Search

Chapter 4. Risk assessment for chemicals including nanomaterials requires information on both the likely exposure to the chemicals, in terms of concentration, duration and form, and their hazard to the organisms they come into contact with. Case-by-case determination of exposure and hazard data for each individual nanomaterial variant is not possible due to the time and cost required, and thus there is a strong incentive to develop computational models that can predict human and environmental exposure to nanomaterials based on a reduced set of input parameters as part of an Integrated Approach to Testing and Assessment. Here we report the integration of two exposure models, one predicting human indoor exposure to nanomaterials (the multibox model) and the other predicting environmental exposure to nanomaterials in freshwater at the catchment scale (the NanoFASE water-soil-organism model). Both were developed in previous research projects, and NanoSolveIT has developed the Graphical User Interfaces and NanoSolveIT Application Programming Interface to allow users to access and run the models easily, either as stand-alone open software or via the NanoSolveIT Cloud platform. This represents the first steps toward establishment of a complete integrated in-silico platform for exposure, hazard, and risk assessment of nanomaterials.

Despite concerns about the loss of industry, industrial land, and buildings in high-value post-industrial cities, there is concurrently a renewed enthusiasm around the potential of "new" urban manufacturing and its contribution to the socio-economic diversity of cities. Yet, little is known about how planning policy can best support the retention and growth of urban manufacturing. To advance this agenda, this article proposes that we need a better understanding of industrial building typologies and resultant urban form. Using concepts developed by Julienne Hanson to analyse residential morphologies undergoing transformation under modernism, we apply these concepts to investigate the industrial, mixed-use contexts in two areas of London with concentrations of urban manufacturing - Hackney Mare Street and Old Kent Road. The research presented examines how both areas have evolved historically to produce distinctive urban tissues and a range of industrial building typologies. The article reveals that, despite territorial similarities in the late 19th century, the mixed land uses and smaller plot sizes of Hackney Mare Street have allowed for a more resilient development pattern, whereas the greater separation of land uses, large plot sizes, and inward-facing development in the Old Kent Road has facilitated its reimagination for large-scale regeneration. We conclude that greater attention needs to be paid to the relationship between urban manufacturing and built urban form if policies that aim to protect or support the revival of manufacturing in cities are to avoid negative unintended consequences.

The adverse physical impacts of childhood obesity are increasingly being recognized. The objective of this study is to examine relationships between physical function and adiposity in youth. An umbrella review searched seven databases from inception to May 2019 for systematic reviews examining associations between adiposity and physical function in 0–20-year-olds. Findings were synthesized using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Framework and NHMRC FORM. Seventeen of 21 systematic reviews reported impairments to body function, including cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscle function, balance/coordination, gait biomechanics, pain and injury. Six reviews reported activity restrictions in motor skills, running speed/agility and functional mobility, and two found inverse associations between adiposity and physical health-related quality of life (p-HRQOL). Some causal relationships indicated that adiposity inversely predicted p-HRQOL/CRF and CRF/muscle function inversely predicted adiposity. Assessments of physical function were heterogeneous and impacts on participation in life situations meaningful to the individual were largely unknown. Substantial evidence associates childhood overweight/obesity with reduced physical function. Associations were mainly cross-sectional, with causative evidence for some outcomes. Comprehensive physical function assessments by qualified health professionals are needed, along with targeted interventions to address deficits. Research should further examine causality of relationships, underlying mechanisms and participation challenges in real-life contexts.

