Seven-years of alcohol consumption in Australia by wastewater analysis: Exploring patterns by remoteness and socioeconomic factors.

BACKGROUND: Wastewater analysis provides a complementary measure of alcohol use in whole communities. We assessed absolute differences and temporal trends in alcohol consumption by degree of remoteness and socioeconomics indicators in Australia from 2016 to 2023. METHODS: Alcohol consumption estimates from 50 wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in the Australian National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program were used. Trends were analysed based on 1) site remoteness: Major Cities, Inner Regional and a combined remoteness category of Outer Regional and Remote, and 2) using two socioeconomic indexes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) relating to advantage and disadvantage for Income, education, occupation, and housing. RESULTS: Consumption estimates were similar for Major Cities and Inner Regional areas (14.3 and 14.4L/day/1000 people), but significantly higher in Outer Regional and Remote sites (18.6L/day/1000 people). Consumption was decreasing in Major cities by 4.5% annually, Inner Regional by 2.4%, and 3.5% in the combined Outer Regional and Remote category. Consumption estimates were higher in socioeconomically advantaged quartiles than those of lower advantage (0%-25% mean = 13.0, 75%-100% mean = 17.4). Consumption in all quartiles decreased significantly over the 7 year period with annual rates of decrease of 0.9%, 3.7%, 3.6%, and 3.0% for the lowest to highest quartile, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Declines in Australian alcohol consumption have been steeper in large urban areas than regional and remote areas. There were smaller annual decreases in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. If continued, these trends may increase Australian health inequalities. Policy and prevention work should be appropriately targeted to produce more equitable long-term outcomes.

Supraspinal, spinal, and motor unit adjustments to fatiguing isometric contractions of the knee extensors at low and high submaximal intensities in males.

Contraction intensity is a key factor determining the development of muscle fatigue and it has been shown to induce distinct changes along the motor pathway. The role of cortical and spinal inputs that regulate motor unit (MU) behaviour during fatiguing contractions is poorly understood. We studied the cortical, spinal, and neuromuscular response to sustained fatiguing isometric tasks performed at 20 and 70% of the maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MVC), together with MUs behaviour of knee extensors in healthy active males. Neuromuscular function was assessed before and after performing both tasks. Cortical and spinal responses during exercise were measured via stimulation of the motor cortex and spinal cord. High density electromyography was used to record individual MUs from the vastus lateralis (VL). Exercise at 70% MVC induced greater decline in MVC (p = 0.023), and potentiated twitch force compared to 20%MVC (p < .001), with no difference in voluntary activation (p = 0.514). Throughout exercise, corticospinal responses were greater during the 20%MVC task (p < 0.001), and spinal responses increased over time in both tasks (p ≤ 0.042). MU discharge rate increased similarly following both tasks (p ≤ 0.043) while recruitment and de-recruitment thresholds were unaffected (p ≥ 0.295). These results suggest that increased excitability of cortical and spinal inputs might be responsible for the increase in MU discharge rate. The increase in evoked responses together with the higher MUs discharge rate might be required to compensate for peripheral adjustments to sustain fatiguing contractions at different intensities.

2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation.

In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017. Seven years after the last consensus, an updated document was considered necessary to define a contemporary framework for selection and management of patients considered for or undergoing catheter or surgical AF ablation. This consensus is a joint effort from collaborating cardiac electrophysiology societies, namely the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the Asia Pacific HRS, and the Latin American HRS.

2024 European Heart Rhythm Association/Heart Rhythm Society/Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society/Latin American Heart Rhythm Society expert consensus statement on catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation.

In the last three decades, ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become an evidence-based safe and efficacious treatment for managing the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In 2007, the first joint expert consensus document was issued, guiding healthcare professionals involved in catheter or surgical AF ablation. Mounting research evidence and technological advances have resulted in a rapidly changing landscape in the field of catheter and surgical AF ablation, thus stressing the need for regularly updated versions of this partnership which were issued in 2012 and 2017. Seven years after the last consensus, an updated document was considered necessary to define a contemporary framework for selection and management of patients considered for or undergoing catheter or surgical AF ablation. This consensus is a joint effort from collaborating cardiac electrophysiology societies, namely the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Heart Rhythm Society, the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society, and the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society .

Limited exposure of captive Australian marsupials to plastics.

