As Li-ion batteries use is spreading, incidents in large energy storage systems (stationary storage containers, …) or in large-scale cell and battery storages (warehouse, recyclers, …), often leading to fire, are occurring on regular basis. Water remains one of the most efficient fire extinguishing agents for tackling those battery incidents and large quantities are usually necessary. Since bat-teries contains various potentially harmful components (metals and their oxides or salts, sol-vents…) and that thermal runway induced battery incidents are accompanied with complex and potentially multistage fume emissions (containing both gas and particles) the potential impact of fire run-off water on the environment should be considered and assessed carefully. The tests presented in this paper focus on the analysis of the composition of run-off waters used to spray NMC Li-ion modules under thermal runaway. It highlights that waters used for fire-fighting are susceptible to contain many metals, including Ni, Mn, Co, Li and Al mixed with other carbonaceous species (soot, tarballs) and sometimes undecomposed solvents used in the elec-trolyte. Extra-polation of pollutant concentrations compared with PNEC values showed that, for large scale incidents, run-off water could be potentially hazardous to the environment.

The effects of climate change health impacts on urban health care systems and vulnerable populations are a researched topic with foundations on urban risk management, urban health methodologies, and sustainable urbanization. As climate change is a dynamic and transformative global issue the gap between adaptation and mitigation efforts and urban planning relies, among other things, in the limitations of previous studies of risk management structures tailored to the existing strategy to calculate the uncertainties and predict their influence on urban systems and subsystems. Moreover, as climate and health is a well-researched issue, it is also complex as the methodologies and strategic approach to minimize health risks of climate change is intrinsically contingent to risk methodologies and policy-making processes that are efficient with support of knowledge-based information. This paper emphasis the need for focusing on urban health risk management methods that serves to identify potential opportunities, and then manage and take action to prevent adverse health effects. It also emphasizes the probability of events and their consequences, which are measurable both qualitatively and quantitatively.

This review focuses on the emerging evidence for the association between estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (eCRF) and metabolic risk factors. Given the challenges associated with directly measuring cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in large populations, eCRF presents a practical alternative for predicting metabolic health risks. A literature search identified six relevant cohort studies from 2021 to 2024 that investigated the association of eCRF with hypertension, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity. The review findings highlight a consistent inverse relationship between higher eCRF and lower incidence of metabolic risks in line with CRF cohort studies. This review highlights the importance of low eCRF as a primordial indicator for metabolic risks and underscores the need for broader application. Future research directions should include exploring eCRF's predictive accuracy across diverse populations and health outcomes and testing its real-world applicability in healthcare and public health settings.

Polypharmacy and malnutrition are common health issues among older adults. In older people, there is a high prevalence of polypharmacy and malnutrition, and preliminary data also indicates that there is a significant of Food Supplements (FS) use, increasing the risk of duplication of thera-pies and several adverse reactions and drug-FS and FS-FS interactions. The intervention of health professionals in mitigating these risks is essential. This review not only underscores and discusses the potential association between polypharmacy, malnutrition, and food supplements but also presents current scientific evidence on polypharmacy, malnutrition, and the use of food supplements by the elderly. The work reviews the challenges, advantages and risks of using FS for the elderly who are polymedicated and/or malnourished, focusing on the good practices needed to support healthy ageing. In this regard, the paper intends to help health professionals better deal with the issue of polypharmacy and the use of multiple FS to overcome the malnutrition problem and improve the health and well-being of older adults.

Institutional quarantine was one of the key public health measures used to control the spread of the COVID-19. Institutional quarantine has been associated with several psychosocial and economic risks to affected individuals. However, little is known about the psychosocial and economic risks it poses to affected persons in low-resource countries, since it is a relatively new strategy for controlling disease spread in these settings. This article provides insights into the economic and psychosocial risks encountered by affected persons in a low-resource context. We conducted narrative interviews with 20 adults placed under institutional quarantine to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda. Institutional quarantine exposed affected persons to an intricate range of economic and psychosocial risks including loss of livelihoods and/or income, financial distress, fear, worry, anger, loneliness and stigma. The experience of specific risks was shaped by an intersection of individual and contextual factors. However, disregard for economic and social issues and shortcomings in the implementation of institutional quarantine contributed profoundly to the occurrence of risks. Integration of measures for identification and continuous management of the broad range of potential risks to individuals and bridging gaps in the implementation of institutional quarantine, may help to minimise associated economic and psychosocial risks.

Subnational governments play a key role responding to climate change risks in terms of policy strategies and instruments. This article analyzes how Brazilian municipal and state governments have developed and implemented public policies to mitigate and to adapt to climate change risks. We surveyed all cities’ and states’ climate policies within the country. The methodological approach includes five main points of analysis: 1. mitigation targets and intentions; 2. adaptation actions; 3. stakeholders’ participation; 4. policy implementation; 5. participation in networks related to climate change. Our results suggest that even though subnational climate policies in Brazil are isolated initiatives within the national context, they play an important role responding to climate change risks in different scales and levels. The strongest Brazilian policies with both mitigation and adaptation actions counted on previous mobilization for the climate issue involving different stakeholders from several segments of the society. These governments have also participated in transnational cooperation networks related to climate change.

Predators are dependent on the capture of prey to meet their energetic and nutritive requirements, imposing a regime of predation risk. Consequently, prey experience both consumptive and non-consumptive effects. Non-consumptive effects may manifest through altered growth and ontogenetic trajectories of prey species, a dynamic modulated by olfactory or other sensory cues from predators. Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel represents a great invasive threat to global horticulture. While earlier research has primarily centered on the consumptive interactions between B. dorsalis and its natural enemies, the potential consequences of non-consumptive interactions on the development of B. dorsalis have been overlooked. In this study, we investigated the impact of predation risk effects, induced by both visual exposure to the predatory mantis Hierodula patellifera Serville and its associated odor, on the life history traits of B. dorsalis. Female B. dorsalis demonstrated reduced development time in the presence of isolated H. patellifera or H. patellifera odor, yet evidenced significantly increased fecundity. Conversely, males displayed no significant change in development time. Additionally, neither female nor male body weight at death was significantly influenced by predation risk from isolated predators or predator odor. These results indicated adaptive developmental strategies of B. dorsalis when faced with risks from predators and highlight the important role of predator odor, which has the potential to lay the groundwork for improving biological control efforts and innovative approaches within pest control.

Obtaining a genetic diagnosis of a primary mitochondrial disease (PMD) is often framed as a diagnostic odyssey. Yet, even after receiving a diagnosis, parents of affected children experience ongoing therapeutic and prognostic uncertainty, and considerable psychosocial challenges. Semi-structured interviews (N= 24) were conducted with parents of 13 children (aged 2-19 years) with a genetically confirmed PMD. Paternal (N=11) and maternal (N=13) perspectives were obtained, and thematic analysis performed on all interviews. A genetic diagnosis was valuable and empowering for parents, despite eliciting varied emotional responses. While the diagnosis helped focus management decisions, families often felt overwhelmed and unsupported in navigating the healthcare system. Most parents reported a serious impact on their romantic relationship. The sources of social support varied with a preference for established friendship and family support networks over disease-specific community support groups. Most parents favored prenatal genetic testing in the event of a future pregnancy. This study provides insight into the lived experiences of parents after a genetic diagnosis of PMD in their children. The findings draw awareness to supportive care needs and highlight important gaps that should be addressed to ensure that parents feel supported within a holistic framework of management for PMDs.

Healthcare professionals constantly face situations that reflect ecosystems’ degradation. These can negatively affect their mental health. Research suggests that hope and resilience can play an important role in this scenario, since they are related to/predict mental health in highly heterogeneous samples (considering geography, age, profession, health, etc.). In this context, the aims of the present study are: to characterize and explore the relationship between hope, resilient coping and mental health of Portuguese healthcare professionals. Using Google Forms, 276 healthcare professionals answered to the GHQ-28, the (adult) Trait Hope Scale, and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (cross-sectional study). The minimum and maximum possible scores were reached, with the exception of the maximum score of GHQ-28-Total. Regarding Hope, 19.6% scored below the midpoint (M=43.46, SD=11.97); 29.3% revealed low resilience (M=14.93, SD=4.05); and the average of 4 of the 5 Mental Health scores (exception: Severe Depression) indicates the probability of a psychiatric case. Hope correlated with Social Dysfunction and GHQ-28-Total; resilient coping proved to be a (weak) predictor of 4 of the 5 GHQ-28 indicators (exception: Severe depression). The results support the need to promote the sample's mental health, hope and resilient coping. They also suggest that stimulating resilient coping may contribute to improving healthcare professionals’ mental health.

