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1.
Pharm. pract. (Granada, Internet) ; 22(1): 1-8, Ene-Mar, 2024. tab, graf
Artigo em Inglês | IBECS | ID: ibc-231376

RESUMO

Purpose: The complete awareness of policymakers about air pollution can play a significant role in dealing with this environmental threat. This study aimed to examine the awareness and perception among the policymakers regarding air pollution in Jordan. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Jordan. The participants included in this study were governmental and non-governmental officials from different sectors. An interview and questionnaire were used to examine the extent of knowledge of these decision-makers regarding air pollution types, sources, and threats. Results: Most participants acknowledged that air pollution in Jordan was a huge problem. Most participants (90%) were familiar with the term air pollution, and regularly read about different contaminants that cause air pollution. However, most of the participants had a low level of knowledge about air contaminant types in Jordan. The least known pollutants were PM2.5 (Particulate Matter 2.5 microns in width) and PM10 (Particulate Matter 10 microns in width). Only 7.5% of the participants knew about PM2.5, while 12.5% knew about PM10. Conclusion: Policymakers have the full authority to initiate and implement policies that intend to limit air pollution. Their complete awareness of air pollution can result in conducting certain protocols to approve new policies and legislations that can improve the air quality in Jordan. Unfortunately, no previous studies were conducted to analyze policymakers’ knowledge regarding air pollution in Jordan, and this study’s results hoped to reflect the importance of air pollutants and their greater significance on public health. (AU)


Assuntos
Humanos , Poluição do Ar , Consciência , Percepção , Saúde Pública , Estudos Transversais , Jordânia , Guias como Assunto
2.
Rev. patol. respir ; 27(1)ene.-mar2024. graf, tab
Artigo em Espanhol | IBECS | ID: ibc-ADZ-290

RESUMO

La enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) es una enfermedad que cursa con manifestaciones multisistémicas y agudizaciones, y que conlleva una importante carga de morbilidad, mortalidad y costes sanitarios. Distintas medidas terapéuticas y de prevención juegan un papel importante en mejorar el pronóstico y la salud respiratoria de estos pacientes. Realizar actividad física de forma generalizada, llevar a cabo unos hábitos dietéticos y nutricionales adecuados, abandonar el consumo de tabaco y alcanzar un estado de inmunización óptimo son varias de las acciones de salud recomendadas. Estas también enlentecerán el proceso de envejecimiento. Además, se recomienda realizar políticas de salud pública para reducir la contaminación del aire y el cambio climático. Por último, debemos prestar especial atención a las características del sueño de estos pacientes y llevar a cabo un abordaje terapéutico que incluya una mejor calidad del sueño. (AU)


Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with multisystemic manifestations and exacerbations that lead to a significant burden of morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Various therapeutic and preventive measures play an important role in improving the prognosis and respiratory health of the patients. General physical activity, proper dietary and nutritional habits, smoking cessation, and achieving an optimal immunization status are some of the recommended health actions. They also slow down the aging process. In addition, public health policies are recommended to reduce air pollution and climate change. Finally, we should pay special attention to the sleep characteristics of these patients and carry out a therapeutic approach that includes better sleep quality. (AU)


Assuntos
Humanos , Exercício Físico , Ciências da Nutrição , Tabaco , Imunização , Meio Ambiente
3.
Sci Total Environ ; 923: 171308, 2024 May 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38432379

RESUMO

Respiratory disease transmission in indoor environments presents persistent challenges for health authorities, as exemplified by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This underscores the urgent necessity to investigate the dynamics of viral infection transmission within indoor environments. This systematic review delves into the methodologies of respiratory infection transmission in indoor settings and explores how the quality of indoor air (IAQ) can be controlled to alleviate this risk while considering the imperative of sustainability. Among the 2722 articles reviewed, 178 were retained based on their focus on respiratory viral infection transmission and IAQ. Fifty eight articles delved into SARS-CoV-2 transmission, 21 papers evaluated IAQ in contexts of other pandemics, 53 papers assessed IAQ during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and 46 papers examined control strategies to mitigate infectious transmission. Furthermore, of the 46 papers investigating control strategies, only nine considered energy consumption. These findings highlight clear gaps in current research, such as analyzing indoor air and surface samples for specific indoor environments, oversight of indoor and outdoor parameters (e.g., temperature, relative humidity (RH), and building orientation), neglect of occupancy schedules, and the absence of considerations for energy consumption while enhancing IAQ. This study distinctly identifies the indoor environmental conditions conducive to the thriving of each respiratory virus, offering IAQ trade-offs to mitigate the risk of dominant viruses at any given time. This study argues that future research should involve digital twins in conjunction with machine learning (ML) techniques. This approach aims to enhance IAQ by analyzing the transmission patterns of various respiratory viruses while considering energy consumption.


