scholarly journals Silicone wristbands detect individuals' pesticide exposures in West Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 160433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carey E. Donald ◽  
Richard P. Scott ◽  
Kathy L. Blaustein ◽  
Mary L. Halbleib ◽  
Makhfousse Sarr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Analytical Method ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Pesticide Exposures ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Dual Column ◽  
Near Future

We detected between 2 and 10 pesticides per person with novel sampling devices worn by 35 participants who were actively engaged in farming in Diender, Senegal. Participants were recruited to wear silicone wristbands for each of two separate periods of up to 5 days. Pesticide exposure profiles were highly individualized with only limited associations with demographic data. Using a 63-pesticide dual-column gas chromatography–electron capture detector (GC-ECD) method, we detected pyrethoid insecticides most frequently, followed by organophosphate pesticides which have been linked to adverse health outcomes. This work provides the first report of individualized exposure profiles among smallholder farmers in West Africa, where logistical and practical constraints have prevented the use of more traditional approaches to exposure assessment in the past. The wristbands and associated analytical method enabled detection of a broad range of agricultural, domestic, legacy and current-use pesticides, including esfenvalerate, cypermethrin, lindane, DDT and chlorpyrifos. Participants reported the use of 13 pesticide active ingredients while wearing wristbands. All six of the pesticides that were both reportedly used and included in the analytical method were detected in at least one wristband. An additional 19 pesticide compounds were detected beyond those that were reported to be in use, highlighting the importance of measuring exposure in addition to collecting surveys and self-reported use records. The wristband method is a candidate for more widespread use in pesticide exposure and health monitoring, and in the development of evidence-based policies for human health protection in an area where food security concerns are likely to intensify agricultural production and pesticide use in the near future.

scholarly journals Genetic characteristics and epidemiology of inherited retinal degeneration in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ta-Ching Chen ◽  
Ding-Siang Huang ◽  
Chao-Wen Lin ◽  
Chang-Hao Yang ◽  
Chung-May Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Data ◽  
Genomic Medicine ◽  
Research Database ◽  
Genetic Characteristics ◽  
Common Cause ◽  
Gene Therapies ◽  
Retinal Degenerations ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Inherited Retinal Degeneration ◽  
Bietti's Crystalline Dystrophy

AbstractInherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) are a group of phenotypically and genotypically heterogeneous disorders with substantial socioeconomic impact. In this cohort study, we tried to address the genetic characteristics and epidemiology of IRDs in Taiwan. Totally, 312 families with IRDs were identified and recruited and genetic testing was performed via probe capture-based NGS targeting 212 IRD-related genes. Statistical analysis was based on the proband of each affected family. Disease-causing genotypes were identified in 178 families (57.1%). ABCA4 variants were the most common cause of disease in this cohort (27 families, 15.2%), whereas CYP4V2 variants were the most common cause for the single phenotype—Bietti’s crystalline dystrophy (12 families, 3.8%). Some variants such as ABCA4:c.1804C>T, CYP4V2:c.802-8_810delinsGC, and EYS:c6416G>A were population-specific disease-causing hotspots. Probands affected by ABCA4, RPGR, RP1L1, and CEP290 sought medical help earlier while patients affected by EYS and CYP4V2 visited our clinic at an older age. To evaluate the representativeness of our cohort in the genetic epidemiology of IRDs in Taiwan, our demographic data were compared with that of the total IRD population in Taiwan, obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database. This is currently the largest-scale, comprehensive study investigating the genetic characteristics and epidemiology of IRD in Taiwan. These data could help patients and caregivers to adopt precision genomic medicine and novel gene therapies in near future.

scholarly journals Evaluation of two-year recall of self-reported pesticide exposure among Ugandan smallholder farmers

2022 ◽  
Vol 240 ◽  
pp. 113911
Author(s):  
William Mueller ◽  
Aggrey Atuhaire ◽  
Ruth Mubeezi ◽  
Iris van den Brenk ◽  
Hans Kromhout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Smallholder Farmers

scholarly journals The Surge of Young Americans from Minority-White Mixed Families & Its Significance for the Future