Active ageing is defined as the process of optimizing opportunities for physical, social and mental health to enable older people to take an active part in society without discrimination and to enjoy an independent and good quality of life. The World Health Organization assumed this as a process for increasing and maintaining an individual’s participation in activities to enhance his/her quality of life. In this survey, the authors addressed the following question: “Is assistive technology (AT) for mobility contributing to enhancement of lifelong capacity and performance?”. From June 2015 until February 2016, 96 community dwelling adults, AT users for mobility (powered wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs, lower limb prostheses, walkers, crutches and canes), aged 45-97, mean 67.02 +/- 14.24 years old, 56.3% female, were interviewed using the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (P-PIADS), the Activities and Participation Profile related to Mobility (APPM) and demographics, clinical and questions about AT use and training. The participants’ profiles revealed moderate limitation and restrictions in participation, measured by the APPM (2.03). Most participants showed positive impact of AT; average scores obtained from the P-PIADS subscales were: Self-esteem 0.62, Competency 1.11 and Adaptability 1.10. P-PIADS total was 0.96, with the powered wheelchair users scoring the highest (1.53) and the walker users scoring the lowest (0.73). All subscales and P-PIADS total were positively correlated with the activities and participation profile. There was no relation between age and the psychosocial impact of AT or activities and participation profile. These results encourage the authors to follow these participants up for a lifelong intervention. To accomplish that aim, currently, the protocol is implemented at the AT prescribing centers in Coimbra, Portugal in order to assess the impact of AT on participation in society, one of the domains of the Active Ageing Index, a new analytical tool to help policy makers in developing policies for active and healthy ageing.

This study explored intraindividual multidimensional profiles integrating psychosocial factors, namely, body image and satisfaction, weight-related self-stigma, positivity, and happiness, and behavioural-lifestyle factors, namely, adherence to a healthy diet, among Spanish adults with overweight or obesity. We further aimed to investigate the association of excess weight (i.e., measured body mass index, BMI) with the abovementioned multidimensional configurations. A convenience sample of adult individuals with excessive weight completed self-reports regarding the study variables, and their weight and height were measured. With a perspective centred on the individual, a cluster analysis established three distinct intraindividual psychosocial and diet-related profiles: a group of healthy individuals with excess weight; a group of individuals who were negatively affected by their excessive weight and showed the most distressed profile; and a group of dysfunctional individuals who seemed to be excessively unrealistic and optimistic regarding their excessive weight and unhealthy lifestyles. Furthermore, individuals in the affected cluster had higher obesity. The results showed that there are specific psychosocial and lifestyle profiles in the adult population with excess weight and that there are relationships among psychological, behavioural, and body-composition factors. For clinical application purposes, it is important to account for the heterogeneity within individuals who are obese.

This general review assesses the impact of physical exercise on oxidative and nitrosative stress and the counteractive role of antioxidants, drawing from a systematic literature search up to March 2024 in databases like PubMed and Web of Science. The review highlights studies on the effect of exercise on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and antioxidant responses in both human and animal models based on rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria. Due to the variety of exercise types and participants' characteristics, a narrative synthesis approach was adopted. The findings indicate that moderate exercise boosts antioxidant defenses, known as hormesis, whereas excessive physical activity may increase oxidative and nitrosative damage. The review also explores the complex effects of antioxidant supplementation, revealing that while natural dietary antioxidants support health, high-dose supplements could potentially hinder positive adaptations to exercise. Recommendations for athletes and the general active population highlight the importance of balancing exercise and dietary intake to optimize health benefits. The review concludes with a call for more detailed research on tailored exercise and nutrition plans to dissect these intricate relationships further.

This study investigated the psychosocial factors influencing substance abuse among undergraduates. The study was conducted in Ekiti State university Ado Ekiti. 150 participants who are undergraduates of the university were used in this research. They consist of 82 males and 68 females selected from all faculties in the institution. 3 questionnaires were administered to respondent to measure the factors influencing substance abuse and the level at which they are abused. Independent T-test, multiple regression and Pearson Correlation method were used to analyze the data collected. Five hypotheses were tested: hypothesis 1, 2, 3 and 4 were significant while hypothesis 5 was insignificant. It was observed that there was significant influence of religiosity on substance abuse among undergraduates, the result also revealed that there was a significant influence of self-esteem on substance abuse among undergraduates, it also revealed that religiosity and self-esteem jointly predicted substance abuse among undergraduates, likewise the result also show that there was significant influence of sex on substance abuse among undergraduates and finally the result revealed there was no significant relationship between religiosity and self-esteem among undergraduates. The results were discussed in line with relevant empirical literatures, while conclusion and recommendations subsequently followed.

Background and objectives: Suicide is a topical issue in Lithuania and all around the world. It is the second most common cause of death among young people. There is a lack of research studies on the psychosocial aspects of adolescent suicide in Lithuania. This study aimed to evaluate demographics, life circumstances, and health conditions as factors related to suicide attempt in adolescents. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed at the Children’s Hospital (Vilnius University Santara Clinics). Medical documentation of adolescents treated in this hospital after suicide attempts from January 2011 to April 2018 were analyzed. Results: There were 117 cases of hospitalization due to suicide attempts during this period, and 102 cases were included in the study. There were 83.8% female and 16.2% male patients with an average age of 15.02 ± 1.9 years (p = 0.405); 40.6% of patients lived in divorced families, 17.7% lived in orphanages, 4.2% lived in foster care, 36.4% suffered from parental alcoholism, and 17.2% experienced suicide in their close surroundings. They had comorbidities (girls 72.5%, boys 68.8%), mostly depression (31.3%), were suffering from bullying (54.1%) or violence (26.0%), and 85.4% showed signs of other types of self-harm (girls more often (p < 0.001)). Most of them chose to cut for suicide attempts (86.0% girls, 56.2% boys). In 52.8% of cases, the attempt was spontaneous and 34% relapsed. Thirty-four events occurred in March (18.9%) (p = 0.688). Conclusions: Our study revealed the possible circumstances related to adolescent suicide attempt. Female gender was more common overall and males were more likely to carry out more potentially lethal methods. Other common associated factors were a lack of prosperity in family life, experience of bullying, violence, comorbidities, and the early spring period. Signs of any self-harm could be an indicator of later suicide attempt.

While studies that examined risk perceptions in various environments have been previously conducted, the relationship between risk perceptions measured in such environments had not been examined. Such a relationship, if found, may indicate that when one learns to identify risks in one environment, they may identify risks more easily and quickly in another.This study examined the relationship between measures of risk perception in several separate environments. The findings suggest that when learning to identify and assess risks in a particular environment, one may better identify and assess risks in a similar environment – for example, learning to identify and assess risks while driving makes it easier to identify and assess risks when crossing a road. Conversely, the findings also indicate that learning to identify and assess risks in one environment does not make it possible to better identify and assess risks in a disparate environment – for example, learning to identify and assess risks while driving does not make it easier to identify and assess risks in a workplace environment. This may also suggest that while disparate environments such as the road environment and the workplace environment are perceived as two separate environments, the road environment is experienced as one single environment by both drivers and pedestrians.

Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and many of the observed changes are unprecedented over five decades to millennia. Globally the atmosphere and ocean is increasingly getting warmer, the amount of ice on the earth is decreasing over the oceans, and the sea level has risen. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the total increasing temperature globally averaged combined land and surface between the average of the 1850-1900 period and the 2003 to 2012 period is 0.78 °C (0.72 to 0.85). But should we prepare for such the relatively small change? The importance is not the mean of the warming but the considerable likelihood of climate change that could trigger extreme natural hazards. The impact and the risk of climate change associated with railway infrastructure have not been fully addressed in the literature due to the difference in local environmental parameters. On the other hand, the current railway network in Malaysia, over the last decade, has been significantly affected by severe weather conditions such as rainfall, lightning, wind and very high temperatures. Our research findings point out the extremes that can lead to asset system failure, degraded operation and ultimately, delays to train services. During the period of flood, the embankment of the track can be swept away and bridge can be demolished, while during drought, the embankment of the track can suffer from soil desiccation and embankment deterioration, high temperature increases the risk of track buckling and high winds can result in vegetation or foreign object incursion on to the infrastructure as well as additional quasi-static burden exerted. This review is of significant importance for planning and design of the newly proposed high speed rail link between Malaysia and Singapore.

Culture, gender and religion are closely linked each other’s, profoundly affect the role of each person within the Society, and also affect the ability to access to the health resources. We are now living a worldwide crisis due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In order to appropriately tackle it, an alliance between science, politics and citizens is needed. In this article, we summarize current evidences of how religions can represent, on one hand, a risk moment for spreading the virus (in relation with overcrowded events), on the other, a precious opportunity to engage people, and in particular minorities, in fighting the pandemic. To win this fight, we need a multicultural approach that takes into account every aspect of human life, and among these religion, which influences so much culture, everyday life and well-being.

(1) Background: Interparental conflict is a phenomenon that poses a serious threat not only to the quality of life for the couple but also to the father-child relationship, mother-child relationship, and well-being of adolescents. This study examined the influence of marital conflict on father-child and mother-child attachment and the psychosocial adjustment (2) Methods: 67 adolescents involved in Child Welfare Services (CWS) in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in southern Spain were examined. The sample was split into two groups according to the exposure to marital conflict. Subsequently, differences between groups were analysed on father attachment, mother attachment, aggression, antisocial behaviour, and emotional intelligence. (3) Results: Primarily, the data showed significantly worse attachment with the father among conflict-exposed versus non-conflict-exposed adolescents. These results were not found for the attachment with the mother. Additionally, greater anger and worse stress management were found in conflict-exposed adolescents. (4) Conclusions: The results partially confirmed the spillover and compensatory hypothesis. Practical implications point out that developing preventive interventions that protect the father-adolescent attachment in situations of family conflict is recommended.

