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Drawing from the concept of anemoia, the authors propose a new typology of nostalgia called vintage anemoia. Vintage anemoia encompasses consumers' positive and nostalgic response to vintage cues, regardless of specific historical periods or individual lived experiences. Through a series of seven studies, the authors demonstrate that vintage typography, by evoking feelings of vintage anemoia, can enhance consumer perceptions of product safety. This effect has positive downstream consequences on key marketing outcomes, including brand attitude, purchase intention, and willingness to pay. Furthermore, the effect of vintage anemoia on product safety perceptions remains unaffected by whether product safety information indicates that a product is safe or unsafe. However, the effect diminishes when an explicit indexical cue (year of establishment) is utilized or when promoting futuristic products. The findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge in marketing and provide insights for marketers on leveraging vintage typography as a strategic tool for creating emotional connections with consumers and enhancing perceptions of product safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drowning is a leading cause of fatality among children in the United States. In children younger than 15 years of age there were, on average, an estimated 371 pool- or spa-related fatal drownings reported per year for 2018 through 2020. This study reviewed narrative case reports obtained from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to understand pool barrier location, type, and functionality as methods of pool/spa access for childhood submersion incidents. Retroactive analysis of 1,523 fatal and non-fatal submersion incidents among children aged 13 years old and younger was conducted using the CPSC in depth investigation dataset from 2000-2017. Narrative descriptions were coded according to the attributes of barrier location, functionality, and method of access. To our knowledge, these characteristics of barriers have not been previously investigated to this depth. Outcomes indicate that consumer education campaigns should target households with swimming pools/spas and reiterate key findings that (1) submersion incidents occur even when barriers are present and (2) multiple layers of protection against unauthorized pool/spa access are critically important for residential pools/spas. Additionally, improved documentation of barriers is imperative to better understand and prevent drowning among children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Netflix pledged to avoid depictions of e-cigarette use in scripted series and movies rated TV-14 or below. However, this policy did not extend to young adults, many of whom are below the legal tobacco purchasing age. This study examined the association between recall of Netflix scripted series and movies previously identified to contain e-cigarette imagery and susceptibility to use e-cigarettes among never users. Materials and Methods: A non-probability representative sample of young adults (ages 18-24; N = 1500) living in California were recruited to complete an online survey assessing their recall of Netflix scripted series and movies previously identified to contain e-cigarette imagery and e-cigarette-related behaviors. Adjusted and weighted logistic regression analyses were used among participants who had never used e-cigarettes (n = 967). Results: Among participants who had never used e-cigarettes, 68.1% (n = 659/967) recalled viewing at least one Netflix scripted series or movie previously identified to contain e-cigarette imagery, including 66.4% (n = 192/289) of participants under the legal tobacco purchasing age. Participants who recalled viewing at least one Netflix scripted series or movie previously identified to contain e-cigarette imagery, compared with those who did not, had greater odds of reporting susceptibility to use e-cigarettes among never users (AOR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.20-2.25). Conclusions: Young adults living in California recalled Netflix scripted series or movies previously identified to contain e-cigarette imagery. Such recall was associated with susceptibility to use e-cigarettes among never users. These findings should motivate prevention programmers to design tobacco-related digital media literacy interventions for young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The quality and safety of fish products are crucial because poorly handled fish products can result in foodborne illnesses, spoilage, and economic losses. Data on the nutritional and microbiological quality of fish products in Ethiopia, especially in Lake Tana, is limited. This study assessed the proximate composition and microbial quality of raw and open sun‐dried fish products in Lake Tana. Using the standard procedures, 60 fish tissue samples were collected and analyzed for proximate composition and microbial quality. The open sun‐dried fish had significantly higher ash (10.08% ± 1.98%), fat (6.01% ± 1.59%), protein (48.76% ± 8.55%), water activity (0.7358 ± 0.0368) and salt contents (5.89% ± 3.17%) compared to the raw fish (p < 0.05). A significant difference was observed between raw and dried fish in aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and mold counts (p < 0.05). The mean total and fecal coliform counts were not significantly different between the raw and dried fish (p > 0.05). In raw fish, 16.6% and 83.3% of samples had total coliforms and fecal coliforms exceeding the recommended limits, respectively. Both raw and dried fish samples tested positive for Salmonella and Shigella spp. There was a strong positive correlation between water activity and microbial load (r = 0.756, p < 0.05) and also between moisture content and microbial load (r = 0.786, p < 0.05). Most of the assessed raw and sun‐dried fish samples were above the international microbial specification limits, which need attention to ensure the safety of fish consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of fermentation-promoting peptides (FPPs) on the improvement of the quality of cowpea pickles during fermentation and storage. FPPs were introduced to evaluate their effects on key parameters such as pH, total acidity, nitrite levels, and salinity. FPP accelerated fermentation by stimulating lactic acid bacteria (LAB) activity, leading to a rapid reduction in pH and a stable increase in total acidity. Nitrite accumulation was peaking at 0.56 mg/kg on the 7th day, compared to 1.37 mg/kg in the control, thus enhancing product safety. FPP also improved antioxidant retention, reducing ascorbic acid degradation by 30% and increasing phenolic retention by 15.97% over the control, which is essential for antioxidant capacity and color stability. Texture analysis showed higher hardness preservation in the presence of FPP, in which hardness decreased from 209.70 g to 79.98 g in the FPP group after storage, compared to a decline from 158.56 g to 41.66 g in the control. Additionally, sensory evaluations demonstrated that the FPP group maintained superior flavor, texture, and appearance, with minimized browning due to improved pectin stability. This research presents FPPs as a promising additive for producing high-quality, shelf-stable pickles in line with clean label trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) Medical Device Regulation and In Vitro Medical Device Regulation have introduced more rigorous regulatory requirements for medical devices, including new rules for post-market surveillance. However, EU market vigilance is limited by the absence of harmonized reporting systems, languages and nomenclatures among Member States. Our aim was to develop a framework based on Natural Language Processing capable of automatically collecting publicly available Field Safety Notices (FSNs) reporting medical device problems by applying web scraping to EU authority websites, to attribute the most suitable device category based on the European Medical Device Nomenclature (EMDN), and to display processed FSNs in an aggregated way to allow multiple queries. 