bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homesickness at Home: A Scoping Review of Solastalgia Experiences in Australia
Authors: Breth-Petersen Matilde , Garay Jasper , Clancy Kaiwarr , Dickson Michelle , Angelo Candace
Published: February 2023

Solastalgia is a term used to describe the pain and distress experienced by those witnessing their home environments destroyed or changed in unwelcome ways. Solastalgia is expected to become more prominent as climate change worsens and transforms landscapes. This scoping review examines and maps the existing literature on solastalgia in Australia, particularly focusing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences. Four focus questions guided the review to explore how solastalgia is conceptualized, highlight risk and protective factors, and identify strategies for addressing solastalgia. Eighteen papers met the criteria for inclusion. Overall, our results show a minimal evidence base on solastalgia in Australia with an even greater gap in exploring solastalgia from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. A strong connection to home environments was suggested as both a risk and protective factor for experiencing solastalgia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are considered at risk due to intimate connections to home environments, and since the invasion, have experienced mental distress resulting from significant, damaging changes to landscapes and home environments. We recommend further exploration of lived experiences of solastalgia across a greater diversity of Australian contexts, particularly amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including a focus on practical implications.
Structural Model for Socially Sustainable Public Housing Decision-Making in Chile
Authors: Sierra Leonardo , Lizana Maximiliano , Pino Catalina , Ilaya-Ayza Amilkar , Neculman Briguitte
Published: February 2023

Normally the social approaches addressed in public housing policies are unclear in the implementation processes. Indeed, public agencies do not have systems that integrate clear social criteria to consider the social assessment of public housing projects. Therefore, the inclusion of social sustainability in planning and early decision-making is limited. In addition, social development technically involves variables that are not normally independent, and its completeness means their relationships must be considered to sum up the impacts. Thus, this work proposes a structural model that explains an integral interrelation of social criteria that determines socially sustainable housing projects for the vulnerable population in Chile. For this, a theoretical model was constructed and validated using a structural equation model (SEM). This system derives from the application of a survey applied to 188 professionals related to the development of public housing. From this, a model of social sustainability of public housing is validated with ten social criteria and eleven unidirectional interrelations, structured in two dimensions: the functional conditions of the home and the environmental conditions of the house. In the first dimension, the relation between the Improvement in family economic availability and Spaces for family development stands out. In the second, the strongest link is between Community health and safety and the Integration of the design in the context.
Removal of Toxic Metals from Sewage Sludge by Acid Hydrolysis Coupled with EDTA Washing in a Closed-Loop Process
Authors: Morales Arteaga Juan Francisco , Zupanc Mojca , Dular Matevž , Lestan Domen , Kaurin Anela
Published: February 2023

Contamination with toxic metals prevents the use of sewage sludge (SS) as a soil fertilizer. Hydrodynamic cavitation, thermal microwaving, microwave-assisted alkaline, and acid hydrolysis coupled with ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) washing were tested as a method to remove toxic metals from SS. Acid hydrolysis coupled with EDTA washing was most effective and was used in a closed-loop process based on ReSoil technology. EDTA and process solutions were recycled at a pH gradient of 12.5–2, which was imposed by the addition of quicklime (CaO) and H2SO4. An average of 78%-Pb, 76%-Zn, 1%-Cu, and 17%-Cr were removed from SS in five consecutive batches. No wastewater was generated, only solid waste (40%). The EDTA lost in the process (42%) was resupplied in each batch. In a series of batches, the process solutions retained metal removal efficiency and quality. The treatment removed 70% and 23% of P and N, respectively, from SS and increased the leachability of Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe in the washed SS by 11.7, 6.8, 1.4, and 5.2 times, respectively. Acid hydrolysis coupled with EDTA washing proved to be a technically feasible, closed-loop process but needs further development to reduce reagent, material, and nutrient loss and to reduce toxic emissions from the washed sludge.
Physical Activity in Adults with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder: A Large Cross-Sectional Survey Exploring Patterns, Preferences, Barriers, and Motivating Factors
Authors: Tew Garry A. , Bailey Laura , Beeken Rebecca J. , Cooper Cindy , Copeland Robert , Brady Samantha , Heron Paul , Hill Andrew , Lee Ellen , Spanakis Panagiotis , Stubbs Brendon , Traviss-Turner Gemma , Walker Lauren , Walters Stephen , Gilbody Simon , Peckham Emily
Published: February 2023