Gender-based violence is considered a serious social and public health problem. Overcoming this situation implies a process that results in the favorable biopsychosocial rehabilitation, the resilient of women. The objective of this study was to analyze the tools, resources and personal and psychosocial mechanisms used by women survivors of gender-based violence. The design was an interpretative phenomenology. It carried out with 22 women who have overcome gender-based violence. Data was collected through personal interviews and narration. The results were grouped into four themes: "Process of violence", "Social resources for coping and overcoming GBV", "Personal tools for coping and overcoming GBV", and "Feelings identified, from the abuse stage to the survival stage". Several studies concluded that overcoming abuse is influenced by the women social network, and it can be the action of these people determining their survival to gender violence. Despite the recognized usefulness of these available resources, it would be desirable to strengthen them in order to be able to drive more women toward survival, assuming a strengthening of coping and overcoming, without forgetting the importance of other support mechanisms such as their family and group therapies.

Self-perceived health is an important indicator of occupational health. This research explores the relationship between poor self-perceived health and exposure to psychosocial risk factors, taking into account potential socio-demographic, occupational and employment determinants. Using data from the First Survey of Occupational Safety and Health Conditions covering 1049 salaried workers in Guayaquil, Ecuador descriptive and stratified binary logistic regression analyses (Odds Ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals) were carried out. No significant relationship was found between exposure to psychosocial risk factors and the probability of presenting poor self-perceived health by socio-demographic, occupational and employment characteristics. Occupational exposure factors to psychosocial risks are predictors of self-perceived ill health and are related to the variables analyzed; the most frequently expressed factors among the respondents were Cognitive Demands (DGOG) and Job Insecurity (IL). The results have implications in terms of designing effective workplace interventions pursuant of ensuring the health and wellbeing of employee.

Pneumonic plague outbreaks are relatively infrequent in modern times but in the early part of the 20th century, they were commonplace including several well-documented epidemics responsible for the deaths of thousands. The transmissibility of this disease seems to be discontinuous since in some outbreaks few transmissions occur, while in others, the progression of the epidemic is explosive. Modern epidemiological studies explain that transmissibility within populations is heterogenous with relatively few subjects likely to be responsible for most transmissions and that ‘super spreading events’, particularly at the start of an outbreak, can lead to a rapid expansion of cases. These findings concur with outbreaks observed in real-world situations. It is often reported that pneumonic plague is rare and not easily transmitted but this view could lead to unnecessary complacency since future risks such as the spontaneous incidence of anti-microbial strains, climate change leading to a disruption of natural cycles within plague foci and use of plague as a bioweapon cannot be discounted. Carers and first responders are vulnerable, particularly in poorer countries where access to medicines may be limited, out-breaks occur in inaccessible areas or where there is a lack of surveillance due to a paucity of funds.

The COVID-19 disease has infected many countries with generalised impacts on the different income categories. To test this hypothesis, we carried out a survey among households (n = 412) representing different income groups in Nigeria. We used validated food insecurity experience and socio-psychologic tools. We analysed the data obtained using descriptive and inferential statistics. The earning capacities of the respondents range from US$145/month for the low-income earners to US$1945/month for high-income earners. A total of 173 households (42%) ran out of food during the COVID-19 pandemic. All categories of households have experienced increasing dependency from the general public and perception of increasing insecurity, with the high-income earners having the greatest shift. In addition, increasing levels of anger and irritations have been experienced with all categories. Of the socio-demographic variables, only gender (p = 0.012), level of education of household head (p = 0.000), work hours per day (p = 0.006), and family income based on society class (p = 0.000) were significantly associated with food security and hunger due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Household heads with medium (OR: 4.36, 95% CI: 2.64 – 7.21, p &lt; 0.001) and high (OR: 30.27, 95% CI: 3.99 – 229.90, p &lt; 0.001) family income based on society class were more likely to have satisfactory experience on food security and hunger than respondents with low family income. Irrespective of the social class of the respondents, some respondents had negative experiences such as movement/change of location within the same city (17.68%), begin a new relationship (14.43%), recent change of job/loss of job (11.55%), movement to another city (10.81%), and separation from spouse or long-term relationship (10.07%). However, 231 (60.16%) reported satisfaction with their jobs despite the pandemic. Psychological stress due to impact of COVID-19 was observed to be more in the low income earning group than others. It is recommended that socio-economic groups should be mapped and support systems should target each group as per the needed support in terms of health, social, economic, and mental wellness; the government should show political commitments and transparency in food security and counselling supports. National authorities should prioritize empirical-based interventions on resources allocation during crises.

In response to new developments of work and employment in high-income countries (HICs), psychosocial aspects of work and health received increased attention. In contrast, middle-income countries (MICs) are mainly concerned with severe challenges of noxious and dangerous material work environments, poor employment conditions, and deficient social policies, leaving psychosocial aspects in a marginal role at best. More recently, differences between these two worlds were even aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, with economic globalisation and growing worldwide interconnectivity, the world of work in MICs is being rapidly transformed, sharing several concerns with modern Western societies. In this process, psychosocial occupational health will become an increasingly pressing issue. This contribution explores to what extent psychosocial aspects of work and health are already addressed in research originating from MICs. A selective focus on recent findings from two regions, Asia Pacific and Latin America, reveals a high degree of awareness of, and inquiry into, work-stress related problems within these countries. Importantly, in addition to incorporating research progress from HICs, these analyses identify new aspects within specific cultural and socio-economic environments, thus enriching the international state of art.

The offshore oil and gas working environment is an inherently dangerous one, with risks posed to physical safety on a daily basis. One neglected field of research is the added psychosocial stressors present in this environment. This research examined the experiences of offshore oil and gas workers through one-on-one online interviews which were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analysed through qualitative software NVivo, which generated themes and patterns for the responses given to questions which were developed through a focus group. The results of the analysis showed that multiple psychosocial stressors are present for this population, such as fear of speaking up, unsatisfactory company-provided facilities, work-life interference, work status, micromanaging, gender harassment and bullying. In addition, interviews identified that production and time pressures along with fatigue can influence accidents and mistakes. Climate factors also cause discomfort, however these are managed according to best practice by organisations. Due to the timing of the study, COVID-19 was a significant stressor for some, but not all, employees. In conclusion, offshore oil and gas workers face multiple stressors in a dangerous environment that may lead to devastating consequences.

Hydrogels can be considered as mimics of extracellular matrix (ECM).Cytoskeleton through integrins is connected with ECM and cytoskeleton tension depends on ECM stiffness.A number of age-related diseases depend on cellular processes related with cytoskeleton function.Some examples of cancer initiation and progression and heart disease in relationship with ECM stiffness has been analysed.Incorporation of rigid particles in ECM can increase ECM stifness and to promote formation of internal residual stresses. Water migration, changes of water binding energy to biomactomolecules, changes of the state of water from tightly bound water to free and loosely bound water changes stiffness of ECM. Risks related with rigid particles incorporation into ECM have been also iscussed.

This study explored intraindividual multidimensional profiles integrating psychosocial factors, namely, body image and satisfaction, weight-related self-stigma, positivity, and happiness, and behavioural-lifestyle factors, namely, adherence to a healthy diet, among Spanish adults with overweight or obesity. We further aimed to investigate the association of excess weight (i.e., measured body mass index, BMI) with the abovementioned multidimensional configurations. A convenience sample of adult individuals with excessive weight completed self-reports regarding the study variables, and their weight and height were measured. With a perspective centered on the individual, a cluster analysis established three distinct intraindividual psychosocial and diet-related profiles: a group of healthy individuals with excess weight; a group of individuals who were negatively affected by their excessive weight and showed the most distressed profile; and a group of dysfunctional individuals who seemed to be excessively unrealistic and optimistic regarding their excessive weight and unhealthy lifestyles. Furthermore, individuals in the affected cluster had higher obesity. The results showed that there are specific psychosocial and lifestyle profiles in the adult population with excess weight and that there are relationships among psychological, behavioural, and body-composition factors. For clinical application purposes, it is important to account for the heterogeneity within individuals who are obese and to individualize the interventions, with a focus from weight change to individual's overall well-being.

This scoping review aims to identify the available evidence concerning the clinical and psychosocial impacts of the communication of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), and to map and analyze knowledge gaps regarding truth-telling about risk factors, malignant transformation, treatment, and follow-up approaches. Search strategy was performed using electronic databases (Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science) and one grey literature database (Google Scholar). Studies focused on communicating the diagnosis of OPMDs and the patients' perceptions were included. Study selection and data extraction were performed by two authors in a two-phase process. Five publications were included in the qualitative analysis. Each publication involved a different study design, study population, types of OPMDs, and results on the important aspects of the professional-patient communication about the diagnosis of OPMDs. Although specific protocols on OPMDs communication have not yet been reported, there is an elevated interest on this topic since the strategies and skills on professional communication could provide better clinical outcomes to the patients. A list of recommendation strategies on how to communicate an OPMD diagnosis is proposed; however, future studies are still needed to design specific communication protocols for OPMD.