65,036 FSNs published up to 31/12/2023 were retrieved from 16 EU countries, of which 40,212 (61.83%) were successfully assigned the proper EMDN. The framework's performance was successfully tested, with accuracies ranging from 87.34% to 98.71% for EMDN level 1 and from 64.15% to 85.71% even for level 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial "The Challenges of Cybersecurity in the Health Sector" discusses the increasing digitalization of the health sector and the cybersecurity risks associated with it. The article highlights the importance of securing health data and the potential risks posed by cyber attacks on medical devices and IoT devices. It also addresses the legal framework surrounding cybersecurity in the health sector, including regulations on medical devices, consumer protection, and liability. The complexity of cybersecurity challenges in the medical sector is emphasized, with a focus on the need for enhanced legal interventions and technical solutions to mitigate risks and optimize functionality. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The development of long-acting products of a characterized drug substance is of great interest. It is possible to support the development of these products with available clinical data by matching the exposure to a predefined bracket of a minimal concentration for efficacy and a maximal concentration for safety. This bracketing approach would cut down on the time and cost of new long-acting contraceptive products progressing to market. The current study describes the assessment of the data available to support a bracketing approach to conclude comparable levels of efficacy and safety for a postulated novel long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) product of levonorgestrel. Methods: Literature evidence of levonorgestrel efficacy, as quantified by the Pearl Index, was utilized and modeled by incorporating three LARC products for the estimation of a minimal concentration required for efficacy. Further literature was reviewed to quantify the maximal concentration required to ensure product safety. Additionally, a review of the regulatory precedence for the approach was conducted using European and UK databases. Results: There was a reasonable definition of the minimal concentrations for efficacy where the target concentrations of levonorgestrel were in the range of 200–400 pg/mL. Maximum concentrations for safety were less well defined. Although regulatory guidance supports the bracketing approach, there is little precedence for licensing new products based on pharmacokinetic data only, despite much reduced clinical and non-clinical packages being evidenced. Conclusions: Understanding of the exposure response is not currently considered sufficient to support a bracketing approach for a new levonorgestrel product. If additional safety data are established, current regulations may allow for a reduced application package. Additional work is needed to support the approach, and this could utilize the wealth of information in real-world datasets combined with systems models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern cosmetic industry, known for being fast-paced and science & innovation-led, requires constantly meeting the ever-changing consumer demand for effective and pleasant products. In such an environment, formulators face significant challenges in choosing the best actives, creating hundreds of prototypes, swerving around regulatory restrictions and bans, battling bad press affecting perfectly safe and efficacious ingredients, solving stability issues, decreasing bulk cost, and much more. Therefore, it is crucial to be able to rely on instrumental techniques to investigate microscopic characteristics & behaviours of ingredients and formulations under development and translate the data generated into macroscopic properties. In the Authors' opinion, such an approach, by coupling instrumental techniques with the indispensable formulator's expertise, is essential to optimise product performance, ultimately leading to increased consumer satisfaction. This review aims to give the reader an overview of some of the most suitable instrumental techniques that can assist and complement the formulation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, there has been an increasing consumer demand for the so-called superfoods, accompanied by a growing scientific interest. In our work, sixteen commercial nutraceuticals of different product categories, including powders of cereal grasses, vegetables, fruits, microalgae, an aquatic plant, and herbs, were analyzed to compare their nutritional properties and volatile profile. Some samples, especially spirulina, chlorella, and duckweed powders, were rich in protein; however, their amino acid composition was imbalanced. Spinach, duckweed, and moringa powders exhibited very high ash contents, while sea buckthorn powder was a relatively rich source of lipids. Acerola powder had the highest total phenolic content by far and showed exceptional antioxidant and antibacterial properties in in vitro analyses as well. Aronia and rosehip powders also had high antioxidant potential, while moringa powder exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity. The headspace volatiles of the samples showed significant variations. Terpenes were the major volatiles in herbs, especially in turmeric and ginger powders. High levels of acids were detected in fruit powders. Some compounds were only characteristic of certain products, for example, dimethyl sulfide in beetroot powder, trans-3-penten-2-one in aronia powder, hexadecane in spirulina powder, and turmerones in turmeric powder. These volatiles can be considered botanical markers, which potentially help detect the adulteration of specific nutraceuticals. Overall, this study presents the nutritional and aromatic diversity among various "superfood" powders, highlights their potential application as ingredients in functional foods, and emphasizes the need for regulatory standards to ensure product safety, quality, and consistency in the growing nutraceutical market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a growing interest in products featuring hemp extracts and a demand for more data regarding their safety. To date, there is a paucity of published data on the safety of these products. Methods: A retrospective analysis of postmarketing surveillance data collected in the United States on full spectrum hemp extract (FSHE) products manufactured by Charlotte's Web (CW) was conducted over an 18-month period (January 2019 to July 2020). The frequency of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs) was assessed by analyzing AE reports against the estimated number of consumers who purchased products and the total number of products sold. Results: During the 18-month period, approximately 646,391 consumers purchased 1,939,172 products and 431 AEs were reported by 304 individuals. The estimated percentage of consumers who reported at least one adverse event was 0.05%. The percentage of AEs per products sold was 0.02%. Most AEs (98.14%) reported were Grade 1 (i.e., asymptomatic or causing mild symptoms), as classified by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Seven AEs were classified as serious, and the percentage of SAEs per products sold was 0.0004%. None of the reported SAEs were classified as a Grade 4 or Grade 5 (i.e., life threatening or fatal). Conclusions: Approximately 0.05% of consumers who purchased the CW FSHE products from January 2019 to July 2020 reported an adverse event. The percentage of AEs and SAEs per products sold was 0.02% and 0.0004%, respectively. These data demonstrate that CW FSHE products appear to be well tolerated at recommended doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current interest in hemp is not limited to the medicinal use for humans, it is also gaining attention as a valuable feed ingredient for animals. For instance, the processing of whole hemp seed (HS) for the extraction of the oil can result in various feed materials for animals, including HS hulls, dehulled