The global concern regarding the ubiquitous presence of plastics in the environment has led to intensified research on the impact of these materials on wildlife. In the Australian context, marsupials represent a unique and diverse group of mammals, yet little is known about their exposures to plastics. This study aimed to assess the contamination levels of seven common plastics (i.e., polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) in both the diet and faeces of kangaroos, wallabies and koalas sampled from a sanctuary in Northeastern Australia. Quantitative analysis was performed by pressurized liquid extraction followed by double-shot microfurnace pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Interestingly, the analysis of the food and faeces samples revealed the absence of detectable plastic particles; with this preliminary finding suggesting a relatively limited exposure of captive Australian marsupials to plastics. This study contributes valuable insights into the current state of plastic contamination in Australian marsupials, shedding light on the limited exposures and potential risks, and highlighting the need for continued monitoring and conservation efforts. The results underscore the importance of proactive measures to mitigate plastic pollution and protect vulnerable wildlife populations in Australia's unique ecosystems.

Peak frequency mapping of atypical atrial flutter.

INTRODUCTION: Peak frequency (PF) mapping is a novel method that may identify critical portions of myocardial substrate supporting reentry. The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate PF mapping combined with omnipolar voltage mapping in the identification of critical isthmuses of left atrial (LA) atypical flutters. METHODS AND RESULTS: LA omnipolar voltage and PF maps were generated in flutter using the Advisor HD-Grid catheter (Abbott) and EnSite Precision Mapping System (Abbott) in 12 patients. Normal voltage was defined as ≥0.5 mV, low-voltage as 0.1-0.5 mV, and scar as <0.1 mV. PF distributions were compared with ANOVA and post hoc Tukey analyses. The 1 cm radius from arrhythmia termination was compared to global myocardium with unpaired t-testing. The mean age was 65.8 ± 9.7 years and 50% of patients were female. Overall, 34 312 points were analyzed. Atypical flutters most frequently involved the mitral isthmus (58%) or anterior wall (25%). Mean PF varied significantly by myocardial voltage: normal (335.5 ± 115.0 Hz), low (274.6 ± 144.0 Hz), and scar (71.6 ± 140.5 Hz) (p < .0001 for all pairwise comparisons). All termination sites resided in low-voltage regions containing intermediate or high PF. Overall, mean voltage in the 1 cm radius from termination was significantly lower than the remaining myocardium (0.58 vs. 0.95 mV, p < .0001) and PF was significantly higher (326.4 vs. 245.1 Hz, p < .0001). CONCLUSION: Low-voltage, high-PF areas may be critical targets during catheter ablation of atypical atrial flutter.

Workflow to facilitate the detection of new psychoactive substances and drugs of abuse in influent urban wastewater.

The complexity around the dynamic markets for new psychoactive substances (NPS) forces researchers to develop and apply innovative analytical strategies to detect and identify them in influent urban wastewater. In this work a comprehensive suspect screening workflow following liquid chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry analysis was established utilising the open-source InSpectra data processing platform and the HighResNPS library. In total, 278 urban influent wastewater samples from 47 sites in 16 countries were collected to investigate the presence of NPS and other drugs of abuse. A total of 50 compounds were detected in samples from at least one site. Most compounds found were prescription drugs such as gabapentin (detection frequency 79%), codeine (40%) and pregabalin (15%). However, cocaine was the most found illicit drug (83%), in all countries where samples were collected apart from the Republic of Korea and China. Eight NPS were also identified with this protocol: 3-methylmethcathinone 11%), eutylone (6%), etizolam (2%), 3-chloromethcathinone (4%), mitragynine (6%), phenibut (2%), 25I-NBOH (2%) and trimethoxyamphetamine (2%). The latter three have not previously been reported in municipal wastewater samples. The workflow employed allowed the prioritisation of features to be further investigated, reducing processing time and gaining in confidence in their identification.

Mass quantification of nanoplastics at wastewater treatment plants by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a crucial role in the collection and redistribution of plastic particles from both households and industries, contributing to their presence in the environment. Previous studies investigating the levels of plastics in WWTPs, and their removal rates have primarily focused on polymer type, size, shape, colour, and particle count, while comprehensive understanding of the mass concentration of plastic particles, particularly those <1 µm (nanoplastics), remains unclear and lacking. In this study, pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to simultaneously determine the mass concentration of nine selected polymers (i.e., polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), nylon 6, nylon 66, polyvinylchloride (PVC), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC)) below 1 µm in size across the treatment processes or stages of three WWTPs in Australia. All the targeted nanoplastics were detected at concentrations between 0.04 and 7.3 µg/L. Nylon 66 (0.2-7.3 µg/L), PE (0.1-6.6 µg/L), PP (0.1-4.5 µg/L), Nylon 6 (0.1-3.6 µg/L) and PET (0.1-2.2 µg/L), were the predominant polymers in the samples. The mass concentration of the total nanoplastics decreased from 27.7, 18 and 9.1 µg/L in the influent to 1, 1.4 and 0.8 µg/L in the effluent, with approximate removal rates of 96 %, 92 % and 91 % in plants A, B and C, respectively. Based on annual wastewater effluent discharge, it is estimated that approximately 24, 2 and 0.7 kg of nanoplastics are released into the environment per year for WWTPs A, B and C, respectively. This study investigated the mass concentrations and removal rates of nanoplastics with a size range of 0.01-1 µm in wastewater, providing important insight into the pollution levels and distribution patterns of nanoplastics in Australian WWTPs.

