This study focused on investigating the occurrence, quantification, and the spatial and temporal distribution of plastics in coastal surface water from 12 coastal regions in southern part of Sri ...Lanka. The overall average densities of macroplastics and mesoplastics were recorded as 0.23 and 0.33 items/m3, respectively. Sampling locations had no significant difference (p > 0.05) on total microplastics (MPs) density (overall mean MPs density: 17.45 ± 3.35 items/m3). MPs debris of less than 1 mm size consisted of >45% of the total number of MPs, whereas the maximum size of microscopically observed plastic debris was 11.04 mm, a filament. Filaments were the most common MPs followed by films. Relatively, blue-colored MPs were highly abundant in this coastal line. The type of MPs was further confirmed by Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) method. Potential plastic pollution factors are hydrodynamics and man-made activities like unsustainable harbor operations, fisheries, and tourism. More attention is needed to reduce plastic pollution regionally.
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•Southern coastal water in Sri Lanka has an emerging risk from plastic pollutants.•More than 90% of accumulated plastics in selected coastal water were filaments.•Plastic accumulation rate depends on anthropogenic and environment factors.•This approach emphasizes the necessity of regular plastic debris management programs.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is thought to emerge during early cortical development. However, the exact developmental stages and associated molecular networks that prime disease propensity are ...elusive. To profile early neurodevelopmental alterations in ASD with macrocephaly, we monitored subject-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) throughout the recapitulation of cortical development. Our analysis revealed ASD-associated changes in the maturational sequence of early neuron development, involving temporal dysregulation of specific gene networks and morphological growth acceleration. The observed changes tracked back to a pathologically primed stage in neural stem cells (NSCs), reflected by altered chromatin accessibility. Concerted over-representation of network factors in control NSCs was sufficient to trigger ASD-like features, and circumventing the NSC stage by direct conversion of ASD iPSCs into induced neurons abolished ASD-associated phenotypes. Our findings identify heterochronic dynamics of a gene network that, while established earlier in development, contributes to subsequent neurodevelopmental aberrations in ASD.
This study examined the evidence of the prevalence of psychological distress and poor sleep among medical students and its associations during an economic crisis. This was a cross-sectional study ...using an online questionnaire. It included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). This study included medical undergraduates from a large metropolitan university in Sri Lanka. The majority (69.2%) had some form of distress (depression, anxiety or stress), while 23% had distress in all three. Anxiety was the most prevalent (50.7%). Poor sleep quality was reported in 41%. The highest contribution to global PSQI was from sleep latency, duration, and daytime dysfunction subscales. In bivariate analysis, sleep quality was directly related to depression (t.sub.245.65 = -6.75, p<0.001)., anxiety (t.sub.313.45 = -6.45, p <0.001), and stress (t.sub.94.22 = -5.14, p <0.001). In multinomial logistic regression models, sleep quality was independently associated with depression, anxiety and stress. In addition, frequent contact with friends was inversely associated with depression and anxiety. Also, social media use was inversely linked to depression, anxiety and stress. Clinical-year students had lower depression and anxiety than non-clinical students. Engaging in mindfulness activities was inversely associated with depression. However, models explained only a moderate amount of variance (Nagelkerke R-squared values were 0.21, 0.18, and 0.13 for depression, anxiety and stress, respectively). Poor sleep quality and psychological distress are high among the undergraduates. The findings emphasize the importance of addressing sleep quality and psychological wellbeing in medical undergraduates. Further research with larger and more diverse samples is needed for a more comprehensive understanding of the factors associated with psychological distress among undergraduates.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
The use of inappropriately long needles for subcutaneous insulin injection increases the risk of inadvertent intramuscular injection.
Aims
To estimate the inadvertent intramuscular ...injection risk at potential subcutaneous insulin injection sites and to identify the determinants of this risk in adults.
Methods
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on adult patients between the ages of 18 and 70 years who were admitted to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Skin-to-muscle distance and dermal thickness of potential insulin injection sites were measured using ultrasonography to estimate the intramuscular injection risk.
Results
A total of 185 patients were included in the study. The estimated risk of inadvertent intramuscular injections with insulin needles of any length was considerably higher at the mid-arm and mid-thigh compared to the abdomen. The risk of inadvertent intramuscular injection was approximately 60% with 13-mm needles without a skin fold at the arm and thigh. The abovementioned risk was approximately halved when the needle length was 8 mm. We developed formulae to predict the skin-to-muscle distance with or without a raised skin fold based on assigned sex at birth and anthropometric parameters.
Conclusions
There is a high inadvertent intramuscular injection risk with currently used needles (8 and 13 mm) with U-100 syringes in our population even with a raised skin fold. To minimize this risk, 13-mm needles should be avoided when injecting insulin subcutaneously especially to the limbs. Sex and anthropometric parameters can be used to predict the distance from skin to muscle surface; hence, the selection of needle length could be personalized based on the derived formulae.
