tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75686866244618097702024-03-17T02:15:50.013-07:00Environmental HealthAurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-59131246048024114312024-02-18T09:40:00.000-08:002024-02-18T11:46:07.442-08:00The Ubiquitous Journey of Propylene Oxide<p>While Propylene Oxide (PO) may not be as infamous as some chemicals, its widespread use in industrial and consumer applications has made it a constant presence in our environment. Industries that rely on PO include those producing polyurethane polyols, propylene glycol, and fumigants.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68OMUcznZ4_sttMFK1FtC6FbwOtlPiCcEpRiIC5QcIuoSK3IB-sPYtbU8B7aZwAOzDoVBWaab9VXXX6_-3BFHAAf5dx2UE1iTElgSPfBTOEK71c3ts6Mc2M4ubZXo1bV6z2MFHTlPiQ3AyfpPxmYxHclolhSnk3y84b1eButn2uPs5-nvn5Pd-hkGPoU/s1088/poBLG.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1077" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68OMUcznZ4_sttMFK1FtC6FbwOtlPiCcEpRiIC5QcIuoSK3IB-sPYtbU8B7aZwAOzDoVBWaab9VXXX6_-3BFHAAf5dx2UE1iTElgSPfBTOEK71c3ts6Mc2M4ubZXo1bV6z2MFHTlPiQ3AyfpPxmYxHclolhSnk3y84b1eButn2uPs5-nvn5Pd-hkGPoU/s320/poBLG.png" width="317" /></a></div><p>The <a href="https://apnews.com/press-release/business-wire/business-north-america-industrial-chemicals-manufacturing-greater-china-covid-19-pandemic-599aac76e27a4b3eb250cb25dd90d2a3">global market for Propylene Oxide</a> estimated at $14.4 billion in 2020, is projected to reach $18.8 billion by 2027. Additionally, traffic emissions contribute to ambient levels of propylene, the precursor of PO, further underscoring its ubiquitous nature.</p><p>Recent research has revealed that many chemicals, including PO, leave more significant marks on the human body than previously thought. A new study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found chlormequat, a lesser-known pesticide, in 80% of people tested. Chlormequat chloride, used increasingly on grain crops in North America, has been linked to reduced fertility and developmental harm at doses lower than regulatory agencies' allowable daily intake levels. The study reported a significant increase in chlormequat concentrations in urine samples collected in 2023 compared to previous years.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.15.24302622v1">recent systematic review</a> published on MedrXiv, titled "Biological Factors Influencing Individual Responses to Propylene Oxide," sheds light on the complex interplay between environmental exposures, genetic makeup, and individual susceptibility concerning PO levels in the human body. This review highlights the growing public health significance of propylene oxide beyond occupational exposure.</p><p>The study emphasizes the importance of considering individual variability in response to PO exposure, influenced by factors such as sex, dietary preferences, genetics, and physiology. It focuses on several genes (<a href="https://olfactics.aurametrix.com/2023/11/cytochromes-p450-and-world-of-volatile.html">CYPs</a>, mEH, GSTT1, GSTM1, <a href="https://olfactics.aurametrix.com/search/label/FMO3">FMO3</a>, ADH, ALDH, GDHt) and microbes (including opportunistic pathogens, neutral or even beneficial bacteria) that could be relevant to PO metabolism reactivation and elimination from the body.</p><p>PO, primarily encountered through inhalation in occupational settings, poses potential health risks due to its genotoxic effects on DNA. The metabolism of PO primarily occurs through glutathione conjugation and epoxide hydrolase-mediated hydration, with interspecies differences noted. Furthermore, the human microbiome's role in PO metabolism highlights the complexity of individual responses, while environmental factors and seasonal variations further modulate PO's impact.</p><p>This comprehensive review stresses the limitations in our abilities to maintain and continuously update living reviews and indexing. It also emphasizes the importance of advancing AI capabilities in literature reviews to capture nuanced, indirect evidence more effectively. While AI tools like Elicit and Perplexity show promise, challenges persist in processing longer segments of information and ensuring consistency across platforms.</p><p>Moving forward, the development of specialized AI architectures tailored for systematic reviews is imperative. By enhancing AI tools strategically, we can navigate the complexities of scientific literature more effectively, enabling better summarization and addressing unanswered questions in environmental health research. This study paves the way for targeted research and technological innovation, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach to understanding individual responses to environmental chemicals like PO.</p><p><br /></p><p>REFERENCES</p><p>Gabashvili, IS. <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.15.24302622v1">Biological Factors Influencing Individual Responses to Propylene Oxide: A Systematic Review</a> medRxiv 2024.02.15.24302622; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.02.15.24302622</p><p>Temkin, A.M., Evans, S., Spyropoulos, D.D. et al. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-024-00643-4">A pilot study of chlormequat in food and urine from adults in the United States from 2017 to 2023.</a> J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-024-00643-4</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Open-Source Project: </span><a href="https://osf.io/w7682/" style="background-color: white; color: #2288bb; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;">OSF | Biological Factors that Influence Individual Responses to Environmental Epoxides</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/W7682</span></p>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-75178531197075487372023-12-04T10:00:00.000-08:002023-12-05T12:42:23.852-08:00The Hidden Dangers of Your Morning Hair Routine<p>The air we breathe can carry hidden risks that warrant our attention and action.</p><p>Recent research from Purdue University has shed light on a surprising health concern that arises from one of the most common morning rituals: hair care. In a detailed study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the researchers reveal how the use of hair care products (HCPs) leads to the inhalation of significant amounts of potentially harmful chemicals.</p><p>Chemical compounds such as decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5 siloxane), are favored in the industry for their properties such as low surface tension, inertness, and their ability to provide a smooth texture to hair products. However, the research highlights their darker side.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pubs.acs.org/cms/10.1021/acs.est.3c05156/asset/images/medium/es3c05156_0005.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="500" height="278" src="https://pubs.acs.org/cms/10.1021/acs.est.3c05156/asset/images/medium/es3c05156_0005.gif" width="500" /></a></div><p>The Purdue University team discovered that during a typical hair care session, a person can inhale between 1 to 17 milligrams of these chemicals. This exposure is alarming, given the potential health risks associated with these compounds. In laboratory animals, D5 siloxane has shown adverse effects on the respiratory tract, liver, and nervous system. Its impact on human health over the long term, however, remains largely unexplored. The study also revealed that the application of high heat, as is common with hair straighteners and curling irons, significantly increases chemical emissions. At temperatures around 210 degrees Celsius, emissions can increase by 50% to 310%.</p><p>The inhalation of other products from hair care products - such as monoterpenes and propylene glycol could also have health implications.</p><p>Real-time siloxane measurements via proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to measure VOCs in the air. Siloxane-based HCPs were tested using common hair styling techniques, including straightening, curling, waving, and oiling. </p><p>The implications of this study go beyond personal health. These airborne chemicals don't just stay confined to our bathrooms; they spread throughout the house and even outside, contributing to urban air pollution. This finding is especially significant in densely populated areas where many people using similar products could significantly impact air quality.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>REFERENCE</p><p>Jiang J, Ding X, Patra SS, Cross JN, Huang C, Kumar V, Price P, Reidy EK, Tasoglou A, Huber H, Stevens PS, Boor BE, Jung N. <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c05156">Siloxane Emissions and Exposures during the Use of Hair Care Products in Buildings.</a> Environ Sci Technol. 2023 Nov 16. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05156. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37971371.</p><p><br /></p>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-86706873047428522172023-09-12T16:48:00.001-07:002024-02-25T05:28:58.696-08:00Holocene: Leading the Charge for Sustainable Carbon Reduction<p>Over 4.5 billion years ago, the Earth formed, initially enveloped in an atmosphere rich in hydrogen, helium, and water vapor. As the planet cooled, the water vapor condensed to form oceans, leaving behind an atmosphere composed of gases including CO2, nitrogen, and methane. Around 4.4 billion years ago, the Earth's molten surface solidified to form the first crust, marking the end of the planet's early molten state.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyg9xKvFZafNwllv9RKMiRKktC0qo1qbGAcJQgPBByRYSPZ2HIkbT_N1aJiSXrXuhXJlgBmSfIo442kTfIHeudbZ_cZakK9LfGh1bw0b_8n3FfICwGiuukUbEHIIqyt9TkjS2M-Y_nusFOzKBMmAPQYdlWhsrVSpAKgtH7O2xSruuBAN1p5lD3PeSgfOs/s1156/co2.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="1156" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyg9xKvFZafNwllv9RKMiRKktC0qo1qbGAcJQgPBByRYSPZ2HIkbT_N1aJiSXrXuhXJlgBmSfIo442kTfIHeudbZ_cZakK9LfGh1bw0b_8n3FfICwGiuukUbEHIIqyt9TkjS2M-Y_nusFOzKBMmAPQYdlWhsrVSpAKgtH7O2xSruuBAN1p5lD3PeSgfOs/w400-h174/co2.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>During the initial million years post its formation, the Earth's atmosphere might have contained CO2 concentrations as high as 10,000 ppm, primarily because there were no life forms to absorb CO2 through photosynthesis. Around 4.3 to 4.4 billion years ago, the Earth had cooled sufficiently for water to condense and form oceans, as evidenced by zircon crystals from that period.</p><p>Life began to emerge between 3.5 and 3.7 billion years ago, with the earliest direct evidence being fossilized bacteria from this time. This suggests that conditions conducive to life had existed for hundreds of millions of years before the first life forms appeared. The early atmosphere was dominated by gases such as water vapor, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen, with a notable absence of oxygen.</p><p>In the first few hundred million years, CO2 levels were exceedingly high, possibly over 5000 ppm, due to extensive volcanic outgassing and minimal absorption by rocks and emerging life forms. Around 2.7 billion years ago, the advent of cyanobacteria, capable of photosynthesis, began to gradually reduce CO2 levels. By the end of the Archean eon, approximately 2.5 billion years ago, CO2 levels had potentially decreased to about 4000 ppm, a hundred times the present levels. During the early Proterozoic era, the CO2 concentration remained between 10 and 100 times higher than today's levels.</p><p>As life continued to evolve, the decline in CO2 levels accelerated, with plants and algae playing a significant role in this reduction through the process of photosynthesis, where they consumed CO2 to produce oxygen and food, releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere. Between 600 and 400 million years ago, the Earth experienced another phase of extremely high CO2 concentrations, exceeding 6000 ppm. This period, characterized by a warmer climate, saw the flourishing of primitive plant life forms that thrived in the carbon-rich environment.</p><p>Around 50 million years ago, during the Eocene epoch, the Earth experienced a significant decline in atmospheric CO2 levels. This period is known for a series of drastic changes in the Earth's climate and environment. The movement of Earth's plates led to the uplift of mountain ranges, which increased weathering rates when CO2 was consumed from the air and converted into carbonate rocks. The spread of grasslands increased the rate of weathering of continental rocks. A reduction in volcanic activity and increased carbon sequestration in the deep sea, as well as the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet as well as spread of new types of phytoplankton could have also contributed. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwf-4H-MBvUsSfDa6RHnWZOnUA6_wbiEI9JtI95ILeIHpkGDoXvTAwdQOdfl5KMdcgAstFCdsjQyilKFd9dgy5ehOes8XMXhS6XK5LA6yCTXweHuSpQKZrj8XCKM2CzvUKyDyq0kcGbCa9_SMNa-15kZijL2Y9BZyzf5Oklemfw0OkdKULBBj6R3xS4g/s1280/antropocene.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwf-4H-MBvUsSfDa6RHnWZOnUA6_wbiEI9JtI95ILeIHpkGDoXvTAwdQOdfl5KMdcgAstFCdsjQyilKFd9dgy5ehOes8XMXhS6XK5LA6yCTXweHuSpQKZrj8XCKM2CzvUKyDyq0kcGbCa9_SMNa-15kZijL2Y9BZyzf5Oklemfw0OkdKULBBj6R3xS4g/s320/antropocene.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>The decline in CO2 levels during this period is associated with a general cooling trend, which eventually led to the ice ages of the more recent geological past. It's a complex interplay of geological, biological, and climatic factors that contributed to the dramatic fall in CO2 levels during this period.</p><p>The Holocene epoch, which began around 11,700 years ago and continues to the present day, is often characterized by relative climatic stability and prosperity, especially when compared to the fluctuating climates of the preceding Pleistocene epoch. The stable climate of the Holocene facilitated the rise of ancient civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, the Indus Valley Civilization, and others. These civilizations were able to develop complex societies, with advancements in technology, art, and architecture. The Holocene has also been a period of rich biodiversity, with a wide variety of flora and fauna flourishing in various ecosystems around the world. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S1383586623013060-ga1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="245" height="200" src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S1383586623013060-ga1.jpg" width="245" /></a></div><p>While the debate continues regarding our entry into a potentially less stable epoch known as the Anthropocene, there is a concerted human effort to address the escalating levels of CO2 in the atmosphere through innovative technologies.