Impact of Plastic Waste on the Human Health in Low-Income Countries: A Systematic Review

Background: Plastic pollution is the accumulation of waste composed of plastic and its derivatives all over the environment. Whether in the form of visible garbage or microparticles, as it slowly degrades, plastic pollution poses significant threats to terrestrial and aquatic habitats and the wildlife that call them home, whether through ingestion, entanglement or exposure to the chemicals contained in the material. Unfortunately, there is a lack of documentation on the impact of plastic waste on human health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: We searched five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Global Health, CINAHL and Web of Science) and gray literature, following the preferred reporting elements for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA), for the impact of plastic waste on human health in developing countries. We included quantitative and qualitative studies written in English and French. We assessed the quality of the included articles using the Mixed Methods Appraisal tool (MMAT). Results: A total of 3779 articles were initially identified by searching electronic databases. After eliminating duplicates, 3167 articles were reviewed based on title and abstract, and 26 were selected for full-text review. Only three articles were retained. The three articles dealt with practices likely to lead to oral exposure to plastic chemicals in human health, as well as the level of awareness of participants concerning the possible impact of plastic on human health, namely, the use of plastic baby bottles, the use of microwaves to cook food and reheat precooked food, the use of plastic bottles to store water in the refrigerator, water purifier containers with plastic bodies and plastic lunch boxes, the reuse of plastic bags and the inadequacy of treatment facilities. Conclusion: Plastic waste poses different risks to human health at every stage of its life cycle. Hence, strategies must be adopted to raise public awareness of the dangers of plastic waste to their health. Trial registration: The review protocol is registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (ID = CRD42023409087).

Green synthesis of ZSM-5 using silica fume and catalytic co-cracking of lignin and plastics for production of monocyclic aromatics

ZSM-5 with hierarchical pore structure was synthesized by a simple two-step hydrothermal crystallization from silica fume without using any organic ammonium templates.The synthesized ZSM-5 were oval shaped particles with a particle size about 2.0 μm and weak acid-dominated with proper Brønsted(B)and Lewis(L)acid sites.The ZSM-5 was used for catalytic co-cracking of n-octane and guaiacol,lowdensity polyethylene(LDPE)and alkali lignin(AL)to enhance the production of benzene,toluene,ethylbenzene and xylene(BTEX).The most significant synergistic effect occurred at n-octane/guaiacol at 1:1 and LDPE/AL at 1:3,under the condition,the achieved BTEX selectivity were 24%and 33%(mass)higher than the calculated values(weighted average).The highest BTEX selectivity reached 88.5%,which was 3.7%and 54.2%higher than those from individual cracking LDPE and AL.The synthesized ZSM-5 exhibited superior catalytic performance compared to the commercial ZSM-5,indicating potential application prospect.

Plastic deformation behavior of a Cu-10Ta alloy under strong impact loading

In this work,a Cu-10Ta alloy with a copper to tantalum mass ratio of 9:1 is prepared using powder metallurgy technology.Physical properties of the alloy,including density,microstructure,melting point,and constant-volume specific heat,are tested.Via the split Hopkinson pressure bar(SHPB)and flyerplate impact experiments,the relationship between equivalent stress and equivalent plastic strain of the material is studied at temperatures of 298-823 K and under strain rates of 1×10^(-3)-5.2×10^(3)s^(-1),and the Hugoniot relationship at impact pressures of 1.46-17.25 GPa and impact velocities of 108-942 m/s is obtained.Evolution of the Cu-10Ta microstructure that occurs during high-strain-rate impact is analyzed.Results indicate that the Cu-10Ta alloy possesses good thermal stability,and at ambient temperatures of up to 50%its melting point,stress softening of less than 15%of the initial strength is observed.A modified J-C constitutive model is employed to accurately predict the variation of yield strength with strain rate.Under strong impact,the copper phase is identified as the primary source of plastic deformation in the Cu-10Ta alloy,while significant deformation of the high-strength tantalum particles is less pronounced.Furthermore,the longitudinal wave speed D is found to correlate linearly with the particle velocity u upon strong impact.Analysis reveals that the sound speed and spallation strength of the alloy increase with increasing impact pressure.

