IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1468: Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Patients in Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1468: Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Patients in Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14121468

Authors: Isabella Ribeiro Rebecca Limeira Ricardo Dias de Castro Paulo Ferreti Bonan Ana Valença

Oral mucositis in oncologic patients is the most undesirable event of the chemotherapeutic treatment. This study aimed to identify damage to the oral cavity resulting from chemotherapy in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This is a prospective study with a sample of 42 children and adolescents evaluated for 10 consecutive weeks after diagnosis. The modified Oral Assessment Guide (OAG) was used, and data were analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (α = 5%). Changes to the normal lips and saliva were positively related to an increase in the OAG score during all 10 weeks of evaluation. Alterations to the labial mucosa were correlated with an increase in the OAG score from the 2nd to 10th week, which was also found for changes in the tongue and in the swallowing function in Weeks 1, 6, 8, 9, and 10 and for gum changes from the 5th to 7th week. No significant vocal changes were correlated with the total OAG score at any point during the monitoring period. Changes in lips, cheek and/or palatal mucosa, labial mucosa, and gum areas and in swallowing function were positively correlated with an increase in the severity of oral mucositis in patients with ALL after beginning chemotherapeutic treatment.

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PROSPECTIVE AQUATIC RISK ASSESSMENT FOR CHEMICAL MIXTURES IN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES

Abstract

Environmental risk assessment of chemical mixtures is challenging due to the multitude of possible combinations that may occur. Aquatic risk from chemical mixtures in an agricultural landscape was evaluated prospectively in two exposure scenario case studies: at field scale for a program of 13 plant protection products applied annually for 20 years, and at a watershed scale for a mixed land use scenario over 30 years with 12 plant protection products and two veterinary pharmaceuticals used for beef cattle. Risk quotients were calculated from regulatory exposure models with typical real-world use patterns and regulatory acceptable concentrations for individual chemicals. Results could differentiate situations when there was concern associated with single chemicals from those when concern was associated with a mixture (based on concentration addition) with no single chemical triggering concern. Potential mixture risk was identified on 0.02% to 7.07% of the total days modeled, depending on the scenario, the taxa and whether considering acute or chronic risk. Taxa at risk were influenced by receiving water body characteristics along with chemical use profiles and associated properties. This study demonstrates that a scenario-based approach can be used to determine whether mixtures of chemicals pose risks over and above any identified using existing approaches for single chemicals, how often and to what magnitude, and ultimately which mixtures (and dominant chemicals) cause greatest concern. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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CALIBRATION OF SILICONE RUBBER RODS AS PASSIVE SAMPLERS FOR PESTICIDES AT TWO DIFFERENT FLOW VELOCITIES: MODELLING OF SAMPLING RATES UNDER WATER BOUNDARY LAYER AND POLYMER CONTROL

Abstract

There is a need to determine time-weighted average concentrations of polar contaminants such as pesticides by passive sampling in environmental waters. Calibration data for silicone rubber (SR)-based passive samplers are lacking for this class of compounds. The calibration data, sampling rate (R_s) and partition coefficient between SR and water (K_sw) were precisely determined for 23 pesticides and 13 candidate performance reference compounds (PRCs) in a laboratory calibration system over 14 d for two water flow velocities, 5 cm s⁻¹ and 20 cm s⁻¹. Results showed that an in situ exposure duration of 7 d left a SR rod passive sampler configuration in the linear or curvilinear uptake period for 19 of the pesticides studied. A change in the transport mechanism from polymer control to water boundary layer control was observed for pesticides with a log K_sw of around 3.3. The PRC candidates were not fully relevant to correct the impact of water flow velocity on R_s. We therefore propose an alternative method based on an overall resistance to mass transfer model to adjust R_s from laboratory experiments to in situ hydrodynamic conditions. We estimated diffusion coefficients (D_s) and thickness of water boundary layer (δ_w) as adjustable model parameters. Log D_s values ranged from −12.13 to −10.07 m² s⁻¹. The estimated δ_w value showed a power function correlation with water flow velocity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1467: Contextual Exploration of a New Family Caregiver Support Concept for Geriatric Settings Using a Participatory Health Research Strategy

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1467: Contextual Exploration of a New Family Caregiver Support Concept for Geriatric Settings Using a Participatory Health Research Strategy

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14121467

Authors: Elisabeth Dorant Theresia Krieger

Family caregivers are the backbone of the long-term care support system within the home environment. Comprehensive caregiver support programs require collaboration and coordination within the system. A new public health concept, Vade Mecum, aims to harmonize and professionalize family caregiver support initiatives in geriatric care settings in the Euregion Maas-Rhine. Exploration of the new concept recently started in Germany to gain in-depth insight into current support and the needs of the geriatric care team and family caregivers. Within the context of an exploratory qualitative study, a participatory health research (PHR) strategy was applied to make optimal use of experience and knowledge from the system. Care professionals, engaged as co-researchers, were responsible for decisions about the research question, data collection methods and procedures of engaging family caregivers. A research team representing all professions within the geriatric department was formed. Research objectives were formulated and an appropriate mix of qualitative data collection methods consisting of interviews, focus groups and story-telling was chosen. Needs and expectations of the new concept, and practical solutions for involving family caregivers were discussed. A PHR strategy resulted in initiating a qualitative study in a geriatric care setting carried out by care professionals from the department. Knowledge was generated in a co-creative manner, and co-researchers were empowered. A comprehensive understanding of the system serves as a starting point for advancement of the new family caregiver concept.