</p><p>Direct Air Capture (DAC) stands as a pivotal technology in the array of Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) aimed at mitigating the escalating levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. This technology encompasses various systems including absorption and adsorption methods, which are currently the most mature and extensively researched approaches. These systems function by capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere, either storing it to reduce long-term environmental impact or utilizing it in other chemical processes, thereby fostering a human-controlled carbon cycle. However, the nascent stage of this technology presents a spectrum of costs and energy consumption values, necessitating further research and development to enhance efficiency and economic viability. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as thermal and electrical energy consumption, operational and capital expenditures, and environmental impact serve as critical metrics in evaluating and advancing DAC technologies. As the scientific community and industries strive to refine these technologies, the focus remains on optimizing various factors including the energy required for regeneration, the binding affinity of sorbents and solvents to CO2, and the design of air contactors. </p><p>In this evolving landscape, the <a href="https://www.theholocene.co/">Holocene company</a> emerges as an important player, contributing towards achieving global climate goals.</p><p>Holocene is a startup based in Knoxville that is focused on developing and building plants capable of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The company has licensed a sustainable chemistry developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the air. This technology utilizes a water-based, low-temperature process that employs an aqueous solution containing Bis-iminoguanidine (BIGs) receptors to absorb CO2, which then transforms into an insoluble crystalline salt that can be easily separated from the solution.</p><p>In the ever-evolving sphere of climate technology, accolades and recognitions serve as testament to the relentless efforts and innovations that companies bring to the fore. The Holocene company, despite not clinching the top spot at <a href="https://www.innov865.com/event/startup-day-2023/">today's Innov865 annual pitch competition</a>, managed to leave a lasting impression with their compelling and well-articulated pitch. Their technology, already a recipient of the prestigious R&D 100 Award, stands out in the quest to curb carbon emissions, promising a cleaner, greener tomorrow for generations to come.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>REFERENCES</p><p>James W.B. Rae, Yi Ge Zhang, Xiaoqing Liu, Gavin L. Foster, Heather M. Stoll, Ross D.M. Atmospheric CO2 over the Past 66 Million Years from Marine Archives. Whiteford Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 2021 49:1, 609-641</p><p>Leonzio G, Fennell PS, Shah N. Analysis of technologies for carbon dioxide capture from the air. Applied Sciences. 2022 Aug 19;12(16):8321.</p><p>Kasturi A, Jang GG, Akin AD, Jackson A, Jun J, Stamberga D, Custelcean R, Sholl DS, Yiacoumi S, Tsouris C. An effective air–liquid contactor for CO2 direct air capture using aqueous solvents. Separation and Purification Technology. 2023 Nov 1;324:124398.</p><p>bigideaknox.com</p><p>https://knoxec.com/what-we-do/programs/wtbi/</p>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-10594524873292848002023-08-01T10:01:00.004-07:002023-08-01T10:50:44.860-07:00Hemoglobin Adducts and Other Biomarkers for Assessing Chemical Exposure<p>Hemoglobin adducts have long been a focus of study in the field of environmental exposure, with growing research revealing their importance as biomarkers for internal exposure to chemicals. </p><p>Hemoglobin (Hb) adducts are formed when specific chemicals react with hemoglobin or other proteins, leading to compounds known as adducts. These adducts can be measured, making them invaluable for understanding whether a person has been exposed to particular chemicals, such as glycidol, acrylamide, and glucose.</p><p>Exposure to chemicals that bond with the N-terminal valine of Hb, like glycidol, acrylamide, can affect the formation of individual Hb adducts. This has been analyzed using in vitro and in vivo systems, showing that simultaneous exposure, factors such as glucose, serum albumin, and other chemicals could alter adduct formation. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArBBb0wn48aCcoSDwECEq8f4vbNzOifMTnBxWkz2OTrTucQoMo8BdelRJZYrAAgQvtLqvBFO1y9_STql2EgobP-KJmfHvLOlllXKFeE_7Ydry5ByroHrxXlpnWm5wZJK_m4IAUvk1Az3N_lwm24mQ8CgTjOGUiVxPhHVsFiWClEJWnd2aJGl6wRRz4cE/s853/PO-metabolites.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="853" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArBBb0wn48aCcoSDwECEq8f4vbNzOifMTnBxWkz2OTrTucQoMo8BdelRJZYrAAgQvtLqvBFO1y9_STql2EgobP-KJmfHvLOlllXKFeE_7Ydry5ByroHrxXlpnWm5wZJK_m4IAUvk1Az3N_lwm24mQ8CgTjOGUiVxPhHVsFiWClEJWnd2aJGl6wRRz4cE/s320/PO-metabolites.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>Hemoglobin adducts of substances like butadiene, ethylene oxide, acrylamide, and acrylonitrile have significant advantages, and in some cases, they are more useful than other types of biomarkers. Hemoglobin adducts from acrylamide, for example, have been associated with a higher risk of mortality and cardiovascular diseases in humans.</p><p>In certain industries, like the production of surfactants for the textile industry, the levels of specific adducts can provide valuable insights into occupational exposure.</p><p>Lifestyle choices also pay a role. A study revealed correlations between smoking habits and adduct levels, showing how personal choices might impact the formation of these adducts. Yet, while there was a strong correlation with the number of cigarettes smoked daily, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026974912301134X">high levels of Hb adducts</a> in nonsmoking workers suggested potential exposure from other sources such as food and drinks. </p><p>While hemoglobin adducts offer a promising way to assess exposure to various chemicals, other methods like measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath or measuring urinary byproducts of metabolism also exist. </p><p>Urinary metabolites, like 2-HPMA for propylene oxide exposure, reflect a shorter window of exposure. These metabolites are excreted in the urine, and their concentration can provide insight into exposure over a time frame that generally spans up to 24 hours. The exact window may vary depending on the specific compound, metabolism, and excretion rates. Factors like testing methodology, exposure level and duration, diet and hydration, age, gender, kidney function, and overall health can influence how quickly substances are metabolized and excreted.</p><p>While Hemoglobin Adducts provide integrated exposure information over several months (reflecting exposure over the life span of red blood cells, typically 120 days) and are suitable for assessing exposure to a wide range of chemicals, not only those in the air, VOCs offer real-time exposure information and are less complicated by the simultaneous exposure to other chemicals - although cumulative effects play a role too. </p><p><br /></p><p>REFERENCES</p><p>Schettgen T, Broding HC, Angerer J, Drexler H. Hemoglobin adducts of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, acrylonitrile and acrylamide–biomarkers in occupational and environmental medicine. Toxicology letters. 2002 Aug 5;134(1-3):65-70.</p><p>Schettgen T, Müller J, Fromme H, Angerer J. Simultaneous quantification of haemoglobin adducts of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, acrylonitrile, acrylamide and glycidamide in human blood by isotope-dilution GC/NCI-MS/MS. Journal of Chromatography B. 2010 Oct 1;878(27):2467-73.</p><p>Schettgen T, Müller J, Ferstl C, Angerer J, Göen T, Hartwig A, MAK Commission. Haemoglobin adducts of ethylene oxide (N-(2-hydroxyethyl)valine), propylene oxide (N-(2-hydroxypropyl)valine), acrylonitrile (N-(2-cyanoethyl)valine), acrylamide (N-(2-carbonamide ethyl)valine) and glycidamide (N-(2-hydroxy-2-carbonamide ethyl)valine) [Biomonitoring Methods, 2015] The MAK-Collection for Occupational Health and Safety 2017, 1 (1) (2016), pp. 473-506, 10.1002/3527600418.bi7521e2115</p><p>Shimamura Y, Okuda A, Ichikawa K, Inagaki R, Ito S, Honda H, Masuda S. Factors influencing the formation of chemical–hemoglobin adducts. Toxics. 2021 Dec 21;10(1):2.</p><p>Zhao FC, Li X, Wang YX, Zhou SJ, Lu Y. Relationship between acrylamide and glycidamide hemoglobin adduct levels and osteoarthritis: a NHANES analysis. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2023 May 22:1-1.</p><p>Dos Santos LD, de Souza TL, da Silva GI, de Mello MF, de Oliveira JM, Romano MA, Romano RM. Prepubertal oral exposure to relevant doses of acrylamide impairs the testicular antioxidant system in adulthood, increasing protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation. Environmental Pollution. 2023 Jul 4:122132.</p><p>Project: <a href="https://osf.io/w7682/">OSF | Biological Factors that Influence Individual Responses to Environmental Epoxides</a> DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/W7682</p>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-22419310711157081962023-06-07T06:27:00.003-07:002023-06-08T13:42:34.180-07:00The Power of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology<p>Wastewater surveillance is a valuable tool for monitoring public health and detecting infectious diseases. It plays a crucial role in understanding the interconnection between human activities, public health, and environmental well-being. Wastewater contains a wide range of pollutants, including pathogens, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics, which can pose risks to both human and environmental health. As the field progresses, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36333-8?utm_medium=external_display&utm_source=stork&utm_content=email&utm_term=null&utm_campaign=CONR_JRNLS_AWA1_CN_CNPL_0034V_STKRE">innovative methodologies</a> are continuously being developed, providing advancements in time and cost efficiency for analysis. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrGeUj3EKUe61u484uakwbHQSr322XUmSm9NiBWgQdF7xrWDR28I8tGKtVqPKJ9RaSeIi4v766IE0bs4p3WWnn2JFwiJE5POGoE3eaxWZJwqxlYd24EGyo56G5h22YbmAgDu70wBtO-H7PcZ9ir126zYVW1rPalRvAHzM7mAVpoifAx0ED-jRE8TX/s1024/wbe.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrGeUj3EKUe61u484uakwbHQSr322XUmSm9NiBWgQdF7xrWDR28I8tGKtVqPKJ9RaSeIi4v766IE0bs4p3WWnn2JFwiJE5POGoE3eaxWZJwqxlYd24EGyo56G5h22YbmAgDu70wBtO-H7PcZ9ir126zYVW1rPalRvAHzM7mAVpoifAx0ED-jRE8TX/s320/wbe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">by author, with ChatGPT & Bing image Creator</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) emerged in 2001 as a method to monitor drug abuse, and it has since evolved to include various technological advancements in substance detection, providing near real-time and unbiased insights to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395923001135">prevent future drug epidemics</a>. The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a renewed interest in WBE and highlighted the link between wastewater and population health. The UC Merced <a href="https://www.covid19wbec.org/covidpoops19">COVIDpoops dashboard</a> and the <a href="https://biobot.io/">Biobot</a> Network of Wastewater Treatment Plants are examples of global initiatives monitoring <a href="https://biobot.io/data/">SARS-CoV-2</a> RNA and <a href="https://biobot.io/data/mpox">monkey pox virus</a> DNA in wastewater, with data generated from numerous sites and representing millions of people. </p><p>Wastewater surveillance is a rapidly advancing field with immense potential for enhancing public health, disease prevention, and response to future health crises. By analyzing wastewater, we can gain valuable insights into the health of communities and effectively monitor infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and illicit drug consumption.</p><p>WBE has proven to be a valuable tool in detecting various substances and environmental factors in our communities. Beyond its most known applications in monitoring illicit drugs, COVID-19 and enteric viruses, WBE has expanded to encompass the detection of various pharmaceuticals, dietary biomarkers, and environmental contaminants such as metals. By providing a holistic understanding of a city's metabolism, WBE contributes to our knowledge of population health and environmental well-being. As we continue to harness the power of WBE, it is crucial to consider environmental justice and equity when determining the locations for monitoring. With continued advancements and broader implementation, WBE holds the potential to revolutionize public health, enhance environmental monitoring, and promote a more sustainable and equitable future.</p><p><br /></p><div id="as0015" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div><p id="p0085" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;">REFERENCES</p><p id="p0085" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, Times New Roman, STIXGeneral, Cambria Math, Arial, Helvetica, Lucida Sans Unicode, Microsoft Sans Serif, Segoe UI Symbol, Arial Unicode MS, serif;">Cheng, Q., Chunhong, Z. & Qianglin, L. Development and application of random forest regression soft sensor model for treating domestic wastewater in a sequencing batch reactor. Sci Rep 13, 9149 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36333-8</span></p><p id="p0085" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, Times New Roman, STIXGeneral, Cambria Math, Arial, Helvetica, Lucida Sans Unicode, Microsoft Sans Serif, Segoe UI Symbol, Arial Unicode MS, serif;">Demian S. Barcellos, Carlos E.R. Barquilha, Pâmela E. Oliveira, Mario Prokopiuk, Ramiro G. Etchepare, </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif;">How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted wastewater-based epidemiology?, </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif;">Science of The Total Environment, </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif;">Volume 892, </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif;">2023, </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif;">164561, </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif;">ISSN 0048-9697, </span><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif;">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164561.</span></p><p id="p0085" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, Times New Roman, STIXGeneral, Cambria Math, Arial, Helvetica, Lucida Sans Unicode, Microsoft Sans Serif, Segoe UI Symbol, Arial Unicode MS, serif;">Gitter A, Oghuan J, Godbole AR, Chavarria CA, Monserrat C, Hu T, Wang Y, Maresso AW, Hanson BM, Mena KD and Wu F (2023), Not a waste: Wastewater surveillance to enhance public health. Front. Chem. Eng. 4:1112876. https://doi.org/10.3389/fceng.2022.1112876</span></p><p id="p0085" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, Times New Roman, STIXGeneral, Cambria Math, Arial, Helvetica, Lucida Sans Unicode, Microsoft Sans Serif, Segoe UI Symbol, Arial Unicode MS, serif;">Rhodes T, Lancaster K. Early warnings and slow deaths: a sociology of outbreak and overdose. International Journal of Drug Policy. 