Microplastics in multi-environmental compartments: Research advances, media, and global management scenarios.

During the past decades, microplastics (MPs) have become an emerging concern due to their persistence and potential environmental threat. MP pollution has become so drastic that it has been found in the human food chain, breast milk, polar regions, and even the Himalayan basin, lake, etc. Inflammation, pulmonary hypertension, vascular occlusions, increased coagulability and blood cell cytotoxicity, disruption of immune function, neurotoxicity, and neurodegenerative diseases can all be brought on by severe microplastic exposure.

Evaluation of essential and trace metals/metalloids distribution and probable human health risk implications from branded liquid and powder milks available in Dhaka City, Bangladesh.

The processed forms of milk, branded liquid, and power milk available in Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh, were investigated for essential and trace metal/metalloids regarding nutritional and human health risk aspects. For this, the potential nutritional contribution, estimated daily intake (EDI) and non-carcinogenic risk for six different life stages with male and female categories, as well as the carcinogenic risk for children and adults of both genders, were addressed. In total, 46 branded liquid and powder milk samples were considered for this analysis employing atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Exploration of Toxic and Essential Metals in Popular Rice Grains of Bangladesh and Associated Human Health Risk Implications.

In order to evaluate the benefits as well as the impacts of essential and toxic metals regarding human health, the six common rice grains (katarivhog, bashful, banglamoti, najirshail, branded miniket and loose miniket) were collected from four wholesale markets in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and were analyzed with different atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) techniques. The mean concentrations of the toxic metals Pb, Cd, Cr, and As had 0.299 ± 0.

Pollution Characteristics, Source Identification, and Health Risk of Heavy Metals in the Soil-Vegetable System in Two Districts of Bangladesh.

The consequences of climate change, food security, and self-sufficiency goals are driving excessive human activity onto vegetable farms in Bangladesh, and harmful heavy metal exposure is spreading. So, the study assessed the toxic metals (Pb, Cd, and Cr) exposure, characteristics, and human health risk regarding the soil-vegetable system of two distinct locations in Bangladesh using atomic absorption spectrometry. The average concentration of metals in soil and fertilizer/pesticide samples followed the same order (Cr > Pb > Cd), but for vegetable samples, the order was Pb > Cr > Cd, with some extra Pb compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) allowable limit (0.

Lead Exposure of Four Biologically Important Common Branded and Non-branded Spices: Relative Analysis and Health Implication.

Technological advances and socioeconomic development of Bangladesh are leading to the best choice between branded and non-branded powdered spices. But toxic metal issues can be another factor to elect them. So lead (Pb) exposure and its consequence on the human body for these two categories of four common spices have been ascertained here.

Plastic recovery and self-healing in longitudinally twinned SiGe nanowires.

This paper reports on plastic recovery and self-healing behavior in longitudinally-twinned and [112] orientated SiGe nanowire (NW) beams when they are subjected to large bending strains. The NW alloys are comprised of lamellar nanotwin platelet(s) sandwiched between two semi-cylindrical twins. The loading curves, which are acquired from atomic force microscope (AFM) based three-point bending tests, reveal the onset of plastic deformation at a characteristic stress threshold, followed by further straining of the NWs.

Morning (First) Urine Copper Concentration: a New Approach for the Diagnosis of Wilson's Disease.

Twenty-four-hour (h) urinary copper content is considered as the most suitable tool for the diagnosis of Wilson's disease (WD); however, it is less accurate, time-consuming, and non-economical. Consequently, in the present study, an alternative method through measuring the morning (first) urine copper (Cu) concentration is proposed for the diagnosis of WD, which is more accurate, precise, faster, and cheaper. For this purpose, a sensitive, accurate, and precise analytical method was developed and validated in regard to Commission Decision 657/2002/EC, Council Directive 333/2007/EC, ISO/IEC 17025:2005, and EURACHEM 1998 for the determination of Cu in urine using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS).

Brittle fracture to recoverable plasticity: polytypism-dependent nanomechanics in todorokite-like nanobelts.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nanomechanics experiments involving polytypic todorokite-like manganese dioxide nanobelts reveal varied nanomechanical performance regimes such as brittle fracture, near-brittle fracture, and plastic recovery within the same material system. These nanobelts are synthesized through a layer-to-tunnel material transformation pathway and contain one-dimensional tunnels, which run along their longitudinal axis and are enveloped by × 3 MnO octahedral units along their walls. Depending on the extent of material transformation towards a tunneled microstructure, the nanobelts exhibit stacking disorders or polytypism where the value for ranges from 3 to up to ∼20 within different cross-sectional regions of the same nanobelt.

Dietary intake of heavy metals from eight highly consumed species of cultured fish and possible human health risk implications in Bangladesh.

Concentrations of five heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, As and Hg) in eight highly consumed cultured fish species ( and ) collected from four wholesale markets of Dhaka city, Bangladesh (Karwan Bazar, Mohammadpur Town Hall, Newmarket and Mirpur-1) were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in order to evaluate the potential human health risks from the consumption of fish. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of all the studied heavy metals calculated on the basis of mean fish consumption of 49.5 g person d by Bangladeshi households indicated that no risk to people's health with respect to the EDI of investigated heavy metals through the consumption of the fish samples.