Blueprint for the design, construction, and validation of a plastic and phthalate-minimised laboratory.

Micro and nanosized plastics (MNPs), and a range of associated additive chemicals, have become pervasive contaminants that humans and the environment are exposed to everyday. However, one of the principal challenges in their analysis is adequate strategies to minimise background contamination. Here a blueprint for a specialised plastics and additive-minimised clean room laboratory built for this purpose is presented. Common laboratory construction materials (n = 23) were tested, including acoustic baffles, ceiling materials, floor materials, glazing rubber, and silicone sealant. The % polymer content ranged from 2-76% w/w while the sum concentration of six phthalates ranged from 0.81 (0.73-0.86) to 21000 (15000-27000) mg/kg, assigning many of these materials as inappropriate for use in a clean room environment. The final design of the laboratory consisted of three interconnected rooms, operated under positive pressure with the inner rooms constructed almost entirely of stainless steel. Background concentrations of MNPs and phthalates in the new laboratory were compared to two Physical Containment Level 2 (PC2) laboratory environments, with concentrations of MNPs reduced by > 100 times and phthalates reduced by up to 120 times. This study reports the first known clean room of its kind and provides a blueprint for reference and use by future plastics research.

Plastic pollution in Moreton Bay sediments, Southeast Queensland, Australia.

The mounting issue of plastic waste in the aquatic ecosystem is a growing source of concern. Most plastic waste originates on land and a significant proportion of this eventually finds its way into the marine environment, which is widely regarded as a major repository for plastic debris. Currently, there exists a substantial gap in our understanding of how much plastic, the main polymer types, and the distribution of plastic in the marine environment. This study aimed to provide information on mass concentrations of a range of plastics in the surface sediments in the semi-enclosed Moreton Bay, just offshore the large city of Brisbane, Southeast Queensland, Australia. Surface sediment samples were quantitatively analysed for a suite of 7 common plastic polymer types (i.e., polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), poly-(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)) using a pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) followed by double-shot microfurnace pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS). The advantage of this approach is that it can measure plastics below the limit of visual detection. The study revealed that Σ7plastics were consistently present in the samples, although the concentrations displayed a wide range of concentrations from 3.3 to 2194.2 µg/g across different sites. Among the polymers analysed, PE and PVC were found at the highest concentrations, ranging from 2.3 to 1885.9 µg/g and 3.0-979.5 µg/g, respectively. Based on the average concentrations of plastics measured, the dry bulk density and volume of sediments within the top 10 cm of the bay, it was estimated that there is a minimum of 7000 t of plastics stored in the surface sediments of the bay. This study is the first to report the mass concentrations of identified plastics and identify the main polymer types in Moreton Bay. This is important information to develop management plans to reduce the plastic waste entering the coastal marine environment.

Subcutaneous cardioverter-defibrillator implantation in an adult with congenital heart disease and left infra-mammary pacemaker.

The approach/type of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is determined by the underlying cardiac anatomy, venous access, and pre-existing cardiac implantable electronic devices. We describe a case of subcutaneous ICD implantation in an adult with congenital heart disease (CHD) with a pre-existing inframammary transvenous pacemaker. This was preferred over adding a defibrillator coil to existing pacing leads, extraction/replacement of pacing system, or a sternotomy/epicardial ICD placement. The procedure was accomplished uneventfully with successful defibrillation threshold testing. Innovative approaches are required to manage arrhythmias in adults with CHD, with shared decision making playing a critical role.

New PFASs Identified in AFFF Impacted Groundwater by Passive Sampling and Nontarget Analysis.