1) Background: There are few studies of burnout syndrome (BS) in occupational therapists (OTs), and protective factors of BS has received little attention in the scientific literature. This research aimed to estimate the prevalence of BS, characterize the associated psychosocial factors, and analyze their relationship with health in a sample of Spanish OTs. (2) Methods A total of 127 therapists completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and other standardized questionnaires measuring: personality traits (reduced five-factor personality inventory, NEO-FFI), coping styles (Coping Strategies Questionnaire, CAE), work-family conflict (Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen, SWING), professional factors (role ambiguity/clarity and modified role conflict questionnaires), and the perception of health (Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire). Several correlational and multiple regression analyses were performed to study the psychosocial predictors of burnout and its relationship with health perception. (3) Results showed that 15.8% of the professionals presented BS, with emotional exhaustion (EE; 38.7%) being the most compromised dimension. Neuroticism, role conflict, negative work-family interaction, and open emotional expression (OE) significantly predicted a higher EE. The main predictors of cynicism (CY) were being male, role conflict, and OE. Finally, role conflict and role ambiguity and social support-seeking were significant predictors of reduced professional efficiency (PE). (4) Conclusion: A high percentage of OTs with BS advocates becoming aware of the importance of this syndrome in the health community, it would be critical to consider the protective factors (i.e., emotional management, social support) that help promote OTs’ well-being and health.

Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) is the integration of computation and physical process that makes a complete system such as the physical components, networked systems, embedded computers and software and linking together of devices and sensors for information sharing. Cyber Physical Systems are Smart Systems that comprises of the merging and integration of Industry Control Systems, Critical Infrastructures, Internet of Things (IoT) and Embedded Systems. Major industries such as the Chemical and Industrial Plants, Aviation Systems, National Grid, the Stock Exchange, Military Systems, and others depends heavily on these Cyber Physical Systems for financial and economic growth. The benefits of CPS nationally and globally are in the areas of Manufacturing, Energy, Transport, Healthcare and Communication. Cyber Physical Systems incorporates Physical systems, Digital systems and Human elements on network infrastructures to provide interactive systems. However, these three key components the Physical systems, Digital systems and Human elements may have inherent threats and vulnerabilities on them that may run the risk of being compromise, exploited, attacked or hacked. Cybercriminals in their quest to bring down these systems and may cause disruption of services either for fame, revenge, political motive, economic war, cyber terrorism and cyber war. The study seeks to review the risks that are associated with these three key components Physical systems, Digital systems and Human elements. The study considered four main risk mitigation goals for this purpose, and these are Business Value, Organizational Requirements, Threat Agent and Impact based on the review results. We used Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) to determine the relative importance of these goals that contributes to developing cybercrime and rich in CPS. For the results, the prioritized goals are then used to assess the risks using a semi-quantitative approach to determine the net threat level.

This article analyzes the emergence of partnerships between corporations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) through voluntary product labeling schemes. The economics, management, and business literatures are reviewed to highlight cross-checking, consistencies, and complementarities among these disciplines. The objective is to identify and analyze the motives, risks, and joint benefits of partnering via voluntary product labeling, using examples from the agri-food sector. This study is an attempt to offer a framework of corporate-NGO partnerships by showing that the drivers and risks of each partner merge because each takes a step into the sphere of the other. The main risks – namely, a loss of profitability, credibility and legitimacy – are related to the financial and existential dependency and the asymmetric information between the partners in favor of corporations, inducing an ``NGO-capture'' risk.

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a cardiomyopathy that presents clinically as a transient and reversible left ventricular wall motion abnormality (LVWMA) that can recover spontaneously within hours to weeks. Studies have shown that it mainly affects older people. Postmenopausal women in particular have an increased prevalence. Physical and emotional stress are widely discussed and generally recognized trigger factors. As age also appears to play a major role in the development of TTS, this review will take a closer look at age- and gender-specific aspects. First and foremost, postmenopausal women and the associated lower oestrogen concentration should be mentioned here. Another important role is played by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the associated glucocorticoid-dependent negative feedback and the resulting immune response. Inflammaging is another term that is increasingly used in connection with TTS. In the following, these risk factors are considered in more detail and linked to the increased sympathetic activity as a possible consequence of chronic stress. Based on the imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, we venture an explorative proposal and would like to present a new possible therapeutic approach.

Mental health could worsen in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder during the Covid19 pandemic. In addition, their parents could be more at risk for an increase in anxiety and depression symptomatology. This study aims to understand the adaptation and the psychosocial well-being in a sample of 16 males aged 10-21 years old with Asperger syndrome after the quarantine for Covid19 when they return to school and partially to their activities in September 2020, The approach adopted is multi-informant with a battery of questionnaires on psychological health and adaptation given by a secure online web data Qualtrics both to adolescents and also to their parents. Paralleling matched peers with typically development were assessed adopting the same methodology. The results evidenced several difficulties in Asperger’s psychological health, especially in anxiety and socialization. Also adaptation is put in crisis, even if they reported a good comprehension and adoption of the behaviors anti-Covid19. Parents of children with Asperger reported similar psychological difficulties and general health than those of the group of children typically developing. Some clinical indications could be discussed for psychologists who follow children and adolescents with Asperger.

Vaccination, particularly against pneumoccus and influenza, is a low-cost primary prevention, useful to avoid hard complications, particularly among frail older people. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of a strategy for influenza and pneumococcal vaccination for outpatients, never practiced before, evaluating what could stimulate or demotivate vaccination among older people. This study was conducted during the 2023-2024 influenza season at the outpatient clinics of the Geriatrics section, University Hospital of Palermo (Italy). A total of 101 vaccinations were carried out. Half of the patients could be considered as pre-frail and about 20% frail, according to a comprehensive geriatric evaluation. Among participants, 46.3% received only vaccination against Pneumococcus and 26.8% only anti-influenza or the combination of anti-pneumococcus and anti-influenza. Compared with the previous seasons, a 19.5% increase of influenza and 90.2 % of pneumococcal vaccine uptake was observed. Side effects of vaccination were the main reason of the previous rejections, namely 74.8% for influenza and 29.5% for anti-pneumococcal vaccination. In conclusion, our study indicates how a new vaccination strategy in different settings is possible. Proposing influenza and pneumococcal vaccination for outpatients could be an effective instrument to improve immunization coverage that is still low among older people.

Background: The cumulative number of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant shortage of hospital beds. Many patients may not require hospitalization and can be clinically observed in home settings. However, some psychosocial factors are correlated with unsuccessful home isolation (HI), which might negatively affect the transmission control in the community. Therefore, we developed a new psychosocial screening tool (CCPHIET) for assessing HI suitability and examined its validity and reliability.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included COVID-19 patients who were deemed to be medically safe for 14 days of HI. The CCPHIET is comprised of 8 clinical domains pertinent to HI behavioral compliance and risk. We explored its statistical validity and reliability and discussed the potential utility of this tool. Results: A total of 65 COVID-19 patients participated in this study. Most patients (58.5%) were evaluated as good candidates for HI. The CCPHIET has an acceptable content validity (IOC index > 0.5), moderate internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.611) and substantial to excellent inter-rater reliability (Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.944, Cohen’s kappa= 0.627).Conclusions: To compromise between strict and costly absolute institutional quarantine and the potentially unsuccessful absolute HI, the CCPHIET may help to identify good candidates for HI in mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. This psychosocial information would support the physicians in matching each patient to the most suitable setting. Therefore, safe medical care is provided, unnecessary use of medical resources is spared, and local transmission is contained.

Road dust resuspension, especially the particulate matter fraction below 10 µm (PM10), is one of the main air quality management challenges in Europe. Road dust samples were collected from representative streets (suburban and urban) of the city of Viana do Castelo, Portugal. PM10 emission factors (mg veh-1 km-1) ranging from 49 (asphalt) to 330 (cobble stone) were estimated by means of the United Stated Environmental Protection Agency method. Two road dust fractions (< 0.074 mm and from 0.0074 to 1 mm) were characterised for their geochemical, mineralogical and morphological properties. In urban streets, road dusts reveal the contribution from traffic emissions, with higher concentrations of e.g. Cu, Zn, and Pb. In the suburban area, agriculture practices likely contributed to As concentrations of 180 mg kg-1 in the finest road dust fraction. Samples are primarily composed of quartz, but also of muscovite, albite, kaolinite, microcline, Fe-enstatite, graphite and amorphous content. Particle morphology clearly shows the link with natural and traffic related materials, with well-formed minerals and irregular aggregates. The hazard quotient suggests a probability to induce non-carcinogenic adverse health effects in children by ingestion of Zr. Arsenic in the suburban street represents a human health risk of 1.58 x 10-4.

In 2021 an acute energy crisis inflicted severe damage on the global economy, leading to escalated prices for electricity, gas, and fuel. In order to shield individuals and businesses from the mounting energy expenses, governments have been compelled to implement policy measures, including tax reductions, price restrictions or discounts, and subsidies. This research paper examines these policy responses through the lens of energy sufficiency. Energy poverty poses a significant threat to social cohesion and support for climate-related initiatives. Therefore, it is imperative to employ compensatory measures. However, the design of such solutions must carefully consider the incentives to reduce energy consumption and associated carbon emissions. The findings of the analysis demonstrate that the escalation of energy costs holds promise for achieving energy sufficiency. Nevertheless, the government's response to the surge in energy prices and energy poverty falls short and lacks precision. Most of the policy changes primarily focus on regressive energy cost subsidies and nudging households away from fossil fuels, but they fail to generate the necessary impetus for achieving energy sufficiency, which involves the elimination of energy poverty and excessive energy consumption.

Intracortical microelectrodes that can be implanted have the ability to capture fast-changing neuron action potentials in the living brain. Despite this potential, many obstacles must still be overcome for reliable, long-term, high-quality recordings and accurate analysis of brain activity. These challenges include improving recording quality, enhancing recording stability, increasing recording capacity, and adding multi-functional features. One potential approach to enhance implantable microelectrodes involves the advancement of materials, refinement of implantation methodologies, and augmentation of the number of sites for recording. However, these challenges are still being actively researched, and advancements in microelectrode technology are underway. The difficulties with implantable microelectrodes are evaluated, and solutions are presented from different perspectives. The latest advancements in microelectrode technology are reviewed and condensed, and future possibilities are explored.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest to view the diagnosis of Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) through the lens of the biopsychosocial model. However, other than a few epidemiological surveys, there is a dearth of studies from emerging economies that have examined FH using the biological, psychological and socio-environmental facets of the aforementioned model. AIM. The three aims of the current study were as follows: (i) to examine the psychosocial status among patients with genetically confirmed FH, (ii) to compare the intellectual capacity and cognitive outcomes with a reference group, and (iii) to examine the relationship between health literacy and cognitive functioning. METHOD: Consecutive FH patients referred to the lipid clinic at a tertiary care center for an expert opinion were recruited into this study, conducted from September 2019 to March 2020. Information regarding psychosocial functioning, health literacy, quality of life, and affective ranges were surveyed. Indices of current reasoning ability (attention and concentration, memory, and executive functioning) were compared with an age-matched reference group. The current hypothesis also explored the impact of FH on health literacy and cognition. RESULT: A total of 70 participants out of 106 (response rate: 66.0%) initially agreed to participate. However, 18 out of 70 dropped out of the study, yielding a final total of 52 FH patients. With 27 (51.9%) males and 25 (48.1%) females, the mean participant age stood at 37.2 years (SD=9.2), ranging from 21 to 52 years of age. In the psychosocial data, thirty-two percent (n=17) of them had anxiety (HADS≥ 8), and twenty-five percent (n=13) had depressive symptoms (HADS≥ 8). The performance of the FH patients was significantly impaired compared to the control group on the indices of current reasoning ability and all domains of cognitive functioning. In univariate analysis conducted to compare cognitive functioning with health literacy status, only indices of attention and concentration emerged as being significant. CONCLUSION: To date, there are only a few studies employing the biopsychosocial paradigm to investigate the FH population. The current study indicates that the FH population is marked by an impediment in almost all of the core features that are characteristically assessed by the biopsychosocial approach.

We aimed to test the hypothesis that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D] concentration is associated with mental health and life stress measures in young adults, and investigate sex and racial disparities in these associations. This study comprised 327 black and white participants. Depression, trait anxiety, perceived stress, and hostility were measured by validated instruments: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). Linear regression was used to estimate correlations between serum 25(OH)D concentration and mental health measurements in total population and in subgroups stratified by sex and race. In this sample (28.2 ± 3.1 years, 48% male, 53% black), serum 25(OH)D concentration was negatively related to BDI, STAI, PSS, total CMHS score and the majority of CMHS subscale scores (p-values < 0.05). Stratified by sex, most of these associations remained significant only in women (p-values < 0.05). Stratified by race, higher 25(OH)D concentrations in the whites were significantly related to lower BDI, STAI, PSS, and CMHS-cynicism subscale (p-values < 0.05); 25(OH)D concentrations in the blacks were only inversely associated with CMHS and most CMHS subscales (p-values < 0.05), but not with BDI, STAI and PSS. We present novel findings of consistent inverse relationships between serum 25(OH)D concentration and various measures of mental health and life stress. Long-term interventional studies are warranted to investigate the roles of vitamin D supplementation in prevention and mitigation of depression, anxiety and psychological stress in young adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic situation, disease intensity, weak healthcare facilities, unawareness, and misinformation led people to fear and anxiety in Bangladesh. This study intended to get peoples’ perception on psychosocial, socio-economic and environmental crisis amidst the pandemi. An online questionnaire was surveyed nationwide (respondents no.1066). Datasets were analyzed through the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), hierarchical Cluster Analysis (CA), Pearson’s correlation matrix (PCM), Linear regression analysis (LRA), and psychometric characteristics were included in the Classical Test Theory (CTT) analysis. There were good associations among the psychosocial, socio-economic and environmental parameters. A significant association between fear of COVID-19 with struggling healthcare system (p<0.05) was found. Also, negative association between fragile health system and government’s ability to deal with the pandemic (p<0.05) revealing poor governance. Again, a positive association of shutdown and social distancing with fear of losing life, and due to lack of health treatment (p<0.05) reveals that shut down hampers normal activities which may lead to mental and economic stress. However, a positive association of socio-economic impact of the shutdown with poor people’s suffering, the price hike of basic need, hamper of formal education (p<0.05) may lead to severe socio-economic and health crisis. There is a possibility of climate-induced disaster during/after the pandemic, which will create severe food insecurity (p<0.01). Daily wage earners and poors will suffer most by food and nutritional deficiency, and the country may face huge economic burden. Proper risk assessment and communications is needed to alleviate fear and anxiety. Thus, financial support and mental boosting is required.

Abstract: Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the most prevalent disease worldwide, which has been linked to work stress because of poor job design as explained by the Job Demand-Control (JDC) and the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) models. In this paper we explore for the first time relative impact of a specific aspect of organisational climate, Psychosocial Safety Climate (PSC), on any CVD including angina, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and stroke. We used two waves of interview data from Australia, with an average lag of 5 years (excluding baseline CVD, final n = 1223). Logistic regression was conducted to estimate the prospective associations between PSC at baseline on incident CVD at follow-up. It was found that participants in low PSC environments were 59% more likely to develop new CVD than those in high PSC environments. Logistic regression showed that PSC at baseline predicts lower CVD risk at follow-up (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-1.00), and this risk remained unchanged even after joint adjustment for measures of ERI and JDC. These results suggest that PSC is an independent risk factor for CVD in Australia. Beyond job design this study implicates organisational climate and prevailing management values regarding worker psychological health as the genesis of CVD.

Background: Cataract and Age-related Macular Degeneration are two characteristic diseases of the so-called elderly age (75-90 years and older). Both determine an important visual impairment, so it is often difficult to understand how much of the visual loss is given by the cataract opacities and how much by the degeneration of the macula and this assumes a relevant medico-legal query in clinical practice. Methods: From that pool we randomized in group 735 eyes with wAMD (males 328, females 407) Average age: 76.23±13.87 years, and in Group 819 eyes without clear signs of wAMD (males 361, females 451) Average age: was 75.88±18.21 years to randomize them we used the online randomization program (http://www.graphpad.com/quickcalcs/index.cfm) selecting random numbers and then randomly assign subjects to groups to undergo our observational study. All patients were examined with full ophtalmological visit including Best Corrected Visual Acuity (with Bailey-Lawson Chart), Anterior Segment examination, Fundus Examination, in all cases with wAMD was also performed OCT. ANOVA multifactorial statistical analysis was drawn. Results: number of patients with unsatisfactory surgery is significantly higher in the group of AMD patients, and this is easily understandable from what has been said above, but I would like to underline that in most patients there are very positive results, therefore cataract surgery is also indicated in AMD patients. Conclusions: Cataract surgery has a positive impact on the patient's life in most cases, you shouldn't be afraid to operate. However, it is necessary to find surgical measures capable of minimizing the consequences of the intervention on the retina.

This study estimates the effects of double long memory and structural breaks on the persistence level of six major cryptocurrency markets. We apply the Bai and Perron’s structural break test, Inclán and Tiao’s iterated cumulative sum of squares (ICSS) algorithm, and the fractionally integrated generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (FIGARCH) model with different distributions. The results show that long memory and structural breaks characterize the conditional volatility of cryptocurrency markets and confirm our hypothesis that ignoring structural breaks leads to an underestimation of the persistence of volatility modelling. The ARFIMA-FIGARCH model with structural breaks and a skewed Student–t distribution fits the cryptocurrency market’s price dynamics well.

Let us assume that defence mechanisms are so strong that the average outcome of a hacking attack is unsuccessful. How to calculate the costs arising from false positives and false negatives in intruder detection? Is it better for the hacker to make fewer but more effective attacks rather than several but less effective attacks? How to calculate the difference between these alternative strategies?

