced by terrestrial domains, and frequently disturbed by human activities. Conversely, the Luzon Strait is an open sea far from the shore, and the impact of human activities on it is minimal. The description of antibiotics in two different types of seas revealed that contaminants were most commonly detected in both straits. In particular, the coasts of the Minjiang River, Jinjiang River, and Jiulong River were found to be pollution hotspots in the Taiwan Strait. The calculation of risk quotients revealed that antibiotics were more sensitive to algae. Furthermore, estimation of the risk quotients of the mixtures found that antibiotics in the environment do not pose a high risk to aquatic organisms at different trophic levels.

Multiresidue determination and predicted risk assessment of emerging contaminants in sediments from Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

The present work provides the first data on the occurrence of different classes of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in surface marine sediments from an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard Islands, Norway). The target compounds included: ciprofloxacin; enrofloxacin; amoxicillin; erythromycin; sulfamethoxazole; carbamazepine; diclofenac; ibuprofen; acetylsalicylic acid; paracetamol; caffeine; triclosan; N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide; 17β-estradiol; 17α-ethinyl estradiol and estrone. Sampling was performed in the late summer, when high sedimentation rates occur, and over 5 years (2018–2022). Based on the environmental concentrations (MECs) found of emerging contaminants and the relative predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs), an environmental risk assessment (ERA) for sediments was performed, including the estimation of the Risk Quotients (RQs) of selection and propagation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in this Arctic marine ecosystem. Sediments were extracted by Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) and the extracts were purified by Solid Phase Extraction (SPE). Analytical determination was conducted with liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS). PPCPs were detected in the sediments along the fjord in all the years investigated, with overall concentrations similar in most cases to those reported in urbanized areas of the planet and ranging from a minimum of 6.85 ng/g for triclosan to a maximum of 684.5 ng/g for ciprofloxacin. This latter was the only antibiotic detected but was the most abundant compound (32 %) followed by antipyretics (16 %), hormones (14 %), anti-inflammatories (13 %), insect repellents (11 %), stimulants (9 %), and disinfectants (5 %). Highest concentrations of all PPCPs detected were found close to the Ny-Ålesund research village, where human activities and the lack of appropriate wastewater treatment technologies were recognized as primary causes of local contamination. Finally, due to the presence in the sediments of the PPCPs investigated, the ERA highlights a medium (0.1 < RQ < 1) to high risk (RQ > 1) for organisms living in this Arctic marine ecosystem, including high risk of the spread of AMR.

Discourse- and lesion-based aphasia quotient estimation using machine learning

Discourse is a fundamentally important aspect of communication, and discourse production provides a wealth of information about linguistic ability. Aphasia commonly affects, in multiple ways, the ability to produce discourse. Comprehensive aphasia assessments such as the Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) are time- and resource-intensive. We examined whether discourse measures can be used to estimate WAB-R Aphasia Quotient (AQ), and whether this can serve as an ecologically valid, less resource-intensive measure. We used features extracted from discourse tasks using three AphasiaBank prompts involving expositional (picture description), story narrative, and procedural discourse. These features were used to train a machine learning model to predict the WAB-R AQ. We also compared and supplemented the model with lesion location information from structural neuroimaging. We found that discourse-based models could estimate AQ well, and that they outperformed models based on lesion features. Addition of lesion features to the discourse features did not improve the performance of the discourse model substantially. Inspection of the most informative discourse features revealed that different prompt types taxed different aspects of language. These findings suggest that discourse can be used to estimate aphasia severity, and provide insight into the linguistic content elicited by different types of discourse prompts.

Applicability of Food Monitoring Data for Assessing Relative Exposure Contributions of Pyrethroids in Retrospective Human Biomonitoring Risk Estimations.

The use of pyrethroids is very broad and shows increasing trends. Human biomonitoring studies represent the best approach for realistic risk estimations, but their interpretation requires a tiered approach. A previous HBM4EU study indicated levels in European children groups just around the threshold for concern, requiring further refinement. The main difficulty is that several pyrethroids with different toxicity potencies generate the same urinary metabolites. As diet is the main pyrethroid source for the general population, EU food monitoring data reported by EFSA have been used to estimate the relative contribution of each pyrethroid. The main contributors were cypermethrin for DCCA and 3-PBA and lambda-cyhalothrin for CFMP. Urinary levels predicted from food concentration according to the EFSA diets were mostly within the range of measured levels, except 3-PBA and CFMP levels in children, both below measured levels. The predicted lower levels for 3-PBA can be explained by the very low Fue value, initially proposed as conservative, but that seems to be unrealistic. The discrepancies for CFMP are mostly for the highest percentiles and require further assessments. The refined assessments included the revision of the previously proposed human biomonitoring guidance values for the general population, HBM-GV Gen Pop, following recent toxicological reevaluations, and the estimation of hazard quotients (HQs) for each individual pyrethroid and for the combined exposure to all pyrethroids. All HQs were below 1, indicating no immediate concern, but attention is required, particularly for children, with HQs in the range of 0.2-0.3 for the highly exposed group. The application of probabilistic methods offers assessments at the population level, addressing the variability in exposure and risk and providing relevant information for Public Health impact assessments and risk management prioritization.

