Schroederbirch5916

The global confirmed cases of COVID-19 have surpassed 7 million with over 400,000 deaths reported. However, 20 out of 187 countries and territories have over 2 million confirmed cases alone, a situation which calls for a critical assessment. The social distancing and preventive measures instituted across countries have a link with spread containment whereas spread containment is associated with meteorological factors. Here, we examine the effect of meteorological factors on COVID-19 health outcomes. see more We develop conceptual tools with dew/frost point, temperature, disaggregate temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, precipitation and surface pressure against confirmed cases, deaths and recovery cases. Using novel panel estimation techniques, our results find strong evidence of causation between meteorological factors and COVID-19 outcomes. We report that high temperature and high relative humidity reduce the viability, stability, survival and transmission of COVID-19 whereas low temperature, wind speed, dew/frost point, precipitation and surface pressure prolong the activation and infectivity of the virus. Our study demonstrates the importance of applying social distancing and preventive measures to mitigate the global pandemic.

Exposure to heavy metals may increase risk of kidney disease, but most studies have examined individual metals or two-way interactions. There is increasing recognition of the importance of studying exposure to metal mixtures and health outcomes.

We used Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to examine associations between a mixture of four heavy metals and indicators of kidney function.

We used NHANES 2015-16 data on 1435 adults aged 40 and over to study cross-sectional associations between blood levels of four heavy metals (Co, Cr, Hg and Pb) and kidney function. Kidney function was assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and by albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), measured continuously and dichotomized into indicators of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and albuminuria, respectively. BKMR tested for non-linearity in the exposure-specific responses to evaluate dose-response relationships between mixtures and outcomes and possible interaction effects among exposures. Interactions among consociation between metal mixtures and kidney function.In Mediterranean area, Acacia melanoxylon biomass is an abundant waste material from non-native and invasive tree species control actions, requiring suitable disposal. Valorisation of such biomass residues requires its complete characterization to best approach the full potential of each plant material that could suit specific applications. This study compares mature and juvenile A. melanoxylon plant tissues (wood and bark) from two stands in different locations, regarding their chemical characteristics and organic growing media properties, such as mineral content and phytotoxicity effect for Lepidium sativum seeds. Juvenile bark (JB) showed greater total extractives (29%) extracted using solvents of increasing polarity (dichloromethane, ethanol, and water), followed by mature bark (MB) (21%). MB revealed the highest lignin content (>50%) suggesting material resistance to microbial biodegradation in horticultural applications. High barks phenolic content proved to be phytotoxic for cress seeds (null JB root index), although the toxic substances may be removed. After 1 week, ageing effect reduced MB phytototoxicity (root index > 60%) improving seed performance. Bark presented more mineral elements availability than wood. Wood high cellulose (>50%), low extractive ( less then 9%) and moderate total lignin ( less then 30%) contents can be attractive for pulp production, while bark growth medium profile may potentiate its application for horticultural uses. The future research on novel uses of A. melanoxylon plant residues can result in economic benefits that may alleviate management costs.

Exposure to transportation noise is hypothesized to contribute to anxiety, but consistent associations have not been established.

To provide a comprehensive synthesis of the literature by examining associations between traffic-related noise (i.e., road traffic noise, railway noise, aircraft noise and mixed traffic noise) and anxiety.

We systematically searched Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, PubMed, and PsycINFO for English-language observational studies published up to February 2020 reporting on the traffic noise-anxiety association. We appraised the risk of bias using an assessment tool and the quality of evidence following established guidelines. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed for pooled and separated traffic-related noise sources.

Of the 3575 studies identified, 11 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and 9 studies were appropriate for meta-analysis. For the pooled overall effect size between transport noise and anxiety, we found 9% higher odds of anxiety associated with a 10dB(A) increase in day-evening-night noise level (L

), with moderate heterogeneity (OR=1.09, 95% CI [0.97; 1.23], I

=70%). The association was more likely to be significant with more severe anxiety (OR = 1.08, 95% CI [1.01; 1.15], I

= 48%). Sub-group analysis revealed that the effects of different noise sources on anxiety were inconsistent and insignificant. The quality of evidence was rated as very low to low.

Our findings support the hypothesis of an association between traffic noise and more severe anxiety. More high-quality studies are needed to confirm associations between different noise types and anxiety, as well as to better understand underlying mechanisms.

Our findings support the hypothesis of an association between traffic noise and more severe anxiety. More high-quality studies are needed to confirm associations between different noise types and anxiety, as well as to better understand underlying mechanisms.

Exposure to ambient particulate air pollution contributes substantially to the mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), respiratory diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. Several hypothetical mechanisms have been proposed to explain these associations, particularly oxidative stress. Malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) are typical biomarkers of oxidative stress and have been frequently investigated. However, the association between exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) and these biomarkers has not been well established.

Evaluate the association between ambient particulate air pollution and biomarkers of oxidative stress based on existing epidemiological studies.

A systematic literature search was conducted in databases of Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus up to April 24, 2020 to summarize epidemiological studies reporting the association between exposure to ambient PM (PM

, PM

, or both) and biomarkers of oxidative stress, and a meta-analysis was performed for the associations reported in individual studies using a random-effect model.