Monitoring contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water systems impacted by aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) typically addresses a few known PFAS groups. Given the diversity of PFASs present in AFFFs, current analytical approaches do not comprehensively address the range of PFASs present in these systems. A suspect-screening and nontarget analysis (NTA) approach was developed and applied to identify novel PFASs in groundwater samples contaminated from historic AFFF use. A total of 88 PFASs were identified in both passive samplers and grab samples, and these were dominated by sulfonate derivatives and sulfonamide-derived precursors. Several ultrashort-chain (USC) PFASs (≤C3) were detected, 11 reported for the first time in Australian groundwater. Several transformation products were identified, including perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FASAs) and perfluoroalkane sulfinates (PFASis). Two new PFASs were reported (((perfluorohexyl)sulfonyl)sulfamic acid; m/z 477.9068 and (E)-1,1,2,2,3,3,4,5,6,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooct-6-ene-1-sulfonic acid; m/z 424.9482). This study highlights that several PFASs are overlooked using standard target analysis, and therefore, the potential risk from all PFASs present is likely to be underestimated.

Tracing the origins of plastics in biosolids: The role of sewerage pipe materials and trade waste.

Plastics are ubiquitous in virtually every environment on earth. While the specific sources of plastics entering wastewater are not well known, growing evidence suggests sewage sludge (biosolids) can be a sink for plastics. One potential source could be the sewerage pipe materials used to transport sewage between premises and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). To evaluate the significance of sewerage piping as a source of biosolids plastics concentrations, we compared the proportion of the total network (by length and surface area) of polyethylene (PE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), and polypropylene (PP) pipes from 10 WWTPs against their biosolids mass concentrations (mg plastic/g biosolid). Among the 10 catchments, the percentage of the network consisting of PP piping ranged from 0 to 1 %, with 0.8-21 % for PE, and 8-73 % for PVC. Biosolids plastics concentrations ranged from 0.09 to 8.62 mg/g (mg plastic/g biosolid) for PP and PE, respectively. For all three plastics, there was no significant Pearson correlation (r < 0.4) between the biosolids concentration (dry weight mg/g) and the proportion of the network material of the sewerage piping as plastic (either length or surface area). A comparison of trade waste entering a subset of 6 WWTP showed the highest biosolid principal components analysis (PCA) associations between loads of plastics (g/day) and automotive wash bays, general manufacturing, hospitals, laboratories, food manufacturing, laundry and dry cleaning, and cooling towers. A stepwise regression analysis indicated pipe length and surface area, as well as automotive wash bays and food manufacturing may be significant. While our data gave mixed results on the attribution of the sources of plastics entering WWTPs, it suggests that sewerage infrastructure and trade waste may play some role. Future studies should investigate the leachability of sewerage infrastructure and contributions from specific trade waste categories to determine their significance in plastics entering WWTPs.

Sleep and cognition in South African patients with non-functioning pituitary adenomas.

Strong lines of evidence in the neuroscience literature indicate that (a) healthy sleep facilitates cognitive processing, and (b) sleep disruption is associated with cognitive dysfunction. Despite the fact that patients with pituitary disease often display both disrupted sleep and cognitive dysfunction, few previous studies investigate whether these clinical characteristics in these patients might be related. Hence, we explored whether sleep disruption in patients with pituitary disease mediates their cognitive dysfunction. We recruited 18 patients with non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPA) and 19 sociodemographically matched healthy controls. They completed the Global Sleep Assessment Questionnaire (thus providing self-report data regarding sleep disruption) and were administered the Brief Test of Adult Cognition by Telephone, which assesses cognitive functioning in the domains of processing speed, working memory, episodic memory, inhibition, and reasoning. We found no significant differences in cognition between patients and controls. Furthermore, spectra of sleep disturbance did not differ significantly between patients and controls. Our data suggest that NFPA patients' cognition and sleep quality is relatively intact, and that sleep disruption does not mediate cognitive dysfunction. Larger studies should characterize sleep and cognition in patients with NFPA (and other pituitary diseases) to confirm whether disruption of the former mediates impairment in the latter.

Deep dive into the chronic toxicity of tyre particle mixtures and their leachates.

