scholarly journals Risking health for rental housing: Reviewing service access in the informal backyard rental sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis G. Lategan ◽  
Shayne Erasmus ◽  
Markus Zietsman ◽  
Elizelle J. Cilliers ◽  
Mario Wolf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Rental Housing ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Service Access ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Potential Risks

Informal backyard rentals (IBRs) constitute South Africa’s fastest growing housing subsector, flourishing within a relative research vacuum and without national policy intervention to address the vulnerabilities of stakeholders to the health risks potentially presented. This article reviewed the literature on IBRs, focussing on past policies and interventions, general characteristics, infrastructure and service access to inform an analysis of potential health risks from the existing literature to guide future research and policy-making. Research followed a qualitative approach to review IBR literature dating after 2004. Relevant publications were identified from bibliographic databases using Boolean search logic and by reviewing citations in and later citations of these publications. Relevant secondary sources were also included. The review evidenced that IBRs have received increasing policy, but limited research attention, and that health hazards have been particularly neglected. Although issues such as shared water and sanitation, inappropriate waste disposal, poor hygiene practices, high densities and poor quality structures have been referenced extensively – alluding to risks and health concerns – few studies have focussed directly on health, risk and vulnerability. The risk analysis completed based on the literature made potential risks explicit, exemplified by references to specific conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and the coronavirus pandemic, demonstrating pathogenic pathways, contamination and transmission risks conducive to poor health, infection and potential disaster. The review captured and updated the contemporary literature on IBRs, with the subsequent analysis providing a platform for future empirical research on health, infrastructure and IBRs to address potential risks towards positive change in future policies.

scholarly journals Potential risks related to anabolic steroids use on nervous, cardiovascular and reproductive systems disorders in men

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Kujawska ◽  
Joanna Androsiuk-Perkowska ◽  
Jakub Husejko ◽  
Marcin Kozuchowski ◽  
Daria Bieniek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Anabolic Steroids ◽  
Biochemical Mechanism ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Amateur Sport ◽  
Thrombotic Complications ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractAnabolic steroids (AS) have been a subject of intensive research for the last several decades. Due to wide use of AS in pharmacological treatment and in professional and amateur sport, it is, hence, worthwhile to describe the biochemical mechanism of the effects of AS usage in humans and its potential health risks. In this work, the relationship between diet and its effect on the level of testosterone in blood is described. Testosterone affects the nervous system, however, there is need for further researches to examine the influence of AS therapy on emotional and cognitive functioning. AS therapy has known negative effects on the cardiovascular system: cardiac hypertrophy can occur, blood pressure can vastly increased, thrombotic complications can come about. These effects are observed not only in patients who are treated with AS, but also in athletes. The paper also describes the relationship between AS and reproductive system diseases. Decreased libido and erectile dysfunction are only some of the many side effects of an incorrect AS treatment.

scholarly journals Analysis of health risks associated with food safety

2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (12) ◽  
pp. 1481-1486
Author(s):  
Olga G. Bogdanova ◽  
Natalia V. Efimova ◽  
Olga A. Molchanova
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Dairy Products ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Poultry Meat ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Maximum Probability ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Microbiological Safety ◽  
Potential Risks

Introduction. Aim. Selection of priority safety indicators and optimal research scope through analysis of potential health risks associated with chemical and microbiological safety of food products (FP). Materials and methods. Retrospectively analyzed data on chemical and microbiological safety of FP addressed on the consumer market of the Republic of Buryatia for 2016-2020. Assessment of the potential risk of harm to human health included prediction performed on linear regression models. Results. The maximum probability of violations of mandatory requirements for chemical and microbiological contamination was noted for dairy products. The minimum probability of violations was identified for the biologically active additives and industrial baby FP. The calculation of potential risks to consumer health based on the results of studies of FP revealed the categories of “high risk” - fish and seafood, “significant risk” - dairy products, confectionery, vegetables, melons, soft drinks. It was found that the supply of fish and seafood, poultry and poultry products had long supply chains, when the risks associated with non-compliance with their transportation and storage conditions were most likely Correlations were revealed between the risk level according to the microbiological criterion associated with the contamination of food, fish, culinary products, poultry meat and the incidence of acute intestinal infections. The indicated factor signs determine from 28.6% to 67.0% of the variance of the incidence. Conclusion. Identification of potential risks of harm to the public health related to FP safety indicates the need for further monitoring of the content of chemical and microbiological contaminants.

