Life Time Research Articles

Lived Experiences in the Life World of Korean Emerging Adults with Foster Care Backgrounds: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

The purpose of this study was to synthesize and interpret the findings of previous qualitative studies that investigated the lived experiences of Korean emerging adults who aged out of the foster care system. Based on our selection criteria, we extracted and analyzed 14 papers that were published between 2010 to 2023. Our meta-synthesis found that the emerging adults’ life world consisted of seven domains: family experience, life tasks, education and work, financial issues, home and family, interpersonal relationships, and psychological and emotional issues. We restructured the emerging adults’ lived experiences using van Manen’s concepts of lived time, lived space, lived things, lived self-other, and lived body. Our meta-synthesis revealed that these emerging adults experienced multidimensional difficulties due to shortcomings of formal and informal social support after aging out of the foster care system. Their difficulties accumulated in their interaction with lived time. Based on the level of their accumulated difficulties, we categorized the emerging adults into stable, struggling, and isolated groups. However, it is important to note that many of them adapted to their own life world and strived to move forward. This qualitative meta-synthesis provides a comprehensive understanding and new interpretation of emerging adults who transition from foster care to independent living in the context of Korea.

Remaining Life Assessment of Kotabaru 2x7 MW Coal Fired Power Plant Circulating Water A252 Gr 2 Intake Pipe by Inspection Method

Kotabaru power plant is a power plant that was built in 2010 and currently the construction work is pending. The construction work stopped in 2014 and based on Kotabaru power plant construction final quantity report, Kotabaru construction work progress is 79,61% up to now. Kotabaru power plant uses open cooling system and takes seawater as cooling water resources. The seawater distribute through intake pipeline which use A252 grade 2 material 600 mm and 800 mm diameter pipeline with 3PL coating and rubber lining inside the pipe. The pipeline distribute the water in 3.184.739 kg/hr flow rate and 5 kg/cm2 G pressure. These pipeline material was on site in 2013 and it was not constructed yet. In 2022 Kotabaru power plant is planned to continue the construction work progress. It was about 9 years of pipeline material on Kotabaru power plant site and these pipeline is exposed to the environment such as sunlight, temperature, oxygen, water, and contaminants and cause a primer failure, especially ultraviolet light (UV) from the sunlight is the main damaging factor. Ultraviolet light from sunlight is high enough to break the coating of pipeline. Inspection and assess the pipeline can help the management to figure out pipeline actual condition. More effective inspections can reduce the risk level by reducing the frequency of future failures, through corrective and preventive action. In general, the purpose of this method is classify all risk level equipment, calculate the risk value of all equipment and it can help to make a decision to the next construction period. The service lifetime of pipeline prediction can be determined by actual pipe condition by use corrosion test and actual thickness dimension of the pipeline. This method will inform the life time prediction of the pipeline that should be meet the 15 years life time required and also inform the risk matrix value of all pipeline equipment on the site.

Multi-level analysis of intimate partner violence and its determinants among reproductive age group women in Ethiopia: evidence from Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, 2016