Adults with severe mental ill health may have specific attitudes toward physical activity. To inform intervention development, we conducted a survey to assess the physical activity patterns, preferences, barriers, and motivations of adults with severe mental ill health living in the community. Data were summarised using descriptive statistics, and logistic regressions were used to explore relationships between physical activity status and participant characteristics. Five-hundred and twenty-nine participants (58% male, mean age 49.3 years) completed the survey. Large numbers were insufficiently active and excessively sedentary. Self-reported levels of physical activity below that recommended in national guidelines were associated with professional inactivity, consumption of fewer than five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, older age, and poor mental health. Participants indicated a preference for low-intensity activities and physical activity that they can do on their own, at their own time and pace, and close to home. The most commonly endorsed source of support was social support from family and friends. Common motivations included improving mental health, physical fitness, and energy levels. However, poor mental and physical health and being too tired were also common barriers. These findings can inform the development of physical activity interventions for this group of people.
Spatial Effects of Digital Transformation, PM2.5 Exposure, Economic Growth and Technological Innovation Nexus: PM2.5 Concentrations in China during 2010–2020
Authors: Ma Fenfen , Fahad Shah , Wang Mancang , Nassani Abdelmohsen A. , Haffar Mohamed
Published: February 2023

Digital transformation can increase lending by commercial banks, which may have an impact on economic development and technological progress, thus affecting air pollution. However, a limited amount of literature has discussed the impact of the digital transformation of commercial banks (DTCB) on air pollution. Based on city-level data from 2010 to 2020, this study used a spatial Durbin model to explore the spatial effects of DTCB on air pollution. This study shows that DTCB significantly increases air pollution in local and surrounding cities. Heterogeneity analysis shows that DTCB increases local and surrounding city air pollution in non-innovative cities and cities with low digital economy development. However, in innovative cities and cities with high digital economy development, DTCB reduces PM2.5 emissions in local and surrounding cities. Mechanism analysis shows that DTCB has no significant impact on technological innovation, but significantly promotes economic development, thus increasing air pollution. From the perspective of DTCB, this paper deepens the research on digital finance and air pollution. Against the background of DTCB, the government should guide commercial banks to apply digital technology to increase lending for technology innovation and promote DTCB to achieve the dual goals of economic development and improvement in air quality.
A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Canadian Healthcare Workers’ Use of Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Karram Mauda , D'Alessandro-Lowe Andrea M. , Ritchie Kimberly , Brown Andrea , Xue Yuanxin , Pichtikova Mina , Altman Maxwell , Beech Isaac , Millman Heather , Hosseiny Fardous , Rodrigues Sara , Heber Alexandra , O'Connor Charlene , Schielke Hugo , Malain Ann , Lanius Ruth A. , McCabe Randi E. , McKinnon Margaret C.
Published: February 2023

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have been exposed to highly stressful situations, including increased workloads and exposure to mortality, thus posing a risk for adverse psychological outcomes, including acute stress, moral injury, and depression or anxiety symptoms. Although several reports have sought to identify the types of coping strategies used by HCWs over the course of the pandemic (e.g., physical activity, religion/spirituality, meditation, and alcohol), it remains unclear which factors may influence HCWs’ choice of these coping strategies. Accordingly, using a qualitative approach, the purpose of the present study was to gain a deeper understanding of the factors influencing HCWs’ choice of coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Fifty-one HCWs participated in virtual, semi-structured interviews between February and June 2021. Interview transcripts were analysed through an inductive thematic approach, yielding two primary themes. First, HCWs described an ongoing shift in their approach to coping depending on their mental “bandwidth”, ranging from “quick fix” to more “intentional effort” strategies to engage in proactive strategies to improve mental health. Second, many HCWs identified various barriers to desired coping strategies during the pandemic, including the preponderance of pandemic- and other circumstantial-related barriers. The findings from this study offer a unique understanding of the factors influencing HCWs’ choice of coping strategies under novel and increased stress. This knowledge will be central to developing appropriate forms of support and resources to equip HCWs throughout and after the pandemic period, and in mitigating the potential adverse mental health impacts of this period of prolonged stress and potential trauma.
Land Development Rights, Spatial Injustice, and the Economic Development in Net-Incremental Reduction Regions of Construction Land: Evidence from Shanghai, China
Authors: Lu Jianglin , Wang Keqiang , Liu Hongmei
Published: February 2023

