Effective Strategies for Managing Lithium Water Pollution: A Scoping Review Introduction At the moment, calls for sustainable management approaches throughout the Lithium (Li) lifecycle have increased due to growing concerns about the environmental and societal impacts of Li extraction and use. Moreover, long-term exposure to elevated Li levels has been linked to thyroid, neurological, and renal problems in humans. Currently, no comprehensive evaluation exists that thoroughly evaluates the technological, policy, and environmental surveillance strategies for addressing Li water contamination across its entire life cycle. Therefore, this review aims to synthesize evidence on integrated management strategies, including technological innovations, policy measures, and environmental surveillance approaches, to prevent and mitigate Li contamination in surface water throughout its life cycle. Methods This scoping review was developed using the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) Approach, which complied with the Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews. The Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework's recommended actions were carried out. For the literature search, three databases were selected. PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were the three primary databases chosen for this review. This review includes only articles published over the past 20 years (2004-2024). Results A total of 403 studies were identified, of which 24 met the inclusion criteria. Among the 24 included studies, 42% were observational, 33% experimental, and 15% reviews. Seven thematic domains were identified: Surveillance (25%), Resource Recovery (33%), Water Filtration System (13%), Extraction (17%), Policy, Remediation, and Recycling (each 4%). Several interventions demonstrated high Li removal or recovery efficiencies, including adsorption and reverse osmosis, achieving up to 99% Li removal; precipitation, recovering 84–90% of Li; and bioleaching, yielding 100% Li recovery from waste batteries. Conclusions A systematic, evidence-based approach is necessary for effective management of Li pollution. Moreover, to ensure that the global transition toward renewable and electrified energy remains sustainable and safeguards public health, Li management must evolve beyond mitigation to prevention and circularity. Therefore, a multifaceted strategy combining technological innovation, regulatory enforcement, and international cooperation is necessary to effectively manage Li pollution and ensure that green energy transitions remain environmentally responsible.

Malaria is a life-threatening, preventable, and curable vector borne disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles. The WHO Global Report 2010-2016 reported insecticide resistance in malaria. The main objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of new generation Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) compared to standard LLIN and untreated nets in terms of the mortality rate of adult female Anopheles gambiae. A comprehensive review of the literature was published in three databases (PubMed, Ovid, EBSCO Host) since 2010. Publications were searched with keywords including malaria, long-lasting treated bed net, long lasting insecticide-treated bed net, LLIN, and experimental hut. The search has identified 60 articles. Based on the PRISMA flowchart, 10 articles are qualified for data collection and analysis. The gathered data was analysed using Review Manager. Following meta-analysis between subgroups, a risk difference of 0.31 between standard LLINs versus untreated net (p<0.001, I²=100% 95% CI:0.01,0.60). A comparison of upgraded LLINs with the untreated net has shown a significant difference with a pooled risk difference of 0.54 favours upgraded LLINs (p<0.001, I²=100% 95% CI: 0.54,0.84). Comparison between upgraded LLINs versus standard gave an overall risk difference of 0.24 (p < 0.001, I² = 100%, 95% CI: 0.10–0.39). Upgraded LLINs significantly increase Anophelesmortality compared to standard LLINs and untreated nets, suggesting their potential for improved malaria control. Thus, using upgraded nets in the field and translating them into malaria preventive programs would help achieve the target and improve healthoutcomes for those living in endemic areas.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) carries a significant burden in most world regions. However, its screening uptake remains low. This study aimed to explore awareness and perspectives on CRC screening program in a multiethnic population and their preference for CRC screening decision aid. In-depth interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, translated to English and analysed thematically using hybrid inductive and deductive approaches. 17 informants from three main ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese and Indian) with various levels of risk for developing CRC were recruited. Awareness on CRC screening program was found to be low. Majority of informants never heard of CRC screening program. Among 11 eligible informants, only five experienced CRC screening uptake. Thematic analysis of the transcripts yielded six major themes; knowledge on CRC, screening process, authority’s role, curability, willingness to screening and preference for decision aid, and theywere mapped onto the Health Belief Model. Specific multiethnic perspectives found included preference for traditional medicine coming from all ethnics, and reliance in God coming from Malay informants. Majority preferred short videos as CRC screening decision aid, in the form of animation and live-action screenplay. Exploration of perspective of CRC screening helps in producing impactful decision aids. Future efforts should focus on developing short videos that incorporate population’s perspectives and can be disseminated through electronic media.