2023 Jul 1;117:104065.</span></p><p id="p0085" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, Times New Roman, STIXGeneral, Cambria Math, Arial, Helvetica, Lucida Sans Unicode, Microsoft Sans Serif, Segoe UI Symbol, Arial Unicode MS, serif;">Naughton CC, Roman Jr FA, Alvarado AG, Tariqi AQ, Deeming MA, Kadonsky KF, Bibby K, Bivins A, Medema G, Ahmed W, Katsivelis P. Show us the data: global COVID-19 wastewater monitoring efforts, equity, and gaps. FEMS Microbes. 2023;4:xtad003.</span></p></div><p style="color: #2e2e2e; font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 16px;"></p></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-58692593645944878652023-01-20T16:56:00.000-08:002023-01-20T16:56:17.081-08:00Participatory Environmental Health Research<p>The field of environmental health is facing <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-013702">increasingly complex challenges</a> that require innovative approaches to research and decision-making. One promising strategy is to expand the participation of the community, which has the potential to enhance the effectiveness and relevance of health sciences. Although this approach is relatively new in the field of environmental health, it has a long history of success in other scientific disciplines such as ornithology, where citizen science initiatives like bird counts have been taking place for over a century, and geography where land use surveys were carried out by school children in Britain in the 1930s and 1940s. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqFVWPTIM-OsguuVntVCSiognJMkn5M6_Egj57bt88DBHtOQTrA9jmSHTp6fkOO1MbTatofnVLHMQGl6mc7YiH7kIKHT2XW7o-YFrVapyhph2zxbSWOiniIkBXfICNjshDtacDhK-csGzF1Za1XZkf2QuVQO9xYdUGhQ0HEcDl7bcRqiCxi2Qi2L4/s1067/sensorscr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1051" data-original-width="1067" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqFVWPTIM-OsguuVntVCSiognJMkn5M6_Egj57bt88DBHtOQTrA9jmSHTp6fkOO1MbTatofnVLHMQGl6mc7YiH7kIKHT2XW7o-YFrVapyhph2zxbSWOiniIkBXfICNjshDtacDhK-csGzF1Za1XZkf2QuVQO9xYdUGhQ0HEcDl7bcRqiCxi2Qi2L4/s320/sensorscr.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><a href="https://incrowdables.blogspot.com/2023/01/active-and-passive-crowdsourcing-in.html">Crowdsourcing</a> could achieve in months what would take years through conventional research approaches. Passive <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-013702">Citizen science</a> and digital <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurjcn/article/21/3/287/6507662">citizen panels</a> speed up research by increasing the numbers of participants and data points, making data collection more cost-effective and efficient, and by improving the engagement and participation of community members. “Extreme” citizen science and <a href="https://aurametrix.blogspot.com/2023/01/quantified-self-from-sousveillance-to.html">quantified-self</a> approaches would go even further to involve the public in co-creation, co-design, data analysis, interpretation, and, ultimately, public health actions. Awareness to stay fit and healthy and the use of fitness trackers continues to rise, especially among a growing aging population with disposable income to burn, but this <a href="https://incrowdable.blogspot.com/2023/01/collaborative-economy-and-innocentive.html">hasn't yet resulted in the rise of Collaboratory Health Research</a>. </p><p>Crowdsourced online information has been used for tracking the spread of biological contaminants and infectious diseases <a href="https://environment.aurametrix.com/2012/05/more-apps-less-flu.html">for several years</a> now. While games like Flu-City, and Big Tech- or government-supported programs like <a href="https://healthmap.org/">HealthMap</a>, <a href="https://info.flutracking.net/">FluTracking</a>, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/participatory-science/examples-participatory-science-projects-supported-epa#w1">EPA</a> maps, many other apps ceased to exist. Sickweather, launched in 2011 reached an audience of 10 million daily active users during the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, <a href="https://technical.ly/startups/sickweather-bankruptcy/">filed for bankruptcy in 2022.</a> Apparently their "NoPeek” privacy solution wasn't sufficient for gaining citizens’ trust and engagement. </p><p>Despite the early promise of passive crowdsourcing, it often struggles with accuracy issues. For example, Google Flu Trends (launched in 2008 and used aggregated search query data, initially claiming 97% accuracy when compared to CDC data) was <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1248506">criticized</a> for not being able to predict the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and overestimating influenza-like activity in the United States during the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/494155a">2012–2013</a> flu season. Web-based crowdsourcing was used to digitize geospatial information on thousands of public drinking water service areas in California.</p><p>Controlled community-team-based studies (active crowdsourcing) also report <a href="https://formative.jmir.org/2022/11/e41914">larger numbers for disease incidence and side effects of drugs</a> (adverse event preventing from daily activities). This, however, is not an overestimate - and it is in line with recent findings of <a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2023/01/vaccine-induced-myocarditis-and.html">circulating unbound spike protein</a> after COVID-19 vaccination. </p><p>Communities are better able to provide key ground-truthed information. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1491">People's perception</a> of environmental health hazards may not be consistently associated with their health outcomes since their health vulnerabilities vary, depending on the age, gender and other variables. Citizen scientists can, however, operate sensors to collect more objective and accurate data - continuously and in real-time. In our community-based studies, these were <a href="https://derma.jmir.org/2020/1/e10508/">gut microbiome</a>, <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/19005223v1">urine</a>, <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/19005223v1">blood</a>, environmental and exhaled <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.01.25.21250101v1">air samples</a>. The development of portable air monitors, sensing platforms for detection of various inorganic, organic, and biological analytes and <a href="https://www.withings.com/us/en/u-scan">home urine labs</a> has made it possible to track changes in environmental health on a global scale. While there are limitations to sensor technology in terms of sensitivity and selectivity, they continue to evolve along with participatory health approaches and have the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the impact of the environment on human health.</p><p><br /></p><p>REFERENCES</p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Jeanjean M, Dron J, Allen BL, Gramaglia C, Austruy A, Lees J, Ferrier Y, Periot M, Dotson MP, Chamaret P, Cohen AK. Participatory environmental health research: A tool to explore the socio-exposome in a major european industrial zone. Environmental Research. 2023 Feb 1;218:114865.</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Gabashvili IS </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://formative.jmir.org/2022/11/e41914">The Incidence and Effect of Adverse Events Due to COVID-19 Vaccines on Breakthrough Infections: Decentralized Observational Study With Underrepresented Groups</a> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">JMIR Form Res 2022;6(11):e41914 </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">doi: 10.2196/41914 </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">PMID: 36309347 </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">PMCID: 9640199</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Gabashvili IS </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://derma.jmir.org/2020/1/e10508/">Cutaneous Bacteria in the Gut Microbiome as Biomarkers of Systemic Malodor and People Are Allergic to Me (PATM) Conditions: Insights From a Virtually Conducted Clinical Trial</a> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">JMIR Dermatol 2020;3(1):e10508 </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">doi: 10.2196/10508</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Siira E, Wolf A. Are digital citizen panels an innovative, deliberative approach to cardiovascular research? Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2022 Apr 9;21(3):287-291. doi: 10.1093/eurjcn/zvab132. PMID: 35030241.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">English PB, Richardson MJ, Garzón-Galvis C. From crowdsourcing to extreme citizen science: participatory research for environmental health. Annual review of public health. 2018 Apr 1;39:335-50.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Liu Y, Kwan MP, Kan Z. Inconsistent Association between Perceived Air Quality and Self-Reported Respiratory Symptoms: A Pilot Study and Implications for Environmental Health Studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023 Jan 13;20(2):1491.</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Gabashvili IS. </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Effects of diet, activities, environmental exposures and trimethylamine metabolism on alveolar breath compounds: protocol for a retrospective case-cohort observational study </span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">medRxiv 2021.01.25.21250101; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.25.21250101</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Khizar S, Zine N, Jaffrezic-Renault N, Elaissari A, Errachid A. Prospective analytical role of sensors for environmental screening and monitoring. TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry. 2022 Aug 3:116751.</span></span></p>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-78352196503264857232022-12-19T16:17:00.003-08:002024-03-03T17:28:57.064-08:00The Environmental Health Benefits of Self-Cleaning HousesIn today's fast-paced world, it seems that we are constantly fighting against the pull of entropy, trying to keep our built environments free of unwanted matter: dust and dirt, mold and other substances that may pose a risk to the health and well-being.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkY_0wazVvrS8LtivAPcwdJCC0WzNawTPA95RDm8UMBCe33aVMPqmp8jpNk7o6LeZqPVjf9y-5C_OyAfPGxx1hH0mpoF8kwZOlvmZOWfojr92gsS9l9OPDGUvXkGcY_ggXl5M9HiL0kyA/s1600/jetsons-color-61.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="400" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkY_0wazVvrS8LtivAPcwdJCC0WzNawTPA95RDm8UMBCe33aVMPqmp8jpNk7o6LeZqPVjf9y-5C_OyAfPGxx1hH0mpoF8kwZOlvmZOWfojr92gsS9l9OPDGUvXkGcY_ggXl5M9HiL0kyA/s320/jetsons-color-61.jpg" width="320" /></a>In the 19th century, Oscar Wilde famously stated, "We live, I regret to say, in an age of surfaces." - generating pollution, unwanted microorganisms and allergens. As automation becomes increasingly prevalent in our lives, it's easy to wonder why some maintenance tasks are still performed by human workers. Despite the proliferation of "smart" technologies, many of the futuristic features we were promised in model homes and prototypes have yet to become a reality. From 3D printers for disposable dinner plates to virtual girlfriends that can cook and clean, it seems that we are still waiting for the advanced home technologies predicted in science-fiction. In the past, we have seen many interesting ideas such as Frances Gabe's self-cleaning home in Oregon and the rounded corners proposed by Buckminster Fuller and Peter and Alison Smithson to improve cleaning. </div><div><br /><div>Frances Gabe, known for her innovative approach to housework in the 1980s, wanted to make housework extinct. As a busy mother of two, she grew tired of the never-ending cycle of cleaning and built a self-cleaning house that used sprinklers and drying machines to channel water into drains that led outside.
Gabe received a lot of attention and notoriety during the heyday of her self-cleaning house, but later faded from the public eye. She was known to be a bit of a recluse and had a reputation for being "difficult," according to some friends and neighbors. Despite her innovative approach to housework, Gabe's life ended rather anonymously, having divorced and outlived her two children.
Unfortunately, an earthquake in 2001 severely damaged the technology in the self-cleaning house and it is now used as a "wintering habitat for honeybee colonies and campground for traveling cyclists" by its current owner. </div><div><br /></div><div>While Gabe's self-cleaning house may have been ahead of its time, today we are seeing more and more innovations in home cleaning technology, such as automatic vacuum cleaners and self-cleaning toilets. The latter technology can reduce the risk of cross-contamination and the need for harsh chemicals.<div><br /></div><div>As Sigmund Freud suggested, our jokes often reveal our unconscious desires, and this may explain why the idea of a self-cleaning car was such a hit when Subaru introduced it as an April Fool's joke in 2013. The "Carbon electric paint" technology was supposed to use ambient air and a surge of electricity to clean the car's exterior. It seemed that people wanted the self-cleaning feature even more than self-driving.</div><div><br /></div><div>According to a survey conducted by the American Cleaning Institute in 2018, the average American spends approximately six hours per week cleaning their home, with over a quarter of respondents spending over seven hours straightening up. Despite this effort, many of us still wonder if we are cleaning enough and if we are doing it correctly. Our most regularly cleaned fixtures are toilets and floors, and our most dreaded cleaning tasks are typically cleaning the bathroom, followed by kitchen cleaning, dusting, mopping, and doing the laundry. </div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn8.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/23233315/800px-France_in_XXI_Century._Electric_scrubbing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="800" height="202" src="https://cdn8.openculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/23233315/800px-France_in_XXI_Century._Electric_scrubbing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future <a href="https://www.openculture.com/2024/02/how-french-artists-in-1899-envisioned-what-life-would-look-like-in-the-year-2000.html">envisioned in 1899</a></td></tr></tbody></table>But while some fictional homes, like those in Back to the Future and Blade Runner, have been able to incorporate robots and automated features to assist with tasks like feeding pets and preparing meals, it seems that we are still far from achieving a truly self-sufficient home.