Superplasticity of fine-grained Mg-10Li alloy prepared by severe plastic deformation and understanding its deformation mechanisms

The superplastic behavior and associated deformation mechanisms of a fine-grained Mg-10.1 Li-0.8Al-0.6Zn alloy(LAZ1011)with a grain size of 3.2μm,primarily composed of the BCCβphase and a small amount of the HCPαphase,were examined in a temperature range of 473 K to 623 K.The microstructural refinement of this alloy was achieved by employing high-ratio differential speed rolling.The best superplasticity was achieved at 523 K and at strain rates of 10^(-4)-5×10^(-4)s^(-1),where tensile elongations of 550±600%were obtained.During the heating and holding stage of the tensile samples prior to tensile loading,a significant increase in grain size was observed at temperatures above 573 K.Therefore,it was important to consider this effect when analyzing and understanding the superplastic deformation behavior and mechanisms.In the investigated strain rate range,the superplastic flow at low strain rates was governed by lattice diffusion-controlled grain boundary sliding,while at high strain rates,lattice diffusion-controlled dislocation climb creep was the rate-controlling deformation mechanism.It was concluded that solute drag creep is unlikely to occur.During the late stages of deformation at 523 K,it was observed that grain boundary sliding led to the agglomeration of theαphase,resulting in significant strain hardening.Deformation mechanism maps were constructed forβ-Mg-Li alloys in the form of 2D and 3D formats as a function of strain rate,stress,temperature,and grain size,using the constitutive equations for various deformation mechanisms derived based on the data of the current tests.

CO_(2)-Induced Modulation of Si-O Bonds for Low Temperature Plastic Deformation of Amorphous Silica Nanoparticles with Enhanced Photoluminescence

Modulation of Si-O bonds under mild conditions has been a challenging issue in the field of material science,which is critical to manufacture highperformance silica-based optical and photonic devices.Herein,we introduce a nondestructive technique to achieve Si-O bond rearrangement,leading to plastic deformation and photoluminescence enhancement of amorphous silica nanoparticles using supercritical carbon dioxides in EtOH/H_(2)O solution under mild temperature.Specifically,plastic deformation is achieved by treating hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres using supercritical CO_(2)at 40°C under 20 MPa.Experimental and theoretical studies revealed the critical role of supercritical CO_(2)in the plastic deformation process,which can be intercalated into the hollow mesoporous silica nanospheres with anisotropic stresses and induces the rearrangement of Si-O bonds and transformation of ring structures.This work suggests a novel approach to engineer high-performance nano-silica glass components for numerous optical and photonic devices under mild condition.

From mice to humans:a need for comparable results in mammalian neuroplasticity

Brain plasticity-A universal tool with many variations:The study of brain plasticity has been gaining interest since almost a century and has now reached a huge amount of information(>80,000 results in PubMed).Overall,different types of plasticity,including stem cell-driven genesis of new neurons(adult neurogenesis),cells in arrested maturation(dormant neurons),neuro-glial and synaptic plasticity,can coexist and contribute to grant plastic changes in the brain,from a cellular to system level(Benedetti and Couillard-Despres,2022;Bonfanti et al.,2023).

Contribution of mechanical forces to structural synaptic plasticity:insights from 3D cellular motility mechanisms

Cells,tissues,and organs are constantly subjected to the action of mechanical forces from the extracellular environment-and the nervous system is no exception.Cell-intrinsic properties such as membrane lipid composition,abundance of mechanosensors,and cytoskeletal dynamics make cells more or less likely to sense these forces.Intrinsic and extrinsic cues are integrated by cells and this combined information determines the rate and dynamics of membrane protrusion growth or retraction(Yamada and Sixt,2019).Cell protrusions are extensions of the plasma membrane that play crucial roles in diverse contexts such as cell migration and neuronal synapse formation.In the nervous system,neurons are highly dynamic cells that can change the size and number of their pre-and postsynaptic elements(called synaptic boutons and dendritic spines,respectively),in response to changes in the levels of synaptic activity through a process called plasticity.Synaptic plasticity is a hallmark of the nervous system and is present throughout our lives,being required for functions like memory formation or the learning of new motor skills(Minegishi et al.,2023;Pillai and Franze,2024).

Neurogenesis dynamics in the olfactory bulb:deciphering circuitry organization, function, and adaptive plasticity