Pengaruh Rangkaian Sosial Terhadap Kesihatan: Ulasan Naratif Pengenalan Rangkaian sosial memainkan peranan penting dalam membentuk tingkah laku kesihatan individu dan komuniti. Pemahaman terhadap struktur hubungan sosial membantu dalam merangka intervensi kesihatan yang lebih berkesan. Ulasan ini bertujuan untuk memberikan gambaran yang menyeluruh terhadap konsep dan aplikasi teori rangkaian sosial dalam konteks kesihatan. Metodologi Pencarian literatur dilakukan dalam pangkalan data seperti PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science dan Google Scholar. Artikel yang melibatkan hubungan rangkaian sosial dan kesihatan disaring berdasarkan kriteria kemasukan yang ditetapkan.Hasil Kajian Pendekatan Teori Rangkaian Sosial (SNT), menggunakan kaedah kajian seperti Analisa rangkaian sosial (SNA) dan indeks rangkaian sosial (SNI) secara meluas dalam kajian terdahulu. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan komponen rangkaian sosial seperti saiz rangkaian, kepadatan, kekuatan ikatan, pemusatan dan keterbenaman memainkan peranan dalam penyebaran maklumat kesihatan dan pembentukan norma komuniti. Hubungan sosial dalam sesebuah komuniti masyarakat mempengaruhi corak penyebaran penyakit dan tingkah laku kesihatan seperti pengambilan saringan, pematuhan rawatan dan amalan kesihatan. Kesimpulan Rangkaian sosial dapat mempengaruhi kesihatan seseorang individu berdasarkan interaksinya dalam masyarakat. Pengaruh daripada interaksi dalam rangkaian sosial ini berpotensi untuk memanfaatkan dalam strategi intervensi kesihatan awam, terutamanya dalam kalangan komuniti yang mempunyai hubungan sosial yang rapat dan saling mempengaruhi

Worldwide, around 8 million people die yearly due to tobacco usage. Cigarette smoking is the most popular form of tobacco usage. Smoking has linked to many detrimental health effects among adults and adolescents. Recognising the burden of smoking, World Health Organization have implemented various tobacco control strategies under the Framework Convention of Tobacco Control and mPOWER. This includes implementation of plain packaging and pictorial warning. In Asia, only Thailand, Singapore, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Israel have implemented plain cigarette pack. However, some countries have made progress to implement plain cigarette pack. Although some countries have not implemented plain pack, implementation of larger pictorial warning serve as a pathway for implementation of plain packaging. Countries with pictorial warning on cigarette pack should ensure it covers at least 50% of pack. Timor Leste has the largest pictorial warning on cigarette pack in the world. In conclusion, only 5 countries in Asia have implemented plain pack and some countries in this region are yet to implement size of pictorial warning according to requirement of World Health Organization. All countries should target to implement standardized pack to denormalise tobacco usage.

Introduction The new technological innovation can have a vast potential for interventions to help weight loss and combat obesity. The current meta-analysis aimed to compare the effectiveness of smartphone applications (apps) with other methods for promoting weight loss. Methods PubMed, Ovid and Science Direct were searched from 2014 all-inclusive up to May 2019 for relevant studies that assessed any smartphone/mobile phone app intervention with anthropometric measurement. Statistical analysis performed to examine mean difference (95% CI) of body weight, body mass index and waist circumference. Six articles were included for meta-analysis. Findings According to the results, compared with conventional or other interventions, smartphone app interventions showed statistically non-significant decreases in body weight, body mass index and waist circumference. Intervention through smartphone apps alone does not produce substantial evidence of weight loss, even though they might be useful for specific groups. Originality/value There remain prospects to explore regarding the use of smartphone apps in combination with other approaches to aid and promote weight loss, as smartphone use has been proven to influence health-related behavioural modification.

