Tipping the Boundaries: Health and Well-Being of Sustainable Development
Edited by Prof(Dr)Sandeep Poddar and Prof(Dr)Waliza Ansar(Nova Science Publishers, New York,USA),pp ,433, 2024,Price-$230
BOOK REVIEW —-by Dr. Debesh Bhowmik
The book consists of 18 articles written by eminent scholars around the world.This foreword of the book was written by Dr. Harish Rao, Vice-Chancellor, People’s University, Bhopal.
First article- “Climate Change as a Tripping Point:Traversing the Ripple Effects of Climate Change on Sustainable Development and Well-Being” is written by Arpita Nayak, Ipseeta Satpathy and Sandeep Poddar(Malaysia).The paper states that “Climate Change Concerning Sustainable Development and Wellbeing,” that “climate change” has reached a turning point for public and “planetary” health. Under the United in Science study, which looks at how climate change and severe weather will affect the goals, just 15% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track. It demonstrates how weather, climate, and water-related sciences may aid in the achievement of goals such as sustenance and water security, renewable energy, improved health, sustainable oceans, and resilient cities. The yearly report incorporates feedback and expertise from 18 organizations. It is released ahead of the United Nations General Assembly’s SDG Summit and Climate.
The second article is written by Debesh Bhowmik (India) on “Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change: A Case Study of Zambia” . This paper tries to examine the impact on agricultural production index and variability of food supply per capita per day in Zambia during 1990-2021 by the determinants of temperature change, emissions intensity from rice, emissions intensity from cereals, emissions per value of agricultural production, emissions per area of agricultural land, total CO2 emissions, value added in agriculture and food price inflation, respectively, to focus on the association between climate change indicators and food security. The paper observed that the cointegration test constitutes four cointegrating equations, while the VECM stated that in the long run, the index of agricultural production in Zambia is positively integrated with emissions per value of agricultural production, negatively integrated with emissions per area of agricultural land and total CO2 emissions significantly at the 5% level. But this long-term relationship is divergent. The temperature change exhibits a positive cointegration with the emissions per value of agricultural production, a significant relationship at the 5% level. Using multiple regression analysis, it was found that the amount of food available per person per day in Zambia has a positive relationship with the value added in agriculture and the rate of food price inflation. On the other hand, it has a negative relationship with the amount of CO2 released from rice, cereals, agricultural production, and total emissions from 1990 to 2021.The relationships are stable without the heteroscedasticity problem, while determinants face asymmetric shocks.
The third article on “A Review of the Ecological Effects of Forestry and Land-Use Practices Driven by the Carbon Credit Economy” is written by Joshika Komarla and Aditya Ghoshal.
The paper provides an in-depth analysis of the effectiveness of voluntary carbon markets (VCMs) and their role in mitigating climate change. By scrutinizing the transformation of native ecosystems into carbon offset projects, the chapter highlights the potential threats to biodiversity and ecosystem health. The database as well as relevant literature in this chapter was used to understand how the carbon currency-based land-use projects are classified and then delve into forestry and land use practices which encompasses all the afforestation/reforestation-based projects globally.
The fourth paper on “Understanding the Direct and Indirect Chemical Effects on Biodiversity” is written by Hari Shankar Biswas(India) where he showed the extensive impact of chemicals on biodiversity includes habitat alteration, water and air pollution, bioaccumulation, endocrine disruption, and genetic diversity loss. The paper discusses the consequences on ecosystems (direct and indirect), on species while highlighting mitigation strategies such as sustainable practices, improved waste management, regulatory measures, eco-friendly alternatives and international agreements like the Stockholm Convention.
