scholarly journals Microplastics in the Aquatic Environment: Occurrence, Persistence, Analysis, and Human Exposure

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 973
Author(s):  
Maria Ricciardi ◽  
Concetta Pironti ◽  
Oriana Motta ◽  
Ylenia Miele ◽  
Antonio Proto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Emerging Contaminants ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Water Environment ◽  
Fate And Transport ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Aquatic Compartment

Microplastics (MP) have recently been considered as emerging contaminants in the water environment. In the last number of years, the number of studies on MP has grown quickly due to the increasing consciousness of the potential risks for human health related to MP exposure. The present review article discusses scientific literature regarding MP occurrence and accumulation on the aquatic compartment (river, lake, wastewater, seafood), the analytical methods used to assess their concentration, their fate and transport to humans, and delineates the urgent areas for future research. To better analogize literature data regarding MP occurrence in the aquatic compartment we subdivided papers based on sampling, analytical methods, and concentration units with the aim to help the reader identify the similarities and differences of the considered research papers, thus making the comparison of literature data easier and the individuation of the most relevant articles for the reader’s interests faster. Furthermore, we argued about several ways for MP transport to humans, highlighting some gaps in analytical methods based on the reviewed publications. We suggest improving studies on developing standardized protocols to collect, process, and analyze samples.

RESEARCH IN STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT NEEDS TO BETTER ADDRESS ANALYTICAL METHODS

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (01) ◽  
pp. 1550014 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVIDE GENELETTI
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Strategic Environmental Assessment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Ecosystem Fragmentation ◽  
Energy Needs

One of the main gaps in current SEA research is the limited development of analytical methods to predict and assess environmental effects, which are tailored to plans, programmes and policies. The scientific literature is producing new standards and evidence-based conclusions on a number of issues that are potentially relevant for SEA, including health, land take, ecosystem fragmentation and energy needs and supply. However, research in SEA is hardly keeping the pace in terms of "translating" these findings into operational recommendations that can be applied in typical SEA contexts. As a result, the analytical content of SEA is often disappointingly low, and the assessment of impacts is still largely based on qualitative descriptions and general statements. Future research should be directed at innovating SEA methods, by promoting the use of appropriate spatially-explicit and (semi)quantitative approaches, which can be based on advances in relevant disciplines, and the increasing availability of data and technology.

scholarly journals Microplastics as an emerging hazard to terrestrial and marine ecosystems: Sources, Occurrence and Analytical Methods

2021 ◽  
Vol 265 ◽  
pp. 05003
Author(s):  
Khawla Chouchene ◽  
Mohamed Ksibi
Keyword(s):  
Health Risk ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Analytical Methods ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Health Effect ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Environmental Compartments

Microplastics (MPs) with particles lower than 5mm in size, are crucial pollution of increasing ecotoxicological concern in the environments. Lately, studies on MPs have been documented globally due to increasing awareness of the potential risks for human health and for the environment. However due to limitations of different analytical methods and environmental assessment risk, MPs distribution and biological effects are still database topics. To clarify this gap, this study brings out a wide range of scientific literature related to MPs studies in different environmental compartments as well as sediments, oceans, coastlines, uptake and the health effect. The environmental and health risk related to microplastic contamination is still unclear.

Flavor halos andconsumer perceptions offood healthfulness

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-707
Author(s):  
Nguyen Pham ◽  
Maureen Morrin ◽  
Melissa G. Bublitz
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Repeated Exposure ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Medicinal Products ◽  
Dietary Compliance ◽  
Health Goals ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
Cough Syrup