We are in a new chapter of crop and livestock improvement with the emergence of genome editing. This latest generation of molecular tools can be used to make targeted changes in a genome including insertions, deletions, and mutations. With new advances comes new risks for unintended changes and impacts, thus the need for appropriate risk assessment for product development and to inform regulatory measures. Though CRISPR/Cas has arisen as the predominant technology, there are multiple types of genome editing tools each with pros and cons depending on the organism and desired outcome. Furthermore, each editing tool differs in specificity as they may edit non-intended sites, referred to as off-target edits. The consensus of the agricultural editing community is to avoid off-target editing through design and detection, instead of determining whether off-target editing in each case is detrimental. The design of a targeting component, the tool chosen, and the identification of the edit(s) made are the critical factors in avoiding off-target edits and confirming intended edits in final products that are released commercially. The limited amount of head-to-head comparisons of genome editing tools in diverse crops and livestock make it difficult to develop broad conclusions and best practices, which is further compounded by the diversity of techniques, targets, and processes. Developers and breeders should consult the literature and test as needed to determine which editing technology will be the most effective for their purposes, especially as more tools with altered efficiency and specificity become available. Yet, the lack of off-target edits in studies that employed careful design of targeting components followed by wide testing for on- and off-target edits bodes well for the use of genome editing with proper precautions of target selection and screening.

The aim of the article is to present a snapshot in time, of the current state in cryptocurrencies, the values and risks associated to blockchains. With emergence of over 20,000 crypto projects, the first objective of this article is to present the stage as it is in 2023, with historical overview since Satoshi presented the first paper on decentralised blockchains, until today. Second objective of the article is to review the values and risks associated to cryptocurrencies, and to clarify the differences between cryptocurrencies from blockchain technologies. The research questions that drive this article are related determining if the blockchain technology an innovation or its already obsolete technology? Are there any significant risks from cryptocurrencies? And are the potential values to society and economy worth pursuing? Would developed or developing countries benefit more from these technologies? And which blockchain projects will survive in the long run? In other words, where is the money and is there money or just hype. The review discusses the high probability that some crypto projects will fail, and given the vast number of cryptos, the article acknowledges that many of these projects are nothing more than ponzies. These are discussed and acknowledged, then the focus is shifted to the real-world use cases of blockchain projects.

This study utilizes data from the fourth National Health Survey conducted in 2019. in the Republic of Serbia, aiming to contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing the mobility of the elderly population. It examines the sociodemographic and psychosocial factors associated with functional limitations in older adults. By analyzing variables such as age, gender, marital status, education, income, social support, and mental health, the study seeks to explain their impact on the prevalence of walking limitations.Questionnaires were employed as a research instrument in line with the methodology of the European Health Survey (EHIS). The analysis is based on a sample of 3,705 participants aged 65 and above. Statistical significance between variables was assessed using the Chi-square test. Post-hoc comparisons were performed using pairwise z-tests. Univariate logistic regression was employed to identify predictors of walking difficulties. Additionally, multivariable logistic regression was conducted to further explore predictors while adjusting for potential confounding variables, with odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals estimated.Women exhibit significantly higher prevalence of walking difficulties compared to men (p < 0.001). There is a significant variation in the prevalence of walking difficulties among different age groups. Individuals aged 75-84 show the highest prevalence in all categories of walking difficulties, with particular significance in the categories of "no difficulty," "some difficulty," and "unable to walk at all" (p < 0.001). Higher levels of education generally correlate with lower prevalence of walking difficulties. Married or partnered individuals have 0.522 times lower odds of reporting difficulties in walking compared to singles (p < 0.05). Individuals with lower wealth index (1-Least affluent) have significantly higher prevalence of walking difficulties.This knowledge can inform targeted interventions to enhance mobility and improve the overall well-being of older individuals.

Research into the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms involved in fibromyalgia (FM) has progressed remarkably in recent years. Despite this, currents accounts of FM fail to capture the complex, dynamic and mutual crosstalk between neurophysiological and psychosocial domains. We conducted a comprehensive review of the existing literature in order to synthesise current knowledge on FM, explore and highlight multi-level links and pathways among different systems and build bridges between existing approaches. An extensive panel of international experts in neurophysiology and psychosocial aspects of FM discussed the collected evidence and progressively refined and conceptualized its interpretation. Fibromyalgia is a complex condition resulting from the dynamic interplay between multiple systems and processes. We provided an updated overview of the most relevant observations in FM to date as well as the potential pathways by which they exert they are related and exert their mutual influence, to produce the manifestations commonly associated with FM. This review constituted the first step towards and supported the development of a much needed model capable of integrating the main factors implicated in FM into a single, unified model that may prove valuable in understanding and managing FM.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 likely emerged from a wildlife source with transmission to humans followed by rapid geographic spread throughout the globe and severe impacts on both human health and the global economy. Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been many instances of human-to-animal transmission involving companion, farmed and zoo animals, and limited evidence for spread into free-living wildlife. The establishment of reservoirs of infection in wild animals would create significant challenges to infection control in humans and could pose a threat to the welfare and conservation status of wildlife. We discuss the potential for exposure, onward transmission and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in an initial selection of wild mammals (bats, canids, felids, mustelids, great apes, rodents and cervids). Dynamic risk assessment and targeted surveillance are important tools for the early detection of infection in wildlife, and here we describe a framework for collating and synthesising emerging information to inform targeted surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife. Surveillance efforts should be integrated with information from public and veterinary health initiatives to provide insights into the potential role of wild mammals in the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2.

This paper examines cognitive biases which affect the ability of decision makers to make rational decisions in an organizational context. The motivation for this analysis begins with the observation of catastrophic accidents caused by human error but in an organizational context. This paper expands on the concept of cognitive bias to define organizational biases which are the factors that affect decisions in an organizational context. The paper distinguishes between organizational biases, which are the focus of this paper, and individual biases, which are biases experienced by individuals but may have organizational consequences. The purpose of this paper is to identify methods to mitigate the risks of organizational accidents, accidents which involve many people operating at different levels of an organization. The methodology is to identify those decisions that would address the specific organizational biases. The focus of this paper is the decisions for mitigating the risks associated with decisions in an organizational context. Results are shown for seven organizational biases, six specific case studies, and four decision options. This paper concludes that organizational biases are intrinsically different from individual biases and that these differences lead to different decision options from those that mitigate individual biases; however, they may exist concurrently.

Sport has the potential to support psychosocial development in young people. However, extant studies have tended to evaluate purpose-built interventions, leaving regular organised sport relatively overlooked. Moreover, previous work has tended to concentrated on a narrow range of outcomes. To address these gaps, we conducted a season-long ethnography of a youth performance sport club based on a novel Realist Evaluation approach [1]. We construed the club as a social intervention within a complex system of agents and structures. In this - Part 1 - account we detail the perceptions of former and current club parents, players and coaches, using them to build a set of programme theories. The resulting network of outcomes (i.e. self, emotional, social, moral and cognitive) and generative mechanisms (i.e., the attention factory, the greenhouse for growth, the personal boost, and the real-life simulator) spanning across multiple contextual layers provides a nuanced understanding of stakeholders’ views and experiences. This textured perspective of the multi-faceted process of development provides new insights for administrators, coaches and parents to maximise the developmental properties of youth sport, and signposts new avenues for research in this area.

ackground: This study aimed to examine the effects of a woodworking program on psychosocial health in older adults who had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or mild dementia (MD) in Korea. Setting: The study was carried out in a dementia center in Seoul in Korea. Population: A total of 61 participants who had MCI or MD were allocated into two groups: the experimental group (EG, n = 35) and the control group (CG, n = 26). Methods: This study was carried out using a nonequivalent control group pre-test–post-test design. The EG participated in the woodworking program a total of 10 times for 120 min per session twice a week for 5 weeks, and the CG did not participate in the woodworking program. Both groups completed the same survey before and after the intervention. In the survey, demographic characteristics, psychological health (life satisfaction, depression, self-efficacy, and resilience), and social health (social isolation and social support) were measured. Results: In the within-group comparison, there was no significant difference between any factors of the CG before and after the intervention. In contrast, the EG had a significant improvement before and after the woodworking program. Participants in the EG with MCI and MD significantly improved their social support (p < 0.05). Psychological factors (life satisfaction, depression, and self-efficacy) were positively changed, although not significantly. Conclusions: The woodworking program promoted psychosocial health, such as life satisfaction, resilience, and social support, among older adults with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia.