scholarly journals An Overview of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Environment: Source, Fate, Risk and Regulations

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3590
Author(s):  
Ziyad Abunada ◽  
Motasem Y. D. Alazaiza ◽  
Mohammed J. K. Bashir
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Human Exposure ◽  
Physicochemical Characterization ◽  
Real Field ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Polyfluoroalkyl Substances ◽  
Exposure Routes

The current article reviews the state of art of the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) compounds and provides an overview of PFASs occurrence in the environment, wildlife, and humans. This study reviews the issues concerning PFASs exposure and potential risks generated with a focus on PFAS occurrence and transformation in various media, discusses their physicochemical characterization and treatment technologies, before discussing the potential human exposure routes. The various toxicological impacts to human health are also discussed. The article pays particular attention to the complexity and challenging issue of regulating PFAS compounds due to the arising uncertainty and lack of epidemiological evidence encountered. The variation in PFAS regulatory values across the globe can be easily addressed due to the influence of multiple scientific, technical, and social factors. The varied toxicology and the insufficient definition of PFAS exposure rate are among the main factors contributing to this discrepancy. The lack of proven standard approaches for examining PFAS in surface water, groundwater, wastewater, or solids adds more technical complexity. Although it is agreed that PFASs pose potential health risks in various media, the link between the extent of PFAS exposure and the significance of PFAS risk remain among the evolving research areas. There is a growing need to address the correlation between the frequency and the likelihood of human exposure to PFAS and the possible health risks encountered. Although USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) recommends the 70 ng/L lifetime health advisory in drinking water for both perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFO) perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is similar to the Australian regulations, the German Ministry of Health proposed a health-based guidance of maximum of 300 ng/L for the combination of PFOA and PFOS. Moreover, there are significant discrepancies among the US states where the water guideline levels for the different states ranged from 13 to 1000 ng L−1 for PFOA and/or PFOS. The current review highlighted the significance of the future research required to fill in the knowledge gap in PFAS toxicology and to better understand this through real field data and long-term monitoring programs.

Parasite defense mechanisms in bees: behavior, immunity, antimicrobials, and symbionts

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison E. Fowler ◽  
Rebecca E. Irwin ◽  
Lynn S. Adler
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Immune Priming ◽  
Social Bees ◽  
Bee Health ◽  
Landscape Scales ◽  
And Function ◽  
Solitary Species

Parasites are linked to the decline of some bee populations; thus, understanding defense mechanisms has important implications for bee health. Recent advances have improved our understanding of factors mediating bee health ranging from molecular to landscape scales, but often as disparate literatures. Here, we bring together these fields and summarize our current understanding of bee defense mechanisms including immunity, immunization, and transgenerational immune priming in social and solitary species. Additionally, the characterization of microbial diversity and function in some bee taxa has shed light on the importance of microbes for bee health, but we lack information that links microbial communities to parasite infection in most bee species. Studies are beginning to identify how bee defense mechanisms are affected by stressors such as poor-quality diets and pesticides, but further research on this topic is needed. We discuss how integrating research on host traits, microbial partners, and nutrition, as well as improving our knowledge base on wild and semi-social bees, will help inform future research, conservation efforts, and management.

scholarly journals Protocol for a systematic review on the experience of informal caregivers for people with a moderate to advanced dementia within a domestic home setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles James ◽  
Catherine Walshe ◽  
Katherine Froggatt
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Informal Caregiving ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advanced Dementia ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Search Terms

