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Sweet waste extract uptake by a mosquito vector: Survival, biting, fecundity responses, and potential epidemiological significance

Dieng H, Satho T, Abang F, Meli NKKB, Ghani IA, Nolasco-Hipolito C, et al.

Acta Trop, 2017 May;169:84-92.
PMID: 28174057 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.01.022

In nature, adult mosquitoes typically utilize nectar as their main energy source, but they can switch to other as yet unidentified sugary fluids. Contemporary lifestyles, with their associated unwillingness to consume leftovers and improper disposal of waste, have resulted in the disposal of huge amounts of waste into the environment. Such refuse often contains unfinished food items, many of which contain sugar and some of which can collect water from rain and generate juices. Despite evidence that mosquitoes can feed on sugar-rich suspensions, semi-liquids, and decaying fruits, which can be abundant in garbage sites, the impacts of sweet waste fluids on dengue vectors are unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of extracts from some familiar sweet home waste items on key components of vectorial capacity of Aedes aegypti. Adult mosquitoes were fed one of five diets in this study: water (WAT); sucrose (SUG); bakery product (remnant of chocolate cake, BAK); dairy product (yogurt, YOG); and fruit (banana (BAN). Differences in survival, response time to host, and egg production were examined between groups. For both males and females, maintenance on BAK extract resulted in marked survival levels that were similar to those seen with SUG. Sweet waste extracts provided better substrates for survival compared to water, but this superiority was mostly seen with BAK. Females maintained on BAK, YOG, and BAN exhibited shorter response times to a host compared to their counterparts maintained on SUG. The levels of egg production were equivalent in waste extract- and SUG-fed females. The findings presented here illustrate the potential of sweet waste-derived fluids to contribute to the vectorial capacity of dengue vectors and suggest the necessity of readdressing the issue of waste disposal, especially that of unfinished sweet foods. Such approaches can be particularly relevant in dengue endemic areas where rainfall is frequent and waste collection infrequent.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Fulltext Interactions Between Genome-Wide Significant Genetic Variants and Circulating Concentrations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in Relation to Prostate Cancer Risk in the National Cancer Institute BPC3

Dimitrakopoulou VI, Travis RC, Shui IM, Mondul A, Albanes D, Virtamo J, et al.

Am J Epidemiol, 2017 Mar 15;185(6):452-464.
PMID: 28399564 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kww143

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified over 100 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with prostate cancer. However, information on the mechanistic basis for some associations is limited. Recent research has been directed towards the potential association of vitamin D concentrations and prostate cancer, but little is known about whether the aforementioned genetic associations are modified by vitamin D. We investigated the associations of 46 GWAS-identified SNPs, circulating concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), and prostate cancer (3,811 cases, 511 of whom died from the disease, compared with 2,980 controls-from 5 cohort studies that recruited participants over several periods beginning in the 1980s). We used logistic regression models with data from the National Cancer Institute Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium (BPC3) to evaluate interactions on the multiplicative and additive scales. After allowing for multiple testing, none of the SNPs examined was significantly associated with 25(OH)D concentration, and the SNP-prostate cancer associations did not differ by these concentrations. A statistically significant interaction was observed for each of 2 SNPs in the 8q24 region (rs620861 and rs16902094), 25(OH)D concentration, and fatal prostate cancer on both multiplicative and additive scales (P ≤ 0.001). We did not find strong evidence that associations between GWAS-identified SNPs and prostate cancer are modified by circulating concentrations of 25(OH)D. The intriguing interactions between rs620861 and rs16902094, 25(OH)D concentration, and fatal prostate cancer warrant replication.

Matched MeSH terms: Gene-Environment Interaction*
Fulltext Analyzing the nexus between environmental sustainability and clean energy for the USA

Dogan E, Mohammed KS, Khan Z, Binsaeed RH

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Apr;31(19):27789-27803.
PMID: 38517628 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32765-5

Environmental sustainability is a key target to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, achieving these targets needs tools to pave the way for achieving SDGs and COP28 targets. Therefore, the primary objective of the present study is to examine the significance of clean energy, research and development spending, technological innovation, income, and human capital in achieving environmental sustainability in the USA from 1990 to 2022. The study employed time series econometric methods to estimate the empirical results. The study confirmed the long-run cointegrating relationship among CO2 emissions, human capital, income, R&D, technological innovation, and clean energy. The results are statistically significant in the short run except for R&D expenditures. In the long run, the study found that income and human capital contribute to further aggravating the environment via increasing CO2 emissions. However, R&D expenditures, technological innovation, and clean energy help to promote environmental sustainability by limiting carbon emissions. The study recommends investment in technological innovation, clean energy, and increasing R&D expenditures to achieve environmental sustainability in the USA.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Fulltext Data on biology and demographic parameters of the Aedes albopictus from dengue outbreaks in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Dom NC, Alhothily IA, Camalxaman SN, Ismail SNS