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized as a main public health challenge, with serious consequences for women’s physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health. Despite its public health importance, most studies of IPV in Ethiopia mainly focused on individual characteristics and didn’t identify how factors operating at different levels affect IPV. Thus, there is limited evidence regarding the hierarchical-level factors of IPV and the effect of individual and community-level determinants of IPV. The aim of this study is to assess the individual and community-level factors associated with violence against women among ever-married reproductive-age women in Ethiopia.MethodsA retrospective analysis of secondary data retrieved from the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey was conducted among reproductive age group women (15–49 years of age) who reported ever being married within the available data set for the domestic violence module. STATA 14 was used to conduct the analysis. A two-level mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was used to determine associations between IPV and individual- and community-level factors. IPV variability across the community was assessed using ICC and PCV. The model’s fitness was assessed using the Akaike information criterion (AIC), the Bayesian information criterion (BIC), and the likelihood ratio test.ResultThe life time prevalence of IPV in this study was 33% [95% CI: 30.74, 34.25]. Women’s age 20–24 (AOR = 5.85, 95% CI: 201 3.10, 11.04), 25–29 age group (AOR = 6.41, 95% CI; 3.34, 12.32), 30–34 age group (AOR = 9.48, 95% CI: 4.71, 19.06), 35–39 age group (AOR = 9.88, 95% CI: 4.79, 20.39), 40–44 age group (AOR = 11.10, 95% CI: 5.16, 23.89), and 45–49, (AOR = 14.15, 95% CI: 6.01, 32.80), early marriage (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.47), witnessing inter-parental violence during childhood (AOR = 2.80, 95% CI: 2.16, 3.96), having a lot of living children (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.74), having a partner who drank alcohol (AOR = 3.00, 95% CI: 2.42–3.67), decision-making autonomy of the women (AOR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.97), Poor wealth index (AOR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.23, 2.18), middle wealth index (AOR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.36, 2.54) and exposure to media (AOR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.00) were all significantly associated with IPV.Conclusion and recommendationThis study showed that one-third of the women experienced IPV in their lifetime. The finding suggested that community based interventions and multi-sectorial collaborations are needed to reduce the IPV and its adverse consequences.

‘Kukurúùkúù’: ecospiritual implications of the sounds of the cockcrow in Yoruba rural dwellings

This article examines the sound of the cockcrow in Yoruba rural spaces, phonically represented as ‘kukurúùkúù’, with a particular focus on the ecological and spiritual implications. The study highlights the timing functions of the cockcrow which have endured over the years in Yoruba rural societies, thereby foregrounding the interlinking between human and nonhuman forms of life among the Yoruba in Nigeria. Utilising an ethnographic approach through participant observation and key informant interviews conducted with selected Ifá priests, this study engages in a hermeneutic exploration of the Yoruba indigenous religion and literary genres to demonstrate the importance of the cockcrow, time, and nature in traditional Yoruba life and the implications for healthy cohabiting of human and nonhuman forms under conditions of environmental degradation. (This article is published in the thematic collection ‘African ecologies: literary, cultural and religious perspectives’, edited by Adriaan van Klinken, Simon Manda, Damaris Parsitau and Abel Ugba.)

Digital Twin in Process Planning of the Additive and Subtractive Process Chain for Laser Metal Deposition and Micro Milling of Stainless Steel

Abstract Additive and subtractive (Add/Sub) manufacturing processes are increasingly being combined to produce complex parts with unique geometries and properties. However, the design of such combined processes is often challenging as it requires a deep understanding of the interaction between the different processes. On the other hand, digital twin (DT) technology has become a powerful tool in recent years for optimizing manufacturing processes. This article explores the use of the digital twin technology for a holistic process planning of combined additive and subtractive processes. The article describes the integration of laser metal deposition (LMD) and micro-milling prediction models of resulting geometry (width and height), hardness, and surface roughness into the digital twin. This is then used for combined process planning to achieve different target values regarding resulting geometry and surface roughness. For the planning of this combined process chain, further criteria such as tool life, energy, and process time are considered in the optimization, showing the potential for sustainable and efficient production. Sensorless cutting force estimation is also used to detect small cutting forces, with the potential to use this as a soft sensor for roughness estimation. The measured width, height, and roughness as a result of the process parameters suggested by the optimization algorithms showed a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 4, 17, and 16%, respectively.

Accelerating Fleur-de-lis Panniculectomy with the Absorbable Dermal Stapler-A Study of Efficiency, Aesthetics, and Quality-of-life.