HS, HS oil, and HS cake/meal. However, currently, HS-derived products are not approved as feed ingredients in Canada, in part, because the safety and efficacy of these derivatives, like other jurisdictions, require certification by regulatory bodies for their use in animal feeds. In this context, this document reviews previous studies testing the application of hemp-derived products in various animal feeds, including poultry, swine, ruminants, as well as in aquaculture production to support their safety and efficacy. Furthermore, the document attempts to review available data on the transfer of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; the psychoactive component) into animal products. Hence, the aim of this work is to support future policy directions and guidelines for the application of various hemp-derived products in animal feeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semicarbazide (SEM) is commonly utilized as a biomarker for detecting the usage of nitrofurazone (NFZ); however, its endogenous presence in aquatic products complicates detection and poses challenges to the quality and safety of these products. Although previous research suggests a potential link between SEM and urea, the specific mechanisms underlying its production under induced conditions remain unclear. To solve the above problem, the integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were performed for systematically exploring endogenous production mechanisms underlying SEM in Macrobrachium rosenbergii under urea conditions. As a result, urea exposure significantly disrupted key pathways, including glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism; and protein digestion and absorption, thereby highlighting the role of amino acid metabolism in SEM formation. Compared to traditional single-omics approaches, this method provided a comprehensive analysis of gene–metabolite interactions, revealing the mechanism of endogenous production of SEM in M. rosenbergii. This research offers new insights into enhancing aquatic product safety and quality and represents a methodological reference for future research regarding the endogenous SEM production mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Periodontitis, affecting approximately 3.9 billion individuals globally, significantly impacts quality of life and has raised interest in its potential systemic effects. Sodium perborate, a common component in oral care products for biofilm control, is widely used, though concerns about its safety persist. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro toxicity of six commercial oral care products and varying concentrations of sodium perborate, utilizing human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) and keratinocytes (HaCat) as cell models. Methods: Experiments were performed in both 2D monolayer and 3D cultures using MTT and electrical impedance assays, adhering to the manufacturer's recommended exposure time of 30–60 s for product testing. For the reconstructed epidermis model, a prolonged exposure time of 42 min was applied, following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Test Guideline 439. Results: Results indicated that all products and sodium perborate at 1 mg/mL were cytotoxic in monolayer cultures. However, at concentrations relevant to commercial formulations (0.06 mg/mL sodium perborate), no significant toxicity was observed. In contrast, the 3D culture models, including spheroids and reconstructed epidermis, exhibited minimal to no cytotoxic effects for the commercial products, with sodium perborate showing no significant toxicity below 0.1 mg/mL. The reconstructed epidermis model, used as surrogate for oral mucosa, further confirmed that the products were non-irritating, in compliance with OECD TG 439 standards. Discussion: This study highlights the importance of considering exposure time, dosage, and cellular model when assessing the safety of oral care products. While 2D models are useful for preliminary screenings, 3D models provide a more physiologically relevant assessment, emphasizing the need for robust testing protocols to ensure product safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide-related presentations to pediatric emergency departments (PED) have increased in recent years. PED providers have the opportunity to reduce suicide risk by counseling on restricting access to lethal means. Supplementing lethal means counseling (LMC) with safety device distribution is effective in improving home safety practices. Data on PED-based LMC in high-risk patient populations is limited. The objective of this study was to determine if caregivers of children presenting to PED for mental health evaluation were more likely to secure all household firearms if given cable-style gun locks in addition to LMC. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, caregivers completed a survey regarding storage practices of firearms and medication in the home. Participants were randomized to receive LMC (control) or LMC plus 2 cable-style gun locks (intervention). Follow-up survey was distributed 1 month after encounter. Primary outcome was proportion of households reporting all household firearms secured at follow-up. Secondary outcomes included: removal of lethal means from the home, purchase of additional safety devices, use of PED-provided locks (intervention only), and acceptability of PED-based LMC. Results: Two hundred participants were enrolled and randomized. Comparable portions of study groups completed follow-up surveys. Control and intervention arms had similar proportions of households reporting all firearms secured at baseline (89.9% vs. 82.2%, p = 0.209) and follow-up (97.1% vs. 98.5%, p = 0.96), respectively. Other safety behaviors such as removal of firearms (17.6% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.732), removal of medication (19.1% vs. 13.2%, p = 0.361), and purchase of additional safety devices (66.2% vs. 61.8%, p = 0.721) were also alike between the two groups. Both groups held favorable views of PED-based counseling. Within the intervention group, 70% reported use of provided locks. Preference for a different style of securement device was the most cited reason among those not using PED-provided locks. Conclusions: PED-based LMC is a favorably-viewed, effective tool for improving home safety practices in families of high-risk children. Provision of cable-style gun locks did not improve rate of firearm securement compared LMC alone—likely due to high baseline rates of firearm securement and preference for different style of lock among non-utilizers. Clinical Trial Registration: ID: NCT05568901. Clinicaltrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/. Retrospectively registered October 6, 2022. First participant enrollment: June 28, 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The surge in the popularity of cannabis has led to an increase in the number of companies producing hemp-derived consumable cannabinoid products. Despite extensive exploration of cannabinoid efficacy, safety remains underreported. Any contaminants that are not deemed analytes of interest are ignored, leaving their identities and safety profiles a mystery. The unregulated nature of the cannabinoid market places the onus on reputable companies to set industry standards for product cleanliness. Objective: This study aimed to address this gap by assessing high and low potency forms of three popular hemp-derived cannabinoids – Delta 8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), and Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabiphorol (Δ9-THCP). Methods: After identifying contaminants, the products were evaluated for toxicity in vitro using one liver and two lung cell lines in an effort to simulate the effects of oral consumption and inhalation. Results: Our study revealed that none of the compounds exhibited toxicity in the liver cell line, while all of the compounds exhibited toxicity in both of the lung cell lines – with the exception of one high-potency HHC sample. Conclusion: These findings highlight the critical need for stringent quality control in the