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A Low-Cost Microfluidic Method for Microplastics Identification: Towards Continuous Recognition
Get PDFPlastic pollution has emerged as a growing concern worldwide. In particular, the most abundant plastic debris, microplastics, has necessitated the development of rapid and effective identification methods to track down the stages and evidence of the pollution. In this paper, we combine low-cost plastic staining technologies using Nile Red with the continuous feature offered by microfluidics to propose a low-cost 3D printed device for the identification of microplastics. It is observed that the microfluidic devices indicate comparable staining and identification performance compared to conventional Nile Red staining processes while offering the advantages of continuous recognition for long-term environmental monitoring. The results also show that concentration, temperature, and residency time possess strong effects on the identification performance. Finally, various microplastics have been applied to further demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed devices. It is found that, among different types of microplastics, non-spherical microplastics show the maximal fluorescence level. Meanwhile, natural fibers indicate better staining quality when compared to synthetic ones
Legacy halogenated organic contaminants in urban-influenced waters using passive polyethylene samplers: Emerging evidence of anthropogenic land-use-based sources and ecological risks
Get PDFLegacy halogenated organic pollutants, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), remain ubiquitous in the environment and continue to pose potential (eco-)toxicological threats because of their ongoing releases from land-based sources. This study investigated the spatial trends of freely dissolved PCBs and OCPs by polyethylene passive samplers, and provided evidence of their land-use-based sources and ecological risk in an urbanized estuary area of Narragansett Bay. Dissolved Σ29PCB concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 1.37 ng L−1, and exhibited higher concentrations in the upper, more urban/built-up watershed, and in north coastal areas. Major inputs of PCBs were urban stormwater or treated wastewater that might carry past releases of Aroclors, pigment manufacturing byproducts, and volatilization-associated PCBs from ageing buildings from the Narragansett watershed to the bay. The dioxin toxicity equivalent values of Σ5PCBs were 8.6E-03 pg L−1 in water. Dissolved OCP concentrations had similar spatial trends to PCBs and were dominated by DDTs (average 230 pg L−1), followed by chlordanes (average 230 pg L−1), and HCB (average 22 pg L−1). Secondary sources of past usage and historic contamination were expected to re-enter the surface water via atmospheric transport and deposition. The risk quotients of DDE, DDD, DDT and α-Endosulfane showed medium to high ecological risks in the northern area, while chlordane, HCB, oxychlordane, and heptachlor epoxide showed low to negligible risks in all zones. This study presented new insights into the presence, sources and transport of legacy halogenated organic contaminants in an urban estuary\u27s watershed by combining passive samplers and geographic information system (GIS) technology. The approach is promising and could be extended to get better understand of terrestrial pollutant mobilization into estuaries affected by anthropogenic activities
Making the Argument for Intact Cord Resuscitation: A Case Report and Discussion
Get PDFWe use a case of intact cord resuscitation to argue for the beneficial effects of an enhanced blood volume from placental transfusion for newborns needing resuscitation. We propose that intact cord resuscitation supports the process of physiologic neonatal transition, especially for many of those newborns appearing moribund. Transfer of the residual blood in the placenta provides the neonate with valuable access to otherwise lost blood volume while changing from placental respiration to breathing air. Our hypothesis is that the enhanced blood flow from placental transfusion initiates mechanical and chemical forces that directly, and indirectly through the vagus nerve, cause vasodilatation in the lung. Pulmonary vascular resistance is thereby reduced and facilitates the important increased entry of blood into the alveolar capillaries before breathing commences. In the presented case, enhanced perfusion to the brain by way of an intact cord likely led to regained consciousness, initiation of breathing, and return of tone and reflexes minutes after birth. Paramount to our hypothesis is the importance of keeping the umbilical cord circulation intact during the first several minutes of life to accommodate physiologic neonatal transition for all newborns and especially for those most compromised infants
Academic Presses: Publishing Prostitution Apologists
Get PDFIn the past few five years, academic presses are publishing books advocating the decriminalization of prostitution, the policy prescription buttressed by attempts to minimize the harm of the sex trade industry as well as sex-trafficking. This review essay explores the presses’ eager embracing of this approach, the reasons for it, and the effects of their publications on violence against women. These include the silencing of survivors’ voices, and the drying up of violence research as academics pursue topics of interest to publishers, as opposed to exploring the lives of women
Toward Evaluation of Disseminated Effects of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder within Provider-Based Clusters Using Routinely-Collected Health Data