Perhaps the closest we have come to realizing some of these futuristic home technologies is through the use of smart home assistants, like speakers that can turn on lights or set up a virtual card table for a weekly game of bridge. While these technologies are certainly convenient, they are still a far cry from the kind of self-sustaining homes that we were promised in the past. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As technology continues to advance, it is likely that we will see "smarter" or even "living" houses. Researchers are working on developing robots that can perform tasks like laundry and dishwashing, and there are even companies exploring the use of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214785322021162">drones</a> for tasks like roof inspections and window cleaning. It will be interesting to see how these technologies evolve and how they can be used to make our lives easier in the future. Maybe one day we'll even be able to leave behind no-longer needed cleaning tools for good.</div><div><br /></div><div>================================</div><div><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="background-color: #f7f7f8; color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">IG: Special thanks to <a href="https://openai.com/">OpenAI</a>'s Assistant for their help with organizing my old notes and writing this article.</span></div><div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><div class="mod" data-attrid="ss:/webfacts:profess" data-hveid="CAsQBg" data-md="1001" data-ved="2ahUKEwjNkb2RuZDnAhVrkeAKHUdaCy4QkCkoAzADegQICxAG" lang="en-US" style="background-color: white; clear: none; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 16px;"><div class="Z1hOCe">
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</div></div><p></p></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-25828742584077693732022-09-21T16:09:00.009-07:002022-09-22T05:33:54.386-07:00Designing food environment to improve behavior<p><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span face=""Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif">Breaking a bad habit takes a lot of willpower. </span><span>The environment - <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/friends-family-may-play-role-obesity">family, significant others, friends</a>, coworkers, classmates, neighbors, personal physician, <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/spirituality-religion-linked-heart-health-among-black-americans">religiosity/spirituality</a>, media - can provide support or serve as a barrier to changing behavior</span><span>. </span></span></span></p><p><span><span face=""Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span face=""Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://cdn.thisiswhyimbroke.com/images/wearable-nutrition-tracking-device-bitbite.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="601" height="229" src="https://cdn.thisiswhyimbroke.com/images/wearable-nutrition-tracking-device-bitbite.jpg" width="275" /></a></span></span></span></div><span><span face=""Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://environment.aurametrix.com/2021/02/the-eating-environment.html" style="background-color: transparent;">The eating environment</a> is central to one's health since it can influence not only individual's weight—for good or for bad, but also put them at risk for the development of many diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. </span></span></span><div><span><span face=""Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span><span face=""Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.13356">Recent review</a> analyzed 357 studies focused on <span face=""Open Sans", icomoon, sans-serif" style="color: #1c1d1e;">the digital and physical food environments. The dimensions studied were (1) </span>Food availability, (2)<div>Food prices; (3) Vendor and product properties <span style="white-space: pre;">(</span>in terms of nutritional composition, overall quality, level of processing, etc., (4) Marketing and regulation<span style="white-space: pre;">; (5) </span>Food accessibility<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>(referring to individual access in terms of physical distance to shops, time, modes of transportation and daily mobility); (6) Affordability<span style="white-space: pre;">; (7) </span>Convenience<span style="white-space: pre;"> and, finally, (8) </span>Desirability. </div></span></span></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><div>Most studies focused on this topic, followed by research on vendors and their marketing strategies (especially unhealthy food marketing to children), although cumulatively there was more emphasis on external than on personal domain.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.healthcareitnews.com/sites/hitn/files/Lose_weight_now%20kate%20freedman%20hitn.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="712" height="180" src="https://www.healthcareitnews.com/sites/hitn/files/Lose_weight_now%20kate%20freedman%20hitn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #1c1d1e;">One systematic review</span><span style="color: #1c1d1e;"> (</span><span style="color: #222222;">Rounsefell</span><span style="color: #222222;"> et al, 2020</span><span style="color: #1c1d1e;">) </span><span style="color: #1c1d1e;">indicated that digital food environment was, indeed, influencing eating patterns - for example, when peers or celebrities posted idealized images). Food-related posts on social media also influenced satiety, by amplifying feelings of hunger and neglect of satiety clues. </span><span style="color: #1c1d1e;">Digitalization has the potential to increase food availability and may even provide less expensive options to specific products but is still adding </span><span style="color: #1c1d1e;">a new cost to buying food, in the form of delivery fees. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Public health interventions achieve medium-sized influences on food behavior in children and almost negligible in adolescents. M</span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: inherit;">obile apps might be effective, but the most effective behavior change technique is yet to be found. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goal setting, problem solving, periodic goal/outcome reviews and feedback, self-monitoring of behavior, social support, information about health consequences, and behavior practice/rehearsal could all be effective to some extent. But </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: inherit;">the use of smartphone weight loss apps is </span><a href="https://jmir.org/2022/9/e40141" style="font-family: inherit;">still not sufficient</a><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: inherit;"> to produce clinically meaningful health outcomes.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: black;">Behavioral interventions </span>encourage people to act, but the actions are controlled by the individual. ~25% of individuals are influenced by existing wearable and mobile app solutions, but 75% need something better. <span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: inherit;">Personalized combination of interventions, individual psychology and activity environment along with a better integration of human element are needed for designing successful digital interventions to improve health-related behavior. </span></div><div><br /></div></span></span><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">REFERENCES</span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Vargas‐Garcia EJ, Evans CE, Prestwich A, Sykes‐Muskett BJ, Hooson J, Cade JE. Interventions to reduce consumption of sugar‐sweetened beverages or increase water intake: evidence from a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Obesity Reviews. 2017 Nov;18(11):1350-63.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Rounsefell K, Gibson S, McLean S, Blair M, Molenaar A, Brennan L, Truby H, McCaffrey TA. Social media, body image and food choices in healthy young adults: A mixed methods systematic review. Nutrition & Dietetics. 2020 Feb;77(1):19-40.</span></p><p><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #222222;">Al Zuhaibi K, McCullough F, Salter AM. Effectiveness of health and fitness smartphone applications to improve dietary habits and physical activity in Omani adults. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2017;76(OCE2).</span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a;"><span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a254c;">Chew HSJ<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">,</span></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a254c;"> Koh WL<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">,</span></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a254c;"> Ng JSHY<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">,</span></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a254c;"> Tan KK </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a254c;">Sustainability of Weight Loss Through Smartphone Apps: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on Anthropometric, Metabolic, and Dietary Outcomes </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a254c;">J Med Internet Res 2022;24(9):e40141 </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a254c;">doi: <span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a aria-label="DOI number 10.2196/40141" data-test="article-doi" href="https://doi.org/10.2196/40141" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e70c2; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">10.2196/40141</a> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a254c;">PMID:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a254c;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1a254c;"><a aria-label="PMID 36129739" data-test="article-pmid" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36129739" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e70c2; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">36129739</a></span></span></p></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-7634533032138706712022-02-01T17:54:00.006-08:002022-09-21T16:22:08.382-07:00Who Benefits the Least from the COVID-19 VaccinesFactors associated with inadequate vaccine responses in patients with breakthrough infections are still not fully understood. Studies show that genes, environment (such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935121015620">air pollution</a>), and gene-environmental interactions all influence Coronavirus disease. Less research has been done for the vaccines. <div><br /></div><div>An earlier study [Boyarsky et al, 2021] found that 46% of transplant patients had no antibody response after two doses of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Several <a href="http://new.aurametrix.com">medical case reports</a> about fatal breakthrough infections listed <a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2022/01/a-fulminant-reversible-cerebrovascular.html">chronic migraine</a>, <a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2022/01/a-fatal-case-of-covid-19-breakthrough.html">obesity</a>, <a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2021/12/clinical-characteristics-and-outcomes.html">autoimmune conditions</a>, <a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2021/12/brain-death-in-vaccinated-patient-with.html">diabetes, atrial fibrillation</a>, myeloma (with <a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2021/12/fatal-breakthrough-infection-after-anti.html">anti-BCMA CAR-T therapy</a>), <span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1d1e; font-size: 16px;">arterial hypertension and </span><a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2021/12/fatal-covid-19-breakthrough-case.html">old age</a> among pre-existing conditions. Some fatal breakthroughs, however, had no apparent underlying causes. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35016912/">new study</a> used real-world data to evaluate risk factors of impaired antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in individuals with chronic medical conditions evaluated in a respiratory specialty clinic.
The percentage of patients without antibodies detected was as follows:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCYx85IXnMRvw17k9ZJVExIeaEMdRcY4SE6vffstLZdZvRxdS_EHlOt718GrWI3MHKnY5ouaILfebO59ygbVHJQ6yOdxOs_DfZ0I1RzWeUeqHCkxglHrcdf5cZwbOpBhhdlG8xJaPW-kebV8dOqwGJS248xBiZhoWtwZ7LnyZhUahFj-OiWV3QkJb-=s554" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="554" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCYx85IXnMRvw17k9ZJVExIeaEMdRcY4SE6vffstLZdZvRxdS_EHlOt718GrWI3MHKnY5ouaILfebO59ygbVHJQ6yOdxOs_DfZ0I1RzWeUeqHCkxglHrcdf5cZwbOpBhhdlG8xJaPW-kebV8dOqwGJS248xBiZhoWtwZ7LnyZhUahFj-OiWV3QkJb-=w320-h238" width="320" /></a></div><br />- 14% in asthma </div><div>- 15% in COPD</div><div>- 19% in Sarcoidosis</div><div>- 36% in Interstitial lung diseases</div><div>- 37% in Rheumatic diseases</div><div>- 48% in Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). </div><div><br /></div><div>More than a fifth of patients with chronic medical conditions may still have insufficient levels of antibodies to fight COVID-19 even after a second mRNA vaccine dose. Interstitial lung disease and congestive heart failure are two independent risk factors for low antibody response to COVID vaccination. These patients tended to be older — between 65 and 95 years old with a median age of 80.5 — and had preexisting comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. A subset of patients was also on immunosuppressive drugs that may affect vaccine efficacy. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Anther study that analyzed fatal breakthrough cases came with the f<a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2022/01/risk-factors-for-severe-covid-19.html">ollowing risk order</a>: Overweight/Obesity; Chronic cardiac disease; Diabetes mellitus, Chronic neurologic disease; Chronic kidney disease; Chronic liver disease; Chronic pulmonary disease; Immunosupression. <a href="https://new.aurametrix.com/2022/03/vaccine-effectiveness-pregnancy.html"> Pregnancy </a>was shown to double the risk of breakthrough infection. </div><div><br /></div><div>Note that the mean age of study population was 62 years and the individuals received two doses of mRNA vaccines. Newer study shows that <a href="https://agemetrix.blogspot.com/2022/09/advanced-age-is-associated-with-risk-of.html">advanced age</a> is one of major risk factors of fatal breakthrough COVID-19 even after an additional booster dose. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>CDC data, sourced from more than two dozen states, shows that between April and June, a total of 77,000 breakthrough cases and 1,500 breakthrough deaths were recorded, compared to more than 1.74 million breakthrough cases and 15,000 deaths recorded between July and the first week of November. It is unclear exactly how many of these people had also been boosted. As of October 12, 2021, there have been at least 31,895 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections who were hospitalized or died in the United States. </div><div><br /></div><div><p><br /></p><p>REFERENCES</p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Boyarsky BJ, Werbel WA, Avery RK, Tobian AA, Massie AB, Segev DL, Garonzik-Wang JM. Antibody response to 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine series in solid organ transplant recipients. Jama. 2021 Jun 1;325(21):2204-6.
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Juthani PV, Gupta A, Borges KA, Price CC, Lee AI, Won CH, Chun HJ. Hospitalisation among vaccine breakthrough COVID-19 infections. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 2021 Nov 1;21(11):1485-6.
