Human teeth enamel as a test for assessing the consequences of radiation pollution of the environment

Technogenic radioactive contamination of the external environment has a radiation effect on flora and fauna, including humans. Radionuclides entering the biosphere become a source of external, contact and internal radiation in a variety of combinations. The electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry is a technique that allows a retrospective assessment of an individual dose to be made. Purpose of the study. Assessment of the long-term consequences of the impact of radiation contamination of the territories adjacent to the landfill on the health of the population using biotesting methods. Material and methods. A reconnaissance and radioecological survey of environmental objects was carried out using analytical methods, which made it possible to determine the quantitative content of toxic components, priority pollutants and radioactive isotopes. The objects of study are the Bokeyordinsky and Zhanibeksky districts of the West Kazakhstan region (WKR), adjacent to the Kapustin Yar test site. The values of the volumetric activity of natural and technogenic radionuclides in soil samples, drinking water and biosubstrates (teeth, samples of human peripheral blood) from settlements of the surveyed areas were studied. Results and discussion. Measurements of gamma radiation showed that along the perimeter of the polygon and in nearby settlements, the radiation level is in the range of 0.06–0.14 µSv/h. An insignificant excess of the level of radioactivity persists near the fall of missiles in the Bokeyordin region. The indicators of the general morbidity of the adult population of maternal and child mortality in the indicated regions were also studied. It was found in the inhabitants of the Bokeyordinsky district with a reliability of p = 95% in the studied teeth, betta and gamma activity is less than the natural level and indicates that the content of radionuclides in the studied teeth is not higher than their natural level. A noticeable excess of the activity of radionuclides K40 and Ra226 is noted among residents of Zhanibeksky district. Conclusions. In the surveyed districts of the region, there is an unsatisfactory state of health of children and women, especially of fertile age, a high level of primary morbidity, maternal mortality; there is a tendency for the growth of eco-dependent human diseases (previously unrecorded forms of oncological diseases, congenital malformations, diseases of the hematopoietic and nervous systems). The conclusions can be used to implement measures to improve the ecological state of the region and the health of the population. Keywords: radionuclides, radioactivity, biosubstrate, polygon, ecology, eco-dependent diseases.

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Ecological and genetic assessment of the consequences of radiation influence on contaminated areas

Vavilov Journal of Genetics and Breeding ◽

10.18699/vj20.675 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (7) ◽

pp. 794-801

Author(s):

A. B. Bigaliev ◽

K. Z. Shalabaeva ◽

B. E. Shimshikov ◽

S. S. Kobegenova ◽

L. M. Adilova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Background Radiation ◽

Human Peripheral Blood ◽

Control Level ◽

Test Site ◽

Domestic Animals ◽

Radioactive Isotopes ◽

Laboratory Research ◽

Absolute Maximum ◽

Radiation Background ◽

Environmental Objects

The objects of study are the territory of the districts of the West Kazakhstan region of the Republic of Kazakhstan adjacent to the Kapustin Yar test site: Bokeyordinsky, Zhangalinsky, Zhanibeksky, Kaztalovsky, Akzhayiksky and Syrymsky. The purpose of the work is to conduct a radioecological survey of contaminated areas and to study the content of pollutants in environmental objects, biota (rodents, fish and biosubstrates of domestic animals) by physicochemical methods to assess the risk of the landfill’s impact on biota and humans. This paper presents the results of expeditionary and laboratory research on the pollution of environmental objects in the areas adjacent to the landfill. Indicators of the gamma-survey of the levels of radiation background of the surveyed territories as wellas data on pollution of soil, surface and ground waters, dominant forms of plants, biosubstrates (hair of domestic animals: camel, horse, cow) are given. The generally accepted research methods were used: standard sampling me thods, radiological, atomic adsorption spectrophotometry, cytogenetic (micronucleus) method. A reconnaissance and radioecological examination of environmental objects was carried out using analytical methods, which made it possible to determine the quantitative content of toxic components, the content of priority pollutants and radioactive isotopes. It has been established that the values of the volumetric activity of natural and man-made radionuclides in soil samples, drinking water and biosubstrates (pet hair, human peripheral blood samples) from settlements correspond to the value of the control level for this region. The measurements of radiation activity by gamma radiation showed that along the perimeter of the surveyed territory of the test site and in nearby settlements the radiation level is in the range of 0.06–0.014 μSv/h. A slight excess of the level of radioactivity persists in the area near the fall of missiles in the Bokeyordin region. The investigated regions are characterized by an insignificant level of background radiation, the average DER value for the regions as a whole is 0.14 μSv/h. The absolute maximum, 0.73 μSv/h, was recorded at the points of missile impact in the Kaztal region.