Assuntos
Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados , COVID-19 , Vírus , Humanos , Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados/análise , Pandemias/prevenção & controle , COVID-19/epidemiologia , SARS-CoV-2 , Temperatura
4.
Sci Total Environ ; 923: 171423, 2024 May 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38442762

RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Ambient particulate matter (PM) has been recognized as inducing oxidative stress, which could contribute to mitochondrial damage and dysfunction. However, studies investigating the association between ambient PM and mitochondria, particularly mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN), have yielded inconsistent results. METHODS: We conducted comprehensive literature searches to identify observational studies published before July 17, 2023, examining the association between ambient PM exposure and mtDNA-CN. Meta-analysis using random effects model was employed to calculate the pooled effect estimates for general individual exposures, as well as for prenatal exposure with specific trimester. Additionally, the quality and level of evidence for each exposure-outcome pair was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The results indicated that general individual exposure to PM2.5 (ß = -0.084, 95 % CI: -0.521, 0.353; I2 = 93 %) and PM10 (ß = 0.035, 95 % CI: -0.129, 0.199; I2 = 95 %) did not significantly affect mtDNA-CN. Prenatal exposure to PM2.5 (ß = 0.023, 95 % CI: -0.087, 0.133; I2 = 0 %) and PM10 (ß = 0.006, 95 % CI: -0.135; 0.147; I2 = 51 %) were also not significantly associated with mtDNA-CN in offspring. The level of evidence for each tested exposure-outcome pair was assessed as "inadequate." CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that there is an "inadequate" strength of evidence for the association between general individual or prenatal exposure to ambient PM and mtDNA-CN. Future research necessitates studies with more rigorous design, enhanced control of confounding factors, and improved measures of exposure to substantiate our findings.


Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Efeitos Tardios da Exposição Pré-Natal , Feminino , Gravidez , Humanos , Material Particulado/toxicidade , Material Particulado/análise , DNA Mitocondrial/análise , Poluição do Ar/análise , Variações do Número de Cópias de DNA , Mitocôndrias , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Poluentes Atmosféricos/toxicidade , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise
6.
Sci Total Environ ; 923: 171544, 2024 May 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38453062

RESUMO

There has been a consistent upward trend in ground-level ozone (O3) concentration in China. People living with HIV (PLWH) may be more vulnerable to the health impacts of O3 exposure due to their immunosuppressed state. This study aims to investigate the association between ambient O3 exposure and mortality among PLWH, as well as the potential exacerbating effects of a decreased CD4+ T cell level. Daily maximum 8-hour O3 concentrations were assigned to 7270 PLWH at a county level in Guangxi, China. Every 10-unit increase in ambient O3 concentration was associated with a significant rise in all-cause mortality ranging from 7.3 % to 28.7 % and a significant rise in AIDS-related mortality ranging from 8.4 % to 14.5 %. When PLWH had a higher CD4+ count (≥350 cells/µL), elevated O3 concentration was associated with increased blood CD4+ count at lag0 [percent change with 95 % confidence interval, 0.20(0.00, 0.40)], lag1 [0.26(0.06, 0.47)], and lag2 [0.23(0.03, 0.44)]; however, an opposite association was observed when CD4+ count was <350 cells/µL for half-year average [-2.45(-4.71, -0.14)] and yearly average [-3.42(-5.51, -1.29)] of O3 exposure. The association of O3 exposure with all-cause and AIDS-related mortality was more prominent among those with higher CD4+ count. Exploratory analysis revealed possible associations between O3 exposure and respiratory infections and clinical symptoms. These findings suggest potential synergistic effects between a compromised immune status and elevated O3 exposure levels on mortality risk among PLWH. Ambient O3 exposure should be considered as an emerging mortality risk factor for PLWH in the era of antiretroviral therapy, requiring further attention from researchers and healthcare professionals.