Daedalus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 150 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-214
Author(s):  
Richard Alba
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Data ◽  
Data System ◽  
First Century ◽  
The Other ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
White Americans ◽  
Early Twenty ◽  
American Society ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Demographic Evolution

Abstract The number of youth from mixed majority-minority families, in which one parent is White and the other minority, is surging in the early twenty-first century. This development is challenging both our statistical schemes for measuring ethnicity and race as well as our thinking about their demographic evolution in the near future. This essay summarizes briefly what we know about mixed minority-White Americans and includes data about their growing numbers as well as key social characteristics of children and adults from mixed backgrounds. The essay concludes that this phenomenon highlights weaknesses in our demographic data system as well as in the majority-minority narrative about how American society is changing.

scholarly journals Machine Translation Research in Czechoslovakia

2002 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 802-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Hajič ◽  
Eva Hajičová ◽  
Alexandr Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Machine Translation ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Short Description ◽  
Translation Research ◽  
Text Corpora ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Future Plans

Abstract Machine translation research activities in Czechoslovakia starting in early the 60's are outlined, together with the basics of the theoretical background on which the parsing and representation levels have been based. Two more recent systems are described in more detail: APAC, working from English to Czech on INSPEC technical abstracts, and RUSLAN, which, translating from CZECH to Russian, was heavily taking advantage of the closeness between these languages. We conclude with a short description of the current project, which emphasizes the use of text corpora in combination with (more) traditional approaches. Many of the ideas we want to elaborate in the near future are present in the current project, and a word on future plans is also added.

scholarly journals An Economic-Based Evaluation of Maize Production under Deficit and Supplemental Irrigation for Smallholder Farmers in Northern Togo, West Africa

Resources ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Agossou Gadedjisso-Tossou ◽  
Tamara Avellán ◽  
Niels Schütze
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Exceedance Probability ◽  
World Population ◽  
Supplemental Irrigation ◽  
Aquacrop Model

While the world population is expected to reach 9 billion in 2050, in West Africa, it will more than double. This situation will lead to a high demand for cereals in the region. At the same time, farmers are experiencing yield losses due to erratic rainfall. To come up with a sound and effective solution, the available but limited water should be used to achieve high yields through irrigation. Therefore, full and deficit irrigation management strategies were evaluated. The expected profit that can be obtained by a smallholder farmer under a conventional irrigation system in the short-term of investment was also assessed considering rope and bucket, treadle pump, and motorized pump water-lifting methods. The study focused on maize in northern Togo. The framework used in this study consisted of (i) a weather generator for simulating long-term climate time series; (ii) the AquaCrop model, which was used to simulate crop yield response to water; and (iii) a problem-specific algorithm for optimal irrigation scheduling with limited water supply. Results showed high variability in rainfall during the wet season leading to significant variability in the expected yield under rainfed conditions. This variability was substantially reduced when supplemental irrigation was applied. This holds for the irrigation management strategies evaluated in the dry season. Farmers’expected net incomes were US$ 133.35 and 78.11 per hectare for treadle pump and rope and bucket methods, respectively, under 10% exceedance probability. The motorized pump method is not appropriate for smallholder farmers in the short run.

scholarly journals Variability and predictors of weekly pesticide exposure in applicators from organic, sustainable and conventional smallholder farms in Costa Rica

2019 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Fuhrimann ◽  
Philipp Staudacher ◽  
Christian Lindh ◽  
Berna van Wendel de Joode ◽  
Ana M Mora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Costa Rica ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Pesticide Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Smallholder Farms ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Pesticide Exposures

