bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patients from a Bariatric Program: A Qualitative Analysis of Their Perceptions of Health and Well-Being
Authors: Klasen Jennifer M. , Tynes Deborah M. , Peterson Caspar J. , Schneider Romano , Timper Katharina , Peterli Ralph , Randall Cameron L. , Delko Tarik
Published: April 2022

Introduction: The study was conducted to explore the perceptions of patients from a bariatric program who have undergone or will undergo bariatric surgery during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, specifically as related to their struggles with health issues and their psychological well-being. Materials and Methods: We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with nineteen pre- or post-bariatric patients to generate data on their perceptions of COVID-19. Consistent with the methods of constructivist grounded theory, we collected and analyzed data iteratively through a constant comparative process for data coding and develop themes in the transcripts. Results: We identified themes to summarize the pandemic-associated experiences of our cohort as follows: their life structure before COVID-19, the turning point with changes and adaptations, and the impact of isolation on psychological well-being. We identified grief due to loss of social contacts as well as physical and psychological health impairment as consequences of pandemic-related lifestyle changes. Most participants were not aware of overweight and obesity being major risk factors for worse outcomes of COVID-19. We developed a theme-based theory on patients’ perceptions and fears regarding the pandemic as they live through phases of grief. Discussion: Most participants shared critical perceptions about their own somatic and psychological health. These findings may inform recommendations and strategies for both patients and healthcare professionals to manage the challenges potentially presented by this vulnerable patient group in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 among a Sample of Italian Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Follow-Up Study
Authors: Nisticò Veronica , Fior Giulia , Faggioli Raffaella , Priori Alberto , Gambini Orsola , Demartini Benedetta
Published: April 2022

The strict lockdowns imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic brought an increase in levels of stress, anxiety, and depression in the general population. However, in a previous study, our group found that individuals with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (HF-ASD) reported an increase in their psychological wellbeing and a decrease in their daily tiredness, in relation to the social distancing measures imposed during the first Italian lockdown (between March and May 2020). In this follow-up study, conducted during the “second wave” of COVID-19, we included the same group of individuals with HF-ASD and evaluated their levels of stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD-related symptoms, tiredness, and perceived wellbeing; moreover, we compared our results to the ones we obtained during the first lockdown on the same population. We found that individuals with HF-ASD experienced higher levels of the aforementioned psychiatric symptoms during the second lockdown, with respect to the first one. These levels positively correlated with their scores at the Autism Quotient subscale Attention Switching: hence, we speculated that these symptoms might be due not only to the prolonging of the social distancing measures, but also to the uncertainty that HF-ASD participants started experiencing at the end of the first lockdown.
Health Professionals’ Experience Using an Azure Voice-Bot to Examine Cognitive Impairment (WAY2AGE)
Authors: Moret-Tatay Carmen , Radawski Hernán Mario , Guariglia Cecilia
Published: April 2022

Virtual Assistants (VA) are a new groundbreaking tool for screening cognitive impairment by healthcare professionals. By providing the volume of data needed in healthcare guidance, better treatment monitoring and optimization of costs are expected. One of the first steps in the development of these items is the experience of the healthcare professionals in their use. The general goal of the current project, WAY2AGE, is to examine healthcare professionals’ experience in using an Azure voice-bot for screening cognitive impairment. In this way, back-end services, such as the ChatBot, Speech Service and databases, are provided by the cloud platform Azure (Paas) for a pilot study. Most of the underlying scripts are implemented in Python, Net, JavaScript and open software. A sample of 30 healthcare workers volunteered to participate by answering a list of question in a survey set-up, following the example provided in the previous literature. Based on the current results, WAY2AGE was evaluated very positively in several categories. The main challenge of WAY2AGE is the articulation problems of some older people, which can lead to errors in the transcription of audio to text that will be addressed in the second phase. Following an analysis of the perception of a group of thirty health professionals on its usability, potential limitations and opportunities for future research are discussed.
Gastrocnemius Medial Head Stiffness Is Associated with Potential Fall Risk in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Kim Naryeong , Park Joohwan , Shin Heejin , Bae Youngsook
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study is to compare the muscle strength, balance ability, thickness, and stiffness of the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscle in the elderly, with (fallers) and without (non-fallers) fall experience, and confirmed the correlation between the variables mentioned above and muscle stiffness in the faller. We selected 122 elderly participants, comprising 40 fallers and 82 non-fallers, and measured the muscle strength of the tibialis anterior (TA) and the gastrocnemius (GA). Balance ability was measured by the functional reach test (FRT), timed up and go test (TUG), short physical performance battery (SPPB), and gait speed (GS). We used shear wave elastography (SWE) to determine the thickness of the TA and the medial (GAmed) and lateral head (GAlat) of the gastrocnemius and the stiffness during relaxation and contraction. Balance ability, except muscle strength, was significantly lower in fallers compared with non-fallers. The GAmed and GAlat thickness were significantly lower in fallers than that in non-fallers. In fallers, the thickness, rest, and contractive stiffness of GAmed were correlated with the FRT, GS, SPPB. Low rest and GAmed contractive stiffness were related to lower balance ability in fallers. The muscle stiffness measurement using SWE was a novel method to assess potential fall risk.
Wellbeing and Stress Coping among Healthcare and Pharmacy Workers: Experiences during the First COVID-19 Lockdown in Lithuania
Authors: Šmigelskas Kastytis , Digrytė-Šertvytienė Laura , Argustaitė-Zailskienė Gita , Griciūtė Aušra , Urbonaitė Gabrielė , Banienė Irina , Stankūnienė Aurima , Žemaitienė Nida
Published: April 2022