Data Brief, 2020 Aug;31:105882.
PMID: 32642511 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105882

In this article, data on the demographic parameters of the Aedes albopictus were collected from those areas in Shah Alam, Malaysia that had experienced a dengue outbreak. The surveys were conducted from March to December 2017. The eggs of the Ae. albopictus were collected using ovitraps, and were analysed based on the demographic parameters in a controlled environment in an insectarium. The data were comprised of four types of biological information on the life demographic parameters of the Ae. albopictus that were monitored based on specific localities. The data were inferred information regarding egg productivity (n), egg development (%), immature development (days), and survivorship (days).

Matched MeSH terms: Environment, Controlled
Stories and maps, images and archives: multimethod approach to the political ecology of native property rights and natural resource management in Sabah, Malaysia

Doolittle AA

Environ Manage, 2010 Jan;45(1):67-81.
PMID: 18506515 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-008-9144-0

The study of human-environmental relations is complex and by nature draws on theories and practices from multiple disciplines. There is no single research strategy or universal set of methods to which researchers must adhere. Particularly for scholars interested in a political ecology approach to understanding human-environmental relationships, very little has been written examining the details of "how to" design a project, develop appropriate methods, produce data, and, finally, integrate multiple forms of data into an analysis. A great deal of attention has been paid, appropriately, to the theoretical foundations of political ecology, and numerous scholarly articles and books have been published recently. But beyond Andrew Vayda's "progressive contextualization" and Piers Blaikie and Harold Brookfield's "chains of explanation," remarkably little is written that provides a research model to follow, modify, and expand. Perhaps one of the reasons for this gap in scholarship is that, as expected in interdisciplinary research, researchers use a variety of methods that are suitable (and perhaps unique) to the questions they are asking. To start a conversation on the methods available for researchers interested in adopting a political ecology perspective to human-environmental interactions, I use my own research project as a case study. This research is by no means flawless or inclusive of all possible methods, but by using the details of this particular research process as a case study I hope to provide insights into field research that will be valuable for future scholarship.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment*
The relationship between work-life balance, the need for achievement, and intention to leave: Mixed-method study

Dousin O, Collins N, Bartram T, Stanton P

J Adv Nurs, 2021 Mar;77(3):1478-1489.
PMID: 33314305 DOI: 10.1111/jan.14724

AIMS: To examine the mediating role of employee well-being on the relationship between work-life balance practices, the need for achievement and intention to leave among nurses in Malaysia.
BACKGROUND: Work-life balance practices are associated with employee perceptions of the need for achievement and well-being which subsequently influence their intention to leave the organization. This study contributes new knowledge to nursing studies on work-life balance in an Asian and Islamic society where the expectations for women are to focus on family rather than career.
DESIGN: A cross-sectional, explanatory mixed methodology.
METHODS: This is a two-phase study conducted between 2015-2017 with 401 nurses in East Malaysia. In Phase 1, researchers surveyed 379 nurses to test eight hypotheses and in Phase 2 researchers interviewed 22 nurses to explore the results of Phase 1.
RESULTS: Phase 1 revealed job satisfaction mediates the relationship between work-life balance practices (e.g. flexibility and choice in working hours, supportive supervision), financial success, and intention to leave. However, life satisfaction and money as a motivator did not mediate such relationships. Phase 2 identified four important factors that cast light on survey results: working conditions of Malaysian nurses; inadequate compensation in the public healthcare sector; team-based practices; and pressure on senior nurses in both administrative and clinical roles.
CONCLUSION: This is one of the first studies to investigate work-life balance issues among nurses in Malaysia. Outcomes of this study extend the debates on work-life balance and employee well-being in an Asian Islamic social context.
IMPACT: The use of flexible working arrangements and collectivist teamwork approaches, improving compensation and employment benefits and eliminating the 'time-based job promotion' policy may help to mitigate work-life balance issues and intention to leave among nurses in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Social Environment
Natural infection in primates: helminths and problems in primate phylogeny, ecology, and behavior

Dunn FL

Lab Anim Care, 1970 Apr;20(2):383-8.
PMID: 4245583
Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Spider assemblages in Rimba Ilmu Botanical Garden, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Dzulhelmi M, Norma-Rashid Y

Sains Malaysiana, 2014;43:497-502.