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Deterministic approach for multiple-source tsunami hazard assessment for Sines, Portugal

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-15-2557-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. 2557-2568 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

M. Wronna ◽

R. Omira ◽

M. A. Baptista

Keyword(s):

Sea Level ◽

Wave Height ◽

Hazard Assessment ◽

Test Site ◽

Tsunami Hazard ◽

Deterministic Approach ◽

Flow Depth ◽

Mean Sea Level ◽

Tsunami Hazard Assessment ◽

The Impact

Abstract. In this paper, we present a deterministic approach to tsunami hazard assessment for the city and harbour of Sines, Portugal, one of the test sites of project ASTARTE (Assessment, STrategy And Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe). Sines has one of the most important deep-water ports, which has oil-bearing, petrochemical, liquid-bulk, coal, and container terminals. The port and its industrial infrastructures face the ocean southwest towards the main seismogenic sources. This work considers two different seismic zones: the Southwest Iberian Margin and the Gloria Fault. Within these two regions, we selected a total of six scenarios to assess the tsunami impact at the test site. The tsunami simulations are computed using NSWING, a Non-linear Shallow Water model wIth Nested Grids. In this study, the static effect of tides is analysed for three different tidal stages: MLLW (mean lower low water), MSL (mean sea level), and MHHW (mean higher high water). For each scenario, the tsunami hazard is described by maximum values of wave height, flow depth, drawback, maximum inundation area and run-up. Synthetic waveforms are computed at virtual tide gauges at specific locations outside and inside the harbour. The final results describe the impact at the Sines test site considering the single scenarios at mean sea level, the aggregate scenario, and the influence of the tide on the aggregate scenario. The results confirm the composite source of Horseshoe and Marques de Pombal faults as the worst-case scenario, with wave heights of over 10 m, which reach the coast approximately 22 min after the rupture. It dominates the aggregate scenario by about 60 % of the impact area at the test site, considering maximum wave height and maximum flow depth. The HSMPF scenario inundates a total area of 3.5 km2.

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Global Impact of COVID-19 on Weight and Weight-Related Behaviors in the Adult Population: A Scoping Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041876 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1876

Author(s):

Han Shi Jocelyn Chew ◽

Violeta Lopez

Keyword(s):

Weight Gain ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Screen Time ◽

Weight Status ◽

Adult Population ◽

Self Report ◽

Future Research ◽

Sedentary Behaviors ◽

Management Interventions ◽

The Impact

Objective: To provide an overview of what is known about the impact of COVID-19 on weight and weight-related behaviors. Methods: Systematic scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley methodology. Results: A total of 19 out of 396 articles were included. All studies were conducted using online self-report surveys. The average age of respondents ranged from 19 to 47 years old, comprised of more females. Almost one-half and one-fifth of the respondents gained and lost weight during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. Among articles that examined weight, diet and physical activity changes concurrently, weight gain was reported alongside a 36.3% to 59.6% increase in total food consumption and a 67.4% to 61.4% decrease in physical activities. Weight gain predictors included female sex, middle-age, increased appetite, snacking after dinner, less physical exercise, sedentary behaviors of ≥6 h/day, low water consumption and less sleep at night. Included articles did not illustrate significant associations between alcohol consumption, screen time, education, place of living and employment status, although sedentary behaviors, including screen time, did increase significantly. Conclusions: Examining behavioral differences alone is insufficient in predicting weight status. Future research could examine differences in personality and coping mechanisms to design more personalized and effective weight management interventions.