(1) Background. During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals faced psychological and social challenges in addition to a sharp increase in workload. The aim of this work was to reveal how healthcare and pharmacy workers assessed their wellbeing and the methods of coping they employed to overcome stress during quarantine. (2) Methods. The mixed-method study was conducted between August and October 2020, integrating quantitative (n = 967) and qualitative (n = 27) strategies. Doctors, nurses, healthcare administrative staff, pharmacy specialists, and other employees of the healthcare system were interviewed retrospectively about their experiences during and following lockdown (March–June 2020). (3) Results. Overall, 38.7% of the respondents reported a decrease in psychological wellbeing, while 23.4% of the respondents reported a decrease in physical wellbeing during quarantine. The healthcare professionals’ narratives identified a shift from nonspecific fears at the beginning of the pandemic to the more concrete fear of contracting COVID-19, of infecting others, and about their loved ones, as well as undifferentiated fear. Multivariate analysis revealed that a subjective decrease in wellbeing was typical in professionals who had had direct contact with patients infected with COVID-19, as well as those with stronger fears, and those who were more likely to employ compulsive distancing and substance use as ways to cope with stress. (3) Conclusions. The results suggest that lockdown had a negative impact on healthcare workers’ wellbeing during the first pandemic wave in 2020.
Occurrence of Alexithymia and Its Association with Sports Practice from a Sample of University Students: Results from a French Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Proença Lopes Catarina , Allado Edem , Essadek Aziz , Poussel Mathias , Henry Audrey , Albuisson Eliane , Hamroun Aghilès , Chenuel Bruno
Published: April 2022

Background: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of alexithymia in a sample of university students and to determine its association with specific sports practice characteristics (competition and training). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric data and characteristics of sport practice were collected, as well as level of alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale, (TAS-20)). Results: The study included 253 French university students who completed a questionnaire specifying their regular sports practice and level of alexithymia (TAS-20). We found 76 subjects (30%) who had proven alexithymia and 92 (36.4%) who were borderline alexithymic. A significant positive relationship between alexithymia and the weekly amount of training practice was observed. It should be noted that students who engage in more than 5 h of physical activity are more prone to be borderline or alexithymic (respectively, 19.6 and 19.7% versus 7.1% for non-alexithymics; p = 0.03). Conclusion: With a 30% frequency, alexithymia is more prevalent in this context than in the general population. Furthermore, alexithymia and borderline alexithymia are most favorably associated with higher physical activity (over 5 h per week).
Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) Essential Oils and Xanthohumol Derived from Extraction Process Using Solvents of Different Polarity
Authors: Bizaj Katja , Škerget Mojca , Košir Iztok Jože , Knez Željko
Published: April 2022

This study evaluates the content of essential oils (EOs) and prenylated flavonoid Xanthohumol (XN) in extracts of Slovenian hops, cultivar Aurora, obtained by using fluids of different polarity. It is a continuation of our previous work, investigating the extraction of bitter acids from hops. Extraction was conducted semi-continuously, using sub- and supercritical fluids of different polarity, i.e., carbon dioxide (CO2) and propane as non-polar and dimethyl ether (DME) as the polar solvent. The experiments explored a temperature range between 20 °C and 80 °C and pressures ranging from 50 bar to 150 bar. The content of XN in extracts was analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography and experiments demonstrated the largest concentration of XN was obtained using DME. In order to analyse the EO components in extracts, connected with a distinct odour, the steam distillation of extracts was performed and GC analysis was employed. Hop oil derived from CO2 extracts at specific conditions, had the highest relative concentration of linalool, β-caryophyllene and α-humulene, and oil derived from propane extracts had the highest content of all other five selected components (myrcene, geraniol, farnesene, α-selinene and δ-cadinene). The relative content of the investigated EO components in DME extracts was similar to that in propane extracts.
Controlled Atmosphere Storage Alleviates Hass Avocado Black Spot Disorder
Authors: Fuentealba Claudia , Vidal Juan , Zulueta Claudio , Ponce Excequel , Uarrota Virgilio , Defilippi Bruno G. , Pedreschi Romina
Published: April 2022