Particles from the tread of vehicle tyres are a global pollutant, which are emitted into the environment at an approximate rate of 1.4 kg.year-1 for an average passenger-car. In this study, popular tyre brands were used to generate a tyre tread microparticle mixture. The chronic toxicity of both particles and chemical leachates were compared on a planktonic test species (Daphnia magna). Over 21 days of exposure, pristine tyre tread microparticles were more toxic (LC50 60 mg.L-1) than chemical lechates alone (LC50 542 mg.L-1). Microparticles and leachates showed distinct effects on reproduction and morphological development at environmentally relevant concentrations, with dose-dependent uptake of particles visible in the digestive tract. Chemical characterization of leachates revealed a metal predominance of zinc, titanium, and strontium. Of the numerous organic chemicals present, at least 54 were shared across all 5 tyre brands, with many classified to be very toxic. Our results provide a critically needed information on the toxicity of tyre tread particles and the associated chemicals that leach from them to inform future mitigation measures. We conclude that tyre particles are hazardous pollutants of particular concern that are close to or possibly above chronic environmental safety limits in some locations.

2023 ACC/AHA/ACCP/HRS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Atrial Fibrillation: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.

AIM: The "2023 ACC/AHA/ACCP/HRS Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation" provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from May 12, 2022, to November 3, 2022, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that were published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline. Additional relevant studies, published through November 2022, during the guideline writing process, were also considered by the writing committee and added to the evidence tables, where appropriate. STRUCTURE: Atrial fibrillation is the most sustained common arrhythmia, and its incidence and prevalence are increasing in the United States and globally. Recommendations from the "2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation" and the "2019 AHA/ACC/HRS Focused Update of the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation" have been updated with new evidence to guide clinicians. In addition, new recommendations addressing atrial fibrillation and thromboembolic risk assessment, anticoagulation, left atrial appendage occlusion, atrial fibrillation catheter or surgical ablation, and risk factor modification and atrial fibrillation prevention have been developed.

In-sewer stability of 31 human health biomarkers and suitability for wastewater-based epidemiology.

Monitoring urinary markers of dietary, disease, and stress by wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is a promising tool to better understand population health and wellbeing. However, common urinary biomarkers are subject to degradation in sewer systems and their fates have to be assessed before they can be used in WBE. This study investigated the stability of 31 urinary biomarkers (12 food biomarkers, 8 vitamins, 9 oxidative stress biomarkers, and 1 histamine biomarker) in a laboratory sewer sediment reactor and evaluated their suitability for WBE, considering their detectability in real wastewater and in-sewer stability. These biomarkers showed various transformation patterns, among which 16 compounds had half-lives <2 h while other 15 compounds presented moderate to high stability (2 to >500 h). Thirteen biomarkers showed potential for WBE because of their consistently measurable concentrations in untreated wastewater and sufficient in-sewer stability. Eighteen biomarkers were unsuitable due to their rapid in-sewer degradation and/or undetectable concentration levels in untreated wastewater using previous methods. Transformation rates of these biomarkers showed generally weak relationships with molecular properties but relatively higher correlations with biological activities in sewers. Overall, this study determined in-sewer stability of 31 health-related biomarkers through laboratory experiments, providing new findings to WBE for population health assessment.

Influence of extraction windows for data-independent acquisition on feature annotation during suspect screening.

Non-target analysis (NTA) using high-resolution mass spectrometry is becoming a useful approach to screen for suspect and unknown chemicals. For comprehensive analyses, data-independent acquisition (DIA), like Sequential Windowed Acquisition of all THeoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS) on Sciex instruments, is necessary, usually followed by library matching for feature annotation. The choice of parameters, such as acquisition window number and size, may influence the comprehensiveness of the suspect features detected. The goal of this study was to assess how mass spectrometric DIA settings may influence the ability to obtain confident annotations and identifications of features in environmental (river water, passive sample extract (PSE)), wastewater (unpreserved and acidified) and biological (urine) sample matrices. Each matrix was analysed using 11 different MS methods, with 5-15 variable size acquisition windows. True positive (TP) annotation (i.e., matching experimental and library spectra) rates were constant for PSE (40%) and highest for urine (18%), wastewater (34% and 36%, unpreserved and acidified, respectively) and river water (8%) when using higher numbers of windows (15). The number of annotated features was highest for PSE (12%) and urine (8.5%) when using more acquisition windows (9 and 14, respectively). Less complex matrices (based on average total ion chromatogram intensities) like river water, unpreserved and acidified wastewater have higher annotation rates (7.5%, 8% and 13.2%, respectively) when using less acquisition windows (5-6), indicating matrix dependency of optimum settings. Library scores varied widely for correct (scores between 6 and 100) as well as incorrect annotations (scores between 2 and 100), making it hard to define specific ideal cut-off values. Results highlight the need for properly curated libraries and careful optimization of SWATH-MS and other DIA methods for each individual matrix, finding the best ratio of total annotations to true positive, (i.e., correct) annotations to achieve best NTA results.