Nanotechnology has enabled the discovery of a multitude of novel materials exhibiting unique physicochemical (PChem) properties compared to their bulk analogues. These properties have led to a rapidly increasing range of commercial applications; this, however, may come at a cost, if an association to long-term health and environmental risks is discovered or even just perceived. Many nanomaterials (NMs) have not yet had their potential adverse biological effects fully assessed, due to costs and time constraints associated with the experimental assessment, frequently involving animals. Here, the available NM libraries are analyzed for their suitability for integration with novel nanoinformatics approaches and for the development of NM specific Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATA) for human and environmental risk assessment, all within the NanoSolveIT cloud-platform. These established and well-characterized NM libraries (e.g. NanoMILE, NanoSolutions, NANoREG, NanoFASE, caLIBRAte, NanoTEST and the Nanomaterial Registry (>2000 NMs)) contain physicochemical characterization data as well as data for several relevant biological endpoints, assessed in part using harmonized Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) methods and test guidelines. Integration of such extensive NM information sources with the latest nanoinformatics methods will allow NanoSolveIT to model the relationships between NM structure (morphology), properties and their adverse effects and to predict the effects of other NMs for which less data is available. The project specifically addresses the needs of regulatory agencies and industry to effectively and rapidly evaluate the exposure, NM hazard and risk from nanomaterials and nano-enabled products, enabling implementation of computational ‘safe-by-design’ approaches to facilitate NM commercialization.

Thermal scales assess thermal environments in terms of thermal sensation and comfort. The number of scale’s categories and their verbal realization/labels, especially when translated for local applications, are subjects of research. This study examined variations from the ISO 10551 thermal scale when translated into Greek language. We conducted an online survey asking participants to translate the English ISO 10551 scale, develop their own scales (five, seven and nine-point), report a wording for thermal comfort, and assign discrete values to scales’ categories proportional to their perceived distances. Overall, 357 participants enrolled in the survey while data from 321 questionnaires included in the analysis. The interpretations of ISO 10551 categories varied (6–18) although the majority consisted of the exact translation. The wordings of the formulated scales differed from ISO 10551 scale indicating a more intense expression mode. The labels overlapped in the extreme categories of the nine-point scale supporting the use of the seven-point scale. Most participants (~ 65%) reported thermal comfort equivalent to neutrality. About half of the participants reported equal distances between the categories of the scales. The results can be applied on thermal sensation studies having a possible impact on the use of outdoor spaces under various contexts, i.e., public health, urban design, and energy conservation.

International Computer Music Conference Proceedings: vol. 2016, (dlps) bbp2372.2016.015, http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.bbp2372.2016.015, This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License. Please contact mpub-help@umich.edu to use this work in a way not covered by the license.

Sedentary behaviour has emerged as a unique determinant of health in adults. Studies in children and adolescents have been less consistent. We reviewed the evidence to determine if the total volume and patterns (i.e. breaks and bouts) of objectively measured sedentary behaviour were associated with adverse health outcomes in young people, independent of moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity. Four electronic databases (EMBASE MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, PubMed and Scopus) were searched (up to 12 November 2015) to retrieve studies among 2- to 18-year-olds, which used cross-sectional, longitudinal or experimental designs, and examined associations with health outcomes (adiposity, cardio-metabolic, fitness, respiratory, bone/musculoskeletal, psychosocial, cognition/academic achievement, gross motor development and other outcomes). Based on 88 eligible observational studies, level of evidence grading and quantitative meta-analyses indicated that there is limited available evidence that the total volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are associated with health in children and adolescents when accounting for moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity or focusing on studies with low risk of bias. Quality evidence from studies with robust designs and methods, objective measures of sitting, examining associations for various health outcomes, is needed to better understand if the overall volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are independent determinants of health in children and adolescents.

Background Obese children are typically less physically active than their normal-weight peers and are often assumed to be ‘unfit’. Objective Investigate the relationships between adiposity, physical activity levels and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in obese and normal-weight children. A secondary aim was to examine obese/normal-weight differences in CRF. Methods Obese (N = 107) and normal-weight (N = 132) 10–13-year-olds participated. Fat-free mass (FFM), percent fat, physical activity and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) were assessed. Analyses were adjusted for socioeconomic status (SES). Results Higher percent fat was inversely associated with VO2peak normalized for mass (r = −0.780, P < 0.001) even after controlling for physical activity (r = −0.673, P < 0.001). While higher percent fat was also inversely associated with VO2peak normalized for FFM, this was only significant in males (r = −0.247, P = 0.004) and did not persist after controlling for physical activity (r = −0.059 P = 0.526). Compared with normal-weight children, obese children had higher absolute VO2peak, lower VO2peak corrected for mass (P ≤ 0.009) and lower VO2peak corrected for FFM (P = 0.041) that did not persist after controlling for SES (P = 0.086). Conclusion Obesity-related inefficiencies in CRF were evident. Higher adiposity was associated with poorer CRF relative to mass, irrespective of physical activity levels. However, low physical activity levels may be responsible for associations between adiposity and CRF relative to FFM seen in boys, indicating the importance of encouraging physical activity.