The seasonal variation of spider assemblages in botanical garden was investigated. The spiders were manually collected by diurnal and nocturnal session between two seasons. A total of 19 families from 65 genera and 96 species were recorded. Richness-estimator indicates the inventory were 67% complete within the botanical garden. The capture rate for web-weavers were higher compared with non-web weavers. The comparison value showed the species composition and abundance were similar between seasons. Spider abundance was not affected between wet and dry season in tropical countries.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Effects of energy consumption, economic growth, and financial development on carbon emissions: evidence from heterogeneous income groups

Ehigiamusoe KU, Lean HH

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2019 Aug;26(22):22611-22624.
PMID: 31165972 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05309-5

This paper examines the effects of energy consumption, economic growth, and financial development on carbon emissions in a panel of 122 countries. We employ both first-generation and second-generation cointegration and estimation procedures in order to address diverse economic and econometric issues such as heterogeneity, endogeneity, and cross-sectional dependence. We find a cointegration relationship between the variables. Energy consumption, economic growth, and financial development have detrimental effects on carbon emissions in the full sample. When the sample is split into different income groups, we reveal that economic growth and financial development mitigate carbon emissions in high-income group but have the opposite effects in low-income and middle-income groups. The implication of the findings is that energy consumption increases carbon emissions. While high levels of income and financial development decrease carbon emissions, low levels of income and financial development intensify it. Based on the findings, the paper makes some policy recommendations.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Phytotoxicity assessment of nano-ZnO on groundnut (arachis hypogaea) seed germination in MS medium

Ehsan Borzouyan Dastjerdi, Ismail Sahid, Khairiah Jusoh

Sains Malaysiana, 2016;45:1183-1190.

Due to the increasing production and use of nanoparticles in various sectors such as electronic industries and healthcare,
concerns about the unknown effects caused by the presence of these materials in the natural environment and agricultural
systems were on the rise. Because of the growing trend of ZnO nanoparticles (nZnO) which is one of the most widely
used nanoparticles being released into the environment, it has attracted the attention for more studies to be done on
the effects of this nanoparticle on organisms. This study was carried out to investigate the phytotoxicity effect of nZnO
on groundnut seedlings in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. The experimental treatments of this study include eight
concentrations of nZnO (10, 30, 50, 100, 200, 400, 1000 & 2000 mg.L-1) added to MS medium and MS medium without
nanoparticles have been used as control treatment. For the first 6 days after sowing, germination percent and germination
rate index were calculated by counting the germinated seeds every day. Groundnut seedlings were incubated for 3 weeks
in optimum condition and after that, seedling characteristics such as length, wet and dry weight of radicle and plumule
were measured. The water content of radicle and plumule were also calculated. The results of this study showed that
radicle and plumule length of groundnut seedlings were affected by nZnO exposure, in a way that length of radicles in 50
mg.L-1 nZnO and higher concentrations was significantly lower than that of control treatment and the shortest plumule
length was observed in 2000 mg.L-1 nZnO concentration treatment. Both the radicle and plumule wet weight were also
decreased as the nanoparticle concentration was increased. However, despite the decreasing in radicle and plumule dry
weight with increasing in nZnO concentration, this increase was not significant. However radicle dry weight in 10 mg.L-1
nZnO was significantly higher than nZnOtreatments with 200 mg.L-1 concentration and higher concentrations. Moreover,
observations of this study did not show any significant difference between the water content of nZnO concentration
treatments and control treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Fulltext Gene-environment Interaction: The Causes of High Obesity Incidence

Ellulu MS, Jalambo MO

Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ), 2018 2 16;15(57):91-93.
PMID: 29446373

Urbanization has provided experimental settings for testing the interactive relationship between genetic background and changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns. The concept of gene-environment interaction was described by epidemic of obesity along with urbanization. Genome-wide association has identified several genes such as melanocortin-4 receptor that associates with environmental influences of obesity. Gene environment (GxE) interaction refers to modification by an environmental factor of the effect of a genetic variant on a phenotypic trait. GxE interactions can serve to modulate the adverse effects of a risk allele, or can exacerbate the genotype-phenotype relationship and increase risk.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment; Gene-Environment Interaction*
Vision-based lane departure warning framework