Application of advanced techniques to ensure the environment sustainability and freshwater ecosystem conservation is a paramount importance. Industrial sector is mostly accused for the increased ...water pressure with high water consumption rates and increased grey water footprints. Industries must take action toward implementing water conservation strategies to enhance natural water cycle, increase water-use efficiency and address future challenges. The significance of water footprint as a driving force to water conservation is spotlighted with severe water scarcity. “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” proposed by the United Nations are focused on creating a sustainable way of life to reduce the impacts on ecology and achieve economic and social benefits. Water is a central part in sustainable development; thus, all SDGs are interlinked with sustainable water use. The paper reviews incorporating the concept of water footprint to achieve SDGs in relation to industrial water conservation and the future pathways that lead to sustainable water resource management.
Symmetry permeates nature and is fundamental to all laws of physics. One example is parity (mirror) symmetry, which implies that flipping left and right does not change the laws of physics. Laws for ...electromagnetism, gravity and the subatomic strong force respect parity symmetry, but the subatomic weak force does not. Historically, parity violation in electron scattering has been important in establishing (and now testing) the standard model of particle physics. One particular set of quantities accessible through measurements of parity-violating electron scattering are the effective weak couplings C2q, sensitive to the quarks' chirality preference when participating in the weak force, which have been measured directly only once in the past 40 years. Here we report a measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry in electron-quark scattering, which yields a determination of 2C2u - C2d (where u and d denote up and down quarks, respectively) with a precision increased by a factor of five relative to the earlier result. These results provide evidence with greater than 95 per cent confidence that the C2q couplings are non-zero, as predicted by the electroweak theory. They lead to constraints on new parity-violating interactions beyond the standard model, particularly those due to quark chirality. Whereas contemporary particle physics research is focused on high-energy colliders such as the Large Hadron Collider, our results provide specific chirality information on electroweak theory that is difficult to obtain at high energies. Our measurement is relatively free of ambiguity in its interpretation, and opens the door to even more precise measurements in the future.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The parity-violating cross-section asymmetry in the elastic scattering of polarized electrons from unpolarized protons has been measured at a four-momentum transfer squared Q2 = 0.624 GeV2 and beam ...energy E(b) = 3.48 GeV to be A(PV) = -23.80 ± 0.78(stat) ± 0.36(syst) parts per million. This result is consistent with zero contribution of strange quarks to the combination of electric and magnetic form factors G(E)(s) + 0.517G(M)(s) = 0.003 ± 0.010(stat) ± 0.004(syst) ± 0.009(ff), where the third error is due to the limits of precision on the electromagnetic form factors and radiative corrections. With this measurement, the world data on strange contributions to nucleon form factors are seen to be consistent with zero and not more than a few percent of the proton form factors.
Background and Aims: Non-adherence to standard fasting guidelines may result in perioperative complications. We aimed to determine the association between pre-operative over-fasting and ...post-operative vomiting amongst children undergoing bone marrow aspiration under general anaesthesia. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted from May 2015 to April 2016 in children undergoing bone marrow aspiration under general anaesthesia and their caregivers. Children fasted for ≥3 hours from last clear fluid intake constituted the exposed group (n = 202) while children fasting for <3 h constituted the non-exposed group (n = 202). The primary outcome was the development of post-operative vomiting during the 6 h following induction of anaesthesia. The awareness of the caregiver regarding the importance of keeping the child fasting before anaesthesia was evaluated. Results: The mean (standard deviation) duration time of fasting of the exposed and non-exposed groups were 7.2 (2.4) and 2.2 (0.3) h, respectively. Thirty-two (15.8%) children in the exposed group and 17 (8.4%) children in the non-exposed group developed post-operative vomiting. The relative risk of developing post-operative vomiting amongst over-fasting children was 1.9 (95% confidence interval CI = 1.1-3.3, P = 0.02), while adjusting to the age, it was 2.1 (95% CI = 1.1-4). Significantly more caregivers were clear about the fasting advice in the non-exposed group than in the exposed group (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Over-fasting is a significant risk factor to develop post-operative vomiting in paediatric anaesthetic practice.
Introduction:
Cajal like cells (CLCs) in the upper urinary tract have an ability to generate coordinated spontaneous action potentials and are hypothesized to help propel urine from renal pelvis into ...the ureter. The objective of this review was to describe the variations in the density and distribution of CLCs associated with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO).
Materials and Methods:
Studies comparing the density and distribution of CLCs in the human upper urinary tract in patients with UPJO and healthy controls were included in this systematic review. We searched online electronic databases; Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, PubMed and Cochrane reviews for the studies published before October 31, 2020. A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the density of CLCs at the ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) in patients with UPJO and matched controls.
Results:
We included 20 and seven studies in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis, respectively. In majority (55%) CLCs were located between the muscle layers of the upper urinary tract. The CLC density in the UPJ gradually increased with aging in both healthy subjects and patients with UPJO. The pooled analysis revealed that the density of CLCs at the UPJ was significantly low in patients with UPJO compared to the controls (SMD = −3.00, 95% CI = −3.89 to −2.11,
p
< 0.01).
Conclusions:
The reduction in CLC density at the UPJ in patients with UPJO suggests a contribution from CLCs in the pathogenesis of UPJO. Since age positively correlates with CLC density, it is imperative to carefully match age when conducting case control studies comparing the CLC density and distribution.
Protocol Registration Number:
CRD42020219882.
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