Fleur-de-lis panniculectomy (FDL), a contouring technique involving vertical and horizontal tissue resections, often involves longer operative times and potential complications. This study assessed operative time, postoperative outcomes, and patient-reported quality of life (PRO) with Insorb® Absorbable Subcuticular Skin Stapler versus traditional sutures during FDL. A retrospective review from 2015 to 2022 of FDL patients excluded those with complex concomitant procedures. Demographics, operative details, and surgical outcomes were compared between patients using the dermal stapler and those with suture-only closures. Forty subjects were identified, with 25 (62.5%) in the dermal stapler cohort. The dermal stapler significantly reduced total procedure time (66.76 vs. 125.33 min, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in surgical site occurrences, aesthetic outcomes, readmissions, or reoperations. Multivariate regression analysis further highlighted the choice of closure technique as an independent predictor of operative time, with traditional sutures indicating a significantly increased operative time compared to using the dermal stapler (AOR 76.53, CI 38.11-114.95, p < 0.001). Regarding PROs, both groups saw improvements across multiple BODY-Q domains, but the dermal stapler group reported greater enhancements (six out of nine domains vs. three for sutures). The absorbable dermal stapler significantly reduces FDL operative time without increasing wound healing or aesthetic dissatisfaction incidents and maintains comparable quality-of-life improvements to standard suture closure. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors https://link.springer.com/journal/00266 .

Rhinosinusitis in children with acute respiratory infection: quality of life and features of drug therapy

BACKGROUND: The relevance of the study is due to limited information on the impact of various forms of rhinosinusitis that have arisen against the background of acute respiratory infection on the quality of life of children and effective treatment methods. AIM: To conduct a clinical assessment of the effect on the recovery time and quality of life in children with acute rhinosinusitis and exacerbation of polypous rhinosinusitis that occurred against the background of a respiratory infection, including antiviral drugs in complex treatment in the early stages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A simple controlled randomized comparative clinical trial was conducted, involving 74 children aged 15 to 18 years. The clinical efficacy and safety of the use of antiviral drugs in complex therapy, which are neuraminidase inhibitors on the 5th, 7th and 10th days of treatment, were evaluated in comparison with groups receiving pentanedioic acid imidazolylethanamide. The inclusion criterion was acute rhinosinusitis and exacerbation of chronic polypous rhinosinusitis against the background of acute respiratory infection. To establish the diagnosis, an examination of ENT organs, computed tomography of the nose and paranasal sinuses were performed, patients subjectively assessed clinical complaints and quality of life in the Russian version of the standard form of the SF-36 questionnaire. RESULTS: Positive dynamics was noted in the early stages in the 2nd subgroup of the 1st group who took neuraminidase inhibitors in addition to complex therapy. Manifested by a decrease in the average score for VAS to 80.0%, difficulty in nasal breathing to 1.7 points on the 10th day of treatment, relative to those taking imidazolylethanamide pentanedioic acid, where there was a decrease in the average score for VAS by 22.4%, difficulty in nasal breathing to 2.54 points. A similar pattern was observed with nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, and quality of life indicators according to the SF-36 questionnaires. CONCLUSION: Improvement of clinical symptoms and quality of life indicators at an earlier date in children with polypous rhinosinusitis and acute rhinosinusitis against the background of a previous respiratory infection with the inclusion of neuraminidase inhibitors in complex therapy confirmed higher efficacy.