Assuntos
Síndrome de Imunodeficiência Adquirida , Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Ozônio , Humanos , Poluição do Ar/análise , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Estudos Longitudinais , Linfócitos T , China/epidemiologia , Ozônio/efeitos adversos , Ozônio/análise , Linfócitos T CD4-Positivos/química , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Material Particulado/análise
7.
Sci Total Environ ; 923: 171535, 2024 May 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38453069

RESUMO

Air pollution and neighborhood socioeconomic status (N-SES) are associated with adverse cardiovascular health and neuropsychiatric functioning in older adults. This study examines the degree to which the joint effects of air pollution and N-SES on the cognitive decline are mediated by high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure (HBP), and depression. In the Emory Healthy Aging Study, 14,390 participants aged 50+ years from Metro Atlanta, GA, were assessed for subjective cognitive decline using the cognitive function instrument (CFI). Information on the prior diagnosis of high cholesterol, HBP, and depression was collected through the Health History Questionnaire. Participants' census tracts were assigned 3-year average concentrations of 12 air pollutants and 16 N-SES characteristics. We used the unsupervised clustering algorithm Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) to create 6 exposure clusters based on the joint distribution of air pollution and N-SES in each census tract. Linear regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of the SOM cluster indicator on CFI, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, education, and neighborhood residential stability. The proportion of the association mediated by high cholesterol levels, HBP, and depression was calculated by comparing the total and direct effects of SOM clusters on CFI. Depression mediated up to 87 % of the association between SOM clusters and CFI. For example, participants living in the high N-SES and high air pollution cluster had CFI scores 0.05 (95 %-CI:0.01,0.09) points higher on average compared to those from the high N-SES and low air pollution cluster; after adjusting for depression, this association was attenuated to 0.01 (95 %-CI:-0.04,0.05). HBP mediated up to 8 % of the association between SOM clusters and CFI and high cholesterol up to 5 %. Air pollution and N-SES associated cognitive decline was partially mediated by depression. Only a small portion (<10 %) of the association was mediated by HBP and high cholesterol.


Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Disfunção Cognitiva , Hipercolesterolemia , Hipertensão , Humanos , Idoso , Hipercolesterolemia/induzido quimicamente , Depressão/epidemiologia , Poluição do Ar/efeitos adversos , Poluição do Ar/análise , Classe Social , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Disfunção Cognitiva/epidemiologia , Hipertensão/induzido quimicamente , Colesterol , Exposição Ambiental , Material Particulado/análise
8.
Sci Total Environ ; 923: 171496, 2024 May 01.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38453083

RESUMO

Phenylmethylsiloxanes, as modified products of dimethylsiloxanes, have been used in personal care products (PCPs) and household appliances, with indoor dust serving as one potential reservoir due to their particle-binding properties. This study measured six isomers of two phenylmethylsiloxanes (P3 and P4) in PCPs (99 %) intakes of phenylmethylsiloxanes for adults, while dust ingestion/adsorption (0.19 ng/d) may play important roles for toddlers/infants with little usage of phenylmethylsiloxanes-containing PCPs. Additionally, total daily intakes of PhMeSi(OH)2 (0.30-0.84 ng/d) via ingestion and dermal absorption of dust were higher than P3 (0.06-0.31 ng/d) and P4 (0.02-0.09 ng/d), suggesting exposure risk of degradation product of phenylmethylsiloxanes deserving attention.


Assuntos
Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados , Adulto , Lactente , Humanos , Disponibilidade Biológica , Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados/análise , Poeira/análise , China , Solo , Exposição Ambiental/análise
9.
Environ Sci Technol ; 58(12): 5244-5254, 2024 Mar 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38466635