Purpose This paper aims to examine how repeated exposure to health-related products that contain flavors (e.g. cherry-flavored cough syrup) create “flavor halos” that can bias perceptions about the healthfulness of foods that contain the same flavors (e.g. cherry-flavored cheesecake). Design/methodology/approach Six experiments, using both between- and within-subjects designs, explore the effects of flavor halos in hypothetical and actual consumption settings. They test the underlying mechanism, rule out competing explanations and identify an opportunity to correct the cognitive biases created by flavor halos. Findings Flavor halos can be created via repeated exposure to flavored medicinal products in the marketplace. These flavor halos bias dieters’ judgments about the healthfulness of vice foods containing such flavors. Dieters are motivated toward a directional conclusion about food healthfulness to mediate the guilt associated with consuming indulgent products. Providing dieters with corrective information mitigates these effects. Research limitations/implications The authors examine one way flavor halos are created –via repeated exposure to flavored medicinal products. Future research should explore other ways flavor halos are created and other ways to mitigate their effects. Practical implications Considering the prevalence of obesity, organizations striving to help consumers pursue health goals (e.g. weight watchers) can use flavors to improve dietary compliance. Health-care organizations can help consumers understand and correct the cognitive biases associated with flavor halos. Originality/value By identifying flavor halos, this work adds to the literature investigating how flavors influence consumers’ judgments about healthfulness. The results suggest dieters apply flavor halos as they engage in motivated reasoning to license their indulgent desires.

scholarly journals A gold mine, but still no Klondike: Nordic register data in health inequalities research

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 618-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjetil A. Van Der Wel ◽  
Olof Östergren ◽  
Olle Lundberg ◽  
Kaarina Korhonen ◽  
Pekka Martikainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Data Access ◽  
Register Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Gold Mine ◽  
Birth Cohorts ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Processing Times ◽  
Acquisition Processes

Aims: Future research on health inequality relies on data that cover life-course exposure, different birth cohorts and variation in policy contexts. Nordic register data have long been celebrated as a ‘gold mine’ for research, and fulfil many of these criteria. However, access to and use of such data are hampered by a number of hurdles and bottlenecks. We present and discuss the experiences of an ongoing Nordic consortium from the process of acquiring register data on socio-economic conditions and health in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Methods: We compare experiences of data-acquisition processes from a researcher’s perspective in the four countries and discuss the comparability of register data and the modes of collaboration available to researchers, given the prevailing ethical and legal restrictions. Results: The application processes we experienced were time-consuming, and decision structures were often fragmented. We found substantial variation between the countries in terms of processing times, costs and the administrative burden of the researcher. Concerned agencies differed in policy and practice which influenced both how and when data were delivered. These discrepancies present a challenge to comparative research. Conclusions: We conclude that there are few signs of harmonisation, as called for by previous policy documents and research papers. Ethical vetting needs to be centralised both within and between countries in order to improve data access. Institutional factors that seem to facilitate access to register data at the national level include single storage environments for health and social data, simplified ethical vetting and user guidance.

A systematic literature review of healthcare supply chain and implications of future research

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 405-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anuj Dixit ◽  
Srikanta Routroy ◽  
Sunil Kumar Dubey
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Inventory Management ◽  
Cold Chain ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Drug Manufacturing ◽  
Customer Training

Purpose This paper aims to review the healthcare supply chain (HSC) literature along various areas and to find out the gap in it. Design/methodology/approach In total, 143 research papers were reviewed during 1996-2017. A critical review was carried out in various dimensions such as research methodologies/data collection method (empirical, case study and literature review) and inquiry mode of research methodology (qualitative, quantitative and mixed), country-specific, targeted area, research aim and year of publication. Findings Supply chain (SC) operations, performance measurement, inventory management, lean and agile operation, and use of information technology were well studied and analyzed, however, employee and customer training, tracking and visibility of medicines, cold chain management, human resource practices, risk management and waste management are felt to be important areas but not much attention were made in this direction. Research limitations/implications Mainly drug and vaccine SC were considered in current study of HSC while SC along healthcare equipment and machine, hospitality and drug manufacturing related papers were excluded in this study. Practical implications This literature review has recognized and analyzed various issues relevant to HSC and shows the direction for future research to develop an efficient and effective HSC. Originality/value The insight of various aspects of HSC was explored in general for better and deeper understanding of it for designing of an efficient and competent HSC. The outcomes of the study may form a basis to decide direction of future research.

scholarly journals Research Creativity and Productivity in Political Science: A Research Agenda for Understanding Alternative Career Paths and Attitudes Toward Professional Work in the Profession

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-83
Author(s):  
Kim Quaile Hill
Keyword(s):  
Research Productivity ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Scientific Career ◽  
Scientific Careers ◽  
Publication Success ◽  
General Scientific ◽  
Over Time

