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Reclamation of wastewater polluted with antihypertensive drug residues by the biological+solar-photocatalytic sequential treatment plant
No full textThe quality of polluted wastewater processed by conventional Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) is in some cases insufficient to reach the degree of purity required. Pharmaceuticals are frequently identified in the aquatic environment, owing to their constant release from WWTPs. Thus, in recent years, they are cataloged as pseudo-persistent pollutants having been recognized as potentially harmful to public health and environmental concern. This work has focused on the removal of 3 antihypertensive pharmaceuticals (furosemide, irbesartan, and valsartan) from aqueous waste solutions using a sequential biological-photocatalytic (TiO2/Na2S2O8) treatment under natural sunlight. Pharmaceutical residues were isolated from water by solid phase extraction (SPE) and analyzed by HPLC-QqQ-MS2. Biodegradation was greater than 65% and 70% for irbesartan and furosemide, respectively, while valsartan was highly biodegradable (> 96%). Next, photocatalytic treatment was applied and just 200 kJ m-2 was required to remove 90 % of micropollutants residues from the effluent. Therefore, the coupling of biological treatment to solar heterogeneous photocatalysis constitutes a valuable instrument to detoxify polluted wastewater.</p
Biomedical evaluation of green tea herbal liquid with bama miniature pigs
No full textTraditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is widely used in health preservation and non-radical treatment because of its relatively gentle therapeutic effect, which is reflected in many products. Especially in atomization therapy, TCM shows its strong potential. This experiment focused on analyzing the extract of green tea (tea polyphenols) in a nebulizer, which is very similar to e-cigarettes. After intravenous injection of relevant drugs into small experimental pigs, the results of blood tests and the HE staining of organ sections showed no abnormalities in the experimental group. Since the dose of intravenous injection is much larger than that of nebulized inhalation, the safety of the product was verified by the experiment. The relevant analysis results obtained in this experiment will be used for comparison with subsequent, longer-term (more than 3 months) injection experiments.</p
The pathological technical and tactical movements of a soccer player during return to sport predicts a second anterior cruciate ligament injury
No full textBackground: Return to sport after Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction remains a difficult decision-making process that is not structured on shared and homogeneous assessments. This greatly elevates the risk factors for second injuries.Objective: Highlight football-specific gestural, pathological, technical-tactical patterns that contribute to new ACL injuries (ipsilateral graft rupture or contralateral rupture of the native ACL).Material and method: For the purpose of this literature review, peer-reviewed and nonpeer-reviewed indexed journals were consulted from 1979 to the present. Studies were identified by searching them on PubMed/MEDLINE databases. The following search terms were used: “second ACL injury,” “cutting maneuver and ACL”, “sidestep cutting technique and ACL” “Valgus knee in sport” “change of direction and ACL injury” “pressing soccer” tackle in soccer”. The literature search was directed, also, to the Gray Literature.Result: An immediate pressing or re-aggression on the adversary, tackle, or cutting maneuver is clinically read as moments of risk factors, injury, or re-injury, for both the ball bearer and the defender. We found how a good deal of literature emphasizes how side-to-side gestural asymmetries, during technical and tactical movements, present during return to sport can elevate risk factors for second ACL injuries. During ball recovery, 4 main game situations have been found to elevate the risk factors of knee capsular ligament injuries: (1) during tactical moments of collective pressing or individual pressure; (2) in the postural rebalancing phase after moments of instability following the kicking of the ball; (3) dysfunctional moments from gestural instability, in landing, after a header in single-pedal support; (4) during a tackle by direct contact or indirect contact on the joint.Conclusion: Residual pathological movement’s side-to-side asymmetries and postural-dysfunctional pictures related to specific gestures after ACL reconstructive surgery are predictive factors of second ipsilateral ACL injury or injury to the contralateral limb. Given, however, the subjective interpretation of movement quality assessments, their relative reliability and validity in the diagnostic and therapeutic use of complex sports gestures, pressing, and cutting maneuvers, during the process of return to sport should be analyzed together and clinical assessments to identify other and consistent predictors of second ACL injuries.</p