Objectives: A history of severe hypoglycemia (SH) is associated with cardiovascular (CV) events among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this study, we compared the severity of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (ACAD) in T2DM patients with and without a history of SH. Methodology: We conducted a comparative case-control study involving 28 T2DM patients with a history of SH within the last 5 years with no documented ACAD, and matched them with 28 T2DM patients with no history of SH. All subjects underwent coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) with or without coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) to evaluate the severity of ACAD. Results: A history of SH in T2DM was associated with a higher prevalence of significant ACAD (79% versus 46%, p=0.026). A high CACS (≥100) was seen in a greater number of patients with a history of SH compared to those without (75% versus 43%, p=0.029). Similarly, there was a higher prevalence of obstructive CAD in those with a history of SH compared to those without (72% versus 39%, p=0.036). Median C-reactive protein level was also higher among patients with a history of SH (0.41 mg/dL versus 0.16 mg/dL, p=0.029). Conclusion In patients with T2DM, a history of SH is significantly associated with ACAD compared to those without SH. A history of SH warrants screening for ACAD.
Hypoglycemia ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; C-Reactive Protein

OBJECTIVES: Maternal folic acid supplementation is considered mandatory in almost every country in the world to prevent congenital malformations. However, little is known about the association of maternal folic acid intake with the occurrence of childhood cancer. Hence, this study aimed to determine the effects of maternal folic acid consumption on the risk of childhood cancer. METHODS: A total of 158 related articles were obtained from PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ProQuest using standardized keywords, of which 17 were included in the final review. RESULTS: Eleven of the 17 articles showed a significant protective association between maternal folic acid supplementation and childhood cancer. Using a random-effects model, pooled odds ratios (ORs) showed a protective association between maternal folic acid supplementation and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (OR, 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.86). However, there was no significant association between maternal folic acid supplementation and acute myeloid leukaemia (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.46 to 1.06) or childhood brain tumours (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.19). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal folic acid supplementation was found to have a protective effect against childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Thus, healthcare professionals are recommended to provide regular health education and health promotion to the community on the benefits of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy.
Brain ; Case-Control Studies ; Delivery of Health Care ; Folic Acid ; Health Education ; Health Promotion ; Odds Ratio ; Pregnancy

OBJECTIVES: Maternal folic acid supplementation is considered mandatory in almost every country in the world to prevent congenital malformations. However, little is known about the association of maternal folic acid intake with the occurrence of childhood cancer. Hence, this study aimed to determine the effects of maternal folic acid consumption on the risk of childhood cancer. METHODS: A total of 158 related articles were obtained from PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ProQuest using standardized keywords, of which 17 were included in the final review. RESULTS: Eleven of the 17 articles showed a significant protective association between maternal folic acid supplementation and childhood cancer. Using a random-effects model, pooled odds ratios (ORs) showed a protective association between maternal folic acid supplementation and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (OR, 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.86). However, there was no significant association between maternal folic acid supplementation and acute myeloid leukaemia (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.46 to 1.06) or childhood brain tumours (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.19). CONCLUSIONS Maternal folic acid supplementation was found to have a protective effect against childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Thus, healthcare professionals are recommended to provide regular health education and health promotion to the community on the benefits of folic acid supplementation during pregnancy.

Umbilical cord (UC) is a discarded product from the operating theatre and a ready source of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). MSCs from UC express both embryonic and adult mesenchymal stem cell markers and are known to be hypoimmunogenic and non-tumorigenic and thus suitable for allogeneic cell transplantation. Our study aimed to determine the degree of immunotolerance and bone-forming capacity of osteodifferentiated human Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hWJ-MSCs) from different segments of UC in an allogenic setting. UCs were obtained from healthy donors delivering a full-term infant by elective Caesarean section. hWJ-MSCs were isolated from 3 cm length segment from the maternal and foetal ends of UCs. Three-dimensional fibrin constructs were formed and implanted intramuscularly into immunocompetent mice. The mice were implanted with 1) fibrin construct with maternal hWJ-MSCs, 2) fibrin construct with foetal hWJ-MSCs, or 3) fibrin without cells; the control group received sham surgery. After 1 month, the lymphoid organs were analysed to determine the degree of immune rejection and bone constructs were analysed to determine the amount of bone formed. A pronounced immune reaction was noted in the fibrin group. The maternal segment constructs demonstrated greater osteogenesis than the foetal segment constructs. Both maternal and foetal segment constructs caused minimal immune reaction and thus appear to be safe for allogeneic bone transplant. The suppression of inflammation may be a result of increased anti-inflammatory cytokine production mediated by the hWJ-MSC. In summary, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using bone constructs derived from hWJ-MSCs in an allogenic setting.
Adult ; Animals ; Bone Regeneration ; Cell Transplantation ; Cesarean Section ; Female ; Fibrin ; Humans ; Infant ; Inflammation ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Mice ; Osteogenesis ; Pregnancy ; Tissue Donors ; Tissue Engineering ; Transplants ; Umbilical Cord ; Wharton Jelly