cannabinoid industry, emphasizing the importance for both companies and consumers to prioritize clean, well-tested products to ensure safety in an increasingly unregulated market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cryosurgery remains an important treatment modality in dermatology practice. HYDROZID®, a new portable cryosurgery medical device using norflurane as a cryogen, was recently introduced in the Indian market. This paper reports the findings of the phase IV study conducted in India. Aims: This is a prospective phase IV study to evaluate its safety and efficacy in the treatment of superficial epidermal and dermal lesions. Methods: The study was conducted across 4 centres in India. The cryosurgery cycles were decided based on the skin lesion considered for the treatment. Safety and efficacy parameters were assessed at day 1, day 7, day 14, day 30 (±2) (end of treatment), and day 60 (±2) after the initial cryosurgery treatment. The local skin reactions scale, pain VAS scale, and Vancouver scale for assessment of pigmentation and scarring were used for the assessment of cutaneous reactions. Assessment of efficacy was done by evaluating the total disappearance of skin lesions at the end of the study visit. Results: Ninety-seven patients completed the study. The reported post-procedural pain was mild to moderate and subsided over the period of 24 hours. There was no pain observed in 84.76% of patients at the end of 24 hours. Complete disappearance of the lesion was seen in 47.4% of patients at the end of the study, while the reduction in the diameter of skin lesions by more than 50% was observed in 79.38% of patients. Conclusion: The data from this study support good clinical tolerability and safety of the Hydrozid® portable cryo device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat‐resistant molds (HRM) pose a significant threat to food industries due to their ability to survive in high temperatures (pasteurization range) and grow in a variety of environments. To understand how inhibiting variables affect HRM growth, this study evaluated the impact of high sugar concentration (50–60°Brix), low pH (3.5–4.5), and temperature (5–15) on the time (tv) to develop detectable colonies (colony diameter = 2 mm) of three HRM strains (Byssochlamys nivea, Byssochlamys fulva, Neosartorya fischeri) isolated from mixed fruit products. The study found that all HRM strains had relatively short periods of time to develop detectable colonies at 50°Brix, while no visible growth was observed at 60°Brix. Byssochlamys nivea was found to be the most susceptible to low temperatures, requiring up to 43 days to develop detectable colonies at 10°C and unable to grow at colder temperatures. The tv varied from 6 to 27 days based on pH and isolates. HRM's resistance to high sugar concentrations and ability to grow in cold environments pose a threat to the microbiological safety of fruit products. The evaluated data were fitted to several statistical distribution models to support further research on the quantitative microbiological risk in processed fruit products. This study provides valuable insights into how inhibiting variables affect HRM growth and can inform efforts to minimize their impact on fruit‐based product quality and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this opinion was to determine if any wild caught fish species, originating from specific fishing grounds and consumed in the EU/EFTA could be considered free of zoonotic parasites. In this Opinion the term 'fishery products' only refers to fresh finfish. As there are multiple fish species and numerous potential parasites, Anisakis sp. was used as an indicator of zoonotic parasites in marine areas. This parasite species is particularly suited as it is common in marine environments, capable of infecting multiple fish species and is the subject of the majority of published studies. On the rare occasion where Anisakis sp. data were not available, or all tests were negative, other parasites such as Contracaecum osculatum (s.l.) and/or Phocanema spp. were considered. In freshwater systems, all zoonotic parasites were investigated. Consumption, import and landing data were used to determine the most relevant fish species and, where possible, the source fishing areas were identified. The most commonly consumed wild caught fish species in the EU/EFTA include tuna, cod, Alaskan pollock, hake, herring, sardines, mackerel, trout and saithe. Although the majority of these fish are caught in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (37) as well as several areas in the Indian Ocean, imported fish may originate from any global fishing areas, with the exception of Antarctica. Based on the data, at least one zoonotic parasite has been reported in at least one fish species in each of the FAO marine fishing areas. Thus, due to relative low fish host specificity of the zoonotic parasites, the panel concluded that all wild caught fish species may be exposed to and infected with zoonotic parasites. The same applies to freshwater fishing areas, with many areas having multiple studies reporting the presence of zoonotic parasites in the wild caught fish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the responsibilities of a food product developer, the relevance of this expertise within the science of food and its contributions to the global food system. Topics discussed include food product development initiatives of companies, reasons for developing food consumer packaged foods, stages of new food product development, and challenges of food product development such as food safety, ingredient sourcing, costs, pricing and sustainable production and practices.

The production of home and personal care products demands stringent contamination control to ensure safety and quality. Microbial contamination poses significant risks to both product integrity and consumer safety, leading to potential recalls and brand damage. This article explores the critical role of environmental monitoring (EM) programs in identifying, tracking, and trending sources of microbial contamination. A robust contamination control strategy includes species-level microbial identifications, early warning systems, and adherence to regulatory standards such as the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) and USP chapters <60>, <61>, and <62>. These regulations emphasize the importance of tracking and trending microorganisms to increase visibility and improve the state of control of your processes and facility. Drawing on the analogy of a railway system, we illustrate how undetected microbial contamination can spread across production lines. By implementing proactive contamination controls, utilizing advanced identification techniques like MALDI-TOF and DNA sequencing, and managing microbial risks through accurate data analysis, manufacturers can stay ahead of potential threats. The article underscores the value of harmonized EM programs, which shift manufacturers from reactive to proactive responses, minimizing contamination risks and ensuring product safety. Investing in such programs ultimately protects consumers, ensures regulatory compliance, and preserves the brand's reputation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: E-cigarettes are the most-used tobacco product among US adolescents and are associated with nicotine addiction. This qualitative investigation aimed to understand adolescents' experiences and perceptions with nicotine addiction, and related influences of addiction, to inform product regulation, health communication, and cessation resource development. Methods: Between May 2020 and December 2021, in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 47 California (United States) adolescents ages 13–17 who reported recent tobacco use (primarily e-cigarette use). The topic of addiction both arose organically and followed specific interviewer questions. Researchers used thematic analysis techniques to identify unifying themes related to addiction. Results: Adolescents described e-cigarette addiction in ways that reflected a loss of control over their routines and