As it was previously reported, black spot development in the skin of Hass avocado has been related to a decreased antioxidant defense system. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different postharvest storage conditions on controlling black spot development targeting their effect on the antioxidant system (non-enzymatic and enzymatic) of the skin. Four postharvest treatments (T1: regular air storage (RA) at 5 °C for 40 d; T2: controlled atmosphere storage (CA) of 4 kPa O2 and 6 kPa CO2 at 5 °C for 40 d; T3: 10 d RA + 30 d CA and T4: 5 µM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) for 30 s + 10 RA + 30 d CA) were tested on controlling black spot incidence in fruit from six orchards from different agroclimatic zones and harvests. Then, on two selected orchards and harvests, the evolution of total phenolics (TPC), antioxidant capacity (AC) and antioxidant enzymes (catalase (CAT), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL)) was monitored. Results revealed that incidence of black spot disorder was not associated to an agroclimatic zone and harvest stage. Immediate application of CA (T2) controlled black spot development during prolonged storage (40 d) and under these conditions TPC content remained higher compared to the other treatments. No clear role of CAT, PPO, SOD, POD and PAL on controlling black spot was observed. The results obtained are of value for the Hass avocado supply chain since a clear performance of CA was evidenced that will result in reduction of postharvest losses associated to this problem.
Do Contextual and Demographic Factors Help Malaysian Nurses Prepare in Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Chua Bee Seok , Cosmas Getrude , Arsat Norkiah , Wider Walton
Published: April 2022

As of 11 October 2020, Sabah comprised a quarter of all COVID19 cases reported in Malaysia since the start of the pandemic last January 2020. In this pandemic, nurses serve in vital roles to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. This study aims to explore the nurses’ preparedness in managing the COVID-19 outbreak situation in Sabah, Malaysia, examining the contextual (e.g., participated in an actual major disaster event) and demographic factors (e.g., age and working experience that may influence nurses’ preparedness for managing the COVID-19 pandemic). A total of 317 nurses in Sabah, Malaysia were involved in this study. The Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire (EPIQ) contained 41 items and was used to assess civilian nurses’ perceived familiarity with 9 competency dimensions of preparedness. The mean scores of nurses’ preparedness indicated a moderate level of nurses’ preparedness in managing the COVID-19 pandemic (mean ranging from 2.89 to 3.79). The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the nurses who actively participate in an actual major disaster event and who were not active in a total of preparedness and all dimensions (t = 2.79, df = 285, p = 0.006) (except in familiarity with decontamination and familiarity with special populations), across working experience (F(2,291) = 5.09, p = 0.007) (except familiarity with Incident Command System and role), and age among nurses ((F(3,290) = 2.68, p = 0.047)) (total of preparedness, familiarity with ethical issues in triage, epidemiology, and surveillance, and psychological issues). Overall, this study has made a significant theoretical contribution, as well as in clinical implications in the field of nursing practice, by addressing the impact of contextual and demographic factors on nurses’ preparedness in managing the COVID-19 outbreak situation. This study will help nurses to understand the skills, abilities, knowledge, and actions needed to respond, mitigate, and prepare for emergencies during pandemics and disasters.
Factors Associated with Motivation for General Medicine among Rural Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Nishikawa Kasumi , Ohta Ryuichi , Sano Chiaki
Published: April 2022

General medicine, as the Japanese version of primary care or family medicine, is critical for healthcare in aging societies. Medical students’ perceptions of general medicine and education might be associated with changes in the number of general physicians. This study aimed to clarify the association between these perceptions and students’ preferences for general medicine. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Japanese medical students using a questionnaire on their perceptions regarding general medicine, background, and preferences for general medicine (knowledge, interest, motivation, and intention). The response rate was 70.3% (490/697). There was a large percentage gap between interest and motivation; therefore, a logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the cause of this difference. The perceptions that general medicine meets the needs of society and the lack of general medicine educators were positively associated with motivation to become a general physician. In contrast, perceptions of lack of exposure to general medicine beyond the curriculum and inaccessibility were negatively associated with motivation. Medical students’ motivation to pursue general medicine may increase with improvements in flexible general medicine education and accessibility. Future research should investigate the relationship between students’ perceptions of general medicine and their motivation to become general physicians through longitudinal studies.
Editorial on S.I. “Advances in Measuring Health and Wellbeing” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Authors: Grané Aurea , Albarrán Irene
Published: April 2022

Measuring the health and wellbeing of the population is the first step in visualizing the real needs of the population in order to promote healthy habits, as well as effective health and social policy responses [...]
Global DNA Methylation Profiles in Peripheral Blood of WTC-Exposed Community Members with Breast Cancer
Authors: Tuminello Stephanie , Zhang Yian , Yang Lei , Durmus Nedim , Snuderl Matija , Heguy Adriana , Zeleniuch-Jacquotte Anne , Chen Yu , Shao Yongzhao , Reibman Joan , Arslan Alan A.
Published: April 2022