Gabriela Mistral: Nourished by and Constructed from the Sap and Blood of Life

Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) was the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature and was a mentor to Pablo Neruda who also went on to become a Nobel laureate, yet Mistral’s work is rarely studied in English translation today. This article aims to bring attention to the author’s life and legacy, particularly through her diplomatic work and writing, with an emphasis on Mistral’s poetry in the hope of returning Gabriela Mistral to a place of distinction and standing that encourages future reading and study. Illustrative of the author’s voice, excerpts of Mistral’s work are woven throughout. The article traces key moments in Mistral’s life from childhood in the Elqui Valley of Chile through her years as a rural schoolteacher and onward to her position as a leader in education reform in Mexico. Through both her writing and diplomatic work, Mistral gained worldwide prominence. Her work through the League of Nations demonstrated an ongoing concern for human rights and especially for the rights of children and women in poverty and in the workplace. She was instrumental in the founding of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and an advocate for writers and artists and their crucial role in illuminating important societal issues. The article highlights Mistral’s 1937 talk before the Committee on Letters and Arts in Paris and addresses her connection with Pablo Neruda and the story of Juan Miguel, whom she adopted and called Yin-Yin; Yin-Yin died tragically at age seventeen. Finally, the article provides an overview of the life influences, themes, and timing of each of Mistral’s four major collections of poetry in their English translation by Doris Dana (1971): Desolation (1922), Tenderness (1924), Felling (1938) and Wine Press (1954).

Structural, Carrier Life Time and Optical Properties of Vanadium Doped Tin Oxide Films Developed on Silicon Nanowires for Photo-Catalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes

Structural, Carrier Life Time and Optical Properties of Vanadium Doped Tin Oxide Films Developed on Silicon Nanowires for Photo-Catalytic Degradation of Organic Dyes

The longitudinal analysis for the association between smoking and the risk of depressive symptoms

BackgroundDespite high smoking rate in people with depressive symptoms, there is ongoing debate about relationship between smoking and depressive symptoms.MethodsStudy participants were 57,441 Korean men. We collected their baseline data between 2011 and 2012, and conducted follow-up from 2013 to 2019. They were categorized by smoking status (never: < 100 cigarettes smoking in life time, former: currently quitting smoking, and current smoker: currently smoking), smoking amount (pack/day and pack-year) and urine cotinine excretion. The development of depressive symptoms was determined in CES-D score ≥ 16. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for depressive symptoms in relation to smoking status, smoking amount, and urine cotinine excretion.ResultsDuring 6.7 years of median follow-up, the risk of depressive symptoms increased in order of never (reference), former (HR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01—1.15) and current smoker (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.16—1.32). Among current smoker, the risk of depressive symptoms increased proportionally to daily smoking amount (< 1 pack; HR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.13—1.29, and ≥ 1 pack; HR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.23 – 1.45). This pattern of relationship was consistently observed for pack-year in former smoker and current smoker. Additionally, urine cotinine excretion was proportionally associated with the risk of depressive symptoms.ConclusionExposure to smoking was associated with the increased risk of depressive symptoms. Dose dependent relationship was observed between smoking amount and the risk of depressive symptoms.

Light Weight Concurrent Scheduling of Mobile Sink routing protocol towards Minimization of Propagation Delay against Spatial and Temporal Uncertainties of Cluster based Wireless Sensor Network

Wireless Sensor Network highly exposed to certain security attacks due to various uncertainties of the network which lead to node compromise. Hence considerable attention has been made by researcher during scheduling of the mobile sink to data collection of sensed information from the sensor nodes. Many secure data aggregation mechanism has been proposed to withstand the network against these kind of attack. Despite of many advantageous, those architectures will lead to several limitations such as large propagation delay and high energy consumption and spatial and temporal uncertainties. In order to mitigate those challenges, Light Weight Concurrent Scheduling of Mobile Sink routing protocol towards Minimization of Propagation Delay against Spatial and Temporal Uncertainties of Wireless Sensor Network is designed. It should be capable achieving energy efficiency and collision avoidance due to uncertainty in transmission and reception. Proposed model eliminates the packet collision and poor channel utilization challenges. Initially, node is partitioned and cluster head is selected based on the highest energy density of the node in the particular location. Employing Full duplex channel easily examines the spatial and temporal characteristic of the node through utilization cache information of routing table. It further helps to build the light weight scheme with behavioral strategies of the nodes for secure propagation of the sensed data to the mobile sink. Light weight scheme deployed in mobile sinks estimate the node trustworthiness and simultaneously collects the secure aggregated data packets of the sensor node through cluster head against dynamic time slots concurrently .Comparing with traditional secure routing architecture, simulation results demonstrates that proposed architecture can reduce the propagation delay against various uncertainties and maximizes the life time of the network on increasing the networking performances with respect to packet delivery ratio, throughput and propagation delay. Finally proposed model obtains the cooperative communication of sensor node information to the base station through mobile sink on heterogeneous wireless sensor network environment. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/pst.387