The fifth article on “Public Health Concerns About the Effect of Solid Waste on Soil Pollution” is written by Arina Qonita, Imeldha Napitupulu,Lauditta Syafa Kamila, Maharani Karina Setiawan, Muhamad Rafly Syahputra, Nadya Putri Febriana Zulkifli,and Dewi Susanna(University of Indonesia).The paper aims to increase the reader’s understanding and awareness of soil pollution and solid waste issues to support environmental conservation efforts with specific objectives. This paper breaks down some key questions: definitions of soil pollution and solid waste, types of solid waste, sources of solid waste, factors causing solid waste, impacts of solid waste on the environment, and appropriate measures for solid waste control and management. Several factors cause solid waste, including changes in consumption patterns, urbanization and population growth, industrialization, disposable materials use, and waste management infrastructure deficiencies. Of course, if solid waste is not prevented and managed properly, it will seriously impact humans and the environment. The impacts include odour, flooding due to clogged drains and sewers, and plastic waste that disturbs aquatic biota. Additionally, organic waste in open landfills creates a good environment for breeding disease-carrying animals (vectors), such as rats, mosquitoes, and flies. It also poses a risk of contaminating water, leading to the development of water-borne diseases. Solid waste management and control can be carried out to avoid the impact caused by the existence of solid waste. Solid waste management includes controlling the amount of waste generated, collection, transportation, processing, and final disposal. These five aspects are essential and must be considered in solid waste management. Besides management, solid waste can also be controlled in several ways, including the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) method and Waste-to-energy (WtE).
The sixth paper is written by Aditi Jana on “Bioremediation: A Sustainable Approach to the Mitigation of Salinity-Affected Areas” in which she examined that salinization of agricultural land due to anthropogenic activity is a threat to global food production. Haloremediation using halotolerant and halophilic microorganism can prove to be beneficial in reducing salinity. The paper discusses the potential of haloremediation in reducing soil salinity as a part of sustainable agricultural practices. The potential of halophilic bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhiza in remediation of saline soils and their future use in bioremediation of infertile saline and sodic soil were also discussed.
The seventh chapter on “Unraveling Ecosystem Dynamics and Managing Risks in the Pursuit of Sustainable Development and Health” is written by Nidhi Agarwal1, Ekansh Agarwal, Jerwin John Civil, Chris Allan Lontiong Peret, and Jocelyn B. Hipona. The paper described that the intricate relationships between ecosystems, human activities, and public health are crucial to understanding and addressing today’s environmental challenges and ecosystem disturbances. By intersections of different ecosystems, their complexities, functions and dynamics; the importance of risk and its management in each ecosystem needs to be emphasized to achieve sustainable development and enhance public health. To combat ecosystem degradation, it proposes ecological restoration, nature- based solutions, and technological integration, aiming to bolster resilience and mitigate risks.
The eighth chapter on “The Global Health Crisis: Addressing the Interconnected Challenges at Present” is written by Sania Shahbaz Hasnain(UK).The chapter described that catalytic climate change, globalization and deforestation explore the rise of emerging infectious diseases. Sustainable development promotes growth that meets present needs of society while ensuring future generations can do the same while integrating environmental, economic, health, and social dimensions. In healthcare, sustainable development optimizes resources, reduces environmental impact, and enhances well-being, emphasizing quality care for future generations. The strategies and insights to navigate through the challenges of infectious diseases, pin-pointing their complexities, pave the way for a healthier, less vulnerable global health systems and more sustainable future.
The Ninth chapter on “Analyzing Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Monitoring of Heart Disease: Leveraging Machine Learning Tools”is written by Rijji Sen and Samata Das. This chapter analyses the driving factors behind cardiovascular diseases using appropriate machine learning tools. A dataset of 918 individuals based on the presence or absence of heart disease along with the values of 11 concomitant variables has been used. The aim of this paper is to classify observations based on the values of the covariates and also to evaluate their significance in affecting the target variable. For that, various machine learning tools have been employed. Finally, all these tools have been compared in light of their ability to explain the data at hand.