Em PP, Hossen J, Fitrian I, Wong EK

Heliyon, 2019 Aug;5(8):e02169.
PMID: 31440587 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02169

Collisions arising from lane departures have contributed to traffic accidents causing millions of injuries and tens of thousands of casualties per year worldwide. Many related studies had shown that single vehicle lane departure crashes accounted largely in road traffic deaths that results from drifting out of the roadway. Hence, automotive safety has becoming a concern for the road users as most of the road casualties occurred due to driver's fallacious judgement of vehicle path. This paper proposes a vision-based lane departure warning framework for lane departure detection under daytime and night-time driving environments. The traffic flow and conditions of the road surface for both urban roads and highways in the city of Malacca are analysed in terms of lane detection rate and false positive rate. The proposed vision-based lane departure warning framework includes lane detection followed by a computation of a lateral offset ratio. The lane detection is composed of two stages: pre-processing and detection. In the pre-processing, a colour space conversion, region of interest extraction, and lane marking segmentation are carried out. In the subsequent detection stage, Hough transform is used to detect lanes. Lastly, the lateral offset ratio is computed to yield a lane departure warning based on the detected X-coordinates of the bottom end-points of each lane boundary in the image plane. For lane detection and lane departure detection performance evaluation, real-life datasets for both urban roads and highways in daytime and night-time driving environments, traffic flows, and road surface conditions are considered. The experimental results show that the proposed framework yields satisfactory results. On average, detection rates of 94.71% for lane detection rate and 81.18% for lane departure detection rate were achieved using the proposed frameworks. In addition, benchmark lane marking segmentation methods and Caltech lanes dataset were also considered for comparison evaluation in lane detection. Challenges to lane detection and lane departure detection such as worn lane markings, low illumination, arrow signs, and occluded lane markings are highlighted as the contributors to the false positive rates.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Responses of phytoplankton community to eutrophication in Semerak Lagoon (Malaysia)

Er HH, Lee LK, Lim ZF, Teng ST, Leaw CP, Lim PT

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2018 Aug;25(23):22944-22962.
PMID: 29858995 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2389-0

Effects of aquaculture activities on the environmental parameters and phytoplankton community structure were investigated in a semi-enclosed lagoon located at Semerak River, Malaysia. Elevated concentrations of phosphate and ammonia were observed at the aquaculture area and the inner lagoon. Relatively low dissolved oxygen, high total chlorophyll a, and high phytoplankton abundances but low species richness were recorded. Chaetoceros, Pseudo-nitzschia brasiliana, Blixaea quinquecornis, and Skeletonema blooms were observed, and some were associated with anoxia condition. Eutrophication level assessed by UNTRIX suggests that the water quality in the lagoon is deteriorating. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen at the impacted area were 15 and 12 times higher than the reference sites, respectively. Such trophic status indices could provide a useful guideline for optimal aquaculture management plan to reduce the environmental impact caused by aquaculture.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment; Environmental Monitoring
Contribution of CYP2E1 polymorphism to aging in the mechanical workshop workers

Eshkoor SA, Ismail P, Rahman SA, Adon MY, Devan RV

Toxicol. Mech. Methods, 2013 May;23(4):217-22.
PMID: 23193996 DOI: 10.3109/15376516.2012.743637

Aging is attributed to both genetic and environmental factors. Occupational exposure is one of the environmental factors with potential genotoxic effects. Researchers try to determine factors involved in genetic damages at hazards exposure that could accelerate aging. Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) gene contributes in activation and detoxification of the environmental hazards. This polymorphism plays an important role in susceptibility of inter-individuals to DNA damage at the occupational exposure. The current study evaluated the possible influence of this gene polymorphism in aging by genomic damages through the biomarkers alterations of micronuclei (MN), comet tail length and telomere length shortening at the exposure. In this study, buccal cells were collected from the oral cavity of exposed workers and non-exposed controls. The CYP2E1 genotypes were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The wild genotype significantly affected MN frequency (p = 0.007) and relative telomere length (p = 0.047) in the older group of workers. It was concluded that the interaction of gene polymorphism and exposure enhances DNA damage and accelerates aging consequently.