Years of Healthy Life among Older Adults in Brazil: An Analysis Based on the Global Activity Limitation Indicator, 1998 and 2008

The aim of the study was to calculate life expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy (HLY) through a Global Activity Limitation Indicator (GALI) proxy among Brazilian older adults according to sex for the years 1998 and 2008. The study was carried out using data from the Brazilian National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) and from Abbreviated Life Tables in 2000 and 2010 from Brazilian Institute of Demographic Geography and Statistics (IBGE) by sex. The activity limitation-free life expectancy was estimate based on the GALI for both sexes using the Sullivan method. The results showed an increase in life expectancy in the period for both sexes. The time of life without activity limitations in 2008 has decreased for men. For women, a reduction in percentage of the time lived without activity limitation has been shown. A small advantage in favor of men compare to women’s health was found. Comparing the two periods, the proportion of years expected to be lived without activity limitation was higher in 1998 than in 2008 and for both sexes. There are still many uncertainties about how the country is actually ageing. Given this context, an effort to maintain constant health monitoring through different indicators such as GALI is essential. At the same time, strengthening local and regional policies, aiming to build solid paths and mechanisms to promote an active and healthy ageing of its population must be a target.

Preliminary effectiveness and production time and costs of three-dimensional printed orthoses in chronic hand conditions: an interventional feasibility study.

To assess the preliminary effectiveness of three-dimensional printed orthoses compared with conventionally custom-fabricated orthoses in persons with chronic hand conditions on performance of daily activities, hand function, quality of life, satisfaction, and production time and costs. Interventional feasibility study. Chronic hand orthotic users (n = 21). Participants received a new three-dimensional printed orthosis according to the same type as their current orthosis, which served as the control condition. Primary outcome was performance of daily activities (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Upper Extremity; Michigan Hand Questionnaire). Secondary outcomes were hand function, quality of life, and satisfaction. Furthermore, production time and costs were recorded. At 4 months' follow-up, no significant differences were found between three-dimensional printed orthoses and participants' existing conventional orthoses on activity performance, hand function, and quality of life. Satisfaction with the three-dimensional printed orthosis was significantly higher and the production time and costs for three-dimensional printed orthoses were significantly lower compared with conventional orthoses. The three-dimensional printed orthosis was preferred by 79% of the participants. This feasibility study in chronic hand conditions suggests that three-dimensional printed orthoses are similar to conventional orthoses in terms of activity performance, hand function, and quality of life. Satisfaction, and production time and costs favoured the three-dimensional printed hand orthoses.

Staging Material Encounters

This paper outlines and reflects upon a recent period of practice-based research into the human and more-than-human relationship at this critical time for life on Earth. Drawing on ideas from within the field of human trauma, which describe how remnants of traumatic experiences become trapped within the body as sensations, pain, processes, and cancers, completely cut off from the original experiences that contributed to their formation, the research was centred around the concept of Earth as an expressive archive of valuable information about the way it has been treated and related to. Like Van Der Kolk’s human body (Van Der Kolk, 2015), the Earth in this context “keeps the score”. Notions of extractivism, objectification and othering, along with ideas around ‘separation sickness’, describing the ‘cultural trauma’ of intergenerational disconnection from ourselves and the land (Rust, 2020), form the backdrop to the research. A variety of starting points fed into the work, impacting upon one another in rich, diverse, and complex ways. Printmaking processes were utilised throughout as both research tools and within more resolved works. The paper is a series of reflections, not necessarily chronological or complete, but rather a snapshot of key ideas, questions, processes, and directions.