Mercury presence in cassava farming, Manihot esculenta Crantz, in the vicinity of artisanal gold exploration areas in Southern Amazonia

Cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz (Euphorbiaceae), a native plant to Brazil, is one of the main sources of carbohydrate in the diet of Brazilians. In gold-mining regions, such as the south of the Amazon, it is inevitable that crops will come closer to Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mines (ASGM), creating risks of production contamination by mercury (Hg). Due to the importance of cassava in the population’s diet, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the proximity of ASGM on Hg concentrations in soil and cassava samples and to assess the risk of human exposure to Hg through consumption of this food. Samples were collected in two areas along the BR-163 highway, in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Forty-two samples of cassava (roots, stems and leaves) and soil were collected. It seems there is no effect of ASGM on Hg soil concentrations. The highest concentrations of Hg in the leaves were observed in the area close to ASGM, indicating higher atmospheric deposition. In the mining area, the higher bioconcentration factor indicates the outcome of Hg from the atmosphere also on the concentrations in the roots. Daily intake and health risk quotient estimation were performed for cassava and cassava flour, with the highest values observed in the vicinity of ASGM, however, all below the established limits, indicating that, currently, the consumption of these foods by the population is safe. The cassava crop can be used as a bioindicator of atmospheric pollution by Hg caused by ASGM.

Persistent Organic Pollutants in Sewage Sludge: Occurrence, Temporal Concentration Variation and Risk Assessment for Sewage Sludge Amended Soils

In this study, the occurrences, temporal concentration variations and ecotoxicological risks were determined for 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); 7 congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 18 selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the anaerobically digested sewage sludge samples obtained from a conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Konya, Turkey. Flowrate of the evaluated WWTP was 200,000 m3/day, with the production of 140 tons/day treated sewage sludge. Total 18 PAHs were in the range of 1,203 – 17,599 μg/kg of dry matter (dm); total PCBs were in the range of 51.26 – 561.37 μg/kg dm, and total OCPs were in the range of 4.90 – 13.11 μg/kg dm. The highest concentrations were determined for fluoranthene among PAHs, with 2445 μg/kg dm, PCB118 congener with 514 μg/kg dm, and δ-HCH among OCPs with 2.44 μg/kg dm. Considering the average daily production amounts of treated sludge, the highest mass loads were 1,785 g/day for total PAHs; 79 g/day for total PCBs; and 1 – 2 g/day for total OCPs, while the annual mass load was estimated to be approximately 7.3 kg. An ecotoxicological risk assessment was performed by estimation of risk quotients (RQs). High risk for soil ecosystem was identified due to PAHs and PCBs ingredient of sludge, while lower risk was determined for OCPs compounds. The highest RQ values were determined for pyrene (RQ: 1337) among PAHs, PCB118 congener (RQ: 7608), and γ-HCH (RQ: 5.23) among OCPs. Findings of this study show that sewage sludge can be an important source in the spread of persistent pollutants to the environment, and may pose a risk for soil ecosystem.

Benzo (a) pyrene in infant foods: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and health risk assessment.

Exposure of infants to chemicals during their development will have major effects on their health. One of the major exposures of infants to chemicals is through their food. The main structure of infant food is milk, which is high in fat. There is a possibility of accumulation of environmental pollution, including benzo (a) pyrene (BaP). In this systematic review, the amount of BaP in infant milk was surveyed for this purpose. The chosen keywords were: benzo (a) pyrene, BaP, Infant formula, dried milk, powdered milk, and baby food. A total of 46 manuscripts were found in the scientific database. After initial screening and quality assessment, 12 articles were selected for extraction of data. By meta-analysis, the total estimate of BaP in baby food wascalculated to be 0.078±0.006 μg/kg. Estimation of daily intake (EDI) and Hazard Quotient (HQ) for noncarcinogenic risk and Margin of exposure (MOE) for carcinogenic riskwere also calculated for three age groups 0-6months, 6-12months, and 1-3 years. HQ was lower than 1 and MOE was more than 10,000 for three age groups. Therefore, there is no potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk for infant health.