Breast cancer represents the most common cancer diagnosis among World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed community members, residents, and cleanup workers enrolled in the WTC Environmental Health Center (WTC EHC). The primary aims of this study were (1) to compare blood DNA methylation profiles of WTC-exposed community members with breast cancer and WTC-unexposed pre-diagnostic breast cancer blood samples, and (2) to compare the DNA methylation differences among the WTC EHC breast cancer cases and WTC-exposed cancer-free controls. Gene pathway enrichment analyses were further conducted. There were significant differences in DNA methylation between WTC-exposed breast cancer cases and unexposed prediagnostic breast cancer cases. The top differentially methylated genes were Intraflagellar Transport 74 (IFT74), WD repeat-containing protein 90 (WDR90), and Oncomodulin (OCM), which are commonly upregulated in tumors. Probes associated with established tumor suppressor genes (ATM, BRCA1, PALB2, and TP53) were hypermethylated among WTC-exposed breast cancer cases compared to the unexposed group. When comparing WTC EHC breast cancer cases vs. cancer-free controls, there appeared to be global hypomethylation among WTC-exposed breast cancer cases compared to exposed controls. Functional pathway analysis revealed enrichment of several gene pathways in WTC-exposed breast cancer cases including endocytosis, proteoglycans in cancer, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, axon guidance, focal adhesion, calcium signaling, cGMP-PKG signaling, mTOR, Hippo, and oxytocin signaling. The results suggest potential epigenetic links between WTC exposure and breast cancer in local community members enrolled in the WTC EHC program.
Correspondence and Concordance of Retrospective and Concurrent Responses to Physiotherapists and Sport Psychology Questionnaire Items
Authors: Groover Ashlee E. , Brewer Britton W. , Smith Daniel M. , Van Raalte Judy L. , May Christine N.
Published: April 2022

Orthopedic and sport-related injuries are a major public health concern and a common reason for referral to physical therapy. The use of psychological techniques by physical therapists has been assessed in research studies primarily with retrospective self-report questionnaires that have not been validated against concurrent assessments of the same behaviors. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the results obtained from physical therapists’ retrospective self-reports of their use of psychological techniques reflect their use of the techniques assessed concurrently. Physical therapists (N = 14) completed the Physiotherapists and Sport Psychology Questionnaire (PSPQ) at the beginning of this study and a checklist based on the PSPQ at the end of the sessions with patients (N = 306). Patients also completed the checklist at the end of the sessions. Across 12 psychological techniques, the physical therapists’ retrospective (PSPQ) responses showed relatively weak correspondence (mean r = 0.31) and poor concordance with their concurrent (checklist) responses. Compared to the physical therapists’ checklist responses, the patients’ checklist responses showed weaker correspondence (mean r = 0.03) and better concordance with the physical therapists’ PSPQ responses. The findings suggest that retrospective self-reports may not accurately reflect the use of psychological techniques by physical therapists and, consequently, that physical therapists should consider documenting their use of psychological techniques as close to their implementation as possible. Suggestions for improved assessment are provided.
Overflowing Disparities: Examining the Availability of Litter Bins in New York City
Authors: Sprague Nadav L. , Gobaud Ariana N. , Mehranbod Christina A. , Morrison Christopher N. , Branas Charles C. , Jacobowitz Ahuva L.
Published: April 2022

In the 1980s, activists’ concerns about the disproportionate placements of landfills in low-income communities ignited the environmental justice movement. Today, similar issues of environmental injustice—the limited availability of litter bins across New York City (NYC) neighborhoods—remain unresolved. This study examines the association between NYC neighborhood income and litter bin availability. The NYC Department of Sanitation 2020 Litter Bin Inventory and archival measures of neighborhood composition and socioeconomic status were aggregated within NYC census tract neighborhoods. Multilevel Bayesian conditional autoregressive Poisson models estimated the prevalence rate ratio for counts of litter bins according to median household income in each census tract, accounting for spatial autocorrelation. Bivariate associations identified that census tracts with higher median household income had a greater prevalence of litter bins than census tracts with lower median household income; however, spatial autocorrelation attenuated the relationship between median household income and availability of litter bins. Further research is necessary to identify the spatially structured condition that accounted for the observed effect. The results warrant further investigation of both perceived and actual disparities in litter bin availability.
Spatialization and Prediction of Seasonal NO2 Pollution Due to Climate Change in the Korean Capital Area through Land Use Regression Modeling
Authors: Lim No Ol , Hwang Jinhoo , Lee Sung-Joo , Yoo Youngjae , Choi Yuyoung , Jeon Seongwoo
Published: April 2022

