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Integrated Assessment of Water Quality and Sediment Load Production in River and Lake Basins: A Comprehensive Analysis for Environmental Management and Community Health
No full textRiver and lake basins can be regarded as primary water sources, providing communities with a variety of services, including food supplies, flora and fauna habitats, and household uses. To evaluate the state of the water quality, particularly in the lake basin, sedimentation issues and water quality status are considered. The Kenyir Lake Basin's health was tracked in this study using the Water Quality Index (WQI), JPS River Index (JRI), and Sediment Load (SL) production. Determining and analysing the trends in water quantity and quality throughout the Kenyir Lake Basin was the goal of this study. For the purpose of this study, samples were taken at 21 different locations around the lake basin in the wet (November), dry (September), and normal (July) seasons. Six WQI parameters, four JRI parameters, and three SL production parameters have been chosen. In the linear connection to forecast WQI, JRI, and SL, several important variables serve as inputs. The key parameters were identified for each index, such as pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₃-N) which were critical for the WQI; specific flow was essential for the JRI; and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) were important for the sediment load (SL) production analysis. Furthermore, the Hazard Quotient (HQ) was subsequently calculated to conduct a preliminary assessment of the potential health risks associated with metal exposure. The elements' HQ ingestion values were discovered to be in the following order: Arsenic (As) > Cadmium (Cd) > Copper (Cu) > Cobalt (Co) > Chromium (Cr) > Nickel (Ni) > Zinc (Zn) > Plumbum (Pb); all averaged HQ values were less than 1, suggesting that there was little to no health risk from the metals in question. Overall, the WQI results indicate that the basin's water quality is generally Class I to Class II, with WQI values of at least 60% across all sampling points. Linear relationship analysis identified DO as the most critical parameter influencing the WQI across all seasons (contributing up to 64.40% in the dry season), followed by ammoniacal nitrate (AN) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). The human health risk assessment revealed that the non-carcinogenic risk from metal exposure (As, Cd, Cu, Co, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb) was negligible, as all averaged HQ values were less than 1. However, the carcinogenic risks associated with exposure to As and Cr were identified as high. Although the water quality has not reached a critical threshold, unregulated anthropogenic activities pose a substantial and intensifying threat to the ecosystem and local communities. These findings necessitate a more systematic environmental management approach to mitigate future degradation. Apart from the river, anthropogenic activities such as sand mining, tourism, agriculture, and municipal wastewater treatment were assessed using secondary data obtained from land use records, environmental monitoring reports, and official discharge statistics. Analysis of these data revealed that such activities play a substantial role in contributing to the concentration of polluting elements in the river water. Although the current level of water quality and quantity degradation in the Kenyir Lake Basin has not yet reached a critical threshold, the potential adverse impacts on the ecosystem and local communities are likely to intensify if these anthropogenic pressures remain unregulated
The impact of long-term blood pressure (BP) telemonitoring on the incidence of cardiovascular events during the COVID-19 pandemic: a records based, matched patient analysis
No full textBackground: It is well established from trials that BP telemonitoring leads to improved BP control. However, there is little data available on the impact of BP telemonitoring on the incidence of cardiovascular events when it is used as the routine mode of long term BP monitoring, Aim: This study aimed to explore the impact of Blood Pressure (BP) telemonitoring on clinical cardiovascular outcomes, including during the covid-19 pandemic when the service was being provided with little face to face support. Method: Records were analysed for 442097 adults with hypertension identified from prescribing records from 5 Scottish Health Boards. Patients were included in they had a prescription for a first line anti-hypertensive drug at any time from 1 March 2019 (1 year before the first cases of COVID-19 were identified in Scotland) and 28 February 2021. Follow up was until 1st March 2022. Women pregnant during that time were excluded. The primary outcome measure was emergency hospital admission for Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), Stroke or uncontrolled Heart Failure (HF). Outcomes were compared between people who had used BP telemonitoring for at least 1 year and a matched group who had not used it at all. Matching was on age, sex, ethnicity, social deprivation, number of anti-hypertensive drugs, diabetes and having a BP