Boundary value problem for the third-order equation with multiple characteristics
Full text linkThe article constructs a unique solution to a tertiary-order equation with multiple characteristics with boundary conditions that include all possible local boundary conditions. The uniqueness of the solution of boundary value problems is proved by the method of integral equations using the sign-definiteness of quadratic forms. When proving the existence of a solution to the problem, Green's function method, the theory of integral equations and potentials are used.</p
Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with lewy bodies differences and similarities
Full text linkThe second most common neurodegenerative disease causing dementia in the population over 65 years is Parkinson´s Disease Dementia (PDD), sharing many clinical, genetic, pathophysiological, imaging, and morphological features with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB). There is an ongoing debate whether these two diseases are separate diseases, just different phenotypes on the basis of the same Lewy Body pathology or the same disease. The differences are rather few and many authors tend to believe that PDD and DLB may be manifestations of the same neurodegenerative disorder.Based on a single examination, without regard to the temporal sequence of events, it is difficult or impossible to differentiate a single patient with parkinsonism as PDD or DLB. The relative timing when cognitive and motor symptoms appear, applying the 1-year rule, could be helpful in clinical practice in distinguishing the diseases. The subtle differences are hard to observe with more executive problems in PDD and a tendency of more easily triggered psychotic problems in DLB. Eventually, PDD and DLB might be the same disease - as long as unquestionable biomarkers definitely distinguishing both entities are not found.</p
Influence of occupational stress on interpersonal and organizational relationships: an integrative review
No full textObjective: To investigate, through scientific literary findings, the effects of occupational stress on interpersonal relationships in the work environment.Methodology: This is an integrative literature review, with a descriptive and qualitative approach, carried out through a survey in the Scielo, Pubmed and Lilacs databases, with the words indexed in the DeCs: Psychology, Occupational Stress and Burnout Syndrome. As well as the Boolean operator ‘’AND’’ to perform the crossing between the descriptors. Articles related to the proposed theme, published between the years 2016 to 2021, available in full, with no language restriction; in addition to theses, dissertations and monographs. Results and discussions: The findings of the scientific literature exposed in this research could show that occupational stress has a total impact on interpersonal relationships and on emotional exhaustion, constituting a network conducive to the emergence and development of Burnout syndrome. Final considerations: The research included in this study could unanimously prove that occupational stress leads to a decline in interpersonal and organizational relationships, which directly compromises the mental health of professionals, generating a risk of harm to the health of the worker, with the syndrome of Burnout is the most prevalent pathology in this context.</p
Orca reproduction in captivity: A review of the science, ethics and welfare concerns
No full textOrca whales, also known as killer whales, are highly social and intelligent animals that have captured the public’s fascination for decades. However, the use of orca whales in marine parks and aquariums for human entertainment has sparked controversy about their welfare and ethical considerations. Captive breeding programs have been developed for several marine species, including orca whales, to ensure their survival. However, captive orca reproduction is a contentious topic due to the potential health and welfare concerns for the animals. In this scientific essay, we review the reproductive biology of orca whales in captivity, the health and welfare concerns associated with captivity, and the ethical considerations of keeping these intelligent and social animals in captivity for human entertainment. Our review highlights the need for continued research to improve the welfare of captive orcas and the conservation efforts of wild populations.</p
Systematic review–how do we identify urinary tract infections today?