ObjectiveEstimates of pesticide exposure among applicators from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are scarce, and exposure assessment methods are sometimes costly or logistically unfeasible. We examined the variability in weeklong pesticide exposure among applicators in Costa Rica and its predictors.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey among 221 pesticide applicators from organic, sustainable and conventional farms in 2016. We administered structured questionnaires to assess pesticide application practices at two time points (4–6 weeks apart). We adapted an existing algorithm to fit the context of smallholders and derive weekly pesticide exposure scores. We used linear mixed-effect models to examine within-worker and between-worker score variability. We then identified sociodemographic and occupational predictors of weekly pesticide exposure scores.ResultsWe observed high within-worker and between-worker variability in weekly pesticide exposures (eg, up to 180-fold and 70-fold differences in average weekly exposures within and between workers, respectively; intraclass correlation coefficient=0.4). Applicators working on conventional and sustainable farms had exposure scores twofold and 1.5-fold higher than those working in organic farms, respectively. Farm workers who received training on pesticide use had weekly pesticide exposure scores of 33% (95% CI 1% to 55%) lower than those who did not receive any training.ConclusionsIn this study of applicators from smallholder farms in Costa Rica, we determined the importance of collecting questionnaire data on self-reported pesticide use repeatedly due to its high variability within workers and absence of application records. Our questionnaire-based exposure algorithm could allow the calculation of semiquantitative estimates of average pesticide exposure for applicators from other LMICs.

scholarly journals O1A.1 Pesticide exposure of workers during treatment and re-entry tasks in apple-growing: results from the canepa study in france

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A2.2-A2
Author(s):  
Mathilde Bureau ◽  
Béatrix Béziat ◽  
Geoffroy Duporté ◽  
Yannick Lecluse ◽  
Xavier Schwall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Dermal Exposure ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Hail Net ◽  
South West ◽  
Pesticide Exposures ◽  
Fruit Samples ◽  
Main Determinants ◽  
Opening And Closing

Few studies were performed to assess workers’ exposure to pesticides in orchards and even less during re-entry activities. However, nearly 40 pesticide treatments per year are carried out in apple-growing especially against fungal diseases, mainly scab. In order to characterize pesticide exposures of farmers in epidemiological studies, we performed a non-controlled field study in 3 regions of France (Normandy, South-West and Rhône-Alpes) in apple orchards during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. We observed the activity of the workers trying to disrupt it as little as possible. Workers’ external contamination and their determinants were assessed during 158 working days, corresponding to 31 treatment days (including mixing, spraying and equipment cleaning), 69 re-entry days (including apple hand-thinning, anti-hail net opening and closing tasks) and 58 harvesting days. We performed both detailed observations of work characteristics on the whole day (including an ergonomic approach) and pesticide measurements for dermal contamination during each task (following the OCDE guidelines). Potential dermal exposure was measured with cotton pads placed onto the skin (11 body areas), and cotton gloves or hand rinsing for each task. Captan and dithianon, fungicides representative of pesticide use in apple-growing, were used as markers for exposure. Relative contribution of the different body areas to total exposure was assessed. In addition, to investigate potential sources of contamination, we measured dislodgeable residues in the environment of the workers by analyzing leaf and fruit samples and surfaces of work equipment. Results indicated that workers’ dermal exposure was higher during re-entry tasks than treatments and harvests. The median dermal contamination during treatment was 4.03 mg of active ingredients per day, levels ranging from 0.95 mg to 64.19 mg. Most of the contamination was observed on the hands, especially during mixing. We will focus our presentation on levels and main determinants of pesticide exposure during treatment tasks.

scholarly journals Dietary pesticide exposure profiles in the NutriNet-Santé cohort

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Rebouillat ◽  
Rodolphe Vidal ◽  
Jean-Pierre Cravedi ◽  
Bruno Taupier-Letage ◽  
Laurent Debrauwer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Intake ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Pesticide Exposure ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Dietary Exposure ◽  
Intermediate Energy ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Pesticide Exposures ◽  
Organic Food Consumption