Background This study examined relationships between adiposity, physical functioning and physical activity. - Methods Obese (N=107) and healthy-weight (N=132) children aged 10-13 years underwent assessments of percent body fat (%BF, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), knee extensor strength (KE, isokinetic dynamometry), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF, peak oxygen uptake by cycle ergometry), physical health-related quality of life (HRQOL), worst pain intensity and walking capacity [six-minute walk (6MWT)]. Structural equation modelling was used to assess relationships between variables. - Results Moderate relationships were observed between %BF and 6MWT, KE strength corrected for mass and CRF relative to mass (r -.36 to -.69, P≤.007). Weak relationships were found between: %BF and physical HRQOL (r -.27, P=.008); CRF relative to mass and physical HRQOL (r -.24, P=.003); physical activity and 6MWT (r .17, P=.004). Squared multiple correlations showed that 29.6% variance in physical HRQOL was explained by %BF, pain and CRF relative to mass, while 28% variance in 6MWT was explained by %BF and physical activity. - Conclusions It appears that children with a higher body fat percentage have poorer KE strength, CRF and overall physical functioning. Reducing percent fat appears to be the best target to improve functioning. However, a combined approach to intervention, targeting reductions in body fat percentage, pain and improvements in physical activity and CRF may assist physical functioning.

Sedentary behaviour has emerged as a unique determinant of health in adults. Studies in children and adolescents have been less consistent. We reviewed the evidence to determine if the total volume and patterns (i.e. breaks and bouts) of objectively measured sedentary behaviour were associated with adverse health outcomes in young people, independent of moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity. Four electronic databases (EMBASE MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, PubMed and Scopus) were searched (up to 12 November 2015) to retrieve studies among 2- to 18-year-olds, which used cross-sectional, longitudinal or experimental designs, and examined associations with health outcomes (adiposity, cardio-metabolic, fitness, respiratory, bone/musculoskeletal, psychosocial, cognition/academic achievement, gross motor development and other outcomes). Based on 88 eligible observational studies, level of evidence grading and quantitative meta-analyses indicated that there is limited available evidence that the total volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are associated with health in children and adolescents when accounting for moderate-intensity to vigorous-intensity physical activity or focusing on studies with low risk of bias. Quality evidence from studies with robust designs and methods, objective measures of sitting, examining associations for various health outcomes, is needed to better understand if the overall volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are independent determinants of health in children and adolescents.

© Copyright 2016, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2016. Background: This study examined relationships between adiposity, physical functioning, and physical activity. Methods: Obese (N = 107) and healthy-weight (N = 132) children aged 10-13 years underwent assessments of percent body fat (%BF, dual energy X-ray absorptiometry); knee extensor strength (KE, isokinetic dynamometry); cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF, peak oxygen uptake by cycle ergometry); physical health-related quality of life (HRQOL); and worst pain intensity and walking capacity [six-minute walk (6MWT)]. Structural equation modelling was used to assess relationships between variables. Results: Moderate relationships were observed between %BF and (1) 6MWT, (2) KE strength corrected for mass, and (3) CRF relative to mass (r -0.36 to -0.69, p = 0.007). Weak relationships were found between %BF and physical HRQOL (r -0.27, p = 0.008); CRF relative to mass and physical HRQOL (r -0.24, p = 0.003); physical activity and 6MWT (r 0.17, p = 0.004). Squared multiple correlations showed that 29.6% variance in physical HRQOL was explained by %BF, pain, and CRF relative to mass; while 28.0% variance in 6MWT was explained by %BF and physical activity. Conclusions: It appears that children with a higher body fat percentage have poorer KE strength, CRF, and overall physical functioning. Reducing percent fat appears to be the best target to improve functioning. However, a combined approach to intervention, targeting reductions in body fat percentage, reductions in pain, and improvements in physical activity and CRF may assist physical functioning.