RESUMO

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) carries a major fraction of metals in turbid coastal waters, markedly influencing metal bioaccumulation and posing risks to marine life. However, its effects are often overlooked in current water quality criteria for metals, primarily due to challenges in quantifying SPM's contribution. This contribution depends on the SPM concentration, metal distribution coefficients (Kd), and the bioavailability of SPM-bound metals (assimilation efficiency, AE), which can collectively be integrated as a modifying factor (MF). Accordingly, we developed a new stable isotope method to measure metal AE by individual organisms from SPM, employing the widely distributed filter-feeding clam Ruditapes philippinarum as a representative species. Assessing SPM from 23 coastal sites in China, we found average AEs of 42% for Zn, 26% for Cd, 20% for Cu, 8% for Ni, and 6% for Pb. Moreover, using stable isotope methods, we determined metal Kd of SPM from these sites, which can be well predicted by the total organic carbon and iron content (R2 = 0.977). We calculated MFs using a Monte Carlo method. The calculated MFs are in the range 9.9-43 for Pb, 8.5-37 for Zn, 2.9-9.7 for Cu, 1.4-2.7 for Ni, and 1.1-1.6 for Cd, suggesting that dissolved-metal-based criteria values should be divided by MFs to provide adequate protection to aquatic life. This study provides foundational guidelines to refine water quality criteria in turbid waters and protect coastal ecosystems.


Assuntos
Bivalves , Metais Pesados , Poluentes Químicos da Água , Animais , Qualidade da Água , Sedimentos Geológicos , Disponibilidade Biológica , Ecossistema , Cádmio , Chumbo , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Água , Rios , Material Particulado/análise , Isótopos
10.
Environ Sci Technol ; 58(12): 5430-5441, 2024 Mar 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38471097

RESUMO

The evaporative emissions of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) are sensitive to ambient temperature. This sensitivity forms an air pollution-meteorology connection that has not been assessed on a regional scale. We parametrized the temperature dependence of evaporative AVOC fluxes in a regional air quality model and evaluated the impacts on surface ozone in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) area of China during the summer of 2017. The temperature dependency of AVOC emissions drove an enhanced simulated ozone-temperature sensitivity of 1.0 to 1.8 µg m-3 K-1, comparable to the simulated ozone-temperature sensitivity driven by the temperature dependency of biogenic VOC emissions (1.7 to 2.4 µg m-3 K-1). Ozone enhancements driven by temperature-induced AVOC increases were localized to their point of emission and were relatively more important in urban areas than in rural regions. The inclusion of the temperature-dependent AVOC emissions in our model improved the simulated ozone-temperature sensitivities on days of ozone exceedance. Our results demonstrated the importance of temperature-dependent AVOC emissions on surface ozone pollution and its heretofore unrepresented role in air pollution-meteorology interactions.


Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Ozônio , Compostos Orgânicos Voláteis , Ozônio/análise , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Compostos Orgânicos Voláteis/análise , Temperatura , Monitoramento Ambiental/métodos , China
11.
Environ Sci Technol ; 58(12): 5442-5452, 2024 Mar 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38478878

RESUMO

New particle formation and growth greatly influence air quality and the global climate. Recent CERN Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets (CLOUD) chamber experiments proposed that in cold urban atmospheres with highly supersaturated HNO3 and NH3, newly formed sub-10 nm nanoparticles can grow rapidly (up to 1000 nm h-1). Here, we present direct observational evidence that in winter Beijing with persistent highly supersaturated HNO3 and NH3, nitrate contributed less than ∼14% of the 8-40 nm nanoparticle composition, and overall growth rates were only ∼0.8-5 nm h-1. To explain the observed growth rates and particulate nitrate fraction, the effective mass accommodation coefficient of HNO3 (αHNO3) on the nanoparticles in urban Beijing needs to be 2-4 orders of magnitude lower than those in the CLOUD chamber. We propose that the inefficient uptake of HNO3 on nanoparticles is mainly due to the much higher particulate organic fraction and lower relative humidity in urban Beijing. To quantitatively reproduce the observed growth, we show that an inhomogeneous "inorganic core-organic shell" nanoparticle morphology might exist for nanoparticles in Beijing. This study emphasized that growth for nanoparticles down to sub-10 nm was largely influenced by their composition, which was previously ignored and should be considered in future studies on nanoparticle growth.


Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Material Particulado/análise , Nitratos , Monitoramento Ambiental , Poluição do Ar/análise , Compostos Orgânicos , Tamanho da Partícula
12.
Anal Chem ; 96(12): 4942-4951, 2024 Mar 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38478960

RESUMO

Bromochloro alkanes (BCAs) have been manufactured for use as flame retardants for decades, and preliminary environmental risk screening suggests they are likely to behave similarly to polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs), subclasses of which are restricted as Stockholm Convention Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). BCAs have rarely been studied in the environment, although some evidence suggests they may migrate from treated-consumer materials into indoor dust, resulting in human exposure via inadvertent ingestion. In this study, BCA-C14 mixture standards were synthesized and used to validate an analytical method. This method relies on chloride-enhanced liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-Orbitrap-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-Orbitrap-HRMS) and a novel CP-Seeker integration software package for homologue detection and integration. Dust sample preparation via ultrasonic extraction, acidified silica cleanup, and fractionation on neutral silica cartridges was found to be suitable for BCAs, with absolute recovery of individual homologues averaging 66 to 78% and coefficients of variation ≤10% in replicated spiking experiments (n = 3). In addition, a total of 59 indoor dust samples from six countries, including Australia (n = 10), Belgium (n = 10), Colombia (n = 10), Japan (n = 10), Thailand (n = 10), and the United States of America (n = 9), were analyzed for BCAs. BCAs were detected in seven samples from the U.S.A., with carbon chain lengths of C8, C10, C12, C14, C16, C18, C24 to C28, C30 and C31 observed overall, though not detected in samples from any other countries. Bromine numbers of detected homologues in the indoor dust samples ranged Br1-4 as well as Br7, while chlorine numbers ranged Cl2-11. BCA-C18 was the most frequently detected, observed in each of the U.S.A. samples, while the most prevalent degrees of halogenation were homologues of Br2 and Cl4-5. Broad estimations of BCA concentrations in the dust samples indicated that levels may approach those of other flame retardants in at least some instances. These findings suggest that development of quantification strategies and further investigation of environmental occurrence and health implications are needed.


Assuntos
Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados , Retardadores de Chama , Humanos , Monitoramento Ambiental , Organofosfatos/análise , Poeira/análise , Retardadores de Chama/análise , Poluição do Ar em Ambientes Fechados/análise , Halogênios , Dióxido de Silício/análise
13.
Environ Sci Technol ; 58(12): 5210-5219, 2024 Mar 26.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38483184

RESUMO

Wildfires are a significant threat to human health, in part through degraded air quality. Prescribed burning can reduce wildfire severity but can also lead to an increase in air pollution. The complexities of fires and atmospheric processes lead to uncertainties when predicting the air quality impacts of fire and make it difficult to fully assess the costs and benefits of an expansion of prescribed fire. By modeling differences in emissions, surface conditions, and meteorology between wildfire and prescribed burns, we present a novel comparison of the air quality impacts of these fire types under specific scenarios. One wildfire and two prescribed burn scenarios were considered, with one prescribed burn scenario optimized for potential smoke exposure. We found that PM2.5 emissions were reduced by 52%, from 0.27 to 0.14 Tg, when fires burned under prescribed burn conditions, considerably reducing PM2.5 concentrations. Excess short-term mortality from PM2.5 exposure was 40 deaths for fires under wildfire conditions and 39 and 15 deaths for fires under the default and optimized prescribed burn scenarios, respectively. Our findings suggest prescribed burns, particularly when planned during conditions that minimize smoke exposure, could be a net benefit for the impacts of wildfires on air quality and health.


Assuntos
Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Incêndios , Incêndios Florestais , Humanos , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Poluição do Ar/análise , California , Material Particulado/análise , Fumaça/análise
14.
Nat Food ; 5(3): 251-261, 2024 Mar.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38486126

RESUMO

Food consumption contributes to the degradation of air quality in regions where food is produced, creating a contrast between the health burden caused by a specific population through its food consumption and that faced by this same population as a consequence of food production activities. Here we explore this inequality within China's food system by linking air-pollution-related health burden from production to consumption, at high levels of spatial and sectorial granularity. We find that low-income groups bear a 70% higher air-pollution-related health burden from food production than from food consumption, while high-income groups benefit from a 29% lower health burden relative to their food consumption. This discrepancy largely stems from a concentration of low-income residents in food production areas, exposed to higher emissions from agriculture. Comprehensive interventions targeting both production and consumption sides can effectively reduce health damages and concurrently mitigate associated inequalities, while singular interventions exhibit limited efficacy.