assessment in the same year. Results: Ninety percent of the cohort had been diagnosed with hypertension before March 2019, 7% between March 2019 and February 2020 and only 3% in the first year of the covid-19 pandemic. There was a rapid increase in the uptake of BP telemonitoring after the start of the covid-19 pandemic. Those who used telemonitoring were significantly younger, less likely to have diabetes and take less antihypertensive medication. For those who used telemonitoring for over 1 year a mean reduction in systolic BP was seen which was maintained for at least the remainder of the year. In the matched group analysis people who used telemonitoring were less likely than those who were not to be admitted to hospital with or die from ACS, stroke or uncontrolled heart failure (adjusted OR 0.498 (95% CI 0.336 to 0.739), p=0.001), or to die through any cause (adjusted OR 0.484 (95% CI 0.268 to 0.875), p=0.016), p=0.018) or be admitted to hospital for any cause (adjusted OR 0.713 (95% CI 0.629 to 0.809), p<0.001). Discussion: The strength of this study is that, for the first time, enough people were using BP telemonitoring as a long term routine service for the effect on clinical outcomes to be measured. It demonstrated that the reduction in systolic BP achieved at the start of telemonitoring was maintained and was associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular events. However the study took place at a time of service disruption and longer term evaluation, with access to BP records for those not using telemonitoring, is needed
Project Management for a Greener Tomorrow: The Journey Toward Net Zero
No full textEdinburgh Napier University Student Association (ENSA) Project Management Challenge 2024/2025 invited existing students and recent graduates across all its three campuses to form teams and tackle sustainability-focused projects aligned with Scotland’s 2045 climate change target. Over the course of eight weeks, participants collaborated to develop and implement practical solutions to sustainability challenges. The program not only emphasized hands-on project management but also fostered innovation, teamwork, and a deeper understanding of sustainability principles. Culminating in an award night in January 2025, the challenge showcased the potential of student-led initiatives to drive meaningful environmental and social change. In doing so, the initiative reinforced the value of project management frameworks as students navigated planning, execution, and evaluation phases, reinforcing theoretical concepts through real-world practice. This practical exposure deepened their understanding of how theory supports effective project delivery
Impact of a multicomponent training intervention (Clean FrontLine) on microbiological cleanliness in Cambodian referral hospitals: a multicentre, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial
Full text linkBackgroundCleanliness of near-patient hospital surfaces is essential for preventing health care-associated infections and the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Randomised evaluations of cleaning interventions have not been done in low-resource settings. We assessed the effectiveness of a hospital-based training intervention (Clean Frontline) to improve the microbiological cleanliness of near-patient surfaces.MethodsIn this stepped-wedge, cluster-randomised trial in 13 Cambodian referral hospitals, we defined four steps (timings) that define the transition from control to intervention. All eligible public referral hospitals (district or provincial) in three selected provinces consented to participate. Pre-intervention, environmental cleaning practices remained unchanged. The multicomponent intervention selected, trained, and supervised facility cleaning champions, who in turn trained and supervised hospital cleaners. The primary outcome was microbiological cleanliness of near-patient surfaces, assessed using dipslides (a surface with <2·5 colony-forming units per cm2 was classified as clean). 30 samples per hospital were collected monthly over 10 months. Outcome data collection and analysis teams were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was estimated at surface level (primary analysis, odds ratio) and hospital level (risk difference), using an intention-to-treat approach and adjusted for a-priori confounders: temperature, patient numbers, beds per cleaner, and surface type. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05540886, and is complete.FindingsAcross the 13 participating hospitals, a total of 53 champions and 51 cleaners were trained. Outcomes were measured monthly between May 3, 2022, and March 23, 2023. We collected 3900 samples, 3822 of which were used in the analyses. We observed a positive, although non-significant, effect of the intervention on cleanliness in the surface analysis (odds ratio 1·39 [95% CI 0·95–2·03], p=0·081). The hospital-level analysis indicated a significant improvement of 5·04 percentage points (95% CI 0·76–9·33, p=0·026).InterpretationImproving microbiological cleanliness of near-patient surfaces in hospitals in low-resource settings through the delivery of context-appropriate training and support is feasible. Further research should test this intervention with a wider number of clusters. Lessons learnt from the implementation will inform WHO roll-out of the training package.FundingWho Gives A Crap and the Reckitt Global Hygiene Institute