Abstract Background The knowledge about the experience of informal caregivers who provide care to people with moderate to advanced dementia in a domestic home setting is limited. A consequence of long hours of caregiving in addition to dealing with normal challenges of daily living is their experience of a poor quality of life. Some of their experiences may be described in terms of a feeling of powerlessness to make changes during care provision. This feeling may also suggest an experience of moral distress. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise qualitative evidence relating to these experiences. Methods This review adopts a narrative synthesis approach. A search will be conducted for studies written in the English language in the bibliographic databases MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Academic Search Complete covering periods from 1984 to present. Included studies will be qualitative or mixed-methods designs. The search terms will be related to dementia and caregivers, and the process will be focused on dementia at the moderate to the advanced stages within the domestic home setting. Reference lists of included papers will also be searched for additional relevant citations. Search terms and strategies will be checked by two independent reviewers. The identification of abstracts and full texts of studies will be done by the author, while the quality and the risk of bias will also be checked by the two independent reviewers. Discussion Psychological distress is cited as an experience reported within informal caregiving. For the caregiver, it is associated with a negative impact on general health. To date, no synthesis exists on the specific experience of informal caregiving for people with moderate to advanced dementia within the domestic home setting. This review considers that variation of accounts contributes to how the informal caregivers’ general experience is explored in future research. This may enable gaps in current knowledge to be highlighted within the wider context of caregiving in the domestic home setting. Systematic review registration This review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020183649).

scholarly journals Adsorption Mechanism of Patulin from Apple Juice by Inactivated Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Kefir Grains

Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 434
Author(s):  
Pascaline Bahati ◽  
Xuejun Zeng ◽  
Ferdinand Uzizerimana ◽  
Ariunsaikhan Tsoggerel ◽  
Muhammad Awais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Apple Juice ◽  
Adsorption Mechanism ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Potential Health Hazard ◽  
Kefir Grains

In the food industry, microbiological safety is a major concern. Mycotoxin patulin represents a potential health hazard, as it is heat-resistant and may develop at any stage during the food chain, especially in apple-based products, leading to severe effects on human health, poor quality products, and profit reductions. The target of the study was to identify and characterize an excellent adsorbent to remove patulin from apple juice efficiently and to assess its adsorption mechanism. To prevent juice fermentation and/or contamination, autoclaving was involved to inactivate bacteria before the adsorption process. The HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) outcome proved that all isolated strains from kefir grains could reduce patulin from apple juice. A high removal of 93% was found for juice having a 4.6 pH, 15° Brix, and patulin concentration of 100 μg/L by Lactobacillus kefiranofacien, named JKSP109, which was morphologically the smoothest and biggest of all isolates in terms of cell wall volume and surface area characterized by SEM (Scanning electron microscopy) and TEM (transmission electron microscopy). C=O, OH, C–H, and N–O were the main functional groups engaged in patulin adsorption indicated by FTIR (Fourier transform–infrared). E-nose (electronic nose) was performed to evaluate the aroma quality of the juices. PCA (Principal component analysis) results showed that no significant changes occurred between control and treated juice.

scholarly journals Placenta-Expanded Stromal Cell Therapy in a Rodent Model of Simulated Weightlessness

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 940
Author(s):  
Linda Rubinstein ◽  
Amber M. Paul ◽  
Charles Houseman ◽  
Metadel Abegaz ◽  
Steffy Tabares Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Risks ◽  
Stromal Cells ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Medical Intervention ◽  
Hindlimb Unloading ◽  
Simulated Weightlessness ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Splenic Atrophy