activities and as physical symptoms, including reward and withdrawal. While some viewed addiction risk as a reason not to vape, others perceived it possible to use e-cigarettes and avoid or manage addiction. Specific characteristics of e-cigarette devices, particularly disposable nicotine-salt products, including flavors, "cool" designs, concealable size and odor, low price, and ease-of-use, were seen as enhancing addiction risk. Quit attempts were difficult and usually unsupported by adults or formal cessation aids. Conclusions: For many adolescents, addiction is a major component of their experience with e-cigarettes, often in ways that disrupt their routines and reduce their quality of life. Tobacco control or regulation could target e-cigarette product characteristics to decrease potential for addiction among adolescents. Needed are youth-targeted public communication about nicotine addiction and adolescent-tailored, evidence-based cessation support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University of Chicago researchers have developed an ultra-lightweight, paper-thin, catheter-delivered cardiac pacemaker. Tested on a live pig, the pacemaker successfully regulated the heartbeat via tiny pulses of light. The design permits adjustments to the pacing as well as location of heart stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is an efficient and accurate method for fat content detection in walnuts. 'Wen 185' walnut is grown in large quantities in southern Xinjiang, and its fat content is an important indicator for evaluating the intrinsic quality. The excessive pursuit of yield efficiency, combined with the neglect of quality, agricultural product safety and other factors, has led to the production of poor-quality walnuts. Moreover, research on predicting walnut kernel fat content based on near-infrared spectroscopy technology is rarely reported. Therefore, a technical framework for walnut kernel detection based on near-infrared spectroscopy and the technical standards for 'Wen 185' are urgently needed. After first optimizing the initial spectrum data using five preprocessing methods, we established separate prediction models for walnut kernel fat content based on either a back propagation neural network or a support vector regression (SVR) algorithm. The results show that the correction set and validation set coefficients of determination of the walnut kernel fat content prediction model using the back propagation neural network algorithm were 0.86 and 0.89, respectively, with root mean square errors of 1.56 and 1.58, and an RPD value of 2.57; the coefficients of determination for the calibration and validation sets of SVR were 0.90 and 0.83, respectively, with root mean square errors of 1.76 and 1.70, respectively, and an RPD value of 1.70. Thus, near-infrared spectroscopy can be used to establish a foundation for realizing the rapid detection of walnut kernel fat content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The "Frontmatter" of the Yearbook of the German Cognitive Linguistics Association provides information about the editors, editorial board, ISSN, e-ISSN, and bibliographic details of the publication. The document lists the contact information for the editors, including their affiliations and email addresses. It also includes information about the publisher, Walter de Gruyter GmbH, and details about typesetting, printing, and binding. [Extracted from the article]

A company often faces incidents in which its offerings cause bodily (e.g., product safety defects) or psychological (e.g., data breach) harm to its consumers. Such incidents may invoke product liability lawsuits against the company. The company may try to recover from the liability-invoking failure by notifying the affected consumers, offering a remedy, and persuading them to comply with the company message. The authors theorize and experimentally demonstrate that, on average, a prevention-focused message receives greater compliance than a promotion-focused message. Further, a prevention-focused message is more effective with consumers from high-uncertainty-avoidance cultures, whereas a promotion-focused message is more effective in low-uncertainty-avoidance cultures. Perceived compatibility of prevention or promotion goals with low or high values of uncertainty avoidance mediates the interaction effect on compliance. The findings can help companies overcome consumer apathy to product recall or data breach notices and offer managers ways to promote consumer safety and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain drying environmental parameters are an important issue throughout the paddy grain production process. A real-time monitoring system requires rapid, online, and accurate measurement results. In the paddy grain drying process, the heated air velocity, temperature, relative humidity, and moisture content have to be carefully monitored and maintained to ensure product quality and safety. This study aimed to propose a real-time paddy grain drying and monitoring system using a long-range internet of things (LoRa-IoT). The real-time monitoring system consisted of sensors, LoRa, and IoT platforms. The LoRa end node and gateway were utilized as a wireless radio communication platform of IoT for long-distance signal transmission. From the experiment, the gateway received data from the end node at a distance of 2 km with a time on air (ToA) of 981 ms. As a result, the proposed monitoring system succeeded in measuring and recording the heated air velocity, temperature, and relative humidity data during the paddy grain drying process from 25% moisture content down to 14%. Regarding moisture content, the accuracy of real-time monitoring information was confirmed with a direct measurement method, resulting in a root mean square error (RMSE) of 6.17%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for clean-label products continues to rise, as consumers increasingly prioritize natural and transparent ingredient lists. Natural substances are generally deemed safe for consumption by consumers. This study was focused on the development of clean-label ostrich meat patties with Chenopodium album extract and their storage stability. To prepare C. album extract, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) were employed. Ostrich meat patties were prepared using diverse combinations of extract, including 1% UAE, 2% UAE, 1% MAE, 2% MAE, 0.5% UAE+0.5% MAE, and 1% UAE + 1% MAE. The highest pH was observed for MAE in T3 on the 14th day (6.19 ± 0.03). The L* value was observed between 39.12 ± 1.09 and 44.00 ± 1.1. As storage intervals passed, the a* and b* values of ostrich meat patties decreased. After the 14th day of storage, the best results were obtained from 2% UAE (T2), with the lowest TBRAS, Peroxide value (POV), and Total of volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) readings recorded for T2 (0.74 ± 0.02 MDA/kg, 0.56 ± 0.01 meq peroxide/kg, and 6.28 ± 0.40 mg/100 mL, respectively). At the end of the storage study, the lowest Total Microbial Count (TMC) and coliform count were recorded for T2 (8.08 ± 0.03 and 4.97 ± 0.05 cfu/mL, respectively). At the end of the storage study, T2 exhibited the highest values for total phenolic content (TPC), diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay, namely of T2 122 ± 0.28 mg GAE/100 g, 73 ± 0.27%, 5.9 ± 0.01 mmol FSE/100 g, and 83 ± 0.08 mmol/L, respectively. The current study concludes that the UAE extract of C. album incorporated into ostrich meat patties manifests improved safety, quality, and storage stability. The implementation of clean label strategies can facilitate food manufacturers to align with consumer preferences for product transparency and sustainability while ensuring product safety and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NaCl is the main curing agent in dry-cured meat products, and a large amount of NaCl addition leads to high salt content of final products. Salt content and composition are important factors affecting the activity of endogenous proteases, which in turn could affect proteolysis as well as the quality of dry-cured meat products. With the increasing emphasis on the relationship between diet and health, reducing sodium content without sacrificing quality and safety of products is a great challenge for dry-cured meat industry. In this review, the change of endogenous proteases activity during processing, the potential relationship between sodium reduction strategy, endogenous proteases activity, and quality were summarized and discussed. The results showed that sodium replacement strategy and mediated-curing had a complementary advantage in influencing endogenous proteases activity. In addition, mediated-curing had the potential to salvage the negative effects of sodium substitution by affecting endogenous proteases. Based on the results, a sodium reduction strategy that sodium replacement in conjunction with mediated-curing based on endogenous proteases was proposed for the future perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutrient content and degree of processing are complementary but distinct concepts, and a growing body of evidence shows that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can have detrimental health effects independently from nutrient content. 