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Shu-Yi Liao et al, Impaired SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine antibody response in chronic medical conditions: a real-world analysis, Chest (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2021.12.654
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</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-70599888340627169782022-01-01T18:27:00.003-08:002022-01-02T17:35:44.510-08:00Evolution of Viruses<p><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">All living beings are constantly adapting and evolving in many different ways. Genetic evolution happens because mutations - wrong building blocks of DNA - are randomly introduced during the copying and repair of genetic material. Not all mutations are meaningful, but those that affect cellular processes or lead to amino acid changes, can change the organism’s fitness - the ability to replicate and transmit and strive in different environments. Evolution can also happen through recombination. It is much faster than one nucleotide at a time and </span><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - first identified in 2019 - is especially <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/plenty-of-evidence-for-recombination-in-sars-cov-2-69156">good in using this</a> mechanism. </span></p><p></p><p><a href="https://media.nature.com/lw800/magazine-assets/d41586-021-03619-8/d41586-021-03619-8_19936928.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="400" height="800" src="https://media.nature.com/lw800/magazine-assets/d41586-021-03619-8/d41586-021-03619-8_19936928.png" width="400" /></a></p><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;"> The original SARS-CoV-2 progressively disappeared in subsequent waves of mutated variants. </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">Single nucleotide mutations started to arise and were circulating in other sequences months before <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwj9vXxogrKzAEofhHKrsNPwx_Nxln074a61i0P5sIohjWksIBi-laa2SyKyTikvM5mJ9VYzN8y_1kTSSDRQ2zAKhq7hQI2IPXjJrvUrPw8hgUASqRhvxWlgnw3hOQT99TIowiCKY2MltVpnUzDnpmTUG567hrP7DYkz8uGhji5aFztn0z968jSgTv=s1104">new variants</a> of concern - such as alpha - B.1.1.7 - took off, likely due to recombination events.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">The Omicron - B.1.1.529 - likely picked genetic material from the common cold virus in a SARS-CoV-2 infected individual. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">How SARS-CoV-2 will evolve from here is uncertain. The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is
fostered by asymptomatic and other types of unrecognized cases. This variety combined with mounting immunity could reduce pathogenicity. But recombination between Delta and Omicron is not out of the question and this could create a super variant.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #fcfcfc; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;">Will the world find better ways to monitor and prevent infections? Perhaps. Scientists proposed many approaches such as testing wastewater and sampling air in public spaces. Another interesting approach is a voice analysis that could discriminate between positive COVID-19 patients, recovered COVID-19 patients and healthy individuals. Further studies will validate this and other screening technologies for effective surveillance and prevention of threats to public health.</span></p><p><br /></p><p>REFERENCES</p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Freer G, Lai M, Quaranta P, Spezia PG, Pistello M. Evolution of viruses and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants. The new Microbiologica. 2021 Dec 19;44(4). [<a href="http://www.newmicrobiologica.org/PUB/allegati_pdf/AOP/496N259.pdf">preprint</a>]</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Focosi D, Maggi F, Franchini M, McConnell S, Casadevall A. Analysis of Immune Escape Variants from Antibody-Based Therapeutics against COVID-19: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022;23(1):29.</span></p><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Robotti C, Costantini G, Saggio G, Cesarini V, Calastri A, Maiorano E, Piloni D, Perrone T, Sabatini U, Ferretti VV, Cassaniti I. Machine learning-based voice assessment for the detection of positive and recovered COVID-19 patients. Journal of Voice. 2021 Nov 26.</span></span></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-30887998524236408322021-09-07T10:15:00.005-07:002021-09-07T11:19:36.132-07:00A Fresh Air Look at Ventilation<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span><span style="background-color: white;">Environmental factors contribute to the spread of microorganisms causing diseases. Sunlight can kill viruses in minutes, while increased air pollution could be one of the risk factors of more severe outcomes. </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">Humidity</span><span style="background-color: white;"> is also </span><span style="background-color: white;">thought to be important. A team of scientists from Northeast US analyzed COVID-19 cases from 2669 counties </span><span style="background-color: white;">and found that cold and dry weather and low levels of ultraviolet radiation are moderately associated with increased SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility, with humidity playing the largest role. </span><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.01em; word-spacing: 0.05em;">17.5% of the virus’ reproductive number was attributable to meteorological factors, with temperature accounted for 3.73%, humidity accounted for 9.35%, and UV radiation for 4.44%. </span></span><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.01em; word-spacing: 0.05em;">This is in line with earlier </span></span><span style="font-family: times;">findings about SARS-CoV-2 being less stable at higher humidity and warmer temperatures in human nasal mucus and sputum. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times; letter-spacing: -0.01em; word-spacing: 0.05em;">Like in previous environmental studies, however, these fractions were not the same everywhere and were higher in northern counties. </span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; letter-spacing: -0.01em; text-align: center; word-spacing: 0.05em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibz7GHrMdxT-HrXLCPHqQ2xt3x81CXHd3altXqQ4A6QCXCVG0xVE6Vdpn5TMym0kaBv801CVOGKKkyDCPemuZ-fHTIdCHxUP1DO9nmFmG6s29owG6kmB-QqgyRQkvrJqXDNWTgTN0epzc/s662/Vent.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="362" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibz7GHrMdxT-HrXLCPHqQ2xt3x81CXHd3altXqQ4A6QCXCVG0xVE6Vdpn5TMym0kaBv801CVOGKKkyDCPemuZ-fHTIdCHxUP1DO9nmFmG6s29owG6kmB-QqgyRQkvrJqXDNWTgTN0epzc/s320/Vent.png" width="175" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: -0.01em; word-spacing: 0.05em;">20 years ago, American scientists </span><span style="background-color: transparent; letter-spacing: -0.16px; word-spacing: 0.8px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Wells and Riley developed a model of the airborne transmission of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and measles. A novel modified version of this model was used to estimate the impact of relative humidity on the removal of respiratory droplets containing infectious virus particles. </span></span><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The results showed that this impact depended on the ventilation rate and the size range of virus-laden droplets. It was concluded that increasing the ventilation rate is more beneficial, while installing and running humidifiers may not be an efficient solution to reduce the risk of COVID-19 disease in indoor spaces. </span><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;">A popular metric for airflow is </span><span style="font-family: times;">Air Changes per Hour (ACH, also called Air Change Rate). It </span><span style="font-family: times;">tells how many times the air within a space can be replaced with fresh air </span><span style="font-family: times;">each hour. </span><span style="font-family: times;">Increasing the ventilation rate from 0.5 ACH to 6 ACH was predicted to decrease the infection risk by half. Studies of US houses and apartments found typical ACH values between 0.5 and 2.0 (with open windows). 4.0 ACH is the minimum air exchange rate acceptable for commercial buildings, but 1.5 ACH is the reality for most schools. Opening a car window raises ACH to 6. Natural ventilation combined with novel technologies could help to increase fresh air intake with minimal energy cost.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: times;">Virus clouds can, indeed, be dispersed with some fresh, clean air. But </span></span><span style="font-family: times;">fresh air isn’t going to stop the spread of microorganisms in high-density crowds. Effective ventilation is only one of</span><span style="font-family: times;"> basic infection control strategies
along with hand/environmental hygiene, social distancing, case surveillance and other evidence-based measures. </span></span></div><div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Roboto, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">REFERENCES</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Aganovic A, Bi Y, Cao G, Drangsholt F, Kurnitski J, Wargocki P. Estimating the impact of indoor relative humidity on SARS-CoV-2 airborne transmission risk using a new modification of the Wells-Riley model. Building and environment. 2021 Aug 23:108278.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Ma Y, Pei S, Shaman J, Dubrow R, Chen K. Role of meteorological factors in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States. Nature Communications. 2021 Jun 14;12(1):1-9.</span></span></p></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-64766649576379193802021-03-20T17:50:00.005-07:002022-02-18T16:09:16.792-08:00Anaphylaxis to COVID-19 vaccinies<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Anaphylaxis - severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction - can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to allergens. Multiple cases of anaphylaxis have been described for COVID-19 vaccines. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mnoncology.com/images/uploads/Covid-19-Vaccine-development-e1599531596297.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="181" src="https://mnoncology.com/images/uploads/Covid-19-Vaccine-development-e1599531596297.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">For the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7002e1.htm">twenty-one anaphylaxis cases</a> (a rate of 11.1 per million doses administered, later updated as <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2021-02/28-03-01/05-covid-Shimabukuro.pdf">4.7/million</a> from 28-million-datapoints), were documented in the US after receipt of the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine during December 14–23, 2020. 17 of those had a documented history of allergies or allergic reactions, seven of whom had a history of anaphylaxis. 71% of them occurred within 15 min following the first dose of BioNTech vaccine. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Anaphylactic shock to Pfizer vaccine happened in those with history of anaphylaxis to other vaccines (rabies and influenza A(H1N1) vaccine), drugs (prochlorperazine, antibiotics, sulfa drugs), venom (jellyfish sting) or nuts. Out of 21, 4 were allergic to sulfa drugs, 2 were allergic to nuts.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Moderna COVID-19 vaccine caused much fewer anaphylactic episodes (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2021-02/28-03-01/05-covid-Shimabukuro.pdf">2.5 anaphylaxis cases per million doses administered</a> for 27 million datapoints), but there were similarities with Pfizer cases. Out of </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7842812/" style="font-size: large;">10 cases described in MMWR</a><span style="font-size: medium;">, 4 had Penicillin allergy (like 1 Pfizer case). Also, in common were allergies to sulfa drugs and azithromycin. A Kansas woman who <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/2022/02/09/jeanie-evans-kansas-autopsy-died-allergic-reaction-covid-vaccine-anaphylaxis/6709782001/">died 2nd day after</a> experiencing anaphylactic reaction to her first Moderna shot, previously had an allergic reaction to Albuterol, a drug used to treat wheezing and shortness of breath.</span></div><div><p><a href="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S1939455121000119-fx1.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Turner et al, 2021" border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="756" height="231" src="https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S1939455121000119-fx1.jpg" title="Turner et al, 2021" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;">The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine contains lipid nanoparticles one of which is “pegylated” (Polyethylene glycol, molecular weight 2000 Da, abbreviated to PEG2000). The Moderna mRNA vaccine also includes a different pegylated lipid (also a PEG2000). Polyethylene glycols, also known as macrogols, could be causing serious allergic reactions ins some people.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the culprits of anaphylaxis in Astrazeneca could be polysorbate 80, used in the formulation of protein-based biopharmaceuticals, cosmetics, skin-care products, chewing gum and foods (ice creams and puddings).
41 reports of possible anaphylaxis were seen among around 5 million vaccinations in the United Kingdom. Four cases of people potentially experiencing anaphylactic reactions within 30 minutes of receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine have been reported in Queensland and one case with fatal outcome happened in <a href="https://agenda.ge/en/news/2021/736">Georgia</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Polysorbate 80 is also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7857113/">an ingredient </a>in Johnson and Johnson vaccine. For this vaccine, no cases of anaphylaxis were reported in ~22,000 participants of phase 3 clinical trial who received it. Five patients reported developing hives within a week. There was one case of what was considered severe “a hypersensitivity reaction,” but it was reportedly not related to anaphylaxis. Last month, however, one individual in South Africa developed anaphylaxis. No details have been published yet. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">According to the CDC, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/appendices/b/excipient-table-2.pdf">polysorbate 80 is an inactive ingredient</a> in many viral vector vaccines for influenza (Fluarid, Fluax, etc), rotavirus, shingles, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span>Hepatitis A,</span><span> </span><span>Hepatitis B, HPV, and meningococcus. </span><span>Polysorbate 80 is also an ingredient in COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccine from Gamaleya Research Institute.</span></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">REFERENCES</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Turner PJ, Ansotegui IJ, Campbell DE, Cardona V, Ebisawa M, Yehia EG, Fineman S, Geller M, Gonzalez-Estrada A, Greenberger PA, Leung AS. COVID-19 vaccine-associated anaphylaxis: A statement of the World Allergy Organization Anaphylaxis Committee. World A</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">llergy Organization Journal. 2021 Feb 3:100517.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Allergic Reactions Including Anaphylaxis After Receipt of the First Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, December 14–23, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:46–51. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7002e1external icon.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">CDC COVID-19 Response Team; Food and Drug Administration. Allergic Reactions Including Anaphylaxis After Receipt of the First Dose of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine - United States, December 21, 2020-January 10, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021 Jan 29;70(4):125-129. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7004e1. PMID: 33507892; PMCID: PMC7842812.</span></p><p></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Kounis NG, Koniari I, de Gregorio C, Velissaris D, Petalas K, Brinia A, Assimakopoulos SF, Gogos C, Kouni SN, Kounis GN, Calogiuri G. Allergic Reactions to Current Available COVID-19 Vaccinations: Pathophysiology, Causality, and Therapeutic Considerations. Vaccines. 2021 Mar;9(3):221.</span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Public Health England. COVID-19: <a href="http://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948757/Greenbook_chapter_14a_v4.pdf">the green book, chapter 14a.</a></span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Moghimi SM. Allergic Reactions and Anaphylaxis to LNP-Based COVID-19 Vaccines. Molecular Therapy. 2021 Mar 3;29(3):898-900.</span></span></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-1533717117568838342021-02-20T15:58:00.002-08:002021-02-20T16:07:05.081-08:00The eating environment Our eating environment (for example, shape and color of dinner plate, people around us, size of the food package) determines food consumption which in its turn plays a crucial role in health management. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2019/foodtrackera.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" height="133" src="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2019/foodtrackera.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />Technology, in particular wearables and mobile phones, may help to improve the assessment of the eating environment, the food we eat, and efficacy of dietary interventions. </div><div><br /></div><div>What technologies are gaining steam in this field? <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Paper-based records, web or mobile food diaries and built-in barcode scanner have enjoyed some lime light but never really picked up. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/nutrients/nutrients-13-00314/article_deploy/html/images/nutrients-13-00314-g001-550.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="550" height="193" src="https://www.mdpi.com/nutrients/nutrients-13-00314/article_deploy/html/images/nutrients-13-00314-g001-550.jpg" width="407" /></a></div><br />Photograph-based diaries have evolved from Amazon's Mechanical Turk based services to Ecological Momentary Assessment apps using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks and nudging chatbots. When will this technology becomes ubiquitous? Or will it be completely automatic, done for us by passive sensing tools such as wrist-based eating detectors or our walls and places we order food from? As in an Australian hospital that offered a food ordering app (electronic food service, EFS) that would also do nutritional analysis. The patients seemed to really like it. Was it because there was not much else to do in the hospital? </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Food coaching apps will only keep evolving.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>REFERENCES</div><div><br /></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Sun J, Radecka K, Zilic Z. FoodTracker: <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.05994">A Real-time Food Detection Mobile Application by Deep Convolutional Neural Networks.</a> arXiv preprint arXiv:1909.05994. 2019 Sep 13.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Jiang L, Qiu B, Liu X, Huang C, Lin K. DeepFood: Food image analysis and dietary assessment via deep model. IEEE Access. 2020 Feb 13;8:47477-89.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Roberts S, Chaboyer W, Hopper Z, Marshall AP. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/314">Using Technology to Promote Patient Engagement in Nutrition Care: A Feasibility Study</a>. Nutrients. 2021 Feb;13(2):314.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Goldstein SP, Hoover A, Evans EW, Thomas JG. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2055207620988212">Combining ecological momentary assessment, wrist-based eating detection, and dietary assessment to characterize dietary lapse</a>: A multi-method study protocol. Digital Health. 2021 Feb;7:2055207620988212.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-77222848857293839722020-12-31T14:41:00.003-08:002020-12-31T14:50:35.996-08:00Warmth and Competence<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Holidays are good for your health - if they warm your heart and your home. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2020/11/02/20/20/happy-new-year-5707786_1280.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="800" height="173" src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2020/11/02/20/20/happy-new-year-5707786_1280.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Exactly one year ago, on Dec. 31 2020, China first alerted the WHO of "viral pneumonia". Next day authorities shut the infamous wet market in Wuhan, and the rest is history. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today many will enjoy parental warmth remotely. Those least lucky will do it only in their hearts, remembering the good times. We have a lot to be grateful for to our parents. Beautiful childhood memories is one of those things. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Scientific research shows that childhood parental warmth improves health, reducing the risk of having a cardiovascular problem and mortality by age 63. via our resting heart rate. High-frequency heart rate variability (HFHRV), measured during the longitudinal study of over 1K US participants titled “Midlife in the United States”, significantly correlated with parenting scores such that warmer parenting predicted higher HF-HRV. This measure relates to the strength of Autonomic Nervous System and cardiovascular health. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Another large study (over 1K young individuals in China), part of an even larger project that included extensive measures of executive function, decision making, memory, personality, and wellbeing, explored the whole genome to identify genetics mediating the effect of parental warmth on professional competence. Thee genes responsible were components of electrical circuitry in the human brain fine tuned by parental warmth to improve our ability to make decisions. </span></div></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">But enough of science and the art. Let today be a new beginning.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Be happy, be warm, be successful. </span></p><p><br /></p><p>REFERENCES </p><p>
Alen NV, Sloan RP, Seeman TE, Hostinar CE.