Super-giant magnetoresistance at room-temperature in copper nanowires due to magnetic field modulation of potential barrier heights at nanowire-contact interfaces.

We have observed a super-giant (∼10 000 000%) negative magnetoresistance at 39 mT field in Cu nanowires contacted with Au contact pads. In these nanowires, potential barriers form at the two Cu/Au interfaces because of Cu oxidation that results in an ultrathin copper oxide layer forming between Cu and Au. Current flows when electrons tunnel through, and/or thermionically emit over, these barriers.

Dependence of Young's modulus on the sodium content within the structural tunnels of a one-dimensional Na-ion battery cathode.

We report on the Young's modulus (YM) of single-crystalline Na4Mn9O18 (or Na0.44MnO2) nanowires (NWs), which have shown promise as reversible sodium-ion (Na(+)) intercalation cathodes with high capacity and excellent cyclability. In addition, acid treatment of this material yielded proton stabilized Na(0.

MD Concept: a model for integrating medical knowledge.

Many integrated clinical information systems depend on large knowledge bases containing dictionary of terms as well as specific information about each term and the relationships between terms. We propose a knowledge base model called MD Concept which is based on a semantic network and uses an object-oriented paradigm and relational tables. A prototype has been developed which integrates the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) with other databases including the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED II), the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IIIR) and a pharmaceutical database.

PureMD: a Computerized Patient Record software for direct data entry by physicians using a keyboard-free pen-based portable computer.

This paper describes the data acquisition features of the PureMD Computerized Patient Record (CPR) software designed specifically for physicians. The physician uses a stylus to point, draw and handwrite on a Dynamic Dialog Interface that provides the same flexibility as the paper record and numerous other advantages. The clinical data thus entered is highly organized, easily legible and retrievable in many ways.

Physiological considerations in training young athletes.

Healthy children evidence smaller values of cardiorespiratory function than adults, but these are in proportion to the smaller body size. At birth, the distribution of muscle fibres and the activity of enzymes in muscle are different from in adults, but these differences disappear at about age 6. On the other hand, muscle fibre thickness increases from birth to about 18 years of age and this is concurrent with increases in muscular strength.

A model treadmill adaptation for wheelchair ergometry.

We have designed, constructed and tested a restraining apparatus to permit safe uninhibited hand propulsion of a wheelchair on a motor driven treadmill. The special design features of the tracking assembly minimize any potential hazard or apprehension associated with possible lateral or rearward displacement of a chair from the belt surface. Special linear bearings minimize any increase in rolling resistance (less than 1.

Cardiopulmonary responses of asthmatic children to strenuous exercise. Effect of theophylline.

The purpose of the study were to investigate the cardiopulmonary adaptations of asthmatic children to physical exercise and to evaluate the effects of theophylline. Two groups of children were evaluated. Eight asthmatic children participated in two exercise sessions.

Time course of lung volume changes during prolonged treadmill exercise.

It has been known since the 1920s that runners completing marathon races have reduced forced vital capacity (FVC) values. To investigate the time course of these lung volume alterations, we measured FVC and residual volume (RV) in 11 runners before, after, and at 30-min intervals during a 2.5-h treadmill run at just under their marathon pace (70% VO2max).

Endemic focus of Fasciolopsis buski infection in Bangladesh.

Stool surveys were conducted on children 2--10 years of age in 27 villages within Dacca District and around this index area (1,668 children were sampled), revealing an endemic focus of Fasciolopsis buski infection to the south and the east of Dacca District. In order to determine the seasonal variation in the total snail populations and the natural rate of F. buski infection in the snails, two species of planorbid snails, Segmentina (Trochorbis) trochoideus and Hippeutis (Helicorbis) umbilicalis, were periodically sampled for 12 months from a village endemic for F.

Increases in plasma beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin immunoreactivity after treadmill running in humans.

Six well-trained endurance athletes were studied to determine if submaximal treadmill exercise results in increased plasma levels of beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin (Bh-Ep/Bh-LPH) immunoreactivity. Bh-Ep/Bh-LPH immunoreactivity was measured by radio immunoassay in plasma from six experienced runners before and after 30-min treadmill runs at a self-selected pace, 60 and 80% VO2 max, and a control experiment of 30 min rest. All tests were randomized and occurred during the same time of day for a given subject (0600--1500 h).

Single dose piperazine therapy for Ascaris lumbricoides: an unsuccessful method of promoting growth.

One-hundred eighty-five Bangladeshi children age 1 1/2 to 8 yr with no Ascaris lumbricoides infection or with light, moderate, or heavy infection were randomly assigned to treatment of placebo groups, with treatment given in a double-blind fashion. The groups were comparable for nutritional and socioeconomic parameters. Treatment consisted of a single dose of piperazine citrate administered twice within a 2-wk period.