Matched MeSH terms: Gene-Environment Interaction*
Fulltext The effects of sleep quality, physical activity, and environmental quality on the risk of falls in dementia

Eshkoor SA, Hamid TA, Nudin SS, Mun CY

Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen, 2013 Jun;28(4):403-7.
PMID: 23698600 DOI: 10.1177/1533317513488921

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the effects of sleep quality, physical activity, environmental quality, age, ethnicity, sex differences, marital status, and educational level on the risk of falls in the elderly individuals with dementia.
METHODOLOGY: Data were derived from a group of 1210 Malaysian elderly individuals who were noninstitutionalized and demented. The multiple logistic regression model was applied to estimate the risk of falls in respondents.
RESULTS: Approximately the prevalence of falls was 17% among the individuals. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.03), ethnicity (OR = 1.76), sleep quality (OR = 1.46), and environmental quality (OR = 0.62) significantly affected the risk of falls in individuals (P < .05). Furthermore, sex differences, marital status, educational level, and physical activity were not significant predictors of falls in samples (P > .05).
CONCLUSION: It was found that age, ethnic non-Malay, and sleep disruption increased the risk of falls in respondents, but high environmental quality reduced the risk of falls.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Fulltext Quantity and configuration of available elephant habitat and related conservation concerns in the Lower Kinabatangan floodplain of Sabah, Malaysia

Estes JG, Othman N, Ismail S, Ancrenaz M, Goossens B, Ambu LN, et al.

PLoS One, 2012;7(10):e44601.
PMID: 23071499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044601

The approximately 300 (298, 95% CI: 152-581) elephants in the Lower Kinabatangan Managed Elephant Range in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo are a priority sub-population for Borneo's total elephant population (2,040, 95% CI: 1,184-3,652). Habitat loss and human-elephant conflict are recognized as the major threats to Bornean elephant survival. In the Kinabatangan region, human settlements and agricultural development for oil palm drive an intense fragmentation process. Electric fences guard against elephant crop raiding but also remove access to suitable habitat patches. We conducted expert opinion-based least-cost analyses, to model the quantity and configuration of available suitable elephant habitat in the Lower Kinabatangan, and called this the Elephant Habitat Linkage. At 184 km(2), our estimate of available habitat is 54% smaller than the estimate used in the State's Elephant Action Plan for the Lower Kinabatangan Managed Elephant Range (400 km(2)). During high flood levels, available habitat is reduced to only 61 km(2). As a consequence, short-term elephant densities are likely to surge during floods to 4.83 km(-2) (95% CI: 2.46-9.41), among the highest estimated for forest-dwelling elephants in Asia or Africa. During severe floods, the configuration of remaining elephant habitat and the surge in elephant density may put two villages at elevated risk of human-elephant conflict. Lower Kinabatangan elephants are vulnerable to the natural disturbance regime of the river due to their limited dispersal options. Twenty bottlenecks less than one km wide throughout the Elephant Habitat Linkage, have the potential to further reduce access to suitable habitat. Rebuilding landscape connectivity to isolated habitat patches and to the North Kinabatangan Managed Elephant Range (less than 35 km inland) are conservation priorities that would increase the quantity of available habitat, and may work as a mechanism to allow population release, lower elephant density, reduce human-elephant conflict, and enable genetic mixing.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Fulltext Developing a web-based advisory expert system for implementing traffic calming strategies

Falamarzi A, Borhan MN, Rahmat RA

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:757981.
PMID: 25276861 DOI: 10.1155/2014/757981

Lack of traffic safety has become a serious issue in residential areas. In this paper, a web-based advisory expert system for the purpose of applying traffic calming strategies on residential streets is described because there currently lacks a structured framework for the implementation of such strategies. Developing an expert system can assist and advise engineers for dealing with traffic safety problems. This expert system is developed to fill the gap between the traffic safety experts and people who seek to employ traffic calming strategies including decision makers, engineers, and students. In order to build the expert system, examining sources related to traffic calming studies as well as interviewing with domain experts have been carried out. The system includes above 150 rules and 200 images for different types of measures. The system has three main functions including classifying traffic calming measures, prioritizing traffic calming strategies, and presenting solutions for different traffic safety problems. Verifying, validating processes, and comparing the system with similar works have shown that the system is consistent and acceptable for practical uses. Finally, some recommendations for improving the system are presented.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment Design
Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic waste: Environmental impact and economic assessment

Fan YV, Klemeš JJ, Perry S, Lee CT

J Environ Manage, 2019 Feb 01;231:352-363.
PMID: 30366314 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.10.020