<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pere.12329">Childhood parental warmth and heart rate variability in midlife: Implications for health. Personal Relationships. 2020 Sep;27(3):506-25.</a><br /></p><p>Chen C, Chen C, Xue G, Dong Q, Zhao L, Zhang S. <a href="https://bmcgenet.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12863-020-0819-8">Parental warmth interacts with several genes to affect executive function components: a genome-wide environment interaction study.</a> BMC genetics. 2020 Dec;21(1):1-1.</p><p></p></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-30475786268773994792020-04-13T15:02:00.000-07:002020-04-13T15:02:10.652-07:00Genes and Proteins of COVID-19<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">A pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan, China was first reported to the WHO Country Office in China on 31 December 2019. The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and declared a pandemic on March 11. By that time the disease was known as COVID-19 and the name of the new virus was </span>SARS-CoV-2</span><br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a> has reported to WHO a cluster of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pneumonia?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pneumonia</a> cases —with no deaths— in Wuhan, Hubei Province 🇨🇳 . Investigations are underway to identify the cause of this illness.</div>
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1213523866703814656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Scientists worked at speed<span style="background-color: white;"> to make this virus's gene and protein information available at record time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "open sans" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://aurametrix.com/blog/covid19gp.html">READ MORE</a></span></span></div>
Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-53671773676624202642019-12-21T15:50:00.000-08:002020-04-13T17:20:46.711-07:00Flu Season 2019-2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Influenza viruses are negative-sense single stranded RNA viruses of the Orthomyxoviridae family.
There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C and D . In electron microscopy these types, especially </span><a href="http://www.virology.ws/2009/04/30/structure-of-influenza-virus/" style="text-align: left;">A</a><span style="text-align: left;"> and </span><a href="https://aurametrix.com/images/Schematic-of-Influenza-A-B-and-C-virus-structure-Influenza-A-is-defined-by-its-surface.png" style="text-align: left;">B</a><span style="text-align: left;">, could be virtually indistinguishable. </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5810478/" style="text-align: left;">D</a><span style="text-align: left;"> is more similar to </span><a href="http://www.expasy.ch/viralzone/all_by_species/81.html" style="text-align: left;">C</a><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/main.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="150" src="https://Aurametrix.com/images/ILI_WeeklyMap-Dec14-2019.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Most of these viruses look like small spheres with spikes, although some could be irregularly shaped. Spikes are proteins and they are what's different in different forms of influenza. Typically, influenza A starts the early wave of the flu, and influenza B starts to show up at the tail-end of the season, in early spring. This year is't flu B that started the first wave while flu A may be responsible for the second wave. Is the flu shot working? It's still too early to predict.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"></span><a href="https://aurametrix.com/blog/fluDec2019" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKpZ3eTZGR98UQcQFMEwBMmn6zxO0a0ZfJ7hm1h2ge4nNeodxVkzq-4HwZn6ocYByG6Ap7Tp8xGTXBEKj-0Pa0OtguOPQi8ThD9xZ55skeAPJENYTmmQZsmacjivhFWBpXwOPiaXoF-yc/s1600/482519473.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-49777324238457674242019-08-28T16:38:00.000-07:002019-08-29T16:15:57.029-07:00Saving the Pond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpJ4B2yPUIG-vQiDwUZIDlZzI-gSmp0PIGty4sot-QLCMJ9JceX5BNvH1KylutiMSrUq7tXTX5oJLgo5HMDBBtHSKlncxXMEGWKdCf-8ShAY8QlfNb4S20Q6ickpoXWXdUqEpxPWI6bU/s1600/Pond.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpJ4B2yPUIG-vQiDwUZIDlZzI-gSmp0PIGty4sot-QLCMJ9JceX5BNvH1KylutiMSrUq7tXTX5oJLgo5HMDBBtHSKlncxXMEGWKdCf-8ShAY8QlfNb4S20Q6ickpoXWXdUqEpxPWI6bU/s320/Pond.png" width="320" /></a><br />
Reproduced from <a href="https://aurametrix.com/blog/pond.html">Aurametrix</a><br />
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There are several million ponds in United States (Renwick et al, 2006), and many are in need for preservation. This pond (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/35%C2%B033'51.7%22N+84%C2%B013'38.5%22W/@35.5643721,-84.2279032,19z">35°33'51.7"N 84°13'38.5"W</a>), part of Kahite hiking trail system in East Tennessee, attracts a variety of wildlife, with ecological benefits and habitat. It preserves community open space and property values.<br />
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The pond began to deteriorate as invasive submerged plants such as Hydrilla (notoriously difficult to eradicate without serious chemical herbicides) started growing under the surface of the water causing problems for aquatic life. The pond used to be naturally cleaned by a stream connecting to Tellico lake, but the stream got clogged up and the pond is in need of help.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtWQA4dapV_fi7Tmtc4b-UjmHJjoIooOshOZVYWXLXNihkXf_zHDC5HWtsE1iNHlWgELsUq5ZIgVHsYRY0W3XFQLzP0ExARw9dyvlF5uTzndOtsbTMLsbhL0vP4L2x8abjI9UshFuzTs/s1600/DSC01615Pond2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtWQA4dapV_fi7Tmtc4b-UjmHJjoIooOshOZVYWXLXNihkXf_zHDC5HWtsE1iNHlWgELsUq5ZIgVHsYRY0W3XFQLzP0ExARw9dyvlF5uTzndOtsbTMLsbhL0vP4L2x8abjI9UshFuzTs/s320/DSC01615Pond2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Dying Pond<br />
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Members of the community desire to save it because of its mystique, beauty and recreational value, and they need an economical and environmentally friendly way of restoring new life to our pond. This project would be a great example of civic engagement, helping to educate future Nature Conservancy volunteers. Here is the story of the pond.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcy5rfLWsDs2CMTPEOz8-hqz92aSneDFbLAMhB6hR449LHlmwTLBFdo8oVSa9QhCY8gDkKTPzNy6nhJGsOCk0f7zEdszB4sCg8yZum3vQDwAOqFScKvzuSzn8elEoj4GUl3XWOyEyvSA/s1600/PondnTrail.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="749" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizcy5rfLWsDs2CMTPEOz8-hqz92aSneDFbLAMhB6hR449LHlmwTLBFdo8oVSa9QhCY8gDkKTPzNy6nhJGsOCk0f7zEdszB4sCg8yZum3vQDwAOqFScKvzuSzn8elEoj4GUl3XWOyEyvSA/s200/PondnTrail.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial view of the pond</td></tr>
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It is not known when this small (surface area ~0.5 acres), tranquil pond was born in the scenic greenery of East Tennessee. The land area around the pond was owned by an Overhill Cherokee descendant, Bowhunter, sun of a local chieftain. For Cherokees, water was the source of all existence and the deposit of all living
things. It marked both the beginning and the terminus of
material life and persisted beyond the realm of the temporal into infinite existence. Going to water was a part of the ritual for obtaining long life and recovering from a thickness (Mooney, 2012). No doubt, Bowhunter would cherish and maintain his pond.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_-5CFcpzPZuoqHYzi77pKJRG0r_pkyL3mtcwxRDDOGxpwaKqNOYwIHIEEMz4zkVjItV7woFl2N8Fxrz67OOs_8cXIm6_pAn1kcol2H4b-XFLPs6Yr9FZ_1sbW7zSGdhw8Nkml5Clzxo/s1600/DSC01619MtZionRd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_-5CFcpzPZuoqHYzi77pKJRG0r_pkyL3mtcwxRDDOGxpwaKqNOYwIHIEEMz4zkVjItV7woFl2N8Fxrz67OOs_8cXIm6_pAn1kcol2H4b-XFLPs6Yr9FZ_1sbW7zSGdhw8Nkml5Clzxo/s200/DSC01619MtZionRd.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautifully maintained historic road</td></tr>
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Shortly after the 1819 Calhoun treaty that established Monroe county, an early settler John McGhee purchased the land. Over the years the property was owned by Peter Moser, Shakely Farma, Bob Starnea, Jogn Caraon and other families. In 1920s, the first documented house within the boundaries of modern Kahite neighborhood was built by Bert Anderson. The settlement along Mt. Zion Road within the boundaries of Kahite began with a tenant house built by the Robinsons. In the late 1940s, the land was acquired by the Williams family who built a house and a barn near the pond. They used the pond for agricultural purposes, as water sources for livestock.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG01BD_UyBN9ftSNDR3rE9QZ1AmBS_BIK8tvYOCycDtOqtsZ5ruPsVNsteHToxjgkfmKErIa4JsMmO-dlIwn3dJ3IHlu234-A6WVr4WGLbF6y3_POZNlyPSgzLFcFQmrhBoqjdR0tTDc/s1600/VolunteersTrails.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="648" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG01BD_UyBN9ftSNDR3rE9QZ1AmBS_BIK8tvYOCycDtOqtsZ5ruPsVNsteHToxjgkfmKErIa4JsMmO-dlIwn3dJ3IHlu234-A6WVr4WGLbF6y3_POZNlyPSgzLFcFQmrhBoqjdR0tTDc/s200/VolunteersTrails.png" width="200" /></a><br />
In the 1960s the Tennessee Valley Authority began buying up the land for the creation of Tellico Reservoir. And so water spread over the valley and the lake was born. But a part of Mt. Zion road used by the early settlers was still there and so was the pond.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnBBcvT37kFddw_9CCX0bTlxfB6e_w-wRluLCChaKCdh_i8ucq5dLru1sCNcuj1E3nASm92_FxUFe1XLHItu_C7NtQ7OYvg1AlCcVmpuymMiXS9ObR1wRRXDIQ0DQ0WN7_rXap4aMOZY/s1600/DSC01643Pond1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnBBcvT37kFddw_9CCX0bTlxfB6e_w-wRluLCChaKCdh_i8ucq5dLru1sCNcuj1E3nASm92_FxUFe1XLHItu_C7NtQ7OYvg1AlCcVmpuymMiXS9ObR1wRRXDIQ0DQ0WN7_rXap4aMOZY/s320/DSC01643Pond1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pond after the rain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the 1960s Monroe county lagged badly behind the rest of the state in most important economic measures. Development of Kahite, the final major neighborhood of Tellico Village, started in August 1996 with the goal to bring jobs and economic growth. But there was more to it, as members of the community volunteered to plant community gardens, build trails and were eager to turn the land into a welcoming haven for humans and wildlife.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a50CitjrqySE141aTQrf2vIjuzr1yyiwiN4YarG9jkEy60TzRK3-Q98x1MS4ABywFTqxjsXa5Lo5d00as9qruYCCl7OFrLZW1DZOqCyHOoGiWoFJRtBqKI4uXK9XAa6qRv9n6qCiE-4/s1600/DSCPond3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-a50CitjrqySE141aTQrf2vIjuzr1yyiwiN4YarG9jkEy60TzRK3-Q98x1MS4ABywFTqxjsXa5Lo5d00as9qruYCCl7OFrLZW1DZOqCyHOoGiWoFJRtBqKI4uXK9XAa6qRv9n6qCiE-4/s320/DSCPond3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pond in need of restoration</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The shoreline lands around Tellico lake are no longer stagnant communities, but a recreation wonderland maintained by environment and wildlife conservation enthusiasts. It's a land of educated volunteers willing to employ new sustainable green chemistry approaches and innovative methods of building and maintaining healthy ecosystems.<br />
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Ponds provide enjoyment from offering a closeness to nature and increase the habitat available for our freshwater wildlife.<br />
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We do not inherit our ponds from previous generations, we borrow them from the future ones. We need to maintain them for their beauty, for their cultural significance, and protect next generations of human beings and other inhabitants of the Earth.<br />
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<b>REFERENCES</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Renwick WH, Sleezer RO, Buddemeier RW, Smith SV. <b>Small artificial ponds in the United States</b>: impacts on sedimentation and carbon budget. In Proceedings of the Eighth Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference 2006 Apr 2 (No. 8th, pp. 738-44).</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Gary Mulliner, 2010, <b>History of Kahite</b>, Iterpretive Exhibit.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Mooney J. <b>Myths of the Cherokee</b>. Courier Corporation; 2012 Mar 7.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Stager JC, Wiltse B, Hubeny JB, Yankowsky E, Nardelli D, Primack R. <b>Climate variability and cultural eutrophication at Walden Pond (Massachusetts, USA) during the last 1800 years.</b> PloS one. 2018 Apr 4;13(4):e0191755.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Genoa R. Warner, Yogesh Somasundar, Kyle C. Jansen, Evan Z. Kaaret, Cindy Weng, Abigail E. Burton, Matthew R. Mills, Longzhu Q. Shen, Alexander D. Ryabov, Gabrielle Pros, Tomislav Pintauer, Saborni Biswas, Michael P. Hendrich, Julia A. Taylor, Frederick S. Vom Saal, Terrence J. Collins. </span><strong style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Bioinspired, Multidisciplinary, Iterative Catalyst Design Creates the Highest Performance Peroxidase Mimics and the Field of Sustainable Ultradilute Oxidation Catalysis (SUDOC)</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><em style="background-color: white; border-radius: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ACS Catalysis</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, 2019; 7023 DOI:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.9b01409" rel="nofollow" style="border-radius: 0px !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #4c7a9f; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">10.1021/acscatal.9b01409</a></div>
Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-76198434409445828962017-11-10T22:34:00.002-08:002019-08-28T09:28:52.949-07:00Bringing Health and Happiness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Cute animals are the perfect distraction from our hectic lives.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #333333;">But in cities having an animal isn't always possible. Solutions to this problem are cat, rabbit and goat cafes or petting zoos in shopping malls. </span>Residents of Sunnyvale can now enjoy cute animals in a more traditional setting - <span style="color: #545454;">in recycled-water gardens of Baylands park. Say hello to l</span><span style="color: black;">lamas, horses, chickens, goats, rabbits, pigeons, furry rodents, pigs and sheep.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://aurametrix.weebly.com/blog/bringing-health-and-happiness"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKpZ3eTZGR98UQcQFMEwBMmn6zxO0a0ZfJ7hm1h2ge4nNeodxVkzq-4HwZn6ocYByG6Ap7Tp8xGTXBEKj-0Pa0OtguOPQi8ThD9xZ55skeAPJENYTmmQZsmacjivhFWBpXwOPiaXoF-yc/s1600/482519473.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com267tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-29450564451237122902016-11-07T09:18:00.001-08:002019-08-29T07:56:00.326-07:00Will elections be bad for your health? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Elections may be bad for your health. Stress is higher than you think (e</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black;">specially for the oldest and the youngest voters</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">) and social media will make it worse. </span><br />
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<a href="https://aurametrix.weebly.com/blog/what-the-future-will-hold"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKpZ3eTZGR98UQcQFMEwBMmn6zxO0a0ZfJ7hm1h2ge4nNeodxVkzq-4HwZn6ocYByG6Ap7Tp8xGTXBEKj-0Pa0OtguOPQi8ThD9xZ55skeAPJENYTmmQZsmacjivhFWBpXwOPiaXoF-yc/s1600/482519473.png" /></a></div>
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Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-54267166050038879512016-10-31T21:20:00.003-07:002019-08-28T19:21:49.101-07:00Healthy Halloween<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif;">Halloween is not the healthiest day of the year as it increases hospital statistics, including sugar-high accidents for kids and alcohol-/drug- related injuries for adults. But there are many other things we can learn from this celebration.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">According to numerous scientific studies and less scientific surveys...</span><br />
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<a href="https://aurametrix.weebly.com/blog/the-morning-after-what-we-learn-from-halloween"><img alt=" Read more" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKpZ3eTZGR98UQcQFMEwBMmn6zxO0a0ZfJ7hm1h2ge4nNeodxVkzq-4HwZn6ocYByG6Ap7Tp8xGTXBEKj-0Pa0OtguOPQi8ThD9xZ55skeAPJENYTmmQZsmacjivhFWBpXwOPiaXoF-yc/s1600/482519473.png" /></a></div>
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Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com114tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-14596745688388880032016-05-12T23:23:00.001-07:002019-08-29T07:57:24.181-07:00Friday the 13th<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
reproduced from <a href="https://aurametrix.weebly.com/blog/friday-the-13th">Aurametrix</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="clear: left; color: #2a92e5; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Picture" class="galleryImageBorder wsite-image" src="https://aurametrix.weebly.com/uploads/5/7/1/7/57177541/352250568.png?261" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.129412); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 3px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; position: relative; vertical-align: middle;" /></a><span style="clear: left; display: table; float: left; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: relative; width: 264px;"><span class="wsite-caption" style="caption-side: bottom; display: table-caption; font-size: 14.4px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"></span></span><br />
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Our health depends on a multitude of environmental factors, day in and day out. And tomorrow is a special day - Friday the 13th.<br />
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How should you feel on this day?<span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">Friday the 13th is one of the most feared dates, associated with bad luck in the West. And it is taken cautiously even in cultures that do not fear the 13th - for example, among </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26160600" style="color: #2a92e5; font-family: 'open sans', sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Chinese mothers</a> <span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">avoiding delivering their babies on the 13th. But science says that those born on the 13th and even those born on Friday the 13th are </span><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/kykl.12085/abstract;jsessionid=042718F726213BD9BFD729F773EF0F91.f01t04" style="color: #2a92e5; font-family: 'open sans', sans-serif; line-height: 1.5; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">not in any way less lucky</a><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"> than those born on any other day.</span></div>
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Yet there were older studies indicating that Friday the 13th might be a bad day to drive (at least, for females), to invest in stocks and to be admitted in hospital. Is it really? </div>
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The truth is <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/307/6919/1584" style="color: #2a92e5; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">less people are driving</a> on Friday the 13th (less people are flying too - thus air tickets on this day are always cheaper). And even though according to some data Friday is the most dangerous day to commute to work by car, there is <a href="http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-4-54" style="color: #2a92e5; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">nothing special about traffic accidents on Friday the 13th</a>.<br />
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Scientific analysis<a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00268-011-1166-8#/page-1" style="color: #2a92e5; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> does not support</a> the belief Friday 13th influence medical emergencies, surgical blood loss and intestinal perforations. Although being hospitalized on Fridays, in general, might be slightly less lucky.<br />
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Stocks tend to perform better on Fridays - a phenomenon known as the <a href="http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2327945?uid=3739560&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21103021227423" style="color: #2a92e5; text-decoration: none;">“weekend effect.”</a> But many traders refuse to place new trades on Friday 13th. Yet, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13547860.2014.920589" style="color: #2a92e5; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">statistical analysis of </a><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13547860.2014.920589" style="color: #2a92e5; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">trading data</a> over 2 January 1991 to 30 December 2011 suggest that unlucky days (particularly Friday the 13th) generally exhibit higher stock returns. Analysis of FTSE world indices over 1988-2000, for 19 countries - also found that returns on Friday the 13th are statistically different from, and generally greater than, returns on other Friday returns.<br />
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The stress of work seems to carry right through until Friday night. But Fridays always generate better moods that peak on Saturdays. So Friday the 13th could be a really good day. And Saturday the 14th might be even better. </div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;">REFERENCES</span></div>
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Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-58241882534657705792016-02-29T20:43:00.000-08:002019-08-29T16:17:32.993-07:00From Limping to Leaping<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://aurametrix.weebly.com/blog/from-limping-to-leaping" style="color: #674ea7; text-decoration: none;">ORIGINALLY POSTED by AURAMETRIX</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">"Anno bisesto, anno funesto” (leap year, gloomy year), say Italians. “Leap year was ne’er a good sheep year.” agrees an old Scottish proverb. "</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">Високосный</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">год</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"> "</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">Урожай</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">" соберет" (leap year will gather the "Harvest") warns a Russian saying implying that there will be plenty of disasters - calamities, catastrophes and cataclysms. But usually there are not.<br /><br />Leap years tend to be good for stocks (with the exception of the recent crashes in 2000 and 2008), although they are not among the greatest stock market years. Obvious math considerations tell that more goods will be produced in the leap year because of the extra day. But there also could be more confusion - as the leap year oddity of 29 days might throw off old software code in both the governmental and corporate worlds.<br /><br />Events that disrupt usual routines are always a bit scary. Hence the precautions and the reluctance to do anything really important like starting a new business, especially on February 29th. </span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">“Nothing shall be built, planned or planted in a leap year; it does not prosper,” states the “Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore and the Occult Sciences of the World.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">In many countries around the world, </span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">superstitions claim that</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;"> bad luck will come to couples that marry during a leap year. Yet, a</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">ccording to a popularized legend, St. Patrick granted to St. Bridget the right for all single women to propose marriage during leap years. And </span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">any man who refuses a woman’s proposal on February 29th has to compensate her by buying 12 pairs of gloves or </span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">a skirt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">So perhaps a leap year is a good year if you think different and exceed expectations? As Steve Jobs said, "</span><span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; text-align: justify;">REFERENCES</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Sue Lynn McDaniel. "Leap Year: Chance, Chase, or Curse?" </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">The Ephemera Journal</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> Vol. 18 Iss. 2 (2016) p. 15 - 19 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; line-height: 24px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Rob Siltanen (14 Dec 2011). <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/onmarketing/2011/12/14/the-real-story-behind-apples-think-different-campaign/" style="color: #2a92e5; text-decoration: none;">"The Real Story Behind Apple's 'Think Different' Campaign"</a>. Forbes</span></div>
Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-57761688818513737932015-08-31T08:44:00.000-07:002015-08-31T10:54:59.950-07:00The Last Day of Summer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtC26dj7uQsBtJ9sTuIK8c-0obiiKZ9izA1AvxxJCxeDe-RW3QvDslX40BBkUMDww8RfrQTeAhmlZbZzZTblQimkXSCpfJIdsUEQjigXnMTAw_3a9Wsoc4pHiqpr9ZhUNi94KgiVKET0/s1600/summerover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtC26dj7uQsBtJ9sTuIK8c-0obiiKZ9izA1AvxxJCxeDe-RW3QvDslX40BBkUMDww8RfrQTeAhmlZbZzZTblQimkXSCpfJIdsUEQjigXnMTAw_3a9Wsoc4pHiqpr9ZhUNi94KgiVKET0/s320/summerover.jpg" width="320" /></a>Is that it? Summer is finally over. And so is the sweet melancholy of August, listening to nature sounds - soothing ocean waves or a chorus of crickets while sitting on a porch, sun drying you with warm rays... It's the end of the holiday break.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow is September, the second most stressful month of the year. It is known for stock market volatility and big financial crashes, strategic planning meetings, storms and tornadoes, hectic days at work, the season of "back to school" and the time for a change. <br />
<br />
Healthwise, it's the time for children's <a href="http://environment.aurametrix.com/2013/09/asthma-in-september.html">asthma spikes</a>, mold spores and dust mites, triggering sneezes, wheezes, and runny noses, as we are exposed to an increased number of indoor allergens and approaching winter.<br />
<br />
Yet, many people are looking forward to the first of September. Dr. Levy's pediatric patients, nostalgia marketers, fashion designers. Perhaps more of us should. As we prepare to change our clothes and daily schedules, we might as well plan to make a change to build a better life. <br />
<br />
Why wait until the New Year for resolutions?<br />
<br />
This might be your year!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9KLJ8U_K7LA-GNAXXU2XRnnYAe_UAdW767YXYQXdLK8WbZTz2BDMNPk_sVr55s7rZvKmLKVlTfoRZVqKMqi-gygze89v0JItle7_VBg8cO6GGBVGeJiRGr5ZUD5gdeXHrfIHJfgaeMk/s1600/1-september.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9KLJ8U_K7LA-GNAXXU2XRnnYAe_UAdW767YXYQXdLK8WbZTz2BDMNPk_sVr55s7rZvKmLKVlTfoRZVqKMqi-gygze89v0JItle7_VBg8cO6GGBVGeJiRGr5ZUD5gdeXHrfIHJfgaeMk/s200/1-september.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>
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REFERENCES<br />
<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Clinical+Oncology&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1200%2FJCO.2014.60.5790&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fresearchblogging.org&rft.atitle=The+Night+Before+the+First+Day+of+School&rft.issn=0732-183X&rft.date=2015&rft.volume=33&rft.issue=13&rft.spage=1509&rft.epage=1510&rft.artnum=http%3A%2F%2Fjco.ascopubs.org%2Fcgi%2Fdoi%2F10.1200%2FJCO.2014.60.5790&rft.au=Levy%2C+A.&rfe_dat=bpr3.included=1;bpr3.tags=Health"><br /></span>
