Mexican rural communities suffer significant impacts on the health of their population due to the application of pesticides that contaminate local air, water, soil, and food. Prolonged exposure to these toxic substances affects the long-term health of the population, especially children, who are extremely vulnerable to damage to their physical and neurocognitive development. This problem is analyzed in the context of industrial and extractive agriculture, which focuses on monocultures for national and export markets within the framework of a lax and permissive behavior of the Mexican state that protects neither the health of workers nor the rights of children to a healthy life. This article presents the results of a case study in a rural locality in a region of intensive agriculture. Two urine samples were taken from 180 schoolchildren, ages 3-14, to analyze their exposure to pesticides in a mass chromatograph; the samples were supplemented with a survey of their families and an ethnographic study.

Soil liquefaction is a major contributor to earthquake damage. Evaluating the potential for liquefaction by conventional experimental or empirical methods is both time-intensive and laborious. Utilizing a machine learning model capable of precisely forecasting liquefaction potential might diminish the time, effort, and expenses involved. This research introduces an innovative predictive model created in three phases. Initially, correlation analysis determines essential elements affecting liquefaction. Secondly, predictions are produced using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Deep Belief Networks (DBN), verified by K-fold cross-validation to guarantee resilience. Third, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) improves outcomes by increasing convergence efficiency and circumventing local minima. The suggested EC + ACO model substantially surpassed leading approaches, such as SVM-GWO, RF-GWO, and Ensemble Classifier-GA, attaining a very low False Negative Rate (FNR) of 2.00 % when trained on 90 % of the data. A thorough performance evaluation shown that the model achieved a cost value of 1.133 % by the 40th iteration, exceeding the performance of other models such SVMGWO (1.412 %), RF-GWO (1.305 %), and Biogeography Optimized-Based ANFIS (1.7439 %). The model exhibited significant improvements in convergence behavior, with a steady decline in cost values, especially between the 20th and 50th iterations. Additional validation using empirical data from the Tohoku-oki, Great East Japan earthquake substantiated the EC + ACO model's enhanced accuracy and dependability in mirroring observed results. These findings underscore the model's resilience and efficacy, providing a dependable method for forecasting soil liquefaction and mitigating its seismic effects.

Development of bio-based active packaging systems for lipid stabilization presents critical importance in preserving lipid integrity and ensuring food safety. Zein/citric acid (Z/CA) composite films containing grape seed ethanol extract (GSEE) (0-8% w/w) were prepared by the solvent casting method. The structural, functional, and environmental properties of the films, including physical and chemical properties, mechanical properties, antioxidant capacity, antibacterial activity, oxidation inhibition effect, and biodegradability, were comprehensively characterized and evaluated. Progressive GSEE enrichment significantly enhanced film thickness (p < 0.05), hydrophobicity, and total phenolic content, while increasing water vapor permeability by 61.29%. Antioxidant capacity demonstrated radical scavenging enhancements of 83.75% (DPPH) and 89.33% (ABTS) at maximal GSEE loading compared to control films. Mechanical parameters exhibited inverse proportionality to GSEE concentration, with tensile strength and elongation at break decreasing by 28.13% and 59.43%, respectively. SEM microstructural analysis revealed concentration-dependent increases in surface asperity and cross-sectional phase heterogeneity. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated selective bacteriostatic effects against Gram-negative pathogens. Notably, the composite film containing 6 wt% GSEE had a remarkable restraining effect on the oxidation of lard. The soil degradation experiment has confirmed that the Z/CA/GSEE composite film can achieve obvious degradation within 28 days. The above results indicate that the Z/CA/GSEE composite material emerges as a promising candidate for sustainable active food packaging applications.

