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Corcoran Hardison posted an update a month ago
Heavy metals (HMs) in crops and processed foods are a concern and pose a potential serious health hazard. This study investigated possible presence of HMs in grains and processed products in the Region of Arequipa in Peru. Concentrations of Cd, As, Sn, Pb, and Hg were determined for commonly consumed grains in 18 districts of the region and processed products from 3 popular markets of Arequipa city, using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CVAAS). HM concentrations above the Codex General Standard limits were found for As (0.17 mg kg-1) and Cd (0.11 mg kg-1) in cereal grains. Elevated Pb concentrations of 0.55, 0.75, and 5.08 mg kg-1 were found for quinoa, maize, and rice products, respectively; and attributed to processing conditions. The Total Hazard Index (HI) for polished rice and rice products had values between 1 and 10, showing non-carcinogenic adverse effects. Total Target Cancer Risk (TRT) and uncertainty analysis of percentile P90% for polished rice and quinoa products gave values above permissible limit of 10-4, indicating an unacceptable cancer risk. The Nemerow Composite Pollution Index method (NCPI) showed that processed products had a significant pollution level due to the presence of Pb. While most crops grains had acceptable low HM levels, this is the first report of concerning HM concentrations in some consumed grains and processed products in southern Peru and indicates the necessity to find ways to decrease certain toxic metals in foods.The identification of dominant microbes in anaerobic mercury (Hg) methylation, methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation, and methane oxidation as sulfate-reducing bacteria, methanogens or, probably, anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANMEs) is of great interest. To date, however, the interrelationship of bacteria and archaea involved in these processes remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated the dynamics of microorganisms participating in these processes. Anaerobic fixed-bed reactors were operated with swine manure and sludge to produce methane stably, and then, sulfate (reactor C), sulfate and Hg(II) (reactor H), and sulfate and MeHg (reactor M) were added, and the reactors were operated for 120 d, divided equally into four periods, P1-P4. The bacterial compositions changed nonsignificantly, whereas Methanosaeta in reactors H and M decreased significantly, revealing that it was irrelevant for Hg transformation. The abundances of Syntrophomonadaceae, Methanoculleus, Candidatus Methanogranum and Candidatus Methanoplasma increased continuously with time; these species probably functioned in these processes, but further evidence is needed. Desulfocella and Desulfobacterium dominated first but eventually almost vanished, while the dominant archaeal genera Methanogenium, Methanoculleus and Methanocorpusculum were closely related to ANME-1 and ANME-2. PLS-DA results indicated that both bacteria and archaea in different periods in the three reactors were clustered separately, implying that the microbial compositions in the same periods were similar and changed markedly with time.Glyphosate has been widely and extensively used for weed control because of its excellent herbicidal profile and low costs. However, more than 750 glyphosate products are on the market and are increasingly regarded as water pollutants as they cause adverse effects on aquatic life. Dry cell weight and photosynthesis of Saccharina japonica female gametophytes increased when glyphosate was used as the sole phosphorus source at the concentration of less than 20 mg L-1. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis unambiguously confirmed that female gametophytes of the brown alga Saccharina japonica have the capability of breaking the C-P bond of glyphosate to orthophosphate, which finds the enormous potential of the most common seaweed to degrade the most widely used herbicide in the world. Furthermore, this is the first report on the use of glyphosate as the sole phosphorus source for the growth of eukaryotic cells. Because of the wide distribution and relatively easy cultivation of the fast-growing brown alga Saccharina japonica on the coast, our results set a promising stage for developing large macroalgae-based biotechnologies that can be applied for the remediation of contaminated seawater, which is greener and more cost-effective than conventional treatment methods.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly co-occurs with other health conditions or other substance use, complicating our understanding of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of AUD. We described the HRQoL of alcohol use disorder in the presence of co-occurring conditions and identified the contribution of each.
Secondary analysis of National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III data, consisting of 36,309 non-institutionalized US adults; descriptive and regression analysis. HRQoL measured via the SF-6D; AUD via the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule (AUDADIS-5); physical, mental health, and substance use disorders/conditions as reported or assessed via AUDADIS-5.
AUD was independently associated with lower HRQoL for individuals experiencing co-occurring conditions. Compared to no AUD, past year AUD reduced SF-6D score by 0.0304 (SE = 0.0027) and prior-to-past-year AUD reduced SF-6D by 0.0163 (SE = 0.0023). AUD’s co-occurring conditions were indepen magnitude of the decrements associated with AUD alone. Alcohol use interventions endeavoring to improve HRQoL should consider the entirety of an individual to design patient-centered care.
Proportionally more women use online alcohol interventions but also report less robust treatment outcomes compared to men. Less is known about outcome disparities among veteran women, who are a growing demographic nationally. selleckchem The current study examined gender differences among returning veteran men and women who used VetChange, a web-based intervention for hazardous drinking and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).
Using data from a nationwide implementation study of returning combat veterans (n = 222), we performed hierarchical linear modeling to examine gender differences in alcohol and PTSS outcomes over six months following VetChange registration. Additional analyses examined gender differences in proportional changes in hazardous drinking and at each assessment point.
Returning veterans reported significant decreases in alcohol use and PTSS over time, yet men evidenced significantly greater reduction in average weekly drinks and drinks per drinking day compared to women. Follow up analyses indicated that women were significantly less likely than men to achieve low-risk drinking by one month post-registration.