An investigation of microbial groundwater contamination seasonality and extreme weather event interruptions using "big data", time-series analyses, and unsupervised machine learning.

Temporal studies of groundwater potability have historically focused on E. coli detection rates, with non-E. coli coliforms (NEC) and microbial concentrations remaining understudied by comparison.

Evaluating the GHG emissions, land use, and water use associated with contemporary dietary patterns in the Republic of Ireland.

Dietary patterns are intrinsically linked to greenhouse (GHG) emissions, land use, and water use via food production systems. Analysing and comparing contemporary dietary patterns and their environmental impact is critical to identifying which should be promoted to enhance global sustainability. A cross-sectional survey of adult consumption patterns was conducted across Ireland with a representative sample size of 957 respondents.

Geospatial analysis of food waste generation at the consumer-level in high-income regions, 2000-2023 - A scoping review.

Food waste (FW) is a growing problem globally, with around 13% of food lost from harvest to retail, and another 17% wasted by retailers, households, and the food service sector. In high-income countries, consumer-level FW, primarily originates from private households and the food service sector, forming the largest waste stream in the food supply chain. Despite extensive research on FW, there is still a lack of knowledge about its geographic distribution, sources, spatial locations, and volume, impeding effective waste management strategies.

A rapid on-site loop-mediated isothermal amplification technology as an early warning system for the detection of Shiga toxin-producing in water.

Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) is an important waterborne pathogen capable of causing serious gastrointestinal infections with potentially fatal complications, including haemolytic-uremic syndrome. All STEC serogroups harbour genes that encode at least one Shiga toxin ( and/or ), which constitute the primary virulence factors of STEC. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) enables rapid real-time pathogen detection with a high degree of specificity and sensitivity.

Development of a "big data" groundwater microbial contamination index and spatial comparisons with enteric infection rates in southern Ontario.

Big data have become increasingly important for policymakers and scientists but have yet to be employed for the development of spatially specific groundwater contamination indices or protecting human and environmental health. The current study sought to develop a series of indices via analyses of three variables: Non-E. coli coliform (NEC) concentration, E.

Classification of white blood cells (leucocytes) from blood smear imagery using machine and deep learning models: A global scoping review.

Machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models are being increasingly employed for medical imagery analyses, with both approaches used to enhance the accuracy of classification/prediction in the diagnoses of various cancers, tumors and bloodborne diseases. To date however, no review of these techniques and their application(s) within the domain of white blood cell (WBC) classification in blood smear images has been undertaken, representing a notable knowledge gap with respect to model selection and comparison. Accordingly, the current study sought to comprehensively identify, explore and contrast ML and DL methods for classifying WBCs.

Dynamic life cycle assessment of commercial and household food waste: A critical global review of emerging techniques.

DLCA has been applied to several food waste streams, however, to date no critical assessment of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) is available in the scientific literature. Accordingly, the present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the available literature on DLCA and its application to Household and Commercial Food Waste (HCFW) by providing critical assessment and perspectives for future research. The Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome (PICO) framework for literature review was employed, with just 12 relevant studies identified between 1999 and 2022, highlighting a dearth of research on DLCA of food waste and the need for further research.

Influence of Seasonality and Public-Health Interventions on the COVID-19 Pandemic in Northern Europe.

Background: Most government efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic revolved around non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and vaccination. However, many respiratory diseases show distinctive seasonal trends. In this manuscript, we examined the contribution of these three factors to the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic.

High-risk clonal lineages among extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae from urban and rural stagnant water samples in Tunisia.

This study sought to investigate the occurrence and subsequently to characterize extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae from urban and rural stagnant water samples during the wet season (December to February) in several regions of northern Tunisia. From 56 stagnant water samples, 14 ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae were recovered, including 9 Escherichia coli, 3 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 2 K. oxytoca.

An ecological study of the spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers of domestically acquired campylobacteriosis in Ireland, 2011-2018.

In 2021, Campylobacteriosis was the main gastrointestinal disease in the European Union since 2007 according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In the Republic of Ireland, the incidence of the disease is particularly high with approximately 3,000 cases per annum, raising significant concerns for national health authorities with an expected increase in the number of cases in the light of climate change. The current study sought to assess the spatio-temporal patterns of campylobacteriosis in the Republic of Ireland using 20,391 cases from January 2011 to December 2018.

Selection and Characterization of Bacteriocinogenic Lactic Acid Bacteria from the Intestine of Gilthead Seabream () and Whiting Fish (): Promising Strains for Aquaculture Probiotic and Food Bio-Preservation.

This study sought to evaluate the probiotic properties and the food preservation ability of lactic acid bacteria isolates collected from the intestines of wild marine fishes (gilthead seabream () ( = 60) and whiting fish () ( = 40)) from the Mediterranean sea in the area of Mostaganem city, Algeria. Forty-two isolates were identified as: ( = 19), ( = 15), ( = 4), subp. ( = 3), and ( = 1).