Thorium extraction techniques, such as solvent extraction from monazite and electrosorption techniques from water leach purification (WLP) of radioactive waste residues, are important for thorium recovery, particularly in Malaysia. Despite their importance, previous studies have largely overlooked critical issues like radioactive hazards, human health risks, and environmental impacts associated with advanced thorium extraction methods. This study addresses these gaps by quantifying the environmental impact associated with solvent extraction and electrosorption techniques using a life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to compare environmental indicators for thorium recovery from monazite ore and WLP residues. The LCA was conducted from cradle to gate, incorporating inventory data from the Ecoinvent database 3 and SimaPro software version 9, with inputs of raw material extraction, transportation, energy consumption, and chemical uses. Emissions into air, water, and soil were quantified across all processing phases. The LCA midpoint findings reveal that thorium disulfate in monazite processing is the key contributor to global warming, producing 45 kg CO2-eq, whereas transportation and electricity consumption also considerably affect emissions, contributing 25.07 kg CO2-eq and 26.17 kg CO2-eq, respectively. Comparative analysis of midpoint indicators showed that solvent extraction had a more significant environmental impact than electrosorption in the context of human carcinogenic toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity, and marine ecotoxicity. The damaged assessment highlighted endpoint indicators that monazite processing had a higher impact than WLP on human health (0.0364-0.0016 DALY), ecosystems (0.0016-0.0005 species & sdot;yr), and resources (0.0012-0.0005 USD, 2013), primarily due to the use of chemicals and emissions. Our study shows that electrosorption from WLP demonstrates superior environmental sustainability compared with solvent extraction from monazite, positioning it a more viable and efficient approach for radioactive waste treatment.

This study focuses on the development of polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan-tragacanth gum composite films enriched with rosehip extract and seed oil for the packaging of active foods. The films were tested for their antioxidant activity, transparency, biodegradability, water vapor permeability and effectiveness in preserving sweet cherries under seasonal high temperature conditions. The addition of tragacanth, rosehip extract and rosehip seed oil significantly influenced the mechanical properties by increasing elongation at break and tensile strength. Films enriched with rosehip seed oil effectively reduced weight loss and preserved the sensory properties of the cherries, while films based on rosehip extract exhibited superior antioxidant properties with increased free radical scavenging activity. Biodegradability tests showed that all films degraded under soil conditions, with the rate of degradation depending on the concentration of tragacanth gum. The water vapor permeability results showed that the addition of rosehip extract and seed oil significantly reduced the water vapor permeability and improved the barrier properties of the films. Preservation tests showed that these films minimized titratable acidity, oxidative stress and moisture loss, effectively extending the shelf life of sweet cherries under highly stressful conditions. These results highlight the potential of rosehip-enriched biopolymer films as a sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging alternative to extend the shelf life of perishable fruits.

Atrazine (ATR), a widely used herbicide, poses significant environmental and health risks due to its high solubility and adsorption in soil. ATR exposure can lead to nephrotoxicity in humans and animals. Curcumin (Cur), an active compound in Curcuma species, is renowned for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, with potential to mitigate chronic disease risks. We hypothesized that the addition of Cur could alleviate renal impairment associated with ATR exposure and carried out experiments using mice as subjects. This study investigates whether Cur can attenuate ATR-induced nephrotoxicity in mice by modulating mitophagy and apoptotic pathways. Our findings illustrate that consumption with Cur attenuates nephrotoxicity induced by ATR, as evidenced by lowered serum concentrations of uric acid (UA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (CRE), established biomarkers of renal injury. Moreover, Curcumin enhances renal antioxidant defense mechanisms in ATR-exposed mice, as indicated by elevated levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), alongside reduced levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). Histopathological and electron microscopy analyses further corroborate these findings, showing reduced organelle damage, particularly mitochondrial ridge breakage and vacuolization, and increased autophagic lysosomes. Cur further enhances PINK1/Parkin-mediated autophagy, as evidenced by elevated levels of PINK1, Parkin, LC3BII, and P62 compared to ATR-treated mice. Moreover, Cur mitigates the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, indicated by the down-regulation of apoptosis-related genes (Cytochrome C (Cyto-C), Caspase3, Caspase9) and the proapoptotic marker (Bax), along with the up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic marker (Bcl-2) at both transcriptional and translational levels compared to ATR-treated mice. In summary, Cur demonstrates nephroprotective properties against ATR-induced injury through the enhancement of mitochondrial autophagy and display of antiapoptotic actions, underscoring its curative potency as a treatment for nephrotoxicity caused by ATR.

Cyst nematodes, some of the most important plantparasitic nematodes globally, cause major damage to Chinese cabbage and soybean plants in Korea. Cysts are commonly used for cyst nematode bioassays because many eggs are included inside cyst. Traditionally, cysts are extracted from the soil using the paper strip method or the centrifugal flotation method (CFM) combined with sieving. The specific gravity of sugar solution (SGSS) is often used in the CFM; however, the efficiency of cyst extraction and egg hatching in the CFM has not been studied. In this study, we assessed the effects of SGSS in a specific gravity range of 1.15 to 1.30 in the CFM on the cyst extraction and egg hatching of clover cyst nematode (Heterodera trifolii) and sugar beet cyst nematode (H. schachtii). High SGSS in the CFM within the range of 1.15 to 1.30 was positively correlated with the extraction of more cysts. Egg-hatching rates were not different between SGSSs, indicating that SGSS did not directly affect egg-hatching rates. These results showed that the cysts of cyst nematodes can be efficiently extracted with high SGSS in the CFM.

