Objectively measured physical activity in European adults: cross-sectional findings from the Food4Me study

Background Comparisons of objectively measured physical activity (PA) between residents of European countries measured concurrently with the same protocol are lacking. We aimed to compare PA between the seven European countries involved in the Food4Me Study, using accelerometer data collected remotely via the Internet. Methods Of the 1607 participants recruited, 1287 (539 men and 748 women) provided at least 3 weekdays and 2 weekend days of valid accelerometer data (TracmorD) at baseline and were included in the present analyses. Results Men were significantly more active than women (physical activity level = 1.74 vs. 1.70, p < 0.001). Time spent in light PA and moderate PA differed significantly between countries but only for women. Adherence to the World Health Organization recommendation to accumulate at least 150 min of moderate-equivalent PA weekly was similar between countries for men (range: 54–65%) but differed significantly between countries for women (range: 26–49%). Prevalence estimates decreased substantially for men and women in all seven countries when PA guidelines were defined as achieving 30 min of moderate and vigorous PA per day. Conclusions We were able to obtain valid accelerometer data in real time via the Internet from 80% of participants. Although our estimates are higher compared with data from Sweden, Norway, Portugal and the US, there is room for improvement in PA for all countries involved in the Food4Me Study

Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundDisorders affecting the nervous system are diverse and include neurodevelopmental disorders, late-life neurodegeneration, and newly emergent conditions, such as cognitive impairment following COVID-19. Previous publications from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study estimated the burden of 15 neurological conditions in 2015 and 2016, but these analyses did not include neurodevelopmental disorders, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11, or a subset of cases of congenital, neonatal, and infectious conditions that cause neurological damage. Here, we estimate nervous system health loss caused by 37 unique conditions and their associated risk factors globally, regionally, and nationally from 1990 to 2021.MethodsWe estimated mortality, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs), by age and sex in 204 countries and territories, from 1990 to 2021. We included morbidity and deaths due to neurological conditions, for which health loss is directly due to damage to the CNS or peripheral nervous system. We also isolated neurological health loss from conditions for which nervous system morbidity is a consequence, but not the primary feature, including a subset of congenital conditions (ie, chromosomal anomalies and congenital birth defects), neonatal conditions (ie, jaundice, preterm birth, and sepsis), infectious diseases (ie, COVID-19, cystic echinococcosis, malaria, syphilis, and Zika virus disease), and diabetic neuropathy. By conducting a sequela-level analysis of the health outcomes for these conditions, only cases where nervous system damage occurred were included, and YLDs were recalculated to isolate the non-fatal burden directly attributable to nervous system health loss. A comorbidity correction was used to calculate total prevalence of all conditions that affect the nervous system combined.FindingsGlobally, the 37 conditions affecting the nervous system were collectively ranked as the leading group cause of DALYs in 2021 (443 million, 95% UI 378–521), affecting 3·40 billion (3·20–3·62) individuals (43·1%, 40·5–45·9 of the global population); global DALY counts attributed to these conditions increased by 18·2% (8·7–26·7) between 1990 and 2021. Age-standardised rates of deaths per 100 000 people attributed to these conditions decreased from 1990 to 2021 by 33·6% (27·6–38·8), and age-standardised rates of DALYs attributed to these conditions decreased by 27·0% (21·5–32·4). Age-standardised prevalence was almost stable, with a change of 1·5% (0·7–2·4). The ten conditions with the highest age-standardised DALYs in 2021 were stroke, neonatal encephalopathy, migraine, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, diabetic neuropathy, meningitis, epilepsy, neurological complications due to preterm birth, autism spectrum disorder, and nervous system cancer.InterpretationAs the leading cause of overall disease burden in the world, with increasing global DALY counts, effective prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies for disorders affecting the nervous system are needed

Futuristic isotope hydrology in the Gulf region

Abstract The Gulf region is one of the most water-stressed parts in the world. Water in the region is very scarce, shortage of supply and lacking of renewable water resources, while the demand for water is growing day by day. It is thus essential to implement modern approaches and technologies in addressing water-related issues. In this context, isotope hydrology will provide invaluable aid. Some of the most important areas of futuristic applications of isotope hydrology include evaluation of aquifer recharge, storage and their recovery system, understanding of dynamic changes due to long-term exploitation of the groundwater, development and management of shared groundwater aquifers, fresh groundwater discharge along the Arabian Gulf, identification and quantification of hydrocarbon contamination in groundwater; soil moisture and solute movement in unsaturated zone, paleoclimate reconstruction, etc. Literature survey suggests, in general, not many isotope studies on the above have been reported

Development and Evaluation of Mechanical Properties Glass Powder Filled Epoxy Composite