Adult neurogenesis persists after birth in the subventricular zone, with new neurons migrating to the granule cell layer and glomerular layers of the olfactory bulb, where they integrate into existing circuitry as inhibitory interneurons. The generation of these new neurons in the olfactory bulb supports both structural and functional plasticity, aiding in circuit remodeling triggered by memory and learning processes. However, the presence of these neurons, coupled with the cellular diversity within the olfactory bulb, presents an ongoing challenge in understanding its network organization and function. Moreover,the continuous integration of new neurons in the olfactory bulb plays a pivotal role in regulating olfactory information processing. This adaptive process responds to changes in epithelial composition and contributes to the formation of olfactory memories by modulating cellular connectivity within the olfactory bulb and interacting intricately with higher-order brain regions. The role of adult neurogenesis in olfactory bulb functions remains a topic of debate. Nevertheless, the functionality of the olfactory bulb is intricately linked to the organization of granule cells around mitral and tufted cells. This organizational pattern significantly impacts output, network behavior, and synaptic plasticity, which are crucial for olfactory perception and memory. Additionally, this organization is further shaped by axon terminals originating from cortical and subcortical regions. Despite the crucial role of olfactory bulb in brain functions and behaviors related to olfaction, these complex and highly interconnected processes have not been comprehensively studied as a whole. Therefore, this manuscript aims to discuss our current understanding and explore how neural plasticity and olfactory neurogenesis contribute to enhancing the adaptability of the olfactory system. These mechanisms are thought to support olfactory learning and memory, potentially through increased complexity and restructuring of neural network structures, as well as the addition of new granule granule cells that aid in olfactory adaptation. Additionally, the manuscript underscores the importance of employing precise methodologies to elucidate the specific roles of adult neurogenesis amidst conflicting data and varying experimental paradigms. Understanding these processes is essential for gaining insights into the complexities of olfactory function and behavior.

The interaction between KIF21A and KANK1 regulates dendritic morphology and synapse plasticity in neurons

Morphological alterations in dendritic spines have been linked to changes in functional communication between neurons that affect learning and memory.Kinesin-4 KIF21A helps organize the microtubule-actin network at the cell cortex by interacting with KANK1;however,whether KIF21A modulates dendritic structure and function in neurons remains unknown.In this study,we found that KIF21A was distributed in a subset of dendritic spines,and that these KIF21A-positive spines were larger and more structurally plastic than KIF21A-negative spines.Furthermore,the interaction between KIF21A and KANK1 was found to be critical for dendritic spine morphogenesis and synaptic plasticity.Knockdown of either KIF21A or KANK1 inhibited dendritic spine morphogenesis and dendritic branching,and these deficits were fully rescued by coexpressing full-length KIF21A or KANK1,but not by proteins with mutations disrupting direct binding between KIF21A and KANK1 or binding between KANK1 and talin1.Knocking down KIF21A in the hippocampus of rats inhibited the amplitudes of long-term potentiation induced by high-frequency stimulation and negatively impacted the animals’cognitive abilities.Taken together,our findings demonstrate the function of KIF21A in modulating spine morphology and provide insight into its role in synaptic function.

Practice patterns among ophthalmic surgeons in treating concomitant oculoplastic conditions in preoperative period:A questionnaire-based study

BACKGROUND Addressing oculoplastic conditions in the preoperative period ensures both the safety and functional success of any ophthalmic procedure.Some oculoplastic conditions,like nasolacrimal duct obstruction,have been extensively studied,whereas others,like eyelid malposition and thyroid eye disease,have received minimal or no research.AIM To investigate the current practice patterns among ophthalmologists while treating concomitant oculoplastic conditions before any subspecialty ophthalmic intervention.METHODS A cross-sectional survey was disseminated among ophthalmologists all over India.The survey included questions related to pre-operative evaluation,anaesthetic and surgical techniques preferred,post-operative care,the use of adjunctive therapies,and patient follow-up patterns.RESULTS A total of 180 ophthalmologists responded to the survey.Most practitioners(89%)felt that the ROPLAS test was sufficient during pre-operative evaluation before any subspecialty surgery was advised.The most common surgical techniques employed were lacrimal drainage procedures(Dacryocystorhinostomy)(63.3%),eyelid malposition repair(36.9%),and ptosis repair(58.7%).Post-operatively,47.7%of respondents emphasized that at least a 4-week gap should be maintained after lacrimal drainage procedures and eyelid surgeries.Sixty-seven percent of ophthalmologists felt that topical anaesthetic procedures should be preferred while performing ocular surgeries in thyroid eye disease patients.CONCLUSION Approximately 50%of ophthalmologists handle prevalent oculoplastic issues themselves,seeking the expertise of an oculoplastic surgeon under particular conditions.Many ophthalmologists still favor using ROPLAS as a preliminary screening method before proceeding with cataract surgery.Eyelid conditions and thyroid eye disease are not as commonly addressed before subspecialty procedures compared to issues like nasolacrimal duct obstruction and periocular infections.

Microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and risk of diabetes mellitus

The issue of plastic pollutants has become a growing concern.Both microplastics(MPs)(particle size<5 mm)and nanoplastics(NPs)(particle size<1μm)can cause DNA damage,cytotoxicity,and oxidative stress in various organisms.The primary known impacts of microplastic/nanoplastic are observed in the liver and respiratory system,leading to hepatotoxicity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Although research on the effects of MPs and NPs on diabetes is still in its early stages,there are potential concerns.This editorial highlights the risk to diabetics from co-exposure to contaminants and MPs/NPs,supported by evidence from animal studies and the various chemical compositions of MPs/NPs.

Crystallization of amorphous NiTi shape memory alloy fabricated by severe plastic deformation

Based on the local canning compression,severe plastic deformation（SPD） is able to lead to the almost complete amorphous nickel-titanium shape memory alloy（NiTi SMA）,in which a small amount of retained nanocrystalline phase is embedded in the amorphous matrix.Crystallization of amorphous NiTi alloy annealed at 573,723 and 873 K was investigated,respectively.The crystallization kinetics of the amorphous NiTi alloy can be mathematically described by the Johnson-MehlAvrami-Kolmogorov（JMAK） equation.NiTi SMA with a complete nanocrystalline phase is obtained in the case of annealing at 573 K and 723 K,where martensite phase transformation is suppressed due to the constraint of the grain boundaries.Crystallization of amorphous NiTi alloy at 873 K leads to the coarse-grained NiTi sample,where（001） martensite compound twin is observed at room temperature.It can be found that the martensitic twins preferentially nucleate at the grain boundary and they grow up towards the two different grains.SPD based on the local canning compression and subsequent annealing provides a new approach to obtain the nanocrystalline NiTi SMA.

Effects of plastic deformation on precipitation behavior and tensile fracture behavior of Mg-Gd-Y-Zr alloy

The effects of plastic deformation on precipitation behavior and tensile fracture behavior of Mg-10Gd-3Y-0.6Zr alloy were investigated.The results indicate that more precipitation cores can be provided by the crystal defects caused by the plastic deformation,as well as increasing the amount of β＇ phases,and the formation of precipitations at grain boundaries and interfaces between the twins and matrix.Because of an increase in precipitations,the dislocation slipping during deformation process is effectively hindered and the matrix is strengthened,especially for the 2% deformed alloy which can achieve a good combination of strength and ductility.With increasing the plastic deformation,the microcracks occur at the interface between grain boundary precipitations and matrix,and then propagate intergranularly.When intergranular fracture combines with the formation of smoothing facets on the fracture surface,the tensile properties decrease.

Numerical simulation of ductile fracture behavior for aluminum alloy sheet under cyclic plastic deformation

A numerical analysis of mechanical behavior of aluminum alloy sheet under cyclic plastic deformation was investigated.Forming limit at fracture was derived from Cockcroft-Latham ductile damage criterion.The strain path of bending center of incremental roller hemming could be accepted as a kind of plane strain bending deformation process.Incremental rope roller hemming could be used to alleviate ductile fracture behavior by changing the stress state of the hemming-effected area.SEM observation on the fracture surface indicates that cyclic plastic deformation affects ductile fracture mechanism.

Grain statistics effect on deformation behavior in asymmetric rolling of pure copper foil by crystal plasticity finite element model

The grain statistics effect was investigated through asymmetric rolling of pure copper foil by a realistic polycrystalline aggregates model and crystal plasticity element finite model.A polycrystalline aggregate model was generated and a crystal plasticity-based finite element model was developed for each grain and the specimen as a whole.The crystal plasticity model itself is rate dependent and accounts for local dissipative hardening effects and the original orientation of each grain was generated based on the orientation distribution function（ODF）.The deformation behaviors,including inhomogeneous material flow,decrease of contact press and roll force with the increase of grain size for the constant size of specimens,were studied.It is revealed that when the specimens are composed of only a few grains across thickness,the grains with different sizes,shapes and orientations are unevenly distributed in the specimen and each grain plays a significant role in micro-scale plastic deformation and leads to inhomogeneous deformation and the scatter of experimental and simulation results.The slip system activity was examined and the predicted results are consistent with the surface layer model.The slip band is strictly influenced by the misorientation of neighbor grain with consideration of slip system activity.Furthermore,it is found that the decrease of roll force and the most active of slip system in surface grains are caused by the increase of free surface grain effect when the grain size is increased.The results of the physical experiment and simulation provide a basic understanding of micro-scaled plastic deformation behavior in asymmetric foil rolling.