ABSTRACTA growing body of research investigates the factors that enhance the research productivity and creativity of political scientists. This work provides a foundation for future research, but it has not addressed some of the most promising causal hypotheses in the general scientific literature on this topic. This article explicates the latter hypotheses, a typology of scientific career paths that distinguishes how scientific careers vary over time with respect to creative ambitions and achievements, and a research agenda based on the preceding components for investigation of the publication success of political scientists.

scholarly journals Chitosan Adsorbent Derivatives for Pharmaceuticals Removal from Effluents: A Review

Macromol ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-154
Author(s):  
Efstathios V. Liakos ◽  
Maria Lazaridou ◽  
Georgia Michailidou ◽  
Ioanna Koumentakou ◽  
Dimitra A. Lambropoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Contaminants ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Ph Effects ◽  
Hydroxyl Groups ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Natural Polysaccharide ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Isotherm And Kinetic Models ◽  
Published Research

Chitin is mentioned as the second most abundant and important natural biopolymer in worldwide scale. The main sources for the extraction and exploitation of this natural polysaccharide polymer are crabs and shrimps. Chitosan (poly-β-(1 → 4)-2-amino-2-deoxy-d-glucose) is the most important derivative of chitin and can be used in a wide variety of applications including cosmetics, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, food, etc., giving this substance high value-added applications. Moreover, chitosan has applications in adsorption because it contains amino and hydroxyl groups in its molecules, and can thus contribute to many possible adsorption interactions between chitosan and pollutants (pharmaceuticals/drugs, metals, phenols, pesticides, etc.). However, it must be noted that one of the most important techniques of decontamination is considered to be adsorption because it is simple, low-cost, and fast. This review emphasizes on recently published research papers (2013–2021) and briefly describes the chemical modifications of chitosan (grafting, cross-linking, etc.), for the adsorption of a variety of emerging contaminants from aqueous solutions, and characterization results. Finally, tables are depicted from selected chitosan synthetic routes and the pH effects are discussed, along with the best-fitting isotherm and kinetic models.

scholarly journals Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Developmental Disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina M. Schoemaker ◽  
Suzanne Houwen
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Developmental Coordination Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Lower Hrqol

Abstract Purpose of Review (1) To give an overview of what is currently known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in three common and co-occurring developmental disorders: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and (2) to provide directions for future research. Recent Findings HRQoL is compromised in all three developmental disorders, affecting various domains of HRQoL. However, some domains are more affected than others depending on the nature of the core deficits of the disorder. Overall, parents’ rate HRQoL of their children lower than the children themselves. Children with ASD and ADHD with co-occurring disorders have lower HRQoL compared to those with singular disorders. Future studies in DCD are needed to investigate the effect of co-occurring disorder in this population. Summary Children with developmental disorders have lower HRQoL than typically developing children. Future research should focus on the effects of co-occurring disorders on HRQoL and on protective factors that may increase HRQoL. HRQoL should be a part of clinical assessment, as it reveals the areas in life children are struggling with that could be targeted during intervention.

Effectiveness of a Modified Version of Airflow Therapy

1982 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-164
Author(s):  
Glenn L. Falkowski ◽  
Arthur M. Guilford ◽  
Jack Sandler
Keyword(s):  
Success Rate ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Differential Effectiveness ◽  
History Of ◽  
One Year ◽  
Main Components

Utilizing airflow therapy, Schwartz (1976) has claimed an 89% success rate with stutterers following treatment and an 83% success rate at one year follow-up. Such claims have yet to be documented in the scientific literature. The purposes of this study were: (a) to investigate the effectiveness of a modified version of airflow therapy; (b) to examine the relative importance of its two main components—passive airflow and elongation of the first vowel spoken. The speech of two adult male stutterers with a lengthy history of stuttering, was assessed with spontaneous speaking and reading tasks. Results indicated marked improvement in both subjects' speech on the reading task was maintained at follow-up 10 weeks later. For spontaneous speech, results were generally weaker and less durable. Effects of the two treatment components were cumulative and did not allow determination of any differential effectiveness between components. Implications of these findings were considered and directions for future research discussed.

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