10 + countries currently mandate front-of-package labels (FOPL) to inform consumers when products are high in added sugars, saturated fat, and/or sodium. Public health advocates have been calling for the addition of ultra-processed warning labels to these FOPLs, but the extent to which consumers would understand and be influenced by such labels remains unknown. We examined whether the addition of ultra-processed warning labels to existing nutrient warning labels could influence consumers' product perceptions and purchase intentions. Methods: In 2023, a sample of adults in Brazil (n = 1,004) answered an open-ended question about the meaning of the term "ultra-processed," followed by an online experiment where they saw four ultra-processed products carrying warning labels. Participants were randomly assigned to view either only nutrient warning labels or nutrient plus ultra-processed warning labels. Participants then answered questions about their intentions to purchase the products, product perceptions, and perceived label effectiveness. Results: Most participants (69%) exhibited a moderate understanding of the term "ultra-processed" prior to the experiment. The addition of an ultra-processed warning label led to a higher share of participants who correctly identified the products as UPFs compared to nutrient warning labels alone (Cohen's d = 0.16, p = 0.02). However, the addition of the ultra-processed warning label did not significantly influence purchase intentions, product healthfulness perceptions, or perceived label effectiveness compared to nutrient warning labels alone (all p > 0.05). In exploratory analyses, demographic characteristics and prior understanding of the concept of UPF did not moderate the effect of ultra-processed warning labels. Conclusions: Ultra-processed warning labels may help consumers better identify UPFs, although they do not seem to influence behavioral intentions and product perceptions beyond the influence already exerted by nutrient warning labels. Future research should examine how ultra-processed warning labels would work for products that do and do not require nutrient warnings, as well as examine the benefits of labeling approaches that signal the health effects of UPFs. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05842460. Prospectively registered March 15th, 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: We reviewed recent reports of recalled children's products contaminated with lead to learn more about what could be done to inform public health partners about the recalls in a timely manner to assist with broader consumer notification for proactive lead poisoning prevention efforts. METHODS: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff reviewed lead-related recall notices for children's products issued during June 2022 through April 2024. Recall notices were extracted from the Consumer Product Safety Commission using Really Simple Syndication feed technology to identify and capture the most current recall information. Specific product details in the database were extracted and analyzed descriptively to identify response trends and best practices. RESULTS: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's automated tool identified 30 recalls from Consumer Product Safety Commission. Lead-contaminated toys were the most frequent type of product recalled (n = 11, 37%). Most products were manufactured in China (n = 24, 86%). Products were on the market for an average of 25 months before they were recalled. No injuries were reported. The 30 recalls resulted in a combined number of 914 598 recalled units sold. CONCLUSIONS: The current approach to protecting children from lead hazards in consumer products could be augmented by timely notifying the public health community about recalls so they can broadly disseminate information through their channels to reduce lead exposure in children. Additional steps to reduce lead contamination in children'sproductswhen sourcing raw materials and components may help to decrease the number of recalls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe the characteristics of traditional eye cosmetics and cultural powders, including the types, lead concentrations, origin, and regional variation in product names, and assess the differences in blood lead levels (BLLs) between product users and non-users. METHODS: We analyzed 220 samples of traditional eye cosmetics and cultural powders collected in New York City between 2013 and 2022 during lead poisoning investigations and store surveys. We compared the BLLs of children who used these products with those of non-users. RESULTS: Lead levels in traditional eye cosmetics surma and kohl were much higher than levels in kajal and other cultural powders. Although the terminologies surma, kohl,and kajal are often used interchangeably, findings suggest regional variations in the product names. The majority of the surma in this study were from Pakistan, kohl was from Morocco, and kajal was from India. The results also show that these products can contribute to elevated BLLs in children. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that traditional eye cosmetics and cultural powders are used among children as young as newborns, and exposure to these products can significantly add to their lead body burden. The study findings also reveal that lead concentrations in these products can vary by product type and product names can vary by region. Public health officials must be cognizant of these unique variations and use culturally appropriate terminologies for these types of products because such distinctions can be critical when conducting risk assessments, risk communication, and risk reduction activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: In recent decades, the issue of crop product safety has led to develop methods for analyzing pollutants in crops. In the present study, ultra-trace amounts of lead (II) ions were measured in lettuce and water samples collected from Shahmirzad, located in Semnan province, an area known for its lead-containing mineral mines. Materials and Methods: After sampling and pre-preparation, the lead content in each sample was extracted using solid phase extraction with modified silica gel. The recovery percentage of lead was then determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results: Optimization of key parameters such as pH, adsorbent amount, analyte flow rate, and volume resulted in a recovery rate of 104%. The experiments also demonstrated a very low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.14 ng/mL, a concentration factor of 250, high analyte selectivity of the adsorbent in the presence of interfering ions, and a high adsorbent capacity of 2.93 μg/g. Conclusion: The evaluation of experimental data indicates that the current study provides a highly selective method that can be applied to the extraction and recovery of various analytes from different sample