Long duration spaceflight poses potential health risks to astronauts during flight and re-adaptation after return to Earth. There is an emerging need for NASA to provide successful and reliable therapeutics for long duration missions when capability for medical intervention will be limited. Clinically relevant, human placenta-derived therapeutic stromal cells (PLX-PAD) are a promising therapeutic alternative. We found that treatment of adult female mice with PLX-PAD near the onset of simulated weightlessness by hindlimb unloading (HU, 30 d) was well-tolerated and partially mitigated decrements caused by HU. Specifically, PLX-PAD treatment rescued HU-induced thymic atrophy, and mitigated HU-induced changes in percentages of circulating neutrophils, but did not rescue changes in the percentages of lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, T-cells and splenic atrophy. Further, PLX-PAD partially mitigated HU effects on the expression of select cytokines in the hippocampus. In contrast, PLX-PAD failed to protect bone and muscle from HU-induced effects, suggesting that the mechanisms which regulate the structure of these mechanosensitive tissues in response to disuse are discrete from those that regulate the immune- and central nervous system (CNS). These findings support the therapeutic potential of placenta-derived stromal cells for select physiological deficits during simulated spaceflight. Multiple countermeasures are likely needed for comprehensive protection from the deleterious effects of prolonged spaceflight.

scholarly journals Impact of Bacillus in fermented soybean foods on human health

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Trishala Gopikrishna ◽  
Harini Keerthana Suresh Kumar ◽  
Kumar Perumal ◽  
Elavarashi Elangovan
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Bioactive Compounds ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Fermented Soybean ◽  
Food Pathogens ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Fermented Soybean Foods

Abstract Purpose Fermented soybean foods (FSF) is popularly consumed in the South-East Asian countries. Bacillus species, a predominant microorganism present in these foods, have demonstrated beneficial and deleterious impacts on human health. These microorganisms produce bioactive compounds during fermentation that have beneficial impacts in improving human health. However, the health risks associated with FSF, food pathogens, biogenic amines (BAs) production, and late-onset anaphylaxis, remain a concern. The purpose of this review is to present an in-depth analysis of positive and negative impacts as a result of consumption of FSF along with the measures to alleviate health risks for human consumption. Methods This review was composed by scrutinizing contemporary literature of peer-reviewed publications related to Bacillus and FSF. Based on the results from academic journals, this review paper was categorized into FSF, role of Bacillus species in these foods, process of fermentation, beneficial, and adverse influence of these foods along with methods to improve food safety. Special emphasis was given to the potential benefits of bioactive compounds released during fermentation of soybean by Bacillus species. Results The nutritional and functional properties of FSF are well-appreciated, due to the release of peptides and mucilage, which have shown health benefits: in managing cardiac disease, gastric disease, cancer, allergies, hepatic disease, obesity, immune disorders, and especially microbial infections due to the presence of probiotic property, which is a potential alternative to antibiotics. Efficient interventions were established to mitigate pitfalls like the techniques to reduce BAs and food pathogens and by using a defined starter culture to improve the safety and quality of these foods. Conclusion Despite some of the detrimental effects produced by these foods, potential health benefits have been observed. Therefore, soybean foods fermented by Bacillus can be a promising food by integrating effective measures for maintaining safety and quality for human consumption. Further, in vivo analysis on the activity and dietary interventions of bioactive compounds among animal models and human volunteers are yet to be achieved which is essential to commercialize them for safe consumption by humans, especially immunocompromised patients.

scholarly journals Social exclusion increases the executive function of attention networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huoyin Zhang ◽  
Shiyunmeng Zhang ◽  
Jiachen Lu ◽  
Yi Lei ◽  
Hong Li
Keyword(s):  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Attention Network ◽  
Attention Networks ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Control

AbstractPrevious studies in humans have shown that brain regions activating social exclusion overlap with those related to attention. However, in the context of social exclusion, how does behavioral monitoring affect individual behavior? In this study, we used the Cyberball game to induce the social exclusion effect in a group of participants. To explore the influence of social exclusion on the attention network, we administered the Attention Network Test (ANT) and compared results for the three subsystems of the attention network (orienting, alerting, and executive control) between exclusion (N = 60) and inclusion (N = 60) groups. Compared with the inclusion group, the exclusion group showed shorter overall response time and better executive control performance, but no significant differences in orienting or alerting. The excluded individuals showed a stronger ability to detect and control conflicts. It appears that social exclusion does not always exert a negative influence on individuals. In future research, attention to network can be used as indicators of social exclusion. This may further reveal how social exclusion affects individuals' psychosomatic mechanisms.

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