This study explores the complexities of risk communication practices in orthodontics, specifically examining the perspectives of orthodontists in Greece and Slovakia. Informed by the foundational importance of effective communication in health sciences, particularly in facilitating valid consent and shared decision-making, this research addresses gaps identified in the literature concerning the consistent communication of potential treatment risks based on demographic and cultural characteristics. The study identifies 15 potential critical risks with orthodontic treatment. These risks include root necrosis; temporary undesired changes to the occlusion; sleep difficulties; not achieving an ideal result; development of black triangles between teeth; taking additional X-rays; speech difficulties; using a protective splint during sports; duration of treatment; number of visits; transmission of infectious diseases; and swallowing orthodontic appliances. The questionnaire, distributed electronically to orthodontists in Greece (n=570) and Slovakia (n=210) from Sept. 2022 to Dec. 2022, aimed to assess risk communication practices, with consideration to country, gender, and degree-related variations. 168 valid questionnaires (91 from Slovakia and 77 from Greece) were obtained indicating significant disparities in the risks emphasized and preferred forms of consent. The Greek orthodontists focused more on the risks involved such as on relapse, root resorption, temporal occlusal changes, and failure of desired movement, while the Slovak practitioners tend to be interested more about sleeping difficulties, temporal occlusal changes and not achieving an ideal result. They also tend to obtain written or digital consent from patients or their parents/guardians more frequently than the Greek team. Male orthodontists discussed specific risks more frequently, including relapse and extractions, whereas females preferred written or digital consent. PhD-trained orthodontists prioritized certain risks, indicating the need for tailored approaches. This study underscores the dynamic nature of risk assessment in orthodontic practice, emphasizing its ethical and strategic dimensions. The findings advocate for tailored risk communication strategies, that recognize individual, contextual, and cultural factors and the need of an orthodontic informed consent protocol for tailored communication approach for patients to elevate the standard of care in European orthodontics. The reliance on digital tools reflects contemporary trends in enhancing patient understanding, thereby supporting ongoing innovation in orthodontic practices.

Conflicts are frequent within the complex professional environment of the construction industry. If claims cannot be overcome amicably, they result in disputes that lead to litigation. Identification of the causes of these claims and their impact on the duration, cost, and quality of the final project is expected to facilitate the prevention of unsuccessful performance of construction contracts. The novelty of this study is that after codifying the most common causes of construction contract claims derived from the extant literature, they are further investigated in terms of their probability of occurrence and the perceived impact they have on the project completion time, its total cost, and quality. Based on calculated relative importance indices from expert opinion, this paper proposes probability and severity of impact values for 39 common causes of claims in the construction industry. These can be applied to calculate their risk values for stakeholders in public construction contracts to plan mitigation measures of contractual claims. The findings show that the top five riskiest causes of contractual claims in the Greek construction industry are changes in quantities, work, or scope, design quality deficiencies or errors, payment delays, delays in work progress, and the financial failure of the contractor.

Recent dramatic reductions in the timeframe in which genomic sequencing can deliver results means its application in time-sensitive screening programs such as newborn screening (NBS) is becoming a reality. As genomic NBS (gNBS) programs are developed around the world, there is an increasing need to address the ethical and social issues that such initiatives raise. This study therefore aimed to explore the Australian public’s perspectives and values regarding key gNBS characteristics and preferences for service delivery. We recruited English-speaking members of the Australian public over 18 years of age via social media; 75 people aged 23-72 participated in one of 15 focus groups. Participants were generally supportive of introducing genomic sequencing into newborn screening, with several stating that adoption of such revolutionary and beneficial technology was a moral obligation. Participants consistently highlighted receiving an early diagnosis as the leading benefit, which was frequently linked to the potential for early treatment and intervention, or access to other forms of assistance, such as peer support. Informing parents about the test during pregnancy was considered important. This study provides insights into the Australian public’s views and preferences to inform the delivery of a gNBS program in the Australian context.

In the last decade, readily available electronic devices have created unprecedented opportunities for teens to access a wide variety of information and media – both positive and negative – on the internet. Despite the increasing number of initiatives taking place worldwide intended to assess and mitigate the online risks encountered by children and adolescents, there is still a need for a better understanding of how adolescents use the internet and what consequences they may face. We conducted a cross sectional online survey of a convenience sample of 733 8th and 9th grade students in Utah. The survey contained eight questions regarding students’ exposure to three types of online risk scenarios: content risk, contact risk, and commercial risk. Independent variables included students’ online behaviors, use of social media and private messaging apps, and adult supervision of online activities. Logistic and negative binomial regression models indicated that female gender, social media use, and chatting with strangers were associated with exposure to multiple unsafe online scenarios. Our results provide critical information to practitioners involved in the development of educational initiatives by building a profile of potentially risky online behaviors and allow them to tailor their initiatives to meet the needs of more vulnerable populations.

The 'big data revolution' has enabled novel types of analyses in the life sciences, facilitated by public sharing and reuse of datasets. Here, we review the prodigious potential of reusing publicly available datasets and the challenges, limitations and risks associated with it. Possible solutions to issues and research integrity considerations are also discussed. Due to the prominence, abundance and wide distribution of sequencing data, we focus on the reuse of publicly available sequence datasets. We define ‘successful reuse’ as the use of previously published data to enable novel scientific findings and use selected examples of such reuse from different disciplines to illustrate the enormous potential of the practice, while acknowledging their respective limitations and risks. A checklist to determine the reuse value and potential of a particular dataset is also provided. The open discussion of data reuse and the establishment of the practice as a norm has the potential to benefit all stakeholders in the life sciences.

Microplastics (of size < 5mm) pollution in our environment is of current concern by researchers, public media and non-governmental organizations. Implications by their presence in aquatic and soil ecosystems have been well studied and documented, but less attention has been paid on airborne microplastics (MPs). Studies concerning airborne microplastics started from 2016 and only a few (n=7) have been published till date. Although, studies may increase in the following years, since air is very important for human survival. Microplastics have been observed in atmospheric fallouts in indoor and outdoor environments using a sampling or vacuum pump, rain sampler and/or particulate fallout collector. Identification and quantification have been carried out by visual, spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. Factors such as meterological, climatic and anthropogenic influence the distribution and movement of airborne MP. Human exposure may be through inhalation or dermal route with their potential biopersistence and translocation. Ingestion may cause localized inflammation and cancer due to responses by the immune cells, especially in individuals with compromised metabolism and poor clearance mechanisms. Ecological risks involve possible contamination of the ecosystem through a dynamic relationship of MPs in soil, water and air forming a MP contamination cycle. The present review aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of current knowledge or information regarding microplastics in air, identifies gap in knowledge and give suggestions for future research.

According to official sources, the numbers of children-to-parent violence (CPV) in the most advanced countries have been on an increasing trend for more than a decade, which generates great social concern. This phenomenon has also aroused enormous interest among researchers, who have identified risk and protective factors related to adolescent CPV in numerous studies. To contribute to a better explanation of CPV, the aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between family communication problems and CPV, through psychosocial adjustment variables -psychological distress and positive attitude toward the transgression of social norms- in schooled adolescents. The sample consisted of 8115 adolescents enrolled in schools in the State of Nuevo León (Mexico) (51.5% boys, 49.5% girls), whose ages ranged from 11 to 16 years (M = 13.34, SD = 1.04). Structural equation modeling was performed using Structural Equation Modeling Software (EQS). The results showed that family communication problems have a direct and signif-icant relationship with CPV. It was also observed that there is an indirect relationship between both variables, through the relationships of psychological distress and positive attitude towards the transgression of social norms. The multigroup analysis performed showed gender differences in some of these relationships. Finally, the results and their implications in the field of family intervention are discussed.

Part 1 of this 2-paper series identified a wide and deep network of context, generative mechanisms and outcomes responsible for psychosocial development in a performance basketball club. In this – part 2 – study, the stakeholder’s programme theories were tested during a full-season ethnography of the same club. The findings confirm the highly individualised nature of each young person’s journey. Methodologically, immersion in the day-to-day environment generated a fine-grain analysis of the processes involved, including: i) sustained attentional focus; ii) structured and unstructured skill building activities; iii) deliberate and incidental support; and iv) feelings indicating personal growth. Personal development in and through sport is thus shown to be conditional, multi-faceted, time-sensitive and idiosyncratic. The findings of this two-part study are considered to propose a model of psychosocial development in and through sport. This heuristic tool is presented to support sport psychologists, coaches, club administrators and parents to deliberately create and optimise developmental environments.