Urbanization is causing an increase in air pollution leading to serious health issues. However, even though the necessity of its regulation is acknowledged, there are relatively few monitoring sites in the capital metropolitan city of the Republic of Korea. Furthermore, a significant relationship between air pollution and climate variables is expected, thus the prediction of air pollution under climate change should be carefully attended. This study aims to predict and spatialize present and future NO2 distribution by using existing monitoring sites to overcome deficiency in monitoring. Prediction was conducted through seasonal Land use regression modeling using variables correlated with NO2 concentration. Variables were selected through two correlation analyses and future pollution was predicted under HadGEM-AO RCP scenarios 4.5 and 8.5. Our results showed a relatively high NO2 concentration in winter in both present and future predictions, resulting from elevated use of fossil fuels in boilers, and also showed increments of NO2 pollution due to climate change. The results of this study could strengthen existing air pollution management strategies and mitigation measures for planning concerning future climate change, supporting proper management and control of air pollution.
Health Equity and Worker Justice in Temporary Staffing: The Illinois Case
Authors: Forst Linda , Bonney Tessa
Published: April 2022

Temporary staffing has an increasing role in world economies, contracting workers and dispatching them to work for leasing employers within countries and across borders. Using Illinois as a case study, co-authors have undertaken investigations to understand the occupational health, safety, and well-being challenges for workers hired through temporary staffing companies; to determine knowledge and attitudes of temp workers and temp staffing employers; and to assess temporary staffing at a community level. Temporary staffing workers in Illinois tend to be people of color who are employed in the most hazardous sectors of the economy. They have a higher rate of injury, are compensated less, and often lose their jobs when injured. Laws allow for ambiguity of responsibility for training, reporting, and compensation between the staffing agency and host employers. Our findings illustrate the ways in which principles of fairness and equity are violated in temporary staffing. Shared responsibility for reporting injuries, providing workers’ compensation insurance, and training workers should be mandated in law and required in contractual language between temporary staffing and host/contracting employers. Monitoring, enforcement, and adjustment of the law based on experience are required to “promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.
An Innovation Perspective to Explore the Ecology and Social Welfare Efficiencies of Countries
Authors: Liu Z-John , Le Minh-Hieu , Lu Wen-Min
Published: April 2022

This study aims to measure the ability of 29 countries in producing competitive products and services that fulfill individual needs and improve the level of welfare with less utilization of natural resources. We build a two-stage network production process model to investigate the ecology efficiency and social welfare efficiency of the countries and then further discriminate the efficient countries in post-analysis. The two-stage network directional distance function is applied to assess the efficiencies of countries, and the network-based ranking approach is used to further discriminate the efficient countries following the panel data between the years 2013 and 2016. Results show that Poland and Spain are strongly referenced by other countries in the ecology stage, whereas Bulgaria, the United States, and Sweden are leaders in the social welfare stage. A remarkable observation is an absence of countries’ efficiency in both ecology and social welfare efficiencies. Most of the 29 countries have lower efficiency in the social welfare stage than in the ecology stage. This study suggests the strengths and highlights the weaknesses of the countries to help the governments efficiently improve and operate their countries.
From the World to Western: A Community-Engaged Teaching Strategy to Enhance Students’ Learning of Cultural Issues Relevant to Healthcare
Authors: Ogunsiji Olayide , Ogbeide Anita Eseosa , Mukuria Valentine , Olugbemiro Florence , Workman Alex , Dune Tinashe
Published: April 2022

Using the transformational learning theory and action research method, this study captured the experiences of students from health-related disciplines in the cultural immersion program From the World to Western. A total of nine students participated in the pilot program with four host families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds, and four cultural facilitators who connected the host families and students. The findings of this research showed that it was beneficial for students in health-related disciplines to engage in the cultural immersion program to further prepare them for culturally competent care in their future roles as healthcare professionals. In addition, the students indicated the need for the cultural immersion program to be part of the curriculum for future students to develop cultural skills, awareness and encounters with diverse populations.
The Health Impacts and Life Challenges Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic on Hong Kong Chinese Women
Authors: Hung Maria Shuk Yu , Chan Liliane Chui King , Liu Sisi Pui Shan
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a massive global crisis. The adverse impacts on Asian women, including Hong Kong Chinese women, have been considerable. The pressure on Hong Kong women is immense due to cultural, social, familial, and personal responsibilities. This study aims to illustrate the health impacts and life challenges for Hong Kong Chinese Women during the pandemic. An interpretive phenomenological approach with purposive sampling was adopted. Semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted from August 2020 to January 2021. Twenty-five women participated in the interviews, lasting an average of 48 min. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The core theme identified was “Perceived family caregiving as paramount self-obligation in times of the pandemic”, in the context of the role of daughter, wife, or mother (or a combination). Three interconnected themes have been identified in individual, relational, and external contexts: deterioration of personal health, unfavorable to family relationships, and adaptation to social challenges. Eight subthemes have emerged related to health impacts and life challenges. The pandemic has increased women’s perception of their caregiver roles in the family, but it has diminished their quality of life. The promotion of strategies and activities that could enhance women’s physical, psychological, emotional and social quality of life is recommended.
Robotic Systems for the Physiotherapy Treatment of Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Llamas-Ramos Rocío , Sánchez-González Juan Luis , Llamas-Ramos Inés
Published: April 2022

Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that is associated with multiple motor alterations and dysfunctions in children. Robotic systems are new devices that are becoming increasingly popular as a part of the treatment for cerebral palsy. A systematic review of the Pubmed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Dialnet, CINAHL, Scopus, Lilacs and PEDro databases from November 2021 to February 2022 was conducted to prove the effectiveness of these devices for the treatment of motor dysfunctions in children who were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Randomized clinical trials in Spanish and English were included. In total, 653 potential manuscripts were selected but only 7 of them met the inclusion criteria. Motor dysfunctions in the lower limbs and those that are specifically related to gait are the main parameters that are affected by cerebral palsy and the robotic systems Lokomat, Innowalk, Robogait and Waltbox-K are the most commonly used. There is no consensus about the effectiveness of these devices. However, it seems clear that they have presented a good complement to conventional physical therapies, although not a therapy as themselves. Unfortunately, the low quality of some of the randomized clinical trials that were reviewed made it difficult to establish conclusive results. More studies are needed to prove and test the extent to which these devices aid in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy.
Association of Postpartum Depression with Maternal Suicide: A Nationwide Population-Based Study
Authors: Lee Yi-Liang , Tien Yun , Bai Yin-Shiuan , Lin Chi-Kang , Yin Chang-Sheng , Chung Chi-Hsiang , Sun Chien-An , Huang Shi-Hao , Huang Yao-Ching , Chien Wu-Chien , Kang Chieh-Yi , Wu Gwo-Jang
Published: April 2022

Background: To examine the association of postpartum depression (PPD) with maternal suicide in the Taiwanese population. Methods: We examined the medical records of women aged 18–50 years who experienced childbirth and had PPD (the study cohort, n = 2882), who experienced childbirth but did not have PPD (comparison cohort 1, n = 5764), and who neither experienced childbirth nor had PPD (comparison cohort 2, n = 5764) between 2000 and 2015. The patients were followed up until suicide, withdrawal from the National Health Insurance program, or 31 December 2015. Results: The rates of anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as the cumulative risk of suicide, were significantly higher in the study cohort. PPD was significantly correlated with an increased risk of maternal suicide and was associated with a greater risk of developing comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and stroke. The comparison cohorts did not differ significantly in terms of suicide risk. Conclusion: PPD was associated with a significantly higher rate of suicide and a shorter time to suicide after childbirth. Younger age, winter, and subclinical depression and anxiety positively predicted suicide in the study cohort. To prevent maternal suicide, clinicians should be observant of subclinical depression and anxiety symptoms among patients.
“Get Used to the Fact That Some of the Care Is Really Going to Take Place in a Different Way”: General Practitioners’ Experiences with E-Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Meurs Maaike , Keuper Jelle , Sankatsing Valerie , Batenburg Ronald , van Tuyl Lilian
Published: April 2022

The first outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the introduction of the more extensive use of e-health in Dutch general practices. The objective of this study was to investigate the experiences of general practitioners (GPs) regarding this change. In addition, the necessary conditions for e-health technology to be of added value to general practices were explored. In April 2020, 30 GPs were recruited for in-depth interviews via a web survey which contained questions regarding the use of e-health during the first wave of the pandemic. While most GPs intend to keep using e-health applications more extensively than before the pandemic, the actual use of e-health depends on several factors, including the characteristics of the application’s users. The following conditions for successful and sustainable implementation of e-health were identified: (1) integration of e-health technology in the organization of GP care, (2) sufficient user-friendliness of applications as well as digital skills of professionals and patients, and (3) adequate technological and financial support of e-health services. GPs clearly recognize the benefits of using e-health, and most GPs intend to keep using e-health applications more extensively than before the pandemic. However, improvements are needed to allow widespread and sustainable adoption of e-health technology in general practices.
Reducing Anxiety with Nature and Gardening (RANG): Evaluating the Impacts of Gardening and Outdoor Activities on Anxiety among U.S. Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Gerdes Megan E. , Aistis Lucy A. , Sachs Naomi A. , Williams Marcus , Roberts Jennifer D. , Rosenberg Goldstein Rachel E.
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health. Growing research has identified the mental health benefits of nature contact, including gardening. We used a cross-sectional survey to investigate the association between gardening and other outdoor activities with anxiety among U.S. adults. The RANG (Reducing Anxiety with Nature and Gardening) survey was distributed online from June–September 2020 through social media (Twitter and Facebook) and a national Master Gardeners listserv. Survey questions captured demographics, COVID-19 experiences, gardening, outdoor activities, and anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and Kruskal–Wallis tests, as well as logistic regression. Among participants, 46% reported anxiety symptoms. Participants who had gardened ≥ 15 years and those gardening > 8 h over two weeks had lower anxiety scores. Spending more time outdoors on weekdays also decreased anxiety scores. After adjusting for covariates, lower odds of anxiety were identified for 50–69 and 70–89-year-olds vs. 18–29-year-olds; males vs. females; and Texas vs. Maryland residents. These findings confirm increased anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest that sustained gardening and other outdoor activities could help reduce anxiety.
Supporting the Return to Work of Breast Cancer Survivors: From a Theoretical to a Clinical Perspective
Authors: Porro Bertrand , Campone Mario , Moreau Philippe , Roquelaure Yves
Published: April 2022