The 10th article on “ Vector-Borne and Waterborne Diseases” was written by Hemapriyaa Vijayan and Rathimalar Ayakannu.The paper examines the potential effects of vector-borne and waterborne illnesses on human health. Rapid urbanization has caused an imbalance in environmental factors and led to a shift in the habitats of several vectors and bacteria. This has been proven to disperse many diseases to various parts around the globe. Numerous factors contribute to the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as climate change, urbanization, host immunity, pathogen invasion patterns, and many extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Dengue and malaria have been reported on many continents worldwide as the highest reported incidence and mortality-causing vector-borne diseases. Many countries, such as those in Southeast Asia, America, and African countries, have reported the resurgence of these infections. There are numerous documented cases of outbreaks occurring after flooding, contaminating subsurface water sources. Globally, waterborne illnesses remain the primary cause of morbidity and mortality among people. Waterborne disease-causing bacteria pose the world’s most serious public health problem. Although waterborne illnesses present a significant hazard to public health worldwide, they are uncommon in modern nations due to advanced sewage disposal, water distribution, and purification systems.
The 11th chapter on “Use of the Biopsychosocial Model in Diabetes Self-Management” is written by Jharna Ghosh1, Sandeep Poddar,and Tulika Chakraborty (Mukherjee) where they examined that diabetes Mellitus has emerged as one of the leading non-communicable metabolic life-threatening chronic diseases with costly health complications and reduces life expectancy. Diabetes patients need healthy behavioural and psychological Self-Management using the Biopsychological Model for effective Glycemic Control, stay active, establish good communication and reduce complications. The biopsychosocial model bridges both cognition and emotion through a series of self-management processes.
The 12th article on “Possible Neglected Case Detection of COVID-19 in a Boarding School” is written by Dewi Susanna(Indonesia).The paper examined in a cross-sectional study in a male Islamic boarding school in TAPAN, Tulungagung, East Java, during COVID-19 pandemic, the most common symptoms experienced by students were sneezing, nasal congestion, colds, muscle or body aches and headaches. Other symptoms were also noted. Some students may have COVID-19. Self-administered questionnaires were conducted with teachers to whom the researcher gave prior explanations. The analysed descriptively showing the frequency and percentage of each variable. Surveillance is needed in the school to trace and follow up the condition of the students and their families using swab PCR tests.
The 13th chapter on “Health Challenges in Conscious Intubated Patients” is written by Mahuya Karmakar, Santhna Letchmi Panduragan, Faridah Binti Mohd Said,and Sandeep Poddar (Malaysia).The paper verified that patients benefit from maintaining consciousness throughout intubation, but they may experience a variety of adverse physical and mental consequences, such as pain, dyspnea, fear, and helplessness, loss of control, speech difficulties, and anxiety. The communication difficulties in intubated patients can be overcome by use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices for better care giving and patient-centric management.
The 14th chapter on “Etiology, Management and Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Its Impact on Society” is written by Inês Lopes Cardoso and Fernanda Leal(Portugal).The paper states that Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of pathological phenomena associated with neuronal degeneration and microvascular dysfunction in the brain, with an insidious onset and progressive decline that compromise cognition and behaviour. The main neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and prion diseases, present similarities, such as the aggregation of proteins in the central nervous system (CNS). However, their biochemical and/or physiological processes are not yet completely known. To date, most neurodegenerative diseases still have no cure. There is treatment available, which consists of mechanisms that only alleviate symptoms. It is important not to forget non-pharmacological interventions, which must be implemented from the moment of established diagnosis, such as education about the disease, mental and physical exercises and community support, among others.
The 15th chapter on “Avenues of Omics in Cancer: Dimensions of Therapy and Treatment” is written by Sahita Karmakar and Waliza Ansar (India) where the authors examined that Cancer is one of the world’s most prevalent diseases, posing significant social and economic burdens due to its high mortality rate and complex, multi-step progression. It is a multifactorial disease involving single or multiple abnormalities in DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites, which arise from endogenous and exogenous carcinogens or dysregulated biochemical pathways. Cancer research, clinical trials, chemotherapy, combination therapy, and tailor-made drug discovery applications are expanding worldwide. In clinical medicine, the complexity, chemical modifications, and spatial and temporal dynamics at different OMICS levels—such as genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics—vary greatly but can be integrated or analysed through data analytics and bioinformatics to better understand and gauge cancer. This review primarily focuses on the clinical relevance of single-omics and multi-omics approaches in cancer research, particularly in the molecular analysis of human cancer. Through the use of novel omics technologies, cancer cells can be screened for genes, transcripts, proteins, and metabolites, as well as intricate biological systems and interaction networks in response to environmental changes. This screening leads to the discovery of new drug targets, the development of personalized medicines, and explanations of drug efficacy and resistance. Consequently, a holistic understanding of cancer pathology and research is emerging, addressing therapeutic vulnerabilities through multi-omics tools, which has become an area of keen interest over the last few decades.