Effect of montmorillonite biochar composite amendment on thallium bioavailability in contaminated agricultural soils and its mitigated health risk.

Little information is available on the effect of clay minerals and biochar composite on the remediation and bioavailability of thallium in agricultural soils. This study thus investigated the influence of montmorillonite biochar composite (Mnt-BC) amendment on the remediation of agricultural soil contaminated artificially by Tl and its potential health risks. Herein, bok choi was cultured to estimate the efficiency of soil Mnt-BC amendments through the bioavailability of Tl of the vegetable. Results showed that Tl bioavailability was significantly reduced in Mnt-BC-amended soils, mainly ascribed to the elevated soil pH and other improved soil properties of high functional groups (-OH, -COOH), negative charges, and exchangeable cations after amendment. Specifically, the highest immobilization efficiency of Tl in soils was observed in 2.5% treated soils with 79.11%, while in plant leaves the highest reduction of Tl was estimated to be 75.1% compared to the control treatment. Hence, the amendment dosage improved the immobilization of Tl in soil and subsequently reduced Tl uptake by the vegetable. Furthermore, from target hazard quotient (THQ) estimation, Mnt-BC amendment can lower the potential health risk while consuming such cultured bok choi in Tl-contaminated soils. Considering the environmental friendliness and high efficiency of Mnt-BC, it could be used as a potential soil amendment to remediate agricultural soils contaminated by Tl.

Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in a Colombian Reservoir

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the concentrations, sources and ecological risk assessment of sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in water from the La Fe reservoir, Colombia in the months of October and November of 2017 and 2018. Concentrations of PAHs in water were measured with semipermeable membrane devices (SPMD) which allow obtaining the dissolved concentrations of the PAHs in the reservoir, emphasizing the reactivity and bioavailability in the environment. The PAHs analyses were carried out by means of gas chromatography, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS–MS) with triple quadrupole (QqQ). The environmental risk assessment using the estimation of risk quotient with deterministic and probabilistic method, the predictive no-effect concentration (PNEC) and environmental exposure concentration (EEC) in water indicate a negligibe risk for probabilistic method for all PAHs evaluated (RQ < 0.1).

Seasonal and Spatial Comparison of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Among Decapod Shrimp from Coastal Portugal.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous global pollutants that are lipophilic, bioaccumulative and can be both endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. In this study, we measured 18 PAHs among decapod shrimp samples (Palaemon spp.) collected during the spring and autumn from multiple locations along the Portuguese coastal, including local markets and aquaculture farms. ΣPAH concentrations in samples ranged from 3.14 to 320.48ng/g (ww) with the highest value in this range detected in a sample provided from an aquaculture facility. Fifteen of the 18 scanned PAHs were present in shrimp samples. However, detectable concentrations (0.07ng/g ww) of the carcinogenic benzo-a-pyrene occurred for a single sample only and approached method detection limits. No significant differences in shrimp ΣPAH concentrations were evident between the spring and autumn seasons. Target hazard quotient estimation suggested low probability of adverse health effects to consumers through consumption of shrimp from the study collection locations.

The Classification of Leading Sectors Utilized Weighting Technique Analysis

Related to the previous studies, there are still questions about what sectors are produced from several economic based approaches each year. This study aims to determine the “very potential” business fields to be developed. This research was led purposively in Sukamara Regency, Kalimantan Tengah Province thinking about that macroeconomic exhibition information actually should be additionally improved. Auxiliary information got by documentation at the Central Statistics Agency, specifically GRDP at 2010 Constant Market Prices for the 2015-2020 period. Arrangement of business fields is done utilizing a weighting come closer from the estimation of Location Quotient, Growth Ratio Model, Sectoral Contribution Percentage and Growth Rate, Shift Share Analysis, and Overlay. The consequences of the review show the pattern of the improvement of the quantity of driving areas that are getting less and less and not in any manner observe any area that is completely equipped for satisfying the normal financial based methodology presumptions consistently. Moreover, the weighting system carried out proposes a new contribution in determining the leading sectors with a clearer classification. Therefore, the results of this study at the same time provide recommendations for the need for an analysis of the leading sector every year as consideration for regional planning.

Estimation of Target Hazard Quotients and Potential Health Risks for Toxic Metals and Other Trace Elements by Consumption of Female Fish Gonads and Testicles.