Assuntos
Poluição do Ar , Renda , Pobreza , Alimentos , Agricultura
15.
J Am Chem Soc ; 146(12): 8327-8334, 2024 Mar 27.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38488457

RESUMO

There is now much evidence that OH radicals and H2O2 are spontaneously generated at the air-water interface of atmospheric aerosols. Here, we investigated the effect of halide anions (Cl-, Br-, I-), which are abundant in marine aerosols, on this H2O2 production. Droplets were generated via nebulization of water solutions containing Na2SO4, NaCl, NaBr, and NaI containing solutions, and H2O2 was monitored as a function of the salt concentration under atmospheric relevant conditions. The interfacial OH radical formation was also investigated by adding terephthalic acid (TA) to our salt solutions, and the product of its reaction with OH, hydroxy terephthalic acid (TAOH), was monitored. Finally, a mechanistic investigation was performed to examine the reactions participating in H2O2 production, and their respective contributions were quantified. Our results showed that only Br- contributes to the interfacial H2O2 formation, promoting the production by acting as an electron donor, while Na2SO4 and NaCl stabilized the droplets by only reducing their evaporation. TAOH was observed in the collected droplets and, for the first time, directly in the particle phase by means of online fluorescence spectroscopy, confirming the interfacial OH production. A mechanistic study suggests that H2O2 is formed by both OH and HO2 self-recombination, as well as HO2 reaction with H atoms. This work is expected to enhance our understanding of interfacial processes and assess their impact on climate, air quality, and health.

16.
J Eval Clin Pract ; 2024 Mar 27.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38534010

RESUMO

RATIONALE: Masks have been widely used as a preventative tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the use of masks by children has been controversial, with international guidelines recommending a risk-based approach to national policymakers. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: We aimed to conduct a systematic review that explores children's experiences of mask-wearing, drawing on an evidence base that describes mask-wearing in different contexts including air pollution, and to prevent the spread of infectious disease. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO in June 2021, with repeat searches in August 2022 and January 2024, for primary research studies exploring children's experiences of masks. Included studies reported on participants between 4 and 14 years (inclusive), with no restrictions on language where an English translation was available. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts and reviewed full texts, with discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. We used the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool for quality appraisal and narrative synthesis to identify key findings. We also conducted stakeholder consultation (Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)) with nine children, where they submitted annotated drawings of their preferred masks to complement our review findings. RESULTS: We screened 982 titles and abstracts and reviewed 94 full texts. 45 studies were included in the synthesis. Children's experiences of mask-wearing were influenced by their perceived necessity, social norms around their use and parental attitudes. Challenges related to mask-wearing were described, including difficulty reading facial expressions and physical discomfort. Children found it easier to wear masks when sitting and in cooler environments, and they benefited from unmasking during outdoor break time at school. As part of the PPI consultation, children highlighted the importance of mask design and the environmental impact of masks. CONCLUSION: Children's experiences of mask-wearing were varied and context-dependent, with several mask-design challenges raised. Future policy on mask-wearing needs to consider the context in which mask-wearing would be most beneficial, and how local adaptations to policy can respond to children's needs.

17.
Bioengineering (Basel) ; 11(3)2024 Feb 28.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38534505

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most common diseases worldwide. The increasing prevalence and incidence of CKD have contributed to the critical problem of high medical costs. Due to stressful environments, aircrew members may have a high risk of renal dysfunction. A better strategy to prevent CKD progression in Air Force personnel would be to diagnosis CKD at an early stage. Since few studies have been conducted in Taiwan to examine the long-term trends in early CKD in Air Force aircrew members, this study is highly important. We investigated the prevalence of CKD and established a predictive model of disease variation among aircrew members. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, we included all subjects who had received physical examinations at a military hospital from 2004 to 2010 and who could be tracked for four years. The Abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Formula (aMDRD) was used to estimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and was combined with the National Kidney Foundation/ Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF-K/DOQI) to identify CKD patients. RESULTS: A total of 212 aircrew members were assessed. The results showed that the prevalence of CKD was 3.8%, 9.4%, 9.0%, and 9.4% in each of the four years. According to the logistic regression analysis, abnormal urobilinogen levels, ketones, and white blood cell (WBC) counts in urine and a positive urine occult blood test increased the risk of CKD. A positive urine occult blood test can be used to predict the future risk of CKD. Moreover, the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model showed that a greater risk of CKD with increased examination time, age and seniority had a negative effect. In conclusion, abnormal urobilinogen levels, ketones, and urine WBC counts in urine as well as a positive urine occult blood test might serve as independent predictors for CKD. CONCLUSION: In the future, we can focus not only on annual physical examinations but also on simple and accurate examinations, such as urine occult blood testing, to determine the risk of CKD and prevent its progression in our aircrew members.