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Analysing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on everyday travel behaviour in Germany and potential implications for future travel patterns

European Transport Research Review ◽

10.1186/s12544-021-00486-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Viktoriya Kolarova ◽

Christine Eisenmann ◽

Claudia Nobis ◽

Christian Winkler ◽

Barbara Lenz

Keyword(s):

Public Transport ◽

Online Survey ◽

Adult Population ◽

Activity Patterns ◽

Age Groups ◽

Travel Behaviour ◽

German Population ◽

Travel Patterns ◽

Home Office ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction The global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is having a great impact on all areas of the everyday life, including travel behaviour. Various measures that focus on restricting social contacts have been implemented in order to reduce the spread of the virus. Understanding how daily activities and travel behaviour change during such global crisis and the reasons behind is crucial for developing suitable strategies for similar future events and analysing potential mid- and long-term impacts. Methods In order to provide empirical insights into changes in travel behaviour during the first Coronavirus-related lockdown in 2020 for Germany, an online survey with a relative representative sample for the German population was conducted a week after the start of the nationwide contact ban. The data was analysed performing descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Results and Discussion The results suggest in general an increase in car use and decrease in public transport use as well as more negative perception of public transport as a transport alternative during the pandemic. Regarding activity-related travel patterns, the findings show firstly, that the majority of people go less frequent shopping; simultaneously, an increase in online shopping can be seen and characteristics of this group were analysed. Secondly, half of the adult population still left their home for leisure or to run errands; young adults were more active than all other age groups. Thirdly, the majority of the working population still went to work; one out of four people worked in home-office. Lastly, potential implications for travel behaviour and activity patterns as well as policy measures are discussed.

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Evaluating Cultural Impact in Discursive Space through Digital Footprints

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13074043 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 4043 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jesús López Baeza ◽

Jens Bley ◽

Kay Hartkopf ◽

Martin Niggemann ◽

James Arias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Language Processing ◽

Social Activity ◽

Test Site ◽

Cultural Discourse ◽

Discursive Space ◽

Topic Identification ◽

Small Test ◽

The Impact ◽

The City

The research presented in this paper describes an evaluation of the impact of spatial interventions in public spaces, measured by social media data. This contribution aims at observing the way a spatial intervention in an urban location can affect what people talk about on social media. The test site for our research is Domplatz in the center of Hamburg, Germany. In recent years, several actions have taken place there, intending to attract social activity and spotlight the square as a landmark of cultural discourse in the city of Hamburg. To evaluate the impact of this strategy, textual data from the social networks Twitter and Instagram (i.e., tweets and image captions) are collected and analyzed using Natural Language Processing intelligence. These analyses identify and track the cultural topic or “people talking about culture” in the city of Hamburg. We observe the evolution of the cultural topic, and its potential correspondence in levels of activity, with certain intervention actions carried out in Domplatz. Two analytic methods of topic clustering and tracking are tested. The results show a successful topic identification and tracking with both methods, the second one being more accurate. This means that it is possible to isolate and observe the evolution of the city’s cultural discourse using NLP. However, it is shown that the effects of spatial interventions in our small test square have a limited local scale, rather than a city-wide relevance.

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The impact of COVID-19 quarantine on dietary habits and physical activity in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11540-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Manar Abduljalil Bakhsh ◽

Jomana Khawandanah ◽

Rouba Khalil Naaman ◽

Shoug Alashmali

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Body Weight ◽

Weight Gain ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Adult Population ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Future Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments around the world to impose strict hygiene and national lockdown measures, which in turn has changed the dietary and lifestyle habits of the world’s population. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate whether dietary and physical activity behaviors of Saudi Arabia’s adult population changed during the COVID-19 quarantine. Methods An electronic questionnaire which assessed changes in body weight, dietary habits, and physical activity of Saudi Arabia’s adult population (n = 2255) during the COVID-19 quarantine was distributed on social media between June and July 2020. To test the differences between changes in dietary and physical activity behaviors in relation to changes in body weight a Chi-square test was used. Results Over 40 and 45% of participants reported eating and snacking more, respectively, which led to weight gain in around 28%. Most participants reported that they consumed home-cooked (73%) and healthy meals (47%), while only 7% reported that they consumed foods from restaurants. Feelings of boredom and emptiness (44%) and the availability of time for preparing meals (40%) were the main reasons for changing dietary habits. Honey (43%) and vitamin C (50%) were the most consumed immune-boosting food and dietary supplement, respectively. COVID-19 also had a negative impact on physical activity, lowering the practice in 52% subjects, which was associated with significant weight gain (p < 0.001). Conclusion Assessing the changes to the population’s dietary habits and physical activity during the lockdown will help predict the outcome of the population’s future health and wellbeing after the pandemic.