Rapid urbanization raises the issue of protecting development interests in net-incremental reduction regions of construction land (NRRCL). Spatial injustice (SI) is one of the key factors for the smooth implementation of construction land reduction (CLR) policies. This study theoretically analyzes the influence of SI on the economic development in CLR saving quota outflow regions, namely, NRRCL, and conducted empirical tests with the difference-in-differences model. The findings reveal that: (1) regional differences in CLR policy promote the transfer of land development rights from NRRCL to net-incremental increase regions of construction land (NIRCL) in economically developed regions, thus resulting in SI; (2) SI limits the economic development of NRRCL; (3) land-use planning negatively impacts economic development in planning reduced-type regions; (4) the off-site realization of spatial justice in the CLR process in suburbs has comparative advantages; (5) in the process of CLR, it is vital to promote the transfer of population from NRRCL to NIRCL to alleviate the negative impact of SI.
Applying a Goal-Directed Behavior Model to Determine Risk Perception of COVID-19 and War on Potential Travelers’ Behavioral Intentions
Authors: Kim Taeuk , Ha Jungwoo
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of the relationship between risk perception of COVID-19 and the war-applied Model of Goal-directed Behavior (MGB) based on stimulus–organism–response (SOR) and potential travelers’ behavioral intention. In addition, this study attempted to verify the relationship among uncertainty toward international travel, mental well-being toward international travel, and desire toward travelers’ behavioral intention. Moreover, we examined the moderating effect of gender (female vs. male) among all variables for dependents. The survey was conducted on potential travelers in Korea. As for the survey period, a survey was conducted for one month beginning on 2 September 2022. Of the total 413 surveys, 361 surveys were used for the final analysis, and 52 unfaithful surveys were excluded. In addition, demographic, CFA, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and moderation effect analysis were verified using SPSS and AMOS. For the data analysis, we used SPSS 18.0 and Amos 20.0 to perform factor analysis and SEM. Significant effects were found in support for Hypotheses 1–5. Further, when it comes to the difference of gender on the relationship between all the variables, while no significant effect was found for Hypotheses 6a,c,e,g, a significant effect was found for Hypotheses 6b,d,f. Thus, H6a,c,e were rejected and H6b,d,f were supported. It was found that females had a greater influence on mental health and desire for overseas travel than males, but it was found that there was no difference between females and males in the relationship between desire and behavioral intention. Therefore, it was possible to verify that the MGB desire is an important psychological variable for both females and males. Furthermore, these findings offer academic practical implications to travel and tourism companies by presenting basic data based on the results of empirical research analysis in the context of the current dangerous situation.
Investigation of the Wind-Direction Effect on Buoyancy-Driven Fire Smoke Dispersion in an Urban Street Canyon
Authors: Lu Kaihua , Xiang Yanqing , Yu Songyang , Wang Jie , Mao Shaohua
Published: February 2023

When a fire occurs in a street canyon, smoke recirculation is the most harmful factor to human beings inside the canyon, while the wind condition is an essential factor determining if the smoke is recirculated. This paper focuses on the wind direction’s effect on buoyancy-driven fire smoke dispersion in a street canyon, which is innovative research since the effect of wind direction has not been reported before. In this study, an ideal street canyon model with a height–width ratio of 1 was established, and both the wind velocity and wind direction were changed to search for the critical point at which smoke recirculation occurs. The results show that with an increase in the wind direction angle (the angle of wind towards the direction of the street width), the smoke recirculation could be distinguished into three regimes, i.e., the “fully re-circulation stage”, the “semi re-circulation stage”, and the “non-recirculation stage”. The critical recirculation velocity was increased with the increase in the wind direction angle, and new models regarding the critical wind velocity and the Froude number were proposed for different wind direction conditions.
Reasons for the Reporting Behavior of Japanese Collegiate Rugby Union Players Regarding Suspected Concussion Symptoms: A Propensity Analysis
Authors: Suzuki Keita , Nagai Satoshi , Nishida Satoru , Iwai Koichi , Takemura Masahiro
Published: February 2023

While previous research has identified the reasons for the concussion-reporting behavior of rugby union players, the influence of confounding factors such as concussion experience, education, and knowledge of concussion symptoms, any of which may have influenced the results, has not been considered. This study aimed to clarify the reasons for the reporting behavior of college rugby union players regarding suspected concussion symptoms by adjusting for confounding factors using the propensity score. A questionnaire about both concussion knowledge and concussion-reporting behavior was administered to 240 collegiate rugby union players. Of the 208 (86.7%) valid respondents to the questionnaire, 196 (94.2%) had experienced any one symptom of a suspected concussion, such as headache, at least once, and 137 (65.9%) reported symptoms to someone else. This study’s results revealed two important reasons for reporting symptoms: (1) the willingness of players to report experienced symptoms to someone else, along with realizing a concussion, and (2) the willingness of players to report suspected concussion symptoms, despite the absence of a doctor or trainer. These results suggest that providing educational opportunities to recognize suspected concussion symptoms and establishing a team culture of reporting physical problems to someone else is important for improving concussion-reporting behavior.
If You Build It Will They Come? Park Upgrades, Park Use and Park-Based Physical Activity in Urban Cape Town, South Africa—The SUN Study
Authors: Bartels Clare A. , Lambert Estelle V. , Young Marié E. M. , Kolbe-Alexander Tracy
Published: February 2023

