Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yoshika S. Crider, Sanjeena Sainju, Rubika Shrestha, Guillaume Clair-Caliot, Ariane Schertenleib, Bal Mukunda Kunwar, Madan R. Bhatta, Sara J. Marks, Isha Ray
Summary: Over 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, but passive chlorination technologies have the potential to improve how rural households gain access to safe drinking water.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
A. M. Nielsen, L. A. T. Garcia, K. J. S. Silva, L. P. Sabogal-Paz, M. M. Hincapie, L. J. Montoya, L. Galeano, A. Galdos-Balzategui, F. Reygadas, C. Herrera, S. Golden, J. A. Byrne, P. Fernandez-Ibanez
Summary: Chlorination has been commonly used for providing safe drinking water, but there are challenges in effective implementation. A literature review focusing on three Latin American countries found that guidance on household-based chlorination may not incentivize users enough. Moreover, variations in water quality are often overlooked in recommending chlorine doses. User preferences, chlorine product quality, and availability also pose barriers to the sustainable use of chlorination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Liping Ma, Xiao-Tao Jiang, Lei Guan, Bing Li, Tong Zhang
Summary: This study used deep sequencing of 16S rRNA genes to investigate the microbial diversity and biogeography of household drinking water samples from 29 provinces/regions in China. The results showed that the spatial turnover of drinking water communities is influenced by rainfall and water source river. Potential pathogenic species that may pose health risks were also identified.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Runshuai Zhang, Yuanzhen He, Luxia Yao, Jie Chen, Shihao Zhu, Xinxin Rao, Peiyuan Tang, Jia You, Guoqiang Hua, Lu Zhang, Feng Ju, Lianfeng Wu
Summary: Metformin (MET) and its chlorination byproduct C are detected in worldwide drinking water, with both byproducts increasing with MET concentration, posing a potential threat to global water safety and sustainability. Chlorination byproducts Y and C exhibit toxic effects on live worms and human cells at millimolar doses, and are harmful to mice, with byproduct Y particularly destroying mouse small intestine integrity at 250 ng/L. Boiling and activated carbon adsorption are identified as effective solutions for removing these byproducts from drinking water globally.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Regula Meierhofer, Bal Mukunda Kunwar, Akina Shrestha
Summary: A study conducted in Surkhet District Nepal examined the impact of water safety interventions and hygiene training on WASH conditions and practices, as well as the association with child health. The introduction of chlorination to water supply systems and the use of ceramic water filters improved water safety management. Significant improvements were also observed in handwashing behavior and infrastructure. These changes in WASH factors were associated with improved child health.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
A. J. Larson, S. Haver, J. Hattendorf, G. Salmon-Mulanovich, M. Riveros, H. Verastegui, D. Ma, S. M. Hartinger
Summary: This study investigated the association between household factors, the presence of thermotolerant coliform, and the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in drinking water among households with young children in Peru. The study found that using narrow-mouthed containers for drinking water reduced the likelihood of contamination. Ownership of farm birds and animal waste in the kitchen area were associated with higher levels of contamination. Higher levels of antibiotic resistance were also found in households with pig ownership and free-roaming animals in the kitchen area. Recent child antibiotic use increased the prevalence of resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole among E. coli isolates. These findings highlight the importance of secure water storage and suggest the potential transmission of bacteria and antibiotic resistance between domestic animals and human drinking water supplies.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ze-hua Liu, Zhi Dang, Yu Liu
Summary: The article discusses the scientific challenges regarding EDCs in drinking water, including the acceptable EDC concentration, regulation of chlorinated byproducts, and the regulated concentration for each chlorinated EDC.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
N. Pichel, H. Lubarsky, A. Afkhami, V. Baldasso, L. Botero, J. Salazar, M. Hincapie, J. A. Byrne, P. Fernandez-Ibanez
Summary: The study assessed the impact of particulate matter and NOM on UVC disinfection efficiency, finding that the presence of HA significantly reduced the inactivation rate of MS2, while turbidity had a minimal effect on UVC disinfection efficiency.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Steven Brockliss, Kondwani Luwe, Giuliana Ferrero, Tracy Morse
Summary: Two billion people worldwide consume unsafe drinking water. A new household water treatment technology, the SODIS bucket, was developed to improve the microbial quality of water from unimproved surface water sources. This study evaluated the efficacy of the technology in rural communities in Malawi and found that the SODIS bucket had mixed results in inactivating E. coli and total coliforms, while PET bottles performed better. The study underscores the need for further prototyping and field testing to ensure context-appropriate solutions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
