Development of a Modified Screen Printed Electrode for the Determination of Heavy Metals in Water Before and After Remediation With Food Grade Pectin and Citrofortunella Microcarpa Rinds

The rapid increase in population, urbanization, and industrialization, along with inadequate water quality monitoring and wastewater management, contribute heavily to the pollution of water resources. Among the water contaminants of major concern, heavy metals are particularly considered as the most worrisome. Heavy metals tend to accumulate in the tissues of aquatic organisms (Ahmed et al., 2019; Rajeshkumar & Li, 2018; Tabrez et al., 2021) and thus increase in concentration upon moving higher up the food chain. This indicates that once humans ingest these organisms, they have a high risk of experiencing health problems as heavy metals are absorbed into their bodies, leading to the formation of diseases that can be life-threatening. Lead, for instance, can cause kidney and nervous system damage, mental retardation, and cancer (Carolin et al., 2017; Pratush et al., 2018; Vareda et al., 2019; Wani et al., 2020; Zamora-Ledesma et al., 2021). These harmful effects of heavy metals on the human body and the environment require the development of cost-effective technologies to efficiently detect and remove them from water

Missouri Among States Pursuing Fair-Chance Hiring Reforms

The United States has the appalling distinction of leading the world with its incarceration rate, which is five times that of other countries. One in thirty-five U.S. adults is under some form of correctional supervision. The result is that seventy million people—nearly one in three U.S. adults—must endure the stigma of having an arrest or conviction record. Any contact with the criminal justice system, no matter how minor, can be a modern-day scarlet letter

Silver/Bismuth/Nafion Modified Pencil Graphite Electrode for Trace Heavy Metal Determination

Frequent exposure to heavy metals can cause various health problems (Nagles Arancibia, Rojas, & Segura, 2012; Keawkim, Chuanuwatanakul, Chailapakul, & Motomizu, 2013; Xiao et al., 2014). Among the heavy metals, cadmium and lead have a great impact on biota. Cadmium can cause nephrotoxicity, and even lung cancer, when the amount of exposure to the said metal exceeds 26 µg/kg body mass on a monthly basis (Li et al., 2011; Chen et al., 2014; Aragay & Meroçi, 2012). Lead can greatly affect the nervous system (encephalopathy) and the hormones, and it can trigger some cancers at more than 0.02-3 μg/kg for adults and 0.03 to 9 μg/kg for children on a daily basis (Flora, Gupta, & Tiwari, 2012)

American Racial Justice on Trial-Again: African American Reparations, Human Rights, and the War on Terror

The essay examines the ongoing and impending African American reparations suits and frames in larger terms what may well be at stake in this forthcoming epochal trial of American Racial Justice. In particular, the essay draws linkages among African American redress claims, the United States' approach to international human rights and America's moral authority to fight its preemptive "war on Terror." Drawing upon and extending Professor Derrick Bell's interest-convergence thesis and Professor Mary Dudziak's ensuing research into the international underpinnings of Brown v. Board of Education," the essay offers insights into what the future might be, here and in the eyes of worldwide communities, depending on what choices we in America make about African American justice claims and human rights

Atribuciones del mantenimiento de la relación de pareja a largo plazo en hombres de Lima Metropolitana