The development and upgrade of recreational public spaces are key government strategies to increase opportunities for physical activity (PA) and enhance social interaction and community cohesion. This study aimed to evaluate differences in park use and park-based PA in recently upgraded/developed parks (intervention, n = 4) against established parks (control, n = 4) and in regional parks in high- and low-income settings (n = 2). Additionally, associations between target area features, park use and PA were identified. Direct observation of park use and attributes was conducted using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) over four months. Despite more park users in intervention parks (2519 vs. 1432), control park visitors were 48% more likely to be engaged in PA (p < 0.001). Similarly, while high-income park users attracted more visitors (2135 vs. 1111), they were 79% less likely to be engaged in any PA compared with low-income park visitors. The likelihood of both use of and PA by gender and age differed by features. Active recreation features in intervention parks attracted more users than the same features in control parks. In this study, upgraded or newly developed parks attracted more visitors but not necessarily overall greater levels of physical activity.
Effect of Adding De-Oiled Kitchen Water on the Bioconversion of Kitchen Waste Treatment Residue by Black Soldier Fly Larvae
Authors: He Zhuojun , Yang Cheng , Peng Yan , Liu Taoze , Wang Zhanghong , Xiong Chengcai
Published: February 2023

With the continuous development of society, the output of kitchen waste (KW) is fast increasing. De-oiled kitchen water (DKW) and kitchen waste treatment residue (KWTR), two main by-products of the KW treatment industry, are produced accordingly on a large scale. The need to develop an effective technique for the utilization of DKW and KWTR is attracting wide attention. In the present study, black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) were employed as a biological treatment method to treat KWTR with the addition of DKW. The influence of DKW (0–140 mL) on the efficiency of BSFL treatment evaluated by the growth and development of BSFL, the body composition of BSFL, the nutrient content of bioconversion residue (BR), and the bioconversion efficiency of KWTR, was investigated. The results showed that the growth and development of BSFL, the body composition of BSFL, and the conversion rate of KWTR were initially promoted and then inhibited with the addition of DKW. Notably, the amount of DKW added in the T110 group was the most suitable for the growth of BSFL and the accumulation of body composition. Compared with the blank comparison group, the content of crude protein (CP), crude ash (CA), salinity, total phosphorus (TP), and dry matter (DM) of BSFL in the T110 group increased by 3.54%, 6.85%, 0.98%, 0.07% and 2.98%, respectively. However, the addition of DKW could steadily increase the nutrient content of BR, with the highest amount at 140 mL DKW. Following DKW addition, the contents of CP, ether extract (EE), crude fiber (CF), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), TP, and total potassium (TK) were increased by 4.56%, 3.63%, 10.53%, 5.14%, 0.73%, 0.75%, and 0.52%, respectively, compared with those of the blank comparison group. The study showed that DKW could be used as a nutrient additive in the bioconversion process of KWTR by BSFL, which provided a new method for the resource utilization of DKW.
Anode Modification with Fe2O3 Affects the Anode Microbiome and Improves Energy Generation in Microbial Fuel Cells Powered by Wastewater
Authors: Nosek Dawid , Mikołajczyk Tomasz , Cydzik-Kwiatkowska Agnieszka
Published: February 2023

This study investigated how anode electrode modification with iron affects the microbiome and electricity generation of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) fed with municipal wastewater. Doses of 0.0 (control), 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 g Fe2O3 per the total anode electrode area were tested. Fe2O3 doses from 0.05 to 0.2 g improved electricity generation; with a dose of 0.10 g Fe2O3, the cell power was highest (1.39 mW/m2), and the internal resistance was lowest (184.9 Ω). Although acetate was the main source of organics in the municipal wastewater, propionic and valeric acids predominated in the outflows from all MFCs. In addition, Fe-modification stimulated the growth of the extracellular polymer producers Zoogloea sp. and Acidovorax sp., which favored biofilm formation. Electrogenic Geobacter sp. had the highest percent abundance in the anode of the control MFC, which generated the least electricity. However, with 0.05 and 0.10 g Fe2O3 doses, Pseudomonas sp., Oscillochloris sp., and Rhizobium sp. predominated in the anode microbiomes, and with 0.2 and 0.4 g doses, the electrogens Dechloromonas sp. and Desulfobacter sp. predominated. This is the first study to holistically examine how different amounts of Fe on the anode affect electricity generation, the microbiome, and metabolic products in the outflow of MFCs fed with synthetic municipal wastewater.
Predicting Alcohol Consumption Patterns for Individuals with a User-Friendly Parsimonious Statistical Model
Authors: Liang Wenbin , Chih HuiJun , Chikritzhs Tanya
Published: February 2023

Many studies on the relationship between alcohol and health outcome focus primarily on average consumption over time and do not consider how heavy per-occasion drinking may influence apparent relationships. Improved methods concerning the most recent drinking occasion are essential to inform the extent of alcohol-related health problems. We aimed to develop a user-friendly and readily replicable computational model that predicts: (i) an individual’s probability of consuming alcohol ≥2, 3, 4… drinks; and (ii) the total number of days during which consumption is ≥2, 3, 4… drinks over a specified period. Data from the 2010 and 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were used to develop and validate the model. Predictors used in model development were age, gender, usual number of drinks consumed per day, and number of drinking days in the past 30 days. Main outcomes were number of drinks consumed on the last drinking occasion in the past 30 days, and number of days of risky levels of consumption. The area under ROC curves ranged between 0.86 and 0.91 when predicting the number of drinks consumed. Coefficients were very close to 1 for all outcomes, indicating closeness between the predicted and observed values. This straightforward modelling approach can be easily adopted by public health behavioral studies.
Very High Incidence of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Treponema pallidum among Low-Risk MSM in an Outpatient Clinic in Wroclaw, Poland in 2019–2020
Authors: Szetela Bartosz , Łapiński Łukasz , Giniewicz Katarzyna
Published: February 2023

Background: The rise in sexually transmitted infections and chemsex has led to syndemy with HIV, partly due to common routes of transmission and clustered transmissions. Despite this, barriers to STI care and PrEP still remain. We sought to determine whether MSM at low risk for HIV infection were also at low risk for other STIs. Methods: The study group was tested for HIV, HCV, and Treponema pallidum, as well as had urethral, rectal, and oropharyngeal smears performed for Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) six months apart. The control group was tested once to define the background incidence. Results: Treponema pallidum, CT, and NG prevalence was very high at both time points and was similar to the control group. CT was especially common in the control group (20.58%) and the study group at the rectal site at the second time point (9.37%). NG dominated the oropharyngeal site (15.87%), with urethral site sparing. NG infection was associated with an increased number of partners, not condom use (OR, 1.082 [95% CI; 1.009–1.171]). Risk behavior did not change between the time points. Treponema pallidum, CT, and NG incidence was exceptionally high (12.5/100PY, 25.39/100PY, 34.92/100PY, respectively; pooled 87.5/100PY) and was comparable to other studies of high-risk MSM. Conclusions: Despite a lower risk for HIV acquisition, the study group was at a very high risk for other STIs, and this risk remained high throughout the study. Patients and medical professionals should be aware of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydiosis transmission risks, and screening should be performed accordingly. Prophylactic programs need to be updated to specifically include lower-risk individuals.
Effect of Cooking and Domestic Storage on the Antioxidant Activity of Lenticchia di Castelluccio di Norcia, an Italian PGI Lentil Landrace
Authors: Acito Mattia , Fatigoni Cristina , Villarini Milena , Moretti Massimo
Published: February 2023

The aim of this work was to characterise Lenticchia di Castelluccio di Norcia (an Italian PGI lentil landrace) and assess the impact of cooking and storage on antioxidant activity. After opening the package (T0), samples were analysed using a set of chemical assays (i.e., total phenolic content, DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC assays). Analyses were also conducted on boiled, pressure-cooked, and 6-month-stored (T1) products. At both T0 and T1, raw Lenticchia di Castelluccio di Norcia PGI showed higher total phenolic content (T0: 9.08 mg GAE/g, T1: 7.76 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant activity (DPPH T0: 33.02 µmol TE/g, T1: 29.23 µmol TE/g; ABTS T0: 32.12 µmol CE/g, T1: 31.77 µmol CE/g; ORAC T0: 3.58 μmol TE/g, T1: 3.60 μmol TE/g) than boiled and pressure-cooked samples. Overall, pressure-cooking led to a smaller decline in total phenolic content and antioxidant activity than the common boiling procedure. Domestic storage led to a significant reduction in total phenolic content—both in raw and cooked products—but not in antioxidant activity. In summary, these results highlighted interesting amounts of phenols and antioxidant properties of this product, showing the impact of routine procedures. Given the relevance of pulses as sustainable plant-based meat alternatives and their importance in the prevention of non-communicable diseases, health professionals should consider these aspects in the context of correct nutrition education and scientific communication.
News of the Pedagogical Models in Physical Education—A Quick Review
Authors: Arufe-Giráldez Víctor , Sanmiguel-Rodríguez Alberto , Ramos-Álvarez Oliver , Navarro-Patón Rubén
Published: February 2023

In the last two decades, research has proliferated in the field of pedagogical models used in school Physical Education. The growth is so high that it is necessary to do a quick review to know which models currently exist and which are emerging. The objective of this work is to collect all the models or pedagogical approaches present in the scientific literature related to school Physical Education and to make known, to the scientific and academic community, its main purposes and characteristics. A quick review of the literature found in the Web of Science and Scopus databases has been carried out using “pedagogical model” and “Physical Education” as descriptors. The results revealed a total of 19 pedagogical approaches that record scientific evidence linked to their application in the classroom. It was detected that some models or approaches were more scientifically supported than others, as is the case for Cooperative Learning, Sports Education, or Teaching Games for Understanding, while others barely registered in international scientific literature. It was concluded that researchers need to work together with Physical Education teachers to analyze the effectiveness of all these approaches. School teachers are also encouraged to vary their pedagogical approach depending on the content they are working on and the positive effects they are looking for in the psychic, motor, affective-emotional, and social domains of the students. Finally, it is proposed to researchers who promote new models or approaches a greater clarity of these to facilitate their application in the field of school Physical Education, since some difficulty has been detected in the practical application of some approaches.
Application of “Behind the Barriers” Model at Neighbourhood Scale to Improve Water Management under Multi-Risks Scenarios: A Case Study in Lyon, France
Authors: Barroca Bruno , Clemente Maria Fabrizia , Yang Zhuyu
Published: February 2023

In modern urban areas, water management highly depends on the socio-ecological urban water cycle (UWC) that heavily relies on water infrastructures. However, increasing water-related hazards, natural and/or human-based, makes it difficult to balance water resources in the socio-ecological UWC. In the last decade, urban infrastructure resilience has rapidly become a popular topic in disaster risk management and inspired many studies and operational approaches. Among these theories and methods, the “Behind the Barriers” model (BB model), developed by Barroca and Serre in 2013, is considered a theory that allows effective and comprehensive analysis of urban infrastructure resilience through cognitive, functional, correlative, and organisational dimensions. Moreover, this analysis can be a reference to develop actions that improve infrastructure resilience under critical scenarios. Therefore, this study aims to study resilience design actions based on the BB model to achieve socio-ecological water balance and assess the performance of these actions. The study focuses on water management on a neighbourhood scale, which is considered the essential urban unit to study and improve the resilience of critical infrastructures, such as water services. The Part-Dieu neighbourhood in Lyon, France is selected as a case study, and it highlights the need to develop indicators to assess the performance of implemented actions in a structural and global resilience framework, to understand urban systems as complex and dynamic systems to provide decision support, and to strengthen crisis prevention and management perspectives in a dynamic approach.
Conceptualization and Validation of the Occupation Insecurity Scale (OCIS): Measuring Employees’ Occupation Insecurity Due to Automation
Authors: Roll Lara C. , De Witte Hans , Wang Hai-Jiang
Published: February 2023

Increased use and implementation of automation, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, gives rise to a new phenomenon: occupation insecurity. In this paper, we conceptualize and define occupation insecurity, as well as develop an Occupation Insecurity Scale (OCIS) to measure it. From focus groups, subject-matter expert interviews, and a quantitative pilot study, two dimensions emerged: global occupation insecurity, which refers to employees’ fear that their occupations might disappear, and content occupation insecurity, which addresses employees’ concern that (the tasks of) their occupations might significantly change due to automation. In a survey-study sampling 1373 UK employees, psychometric properties of OCIS were examined in terms of reliability, construct validity, measurement invariance (across gender, age, and occupational position), convergent and divergent validity (with job and career insecurity), external discriminant validity (with organizational future time perspective), external validity (by comparing theoretically secure vs. insecure groups), and external and incremental validity (by examining burnout and work engagement as potential outcomes of occupation insecurity). Overall, OCIS shows good results in terms of reliability and validity. Therefore, OCIS offers an avenue to measure and address occupation insecurity before it can impact employee wellbeing and organizational performance.
Pulse Wave Analysis Method of Cardiovascular Parameters Extraction for Health Monitoring
Authors: Jin Ji , Geng Xingguang , Zhang Yitao , Zhang Haiying , Ye Tianchun
Published: February 2023

Objective: A pulse waveform is regarded as an information carrier of the cardiovascular system, which contains multiple interactive cardiovascular parameters reflecting physio-pathological states of bodies. Hence, multiple parameter analysis is increasingly meaningful to date but still cannot be easily achieved one by one due to the complex mapping between waveforms. This paper describes a new analysis method based on waveform recognition aimed for extracting multiple cardiovascular parameters to monitor public health. The objective of this new method is to deduce multiple cardiovascular parameters for a target pulse waveform based on waveform recognition to a most similar reference waveform in a given database or pattern library. Methods: The first part of the methodology includes building the sub-pattern libraries and training classifier. This provides a trained classifier and the sub-pattern library with reference pulse waveforms and known parameters. The second part is waveform analysis. The target waveform will be classified and output a state category being used to select the corresponding sub-pattern library with the same state. This will reduce subsequent recognition scope and computation costs. The mainstay of this new analysis method is improved dynamic time warping (DTW). This improved DTW and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) were applied to recognize the most similar waveform in the pattern library. Hence, cardiovascular parameters can be assigned accordingly from the most similar waveform in the pattern library. Results: Four hundred and thirty eight (438) randomly selected pulse waveforms were tested to verify the effectiveness of this method. The results show that the classification accuracy is 96.35%. Using statistical analysis to compare the target sample waveforms and the recognized reference ones from within the pattern library, most correlation coefficients are beyond 0.99. Each set of cardiovascular parameters was assessed using the Bland-Altman plot. The extracted cardiovascular parameters are in strong agreement with the original verifying the effectiveness of this new approach. Conclusion: This new method using waveform recognition shows promising results that can directly extract multiple cardiovascular parameters from waveforms with high accuracy. This new approach is efficient and effective and is very promising for future continuous monitoring of cardiovascular health.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Young Adults’ Mental Health in Switzerland: A Longitudinal Cohort Study from 2018 to 2021
Authors: Foster Simon , Estévez-Lamorte Natalia , Walitza Susanne , Mohler-Kuo Meichun
Published: February 2023

Most of the studies that examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health have been restricted to pandemic mental health data alone. The aim of the current study was to estimate the pandemic’s effect on young Swiss adults’ mental health by comparing pandemic to pre-pandemic mental health. Longitudinal data of 1175 young Swiss adults who participated in the S-YESMH study in 2018 and were followed-up in 2020 and 2021 were analyzed. The study outcomes were self-reported symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), thoughts about death or self-harm, and risky single-occasion drinking (RSOD). Generalized estimation equations, logistic regression and statistical mediation analysis were used to analyze the data. Evidence was found of increased depression, GAD, and ADHD among young women and increased depression among young men, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty about the future predicted young women’s depression and anxiety in 2021. COVID-19 stress in 2021 fully mediated the effect of COVID-19 stress in 2020 on depression and GAD in 2021. Young Swiss women’s and men’s mental health appears to have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the second pandemic year. Uncertainty about the future and stress becoming chronic in 2021 likely explain some of the adverse effects.
Effects of Long-Term Endurance Exercise on Cardiac Morphology, Function, and Injury Indicators among Amateur Marathon Runners
Authors: Hu Jianzhong , Zhou Songqing , Ryu Suryeon , Adams Kaitlyn , Gao Zan
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term endurance exercise on cardiac morphology and function, as well as injury indicators, among amateur marathon runners. We recruited 33 amateur runners who participated in a marathon. Participants were divided into experimental and control groups according to their National Athletic Grade. The experimental group included participants with a National Athletic Grade of 2 or better, and the control group included participants who did not have a National Athletic Grade. Cardiac morphology, function, and injury indicators were assessed before and after the participants’ involvement in the Changsha International Marathon. All cardiac morphology and function indicators returned to pre-race levels at 24 h post-race, and left ventricular end-diastolic volume and left ventricular end-systolic volume indicators showed similar trends. Both stroke volume (SV) and percent fractional shortening (%FS) indicators showed similar trends in changes in the measurements before and after the race. SV showed no change between the pre-race and post-race periods. On the other hand, %FS showed a significant increase in the immediate post-race period, followed by restoration of its level at 24 h post-race. Among myocardial injury indicators, serum levels of cardiac troponin I, creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measured before the race, immediately after the race, and 24 h after the race displayed similar trends in changes among CK, CK-MB, LDH, and AST, while NT-proBNP levels did not change. We concluded that high-level amateur marathon runners had greater heart volumes, as well as wall and septal thicknesses, than low-level marathon runners, with differences in heart volume being the most pronounced. Long-term high-intensity endurance exercise caused some damage to the hearts of amateur runners. High-level runners showed better myocardial repair ability, and their levels of myocardial injury markers showed greater decreases at 24 h post-race, while low-level runners had poorer myocardial repair ability.
Identification of Key Carbon Emission Industries and Emission Reduction Control Based on Complex Network of Embodied Carbon Emission Transfers: The Case of Hei-Ji-Liao, China
Authors: Shan Shaonan , Li Yulong , Zhang Zicheng , Zhu Wei , Zhang Tingting
Published: February 2023

Similar to the problems surrounding carbon transfers that exist in international trade, there are severe carbon emission headaches in regional industrial systems within countries. It is essential for emission reduction control and regional industrial restructuring to clarify the relationship of carbon emissions flows between industrial sectors and identify key carbon-emitting industrial sectors. Supported by the input–output model (I-O model) and social network analysis (SNA), this research adopts input–output tables (2017), energy balance sheets (2021) and the energy statistics yearbooks (2021) of the three Chinese provinces of Hei-Ji-Liao to construct an Embodied carbon emission transfer network (ECETN) and determine key carbon-emitting industrial sectors with a series of complex network measurement indicators and analysis methods. The key abatement control pathways are obtained based on the flow relationships between the chains in the industrial system. The results demonstrate that the ECETNs in all three provinces of Hei-Ji-Liao are small-world in nature with scale-free characteristics (varying according to the power function). The key carbon emission industry sectors in the three provinces are identified through centrality, influence, aggregation and diffusion, comprising coal mining, the chemical industry, metal products industry, machinery manufacturing and transportation in Liaoning Province; coal mining, non-metal mining, non-metal products, metal processing and the electricity industry in Jilin Province; and agriculture, metal processing and machinery manufacturing in Heilongjiang. Additionally, key emission reduction control pathways in the three provinces are also identified based on embodied carbon emission flow relationships between industry sectors. Following the above findings, corresponding policy recommendations are proposed to tackle the responsibility of carbon reduction among industrial sectors in the province. Moreover, these findings provide some theoretical support and policy considerations for policymakers.
Empowering Community Leadership: Perspectives of Peer Mentors Facilitating a Food Pantry-Based Nutrition Education Program
Authors: Oliver Tracy L. , Diewald Lisa K. , McKeever Amy , George Cerena A. , Shenkman Rebecca
Published: February 2023

Peer Mentors (PMs) are valuable health educators within food-insecure communities; however, little is known about PMs’ perspectives and experiences after serving in their peer mentor role. Therefore, this qualitative study explored PMs’ (n = 10) perceptions and analyzed data using thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology. Four themes emerged: (1) Successes and Struggles in Sharing Nutrition Knowledge; (2) Establishing a Conducive Learning Environment; (3) The Peer Mentor and Mentee Connection: Impact of Shared Experiences; (4) Empowerment of the Peer Mentor Experience. PMs have many advantages; however, more research is needed to evaluate the sustainability and efficacy of PMs within food-insecure communities.
Implementation and Strategies of Community Music Activities for Well-Being: A Scoping Review of the Literature
Authors: Yi Soo Yon , Kim Aimee Jeehae
Published: February 2023

The benefits of community music activities for promoting well-being have been well recognized in previous literature. However, due to their wide variability and flexible approaches, a comprehensive understanding of the research and practice of community music activities for well-being promotion is sparse. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize published literature pertaining to community music activities for well-being promotion and identify key implementation characteristics and strategies to inform future practice and research. Studies of community music activities that investigated well-being outcomes in participants of all ages and conditions were eligible for inclusion. Through electronic database and manual searches, a total of 45 studies were identified and included in the analysis. The main findings showed that community music activities for well-being were characterized by a wide range of populations and applications, collaborative work, an emphasis on social components, and musical accomplishments. However, this variability also revealed a lack of consistent and thorough information as well as diversity in well-being conception across studies. The review offers practical recommendations for future research and practice based on the current findings.
A Study on the Impact of Ideological and Political Education of Ecological Civilization on College Students’ Willingness to Act Pro-Environment: Evidence from China
Authors: Liu Silin , Luo Lei
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of ideological and political education with regards to ecological civilization on college students’ pro-environment attitudes. Based on the survey data of 1622 college students, a series of econometric models are built to understand and test the impact of ideological and political education on students’ pro-environment willingness. The results show that the ideological and political education of ecological civilization can effectively promote the environmental will of college students; the accumulation of environmental knowledge, ecological concern, and ecological reflection are the important mediums for the ideological and political education of ecological civilization; and the medium effect of ecological reflection is the strongest. In addition, this study also indicates that the pro-environment willingness of college students and their professional categories, whether to join the eco-environmental association, and other factors have a significant correlation. Therefore, this study reveals the current impact of ecological civilization education and the role of the mechanism for college educators and policymakers to promote the protection of the ecological environment, which provides an important reference.
Voice Assistants as Consultants for Male Patients with Sexual Dysfunction: A Reliable Option?
Authors: Napolitano Luigi , Barone Biagio , Spirito Lorenzo , Trama Francesco , Pandolfo Savio Domenico , Capece Marco , García-Rojo Esther , Fernández-Pascual Esaú , Crocetto Felice , Fusco Ferdinando , De Sio Marco , Arcaniolo Davide , Manfredi Celeste
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri to recognize and answer questions about male sexual health. Each VA was tested on a smart speaker: Alexa on Amazon Echo Dot 4th Gen., Google Assistant on Google Home Mini, and Siri on Apple HomePod. A pool of patients’ frequently asked questions regarding erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation (PE), Peyronie’s disease (PD), male infertility, and other aspects of male sexual health were identified by authors. The recognition of question was evaluated (“yes” or “not”). For each recognized question, the response characteristics (domains) were rated on a scale from 0 to 10 (according to the quality). We chose the recognition rate of the questions as the primary outcome and the quality of the answers as the secondary outcome. Overall, the best VA in recognizing questions was Siri, with a total of 83.3% questions compared with 64.0% for Alexa (p = 0.024) and 74.0% for Google Assistant (p = 0.061). Siri was associated with a significantly higher recognition rate than Alexa for PE (80% vs. 40%; p = 0.002) and PD (66.7% vs. 33.3%; p = 0.010). The quality of the responses was classified as low in 57 out of 105 cases (54.3%), intermediate in 46 cases (43.8%), and high in only 2 cases (1.9%), highlighting an overall intermediate-low quality of the answers. Male infertility was the condition associated with the highest mean scores in “Targeted response to the problem” (7.32 ± 2.57), “Scientific correctness of the answer”, (5.9 ± 2.76) “Completeness of the answer” (5.14 ± 2.56), and “Understandability of the response for a patient” (5.3 ± 2.51) domains. Siri was associated with significantly higher scores than Alexa (p < 0.05) in several domains of all conditions evaluated. The question recognition rate of VAs is quite high; however, the quality of the answers is still intermediate-low. Siri seems superior to Alexa in both question recognition and response quality. Male infertility appears to be the sexual dysfunction best addressed by VAs.