Identifying Novel Data-Driven Dietary Patterns via Dimensionality Reduction and Associations with Socioeconomic Profile and Health Outcomes in Ireland.

Dietary patterns and body mass index (BMI) play a significant role in the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, including Ireland. A cross-sectional survey was conducted across Ireland to collate respondents' socioeconomic profiles, health status, and dietary patterns with a representative sample size of 957 adult respondents. Principal component analysis (PCA) and statistical analyses were subsequently employed.

Assessing antimicrobial and metal resistance genes in Escherichia coli from domestic groundwater supplies in rural Ireland.

Natural ecosystems can become significant reservoirs and/or pathways for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) dissemination, with the potential to affect nearby microbiological, animal, and ultimately human communities. This is further accentuated in environments that provide direct human exposure, such as drinking water. To date, however, few studies have investigated AMR dissemination potential and the presence of co-selective stressors (e.

Occurrence of High-Risk Clonal Lineages ST58, ST69, ST224, and ST410 among Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Isolated from Healthy Free-Range Chickens () in a Rural Region in Tunisia.

Antimicrobial-resistant isolates have emerged in various ecologic compartments and evolved to spread globally. We sought to (1.) investigate the occurrence of ESBL-producing (ESBL-Ec) in feces from free-range chickens in a rural region and (2.

Integrating consumer risk perception and awareness with simulation-based quantitative microbial risk assessment using a coupled systems framework: A case study of private groundwater users in Ontario.

Private well users in Ontario are responsible for ensuring the potability of their own private drinking water source through protective actions (i.e., water treatment, well maintenance, and regular water quality testing).

Characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli presence, serogroups and risk factors from private groundwater sources in western Ireland.

Over recent years, Ireland has reported the highest crude incidence rates of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) enteritis in Europe. Unregulated private groundwater sources have emerged as an important potential transmission route for STEC, with up to 750,000 Irish residents reliant on these sources for domestic waters. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and serogroup profile of STEC contamination from domestic private wells in western Ireland.

The antimicrobial resistance profiles of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from private groundwater wells in the Republic of Ireland.

The role of the natural environment in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistant bacteria has been increasingly recognised in the literature. However, knowledge surrounding the critical factors and mechanisms mediating their occurrence is still limited, particularly in relatively 'pristine' groundwater environments. In the Republic of Ireland (RoI), a country characterised by high groundwater reliance, household-based (unregulated) wells provide drinking water to 11% of the population.

Assessing the risk of acute gastrointestinal illness attributable to three enteric pathogens from contaminated private water wells in Ontario.

The province of Ontario compromises the largest groundwater reliant population in Canada serving approximately 1.6 million individuals. Unlike municipal water systems, private well water is not required to meet water quality regulatory standards and thus source maintenance, treatment and testing remains the responsibility of the well owner.

Classification of sub-populations for quantitative risk assessment based on awareness and perception: A cross-sectional population study of private well users in Ontario.

Private well users in Ontario are responsible for protective actions, including source maintenance, treatment, and submitting samples for laboratory testing. However, low participation rates are reported, thus constituting a public health concern, as risk mitigation behaviours can directly reduce exposure to waterborne pathogens. The current study examined the combined effects of socio-demographic profile, experience(s), and "risk domains" (i.

Behavioral pathways to private well risk mitigation: A structural equation modeling approach.

Complex, multihazard risks such as private groundwater contamination necessitate multiannual risk reduction actions including seasonal, weather-based hazard evaluations. In the Republic of Ireland (ROI), high rural reliance on unregulated private wells renders behavior promotion a vital instrument toward safeguarding household health from waterborne infection. However, to date, pathways between behavioral predictors remain unknown while latent constructs such as extreme weather event (EWE) risk perception and self-efficacy (perceived behavioral competency) have yet to be sufficiently explored.

Methodological considerations in injury burden of disease studies across Europe: a systematic literature review.

Background: Calculating the disease burden due to injury is complex, as it requires many methodological choices. Until now, an overview of the methodological design choices that have been made in burden of disease (BoD) studies in injury populations is not available. The aim of this systematic literature review was to identify existing injury BoD studies undertaken across Europe and to comprehensively review the methodological design choices and assumption parameters that have been made to calculate years of life lost (YLL) and years lived with disability (YLD) in these studies.

An assessment of total coliforms and associated thresholds as water quality indicators using a large Ontario private drinking water well dataset.

A spatiotemporally static total coliform (TC) concentration threshold of five colony-forming units (CFU) per 100 mL is used in Ontario to determine whether well water is of acceptable quality for drinking. The current study sought to assess the role of TC and associated thresholds as microbial water quality parameters as the authors hypothesized that, since static TC thresholds are not evidence-based, they may not be appropriate for all well water consumers. A dataset containing the microbial water quality information of 795,023 samples (including TC and Escherichia coli (E.