The 16th chapter on “The Promising Role of Two-Dimensional (2D) Devices in Smart Healthcare Systems” is written by Devi Nallappan1, Jayasree S. Kanathasan and Sandeep Poddar(Malaysia) which emphasized that Smart healthcare comprehensively transforms the conventional medical system, making healthcare more effective, convenient, and personalized. This can be achieved by utilizing new information technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. The employment of nanomaterials for biosensing applications has garnered major attention in the smart healthcare sector. In light of this, the present chapter focuses on the emerging application of 2D-materials-based devices in the smart healthcare sector and their promising role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This chapter begins with an exploration of the evolution of two-dimensional-based architectures. Following this, it delves into the extensive deployment of two-dimensional-based devices in the realm of smart healthcare. The subsequent section provides an in- depth analysis of the challenges and prospects associated with the integration of 2D-materials-based devices in the smart healthcare.
The 17th article is written by Arnab Kumar Das(Kolkata) on “The Preparation of Nanofibers Using Electrospinning and Its Application” where he examined that Electrospinning is one of the great techniques for forming nanometer- sized polymeric fibers, either hollow or solid. It is one of the most common methods for producing continuous fibers in the nanoscale range. Recently, electrospinning has gained popularity because of its increased application to nanoscale materials and technologies. The main advantage of this technique is its capability to yield polymeric fibers with diameters varying from 2 nm to several micrometers. Electrospinning’s low setup costs and ease of use make it an intriguing feature. In 1902 and 1903 Cooley and Morton first patented a new device to spray the liquids under the application of electrical charge. After that Kiyohiko et al. fabricated artificial silk in 1929 using the above device. A high voltage source, a collector, and a syringe pump make up the standard electrospinning setup. Formhals patented a process and apparatus in 1934 that used electric charges to spin synthetic fibers. After thirty years of Formhals’ work, Taylor published his research on the behaviour of the polymer droplet at the capillary’s end. He discovered that the pendant droplet forms the Taylor cone when electric force balances surface tension. After Taylor’s work in 1971, Baumgarten started looking into the effects of changing specific processing and solution parameters. He was able to electrospun the fibers with a diameter ranging from 500 to 1100 nm by adjusting the solutions and conditions. After that others were starting to look at the possible uses of electrospun fibrous mats in areas like tissue engineering.
The last chapter is written by Fitriani Nur Damayanti, Umi Khasanah, Zulvi Wiyanti and Sandeep Poddar on “Sustainable Credential Management in Midwifery” where their paper provides a literature review on credential management, which plays a crucial role in assessing the feasibility of granting clinical authority. A literature search spanning from 2018 to December 2023 was conducted. The initial search yielded 1,196 articles, which were narrowed down to 28 for analysis based on exclusion and inclusion criteria. Using a qualitative synthesis methodology, we employed an iterative data analysis approach that combines both inductive and deductive processes to identify key themes. The studies reviewed come from a variety of disciplines. Our synthesis of the literature identifies six main themes (1) Basic concepts of credential management, (2) Basic understanding of competency certification, (3) Competency certification and assessment, (4) Midwifery committees and credentialing subcommittees, (5) Credentialing process, and (6) Competence evaluation.
The book will serve the wide range of areas of research on climate change, its impacts, health care diversification, management and future scope of medical facilities as well as technological progress will provide new innovations of research and development. The cover design is nice and appreciable. The book will help to the students, teachers, research scholars and other health care professionals. The book is easily accessible at https://doi.org/10.52305/GRNV5452