18.
Bioengineering (Basel) ; 11(3)2024 Mar 13.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38534550

RESUMO

EEG, which can provide brain alteration information via recording the electrical activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex, has been widely used in neurophysiology. However, conventional wet electrodes in EEG monitoring typically suffer from inherent limitations, including the requirement of skin pretreatment, the risk of superficial skin infections, and signal performance deterioration that may occur over time due to the air drying of the conductive gel. Although the emergence of dry electrodes has overcome these shortcomings, their electrode-skin contact impedance is significantly high and unstable, especially in hair-covered areas. To address the above problems, an active claw-shaped dry electrode is designed, moving from electrode morphological design, slurry preparation, and coating to active electrode circuit design. The active claw-shaped dry electrode, which consists of a claw-shaped electrode and active electrode circuit, is dedicated to offering a flexible solution for elevating electrode fittings on the scalp in hair-covered areas, reducing electrode-skin contact impedance and thus improving the quality of the acquired EEG signal. The performance of the proposed electrodes was verified by impedance, active electrode circuit, eyes open-closed, steady-state visually evoked potential (SSVEP), and anti-interference tests, based on EEG signal acquisition. Experimental results show that the proposed claw-shaped electrodes (without active circuit) can offer a better fit between the scalp and electrodes, with a low electrode-skin contact impedance (18.62 KΩ@1 Hz in the hairless region and 122.15 KΩ@1 Hz in the hair-covered region). In addition, with the active circuit, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the acquiring EEG signal was improved and power frequency interference was restrained, therefore, the proposed electrodes can yield an EEG signal quality comparable to wet electrodes.

19.
Bioengineering (Basel) ; 11(3)2024 Mar 16.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38534559

RESUMO

The reusability of by-products in the food industry is consistent with sustainable and greener production; therefore, the aim of this paper was to evaluate the applicability of multiple linear regression (MLR), piecewise linear regression (PLR) and artificial neural network models (ANN) to the prediction of grape-skin compost's physicochemical properties (moisture, dry matter, organic matter, ash content, carbon content, nitrogen content, C/N ratio, total colour change of compost samples, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids and total colour change of compost extract samples) during in-vessel composting based on the initial composting conditions (air-flow rate, moisture content and day of sampling). Based on the coefficient of determination for prediction, the adjusted coefficient of determination for calibration, the root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP), the standard error of prediction (SEP), the ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) and the ratio of the error range (RER), it can be concluded that all developed MLR and PLR models are acceptable for process screening. Furthermore, the ANN model developed for predicting moisture and dry-matter content can be used for quality control (RER >11). The obtained results show the great potential of multivariate modelling for analysis of the physicochemical properties of compost during composting, confirming the high applicability of modelling in greener production processes.

20.
Bioengineering (Basel) ; 11(3)2024 Mar 20.
Artigo em Inglês | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38534565

RESUMO

This paper describes the analysis of electrodermal activity (EDA) in the context of students' scholastic activity. Taking a multidisciplinary, citizen science and maker-centric approach, low-cost, bespoken wearables, such as a mini weather station and biometric wristband, were built. To investigate both physical health as well as stress, the instruments were first validated against research grade devices. Following this, a research experiment was created and conducted in the context of students' scholastic activity. Data from this experiment were used to train machine learning models, which were then applied to interpret the relationships between the environment, health, and stress. It is hoped that analyses of EDA data will further strengthen the emerging model describing the intersections between local microclimate and physiological and neurological stress. The results suggest that temperature and air quality play an important role in students' physiological well-being, thus demonstrating the feasibility of understanding the extent of the effects of various microclimatic factors. This highlights the importance of thermal comfort and air ventilation in real-life applications to improve students' well-being. We envision our work making a significant impact by showcasing the effectiveness and feasibility of inexpensive, self-designed wearable devices for tracking microclimate and electrodermal activity (EDA). The affordability of these wearables holds promising implications for scalability and encourages crowd-sourced citizen science in the relatively unexplored domain of microclimate's influence on well-being. Embracing citizen science can then democratize learning and expedite rapid research advancements.

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