Get PDFRoutinely-collected health data can be employed to emulate a target trial when randomized trial data are not available. Patients within provider-based clusters likely exert and share influence on each other’s treatment preferences and subsequent health outcomes and this is known as dissemination or spillover. Extending a framework to replicate an idealized two-stage randomized trial using routinely-collected health data, an evaluation of disseminated effects within provider-based clusters is possible. In this paper, we propose a novel application of causal inference methods for dissemination to retrospective cohort studies in administrative claims data and evaluate the impact of the normality of the random effects distribution for the cluster-level propensity score on estimation of the causal parameters. An extensive simulation study was conducted to study the robustness of the methods under different distributions of the random effects. We applied these methods to evaluate baseline prescription for medications for opioid use disorder among a cohort of patients diagnosed opioid use disorder and adjust for baseline confounders using information obtained from an administrative claims database. We discuss future research directions in this setting to better address unmeasured confounding in the presence of disseminated effects
Prediction of Pavement Maintenance Performance Using an Expert System
Get PDFThe pavement experiences deterioration due to traffic and environment, i.e., unsatisfactory riding quality and structural inadequacy, over time. Thus, predicting pavement performance over time is one of the key elements of any pavement maintenance management system (PMMS). It can be used as an efficient tool to program/schedule the maintenance applications and expenditures, and thus the necessary funds can be allocated. Using a combination of independent variables for any selected pavement section can generate section-wise condition assessment and prediction models. Moreover, these models can be used to select the most cost-effective maintenance alternative to be applied to that pavement section. The present study developed an expert system based on pavement performance models which combines the available maintenance data with the knowledge acquired from the experts of the General Administration of Operation and Maintenance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Eight regression models were first developed for four maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) strategies, i.e., no maintenance, routine maintenance, overlay, and reconstruction for low and high traffic. Then, a practical expert system was developed to aid pavement maintenance engineers in finding the most effective and efficient M&R strategies and suitable time for the application. The regression models revealed that the effect of routine maintenance and reconstruction is greater in low traffic than in high traffic, while the effect of overlay is greater in high traffic than in low traffic. Based on this initial system, another improved one can be developed using the machine learning technique
New Monoterpene Acid and Gallic Acid Glucose Esters with Anti-Inflammatory Activity from Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) Leaves
No full textBlue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) is a widely used botanical in the cosmeceutical and food industries. Although blue gum leaves are known for abundant essential oils, their nonvolatile phytochemical constituents and bioactivities remain unclear. Herein, a phytochemical investigation of blue gum leaves led to the identification of eight new monoterpene acid and gallic acid glucose esters (1-4 and 14-17; glubosides A-H, respectively) and 12 known analogues (5-13 and 18-20). Their structures were determined based on extensive spectroscopic data analysis, chemical degradation, and chiral separation. Oleuropeic acid conjugated glucose esters (1-13, 15, 16, 18, and 20) are reported as epimeric mixtures. Compounds 7, 12, 14, 19, and 20 (at 30 μM) inhibited nitrite release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Compounds 7 and 14 (at 3-30 μM) also down-regulated proinflammatory biomarkers, including cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β), protein expression (iNOS and COX-2), and transcription factor nuclear translocation (NF-κB) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. This work highlights the anti-inflammatory potential of phytochemicals from blue gum leaves, which supports their further development as cosmeceutical and/or nutraceutical products
Prediction of Bystander Intervention Behavior in a Sexual Assault Situation: The Role of Religiosity, Empathy, and Gratitude
Get PDFBystander intervention in potential sexual assault situations is a common method of helping to address sexual violence on college campuses. Although numerous variables have been shown to mediate bystander intervention behavior, the pool of potential correlates is limited. The present study used regression analysis to determine the relationship between bystander behavior and three predictors: religiosity, gratitude, and victim empathy. Consistent with prior research, both religiosity and gratitude significantly predicted bystander behavior. Contrary to prior research, the relationship between victim empathy and bystander behavior was negative. Findings are discussed relating to potential bystander intervention programs, and future research, particularly on gratitude, is suggested
Popular Music Media Literacy: A Pilot Study
Get PDFThe current study pilot tested a popular music media literacy website that was developed based on the final report of the APA Division 46 Task Force on the Sexualization of Popular Music (2018). The study hypothesized that popular music media literacy education would produce significant differences between the baseline assessment and post-literacy assessment for outcomes related to music reflecting real life, viewing the self as similar to music portrayals, music skepticism, level of engagement with music, and self-reported self-esteem. It was also hypothesized that participants would report favorable attitudes regarding the popular music media literacy website being tested. Participants included 52 emerging adult college students who completed the baseline assessment and the post-literacy assessments after reviewing the popular music media literacy website. At baseline, participants reported moderate levels of music as reflecting real life, viewing themselves as similar to music representations and self-reported self-esteem. Participants also reported high levels of music skepticism and engagement with music at baseline. Results indicated that the popular music media literacy website was effective in increasing general music skepticism. The implications for future research and next directions are discussed