The aim of this study was to assess the risk to consumers associated with the intake of toxic metals and other trace elements in diets that include the female gonads, testicles, and muscles of four popular freshwater fish species in Poland—common bream (Abramis brama L.), European perch (Perca fluviatilis L.), common roach (Rutilus rutilus L.), and northern pike (Esox Lucius L.). The following methods were used to determine the elements: GF-AAS (Pb, Cd); CV-AAS (Hg); ICP-AES (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Li, Cr, Al). The concentration of toxic elements (Hg, Cd, Pb) in the female gonads and testicles ranged from 0.004 ± 0.006 mg/kg (Cd) to 0.028 ± 0.018 mg/kg (Pb). Of the other elements, the lowest content was noted for Cr (0.122 ± 0.182 mg/kg) and the highest for Al (46.98 ± 31.89 mg/kg). The study confirmed that female gonads and testicles are a valuable source of essential trace elements (Zn, Fe). Considering the content of toxic elements, the raw material of female gonads and testicles posed no health risks (THQ < 1).

Occurrence of pesticide residues in Brazilian Apis mellifera beeswax by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and pesticide hazard evaluation

Beeswax is known for its ability to retain pesticides for a long time, and the progressive accumulation of pesticides in wax has had adverse health effects on bees. This study aimed to determine the residue levels of pesticides in Brazilian beeswax and assess the health risk to bees due to exposure to these pesticides using hazard quotient calculation. Nineteen samples collected from different regions from São Paulo State, Brazil, were analyzed for the presence of 160 compounds, including 17 metabolites. A modified QuEChERS approach was used for sample preparation followed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS-MS) analysis. The method validation parameters followed the requirements established by the EU SANTE 11813/2017 guideline. In 90% of the samples, one or more pesticide residues were found; among them, the most frequently found pesticides were chlorpyrifos and permethrin, which were present in 74% and 79% of the samples and had maximum levels of 18.6 ng g−1 and 72 ng g−1, respectively. The hazard quotient estimate was determined considering the acute lethal dose (LD50) per contact for each pesticide residue in beeswaxes. Thus, it has been shown that exposure to chlorpyrifos and permethrin represents an elevated risk for the health of bees.

Pollution Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Perfluorinated Compounds in PM2.5 in Zhejiang Province

As typical new pollutants, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have been widely concerned by environmental workers in recent years. This study was carried out to investigate the pollution characteristics of perfluorinated compounds in atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5) in Zhejiang Province. The chemical extraction of PM2.5 was performed using the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) method with mixed dichloromethane and acetone (2:1). The chemical analysis was implemented by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results showed that the daily average concentration of the sum of 12 PFCs (Σ12 PFCs) ranged from 131.63 pg·m-3 to 578.53 pg·m-3, which was slightly higher in winter compared to that in autumn. The concentrations of perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs) were much lower than those of perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs). PFOS was the primary contaminant among PFASs, with an average concentration of 12.90 pg·m-3. The content of PFCAs exhibited a trend of PFOA>PFHxA>PFHpA, and the detection rate of long-chain PFCs was much lower than that of short-chain PFCs. The hysplit-4 model was used to calculate the QZ air mass transport trajectory. The results indicated that the backward trajectory of this point was significantly different along time, and the source of air mass rarely affected the concentration. The forward trajectory confirmed that PFCs can be transmitted over long distances in the atmosphere in a short time. The correlation coefficient between PFUdA and PFTeDA was evaluated to be 0.68, and that between PFHxS and PFOS was 0.66, suggesting the same sources of these chemicals. The content of PFCs was positively correlated with PM2.5, indicating that people might suffer from higher health risks on haze days. The risk quotient estimation implied no health risk of PFCs in PM2.5 in Zhejiang Province.

Seasonal monitoring of organochlorine pesticides in water, soil, and sediment in a small pond and determining ecotoxicological risk assessment

AbstractOne of the most important ways to improve quality and productivity in agriculture is to eliminate weeds, plant pathogens, and insects with pesticides. Although pesticides can effectively control agricultural quality and quantity, there are also lots of disadvantages due to their intensive usage resulting in degradation products. These products can accumulate in organisms and enter the food chain. Therefore, pesticides emanating from agricultural areas are agents that can affect the water quality of surface and groundwater sources. In this study, the presence of pesticides in the water and soil environment of the Borabey Pond and watershed which is situated north of Eskişehir, Turkey were determined by measurements. For this purpose, sediment and water samples from the pond and soil samples from the watershed were taken. The levels of organochlorine pesticides in the water, sediment and soil from Borabey Pond were determined between 0.5–13.8 ng/L, 0.03–1.02 μg/kg, and 0.54–52 μg/kg. Moreover, fugacity fraction has been measured that there is a transformation from water to sediment. Wilcoxon rank‐sum test is done to the seasonal measurements and there is no significant difference. Meanwhile, risk quotient (risk characterization ratio) estimates for DDTs and HCHs is below 1, so risk is acceptable.