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Impact assessment of the public health product tax in Hungary

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.1231 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

L Zámbó ◽

M Bakacs ◽

É Illés ◽

A Varga ◽

E Sarkadi Nagy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Communication ◽

Energy Content ◽

Adult Population ◽

Food Choices ◽

Development Project ◽

Economic Effects ◽

Health Product ◽

The Law ◽

The Impact

Abstract Many countries apply fiscal policies to promote healthy diets to reduce the risk factors of NCDs. In 2011, a public health product tax (PHPT) was introduced in Hungary, taxing non-staple food products that carry proven health risks when consumed. The objectives of PHPT were to promote healthier eating habits by increasing the availability of healthy choices; to encourage reformulation; and to increase revenues for public health. With the purpose of evaluating the social and economic effects of PHPT, impact assessments (IAs) were conducted in 2012, 2014, and in 2018. The IA in 2018 was conducted within the framework of an EU-cofunded development project. To measure the awareness of the population on the law; to assess the population's attitude towards PHPT; to map the consumption patterns and to examine the major factors influencing food choices were fundamental parts of the IAs. We aim to present the findings of the latest IA and compare them to the results of the previous studies. Population surveys with questionnaires including the same questions were applied in the three assessments, hence changes during the 6 years could be detected. A sample of the adult population was involved in form of personal interviews in each IA. Based on the results, the awareness of PHPT was less (66%) in 2018 than in 2012 (72%). The adult population's consumption of the taxed products increased in all categories between 2012 and 2018 (except for salty condiments). Sociodemographic factors and awareness of the law correlated with the consumption of certain PHPT products. Taste was the primary determinant of food choice both in 2012 and 2018. The role of the price and the energy content in food choices were decreased significantly by 2018. A higher proportion of people identified the aims of PHPT correctly and agreed with them in 2018. The results draw attention to the importance of further interventions and the need of targeted health communication. Key messages The impact of the PHPT should continue to be monitored and evaluated. To achieve the aims of PHPT in the long term, it is needed to use more effective health communication, furthermore harmonized intersectoral actions should be also implied to promote healthy diet.

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Evaluating the impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on CYP450 metabolic activities: protocol for a case–control pharmacokinetic study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020922 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. e020922 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sophie Gravel ◽

Jean-Louis Chiasson ◽

Suzanne Dallaire ◽

Jacques Turgeon ◽

Veronique Michaud

Keyword(s):

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Adult Population ◽

Study Groups ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Research Centre ◽

Probe Drug ◽

The Impact

IntroductionDiabetes affects more than 9% of the adult population worldwide. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) show variable responses to some drugs which may be due, in part, to variability in the functional activity of drug-metabolising enzymes including cytochromes P450 (CYP450s). CYP450 is a superfamily of enzymes responsible for xenobiotic metabolism. Knowledge must be gained on the impact of T2DM and related inflammatory processes on drug metabolism and its consequences on drug response. The aim of this study is to characterise the activity of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4/5 in T2DM versus non-T2DM subjects following the administration of a cocktail of probe drug substrates.Methods and analysisThis single-centre clinical study proposes the first detailed characterisation of T2DM impacts on major CYP450 drug-metabolising enzyme activities. We intend to recruit 42 patients with controlled T2DM (A1C≤7%), 42 patients with uncontrolled T2DM (A1C>7%) and 42 non-diabetic control subjects. The primary objective is to determine and compare major CYP450 activities in patients with T2DM versus non-diabetic subjects by dosing in plasma and urine probe drug substrates and metabolites following the oral administration of a drug cocktail: caffeine (CYP1A2), bupropion (CYP2B6), tolbutamide (CYP2C9), omeprazole (CYP2C19), dextromethorphan (CYP2D6), chlorzoxazone (CYP2E1) and midazolam (CYP3A4/5). Secondary objectives will evaluate the influence of variables such as glycaemia, insulinaemia, genetic polymorphisms and inflammation. The value of an endogenous biomarker of CYP3A activity is also evaluated. The first patient was recruited in May 2015 and patients will be enrolled up to completion of study groups.Ethics and disseminationApproval was obtained from the ethic review board of the CHUM research centre (Montreal, Canada).Trial registration numberNCT02291666.