Las relaciones de pareja reflejan diversas experiencias y desafíos en conjunto. Se rigen por una serie de principios, dentro de los cuales, se encuentra el mantenimiento. El mantenimiento de la relación de pareja a largo plazo y, en específico, a qué se atribuye ha sido un fenómeno poco abordado por la comunidad científica. A esto se añade que, según la literatura, los hombres adultos consideran a sus cónyuges o parejas como figuras principales de apoyo y conexión emocional, lo que evidencia el valor significativo de la relación de pareja para ellos. Además, culturalmente ellos se encuentran inmersos en la masculinidad y sus estereotipos, por lo cual, resulta oportuno conocer su perspectiva acerca del mantenimiento de su relación de pareja a largo plazo, desde una mirada lejana de prejuicios, y con apertura. De este modo, el presente estudio con metodología cualitativa buscó conocer a qué atribuyen los hombres el mantenimiento de su relación de pareja a largo plazo en Lima Metropolitana. Así, participaron 7 hombres adultos de los niveles socioeconómicos C y D que tenían al menos 20 años de relación de pareja estable. Entre los hallazgos se encontraron el amor, la admiración, la comprensión, la confianza, entre otros, lo cual corrobora estudios previos. La principal atribución hallada fue el amor. Finalmente, se recomienda realizar nuevas investigaciones a nivel nacional, a fin de escudriñar la influencia de aspectos culturales como la masculinidad. También, se sugiere la posibilidad de diseñar intervenciones enfocadas en relaciones de pareja duraderas y saludablesCouple relationships reflect diverse experiences and challenges together. They are governed by a series of principles, among which is maintenance. The maintenance of the long-term relationship and, specifically, what it is attributed to has been a phenomenon little addressed by the scientific community. To this must be added that, according to the literature, adult men consider their spouses or partners as main figures of support and emotional connection, which shows the significant value of the couple relationship for them. In addition, culturally they are immersed in masculinity and its stereotypes, therefore, it is appropriate to know their perspective on maintaining their long-term relationship, from a distant view of prejudices and with openness. In this way, the present study with qualitative methodology sought to know what men attribute to the maintenance of their long-term relationship in Metropolitan Lima. Thus, 7 adult men from socioeconomic levels C and D who had at least 20 years of stable relationship participated. Among the findings are love, admiration, understanding, trust, among others, which corroborates previous studies. The main attribution found is love. Finally, it is recommended to carry out new research at the national level, in order to scrutinize the influence of cultural aspects such as masculinity. Also, the possibility of designing interventions focused on lasting and healthy couple relationships is suggested

Putting People at the Center: The Role of Lived Experience in Dismantling Collateral Consequences Caused by Incarceration

These are the slides for the webinar "Putting People at the Center: The Role of Lived Experience in Dismantling Collateral Consequences Caused by Incarceration" held August 1, 2017. The goal of this webinar was to acknowledge that policy and systems change is most authentic and impactful when it surfaces and is driven from lived experience. It also explored the ways in which organizations partner with and learn from people most impacted in their decision making and processes driving policy change in criminal justice reforms related to employment, housing, and other collateral consequences of incarceration.The group of panelists included Marlon Chamberlain with FORCE Organizer at the Community Renewal Society, Glenn E. Martin from JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), Michelle Natividad Rodriguezfrom the National Employment Law Project (NELP), and Quintin Williams with Heartland Alliance

Challenges of providing biochemistry results in a patient with Evans syndrome

Highlights A case report of in vivo hemolysis in patient with Evans syndrome is described Hemolysis disrupts biochemistry analysis, yielding unreliable results A laboratory designed algorithm ensures results with interpretative comments Close communication between the laboratory and the clinical team is essential A case report of in vivo hemolysis in a female patient with Evans syndrome is described. The patient was admitted with anemia and jaundice and, during her 26-day hospital admission, had 83 samples taken for biochemistry analyses. The laboratory hemolytic index (HI) was frequently elevated due to persistent complement-mediated in vivo hemolysis despite multiple lines of therapy. Initially, the release of many biochemical parameters was blocked per the manufacturer´s recommendations and reported as “sample hemolyzed”. The patient developed severe acute kidney injury, ultimately requiring dialysis. Automated and timely reporting of indicative creatinine and other biochemical results in the context of ongoing hemolysis, therefore, became essential to patient care. Following a review of literature from various sources, a laboratory algorithm was designed to ensure the timely release of numerical biochemical values, where possible, with appropriate interpretative comments appended. Biochemistry, hematology, and nephrology teams were in regular communication to ensure patient samples were rapidly identified, analyzed and validated according to the algorithm, informing timely, safe and appropriate patient care. Ultimately, the patient died due to multiple disease- and treatment-related complications. In conjunction with clinical users, laboratories should plan for situations, such as in vivo hemolysis, where significant unavoidable interferences in biochemistry methodologies may occur in an ongoing manner for certain patients. Reporting categorical or best-estimate biochemistry results in such cases can be safer for patients than failing to report any results. Interpretation of these results by clinical teams requires input from appropriately trained and qualified laboratory personnel