Peer support for women who have experienced interpersonal trauma or abuse: An integrative review
No full textBackground: Experiences of interpersonal trauma, such as abuse or violence, are common for women and can cause lasting damage to physical, mental, and social well-being. Peer support is a caring approach in which individuals use experiences of overcoming adversity, together with training and supervision, to support others.Aim: To synthesise the evidence for peer support for women and adolescent girls who have experienced interpersonal trauma.Methods: An integrative systematic review was undertaken. Database searches (PsychArticles, PsychInfo, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, CINAHL, Criminal Justice, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Social Sciences, SocINDEX and Web of Science) were conducted in August 2022, September 2023 and 16th October 2025. Forward and backward chaining was undertaken on included studies. Study quality was assessed using methodologyspecific appraisal tools. Data were analysed and interpreted using Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC) framework.Results: We included 11 papers representing 9 separate studies, from three countries, published between 2004 and 2021. All studies were conducted in high income countries. Findings were reported under three themes mapped to the SOC components of comprehensibility (understanding trauma and its impact), manageability (having the resources to cope) and meaningfulness (motivation for meaningful change). The review found that peer support can stimulate women’s and peer supporter’s self-awareness and knowledge of how they have been affected by trauma and abuse. While the shared histories of peers and recipients could enable connection and trust, peer supporters could feel a sense of responsibility to ‘rescue’ women and a sense of failure if unable to do so. Peer support interventions were generally found to be beneficial for both women and peer supporters; they offer a sensitive and meaningful approach to improve health, well-being and alleviate suffering.Conclusion: While further studies are needed in this area, findings confirm the wider literature of peer support being a helpful intervention, largely due to shared histories and reciprocity. Further work to develop suitable recruitment, training and support for peer supporters is needed
On Families of Elliptic Curves E p, q: y 2 = x 3 − p q x That Intersect the Same Line L a, b: y = a b x of Rational Slope
Full text linkWe investigate a special family of elliptic curves, namely Ep, q:y2=x3−pqx, where p < q are odd primes. We study sufficient conditions for p and q so that the corresponding elliptic curve has non-trivial rational points. The number of sufficient conditions reduces to six. These six sufficient conditions relate to Polignac's conjecture, to the prime gap problem, the twin prime conjecture, and to results from Green and Sawhney and Friedlander and Iwaniec. Additionally, we analyze the structures of the sufficient conditions for p and q by their graphical visualizations of the six sufficient conditions for p, q ≤ 6997. The graphical structures for the six sufficient conditions exhibit arc structures, quasi-linear arc segments, tile structures, and sparsely populated structures
Aquaporin-Inspired Chitosan/Cellulose Composite Membranes for Fuel Cells
Full text linkThe commercialization of proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells is constrained by the limitations of perfluorosulfonic acid membranes like Nafion, which suffer from high methanol crossover, humidity-dependent conductivity, high cost, and poor environmental sustainability. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of aquaporin-inspired chitosan/cellulose (AQP-CS) composite membranes as a transformative, bio-inspired alternative. The central design paradigm integrates a sustainable chitosan/cellulose matrix—which offers inherent mechanical stability, tunable proton conduction, and excellent fuel barrier properties—with biomimetic water channels engineered for selective hydration transport. This synergistic architecture aims to fundamentally decouple water management from proton conduction, directly addressing the core performance flaw of conventional membranes. The review is structured to explicitly trace the logical pathway from the foundational material properties of chitosan and cellulose to the functional requirements for integrating synthetic aquaporin-mimetic components. Experimental evidence from advanced chitosan composites, demonstrating proton conductivities up to 0.131 S cm−1 alongside drastically reduced methanol permeability, validates the potential of this approach. Consequently, AQP-CS composites establish a novel framework for developing next-generation fuel cell membranes that combine high performance with ecological design. However, key challenges in the stable integration of biomimetic channels, long-term operational durability, and scalable manufacturing must be resolved to enable practical deployment and mark a significant leap toward sustainable energy conversion technologies