The purpose of this study was to investigate if obese children have reduced knee extensor (KE) strength and to explore the relationship between adiposity and KE strength. An observational case-control study was conducted in three Australian states, recruiting obese [n=107 (51 female, 56 male)] and healthy-weight [n=132 (56 female, 76 male)] 10–13 year old children. Body mass index, body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), isokinetic/isometric peak KE torques (dynamometry) and physical activity (accelerometry) were assessed. Results revealed that compared with their healthy-weight peers, obese children had higher absolute KE torques (P≤0.005), equivocal KE torques when allometrically normalized for fat-free mass (FFM) (P≥0.448) but lower relative KE torques when allometrically normalized for body mass (P≤0.008). Adjustments for maternal education, income and accelerometry had little impact on group differences, except for isometric KE torques relative to body mass which were no longer significantly lower in obese children (P≥0.013, not significant after controlling for multiple comparisons). Percent body fat was inversely related to KE torques relative to body mass (r= -0.22 to -0.35, P≤0.002), irrespective of maternal education, income or accelerometry. In conclusion, while obese children have higher absolute KE strength and FFM, they have less functional KE strength (relative to mass) available for weight-bearing activities than healthy-weight children. The finding that FFM-normalized KE torques did not differ suggests that the intrinsic contractile properties of the KE muscles are unaffected by obesity. Future research is needed to see if deficits in KE strength relative to mass translate into functional limitations in weight-bearing activities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether obesity is related to impaired day-to-day physical functioning and disability in children. Methods: An observational case-control study was conducted in three Australian states. Obese (n = 107) and healthy-weight (n = 132) 10- to 13-year-olds (132 male, 107 female) were recruited via media advertisements. Assessment of body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), locomotor capacity (six-minute walk test [6MWT], timed up and down stairs test [TUDS] and timed up and go [TUG]) and child-reported physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were undertaken. Participants wore an accelerometer for 8 days and completed two use-of-time telephone interviews to assess participation in key life areas. Results: Compared with their healthy-weight counterparts, obese children had lower physical HRQoL scores (P < 0.01) and reduced locomotor capacity (TUDS z-score, TUG and 6MWT; P < 0.01). Higher percent body fat was significantly related to lower physical HRQoL scores (r = -0.48, P < 0.01), slower performance times for the TUDS and TUG (r = 0.59 and 0.26 respectively, P < 0.01), shorter 6MWT distances (r = -0.51, P < 0.01) and reduced time spent in community participation activities (r = -0.23, P < 0.01). Conclusions: As anticipated, obesity appears to undermine physical functioning in children, including the capacity to perform basic locomotor skills yet, unexpectedly, participation in key life areas related to physical functioning appeared largely unaffected.