Lignocellulosic waste (LW) is abundant in availability and is one of the suitable substrates for anaerobic digestion (AD). However, it is a complex solid substrate matrix that hinders the hydrolysis stage of anaerobic digestion. This study assessed various pre-treatment and post-treatments of lignocellulosic waste for anaerobic digestion benefiting from advanced P-graph and GaBi software (Thinkstep, Germany) from the perspective of cost and environmental performances (global warming potential, human toxicity, ozone depletion potential, particulate matter, photochemical oxidant creation, acidification and eutrophication potential). CaO pre-treatment (P4), H2S removal with membrane separation post-treatment (HSR MS) and without the composting of digestate is identified as the cost-optimal pathway. The biological (P7- Enzyme, P8- Microbial Consortium) and physical (P1- Grinding, P2- Steam Explosion, P3- Water Vapour) pre-treatments alternatives have lower environmental impacts than chemical pre-treatments (P4- CaO, P5- NaOH, P6- H2SO4) however they are not part of the near cost optimal solutions. For post-treatment, the near cost optimal alternatives are H2S removal with organic physical scrubbing (HSR OPS) and H2S removal with amine scrubbing (HSR AS). HSR AS has a better performance in the overall environmental impacts followed by HSR MS and HSR OPS. In general, the suggested cost-optimal solution is still having relatively lower environmental impacts and feasible for implementation (cost effective). There is very complicated to find a universal AD solution. Different scenarios (the type of substrate, the scale, product demand, policies) have different constraints and consequently solutions. The trade-offs between cost and environment performances should be a future extension of this work.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Uncovering environmental performance patterns of plastic packaging waste in high recovery rate countries: An example of EU-27

Fan YV, Čuček L, Si C, Jiang P, Vujanović A, Krajnc D, et al.

Environ Res, 2024 Jan 15;241:117581.
PMID: 37967705 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117581

Plastic consumption and its end-of-life management pose a significant environmental footprint and are energy intensive. Waste-to-resources and prevention strategies have been promoted widely in Europe as countermeasures; however, their effectiveness remains uncertain. This study aims to uncover the environmental footprint patterns of the plastics value chain in the European Union Member States (EU-27) through exploratory data analysis with dimension reduction and grouping. Nine variables are assessed, ranging from socioeconomic and demographic to environmental impacts. Three clusters are formed according to the similarity of a range of characteristics (nine), with environmental impacts being identified as the primary influencing variable in determining the clusters. Most countries belong to Cluster 0, consisting of 17 countries in 2014 and 18 countries in 2019. They represent clusters with a relatively low global warming potential (GWP), with an average value of 2.64 t CO2eq/cap in 2014 and 4.01 t CO2eq/cap in 2019. Among all the assessed countries, Denmark showed a significant change when assessed within the traits of EU-27, categorised from Cluster 1 (high GWP) in 2014 to Cluster 0 (low GWP) in 2019. The analysis of plastic packaging waste statistics in 2019 (data released in 2022) shows that, despite an increase in the recovery rate within the EU-27, the GWP has not reduced, suggesting a rebound effect. The GWP tends to increase in correlation with the higher plastic waste amount. In contrast, other environmental impacts, like eutrophication, abiotic and acidification potential, are identified to be mitigated effectively via recovery, suppressing the adverse effects of an increase in plastic waste generation. The five-year interval data analysis identified distinct clusters within a set of patterns, categorising them based on their similarities. The categorisation and managerial insights serve as a foundation for devising a focused mitigation strategy.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment
Fulltext Challenges faced and lessons learned A multi-component prospective memory training program for Malaysian older adults

Farzin A, Ibrahim R, Madon Z, Basri H

Dement Neuropsychol, 2018 7 11;12(2):189-195.
PMID: 29988335 DOI: 10.1590/1980-57642018dn12-020012

The surrounding circumstances and environments of Malaysian older adults could make conducting interventions (mainly in terms of clinical or randomized controlled trials) a challenge. Working with older adults and facing cultural issues could be challenging.
Objective: This paper illustrates a significant perspective of some of the challenges faced while conducting a randomized controlled trial exploring the impact of a multi-component intervention that included strategy- and process-based prospective memory (PM) training among Malaysian older adults.
Methods: The current study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and therefore the challenges were presented in accordance with the CONSORT statement style.
Results: A discussion on how these issues were addressed is provided.
Conclusion: Some suggestions were presented to help researchers plan and create interventions for similar studies and to support a practical method of addressing all related challenges.

Matched MeSH terms: Environment

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