Paddy soils undergo wet-dry cycles that greatly influence the behaviour and availability of nutrients, but also of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). This study assessed the quality of paddy soils (actively cultivated and abandoned) and rice (white, brown, and wild) produced in the Baixo Vouga Lagunar (BVL) region, central-north Portugal. Surface soils were analysed for physicochemical parameters and chemical compositions, alongside sequential selective chemical extraction to evaluate metal(loid) availability. Chemical analyses were also performed on interstitial- and irrigation waters, and rice grains. The BVL soils are very strongly to moderately acidic (pH = 4.4-5.8), with organic matter contents reaching up to 34%, and exhibit a wide range of electrical conductivity values. Abandoned rice fields generally show higher values of these parameters and evidence of saline water intrusion. Several sites showed As, Cu, Pb, and U concentrations exceeding Portuguese thresholds for agricultural soils. While Cu levels were similar in both cultivated and abandoned fields, the latter had higher contents of As, Pb, and U. A geogenic origin is envisaged for these metal(loid)s, though anthropogenic contributions cannot be excluded. Sequential selective chemical extraction showed that Pb and U are strongly associated with available fractions, whereas amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxides primarily support As and Cu. Nevertheless, porewaters and irrigation waters showed low concentrations of these PTEs, suggesting minimal mobilisation to water. Furthermore, translocation to rice grains was low, with concentrations well below European Commission limits, indicating that elevated PTEs in soils do not necessarily lead to toxic levels in rice, providing reassurance regarding food safety.

As offshore wind turbines approach the end of their operational lifespan, the decommissioning process is gaining increasing importance, which highlights the need to develop expertise in the marine operations involved in this task. This study focuses on simulating the vibratory extraction of a monopile foundation for an offshore wind turbine using a crane barge. A numerical model is developed to couple the dynamic behavior of the monopile with that of the barge. To accurately represent soil behavior during the extraction process, a high-fidelity finite element model is first established to calculate the soil resistance component under high-frequency cyclic loading generated by the vibro-hammer. Then, time domain numerical simulations of the monopile decommissioning process are carried out, and an external Dynamic Link Library (DLL) is developed to integrate this soil resistance force into the time-domain program. Additionally, the centrifugal force exerted by the vibro-hammer is incorporated into the model through a separate DLL. Time-domain simulations are performed to analyze the barge's motion and the tension in the lifting wire under calm water conditions. These results are then compared with simulations conducted under long-crested waves to provide a comprehensive understanding of the extraction process. This study also examines the effect of the dynamic positioning system on the barge's dynamic response and the tension in the lifting wire. The outcome of this paper contributes to a better understanding of the complex decommissioning process under marine environments.

Amylase has numerous applications in the processing food sector, including brewing, animal feed, baking, fruit juice manufacturing, starch syrups, and starch liquefaction. Practical applications have been the primary focus of recent research on novel properties of bacterial alpha-amylases. Many amylolytic-active bacterial isolates were obtained from samples of organic-rich, salinity-rich soil. Morphological and 16S rRNA gene sequence studies clearly revealed that the organism belongs to Bacillus sp. and was named Bacillus cereus strain GL2 (PP463909.1 (When pH 6.0, 45 degrees C, and 12 hours of incubation were met the optimal growth conditions for the strain produced the highest amount of alpha-amylase activity. B. cereus strain GL2 alpha-amylase isoenzyme was purified to homogeneity using Sephacryl (TM) S-200 chromatography and ammonium sulfate precipitation. The electrophoretic molecular weight of B. cereus alpha-amylase was 58 kDa. The optimal pH and temperature for measuring alpha-amylase activity were 50 degrees C and 6.0, respectively. alpha-Amylase did not change at 50 degrees C. The purified enzyme improves bread texture by reducing stiffness while improving cohesiveness and flexibility. Purified alpha-amylase was added to the flour, which improved the rheological properties and overall bread quality. As a result, the alpha-amylase from B. cereus strain GL2 can be used to promote bread-making.