The Power of Qualitative Research: Cultivating Autoethnography for Personal Awakening, Humanity, and Transformation

This article is an autoethnography of how engaging with my previous autoethnographic article facilitated my recovery and self-growth. I wrote my previous piece (Nguyen-Trung, 2022) while stranded in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented me from visiting my grandfather one last time before his passing in 2021. If my past autoethnography focused on the themes of death, grief, and loss, the current article’s autoethnography revolves around awakening, healing, and self-transformation. In this current article, I reflexively look back on my autoethnographic journey and reflect on how it impacted me as a grandchild and a human being on the one hand, and a qualitative sociologist and a writer on the other. I tell stories of how, since writing my first autoethnography and sharing it with others, whether at an academic conference, a meeting, a social encounter, or via a social media post, I managed to overcome the darkest time of my life and gradually heal my personal crisis and somehow transform myself. There were three key lessons learned from such a journey: the emergence of self-awareness, the significance of empathy and humanity within research communities, and the therapeutic and transformative potential of writing.

Effects of teleworking on wellbeing from a gender perspective: a systematic review

Telework has been seen as a crucial tool for enhancing work-home balance, and potentially boosting employee wellbeing. However, contradictory findings highlight the necessity of integrating a gender perspective. This study aims to find out the psychosocial effects of teleworking on wellbeing from a gender perspective through a systematic review since 2010 till 2022. We used PRISMA, SPICE and PICOS models to finally select 37 studies, considering both quantitative and qualitative design perspectives. More than half of the reviewed articles (22) found that telework has negative effects on work-family interaction and work-family balance; and, as expected, these negative effects were greater for women, such as increasing dissatisfaction with work, life and free time. Studies reviewed show that women teleworkers report increased work-family conflict and traditional gender roles relating to household and family care responsibilities. We have found also that 10 studies observed positive effects of telework for both men and women, whilst five papers report both positive and negative effects on wellbeing. Lastly, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking from a gender perspective considering the results we have found.

Impact and timing of pulmonary rehabilitation in patients undergoing bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves: A multicentre randomized controlled trial in patients with severe emphysema.

Both bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with endobronchial valves (BLVR-EBV) and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) are effective treatments for improving exercise capacity and patient-reported outcomes in patients with severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). According to current recommendations, all BLVR-EBV patients should have undergone PR first. Our aim was to study the effects of PR both before and after BLVR-EBV compared to BLVR-EBV alone. We included patients with severe COPD who were eligible for BLVR-EBV and PR. Participants were randomized into three groups: PR before BLVR-EBV, PR after BLVR-EBV or BLVR-EBV without PR. The primary outcome was change in constant work rate cycle test (CWRT) endurance time at 6-month follow-up of the PR groups compared to BLVR-EBV alone. Secondary endpoints included changes in 6-minute walking test, daily step count, dyspnoea and health-related quality of life. Ninety-seven participants were included. At 6-month follow-up, there was no difference in change in CWRT endurance time between the PR before BLVR-EBV and BLVR-EBV alone groups (median: 421 [IQR: 44; 1304] vs. 787 [123; 1024] seconds, p = 0.82) or in any of the secondary endpoints, but the PR after BLVR-EBV group exhibited a smaller improvement in CWRT endurance time (median: 107 [IQR: 2; 573], p = 0.04) and health-related quality of life compared to BLVR-EBV alone. The addition of PR to BLVR-EBV did not result in increased exercise capacity, daily step count or improved patient-reported outcomes compared to BLVR-EBV alone, neither when PR was administered before BLVR-EBV nor when PR was administered after BLVR-EBV.

