This study was conducted to determine the health status of aboriginal ("Orang Asli') children aged 0-12 years in Post Brooke, Gua Musang, Kelantan. This is done by appraising the environmental status, patterns of illnesses including communicable diseases and usage of health resources. Six villages were selected randomly from 12 villages in the area; 179 families were interviewed, 200 under-12-year-olds were examined and their blood samples taken for haemoglobin (HB) estimation as well as malarial screening. Water supply through Gravity Feed System (GFS) was used by 134 families (70.2%) whilst the rest obtained water direct from the river for the purpose. Only 63.6% of families boiled their drinking water 56.4% families threw rubbish indiscriminately, while 82.1% used the river as their toilets. Eighty-seven percent of the families saw the village medicine man first when ill. Forty (22.2%) children had had serious illnesses including malaria and 24 were admitted to hospitals. 15% of the children had never been immunized. A total of 102 (51%) children were pale and 90 (45%) had brown hair. Eighty nine (44.5%) of the children were anaemic (Hb < 10 gm/di). Sixty-nine children (34%) had dental caries. Forty-two (21%) had distended abdomen and 37 (18.5%) had hepatomegaly. Out of 84 stool samples examined, 67 (79.8%) had helminthic ova. Of all families, 47.1% gave a past history of at least one baby among their children who had died due to one reason or another. The health status of this community (especially children) was low that it warrants special attention.
In the backdrop of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the study examines the comparative asymmetric efficiency of dirty and clean energy markets pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, we utilize an asymmetric multifractality detrended fluctuation analysis (A-MF-DFA). The study's findings uncover the presence of asymmetric multifractality in clean and dirty energy markets. In addition, multifractality in the energy markets is sensitive to trends, time horizon and major events. More importantly, the results suggest superior efficiency of clean-energy markets compared to conventional energies. We confirm the time-varying nature of market efficiency in the energy markets, and during the recent COVID-19 outbreak, market inefficiencies in the clean and dirty energy markets soared. In this way, the study holds meaningful insights for policymakers, energy policy practitioners, investors, and financial market participants to choose between clean (dirty) investments based on their asymmetric efficiency (inefficiency).
The ever-emerging environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns have received significant attention of policymakers, governments, regulation bodies, and investors. Considering the markets volatilities due to economic and financial uncertainties that can drive the informational price inefficiencies across the markets, this study compares the asymmetric price efficiency of regional ESG markets by using an asymmetric multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis before and during COVID-19 crisis. We then examine whether global factors influence the asymmetric efficiency of regional ESG markets. Our findings reveal that COVID-19 outbreak reduced the efficiency of regional ESG markets, except for Europe, which sustained its efficiency even during the pandemic. Moreover, global factors drive the efficiency of regional ESG markets significantly before and during COVID-19. A major implication of our findings stems from the fact that a contagion reduces the efficiency of the markets while stable economic conditions make those markets informationally efficient.
The brain is an energy demanding organ, constituting about 20 % of the body's resting metabolic rate. An efficient energy metabolism is critical to neuronal functions. Glucose serves as the primary essential energy source for the adult brain and plays a critical role in supporting neural growth and development. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as phthalates has been shown to have a negative impact on neurological functions. The impact of diisononyl phthalate (DiNP) on neural energy transduction using cellular energy metabolizing enzymes as indicators was examined. Over the course of 14 days, eighteen (18) albino rats divided into three groups (1,2 and 3) of six albino rats were given Tween-80/saline, 20 and 200 mg/kg body weight respectively. In the brain, we assessed histological changes as well as activities of selected enzymes of energy metabolism such as the glycolytic pathway, citric acid cycle and mitochondrial electron transport-linked complexes. Activities of the glycolytic and TCA cycle enzymes assayed were significantly decreased except citrate synthase activity with no statistically significant change following the administration of DiNP. Also, respiratory chain complexes (Complex I-IV) activities were significantly reduced when compared to control. DiNP exposure altered the histological integrity of various brain sections. These include degenerated Purkinje neurons, distortion of the granular layer and Purkinje cell layer. Data from this study indicated impaired brain energy metabolism via down-regulation of enzymes of cellular respiration of the glycolytic and oxidative phosphorylation pathways and altered brain histoarchitecture orchestrated by DiNP exposure.
The rising environmental concerns and the growing demand for renewable materials have surged across various industries. In this context, lignin, being a plentiful natural aromatic compound that possesses advantageous functional groups suitable for utilization in biocomposite systems, has gained notable attention as a promising and sustainable alternative to fossil-derived materials. It can be obtained from lignocellulosic biomass through extraction via various techniques, which may cause variability in its thermal, mechanical, and physical properties. Due to its excellent biocompatibility, eco-friendliness, and low toxicity, lignin has been extensively researched for the development of high-value materials including lignin-based biocomposites. Its aromatic properties also allow it to successfully substitute phenol in the production of phenolic resin adhesives, resulting in decreased formaldehyde emission. This review investigated and evaluated the role of lignin as a green filler in lignin-based lignocellulosic composites, aimed at enhancing their fire retardancy and decreasing formaldehyde emission. In addition, relevant composite properties, such as thermal properties, were investigated in this study. Markedly, technical challenges, including compatibility with other matrix polymers that are influenced by limited reactivity, remain. Some impurities in lignin and various sources of lignin also affect the performance of composites. While lignin utilization can address certain environmental issues, its large-scale use is limited by both process costs and market factors. Therefore, the exact mechanism by which lignin enhances flame retardancy, reduces formaldehyde emissions, and improves the long-term durability of lignocellulosic composites under various environmental conditions remains unclear and requires thorough investigation. Life cycle analysis and techno-economic analysis of lignin-based composites may contribute to understanding the overall influence of systems not only at the laboratory scale but also at a larger industrial scale.