Maternal early-pregnancy ferritin and offspring neurodevelopment: A prospective cohort study from gestation to school age.

BackgroundIron plays a role in many key processes in the developing brain. During pregnancy, iron supplementation is widely recommended to prevent and treat iron deficiency; however, the prevalence of iron deficiency and the risk of iron overload vary greatly between populations. Evidence on the role of high levels of maternal ferritin, a storage iron marker during pregnancy in relation to offspring neurodevelopment is lacking.ObjectiveOur main objective was to examine if maternal ferritin levels during pregnancy are associated with child cognitive and motor abilities.MethodsWe included Dutch mother‐child dyads from the prospective population‐based Generation R Study, born in 2002–2006. We compared children whose mothers had high (standard deviation score >+1) or low (standard deviation score <−1) early‐pregnancy ferritin to children whose mothers had intermediate ferritin (reference group) using linear regression. Children underwent non‐verbal intelligence and language tests at 4–9 years (cognitive abilities), finger‐tapping and balancing tests at 8–12 years (motor abilities), and structural magnetic resonance imaging at 8–12 years (brain morphology). Covariates were child age, sex, maternal intelligence quotient estimate, age, body‐mass‐index, education, parity, smoking and alcohol use.ResultsOf the 2479 mother‐child dyads with data on maternal ferritin and at least one child neurodevelopmental outcome, 387 mothers had low (mean = 20.6 µg/L), 1700 intermediate (mean = 64.6 µg/L) and 392 high (mean = 170.3 µg/L) early‐pregnancy ferritin. High maternal ferritin was associated with 2.54 points (95% confidence interval ‐4.16, ‐0.92) lower child intelligence quotient and 16.02 cm3 (95% confidence interval ‐30.57, ‐1.48) smaller brain volume. Results remained similar after excluding mothers with high C‐reactive protein. Low maternal ferritin was not associated with child cognitive abilities. Maternal ferritin was unrelated to child motor outcomes.ConclusionHigh maternal ferritin during pregnancy was associated with poorer child cognitive abilities and smaller brain volume. Maternal iron status during pregnancy may be associated with offspring neurodevelopment.

Four-subtest short-form of the WAIS-IV for assessment of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia

IntroductionThe present study aimed to obtain a short form of the Spanish version of the WAIS-IV for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia that requires about half an hour to be administered. The reduced test can be very useful in clinical and research settings when an estimation of the intelligence quotient (IQ) is required to decide about intervention programs or to describe the sample. Materials and methodsA sample of 143 patients participated in the study, 91 out of them were the test group, and the other 52 were used for a cross-validation analysis. To increase the content validity, the decision was made to create a short form composed of a subtest of each of the four cognitive domains that the scale measures. ResultsSeveral analyses showed that the best combination was composed of the Information, Block Design, Arithmetic, and Symbol Search subtests. Nine different criteria were calculated to evaluate the quality of the short form. ConclusionsThe data showed very good results for the criteria: correlations, difference of means, and cross-validation. The results were satisfactory for: category agreement, band of error, clinical accuracy, and reliability.

Removal of low-calorie sweeteners at five Brazilian wastewater treatment plants and their occurrence in surface water

The consumption of low-calorie sweeteners (LCSs) such as acesulfame (ACE), sucralose (SUC), saccharin (SAC), cyclamate (CYC), aspartame (ASP), neotame (NEO), and stevioside (STV) is increasing worldwide to meet the demand for reduced-calorie foods and beverages. However, there are no consumption data available in Brazil, as well as their concentration in sewage and removal on wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In the present study, ACE, SUC, SAC, CYC, ASP, NEO, and STV were assessed at five WWTPs located in the metropolitan region of Campinas (São Paulo State, Brazil), in operation with different treatment processes. Surface water was also analyzed. Analyses were carried out by on-line solid-phase extraction ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The major points are the following: LCS concentrations in the influents ranged from 0.25 to 189 μg L−1 and followed the order CYC > ACE > SAC > SUC. NEO, ASP, and STV were not detected at any sampling site. Sweetener concentrations in the WWTP outputs differed mainly due to the different treatment setups employed. CYC and SAC were completely removed by biodegradation-based processes, while ACE removal was favored by the anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic process. SUC presented the highest concentration in the treated sewage, even at the WWTP operating with ultrafiltration membranes and therefore could be a marker compound for evaluation of the efficiency of removal of contaminants in WWTPs. Risk quotient estimation, using the PNEC and MEC values, indicated that the levels of the LCS reported here were harmless to the biota. The consumption of ACE, CYC, SAC, and SUC was estimated to be 2634 t year−1.