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Land application of biosolids has proven a cost-effective method of waste disposal by beneficially recycling organic matter and nutrients and improving soil quality; however, it may also pose potential threat to the environment and human health. The purpose of this paper is to provide information on recent research progresses and regulation efforts regarding land application of biosolids, including forms and types and nutrient values of biosolids, environmental and health concerns, and related best management practices (BMPs) of biosolids application, with emphasis on its land application in agriculture. More research and regulations are expected to minimize potential risks of biosolids land application, especially its long-term impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to investigate individual and contextual factors associated with dental care utilization by U.S. informal caregivers. The sample included all 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System respondents who completed the caregiver module and reported providing care for 1 year or more to an individual aged ≥ 50 years or older (n = 1,196). Multiple logistic regressions were used to examine associations of caregiver and care characteristics and county-level contextual characteristics (from Area Resource File data) with two outcomes: dental visits and dental cleaning during previous year. Caregivers with health insurance coverage and higher education were more likely to use dental care; those who had lost more teeth and who were spouse caregivers were less likely to do so. Community characteristics were not correlated with caregivers’ use of dental care. Our findings suggest that better access to dental care could improve dental care utilization by caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Investment in residential subprime mortgages through structured products was at the heart of the financial crisis that began in 2007. Perhaps the most toxic such product was the CDO-squared. CDO-squareds are CDOs (collateralized debt obligations) with tranches of other CDOs serving as their collateral pool. CDO-squareds on mortgage-backed securities (ABS-CDOs) issued vast quantities of AAA rated securities that quickly fell to market values of a few cents on the dollar. This article examines ABS-CDOs with two primary purposes. First, it provides an intuitive explanation of ABS-CDOs, including their characteristics, risks, and models. Second, it performs a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the AAA senior tranche width with respect to various parameters based on the Hull and White model of mortgage-backed securities. The authors find that ABS-CDO senior tranche widths were unreasonable prior to the financial collapse that began in 2007, and they attribute the associated rating errors with the non-linearity, hyper-sensitivity, and complexity of the risks of the products with respect to their underlying parameters. Simply put, there is no reliable basis on which accurate measurements of risk can be made using existing data and theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and the risk of gestational diabetes among US adults., Method: We used National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2007-2018 data to perform this study. LE8 scores comprised 4 health behaviors (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, and sleep duration) and 4 health factors (BMI, non-high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure). Then, LE8 were categorized into low CVH (0 to 49 scores), moderated CVH (50 to 79 scores), and high CVH (80 to 100 scores). Weighted multivariate Logistic regression analysis model were used to estimate the relationship between LE8 and gestational diabetes., Result: A total of 3,189 participants were included, and the portion of gestational diabetes was 15.33%, 11.46%, 7.71% in low CVH, moderate CVH, and high CVH, respectively. Adjustment for covariates, we found that high CVH (OR: 0.49, 95%CI: 0.29-0.83, p  = 0.01) was associated with decreased of gestational diabetes, not moderate CVH (OR: 0.78, 95%CI: 0.50-1.20, p  = 0.25). This inverse associations were dose-response dependent ( p -nonlinear = 0.982). This inverse associations were significant in subgroup. Significant interaction between CVH and family diabetes with the risk of gestational diabetes was found ( P for interaction = 0.04). High CVH (OR: 0.357, 95%CI: 0.176-0.724, p  = 0.005) could significantly decrease the risk of gestational diabetes in the population with family diabetes. The results were generally robust in sensitivity analyses after excluding of ASCVD participants., Conclusion: The high CVH could decrease the risk of gestational diabetes, especially in the population of family diabetes.

Cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relies on the use of intracellular contrast agents, primarily iron oxide compounds. Several techniques have been used to efficiently shuttle iron oxides into nonphagocytic cells, but all methods used until now require a prolonged incubation of cells. We hypothesized that instant magnetic labeling of cells could be achieved using electroporation. Neural stem cells (NSCs) and leukocytes from spleen and lymph nodes were suspended in a ferumoxide labeling solution, loaded into cuvettes, and subjected to electromechanical permeabilization using electroporation. Magnetically labeled cells were assayed for labeling efficiency, as well as for potential toxicity or altered function. To confirm the method's applicability to detect cells, MRI experiments were performed at 11.7 T. Magnetoelectroporation of NSCs, as demonstrated by Prussian blue staining, anti-dextran immunostaining, and a quantitative iron uptake assay, proved to be an efficient intracellular magnetic labeling method. Leukocytes including lymphocytes, which are notoriously difficult to label because of their membrane properties and small cytoplasmic volume, also demonstrated a pronounced uptake of ferumoxide. MRI experiments showed that labeled NSCs could be visualized as single cells and cell clusters in gelatin phantoms, and as proliferating cell masses in mouse brain. We have developed a convenient technique for instant magnetic labeling of cells. Because magnetoelectroporation allows the use of ferumoxides approved by the US Food and Drug Administration without additional agents, it has excellent potential for clinical translation.