No full textStandard urine culture is still considered a gold standard in the identification of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), but is time-consuming and in approximately 20% of patients with UTI symptoms produces false-negative results. Medical and scientific communities are in search of a faster, more accurate, yet affordable method with high clinical utility. As a supplement to standard culture in routine practice Urine Flow Cytometer (UFC) screening method is used, in order to detect negative urine culture samples. This allows for shortening issuing time for sterile urine culture reports and the cost of the analysis itself. In addition, urine dipstick tests and microscopic examinations of urine sediment can also be performed in biochemical laboratories but are usually preceded by urine culture. Nowadays, advanced methods such as proteomics and genomics are used to identify pathogens causing UTIs but are still used mainly for scientific purposes and rarely in clinical practice. From genomic methods PCR, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and metagenome sequencing are being researched. PCR is great for targeted diagnostics, 16S RNA gene amplification can determine bacterial genera and their abundance, but is not good for in-depth species analysis, while metagenomics is the most comprehensive and unbiased method. The proteomics field also offers several methods for microbial identification, with MS as the leading one. Clinical applications of MS platforms usually imply MALDI-TOF MS analyzers which produce a characteristic spectrum called peptide mass fingerprint or more present for scientific purposes LC-MS/MS-based peptide sequencing. </p
Forest restoration, resources sustainable use and high-quality sustainable management
No full textAs the economy develops and the population increases, there is an increasing demand for goods such as timber, food, medicine, and so on, and ecological services such as fresh water and the environment. Because goods and services produced by the original forest cannot meet the increasing need of people, so most of the original forest has become farmland, plantation, and grass. In the process of Forest restoration, a lot of exotic plants was introduced to produce special products and service. As exotic plants grow, vegetation declines, and crop failure will happen in dry years or resource waste in wet years. In order to solve these problems, Years of theoretical research and investigation in fixed positions have shown that there is a soil water resources use limit by plants and the soil water vegetation carrying capacity in the process of vegetation restoration. When the soil water resources in the range of the maximum infiltration depth are equal to the soil water resources use limit by plants, the plant water relation enters the key period of plant water relation regulation. If existing plant density is more than the soil water vegetation carrying capacity in the key period of plant water relation regulation, the plant water relation has to be regulated on the soil water vegetation carrying capacity to get maximal yield and service and realize high-quality sustainable management of forest vegetation in a water shortage area.</p
Strengthened primary health care for universal health coverage through improved community diagnosis and management of pneumonia in Zimbabwe
No full textPneumonia is the world’s leading infectious killer, claiming the lives of an estimated 2.5 million including more than 670,000 children under five years and 1.2 million adults in 2019 alone. Caused largely by viruses, and bacteria, COVID-19 also increased the pneumonia burden, while environmental factors, poor hygiene, sanitation and underlying conditions including malnutrition predispose. The latter translates into a considerable pneumonia burden that is preventable, provided the requisite provisions are made for community-level protection such as environmental management, water, sanitation and hygiene; and key persons are informed and educated on preventive and therapeutic measures, especially what to look for and what to do at home while seeking medical attention. Irked by the high numbers of under-five deaths against a background of limited case management caused by the system-wide collapse of the health services in the country, we sought to utilize the opportunity offered by world pneumonia day 2022 to go down to the community and elicit both the disease burden and strategies to address pneumonia that can be applied within the home and community. We also wanted to hear from the community their experiences with and functionality of the referral system. This paper presents the findings, challenges and suggestions for improving primary healthcare implementation to address the current high morbidity and mortality attributable to pneumonia. We found the Goromonzi community to be literate in many health issues but need more information and training to better manage pneumonia. They were knowledgeable about pneumonia, tuberculosis, and the recent COVID-19 through their interactions with the local clinic staff, the media, and interpersonal communication. Some were members of the health center committee or were village health workers or local leaders. We had limitations of resources and time for a detailed study, but conclude that the community visited had a sound understanding of health, primary health care and pneumonia, but lacked the comprehensive education and support to effectively manage pneumonia at home. More work needs to be done to quantify the pneumonia burden, the contribution of each intervention, (environment, vaccination, exclusive breastfeeding, safe water, sanitation, hand hygiene, reduced smoke and case management) the benefit of home and community management alongside an effective referral chain. </p