Promoting the return to work of breast cancer survivors is of major interest to patients, healthcare and occupational health professionals, companies, governments, and researchers worldwide. We previously conducted a French consensus study resulting in a model describing the multifactorial process of the return to work of breast cancer survivors (the REWORK-BC model). Other work has identified the transtheoretical model as a relevant theoretical framework for interventions to promote the return to work of cancer survivors. In this opinion paper, we provide a theoretically-based clinical framework describing how to support breast cancer survivors at each stage of the return-to-work process. This clinical framework considers several essential aspects of supportive care for breast cancer survivors returning to work, such as: (i) helping the patient actively self-manage, by considering her to be the main decision-maker; (ii) respecting and adapting to the patient’s choice of professional project; (iii) respecting the temporality of the patient’s choices; (iv) proposing tailored interventions; (v) implementing simple tools to promote the return to work, shared representation between the patient and a multidisciplinary team, and improvement of working conditions and the knowledge of health and occupational professionals, and managers or employers; and (vi) maintaining certain flexibility aimed at proposing, but never imposing, changes in practices. This clinical framework, specific to breast cancer survivors, could be extrapolated to other tumor types, offering a practical guide for healthcare and occupational health professionals to better understand the return-to-work process of cancer survivors. This clinical framework aims to be a usable tool for any hospital or cancer care center wishing to implement a patient-centered intervention that promotes returning to work, regardless of the country.
The Effect of the Video Assistant Referee System Implementation on Match Physical Demands in the Spanish LaLiga
Authors: Ponce-Bordón José C. , Lobo-Triviño David , Rubio-Morales Ana , López del Campo Roberto , Resta Ricardo , López-Gajardo Miguel A.
Published: April 2022

The present study aimed to analyze the influence of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) on match physical demands in the top Spanish professional football league. Match physical demand data from all the matches for two seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) in the First Spanish Division (n = 1454) were recorded using an optical tracking system (ChyronHego®). Total distance, relative total distance covered per minute, distance covered between 14–21 km·h−1, distance covered between 21–24 km·h−1, and distance covered at more than 24 km·h−1 were analyzed; also, the number of sprints between 21–24 km·h−1 and more than 24 km·h−1 were taken into consideration. The times the VAR intervened in matches were also taken into account. Results showed that total distance and relative total distance significantly decreased in seasons with VAR compared to seasons without VAR. Finally, distance covered between 21–24 km·h−1, distance covered at more than 24 km·h−1, and the number of high-intensity efforts between 21–24 km·h−1 and more than 24 km·h−1 increased in seasons with VAR compared to seasons without VAR, but the differences were nonsignificant. Thus, these findings help practitioners to better understand the effects of the VAR system on professional football physical performance and to identify strategies to reproduce competition demands.
Fine-Tuning BERT Models to Classify Misinformation on Garlic and COVID-19 on Twitter
Authors: Kim Myeong Gyu , Kim Minjung , Kim Jae Hyun , Kim Kyungim
Published: April 2022

Garlic-related misinformation is prevalent whenever a virus outbreak occurs. With the outbreak of COVID-19, garlic-related misinformation is spreading through social media, including Twitter. Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) can be used to classify misinformation from a vast number of tweets. This study aimed to apply the BERT model for classifying misinformation on garlic and COVID-19 on Twitter, using 5929 original tweets mentioning garlic and COVID-19 (4151 for fine-tuning, 1778 for test). Tweets were manually labeled as ‘misinformation’ and ‘other.’ We fine-tuned five BERT models (BERTBASE, BERTLARGE, BERTweet-base, BERTweet-COVID-19, and BERTweet-large) using a general COVID-19 rumor dataset or a garlic-specific dataset. Accuracy and F1 score were calculated to evaluate the performance of the models. The BERT models fine-tuned with the COVID-19 rumor dataset showed poor performance, with maximum accuracy of 0.647. BERT models fine-tuned with the garlic-specific dataset showed better performance. BERTweet models achieved accuracy of 0.897–0.911, while BERTBASE and BERTLARGE achieved accuracy of 0.887–0.897. BERTweet-large showed the best performance with maximum accuracy of 0.911 and an F1 score of 0.894. Thus, BERT models showed good performance in classifying misinformation. The results of our study will help detect misinformation related to garlic and COVID-19 on Twitter.
Factors Driving Microbial Community Dynamics and Potential Health Effects of Bacterial Pathogen on Landscape Lakes with Reclaimed Water Replenishment in Beijing, PR China
Authors: Zhang Junzhi , He Xiao , Zhang Huixin , Liao Yu , Wang Qi , Li Luwei , Yu Jianwei
Published: April 2022