AbstractPesticides are used in large quantities in current agriculture all over Europe. Some pesticides are suspected of having negative effects on human health. While the risk associated with occupational exposure is getting well-documented, evidence of dietary exposure to these molecules in the general population is lacking. The aim of this study is to describe dietary exposure to pesticides among NutriNet-Santé cohort participants’.NutriNet-Santé is a web-based cohort of French middle-aged adults launched in 2009. BioNutriNet is an ancillary study launched in 2014, aiming to measure organic and conventional food consumption and evaluate different dimensions of diet sustainability. Dietary intake of organic and conventional foods was assessed using a 264 items self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Exposure to 25 commonly used pesticides was evaluated using contamination data from CVUA Stuttgart accounting for farming system. Dietary pesticide exposure profiles were identified using Non-Negative Matrix factorization (NMF), specially adapted for non-negative data with excess zeros. The NMF scores were then introduced in a hierarchical clustering process. Identified clusters were described in terms of sociodemographics, dietary patterns and exposure to pesticides.A total of 34,442 participants were selected. Four clusters were identified. All clusters seemed to be exposed to the same molecules, with gradual intensity. The first cluster was characterized by the lowest energy-intake, highest organic food consumption (26.9%) and lowest dietary pesticide exposure; participants had highest consumption levels of organic food groups, including fruits and vegetables. Proportion of male participants and of rural residents was higher than in other groups. Clusters 2 and 3 were characterized by intermediate energy intake, and low organic food consumption. High conventional fruits and vegetables intake and moderate pesticide exposure were observed in cluster 2, composed of a lower smokers’ proportion. Cluster 3 individuals were less exposed to pesticides than clusters 2 and 4, except for Spinosad and Pyrethrins. Cluster 4 was characterized by the highest energy intake, lowest organic food consumption (12.2%), and highest pesticide exposure ; high consumption levels of conventional fruits, vegetables and a higher proportion of vegetarians were observed. This cluster was composed of 85.6% female participants, mainly retired (47.5%), mostly living in cities of 200 000 inhabitants and more (48.2%), and physically active.Dietary pesticide exposures seem to vary across the clusters and depending on the proportion of organic food in the diet. High consumers of conventional fruits and vegetables consumers seem to be more exposed to our selection of pesticides.

scholarly journals Cosmogenesis, Complexity, and Neo-Natural Faith in the Context of Astrobiology

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 659
Author(s):  
Kelly C. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Western World ◽  
Basic Question ◽  
Logical Space ◽  
Moral Good ◽  
The Status ◽  
Traditional Approaches ◽  
Near Future ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Potential Use

It is fair to say that religion, and in particular the ways in which some Christian and Islamic thinkers have again begun to encroach on the domain of science (e.g., global warming, the teaching of evolution), has caused a great deal of consternation within the scientific and philosophical communities. An understandable reaction to these developments is to reject out of hand even the slightest taint of religion in these fields—a position that has now attained the status of orthodoxy, at least in the western world. This is curious on its face, given the fact that religion has clearly provided a sense of meaning and purpose for most of our fellow humans as long as there have been humans pondering such things. Moreover, it is probably not necessary, provided one is very careful what sort of faith one endorses. Thus, the basic question I wish to address here, albeit in a very preliminary fashion, is whether it may be possible to delineate a form of faith that can inspire and guide humanity without the metaphysical baggage that causes conflict with epistemically conservative disciplines like science. To that end, I examine one recent thread within cosmology that views the universe as creative in the sense that it is biased towards the production of ever-increasing complexity at its edges. If that is true, it gives those so inclined permission, as it were, to view the creation of complexity (including human culture and its products) as a moral good (perhaps even an imperative) without the assumption of supernatural entities with mysterious motives and goals. After arguing that there is indeed logical space for such a faith that does not impinge on the essential commitments of either science or philosophy (properly conceived) I will examine its potential use in framing some of the emerging debates concerning space exploration. The prospect of humanity venturing beyond our homeworld in the near future offers an excellent case study of this “neo-naturalism” in action for two basic reasons. First, it seems likely that such a massive and complex undertaking needs a motivational source beyond mere discovery and expansion. Second, a neo-natural faith may influence how we go about this, and not always in ways those steeped in more traditional approaches to religion would predict.

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