Aging behavior and mechanical properties of 6013 aluminum alloy processed by severe plastic deformation

Structural features, aging behavior, precipitation kinetics and mechanical properties of a 6013 Al–Mg–Si aluminum alloy subjected to equal channel angular pressing （ECAP） at different temperatures were comparatively investigated with that in conventional static aging by quantitative X-ray diffraction （XRD） measurements, differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and tensile tests. Average grain sizes measured by XRD are in the range of 66-112 nm while the average dislocation density is in the range of 1.20×10^14-1.70×10^14 m^-2 in the deformed alloy. The DSC analysis reveals that the precipitation kinetics in the deformed alloy is much faster as compared with the peak-aged sample due to the smaller grains and higher dislocation density developed after ECAP. Both the yield strength （YS） and ultimate tensile strength （UTS） are dramatically increased in all the ECAP samples as compared with the undeformed counterparts. The maximum strength appears in the samples ECAP treated at room temperature and the maximum YS is about 1.6 times that of the statically peak-aged sample. The very high strength in the ECAP alloy is suggested to be related to the grain size strengthening and dislocation strengthening, as well as the precipitation strengthening contributing from the dynamic precipitation during ECAP.

Scale effect mechanism on micro rod upsetting deformation analyzed by crystal plasticity model

To analyze the effect of single grain deformation behaviors on microforming process, a crystal plasticity model was developed considering grains at free surface layer as single grains. Based on the rate-dependent crystal plasticity theory, the analysis of the scale effect mechanism on upsetting deformation of micro rods was performed with respect to specimen dimension, original grain orientation and its distribution. The results show that flow stress decreases significantly with the scaling down of the specimen. The distribution of the grain orientation has an evident effect on flow stress of the micro specimen, and the effect becomes smaller with the progress of plastic deformation. For the anisotropy of single grains, inhomogeneous deformation occurs at the surface layer, which leads to the increase of surface roughness, especially for small specimens. The effect of grain anisotropy on the surface topography can be decreased by the transition grains. The simulation results are validated by upsetting deformation experiments. This indicates that the developed model is suitable for the analysis of microforming processes with characteristics, such as scale dependency, scatter of flow stress and inhomogeneous deformation.

Deformation mechanism of cold ring rolling in view of texture evolution predicted by a newly proposed polycrystal plasticity model

An explicit polycrystal plasticity model was proposed to investigate the deformation mechanism of cold ring rolling in view of texture evolution. The model was created by deducing a set of linear incremental controlling equations within the framework of crystal plasticity theory. It was directly solved by a linear algorithm within a two-level procedure so that its efficiency and stability were guaranteed. A subroutine VUMAT for ABAQUS/Explicit was developed to combine this model with the 3D FE model of cold ring rolling. Results indicate that the model is reliable in predictions of stress-strain response and texture evolution in the dynamic complicated forming process; the shear strain in RD of the ring is the critical deformation mode according to the sharp Goss component （{110}？100？） of deformed ring; texture and crystallographic structure of the ring blank do not affect texture type of the deformed ring;texture evolves rapidly at the later stage of rolling, which results in a dramatically increasing deformation of the ring.

Deformation defects and electron irradiation effect in nanostructured Al-Mg alloy processed by severe plastic deformation

In order to explore the exact nature of deformation defects previously observed in nanostructured Al-Mg alloys subjected to severe plastic deformation, a more thorough examination of the radiation effect on the formation of the planar defects in the high pressure torsion （HPT） alloys was conducted using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. The results show that high density defects in the HRTEM images disappear completely when these images are exposed under the electron beam for some duration of time. At the same time, lattice defects are never observed within no-defect areas even when the beam-exposure increases to the degree that holes appear in the areas. Therefore, it is confirmed that the planar defects observed in the HPT alloys mainly result from the significant plastic deformation and are not due to the radiation effect during HRTEM observation.

Deformation mechanisms of Mg-3Al-1Zn alloy by polycrystal plasticity modeling

A polycrystal plasticity model was developed to analyze the room-temperature deformation behaviors of Mg-3A1-1Zn alloy（AZ31）.The uniaxial tension and compression tests at room temperature were conducted using cast and extruded AZ31 rods with different textures and combined with the proposed model to reveal the deformation mechanisms.It is shown that,different flow curves of two specimens under tension and compression tests can be simulated by this model.The flow curves of AZ31 extrusions exhibit different shapes for tension and compression due to different activities of tensile twinning and pyramidalc＋a slip.The metallographic and TEM observations showed the equal twinning activities at the initial stage in tension and compression tests and the occurrence of pyramidalc＋a slip in compression of as-cast Mg-3A1-1Zn alloy with increasing the strain,which is consistent with the simulated results by the proposed model.