The Largest Global Producers of E-Waste And the Need for Change

E-waste, short for electronic waste, is a term used to describe end-of-life electronic products. In recent years there has been a sharp rise in the demand for electronic products, and production has ramped up to meet the demand. A landslide of e-waste is being generated in tandem, exacerbated by increased global access to electronic devices, quickening innovation rates, and device obsolescence. According to projections by the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020, e-waste is the most rapidly growing domestic waste-stream in the world. Due to the hazardous nature of the components contained in many electronic products, the proper handling of e-waste disposal is imperative to protect both the environment and human health. Unfortunately, the proper recycling and disposal of e-waste can be costly, which has resulted in the dumping of e-waste onto economically disadvantaged countries. The dumping of e-waste onto countries with less means to decline it, and without the means to safely dispose of it, leads to negative ramifications for local environments and for the health of local populations. Many countries have imposed regulations attempting to address the issues presented by the global e-waste explosion. In 2018, China enacted a robust ban on solid waste imports. The 2018 ban resulted in over two hundred criminal cases and sanctions being imposed on over eight hundred companies. Although this ban proved effective in reducing the flood of e-waste into China, it revealed that nation-wide bans cannot currently resolve the issue of dumping alone. E-waste which previously would have been transported to China simply was diverted to countries with less regulation. Both China and the European Union have implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations to regulate e-waste. EPR places responsibility for the collection and proper disposal of e-waste onto the producers of electronic products. Despite an extensive and long-standing body of regulation addressing e-waste through EPR, e-waste continues to be one of the fastest growing domestic waste streams. Two methods which may better address global e-waste management are the use of the All Actors Approach and the establishment of ecocide as an international crime

Domesticated Cats as a Source of Environmental Contamination with Toxocara cati and Other Soil-Transmitted Helmminth Eggs in Urban Area, Manila-Philiphines

Toxocariasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases are the most prevalent parasitic zoonoses affecting humans and animals that cause environmental contamination.  Toxocara and other soil-transmitted helminth eggs in animal feces are the primary sources of soil-transmitted helminthiases transmission in the environment particularly in urban areas. These parasite eggs constitute a source of infection for both definitive and paratenic hosts. Avian and rodents, that can be paratenic hosts of these parasites, are a significant source of food for cats in urban settings. Stray cats and dogs also consume leftover food or receive frequent feedings from locals that increases the chance of acquiring soil-transmitted helminth infections. Despite the risks that these soil-transmitted helminths have, studies and information regarding their zoonotic potential is very limited to date. This study aimed to determine the relationship between cat feces and the environmental contamination of residential soils with Toxocara cati and other soil-transmitted helminth eggs. A total of 50 samples were collected in selected urban residences in Malate, Manila. Stool samples were processed using Formol-Ether Concentration Technique while optimized sugar flotation technique was used for the soil samples then both were subjected to microscopy. The overall infection rate was 76% and the contamination rate was 52%. Toxocara cati was the most prevalent zoonotic parasite identified in 48% of stool and 44% of soil samples followed by Ascaris spp. with 32% in stools and 16% in soil samples. Trichuris spp. with 24% and hookworm with 16% were also detected in stool samples but were absent in soil samples. The presence of Toxocara cati and Ascaris spp. eggs in feces and their environmental contamination might be accounted to their durable and highly resistant eggs as well as the as the Philippines as a tropical country which may induce optimal conditions for Toxocara spp. and other soil-transmitted helminth eggs’ development and survival. &nbsp

Vulvar dermatoses: a histopathologic review and classification of 183 cases

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113165/1/cup12541.pd

Is Melanoma a stem cell tumor? Identification of neurogenic proteins in trans-differentiated cells

BACKGROUND: Although several genes and proteins have been implicated in the development of melanomas, the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of these tumors are not well understood. To gain a better understanding of the relationship between the cell growth, tumorigenesis and differentiation, we have studied a highly malignant cat melanoma cell line that trans-differentiates into neuronal cells after exposure to a feline endogenous retrovirus RD114. METHODS: To define the repertoire of proteins responsible for the phenotypic differences between melanoma and its counterpart trans-differentiated neuronal cells we have applied proteomics technology and compared protein profiles of the two cell types and identified differentially expressed proteins by 2D-gel electrophoresis, image analyses and mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The melanoma and trans-differentiated neuronal cells could be distinguished by the presence of distinct sets of proteins in each. Although approximately 60–70% of the expressed proteins were shared between the two cell types, twelve proteins were induced de novo after infection of melanoma cells with RD114 virus in vitro. Expression of these proteins in trans-differentiated cells was significantly associated with concomitant down regulation of growth promoting proteins and up-regulation of neurogenic proteins (p = < 0.001). Based on their physiologic properties, >95% proteins expressed in trans-differentiated cells could be associated with the development, differentiation and regulation of nervous system cells. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the cat melanoma cells have the ability to differentiate into distinct neuronal cell types and they express proteins that are essential for self-renewal. Since melanocytes arise from the neural crest of the embryo, we conclude that this melanoma arose from embryonic precursor stem cells. This model system provides a unique opportunity to identify domains of interactions between the expressed proteins that halt the tumorigenic potential of melanoma cells and drive them toward neurogenerative pathways involved in early neurogenesis. A better understanding of these proteins in a well-coordinated signaling network would also help in developing novel approaches for suppression of highly malignant tumors that arise from stem-like embryonic cells