types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is recommended that infants are introduced to complementary foods from 6 months old, moving from a solely milk diet to eating a family diet by 12 months old. Although home cooking of family foods is recommended, a rapidly growing market producing baby food products (BFP) such as jars, pouches and snacks has developed. These are often accompanied by marketing claims around nutritional, health and developmental impacts despite research highlighting high sugar content. Although numerous studies have explored drivers of infant formula choice and use, little research has examined the drivers of BFP use. This study used an online survey for United Kingdom parents of infants aged 4–12 months to explore use of BFP alongside perceptions and drivers to purchase products. Overall, 271 parents participated (173 used BFP and 98 did not), with a descriptive analysis of closed items and a thematic analysis for open ended text conducted. The top motivators for using BFP were convenience, time saving, and baby's perceived enjoyment of products. The most purchased puree was fruit based and the most purchased baby snacks were vegetable puffs/sticks, with snack purchases being more common than purees in this sample. Aspects such as perceived healthiness drove choice, with snack foods being seen to enhance self‐feeding skills, appetite regulation and motor development. Those who did not use BFP did not trust them and preferred to feed their baby home cooked foods. The findings are important for professionals working with parents, to support them through the transition to solid foods, particularly around raising awareness of marketing techniques and how to check content of foods to make a more informed choice. Key messages: Parents had multiple reasons for using BFP. The most common motivators were convenience, time saving and infants' perceived enjoyment of them.Some parents perceive baby food products to have nutritional benefits due to health halo statements on packaging. Statements such as low in salt or high in fibre led to perceptions that the product was healthy.Baby snacks were the most common BFPs used, sometimes by parents who did not use purees as self‐feeding was seen to support development. Almost a quarter offered baby puffs daily compared to one in six using fruit purees daily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide protection against harm caused by defective, unsafe products and to promote product safety, the law of product liability has developed as a specialized area of the law of delict (tort). The vexing question is, who should bear such liability? This contribution interrogates the notorious EU development risk defence, which exonerates manufacturers that meet certain stringent requirements for undiscoverable development risks in products that consequently inflict harm on consumers. In particular, it considers the election by South Africa, which recently adopted a "strict" product liability regime with the introduction of the Consumer Protection Act 2008, not to adopt such a defence. The purpose of this contribution is to consider the nature and scope of the development risk defence as contained in article 7(e) of the European Union (EU) Product Liability Directive and to determine whether it was prudent for South Africa to steer clear of incorporating a similar defence in its new statutory product liability regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastics are widespread pollutants found in atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems due to their extensive usage and environmental persistence. Plastic additives, that are intentionally added to achieve specific functionality in plastics, leach into the environment upon plastic degradation and pose considerable risk to ecological and human health. Limited knowledge concerning the presence of plastic additives throughout plastic life cycle has hindered their effective regulation, thereby posing risks to product safety. In this study, we leveraged the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework to understand the mechanisms underlying plastic additives-induced toxicities. We first identified an exhaustive list of 6470 plastic additives from chemicals documented in plastics. Next, we leveraged heterogenous toxicogenomics and biological endpoints data from five exposome-relevant resources, and identified associations between 1287 plastic additives and 322 complete and high quality AOPs within AOP–Wiki. Based on these plastic additive–AOP associations, we constructed a stressor-centric AOP network, wherein the stressors are categorized into ten priority use sectors and AOPs are linked to 27 disease categories. We visualized the plastic additives–AOP network for each of the 1287 plastic additives and made them available in a dedicated website: https://cb.imsc.res.in/saopadditives/. Finally, we showed the utility of the constructed plastic additives–AOP network by identifying highly relevant AOPs associated with benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), bisphenol A (BPA), and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and thereafter, explored the associated toxicity pathways in humans and aquatic species. Overall, the constructed plastic additives–AOP network will assist regulatory risk assessment of plastic additives, thereby contributing towards a toxic-free circular economy for plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many pregnant individuals use prescription medications, evidence supporting product safety during pregnancy is often inadequate. Existing electronic healthcare data sources provide large, diverse samples of health plan members to allow for the study of medical product utilization during pregnancy, as well as pregnancy, maternal, and infant outcomes. The Sentinel System is a national medical product surveillance system that includes administrative claims and electronic health record databases from large national and regional health insurers. In addition to these data sources, Sentinel develops and maintains a sizeable selection of analytic tools to facilitate epidemiologic analyses in a way that protects patient privacy and health system autonomy. In this article, we provide an overview of Sentinel System infrastructure, including the Mother–Infant Linkage Table, parameterizable analytic tools, and algorithms to estimate gestational age and identify pregnancy outcomes. We also describe past and future Sentinel work that contributes to our understanding of the way medical products are used and the safety of these products during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic materials in sensitive packaging applications, such as for cosmetic products and detergents, requires a clear understanding of the identities and quantities of chemical substances, which they may release into packed products. With many potential sources of and thus different types of potentially releasable substances, a reliable non-targeted screening method is required to assess these materials. Such a method should be readily applicable in industrial practice and provide a realistic estimation of substance release. This investigation focused on the use of gas chromatography/coupled mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to analyze substances, which recycled HDPE (rHDPE) plastic pellets release into 95% ethanol under accelerated testing conditions. The results of the repeated testing of reference samples clearly demonstrated the good reproducibility of the described methodology, with standard deviations of repeated determinations of the total released substance amounts of 6.8–8.1%. The application to several production batches of three commercial rHDPE grades additionally demonstrated that the batch-to-batch variation of substances which rHDPE materials release can be confined to less than 10% of variation of the total detectable substance amount. The described methodology is therefore seen as a pragmatic, repeatable assessment of recycled HDPE plastic batches with a view to substance release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nanoencapsulation