The purpose of this study was to investigate if obese children have reduced knee extensor (KE) strength and to explore the relationship between adiposity and KE strength. An observational case-control study was conducted in three Australian states, recruiting obese [N = 107 (51 female, 56 male)] and healthy-weight [N = 132 (56 female, 76 male)] 10- to 13-year-old children. Body mass index, body composition (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), isokinetic/isometric peak KE torques (dynamometry) and physical activity (accelerometry) were assessed. Results revealed that compared with their healthy-weight peers, obese children had higher absolute KE torques (P = 0.005), equivocal KE torques when allometrically normalized for fat-free mass (FFM) (P = 0.448) but lower relative KE torques when allometrically normalized for body mass (P = 0.008). Adjustments for maternal education, income and accelerometry had little impact on group differences, except for isometric KE torques relative to body mass which were no longer significantly lower in obese children (P = 0.013, not significant after controlling for multiple comparisons). Percent body fat was inversely related to KE torques relative to body mass (r = -0.22 to -0.35, P = 0.002), irrespective of maternal education, income or accelerometry. In conclusion, while obese children have higher absolute KE strength and FFM, they have less functional KE strength (relative to mass) available for weight-bearing activities than healthy-weight children. The finding that FFM-normalized KE torques did not differ suggests that the intrinsic contractile properties of the KE muscles are unaffected by obesity. Future research is needed to see if deficits in KE strength relative to mass translate into functional limitations in weight-bearing activities. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Objective: To critically appraise the Biodex System 4 isokinetic dynamometer for strength assessment of children. Methods: Appraisal was based on experiences from two independent laboratories involving testing of 213 children. Issues were recorded and the manufacturer was consulted regarding appropriate solutions. Results: The dynamometer had insufficient height adjustment for alignment of the knee for some children, requiring the construction of padding to better fit the child within the dynamometer. Potential for entrapment of the non-testing leg was evident in the passive and eccentric modes and a leg bracket restraint was constructed. Automated gravity correction did not operate when protocols were linked or data was exported to an external device. Conclusions: Limitations were noted, some of which were applicable to knee strength testing in general and others which were specific to use with children. However, most of these obstacles could be overcome, making the Biodex System 4 suitable for assessment of knee strength in children.

Objective: This review addresses the effect of overweight and obese weight status on pediatric health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Method: Web of Science, Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, AMED and PubMed were searched for peer-reviewed studies in English reporting HRQOL and weight status in youth (<21 years), published before March 2008. Results: Twenty-eight articles were identified. Regression of HRQOL against body mass index (BMI) using pooled data from 13 studies utilizing the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory identified an inverse relationship between BMI and pediatric HRQOL (r=−0.7, P=0.008), with impairments in physical and social functioning consistently reported. HRQOL seemed to improve with weight loss, but randomized controlled trials were few and lacked long-term follow-up. Conclusions: Little is known about the factors associated with reduced HRQOL among overweight or obese youth, although gender, age and obesity-related co-morbidities may play a role. Few studies have examined the differences in HRQOL between community and treatment-seeking samples. Pooled regressions suggest pediatric self-reported HRQOL can be predicted from parent proxy reports, although parents of obese youths tend to perceive worse HRQOL than children do about themselves. Thus, future research should include both pediatric and parent proxy perspectives.

FeoB is an atypical transporter that has been shown to exclusively mediate ferrous ion transport in some bacteria. Unusually the genome of the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis has two genes (feoB1 and feoB2) encoding FeoB homologs, both of which are expressed in bicistronic operons. Kinetic analysis of ferrous ion transport by P. gingivalis W50 revealed the presence of a single, high affinity system with a K(t) of 0.31 microM. FeoB1 was found to be solely responsible for this transport as energized cells of the isogenic FeoB1 mutant (W50FB1) did not transport radiolabeled iron, while the isogenic FeoB2 mutant (W50FB2) transported radiolabeled iron at a rate similar to wild type. This was reflected in the iron content of W50FB1 grown in iron excess conditions which was approximately half that of the wild type and W50FB2. The W50FB1 mutant had increased sensitivity to both oxygen and hydrogen peroxide and was avirulent in an animal model of infection whereas W50FB2 exhibited the same virulence as the wild type. Analysis of manganous ion uptake using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry revealed a greater than 3-fold decrease in intracellular manganese accumulation in W50FB2 which was also unable to grow in manganese-limited media. The protein co-expressed with FeoB2 appears to be a novel FeoA-MntR fusion protein that exhibits homology to a manganese-responsive, DNA-binding metalloregulatory protein. These results indicate that FeoB2 is not involved in iron transport but plays a novel role in manganese transport.