Assessing the bacteria pathogens in the lakes with reclaimed water as major influents are important for public health. This study investigated microbial communities of five landscape lakes replenished by reclaimed water, then analyzed driven factors and identified health effects of bacterial pathogens. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis demonstrated that Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, and Verrucomicrobia were the most dominant phyla in five landscape lakes. The microbial community diversities were higher in June and July than that in other months. Temperature, total nitrogen and phosphorus were the main drivers of the dominant microbial from the Redundancy analysis (RDA) results. Various potential bacterial pathogens were identified, including Pseudomonas, GKS98_freshwater_group, Sporosarcina, Pseudochrobactrum, Streptomyces and Bacillus, etc, some of which are easily infectious to human. The microbial network analysis showed that some potential pathogens were nodes that had significant health effects. The work provides a basis for understanding the microbial community dynamics and safety issues for health effects in landscape lakes replenished by reclaimed water.
Molecular Diagnostic Tools Applied for Assessing Microbial Water Quality
Authors: Paruch Lisa
Published: April 2022

Microbial water quality is of vital importance for human, animal, and environmental health. Notably, pathogenically contaminated water can result in serious health problems, such as waterborne outbreaks, which have caused huge economic and social losses. In this context, the prompt detection of microbial contamination becomes essential to enable early warning and timely reaction with proper interventions. Recently, molecular diagnostics have been increasingly employed for the rapid and robust assessment of microbial water quality implicated by various microbial pollutants, e.g., waterborne pathogens and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs), imposing the most critical health threats to humans and the environment. Continuous technological advances have led to constant improvements and expansions of molecular methods, such as conventional end-point PCR, DNA microarray, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), multiplex qPCR (mqPCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), digital droplet PCR (ddPCR), and high-throughput next-generation DNA sequencing (HT-NGS). These state-of-the-art molecular approaches largely facilitate the surveillance of microbial water quality in diverse aquatic systems and wastewater. This review provides an up-to-date overview of the advancement of the key molecular tools frequently employed for microbial water quality assessment, with future perspectives on their applications.
Styles of Coping with Stress among Healthy People and People with Diagnosis of Schizophrenia and Selected Personality Dimensions
Authors: Wiszniewski Bartosz , Liberska Hanna
Published: April 2022

Background: Schizophrenia is considered a chronic and disabling mental disorder that affects approximately one percent of the world’s population. It is characterized by a variable course and its various symptoms may predominate depending on the characteristics of the person. Aim: Recognition of the personality traits and styles of stress-coping applied by healthy people and people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Methods: The study examined 60 people in total: 30 healthy people between 19 and 58 years old and29 people diagnosed with schizophrenia and 1 person with schizophrenia spectrum disorder between 25 and 72 years old. In the present study we used Personality inventory NEO-FFI by Paul Costa and Robert McCreae, designed to diagnose personality traits described in the five-factor model called “The Big Five” and CISS: Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations by N.S. Endler, J.D.A. Parker, designed to diagnose stress-coping styles.
Mercury and Arsenic Discharge from Circumneutral Waters Associated with the Former Mining Area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Tuscany, Central Italy)
Authors: Lazzaroni Marta , Vetuschi Zuccolini Marino , Nisi Barbara , Cabassi Jacopo , Caliro Stefano , Rappuoli Daniele , Vaselli Orlando
Published: April 2022

Dissolved and suspended toxic elements in water discharged from abandoned and active mining areas pose several critical issues, since they represent a threat to the environment. In this work, we investigated the water, suspended particulates, and stream sediments of a 2.1 km long creek (Fosso della Chiusa) that is fed by waters draining the galleries of the abandoned Hg mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (Mt. Amiata, Tuscany, central Italy). The geochemical results show evidence that the studied matrices are characterized by relatively high concentrations of Hg and As, whereas those of Sb are generally close to or below the instrumental detection limit. Independent of the matrices, the concentration of As decreases from the emergence point to the confluence with the Pagliola creek. In contrast, Hg concentrations display more complex behavior, as water and sediment are mainly characterized by concentrations that significantly increase along the water course. According to the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), sediments belong to Class 6 (extremely contaminated) for Hg. The Igeo of As varies from Class 6, close to the emergence, to Class 2 (moderately contaminated), dropping to Class 0 (uncontaminated) at the confluence with the Pagliola creek. Finally, the total mass load of Hg and As entering the Pagliola creek was computed to be 1.3 and 0.5 kg/year, respectively, when a mean flow rate of 40 L/s was considered. The calculated loads are relatively low, but, when the Fosso della Chiusa drainage basin is taken into account, the specific load is comparable to, or even higher than, those of other mining areas.