is a growing technique in the field of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements, offering several advantages over non-encapsulated forms. This systematic review assesses the impact of nanoencapsulation on key factors such as bioavailability, stability, tolerance, and encapsulation efficiency. The selected studies demonstrate that nanoencapsulation enhances the protection and controlled release of bioactive compounds, leading to improved efficacy and therapeutic potential. Furthermore, it increases the bioavailability of nutrients and active ingredients while maintaining their stability under different conditions. The review also highlights the positive effects on product safety and consumer tolerance, making nanoencapsulation a promising strategy for optimizing the formulation of dietary supplements. These findings suggest that nanoencapsulation could play a critical role in advancing the effectiveness of nutraceutical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety in consumer goods is maintained by product safety laws and associated regulations. However, the legislation and regulations are specific to product categories and legal jurisdictions, thus impeding one's ability to understand what a recall is and isn't, and how it differs from related phenomena (e.g., product-harm crisis). The authors aim to provide such an understanding. They reviewed 510 reports from academics, managers, governments, and regulators; conducted interviews with 25 practitioners; and used 10 recall data sets to identify seven fundaments of recall. They synthesize the fundaments to propose a definition and a decision tree of recall, which can help inform academics, journalists, managers, lawyers, and safety advocates regarding what term is appropriate in what context. The authors apply the fundaments to identify similarities and differences between a recall and a harm crisis, the term used frequently in marketing research in association with recall. The fundaments also enable the authors to make five recommendations each for lawmakers and regulators in an effort to guide the academic and practitioner discourse on product recall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantago (plantains, Plantaginaceae) is a cosmopolitan genus including over 250 species used as functional foods, forage, and traditional medicine. Among them, Plantago lanceolata is commonly used as an ingredient of herbal products, but the close similarity to other Plantago species can cause misidentifications with potentially serious consequences for product safety/quality. To test the possibility of developing species-specific barcoding markers, we de novo assembled plastome sequences of individuals of Plantago argentea, Plantago atrata, P. lanceolata, and Plantago maritima. These genomes were characterized in comparison with both previously sequenced conspecific accessions and other publicly available plastomes, thus providing an assessment of both intraspecific and interspecific genetic variation in Plantago plastomes. Additionally, molecular evolutionary analyses indicated that eleven protein-coding genes involved in different plastid functions in Plantago plastomes underwent positive selection, suggesting they might have contributed to enhancing species' adaptation during the evolutionary history of Plantago. While the most variable mutational hotspots in Plantago plastomes were not suitable for the development of species-specific molecular markers, species-specific polymorphisms could discriminate P. lanceolata from its closest relatives. Taken together, these results highlight the potential of plastome sequencing for the development of molecular markers to improve the identification of species with relevance in herbal products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of raw or smoked fish entails significant microbiological risks, including contamination by pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, which can cause severe foodborne illnesses. This study explores the preservative use of piscicolin CM22, a novel bacteriocin derived from the psychrotolerant strain Carnobacterium maltaromaticum CM22, in two types of edible coatings (EC): chitosan-based and fish gelatin-based. An initial in vitro characterization of the technological and antimicrobial properties of these ECs with and without bacteriocin was conducted. The efficacy of the edible coatings was subsequently evaluated through shelf life and challenge tests against L. monocytogenes in raw and smoked fish products. The results demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity, with the chitosan-based coating containing piscicolin CM22 being the most effective in reducing microbial counts and maintaining pH and color stability. Furthermore, in the challenge test studies, both ECs effectively controlled L. monocytogenes, showing significant reductions in bacterial counts compared to the controls in fresh tuna, salmon, and smoked salmon. The ECs containing piscicolin CM22 reduced Listeria counts by up to 4 log CFU/g in raw and smoked fish samples, with effective control in smoked salmon for up to 15 days at refrigeration temperature. While further research is required to fully assess their preservation potential, these findings strongly indicate that piscicolin CM22-functionalized edible coatings hold significant potential for improving the quality and safety of fish products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperpigmentation is a skin disorder characterized by excessive production of melanin in the skin and includes dyschromias such as post-inflammatory hyperchromias, lentigens, melasma and chloasma. Topical products containing depigmenting agents offer a less aggressive treatment option for hyperpigmentation compared to methods like chemical peels and laser sessions. However, some of these agents can cause side effects such as redness and skin irritation. Encapsulating these actives in nanosystems shows promise in mitigating these effects and improving product safety and efficacy. In addition, nanocarriers have the ability to penetrate the skin, potentially allowing for targeted delivery of actives to the affected areas. The most commonly investigated nanosystems are nanoemulsions, vesicular nanosystems and nanoparticles, in which different materials can be used to generate different compositions in order to improve the properties of these nanocarriers. Nanocarriers have already been widely explored, but it is necessary to understand the evolution of these technologies when applied to the treatment of skin hyperchromias. Therefore, this literature review aims to present the state of the art over the last 15 years on the use of nanosystems as a potential strategy for encapsulating depigmenting actives for potential application in cosmetic products for skin hyperchromia. By providing a comprehensive overview of the latest research findings and technological advances, this article can contribute to improving the care and quality of life of people affected by this skin condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the lifecycle of the Dubai Water Canal construction, focusing on risk mitigation strategies implemented across its four distinct phases. By incrementally addressing potential risks, the project minimized exposure to uncertainties and ensured the quality and safety of the end product. Key findings highlight the minimal impact on urban growth and emphasize the importance of comprehensive feasibility studies, geological assessments, and environmental impact assessments in identifying and managing risks. The study uniquely contributes to the discourse on urban development by highlighting the effectiveness of a phased approach in large-scale projects. The research methodology involved detailed environmental and technical assessments, stakeholder engagement, and continuous monitoring throughout the project. Our conclusions underscore the need for proactive risk management, thorough planning, and sustainability to ensure the resilience and success of similar infrastructure initiatives globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]