<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Clinical+Oncology&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1200%2FJCO.2014.60.5790&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fresearchblogging.org&rft.atitle=The+Night+Before+the+First+Day+of+School&rft.issn=0732-183X&rft.date=2015&rft.volume=33&rft.issue=13&rft.spage=1509&rft.epage=1510&rft.artnum=http%3A%2F%2Fjco.ascopubs.org%2Fcgi%2Fdoi%2F10.1200%2FJCO.2014.60.5790&rft.au=Levy%2C+A.&rfe_dat=bpr3.included=1;bpr3.tags=Health">Levy, A. (2015). The Night Before the First Day of School <span style="font-style: italic;">Journal of Clinical Oncology, 33</span> (13), 1509-1510 DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2014.60.5790" rev="review">10.1200/JCO.2014.60.5790</a></span><br />
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<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Advertising&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1080%2F00913367.2004.10639165&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fresearchblogging.org&rft.atitle=THE+POWER+OF+REFLECTION%3A+An+Empirical+Examination+of+Nostalgia+Advertising+Effects&rft.issn=0091-3367&rft.date=2004&rft.volume=33&rft.issue=3&rft.spage=25&rft.epage=35&rft.artnum=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tandfonline.com%2Fdoi%2Fabs%2F10.1080%2F00913367.2004.10639165&rft.au=Muehling%2C+D.&rft.au=Sprott%2C+D.&rft.au=Sprott%2C+D.&rfe_dat=bpr3.included=1;bpr3.tags=Health%2CEnvironmental+Health%2C+Public+Health">Muehling, D., Sprott, D., & Sprott, D. (2004). THE POWER OF REFLECTION: An Empirical Examination of Nostalgia Advertising Effects <span style="font-style: italic;">Journal of Advertising, 33</span> (3), 25-35 DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2004.10639165" rev="review">10.1080/00913367.2004.10639165</a></span>
<br />
<br />
Sears MR, & Johnston NW (2007). Understanding the September asthma epidemic. <i>The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology,</i> 120 (3), 526-9 PMID: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17658590">17658590</a></div>
Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-29785035839997392702015-05-17T20:44:00.000-07:002015-07-11T10:49:23.056-07:00Cities of the Future<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHy7dcbXdtzXmWQUuhlVBRu4_l-266s39HYJgfuNl8bNxBuILGcngI7xfPQavqKCanYdXkfcjSaLg8HId17n5EOcR6v8HIb_3OAjMMNu1n5TONzKkND2a-F-vs_yiFJsEbNxk-RBmHjM/s1600/dream-home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHy7dcbXdtzXmWQUuhlVBRu4_l-266s39HYJgfuNl8bNxBuILGcngI7xfPQavqKCanYdXkfcjSaLg8HId17n5EOcR6v8HIb_3OAjMMNu1n5TONzKkND2a-F-vs_yiFJsEbNxk-RBmHjM/s200/dream-home.jpg" width="200" /></a>Picture your dream home. Chances are you did not think much about cutting edge technology, but more about luscious green grass, backyard oasis, fresh clean air, soothing pool of water or watching the sunset in your rocking chair.<br />
<br />
Scientific studies and crowdsourcing projects showed that the amount of greenery is usually associated with beauty, quietness, or happiness, while broad streets, fortress-like buildings, and council houses are associated with ugly, noisy, and unhappy environments.<br />
<br />
But, as most people now live in cities and urban dwellers are likely to reach 70% of the world population by 2050, will it be actually possible to build happy cities where we can relax and rejuvenate?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XhyphenhypheneGlqIk8bj31PhUfl_tM_D2XEod2rU4nF5inA-nKOpQ7r2jgq1MZV52UyxD2Ul7XUE3EEQhyrQD48Vqx-EJFtEw_wTXBS5C3MYyvmx9PAgEaAX6CXFpnKFLmetj9dME-g03pQQQbY/s1600/spray-water-clean-air.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XhyphenhypheneGlqIk8bj31PhUfl_tM_D2XEod2rU4nF5inA-nKOpQ7r2jgq1MZV52UyxD2Ul7XUE3EEQhyrQD48Vqx-EJFtEw_wTXBS5C3MYyvmx9PAgEaAX6CXFpnKFLmetj9dME-g03pQQQbY/s200/spray-water-clean-air.jpg" width="200" /></a>Perhaps we could start from a cleaner air by spraying water from sprinklers? According to Shaocai Yu, this is a technologically feasible and cost efficient option reducing the particle load in a very short time. And it is already utilized in Lanzhou, the largest city of China's Gansu province. Two giant water cannons will squirt water 2,000 feet into the air and bring the pollutants down to earth. It won't stop pollution elsewhere, though, will need to be done daily, and in addition to other measures. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPX9tw9CGPNz0tfzs7XW-zphcsduoytw78d3hUeEJCfkkRkxAU4leUstenderRGgCSSpcWQ5vO9jLntaNwyD0dXlYVyceTlWWvL3QQmCrclaF6ZKGHvaR4wNHmg5vV2MjUa9lum8rMTc/s1600/treehouse_1426875322-syn-11-1426870485-verde-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPX9tw9CGPNz0tfzs7XW-zphcsduoytw78d3hUeEJCfkkRkxAU4leUstenderRGgCSSpcWQ5vO9jLntaNwyD0dXlYVyceTlWWvL3QQmCrclaF6ZKGHvaR4wNHmg5vV2MjUa9lum8rMTc/s320/treehouse_1426875322-syn-11-1426870485-verde-03.jpg" width="213" /></a><br />
How to design a mentally rejuvenating city? Research shows, that even in a dense urban area at the bottom of a concrete canyon, we could feel a little better if there is more architectural variety. Yet, isn't it better if the city keeps in touch with nature? <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.25verde.it/il-25-verde.html" sl-processed="1" target="_blank">25 Verde</a>, a five-story apartment complex in Turin, Italy designed by <a href="http://www.lucianopia.it/" sl-processed="1" target="_blank">Luciano Pia</a>,
features 150
potted trees that absorb almost 200,000 liters of carbon dioxide an hour, offering extra shade during the summer
months. And every
plant and tree offer the needed variety of color,
foliage, and blooms!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5Z0OJqSAdaeMtxtFKRiobdNpI6P7Bg4s-iCLMw2eakONfvpLiiRMMRNgDq1ZQNRds1U628RffQ0zPdZyZU7w8WITzAEQR9Gx5uXJNFjU_bAXR-nCW6jS8JnNeGv19e3QCFbkkvm-Zp0/s1600/UnderwaterFloatingHouset.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5Z0OJqSAdaeMtxtFKRiobdNpI6P7Bg4s-iCLMw2eakONfvpLiiRMMRNgDq1ZQNRds1U628RffQ0zPdZyZU7w8WITzAEQR9Gx5uXJNFjU_bAXR-nCW6jS8JnNeGv19e3QCFbkkvm-Zp0/s200/UnderwaterFloatingHouset.png" width="193" /></a>Meanwhile the Netherlands is experimenting with floating houses. Singapore, too, is thinking about syncing design with the environment. And, if you have a million to spare, you can buy a house in Dubai with underwater views and outdoor climate-controlled streets. <br />
<br />
Most of the world's population growth will happen in low and middle income cities with unhealthy housing. The challenge is in finding affordable ways to improve the aesthetics and health of neighborhoods. And it might be easier than you think!<br />
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REFERENCES
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<br />
Daniele Quercia, Neil Keith O'Hare, & Henriette Cramer (2014). Aesthetic capital: what makes London look beautiful, quiet, and happy? <span style="font-style: italic;">Proceedings of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing</span>, 945-955 DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2531602.2531613" rev="review">10.1145/2531602.2531613</a><br />
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<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.jtitle=Journal+of+Environmental+Psychology&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1016%2Fj.jenvp.2012.09.003&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fresearchblogging.org&rft.atitle=Architectural+variation%2C+building+height%2C+and+the+restorative+quality+of+urban+residential+streetscapes&rft.issn=02724944&rft.date=2013&rft.volume=33&rft.issue=&rft.spage=26&rft.epage=36&rft.artnum=http%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0272494412000643&rft.au=Lindal%2C+P.&rft.au=Hartig%2C+T.&rfe_dat=bpr3.included=1;bpr3.tags=Health%2CEnvironmental+Health%2C+Public+Health">Lindal, P., & Hartig, T. (2013). Architectural variation, building height, and the restorative quality of urban residential streetscapes <span style="font-style: italic;">Journal of Environmental Psychology, 33</span>, 26-36 DOI: <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.09.003" rev="review">10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.09.003</a></span><br />
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<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.jtitle=Environmental+Chemistry+Letters&rft_id=info%3A%2F10.1007%2Fs10311-013-0444-0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fresearchblogging.org&rft.atitle=Water+spray+geoengineering+to+clean+air+pollution+for+mitigating+haze+in+China%E2%80%99s+cities&rft.issn=&rft.date=2014&rft.volume=&rft.issue=&rft.spage=&rft.epage=&rft.artnum=http%3A%2F%2Flink.springer.com%2Farticle%2F10.1007%2Fs10311-013-0444-0&rft.au=Shaocai+Yu&rfe_dat=bpr3.included=1;bpr3.tags=Health%2CEnvironmental+Health%2C+Public+Health">Shaocai Yu (2014). Water spray geoengineering to clean air pollution for mitigating haze in China’s cities <span style="font-style: italic;">Environmental Chemistry Letters</span> : <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10311-013-0444-0">10.1007/s10311-013-0444-0</a></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span class="Z3988" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.jtitle=Avian+diseases&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F12887184&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fresearchblogging.org&rft.atitle=Reducing+airborne+pathogens+and+dust+in+commercial+hatching+cabinets+with+an+electrostatic+space+charge+system.&rft.issn=0005-2086&rft.date=2003&rft.volume=47&rft.issue=2&rft.spage=247&rft.epage=53&rft.artnum=&rft.au=Mitchell+BW&rft.au=Waltman+WD&rfe_dat=bpr3.included=1;bpr3.tags=Health%2CEnvironmental+Health%2C+Public+Health">Mitchell BW, & Waltman WD (2003). Reducing airborne pathogens and dust in commercial hatching cabinets with an electrostatic space charge system. <span style="font-style: italic;">Avian diseases, 47</span> (2), 247-53 PMID: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12887184" rev="review">12887184</a></span>
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<br />
Kardan, O. et al. (2015) Neighborhood greenspace and health in a large urban center. Sci. Rep. 5, 11610; doi: 10.1038/srep11610. PMID: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26158911" rev="review">26158911</a>
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<br /></div>Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7568686624461809770.post-81042452157820080592014-11-28T19:19:00.000-08:002014-11-28T19:53:11.969-08:00The Day After Thanksgiving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9HOfJ9vjpHe3N_xmTMkurUPI39A90-UeE6fLnJvIor0QycgpjfUstbSwI-SDgmARbpvVFxUESUa6O3Obj-cuz_JaV9lZTyJEpXWeOqBaSxO9WiAcHq-ipEBmPqLAQhVYvr7YGCnx-Ts/s1600/BlackFriday_forTurkeys.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY9HOfJ9vjpHe3N_xmTMkurUPI39A90-UeE6fLnJvIor0QycgpjfUstbSwI-SDgmARbpvVFxUESUa6O3Obj-cuz_JaV9lZTyJEpXWeOqBaSxO9WiAcHq-ipEBmPqLAQhVYvr7YGCnx-Ts/s1600/BlackFriday_forTurkeys.jpeg" height="90" width="122" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Seasonal changes, holidays and shopping activities are among the environmental factors that can influence our health. What positive or negative effects can we expect on Black Friday and days right after?</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRiWn0JbfLKC_GR7sGaIE6041EO5SUVHHtEG2u4D0o1VexaMzqlw4xyKuvkyaJ2yJn0n6RjCIytXAQFmUC98dtYyCFCaq_jZvnGg5iFli6Tr4CjtWY83DqTagMSlOFjfxlDLSCkYtt8M/s1600/DayAfterThanksgivingL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRiWn0JbfLKC_GR7sGaIE6041EO5SUVHHtEG2u4D0o1VexaMzqlw4xyKuvkyaJ2yJn0n6RjCIytXAQFmUC98dtYyCFCaq_jZvnGg5iFli6Tr4CjtWY83DqTagMSlOFjfxlDLSCkYtt8M/s1600/DayAfterThanksgivingL.jpg" height="161" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Friday-after-Thanksgiving was coined "Black" by police officers because of the fact that the traffic on the day after Thanksgiving is usually heavy and crowds are large. And they were right. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration & CDC, Thanksgiving is the </span><a href="http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/06/dangerous-driving-holidays-forbeslife-cx_jd_1106travel.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">most dangerous</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> holiday of the year for drivers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">November is also one of the most financially stressful months. But stress is not always bad. The only stock market crash that happened the day after Thanksgiving (November 27, 2009) was in Dubai and did not affect global markets as much as "Black Fridays" in September and May of 1800s. What about the more common stress after Thanksigiving associated with holiday spending? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For retailers, "Black Friday" marks the transition from "red" to "black", indicating the start of Christmas Shopping Season. Should not this fact alone improve our mood and make us feel better? It definitely should. And researchers agree.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even though there are many reasons not to participate in Black Friday, shopping can be good for you. It makes you burn calories, and feel happier. According to a recent study by Rick and colleagues, people often shop when they feel sad and making shopping decisions reduces their "residual sadness" as it restores a sense of personal control. Previous research, too, points that shopping can translate into rise of dopamine and activities of brain regions responsible for pleasure and positive thinking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">November is a great month for comforting food - and we do gain on average a pound after Thanksgiving. But it's also a great month for outdoors, bird watching, getting together and reflecting on the good things. According to academics, even people considering suicide are less likely to do it on or right after Thanksgiving Holidays. A paper from the 40s suggests we might be also a bit less sharp mentally (compared to the spring), but your brain does need some downtime. Mental breaks can increase productivity and creativity. Enjoy your holidays. Life only gets better after Thanksgiving.</span></div>
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Aurametrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09473714823289213681noreply@blogger.com167