Exploring Participatory Design for Sustainable Landscape for Public Housing Neighborhoods in Singapore

Singapore’s reputation as a green city is largely achieved through political will, strong policies, and effective execution of policies. While greening Singapore for most of the past five decades can be generally described as a public-sector led approach, where citizen engagement was not necessarily the focus, in recent years the public sector is increasingly interested in engaging the community in the planning and design of public green spaces. As this is a nascent movement, there remain considerable gaps in the types, process, and efficacy of participatory design. In this paper, we describe a research project that aims to provide a sustainable landscape design framework—based on the concept of ecosystem services—through a participatory process. Our study focuses on public housing estates, locally referred to as “HDB” (Housing and Development Board) estates, which houses 80% of Singapore’s population in high-rise, high-density towns. We describe the research process, in which we include multiple stakeholders in the planning and design of HDB neighborhood landscapes. They include relevant public agencies, design professionals, residents, and NPOs/NGOs. We also discuss the lessons learned through such a process. Since a participatory approach to landscape design remains to be fully explored in Singapore, we anticipate that this research project could provide valuable insights into the adoption of participatory design in Singapore to promote a more bottom-up approach to the planning and design of public green and open spaces

Body-Mind Connectedness: Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit Group Work for Depressed Persons with Salient Somatic Disturbances

Globally, depression frequently comorbid with a variety of physical illnesses, which exert substantial mental and somatic distresses on patients. Sleep disturbance is one of the common conditions reported by individuals with either, mental or physical illnesses. Complex interaction among depression, sleep and physical illnesses highlighted the essential mind‐body connection in the planning of integrative care and other clinical services. A number of eastern mind‐body practices, such as Qigong, acupuncture and meditation, have been frequently studied indicating the efficacy of mind‐body connection in complementary therapies. This chapter will introduce the integrative body‐mind‐spirit (I‐BMS) group work, which has been found effective in addressing comorbid depressed mood and somatic afflictions, especially sleep disturbances among Hong Kong Chinese adults

Indirect Traumatic Optic Neuropathy in Mild Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury

PURPOSE. To analyze the clinical presentation and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (ITON) in veterans with chronic mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). METHODS. This retrospective study is the first to describe the OCT pattern of subclinical to mild ITON in veterans with chronic mTBI. The thicknesses of the macular ganglion cell layer (mGCL), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL), and subfoveal choroidal layer were analyzed in young veterans who had mTBI of >6 months' duration and either blunt head injury or improvised explosive device (IED) concussions. RESULTS. Three major OCT findings were demonstrated: (1) temporal pRNFL thinning was associated with subclinical TON in the eyes of chronic mTBI patients compared with controls; within mTBI subjects, nasal mGCL thinning at the 3-mm modified Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study circle diameter distance from the fovea correlated with the corresponding temporal retinal nerve fiber layer thinning; (2) inner (1 mm) superior thinning was greater than that of the temporal mGCL in blunt head injury and could potentially distinguish it from IED concussive head trauma; and (3) subfoveal choroidal thinning was significantly worse in eyes of mTBI patients compared with those of controls. CONCLUSIONS. These OCT findings may contribute to the understanding of the spectrum of visual injuries resulting from head trauma.Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute grant at University of California, San Francisco; Kuen Lau Research FoundationOpen access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

A PropertyLed Approach to Cluster Development

This article assesses inter-company networks based on a type of urban area labelled as a &apos;creative industry cluster&apos; (CCJQ) and explores the interaction between CCJQs and creative industry networks. With the use of questionnaire surveys and interviews, Shanghai&apos;s property-led clusters are found to contain inter-company networks; however, most linkages are part of companies&apos; own inter-group networks. Thus, individual companies -not clusters -drive the evolution of creative industry networks. Accordingly, three problems are identified: the exclusion of network dynamics, weak institutional basis and inadequate local creativity. Finally, this article identifies the variables of CCJQs that affect company networks and offers advice for cluster improvement