Quantification of pendimethalin in soil and garlic samples by microwave-assisted solvent extraction and HPLC method

A method for the residual pendimethalin in soil and vegetable samples was developed. The method is based on extraction of pendimethalin from samples using microwave-assisted solvent extraction (MASE) with acetone, ethanol, and water as extraction solvent. Extracted pendimethalin samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detector at 240 nm. The MASE parameters, temperature, heating time, and solvent types were optimized with the feasibility of MASE application in the determination of pendimethalin extraction efficiency of pendimethalin from soil and vegetable samples. The maximum temperature that can be used during the heating for MASE is 60°C, where the recovery percentages reached 97%. Linearity for pendimethalin was found in the range of 2?C20 ??g mL^???1 with limits of detection and limits of quantification of 0.059 and 0.17 ??g mL^???1, respectively.     

Evaluating repeated patient handling injuries following the implementation of a multi-factor ergonomic intervention program among health care workers

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate repeated patient handling injuries following a multi-factor ergonomic intervention program among health care workers.

Methods

This was a quasi-experimental study which had an intervention group and a non-randomized control group. Data were collected from six hospitals in Saskatchewan, Canada from September 1, 2001 to December 1, 2006.

Results

A total of 1,480 individuals who had a previous injury were eligible for the study. Medium and small size hospitals in the intervention group had significantly fewer repeated injuries than in the control group. Multivariate analysis showed that the intervention group had 38.1% lower odds of having repeated injury compared to the control group, after adjusting for hospital size.

Conclusions

The work-related repeated injury after a multi-factor intervention program was reduced. The synergistic relationships between components of multi-factor intervention and applicability of injury prevention programs to different settings need to be further explored.

Impact on Industry

Implementing a multi-factor program with the right equipment and training can lower the risk of injury among health care workers.     

Determinants of CO2 emissions: exploring the unexplored in low-income countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In thirst for economic growth, economies are engaged in anti-environmental activities that drive them towards climate change and CO2 emissions....     

Heterogeneous impacts of environmental regulation on foreign direct investment: do environmental regulation affect FDI decisions?

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The industry selection effect occurring from the impact of environmental regulation on foreign direct investment (FDI) in China is heterogeneous....     

Habitat change and biodiversity loss in South and Southeast Asian countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - South and Southeast Asia is by far the most populous region in Asia, with the greatest number of threatened species. Changes in habitat are a major...     

Effect of ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nicotine on the structure of Aβ42 protein

● B[a]P, nicotine and phenanthrene molecules altered the secondary structure of Aβ₄₂. ● β-content of the peptide was significantly enhanced in the presence of the PAHs. ● Nicotine made stable cluster with Aβ₄₂ peptide via hydrogen bonds. ● Phenanthrene due to its small size, interfered with the Aβ₄₂ monomer more strongly. Recent studies have correlated the chronic impact of ambient environmental pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, either by using statistical data from various cities, or via tracking biomarkers during in-vivo experiments. Among different neurodegenerative disorders, PAHs are known to cause increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, related to the development of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide oligomers. However, the complex molecular interactions between peptide monomers and organic pollutants remains obscured. In this work, we performed an atomistic molecular dynamics study via GROMACS to investigate the structure of Aβ₄₂ peptide monomer in the presence of benzo[a]pyrene, nicotine, and phenanthrene. Interestingly the results revealed strong hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bond based interactions between Aβ peptides and these environmental pollutants that resulted in the formation of stable intermolecular clusters. The strong interactions affected the secondary structure of the Aβ₄₂ peptide in the presence of the organic pollutants, with almost 50 % decrease in the α-helix and 2 %–10 % increase in the β-sheets of the peptide. Overall, the undergoing changes in the secondary structure of the peptide monomer in the presence of the pollutants under the study indicates an enhanced formation of Aβ peptide oligomers, and consequent progression of Alzheimer’s disease.     

Fresh evidence on connectedness between prominent markets during COVID-19 pandemic

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Various empirical studies have examined the nexus between financial markets, but this study focused on the comovement among prominent markets. Our...     

The nexus between financial development,globalization, and environmental degradation: Fresh evidence from Central and Eastern European Countries

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Global warming and greenhouse gas emissions have become a severe threat to our ecosystem. Prior studies on environment posit that ample exhaustion of...     

Developing the first halophytic turfgrasses for the urban landscape from native Arabian desert grass

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Climate change is occurring and is influencing biological systems through augmented temperatures, more inconstant precipitation, and rising CO2 in the...     

Cooperative Game Among Cities in Urban Agglomerations and Economical Sustainable Development

This paper analyses redounded profits of cooperation and non-cooperation among cities in urban agglomerations based on game theory. It discusses the problems of economical development among cities with feeble cooperation, and deduces the conclusion that only cooperation of cities produces the maximum profits and realizes Pareto efficiency for cities and urban agglomerations. The paper states that cooperation is the cornerstone of economic sustainable development in urban agglomerations in profits produced by cooperation among cities. Some suggestions to accelerate cooperation among cities are proposed.