Effect of Graphene Nanoplatelet Size on the Thermal Properties of Bio-Based Phase-Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage
Full text linkThe rising environmental impact of building energy consumption has intensified the demand for sustainable energy solutions. Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) using phase-change materials (PCMs) offers a highly effective approach to improve energy efficiency; however, the intrinsically low thermal conductivity of most PCMs limits their practical performance. This study explores the thermophysical properties of a commercially available bio-based PCM (CrodaThermTM 60) enhanced with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) to improve heat transfer performance. Nano-enhanced PCMs (NePCMs) were prepared using a two-step process combining magnetic stirring and ultrasonication, incorporating GNPs at 2, 4, and 6 wt.%. Solid-phase density measurements of the NePCMs and viscosity measurements of the pure PCM were also conducted to support material characterisation. The results indicate distinct behaviours for the two nanoparticle sizes. At 6 wt.% nanoparticle loading, for 2 nm particles, the thermal conductivity increases by up to 13.9%, whereas for 6–8 nm particles, the enhancement is 148.9% of the pure PCM. Additionally, a reduction in latent heat is observed, with a proportional relationship to mass loading, as expected. These findings underscore the need for improved nanoparticle dispersion and formulation strategies to optimise both thermal performance and stability
Bycatch associated with fishing the bivalve mollusk (Anomalocardia flexuosa) (Linnaeus, 1767) in a tropical estuary
No full textBycatch is defined as the unintentional capture or displacement of non-target organisms during fishing activities, and constitutes a critical challenge in managing global fisheries. While it is often associated with finfish fisheries, bycatch also impacts shellfish harvesting. This study aimed to assess of the bycatch associated with dipnet fishing for Anomalocardia flexuosa. The study was performed in the coastal communities of Tramataia and Barra de Mamanguape, which are part of the Environmental Protection Area located in Northeastern Brazil, while also examining the abundance, body size, and biomass of the target species in relation to seasonal variability between the dry and rainy periods. A total of 548 bycatch specimens were recorded, with the majority (78 %) captured during the dry season, indicating a higher incidence of bycatch during this period. A. flexuosa species were captured, with 21.3 % during the rainy season (n = 3644) and 78.7 % during the dry season (n = 13501). Biomass differed only between seasonal periods, with higher values in the dry season, accounting for 9.04 kg of the total. In contrast, the rainy season contributed 3.65 kg of the total biomass. The Cerithium atratum snail was the most prevalent bycatch in the rainy season, while Neritina virginea was dominant in the dry season. Furthermore, the size of A. flexuosa specimens captured in the dry season exceeded those in the rainy season by more than three times, with an average of 13.50 per dip-netting event (53 % larger than minimum capture size) compared to just 3.64 per event (46 % smaller than minimum capture size) in the rainy season. This study highlights the significant diversity among benthic groups affected by trawling practices. Thus, effective co-management policies are needed to minimize the impact of trawling
Managerial approaches to mitigate police professionals’ online harms in the United Kingdom
Full text linkIn this article, we draw on the concept of misconduct to explore how police organisations frame personnel’s online harms and its impact on managerial perceptions and strategies. The aim is to provide insights into whether and how a focus on organisational reputation pervades management practices. Based on 52 semi-structured interviews with police managers from 4 police forces in the United Kingdom (UK) and 46 social media policy documents, guidance and training materials used by 25 UK police services, we explore how police managers interpret organisational messaging in their conceptualisation of responsibilities and operationalisation of strategies to protect police personnel online. Line managers’ decisions and actions are largely shaped by, and in turn shape, the organisational culture and ethical climate around online harms. We highlight the need to shift police organisational cultures around online harms towards a duty of care, in part as a timely response to implementing the well-being emphasis in the UK’s revised Code of Ethics 2024. We present three practical recommendations for organisational leadership and social media policy making in a global context both within and beyond police organisations: (1) national level advocacy for increased focus on personnel vulnerabilities which supports organisational level shifts towards, (2) an emphasis on wellbeing, and (3) broader managerial training in online harms management
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