ABSTRACT: Composite materials are the class of materials which has lot of scope in the field of several engineering applications. Lot of research and study is needed in this regard to develop the composite materials as promising materials that is comparable with conventional metals. Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) has been fabricated from waste materials such as glass powder, ceramic powder, etc. An attempt has been made in this work to develop and characterize epoxy based glass powder composite by varying the glass powder in terms of weight percentage. i.e. 30%, 50% of glass powder in the epoxy matrix by compression moulding method

Pollution of water resources and application of ICP-MS techniques for monitoring and management—A comprehensive review

Different natural and anthropogenic processes cause pollution of various water bodies worldwide creating numerous health problems for humans. This causes serious concern as water is a basic necessity to all living beings, and needs to be adequately monitored and managed to prevent its contamination. If found contaminated, the water is to be cleaned using suitable water treatment methods keeping in view of WHO regulations before using it for the intended purpose (drinking, irrigation, etc.). Application of different ICP-MS techniques such as classical ICP-MS, ICP-MS/MS, ICP-TOF-MS, HR-ICP-MS, MH-ICP-MS, and MC-ICP-MS for the qualitative and quantitative determination of toxic metals, isotopes and, metal species, and effective monitoring of various other pollutants in drinking water, surface water, groundwater, industrial effluents, and water used for irrigation, aquaculture and for various industries is the focal point of this article. In general, the concentrations of major, minor, and trace element composition of water samples are influenced mainly by the bedrock geology of the point of emergence, as well as by the residence time and the depth of the aquifer. For better management of water resources, it is necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of the quality (with respect to physical, chemical, and biological) requirements, and sustainability of groundwater from a particular source. Identifying the sources of contamination, understanding the health risks associated, and the application of suitable water treatment technique(s) before it is supplied for public consumption. It is also necessary to intensify our studies on the metal species (e.g., As3+, Cr6+ and methyl mercury) in drinking water and their effects on human health, and their regulatory limits in drinking water

Isotope Hydrogeological Factors Control Transport of Radon-222 in Hard Rock Fractured Aquifer of Bangalore, Karnataka

Radon-222 is a daughter element of radium-226 and are member of the uranium decay series. Radon-222 concentrations in groundwater of Bangalore city in different geological units were measured in 42 tube wells. The study area is underlain by Granite, Migmatite, Granodiorite and Gneiss rock and many dolerite dykes. The radon-222 concentration in groundwater is widely varying and ranging from 14 to 1000 Bq/L with an average value of 172.4 Bq/L. Significant differences in the radon-222 concentrations in groundwater among geological units were observed. The radon-222 distribution in groundwater is related to the presence of uranium in aquifer materials of the various rock types. Uranium concentration in groundwater is ranging from 0.2 to 523 μg/L. Transport of radon-222 through bedrock by water depends mainly on the percolation of water through the pore and along fractured planes of the rocks. Rn-222 cannot travel farther than several hundred meters away from their origin because of its short half-life of 3.8 days. It may travel the farthest within fractured or fissured geological formation where groundwater movement is fastest. The study shows that radon concentration in groundwater is controlled by geohydrological and hydrochemical characteristics of the study area

A non-enzymatic urea sensor based on the nickel sulfide / graphene oxide modified glassy carbon electrode

Here, a non-enzymatic graphene stabilized nickel sulphide is used for electrochemical based device for detecting urea is carried out. NiS was used as electron distribution on the compound helps in selective interaction with analytes. However, since neat NiS is unstable during the interaction, stabilization of the compound is very critical. Hence, nickel sulfide/graphene oxide (NiS/GO) was synthesized via the superficial hydrothermal method. The synthesized functionalized GO nanoparticles were characterized for size, surface area, and morphology for tuning to the specific application. This compound nickel sulfide/graphene oxide was used to modify glassy carbon electrode (NiS/GO/MGCE). Detection capabilities of this modified electrode to urea in water was evaluated in both electrochemical and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) modes. Results suggests that the NiS/GO nanocomposite modified electrode exhibited a very low limit of detection and the electrode process was identified to be diffusion-controlled. In addition, selectivity, interference, long-term stability and practical applicability of the developed sensor were evaluated. Hence, the developed NiS/GO/MGCE displayed excellent electrocatalytic behaviour towards the sensing of urea with good sensitivity, selectivity, and reproducibility

Safety Technologies For High Rise Buildings With Intelligent Crack Detection

Crack detection is a difficult task in safety ensuring and structural condition monitoring. Buildings with cracks present are a usual occurrence. Development of cracks in a high-rise building is when a threshold amount of stress is exceeded. Cracks on surface can be measured and monitored by digital photogrammetric method. Cracks are detected by colour extraction method with the help of camera. In the other way, the non-cracked areas between the cracks are characterized by uniform motions and small strains which are selected by dynamic active contour method. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a recent technology which aims that making the internet more immersive and pervasive. IoT helps in real time monitoring of safety of high-rise buildings