James C. Winter, Gary L. Darmstadt, Alexandria B. Boehm, Jennifer Davis
Summary: Improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services in rural areas can significantly reduce E. coli concentration in drinking water. However, installing piped water systems did not show any impact on hand contamination. While the systems improved the accessibility of safe drinking water, there were only minor improvements in microbiological outcomes and no changes in the duration of in-home water storage.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shaoyong Wu, Rui Zhang, Chuncao Wang, Dawei Feng
Summary: Examining the impact of natural disasters on rural household wealth, this study analyzed data from the China Family Panel Survey (CFPS) using multiple linear regression and propensity score matching methods. The findings showed that natural disasters have a significant negative impact on rural household wealth in the medium-to long-term. Heterogeneity analysis indicated that natural disasters have a greater effect on the wealth of larger households and households with high-consumption levels, while mechanism results suggest that natural disasters affect rural household wealth by reducing household income and harming individual's physical and mental health.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yaqi Zhu, Xiaoqiao Jiao, Wenjun Meng, Xinyuan Yu, Hefa Cheng, Guofeng Shen, Xuejun Wang, Shu Tao
Summary: Access to safe drinking water is a significant concern in China, particularly in rural areas. While the government has made efforts to increase access to tap water, the rate is still considerably lower than in urban areas and unevenly distributed across the country. Additionally, electricity, mainly electric kettles, contributes to the boiling of water, with 69% of households using this method. Further intervention and investment are necessary to improve drinking water safety in poor and remote rural areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Collin Knox Coleman, Eric Mai, Megan Miller, Shalini Sharma, Clark Williamson, Hemali Oza, Eleanor Holmes, Marie Lamer, Christopher Ly, Jill Stewart, Mark D. Sobsey, Lydia S. Abebe
Summary: Viruses are major contributors to global diarrheal disease morbidity and mortality, with most filtration technologies ineffective in virus removal. To meet the WHO health-based risk target, a drinking water filter must achieve a 5 Log(10) virus reduction. Using chitosan acetate and chitosan lactate with ceramic water filtration can effectively remove viruses and bacteria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Michelson M. N. Padovany, Rolvix H. Patterson, Alexis N. Bowder, Eva O'Brien, Blake C. Alkire, Arlene M. Katz, Carole D. Mitnick, Chunling Lu
Summary: This study reports on the catastrophic spending on surgery and the experiences of patients and families seeking surgical care in rural Haiti. The findings show that Haitian surgical patients commonly experience catastrophic health expenditure, and the associated care-seeking experiences are often difficult. These results highlight the need for additional measures to mitigate the costs of surgical care and improve access to healthcare in rural Haiti.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stavroula Tsitsifli, Vasilis Kanakoudis
Summary: Disinfection is crucial for providing safe drinking water, but decisions to improve water network efficiency may have unintended consequences, impacting processes such as chlorination. Two operational measures are evaluated in this study to enhance chlorination efficiency and assess the impact of network division on water quality.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Eric L. Harshfield, Lisa Pennells, Joseph E. Schwartz, Peter Willeit, Stephen Kaptoge, Steven Bell, Jonathan A. Shaffer, Thomas Bolton, Sarah Spackman, Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, Frank Kee, Philippe Amouyel, Steven J. Shea, Lewis H. Kuller, Jussi Kauhanen, E. M. van Zutphen, Dan G. Blazer, Harlan Krumholz, Paul J. Nietert, Daan Kromhout, Gail Laughlin, Lisa Berkman, Robert B. Wallace, Leon A. Simons, Elaine M. Dennison, Elizabeth L. M. Barr, Haakon E. Meyer, Angela M. Wood, John Danesh, Emanuele Di Angelantonio, Karina W. Davidson
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2020)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marios K. Georgakis, Eric L. Harshfield, Rainer Malik, Nora Franceschini, Claudia Langenberg, Nicholas J. Wareham, Hugh S. Markus, Martin Dichgans
Summary: This study using Mendelian randomization found that genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes and higher HbA1c levels are associated with an increased risk of large artery and small vessel stroke, while genetic predisposition to insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction are also linked to different stroke subtypes and cerebrovascular phenotypes.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Bernard P. H. Cho, Stefania Nannoni, Eric L. Harshfield, Daniel Tozer, Stefan Graf, Steven Bell, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: Cysteine-altering NOTCH3 variants, previously associated with CADASIL, are more common in the general population than expected, and are risk factors for stroke and vascular dementia. These variants are also associated with MRI changes indicative of small vessel disease.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Eric L. Harshfield, Marios K. Georgakis, Rainer Malik, Martin Dichgans, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: Genetic studies show that education level, smoking, and body mass index are causally associated with the risk of ischemic stroke, with their effects acting independently. These findings suggest that modifying lifestyle factors may reduce the risk of stroke.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Eric L. Harshfield, Eric B. Fauman, David Stacey, Dirk S. Paul, Daniel Ziemek, Rachel M. Y. Ong, John Danesh, Adam S. Butterworth, Asif Rasheed, Taniya Sattar, Zameer-ul-Asar, Imran Saleem, Zoubia Hina, Unzila Ishtiaq, Nadeem Qamar, Nadeem Hayat Mallick, Zia Yaqub, Tahir Saghir, Syed Nadeem Hasan Rizvi, Anis Memon, Mohammad Ishaq, Syed Zahed Rasheed, Fazal-ur-Rehman Memon, Anjum Jalal, Shahid Abbas, Philippe Frossard, Danish Saleheen, Angela M. Wood, Julian L. Griffin, Albert Koulman