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Which dressings reduce inflammation and improve venous leg ulcer healing

Phlebology The Journal of Venous Disease ◽

10.1177/0268355514529225 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 29 (1_suppl) ◽

pp. 157-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Joseph D Raffetto

Keyword(s):

Adult Population ◽

Clinical Effectiveness ◽

Compression Therapy ◽

Venous Hypertension ◽

Western World ◽

Venous Leg Ulcer ◽

Tissue Integrity ◽

Venous Ulcers ◽

Eventual Healing ◽

The Impact

Chronic venous leg ulcers (VLU) affect around 1% of the adult population in the Western world. The impact of VLU is both social and economic, with significant expenditures on active venous ulcers to provide medical treatment and eventual healing. At the core of VLU is venous hypertension which affects the venous macrocirculation. The changes incurred in venous hemodynamics leads to microcirculatory changes affecting the postcapillary venule and surrounding tissues. Inflammation by leukocytes affecting the venous endothelium, promotes a complex cascade and activation of adhesion molecules expression, chemokines and cytokines released, altered growth factor responses, and activation of protease (e.g. tPA) and proteinase (e.g. MMPs) activity that causes dysregulation and compromise of tissue integrity with eventual dermal damage and ulcer development. A critical component to treating VLU is correcting the abnormal venous hemodynamics and compression therapy. Unfortunately, VLU recurrence ranges between 30–70%, and other modalities in therapy along with compression are required. The goal for adjuvant products is to restore the balance from an inflammatory chronic wound to that of a reparative wound that will promote provisional matrix and epithelialization. There are many products on the market that can be used as adjuvant to compression therapy, but it must be recognized that there is a paucity of clinical trials that have evaluated the clinical effectiveness of specific products with clearly defined end points, and most importantly a healed VLU with a low recurrence rate. This review will discuss the fundamentals of VLU inflammation, and evaluate the available literature that may have benefit in reducing inflammation and lead to effective VLU healing.

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Retrospective Analysis of Endocrine Dysfunctions in a Population of Adult Polytransfused Patients: Correlation of GH-IGF1 Axis Alteration with Cardiac Performance

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2018/6047801 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Michela Rosaria Campo ◽

Anna Farese ◽

Michele Correale ◽

Giuseppe Berti ◽

Michela Massa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intervention Study ◽

Adult Population ◽

Cardiac Performance ◽

Arginine Test ◽

Hormonal Evaluation ◽

The Impact ◽

Ghrh Plus Arginine Test ◽

Gh Deficit ◽

Endocrine Complications

Endocrine complications of haemochromatosis and heart failure mostly affect morbidity and mortality in polytransfused patients. This study analyzes endocrine dysfunctions and the impact of GH-IGF-1 axis alteration on cardiac performance in a population of 31 patients. A retrospective study on 31 Caucasian polytransfused outpatients, 27 adults and 4 pediatric, residing in Apulia, Italy, followed from 2005 to 2016, was conducted. Patients underwent basal and dynamic hormonal evaluation. GHRH plus arginine test was performed in 21 patients (19 adults and 2 children). Among them, 9 patients were affected by left ventricle diastolic dysfunction and/or atrial or ventricular dilatation (HD group) and 12 patients did not have cardiovascular disease (non-HD group). Twenty-nine out of 31 patients (94%) had at least one endocrinopathy. We found severe or mild GH deficit (GHD) in all HD patients versus 3 patients in the non-HD group (p=0.001). Mean IGF-1 levels were significantly lower in the HD group than in non-HD subjects (53±30 versus 122±91 μg/L, p=0.04). Our study confirms the need to perform a dynamic evaluation of the GH-IGF1 axis in polytransfused patients, especially when heart dysfunction emerges. An intervention study with GH replacement therapy in a larger randomized adult population will clarify the role of GH/IGF axis on cardiovascular outcomes in this patient population.

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