4582 research outputs found
Sort by
Ecotoxicity of carbamazepine and its UV photolysis transformation products
No full textCarbamazepine, an anti-epileptic pharmaceutical agent commonly found in wastewater, is highly recalcitrant to standard wastewater treatment practices. This study investigated the mixture toxicity of carbamazepine transformation products formed during ultraviolet (UV) photolysis using three standard ecotoxicity assays (representing bacteria, algae and crustaceans). UV-treatment of 6 mg L− 1 carbamazepine solution was carried out over a 120 min period and samples were removed periodically over the course of the experiment. Quantification results confirmed the degradation of carbamazepine throughout the treatment period, together with concurrent increases in acridine and acridone concentrations. Ecotoxicity was shown to increase in parallel with carbamazepine degradation indicating that the mixture of degradation products formed was more toxic than the parent compound, and all three ecotoxicity endpoints were still inhibited > 60% relative to control populations upon dosing with 90 + min UV-treated carbamazepine solution. Single compound toxicity testing also confirmed the higher toxicity of measured degradation products relative to the parent compound. These results show that transformation products considerably more toxic than carbamazepine itself may be produced during UV-treatment of wastewater effluents and/or photo-induced degradation of carbamazepine in natural waters. This study highlights the need to consider mixture toxicity and the formation and persistence of toxicologically relevant transformation products when assessing the environmental risks posed by pharmaceutical compounds.
Diet spanning infancy and toddlerhood is associated with child blood pressure at age 7.5 y
No full textConclusions: A less-healthy transition diet by age 2 y was associated with higher BP at 7.5 y. The BMI-related reduction in effect size reinforces the importance of BMI on the diet-BP relation.
Rumor clustering, consensus, and polarization: Dynamic social impact and self-organization of hearsay
No full textPatient barriers to and enablers of deprescribing: a systematic review
No full textInappropriate medication use is common in the elderly and the risks associated with their use are well known. The term deprescribing has been utilised to describe the complex process that is required for the safe and effective cessation of inappropriate medications. Given the primacy of the consumer in health care, their views must be central in the development of any deprescribing process.
Residential proximity to gasoline service stations and preterm birth
No full textPreterm birth (PTB) is a growing public health problem potentially associated with ambient air pollution. Gasoline service stations can emit atmospheric pollutants, including volatile organic compounds potentially implicated in PTB. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between residential proximity to gasoline service stations and PTB. Singleton live births on the Island of Montreal from 1994 to 2006 were obtained (n = 267,478). Gasoline service station locations, presence of heavy-traffic roads, and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) were determined using a geographic information system. Multivariable logistic regression was used to analyze the association between PTB and residential proximity to gasoline service stations (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, and 500 m), accounting for maternal covariates, neighborhood SES, and heavy-traffic roads. For all distance categories beyond 50 m, presence of service stations was associated with a greater odds of PTB. Associations were robust to adjustment for maternal covariates for distance categories of 150 and 200 m but were nullified when adjusting for neighborhood SES. In analyses accounting for the number of service stations, the likelihood of PTB within 250 m was statistically significant in unadjusted models. Associations were, however, nullified in models accounting for maternal covariates or neighborhood SES. Our results suggest that there is no clear association between residential proximity to gasoline service stations in Montreal and PTB. Given the correlation between proximity of gasoline service stations and SES, it is difficult to delineate the role of these factors in PTB.
Diabetes and ageing in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS)
No full textConclusions: Diabetes is strongly associated with factors characterising less successful ageing, suggesting that the impact of diabetes may be larger than currently estimated.
Langmuir-Blodgett assembly of sulphonated graphene nanosheets into single- and multi-layered thin films
No full textIntegration of fuzzy inference system and Taguchi's experiments to design a model of environmental performance evaluation
No full textEnvironmental performance and environmental evaluation have become important measures due to the growing concern about design of eco-friendly products for sustainable product development. Environmental performance evaluation is needed to ensure that environmental performance meets with the target and business goals set by an organization's management. This paper presents a design for environmental performance evaluation using the integration of a fuzzy inference system and Taguehi robust design. A fuzzy inference system is employed to transfer functions of input and output variables. Then, the Taguchi's experiment arc incorporated to analyse the proposed fuzzy model based on a statistical approach. The proposed design is flexible enough to be modified or integrated with any different criteria and also supports the continuous improvement effort.
Gender, socioeconomic, and ethnic differences in sleep patterns in school-aged children
No full textObjectives: Age-related changes in sleep behavior are well described in children, yet the effect of gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and ethnicity is less clear. These factors are important when developing culturally and socially appropriate guidelines for healthy sleep. The objective of our study was to examine the effects of age, gender, SES, and ethnicity on sleep patterns in school-aged children. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted through primary schools in Adelaide, South Australia. Parents reported demographic information and sleep patterns for school and non-school days for 1845 children aged 5 to 10 years. Results: 48% of the cohort were boys (mean age, 7.7 ± 1.7 y), 85% were Caucasian, and there was an equal distribution across defined SES bands. Sleep duration reduced with age and was shorter on non-school than school nights as a result of later bedtimes. Boys, children from low SES areas, and non-Caucasian children reported shorter sleep times than girls, children from high SES areas, and Caucasian children, respectively. Non-Caucasian children from low SES areas reported the shortest sleep opportunity. Conclusions: The results from our study suggest that in addition to biological mechanisms, sleep behaviors are culturally and socially driven and should be considered when developing recommendations for healthy sleep in children.