The long and winding road to postsecondary education for U.S. veterans with invisible injuries

Objective: Veterans with “invisible injuries” (a mental health diagnosis or a traumatic brain injury) often pursue higher education to enhance employment and community reintegration, but frequently experience challenges to success. This mixed methods study examined how the educational experiences of Veterans with invisible injuries become intertwined with broader transitions between military and civilian life and the resulting implications for rehabilitation services. Method: Thirty-eight veterans with mental illness or a traumatic brain injury who served in a post-9/11 conflict and attended a post-secondary institution within the past 60 months completed in-depth interviews and questionnaires. We used a constant comparative approach to analyze barriers and facilitators to educational functioning and community reintegration. Results. Managing school-specific challenges, coping with mental and physical health problems, forming a new sense of self, and forging new career pathways were major factors influencing education experiences and reintegration. Participants discussed the challenges of balancing these processes while progressing toward an academic degree, which often resulted in a longer, non-linear educational pathway. While some participants attempted to “compartmentalize” educational goals, separate from health and family concerns, these aims were inevitably interlaced. In addition, multiple and longer military deployments tended to lengthen the time to degree completion. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: Many Veterans with invisible injuries face complex challenges stemming from military experiences, the family dynamics to which they return, and reintegration issues that demand novel forms of resilience. Collaboration between university staff and health practitioners may be important in enhancing support for student Veterans coping with invisible disabilities

Dose assessment intercomparisons within the RENEB network using G0-lymphocyte prematurely condensed chromosomes (PCC assay)

Purpose: Dose assessment intercomparisons within the RENEB network were performed for triage biodosimetry analyzing G0-lymphocyte PCC for harmonization, standardization and optimization of the PCC assay. Materials and methods: Comparative analysis among different partners for dose assessment included shipment of PCC-slides and captured images to construct dose-response curves for up to 6 Gy c-rays. Accident simulation exercises were performed to assess the suitability of the PCC assay by detecting speed of analysis and minimum number of cells required for categorization of potentially exposed individuals. Results: Calibration data based on Giemsa-stained fragments in excess of 46 PCC were obtained by different partners using galleries of PCC images for each dose-point. Mean values derived from all scores yielded a linear dose-response with approximately 4 excess-fragments/cell/Gy. To unify scoring criteria, exercises were carried out using coded PCC-slides and/or coded irradiated blood samples. Analysis of samples received 24 h post-exposure was successfully performed using Giemsa staining (1 excess-fragment/cell/Gy) or centromere/telomere FISH-staining for dicentrics. Conclusions: Dose assessments by RENEB partners using appropriate calibration curves were mostly in good agreement. The PCC assay is quick and reliable for whole- or partial-body triage biodosimetry by scoring excess-fragments or dicentrics in G0-lymphocytes. Particularly, analysis of Giemsa-stained excess PCC-fragments is simple, inexpensive and its automation could increase throughput and scoring objectivity of the PCC assay

RENEB accident simulation exercise

Purpose: The RENEB accident exercise was carried out in order to train the RENEB participants in coordinating and managing potentially large data sets that would be generated in case of a major radiological event. Materials and methods: Each participant was offered the possibility to activate the network by sending an alerting email about a simulated radiation emergency. The same participant had to collect, compile and report capacity, triage categorization and exposure scenario results obtained from all other participants. The exercise was performed over 27 weeks and involved the network consisting of 28 institutes: 21 RENEB members, four candidates and three non-RENEB partners. Results: The duration of a single exercise never exceeded 10 days, while the response from the assisting laboratories never came later than within half a day. During each week of the exercise, around 4500 samples were reported by all service laboratories (SL) to be examined and 54 scenarios were coherently estimated by all laboratories (the standard deviation from the mean of all SL answers for a given scenario category and a set of data was not larger than 3 patient codes). Conclusions: Each participant received training in both the role of a reference laboratory (activating the network) and of a service laboratory (responding to an activation request). The procedures in the case of radiological event were successfully established and tested