44 research outputs found
Current standards for assessing pregnancy status before surgery are subjective and should be replaced with definitive, objective evidence
Biological and Non-Biological Methods for Lignocellulosic Biomass Deconstruction
Owing to their abundance and cost-effectiveness, lignocellulosic materials have
attracted increasing attention in clean energy technologies over the last decade.
However, the complex polymer structure in these residues makes it difficult to extract
the fermentable sugars. Therefore, various pretreatment regimes have been used
resulting in the breaking of lignocellulosesâ physical and chemical structures, thereby
enhancing the availability of the polysaccharides which are subsequently hydrolysed
into different biocommodities. This chapter provides an evaluation of some of the latest
exploited methodologies that are used in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials.
Moreover, the chapter discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each method
M-CSF in a new biomarker panel with HE4 and CA 125 in the diagnostics of epithelial ovarian cancer patients
Population-level risks of alcohol consumption by amount, geography, age, sex, and year: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2020
Background The health risks associated with moderate alcohol consumption continue to be debated. Small amounts of alcohol might lower the risk of some health outcomes but increase the risk of others, suggesting that the overall risk depends, in part, on background disease rates, which vary by region, age, sex, and year. Methods For this analysis, we constructed burden-weighted doseâresponse relative risk curves across 22 health outcomes to estimate the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL) and non-drinker equivalence (NDE), the consumption level at which the health risk is equivalent to that of a non-drinker, using disease rates from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2020 for 21 regions, including 204 countries and territories, by 5-year age group, sex, and year for individuals aged 15â95 years and older from 1990 to 2020. Based on the NDE, we quantified the population consuming harmful amounts of alcohol. Findings The burden-weighted relative risk curves for alcohol use varied by region and age. Among individuals aged 15â39 years in 2020, the TMREL varied between 0 (95% uncertainty interval 0â0) and 0·603 (0·400â1·00) standard drinks per day, and the NDE varied between 0·002 (0â0) and 1·75 (0·698â4·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals aged 40 years and older, the burden-weighted relative risk curve was J-shaped for all regions, with a 2020 TMREL that ranged from 0·114 (0â0·403) to 1·87 (0·500â3·30) standard drinks per day and an NDE that ranged between 0·193 (0â0·900) and 6·94 (3·40â8·30) standard drinks per day. Among individuals consuming harmful amounts of alcohol in 2020, 59·1% (54·3â65·4) were aged 15â39 years and 76·9% (73·0â81·3) were male. Interpretation There is strong evidence to support recommendations on alcohol consumption varying by age and location. Stronger interventions, particularly those tailored towards younger individuals, are needed to reduce the substantial global health loss attributable to alcohol. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation