bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Environmental Aesthetic Value and Anticipated Emotion on Pro-Environmental Behavior: An ERP Study
Authors: Li Huie , You Chang , Li Jin , Li Mei , Tan Min , Zhang Guanfei , Zhong Yiping
Published: May 2022

Perceptual cues act as signals in the aesthetic value environment, which promote emotion regulation toward pro-environment behavior. This type of perception-emotion-behavior reactivity forms the core of human altruism. However, differences in pro-environmental behavior may result from variation across high-aesthetic-value (HAV) and low-aesthetic-value (LAV) environments. This study investigated the neural mechanisms underlying interaction effects between environmental context and emotion regulation on pro-environmental behavior by integrating behavioral and temporal dynamics of decision-making information processing with event-related potential (ERP) technique measures. The results indicated that changing anticipated emotions changes pro-environmental behavior. Regarding changing aesthetic value environments, while modulating emotion regulation, significant differences were found in brain regions and mean amplitudes of N1, P2, N2, and late positive potential (LPP) components, which anticipated emotion. The findings suggest that environmental aesthetic value and emotion regulation impact pro-environmental behavior.
Oxygen–Ozone Therapy Associated with Alpha Lipoic Acid Plus Palmitoylethanolamide and Myrrh versus Ozone Therapy in the Combined Treatment of Sciatic Pain Due to Herniated Discs: Observational Study on 318 Patients
Authors: Bonetti Matteo , Lauritano Dorina , Ottaviani Gian Maria , Fontana Alessandro , Zambello Alessio , Della Gatta Luigi , Muto Mario , Carinci Francesco
Published: May 2022

Background: The aim of our observational study is to compare the therapeutic efficacy of combined treatment of oxygen–ozone therapy and oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) + palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and myrrh in patients with peripheral neuropathic pain (sciatica) on radicular disc conflict from disc herniation and the results obtained with oxygen–ozone treatment alone. Methods: We enrolled 318 patients with the neuroradiological diagnosis of disc herniation performed with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and symptoms characterized by low back pain complicated by sciatica, which we divided into two groups. Group A was composed of 165 patients who were treated only with oxygen–ozone therapy with CT-guided intraforaminal technique, while the remaining 153 (Group B) have undergone combined oral treatment with ALA + PEA and myrrh. Follow-up visits for the evaluation of the clinical outcome of the treatment were conducted after 60 ± 8 days using a modified version of McNab’s method. Results: At the clinical check-up, 126/165 patients included in Group A had a complete remission of pain (76.4%), while in Group B, 119/153 (77.8%) had a complete remission of pain. Conclusion: The results highlight how the treatment associated with ozone therapy and oral administration of alpha-lipoic acid + palmitoylethanolamide and myrrh is preferred over the simple treatment with only ozone in such patients in the phase of greatest acuity of the disease, where the pain appears to be better controlled.
Factors Associated with Attitudes towards Rejecting Intimate Partner Violence among Young Adults in Malaysia
Authors: Hanafi Wan Soliha Wan Mohd , Ismail Tengku Alina Tengku , Ghazali Anis Kausar , Sulaiman Zaharah , Daud Aziah
Published: May 2022

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health issue, which is health threatening across all age groups, including young adults, and makes them and vulnerable. The rejection of IPV and willingness to disclose IPV as part of the solution are important as they correlate to this concealed violent behavior. This study aimed to investigate determinants of attitudes towards rejecting IPV among young adults. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 405 young adults attending premarital courses who were selected using purposive sampling. A validated questionnaire (MYPAIPVQ) was used as the study instrument. Logistic regression analyses were performed to test for associations between sociodemographic characteristics and relationship status with attitudes towards IPV. Attitudes towards rejecting IPV included not accepting IPV and have the willing to disclose it. About half of the premarital young adults (50.4%) had attitudes towards rejecting IPV. In the regression analysis, age (AdjOR 1.12), female (AdjOR 2.49), self-employed (AdjOR 0.20), and drama as sources of information (AdjOR 3.66) were significantly associated with attitudes towards rejecting IPV. The findings have potentially important implications for interventions aimed at preventing violence among the young adult population as they are vulnerable to being involved in IPV in the future.
Comparative Analysis of Age, Sex, and Viral Load in Outpatients during the Four Waves of SARS-CoV-2 in A Mexican Medium-Sized City
Authors: Covantes-Rosales Carlos Eduardo , Barajas-Carrillo Victor Wagner , Girón-Pérez Daniel Alberto , Toledo-Ibarra Gladys Alejandra , Díaz-Reséndiz Karina Janice Guadalupe , Navidad-Murrieta Migdalia Sarahy , Ventura-Ramón Guadalupe Herminia , Pulido-Muñoz Mirtha Elena , Mercado-Salgado Ulises , Ojeda-Durán Ansonny Jhovanny , Argüero-Fonseca Aimée , Girón-Pérez Manuel Iván
Published: May 2022

Governments have implemented measures to minimize SARS-CoV-2 spread. However, these measures were relaxed, and the appearance of new variants has prompted periods of high contagion known as waves. In Mexico, four waves distributed between July and August 2020, January and February 2021, August and September 2021, and January and February 2022 have appeared. Current health policies discourage mass sampling, preferring to focus on the corrective treatment of severe cases. Outpatients are only advised to undergo brief voluntary confinement and symptomatic treatment, with no follow-up. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze sex, age, and viral load in outpatients during the four waves in a medium-sized city in Mexico. For each wave, the date of peak contagion was identified, and data were collected within ±15 days. In this regard, data from 916 patients (434 men and 482 women) were analyzed. The age range of positive patients (37–45 years) presented a higher frequency during the first and third waves, while 28–36 years was the most frequent age range during the second and fourth waves, while the viral load values were significantly higher, for both sexes, during the fourth wave. Obtained data of COVID-19 prevalence in population segments can be used for decision-making in the design of effective public health policies.
Perception of National Park Soundscape and Its Effects on Visual Aesthetics
Authors: Wang Peng , Zhang Chaoqun , Xie Hesheng , Yang Wenjuan , He Youjun
Published: May 2022

Soundscape perception is a very weak link in the national park landscape evaluation system in China. A thorough understanding of soundscapes and their effects on visual aesthetics is important for the management of national park landscapes. In this study, features of soundscapes (e.g., loudness, frequency, preference, and auditory satisfaction) were investigated based on 394 valid questionnaires of residents in the Qianjiangyuan National Park Pilot Area. The effects of soundscape on visual aesthetics were analyzed using the PLS-SEM. The results demonstrated that: (1) Peddling voice and insect sound were the loudest components in the soundscape, running water and birdsong were the most commonly heard and most preferred, religious sound was the quietest and least frequently heard, and horn was the least preferred. Residents in the Pilot Area were generally satisfied with the auditory environment. (2) Both sound frequency and preference have significant effects on auditory satisfaction, but preference (path coefficient = 0.426) has a larger effect than does frequency (path coefficient = 0.228). (3) Loudness has negligible effects on visual aesthetics, but other soundscape characteristics did influence visual aesthetics. Soundscape preference had the most significant effect (path coefficient = 0.305), followed by auditory satisfaction (path coefficient = 0.174), and sound frequency (path coefficient = 0.165). Among them, effects of perception frequency are the indirect utilities.
Updating Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Assessment Screening Levels with Machine Learning Models
Authors: Wong Ling-Tim , Mui Kwok-Wai , Tsang Tsz-Wun
Published: May 2022

Indoor air quality (IAQ) standards have been evolving to improve the overall IAQ situation. To enhance the performances of IAQ screening models using surrogate parameters in identifying unsatisfactory IAQ, and to update the screening models such that they can apply to a new standard, a novel framework for the updating of screening levels, using machine learning methods, is proposed in this study. The classification models employed are Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm with different kernel functions (linear, polynomial, radial basis function (RBF) and sigmoid), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), Logistic Regression, Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF) and Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (MLP-ANN). With carefully selected model hyperparameters, the IAQ assessment made by the models achieved a mean test accuracy of 0.536–0.805 and a maximum test accuracy of 0.807–0.820, indicating that machine learning models are suitable for screening the unsatisfactory IAQ. Further to that, using the updated IAQ standard in Hong Kong as an example, the update of an IAQ screening model against a new IAQ standard was conducted by determining the relative impact ratio of the updated standard to the old standard. Relative impact ratios of 1.1–1.5 were estimated and the corresponding likelihood ratios in the updated scheme were found to be higher than expected due to the tightening of exposure levels in the updated scheme. The presented framework shows the feasibility of updating a machine learning IAQ model when a new standard is being adopted, which shall provide an ultimate method for IAQ assessment prediction that is compatible with all IAQ standards and exposure criteria.
Parental Perceptions of Youths’ Desirable Characteristics in Relation to Type of Leisure: A Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis of Martial-Art-Practicing Youths
Authors: Mickelsson Tony Blomqvist
Published: May 2022

Parents place their youths in sport with the belief that doing so will produce developmental outcomes. However, it is unclear if parents enroll children in different sports based on different desired characteristics they wish their youth to develop. This paper analyses the link between youths engaged in martial arts (MA) compared to other leisure activities. MA research has indicated the importance of masculinity and gender ideals that suggest that parents hold certain visions when enrolling their youths in MA. For example, one such vision is for their youths to be able to handle themselves in physical encounters. Two research questions guided the study. First, what characteristics do MA parents desire their children to develop? Secondly, how do these desires correspond to MA youths’ actual characteristics? We utilize multinomial logistic regression analysis on nationally representative data from the Netherlands. The results show that MA parents are younger, their youths are of migration background, and the parents value characteristics such as self-control, responsibility, and acting “gender appropriately”. These results correspond to their youths; MA youths are consistently characterized by more masculinity compared to the youths in other groups. The results bear implications for how MA environments must safeguard against potentially harmful and misleading norms.
The Effects of Alcohol Drinking on Oral Microbiota in the Chinese Population
Authors: Liao Ying , Tong Xia-Ting , Jia Yi-Jing , Liu Qiao-Yun , Wu Yan-Xia , Xue Wen-Qiong , He Yong-Qiao , Wang Tong-Min , Zheng Xiao-Hui , Zheng Mei-Qi , Jia Wei-Hua
Published: May 2022

The dysbiosis of oral microbiota is linked to numerous diseases and is associated with personal lifestyles, such as alcohol drinking. However, there is inadequate data to study the effect of alcohol drinking on oral microbiota from the Chinese population. Here, we profiled the oral microbiota of 150 healthy subjects in the Chinese population by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that drinkers had significantly higher alpha diversity than non-drinkers. A significant difference in overall microbiota composition was observed between non-drinkers and drinkers. Additionally, using DESeq analysis, we found genus Prevotella and Moryella, and species Prevotella melaninogenica and Prevotella tannerae were significantly enriched in drinkers; meanwhile, the genus Lautropia, Haemophilus and Porphyromonas, and species Haemophilus parainfluenzae were significantly depleted in drinkers. PICRUSt analysis showed that significantly different genera were mainly related to metabolism pathways. The oxygen-independent pathways, including galactose, fructose and mannose metabolism pathways, were enriched in drinkers and positively associated with genera enriched in drinkers; while the pyruvate metabolism pathway, an aerobic metabolism pathway, was decreased in drinkers and negatively associated with genera enriched in drinkers. Our results suggested that alcohol drinking may affect health by altering oral microbial composition and potentially affecting microbial functional pathways. These findings may have implications for better understanding the potential role those oral bacteria play in alcohol-related diseases.
Relationship between Frailty and Depression in a Population from North-Eastern Romania
Authors: Maștaleru Alexandra , Abdulan Irina Mihaela , Ștefăniu Ramona , Lefter Nicoleta , Sandu Ioana Alexandra , Pîslaru Anca Iuliana , Leon-Constantin Maria Magdalena , Alexa Ioana Dana , Ilie Adina Carmen
Published: May 2022

(1) Background: In the older population, depression often affects people with chronic medical illnesses, cognitive impairment, or disability. Frailty is another important issue affecting older adults, being difficult to clinically distinguish from frailty in advanced old age. Well-designed interventional studies and clinical strategies targeting both frailty and depression are rare or nonexistent. (2) Methods: We realized a retrospective study in which we included a total of 411 patients that were admitted to the Geriatric Clinic from “Dr. C. I. Parhon” Hospital from Iasi for a period of 13 months. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between depression and frailty in a geriatric population due to the fact that the quality of life is negatively influenced by both frailty and depression. (3) Results: The prevalence of the depressive symptoms screened by the GDS-15 was 66.7%, with women being more depressed than men. Furthermore, an obvious relationship between depression and the dependence degree in performing daily activities has been observed. In addition, the mean MMSE score decreased with an increasing degree of depression. (4) Conclusions: Our study demonstrates the association between frailty and depression, one of them being a risk factor in the development of the other. A poor acknowledgment of the problem and an underdiagnosis of these conditions are important public health concerns due to the high healthcare costs. Thus, an active primary prevention would be imperiously needed in order to diagnose frailty and depression at an early stage, increasing the quality of life of the elderly and also their successful aging.
Mat-O-Covid: Validation of a SARS-CoV-2 Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) Using Data from a National Compensation System for Occupational COVID-19
Authors: Descatha Alexis , Sembajwe Grace , Gilbert Fabien ,   Mat-O-Covid Investigation Group, Fadel Marc
Published: May 2022

Background. We aimed to assess the validity of the Mat-O-Covid Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) on SARS-CoV-2 using compensation data from the French National Health Insurance compensation system for occupational-related COVID-19. Methods. Deidentified compensation data for occupational COVID-19 in France were obtained between August 2020 and August 2021. The case acceptance was considered as the reference. Mat-O-Covid is an expert-based French JEM on workplace exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Bi- and multivariable models were used to study the association between the exposure assessed by Mat-O-Covid and the reference, as well as the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios. Results. In the 1140 cases included, there was a close association between the Mat-O-Covid index and the reference (p < 0.0001). The overall predictivity was good, with an AUC of 0.78 and an optimal threshold at 13 per thousand. Using Youden’s J statistic resulted in 0.67 sensitivity and 0.87 specificity. Both positive and negative likelihood ratios were significant: 4.9 [2.4–6.4] and 0.4 [0.3–0.4], respectively. Discussion. It was possible to assess Mat-O-Covid’s validity using data from the national compensation system for occupational COVID-19. Though further studies are needed, Mat-O-Covid exposure assessment appears to be accurate enough to be used in research.
Impact of Socioeconomic Status on the Perception of Accessibility to and Quality of Healthcare Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Poles—Pilot Study
Authors: Tuczyńska Magdalena , Staszewski Rafał , Matthews-Kozanecka Maja , Baum Ewa
Published: May 2022

This pilot study was conducted on the reported hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak had an impact on the accessibility and quality of healthcare services and exacerbated socioeconomic inequalities. The aim was to determine whether economic status and education had an impact on the perception of access and quality to healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether, according to patients, accessibility and quality had changed significantly compared to the pre-pandemic period in Poland. The study was based on the authors’ questionnaire and the results were statistically analyzed. Two hundred forty-seven feedback responses were received with a responsiveness rate of 93 percent. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing education level and utilization of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. A comparison of gender and economic situation, and average monthly income found no statistically significant differences. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly affected the provision of health services in many countries around the world. One result of the pandemic crisis has been widening socioeconomic inequalities among patients.
Using IoT Assistive Technologies for Older People Non-Invasive Monitoring and Living Support in Their Homes
Authors: Moraru Sorin-Aurel , Moșoi Adrian Alexandru , Kristaly Dominic Mircea , Moraru Ionuț , Petre Vlad Ștefan , Ungureanu Delia Elisabeta , Perniu Liviu Marian , Rosenberg Dan , Cocuz Maria Elena
Published: May 2022

Many western societies are confronted with issues in planning and adapting their health policies due to an ageing population living alone. The “NOt Alone at Home—NOAH” project aimed to involve older people in the Agile co-creation of services for a collaborative monitoring and awareness notification for remote caregivers. Our research aim was to create a scalable and modern information system that permitted a non-invasive monitorization of the users for keeping their caregivers up to date. This was done via a cloud IoT (Internet of Things), which collects and processes data from its domotic sensors. The notifications generated by the system, via the three applications we developed (NOAH/NOAH Care/Admin Centre), offer caregivers an easy way of detecting changes in the day-to-day behaviour and activities of their patients, giving them time to intervene in case of abnormal activity. Such an approach would lead to a longer and more independent life for the older people. We evaluated our system by conducting a year-long pilot-study, offering caregivers constant information from the end-users while still living independently. For creating our pilot groups, we used the ABAS (Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System) II, which we then matched with the pre-profiled Behavioral Analysis Models of older people familiar with modern communication devices. Our results showed a low association between daily skills and the sensors we used, in contrast with the results from previous studies done in this field. Another result was efficiently capturing the behaviour changes that took place due to the COVID-19 Lockdown measures.
Emotions, Stress and Coping among Healthcare Workers in a Reproductive Medicine Unit during the First and Second COVID-19 Lockdowns
Authors: Paterlini Marcella , Neri Erica , Nicoli Alessia , Genova Federica , Villani Maria Teresa , Santi Sara , Agostini Francesca
Published: May 2022

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global healthcare workers’ (HCWs) mental health has been well documented in the last two years; however, little is known regarding HCWs working in specific healthcare fields. During two subsequent periods of national lockdown in Italy (June–July 2020, T1, and November–December 2020, T2), a total sample of 47 HCWs working in a reproductive medicine hospital unit completed an ad hoc questionnaire for assessing emotional reactions to the pandemic, stress symptoms, and ways of coping. Moderate–high levels of anger and sadness were experienced by 65.9% and 68.1% of the HCWs, respectively, while moderate–high levels of anxiety and fear were experienced by 51.1% and 56.8%, respectively. Higher stress symptoms experienced by HCWs were hypervigilance, avoidance of thoughts and memories, and tiredness/low energy. At T2, levels of hypervigilance, irritability, intrusive thoughts, and detachment were higher than at T1, while avoidance of external triggers decreased. Moderate–high levels of anxiety resulted significantly associated with several symptoms of stress: irritability/fearfulness, depression/hopelessness, tiredness/low energy, problems with concentration, and intrusive thoughts. Regarding coping strategies, HCWs tended to adopt more problem-focused coping (e.g., contributing to improving a situation) and this tendency was higher at T2. Overall findings suggest a risk for the persistence of stress symptoms and, therefore, a risk for a chronic course, which might interfere with the global quality of mental health at work and the care provided to patients. Clinical implications highlight the relevance of implementing support programs for this category of HCWs focused on the elaboration of negative emotions and on fostering adaptive coping strategies.
A Concept Analysis of Illness Intrusiveness in Chronic Disease: Application of the Hybrid Model Method
Authors: Do Youngjoo , Seo Minjeong
Published: May 2022

This study clarifies the concept of illness intrusiveness in patients with a chronic disease using the hybrid model method. To clarify the dimension, attributes, and definition of illness intrusiveness in chronic disease, three phases of analysis were conducted. In the theoretical phase, a working definition was devised through a systematic review. In the fieldwork phase, individual in-depth interviews were conducted with nine participants with chronic diseases. In the final analytic phase, the results were integrated through comparison and review. There are four domains and eleven attributes of illness intrusiveness in chronic disease. The domains include physical, psychological, social/contextual, and spiritual. The physical domain consists of four attributes: pain, fatigue, physical malfunction, and change of body image. The psychological domain consists of three attributes: psychological weakness, uncertainty, and stigma. The social/contextual domain is made up of three attributes: withdrawal of role play, limit of daily life, and burden of changing health habits. Finally, the spiritual domain had one attribute: unstable spiritual state. Thus, based on the study findings, it is necessary to develop a suitable illness intrusiveness in chronic disease assessment scale to assess chronic disease patients.
Multi-Model Ensemble Projections of Winter Extreme Temperature Events on the Chinese Mainland
Authors: Yi Xiuping , Zou Ling , Niu Zigeng , Jiang Daoyang , Cao Qian
Published: May 2022

Based on the downscaling data of multi-model ensembles of 26 global climate models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6, this study calculated the extreme climate indices defined by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices and the warm winter extreme grade indices to explore winter climate response on the Chinese mainland under different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and representative concentration pathways. The results showed that the temperature in winter increased overall, with the highest temperature increases of 0.31 °C/10a (Celsius per decade) (SSP245) and 0.51 °C/10a (SSP585) and the lowest temperature increases of 0.30 °C/10a (SSP245) and 0.49 °C/10a (SSP585). Warm-related extreme weather events such as warm days and warm spell duration indices showed an increasing trend, whereas cold-related extreme weather events such as cold spell duration indices, cold nights, ice days, and frost days showed a decreasing trend. On the regional scale, the maximum temperature increased by more than 2 °C/10a (SSP245) and 0.4 °C/10a (SSP585), except in South China, and the minimum temperature increased faster in Qinghai-Tibet and Northeast China compared to elsewhere on the Chinese mainland. Compared with that under SSP585, the frequency and intensity of warm winters in the latter half of the 21st century were lower under SSP245. At the end of the 21st century, under the SSP245 scenario, warm winter frequency in most regions will be reduced to below 60%, but under the SSP585 scenario, it will be more than 80%. Population exposures all showed a downward trend, mainly due to the reduction of warm winter events and the decline of the population under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios, respectively. If the greenhouse gas emission path is controlled in the SSP245 scenario, the population exposure risk in warm winters can be decreased by 25.87%. This study observed a consistent warming trend on the Chinese mainland under all SSPs in the 21st century and found that stricter emission reduction policies can effectively decrease the population exposure to warm winters.
Suicide Trends in the Italian State Police during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Comparison with the Pre-Pandemic Period
Authors: Maselli Silvana , del Casale Antonio , Paoli Elena , Pompili Maurizio , Garbarino Sergio
Published: May 2022

The pandemic is posing an occupational stressor for law enforcement personnel. Therefore, a high priority is the need to quantify this phenomenon and put supportive programs in place. During the pandemic period, the Italian State Police implemented different support programs for the personnel. These included a national toll-free number to provide information on COVID-19 to police staff, availability of a health care service by doctors and nurses at the national level, vaccination services, working remotely, and a psychological intervention protocol called “Together we can” (“Insieme Possiamo”). Our study firstly aims to perform a descriptive analysis of the suicide in the Italian police from 2016 to 2021, and secondly aims to compare the pandemic and pre-pandemic periods. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (February 2020 to October 2021), the suicide rate in the State Police did not significantly increase compared to the pre-pandemic period, showing a stable trend with a not significant decrease in the suicide rate. The implementation of staff support services by the Central Directorate of Health of the Italian State Police and individual resilience aspects of the Police personnel in response to the pandemic may have positively affected the phenomenon. These aspects pave the way to further studies on the issue to improve preventive strategies.
Weight Status Change in Chinese American Children over a Ten-Year Period: Retrospective Study of a Primary Care Pediatric Population
Authors: Lin Jia Lu Lilian , Zhong Olivia , Tse Raymond , Lau Jennifer D. , Chao Eda , Au Loretta
Published: May 2022

Weight change from childhood to adolescence has been understudied in Asian Americans. Known studies lack disaggregation by Asian subgroups. This retrospective study assessed the weight status change in 1500 Chinese American children aged 5–11 years from an urban primary care health center between 2007 and 2017. Weight status was categorized using the 2000 CDC growth charts into “underweight/normal weight” and “overweight/obese.” The overweight/obesity prevalence in 2007 and 2017 were determined. McNemar’s test and logistic regression were performed. The prevalence of overweight/obesity decreased from 29.9% in 2007 to 18.6% in 2017. Children who were overweight/obese at 5–11 years had 10.3 increased odds of staying overweight/obese over time (95% CI = 7.6–14.0, p < 0.001) compared to their underweight/normal weight counterparts. Of the children who were overweight/obese in 2007, 45.7% remained overweight/obese ten years later. Childhood overweight/obesity strongly predicts adult overweight/obesity in Chinese Americans. Targeted education and intervention are warranted to prevent adult obesity.
A Preliminary Study of SARS-CoV-2’s Permanence and Potential Infective Capacity in Mineromedicinal Waters of Copahue, Neuquén, Argentina
Authors: Vela María Lorena , Masachessi Gisela , Giaveno María Alejandra , Roca Jalil Maria Eugenia , Castro Gonzalo , Cachi Ariana Mariela , Marinzalda María de los Ángeles , Zugarramurdi Ana , Baschini Miria
Published: May 2022

Copahue Thermal Center is characterized by the presence of mineromedicinal acidic waters with high temperatures, therapeutic peloids, and relevant consortia of extremophiles species, distributed in small natural pools which cannot be disinfected. The objective of this research was to investigate the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in Copahue’s waters and its remaining infective capacity. In a first assay, a decrease of more than 50% of the initially viral load compared to the initially inoculated positive sample was detected for all the water samples analyzed. After that, two of the Copahue springs, which are used as an immersion bath in closed environments without going through any disinfection treatment, was selected to determine the viral viability. VERO cell infections were performed, with no cytopathic effect detected, but a strikingly high resistance of the virus, detecting its genome by real time PCR, during the seven days of study under laboratory conditions. SARS-CoV-2 survival in acid media was reaffirmed, which is a peculiarity for a covered virus. A decrease in the detectable viral load of the positive sample was found as the infection time passed, becoming completely negative in the subsequent blind passages. More research is needed to further study the feasibility of SARS-CoV-2 in mineromedicinal waters, especially natural acidic waters that cannot disinfected, in order to expand information about the risk to populations that are exposed to them.
Dark Side or Bright Side: The Impact of Alcohol Drinking on the Trust of Chinese Rural Residents
Authors: Dong Jie , Zhao Qiran , Ren Yanjun
Published: May 2022

Existing studies have explored the causal effect of social capital on harmful drinking, while the effect of drinking habits on trust is scant. In China, drinking rituals and drinking culture are considered important ways of promoting social interaction and trust, especially in rural areas where traditional culture is stronger. Based on a field survey in rural China in 2019, this paper explores the relationship between drinking habits and trust. First, we found a negative relationship between drinking habits and trust, indicating that those people who drink alcohol are more likely to have a lower trust. Second, we found significant heterogeneity in the effect of alcohol consumption on social trust across various groups. Specifically, the negative effects of alcohol consumption on trust were stronger for the females than for males; drinking alcohol did not reduce the level of trust among the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in rural China; compared with the Han nationality, we found that the effect of drinking on trust was not significant for the ethnic minority. Third, we observed that the negative effects of alcohol consumption on trust had thresholds across age and income. Among people under 51, the risk of trust from drinking was greater than for those over 51; the negative effect of drinking on residents’ trust was more obvious in low-income families, but not significant in the group with an annual household income of more than CNY 40,000. Our empirical study provides a deeper understanding of drinking culture in rural China from a dialectical perspective.
What Affects Rural Ecological Environment Governance Efficiency? Evidence from China
Authors: Qian Min , Cheng Zhenpeng , Wang Zhengwen , Qi Dingyi
Published: May 2022

With rapid economic development, the protection of the ecological environment has become very important. The modernization of rural ecological governance is the basis and prerequisite for the sustainable economic and social development of vast rural areas of China in the current era. It is urgent to analyze the influencing factors and to improve China’s rural ecological environment governance efficiency for Rural Revitalization in the new era, and to promote the modernization of the national environmental governance system and governance capacity. This paper empirically examines the influencing factors on rural ecological environment governance efficiency in the whole country, and in the eastern, central and western regions separately, at the provincial level, using the Tobit regression model. The results show that, at the national scale, the level of rural economic development, the size of village committees and rural public participation all have positive roles in promoting the efficiency of rural ecological environment governance. Rural population agglomeration, financial support for agriculture. And environmental protection social organizations have negative roles, hindering the efficiency of rural ecological environment governance. From the perspective of the eastern, central, and western regions, the factors affecting the efficiency of rural ecological environment governance are different due to regional differences. According to the results of empirical analysis, it is proposed that the key issue in improving the efficiency of rural ecological environment governance in China is to promote differentiated regional coordinated governance mechanisms.
Navigating Stigma and Discrimination: Experiences of Migrant Children with Special Needs and Their Families in Accessing Education and Healthcare in Hong Kong
Authors: Kwok Kim , Kwok Lai Yuk Ching Sylvia
Published: May 2022

This paper explores the barriers to supporting South Asian (Pakistani, Nepalese and Indian) migrant children with special needs and their families encountered navigating Hong Kong’s special needs system and accessing education and healthcare services. It adopts concepts of stigma and disability rights. It draws on semi-structured interviews with fifteen South Asian children and young people with special needs (age 5–21; M = 10; F = 5) and their families, and seven professional practitioners based on the qualitative descriptive method. Informants experienced intersecting stigmatization that included (1) institutional exclusion, (2) daily life microaggressions, and (3) misunderstandings and a lack of awareness education. Simultaneously, some were empowered through (4) support and accommodation, and (5) spiritual support from religion. This paper reveals a paradox embodied by Hong Kong; it is an Asian multicultural city committed to embracing the vision of disability inclusion while failing to ensure necessary support to reduce the stigma experienced by culturally diverse children with a disability. It makes recommendations based on a socioecological framework and concludes that concerted efforts by relevant authorities and organizations should be made to reduce stigma by taking into consideration the intersecting stigmas, specific resources unique to migrant communities, disability rights and cultural sensitivity.
A Qualitative Scoping Review of the Impacts of Economic Recessions on Mental Health: Implications for Practice and Policy
Authors: Guerra Olivia , Agyapong Vincent I. O. , Nkire Nnamdi
Published: May 2022

In a follow-up to our 2021 scoping review of the quantitative literature on the impacts of economic recessions on mental health, this scoping review summarizes qualitative research to develop a descriptive understanding of the key factors that transmute the socioeconomic stressors of a recession into poorer mental health. The previous study identified 22 qualitative studies from 2008 to 2020, which were updated with search results from six databases for articles published between 2020 and 2021. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to the total 335 identified studies, 13 articles were included. These were peer-reviewed, qualitative studies in developed economies, published from 2008 to 2021, and available online in English. Participants perceived that financial hardship and unemployment during recessions increased stress and led to feelings of shame, loss of structure and identity, and a perceived lack of control, which increased interpersonal conflict, social isolation, maladaptive coping, depression, self-harm, and suicidal behavior. Participants struggled with accessing health and social services and suggested reforms to improve the navigation and efficiency of services and to reduce the perceived harms of austerity measures. Providers should screen for mental distress and familiarize themselves with health and social resources in their community to help patients navigate these complex systems. Policy makers should be aware of the potential protective nature of unemployment safeguards and consider other low-cost measures to bolster mental health supports and informal social networks. Research in this area was limited. Further research would be beneficial given the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 recession.
Nitric-Oxide-Inducing Factors on Vitamin D Changes in Older People Susceptible to Suffer from Sarcopenia
Authors: Córdova Alfredo , Caballero-García Alberto , Noriega-González David , Bello Hugo J. , Pons Antoni , Roche Enrique
Published: May 2022

Calcium and magnesium, together with vitamin D and the hormones testosterone and cortisol, are key elements in muscle function, to maintain physical fitness. This study aims to analyze if supplementation with NO precursors (L-arginine, L-citrulline and beetroot extract) modulates the circulating levels of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and steroid hormones in elders. Sixty-one volunteers (65.1 years old, 164.6 cm of height and 71.2 kg of weight) susceptible to develop sarcopenia participated in a physical activity program for 6 weeks. Participants were divided into four groups: one placebo and three taking one of the indicated supplements. Physical capacity was assessed through the following tests: (a) distance covered in 6 min by walking (endurance indicator); (b) hand grip (upper-body strength indicator); (c) time to cover 4 m by walking (speed indicator); and (d) time to perform five full squats (lower-body strength indicator). We concluded that there is a disparity in the association of steroid hormones, vitamin D levels and physical fitness. However, a significant inverse correlation between speed and endurance indicators was observed. Higher circulating vitamin D levels were observed in the L-arginine- and beetroot-supplemented groups. In conclusion, vasodilators increase vitamin D circulating levels that, in the long term, could maintain mineral homeostasis, improving muscular function.
Fabrication of ZnO@Plant Polyphenols/Cellulose as Active Food Packaging and Its Enhanced Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Nie Jingheng , Wu Ziyang , Pang Bo , Guo Yuanru , Li Shujun , Pan Qingjiang
Published: May 2022

To investigate the efficient use of bioresources and bioproducts, plant polyphenol (PPL) was extracted from larch bark and further applied to prepare ZnO@PPL/Cel with cellulose to examine its potential as an active package material. The structure and morphology were fully characterized by XRD, SEM, FTIR, XPS and Raman spectra. It was found that PPL is able to cover ZnO and form a coating layer. In addition, PPL cross-links with cellulose and makes ZnO distribute evenly on the cellulose fibers. Coating with PPL creates a pinecone-like morphology in ZnO, which is constructed by subunits of 50 nm ZnO slices. The interactions among ZnO, PPL and cellulose have been attributed to hydrogen bonding, which plays an important role in guiding the formation of composites. The antibacterial properties against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were tested by the inhibition zone method. Our composite ZnO@PPL/Cel has superior antibacterial activity compared to ZnO/Cel. The antibacterial mechanism has also been elaborated on. The low cost, simple preparation method and good performance of ZnO@PPL/Cel suggest the potential for it to be applied as active food packaging.
Loading of Polydimethylsiloxane with a Human ApoB-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide to Prevent Bacterial Infections
Authors: De Luca Maria , Gaglione Rosa , Della Ventura Bartolomeo , Cesaro Angela , Di Girolamo Rocco , Velotta Raffaele , Arciello Angela
Published: May 2022

Background: medical device-induced infections affect millions of lives worldwide and innovative preventive strategies are urgently required. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) appear as ideal candidates to efficiently functionalize medical devices surfaces and prevent bacterial infections. In this scenario, here, we produced antimicrobial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by loading this polymer with an antimicrobial peptide identified in human apolipoprotein B, r(P)ApoBLPro. Methods: once obtained loaded PDMS, its structure, anti-infective properties, ability to release the peptide, stability, and biocompatibility were evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy, water contact angle measurements, broth microdilution method, time-killing kinetic assays, quartz crystal microbalance analyses, MTT assays, and scanning electron microscopy analyses. Results: PDMS was loaded with r(P)ApoBLPro peptide which was found to be present not only in the bulk matrix of the polymer but also on its surface. ApoB-derived peptide was found to retain its antimicrobial properties once loaded into PDMS and the antimicrobial material was found to be stable upon storage at 4 °C for a prolonged time interval. A gradual and significant release (70% of the total amount) of the peptide from PDMS was also demonstrated upon 400 min incubation and the antimicrobial material was found to be endowed with anti-adhesive properties and with the ability to prevent biofilm attachment. Furthermore, PDMS loaded with r(P)ApoBLPro peptide was found not to affect the viability of eukaryotic cells. Conclusions: an easy procedure to functionalize PDMS with r(P)ApoBLPro peptide has been here developed and the obtained functionalized material has been found to be stable, antimicrobial, and biocompatible.
Exploring the Effects of the Interaction of Carbon and MoS2 Catalyst on CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol
Authors: Cui Pingping , Sun Ruyu , Xiao Linfei , Wu Wei
Published: May 2022

Hydrogenation of CO2 to form methanol utilizing green hydrogen is a promising route to realizing carbon neutrality. However, the development of catalyst with high activity and selectivity to methanol from the CO2 hydrogenation is still a challenge due to the chemical inertness of CO2 and its characteristics of multi-path conversion. Herein, a series of highly active carbon-confining molybdenum sulfide (MoS2@C) catalysts were prepared by the in-situ pyrolysis method. In comparison with the bulk MoS2 and MoS2/C, the stronger interaction between MoS2 and the carbon layer was clearly generated. Under the optimized reaction conditions, MoS2@C showed better catalytic performance and long-term stability. The MoS2@C catalyst could sustain around 32.4% conversion of CO2 with 94.8% selectivity of MeOH for at least 150 h.
Rationale for 1068 nm Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) as a Novel, Non-Invasive Treatment for COVID-19 and Other Coronaviruses: Roles of NO and Hsp70
Authors: Kitchen Lydia C. , Berman Marvin , Halper James , Chazot Paul
Published: May 2022

Researchers from across the world are seeking to develop effective treatments for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, which arose as a major public health issue in 2019, and was declared a pandemic in early 2020. The pro-inflammatory cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiple-organ failure, neurological problems, and thrombosis have all been linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) fatalities. The purpose of this review is to explore the rationale for using photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) of the particular wavelength 1068 nm as a therapy for COVID-19, investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved. Our findings illustrate the efficacy of PBMT 1068 nm for cytoprotection, nitric oxide (NO) release, inflammation changes, improved blood flow, and the regulation of heat shock proteins (Hsp70). We propose, therefore, that PBMT 1068 is a potentially effective and innovative approach for avoiding severe and critical illness in COVID-19 patients, although further clinical evidence is required.
Nitrogen-Doped Zinc Oxide for Photo-Driven Molecular Hydrogen Production
Authors: Cerrato Erik , Privitera Alberto , Chiesa Mario , Salvadori Enrico , Paganini Maria Cristina
Published: May 2022

Due to its thermal stability, conductivity, high exciton binding energy and high electron mobility, zinc oxide is one of the most studied semiconductors in the field of photocatalysis. However, the wide bandgap requires the use of UV photons to harness its potential. A convenient way to appease such a limitation is the doping of the lattice with foreign atoms which, in turn, introduce localized states (defects) within the bandgap. Such localized states make the material optically active in the visible range and reduce the energy required to initiate photo-driven charge separation events. In this work, we employed a green synthetic procedure to achieve a high level of doping and have demonstrated how the thermal treatment during synthesis is crucial to select specific the microscopic (molecular) nature of the defect and, ultimately, the type of chemistry (reduction versus oxidation) that the material is able to perform. We found that low-temperature treatments produce material with higher efficiency in the water photosplitting reaction. This constitutes a further step in the establishment of N-doped ZnO as a photocatalyst for artificial photosynthesis.