Feasibility of a strong focusing synchrotron for cold neutron beams

We study the feasibility of storing cold neutron beams in a strong focusing synchrotron. We also propose an alternating-current (ac) dipole magnet to be used as a neutron acceleration device and a pulsed quadrupole as a neutron beam kicker for injection and extraction. The ac acceleration device can provide adiabatic capture, acceleration, or deceleration of neutron beams. It seems feasible to design a high-quality neutron synchrotron for many future neutron beam applications, such as neutron life time measurements, monoenergetic neutron scattering experiments, and pencil neutron beam applications. This synchrotron can also be used as an injector for a neutron accumulator ring. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Mineral composition and heavy metal risk assesment of selected geophagic soils from Tanzania

Geophagy or Pica is the unintentional traditional behavior of eating soil by indigenous people in different countries. practiced in many countries due to nausea among pregnant women and mineral deficiencies without knowing the associated health risks. In this study the mineral composition of geophagic soil and its associated health risk among consumers was determined. Dry soil sticks consumed by women were obtained from open markets in Morogoro, Njombe and Mwanza regions in Tanzania. The elemental concentration of geophagic soil was analyzed using Flame Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. Health risk assessment methods were used to obtain health information after chronic exposure to geophagic soils. The tests used were Target Hazard Quotients (THQ), Total Target Hazard Quotients (TTHQ) and Cancer Risks (CR). The concentration range of metals in samples obtained from three different regions were 16,335.7–47,773.7 mg/kg for Fe, 46.2–1073.5 mg/kg for Ca, 155.3–514.9 mg/kg for K, 44.5–112.4 mg/kg for Zn, 40.7–95.1 mg/kg for Na, 2.4–66.7 mg/kg for Cu, 109.5–572.6 mg/kg for Mn, 3.8–6.85 mg/kg for Pb, 3.1–93 mg/kg for Ni, 62.7–638.6 mg/kg for Cr and 0.4 mg/kg for Cd. The Provisional Daily Intake (PDI), THQ, TTHQ and CR ranged between 3.0 × 10−3 –34.12 mg/kg/day bw, 0.043–48.75, 34.52–77.36 and 2.55×10−5- 0.23 respectively. The TTHQ>1 was evident for metals in all sampling sites which is indicative of non-carcinogenic health effects. Prolonged exposure to Pb at low concentrations in samples from all the sites can cause pathological effects. The cancer risk values for Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd were <1 in which the consumer is likely not to develop cancer in a life time. Essential minerals – Fe, Ca, Zn, Na, K and toxic metals Pb, Cr, Ni and Cu were detected in all the samples. Cd occurred only in samples from Mwanza region that was below the tolerable daily intake. According to WHO/FAO expert’s joint committee any amount of Pb consumption is not permitted. Given the presence of essential minerals in the geophagic soils which are however accompanied by toxic minerals in some cases which might have carcinogenic effects, prolonged consumption should be discouraged to avoid risks of serious adverse effects to the health of the general population.

Carbon Dots Derived from Jaggery Via Direct Heating: A Sensitive Platform for Ferric Ion Fluorescent Sensing

AbstractPhotoluminescent carbon dots (CDs) have greatest potential in fluorescence sensing, energy, bioimaging and environmental pollutant sensing. Heteroatom doping have dramatically enhanced fluorescent properties and stability of CDs. In this work, sulfur doped carbon dots (DCDs) using jaggery as carbon precursor through direct heating method at 180 °C. The synthesized DCDs were characterized through XRD, FTIR, XPS, TEM, Fluorescence and UV‐Visible spectroscopic techniques. The DCDs have 9 nm particle size with amorphous nature and surface decorated with −OH, C−S, C=O functional groups on surface because of contribution of major element like C, O, and S elements. The DCDs showing bright blue emission having 360 nm excitation and 460 nm emission wavelength. Further, the DCDs were employed for metal ion sensing and it selectively detects Fe3+ metal ion with 1.92 μg/mL of detection and 5.84 μg/mL limit of quantification. The experiment follows static quenching mechanism which is confirmed by fluorescence life time experiment. This low‐cost, time effective fluorescent sensitive carbon dots have potential application in environmental pollution control, biomedical and forensic applications.