Summary: This study investigated the genetic architecture of the human blood lipidome in both Pakistani and British populations, uncovering new genetic loci associated with cardiometabolic diseases and novel lipid associations.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Chris-Patrick Pflanz, Daniel J. Tozer, Eric L. Harshfield, Jonathan Tay, Sadaf Farooqi, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: The study found that central obesity is associated with decreased gray matter volume in individuals with obesity, while no associations were found with white matter volume or structure, or brain network efficiency.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Eric L. Harshfield, Caroline J. Sands, Anil M. Tuladhar, Frank-Erik de Leeuw, Matthew R. Lewis, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: Cerebral small vessel disease is a major cause of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia. Metabolomics can be used to identify novel risk factors, predict disease progression and severity, and provide new insights into disease pathogenesis and treatment approaches.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Bernard P. H. Cho, Eric L. Harshfield, Maha Al-Thani, Daniel J. Tozer, Steven Bell, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: This study found that pathogenic variants associated with monogenic stroke are more common in the general population than expected and are associated with stroke and dementia. The burden of cardiovascular risk is associated with the penetrance of these variants.
Editorial Material
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Alessandra Granata, Eric L. Harshfield, Joseph Moxon
Summary: Cerebrovascular disorders are a global health concern, and advances in research have improved our understanding and management of these disorders. However, there are still gaps in our knowledge. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders invites authors to submit articles investigating the drivers and effects of cerebrovascular disorders to enhance patient care.
BMC CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Eric L. Harshfield, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: In this study, metabolomic profiles from UK Biobank participants were analyzed to identify metabolites associated with stroke, dementia, and MRI markers of small vessel disease. The findings can contribute to the development of personalized prediction models, provide insights into mechanistic pathways, and guide future treatment approaches.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Donald Lyall, Andrey Kormilitzin, Claire Lancaster, Jose Sousa, Fanny Petermann-Rocha, Christopher L. Buckley, Eric H. Harshfield, Matthew R. Iveson, Christopher Madan, Riona McArdle, Danielle Newby, Vasiliki Orgeta, Eugene Tang, Stefano Tamburin, Lokendra S. Thakur, Ilianna J. Lourida, David J. Llewellyn, Janice M. Ranson
Summary: This review summarizes the understanding of applied models and digital health technologies in terms of dementia risk prediction, diagnostic discrimination, prognosis, and progression. Machine learning approaches show improved predictive power compared to standard clinical risk scores in predicting dementia, and the ability to decompose large numbers of variables into relatively few critical predictors.
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Fatemeh Koohi, Eric L. Harshfield, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are a major risk factor for stroke and dementia, but their pathogenesis is not fully understood. This study investigated the contribution of conventional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) to WMH volume. The results showed that only 32% of the variance in WMH volume was explained by CVRFs, and a significant portion of the variance remained unexplained. High blood pressure parameters accounted for 10.5% of the total variance.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rui Li, Eric L. Harshfield, Steven Bell, Michael Burkhart, Anil M. Tuladhar, Saima Hilal, Daniel J. Tozer, Francesca M. Chappell, Stephen D. J. Makin, Jessica W. Lo, Joanna M. Wardlaw, Frank-Erik de Leeuw, Christopher Chen, Zoe Kourtzi, Hugh S. Markus
Summary: This study investigated the feasibility of using machine learning methods to predict dementia caused by cerebral small vessel disease (SVD), and found that traditional statistical approaches performed better in prediction, especially with baseline cognitive abilities being highly predictive.
CEREBRAL CIRCULATION - COGNITION AND BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
B. Cho, E. Harshfield, M. Al-Thani, D. Tozer, S. Bell, H. Markus
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE
(2022)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Steven Bell, Joel T. Gibson, Eric L. Harshfield, Hugh S. Markus