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IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1470: Effects of Group Counseling Programs, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Sports Intervention on Internet Addiction in East Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1470: Effects of Group Counseling Programs, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Sports Intervention on Internet Addiction in East Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14121470

Authors: Jun Liu Jing Nie Yafeng Wang

To evaluate the effects of group counseling programs, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and sports intervention on Internet addiction (IA), a systematic search in ten databases was performed to identify eligible studies without language restrictions up to January 2017. A meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed, respectively. A total of 58 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which included 2871 participants, were incorporated into our meta-analysis. The results showed that group counseling programs, CBT, and sports intervention could significantly reduce IA levels (group counseling program: standardized mean difference (SMD), −1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI), −1.89 to −0.85; CBT: SMD, −1.88; 95% CI, −2.53 to −1.23; sports intervention: SMD, −1.70; 95% CI, −2.14 to −1.26). For group counseling programs, this treatment was more effective in four dimensions of IA, including time management, interpersonal and health issues, tolerance, and compulsive Internet use. For CBT, this treatment yielded a positive change in depression, anxiousness, aggressiveness, somatization, social insecurity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. For sports intervention, the significant effects were also observed in all dimensions of the IA scale. Each of group counseling programs, cognitive behavioral therapy, and sports intervention had a significant effect on IA and psychopathological symptoms. Sports intervention could improve withdrawal symptoms especially.

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IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1471: Characterization and Computation of Yb/TiO2 and Its Photocatalytic Degradation with Benzohydroxamic Acid

IJERPH, Vol. 14, Pages 1471: Characterization and Computation of Yb/TiO2 and Its Photocatalytic Degradation with Benzohydroxamic Acid

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph14121471

Authors: Xianping Luo Sipin Zhu Junyu Wang Chunying Wang Min Wu

Yb-doped TiO2 (Yb/TiO2) compositions were synthesized by sol-gel method, and the prepared materials were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-visible diffuse-reflectance spectrum (UV-Vis DRS), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and N2 adsorption. A beneficiation reagent of benzohydroxamic acid (BHA) was used to test the photocatalytic activity of Yb/TiO2. The characterizations indicate that the doping of Yb could inhibit the crystal growth of TiO2, enhance the specific surface area, increase the binding energy of Ti2p, and also slightly expand the adsorption ranges to visible light. Furthermore, the computation of band structure also indicates that Yb-doped TiO2 could make the forbidden band narrower than pure anatase TiO2, which presents a red shift in the absorption spectrum. As a result of the photodegradation experiment on BHA, Yb/TiO2 (0.50% in mass) sintered at 450 °C displayed the highest catalytic activity for BHA when compared with pure TiO2 or other doped Yb/TiO2 compositions, and more than 89.2% of the total organic carbon was removed after 120 min. Almost all anions, including Cl−, HCO3−, NO3−, and SO42−, inhibited the degradation of BHA by Yb/TiO2, and their inhibition effects followed the order of HCO3− > NO3− > SO42− > Cl−. Cations of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ displayed a slight suppressing effect due to the impact of Cl− coexisting in the solution. In addition, Yb/TiO2 maintained a high photocatalytic ability with respect to BHA after four runs. It is hypothesized that ·OH is one of the main species involved in the photodegradation of BHA, and the mutual transformation of Yb3+ and Yb2+ could promote the separation of electron-hole pairs.

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Toxicity evaluation of textile effluents and role of native soil bacterium in biodegradation of a textile dye

Abstract

Water pollution caused by the discharge of hazardous textile effluents is a serious environmental problem worldwide. In order to assess the pollution level of the textile effluents, various physico-chemical parameters were analyzed in the textile wastewater and agricultural soil irrigated with the wastewater (contaminated soil) using atomic absorption spectrophotometer and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis that demonstrated the presence of several toxic heavy metals (Ni, Cu, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Zn) and a large number of organic compounds. Further, in order to get a comprehensive idea about the toxicity exerted by the textile effluent, mung bean seed germination test was performed that indicated the reduction in percent seed germination and radicle-plumule growth. The culturable microbial populations were also enumerated and found to be significantly lower in the wastewater and contaminated soil than the ground water irrigated soil, thus indicating the biotic homogenization of indigenous microflora. Therefore, the study was aimed to develop a cost effective and ecofriendly method of textile waste treatment using native soil bacterium, identified as Arthrobacter soli BS5 by 16S rDNA sequencing that showed remarkable ability to degrade a textile dye reactive black 5 with maximum degradation of 98% at 37 °C and pH in the range of 5–9 after 120 h of incubation.

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