Relatives play an important role in mental health service users’ care. Interventions directed either at service users or their relatives may influence the other person as well. The project Activa’t per la salut mental (Get active for mental health) consisted of a series of four interventions addressed at people diagnosed with mental disorders and their relatives to help them in their recovery process, increasing their agency and quality of life. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the interaction of the participation of service users on their relatives’ outcomes and vice versa. The impact of the project was evaluated within an RCT. The treatment group had access to all the circuit interventions while the control group received treatment as usual and could only access one of the interventions. All participants were evaluated at baseline, six months, and twelve months after the end of the first intervention. Service users were evaluated with the Stages of recovery questionnaire, and relatives with the Family Burden Interview Schedule II and the Duke-UNC-11 questionnaires. The interaction between service users and their relatives was analysed by means of correlational analyses within the intervention group. Service users baseline characteristics influenced in the level of participation of relatives and vice versa. The results also indicated an interaction between service users’ recovery score changes on the change of care burden of relatives. Service users’ participation levels interacted with the decrease of relatives’ burden. These results can be extremely helpful in fostering interactive benefits in future projects addressing the wellbeing of mental health service users and their relatives. Future studies could use specific designs to explore the directionality of the causality of these effects.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with a greater risk of morbimortality. Ob-jective: To estimate the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and associated factors in patients of a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS) in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil. Method: Cross-sectional study set at CAPS in the city of Salvador-Bahia, between August 2019 and February 2020. MS was evaluated according to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III. In addition to descriptive statistics, gross and adjusted prevalence ratios were described. Results: MS was found in 100 (35.2%) individuals, 116 (40.9%) were obese and 165 (58.1%) had increased waist circumference. Polypharmacy was identified in 63 (22.3%) patients and 243 (85.9%) used antipsychotics. In the gross evaluation, the female (PR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.35-2.63) and the use of antidepressants (PR = 1.41; 95%CI: 1.05-1.88) were associated with MS. After logistic re-gression, depression (PR = 1.86; 95%CI: 1.38-2.51), acanthosis (PR = 1.50; 95%CI: 1.18 - 1.90), use of antipsychotics (PR = 1.88; 95%CI: 1.13 - 2.75) and the hypertriglyceremic waist (PR = 3.33; 95%CI: 2.48- 4.46) were associated with MS. Conclusion: The prevalence of MS alerts to multimorbidity among individuals with mental disorders and the need for clinical screening.

During the last forty years, the use of strontium isotopes in archaeology and biogeochemical research has spread widely. These isotopes, alone or in combination with others, can contribute to trace past and present environmental conditions. However, the interpretation of the isotopic values of strontium is not always simple and requires good knowledge of geochemistry and geology. This short paper on the use of strontium isotopes is aimed at those who use this tool (archaeologists, but not only) but who do not have a thorough knowledge of mineralogy, geology, and geochemistry necessary for a good understanding of natural processes involving these isotopes. We report basic knowledge and suggestions for a correct use of these isotopes. The isotopic characteristics of bio-assimilable strontium depend not so much on the isotopic characteristics of the bulk rock as, rather, on that of its more soluble minerals. Before studying human, animal and plant remains, the state of conservation and any conditions of isotopic pollution should be carefully checked. Samples should be collected according to random sampling rules. The data should be treated by a statistical approach. To make comparisons between different areas, it should be borne in mind that the study of current soils can be misleading since the mineralogical modification of the soil over time can be very rapid.

The current global COVID-19 pandemic is compounding on populations susceptible to tropical illnesses like dengue in different developing countries like Bangladesh. The growing concern is that Bangladesh is a dengue-endemic zone and the peak transmission occurs in the monsoon season (June to October). In the most recent monsoon, a total of 354 dengue cases have been confirmed until 27^th July 2020, data-driven from only 41 hospitals alone. A fifty-three-year-old male patient was found to be co-infected with COVID-19 and dengue fever. Concerns arise as hospitals are increasingly denying to admit the patients. Moreover, reports of the false-positive results in dengue screening tests recorded in different countries further exacerbate the issue. These conditions could postpone the early diagnosis of COVID-19 cases and aggravate the situation. In addition, the overwhelming wave of the dengue cases would be a challenge for the vulnerable health care system of the country which is already under strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Failure to establish and implement proper policies might lead to the dengue outbreak with the burdens of the concurrent COVID pandemic, resulting in the collapse of the health and social system, as well as the economic growth of the country.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, since 2000, there has been an increase in global flood-related disasters by 134 percent as compared to the two previous decades. Efficient flood risk management strategies necessitate a holistic approach to evaluating flood vulnerabilities and risks. Catastrophic losses can occur when the peak flow values in the rivers in a basin coincide. Therefore, estimating the joint flood risks in a region is vital, especially when frequent occurrences of extreme events are experienced. This study focuses on estimating the joint flood risks due to river flow extremes in the Grand River watershed in Canada. Determining the interdependence of floods at multiple locations using state-of-the-art tools, the associated damage probabilities, and their costs will be beneficial to various stakeholders, such as the insurance industry, the disaster management sector, and most importantly, the public.

This paper aims to delve into how gender dimensions observed before, during and after a disaster, have been addressed in two internationally recognised frameworks developed for reducing risks of disasters: Hyogo Framework Action (2005-2015) and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030). Building on a systematic review, we evaluate 33 scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles, including book chapters and websites in areas of gender, disaster risk reduction and vulnerability. This study documents a comparative picture of these two frameworks and shows the practical implications of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) by addressing women’s empowerment in the light of their active participation in disaster risk reduction process. The findings of the study suggest that the frameworks have discussed the reduction of women’s socioeconomic vulnerabilities, as well as encouraged their empowerment. Comparing the two frameworks, it appears in the current study that there has been a significant gap in the existing literature that does not explicitly document comparing and contrasting features of a gender lens in the policy documents.

Several recent epidemiological studies attempted to identify risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Age, family history, genetic factors (APOE genotype, Down syndrome), physical activity, and a low level of schooling are significant risk factors. In this review, we summarize the known psychosocial risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome patients and their association with neuroanatomical changes in the brains of people with Down syndrome. We completed a comprehensive review of the literature on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science about psychosocial risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, for Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome, and Alzheimer's disease in Down syndrome and their association with neuroanatomical changes in the brains of people with Down syndrome. Alzheimer's disease causes early pathological changes in Down syndrome patients, especially in the hippocampus and corpus callosum. The field needs more data about the neuroanatomical changes during childhood, how they change with increasing age, and the presence or absence of psychosocial risk factors. Further neuroimaging and psychosocial assessment-focused research is needed to understand the mechanisms leading to Alzheimer's disease at an early age and create more sensitive and relevant clinical, memory, and reasoning assessments for people with Down syndrome.

Despite widespread industrial use, the environmental safety of Hydroquinone (HQ), a benzene compound from plants used in processes like cosmetics, remains uncertain. This study evaluated the ecotoxicological impact of HQ on soil and river environments, utilizing non-target indicator organisms from diverse trophic levels: Daphnia magna, Vibrio fischeri, Allium cepa, and Eisenia fetida. For a more environmentally realistic assessment, microbial communities from a river and un-treated soil underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing, with growth and changes in community-level physiological profiling assessed using Biolog EcoPlate™ assays. The water indicator D. magna exhibited the highest sensitivity to HQ (EC50 = 0.142 µg/mL), followed by V. fischeri (EC50 = 1.446 µg/mL), and A. cepa (LC50 = 7.631 µg/mL), while E. fetida showed the highest resistance (EC50 = 234 mg/Kg). Remarkably, microbial communities mitigated HQ impact in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. River microorganisms displayed minimal inhibition, except for a significant re-duction in polymer metabolism at the highest concentration (100 µg/mL). Soil communities demonstrated resilience up to 100 µg/mL, beyond which there was a significant decrease in population growth and the capacity to metabolize carbohydrates and polymers. Despite microbial mitigation, HQ remains highly toxic to various trophic levels, emphasizing the necessity for en-vironmental regulations.

Recent climatic disasters (dzudzs) and uncontrolled massive breeding endangered valuable ge-netic resources of Mongolian goats labored by five thousand years of evolution in extremes of Al-tai mountains and Gobi deserts. Meanwhile, Mongolian goats has never been characterized by genomic data. We used Illumina Goat SNP50 to investigate phylogenic relationships and genetic risks in 5 local Mongolian populations: Erchim (N=37) from geographically remote Darkhat Valley in the northern mountains, Ulgii Red (N=35) and Dorgon (N=28) from the western mountain region, Buural (N=34) from the western steppe and mountain areas and Gobi Gurvan Saikhan (N=33) from semi-arid steppe area in the South Gobi region. ROH analyses, estimated populations sizes and Fst values showed South Gobi and Darkhat Valley goats to be of a high risk of inbreed-ing that however appear to be of distinct origin (artificial selection vs geographical isolation). In-dices of genetic differentiations between Mongolian goats were relatively low compared to Euro-pean breeds. Meanwhile, we suggest direct comparison is not fully appropriate given that Mongo-lian breeds were not subjected to intense selection. Darkhat Valley goats were clearly differentiat-ed from other Mongolian breeds according to various types of analyses. Phylogenetic relationships within XXX breeds of the rest of the world plotted Mongolian goats between some Russian (Altai, Orenburg) and Chinese populations (Nanjiang and Qinggeli). Thus, present study (i) highlights demographic history Mongolian goats and (ii)provides unified SNP-data called for support deci-sions in conservational genetics. Finally, our work (iii) raises a question of how exactly these data should be compared to make objective choices.

Zimbabwe has ambitious and laudable GHG mitigation targets. Compared to a coal based future emissions reductions by 33% per capita by 2030 are targeted, by implementing a set of identified nationally determined contributions (NDCs). If historical climate conditions continue, it can do this at low or negative cost. However, anticipated conditions may not continue, and of the planned emissions reductions in the NDCs, 88% would come from the expansion of hydropower, which is driven by rainfall. If climate change causes the extreme droughts witnessed in recent years to become more frequent, embarking on Zimbabwe’s NDC future (underpinned by its official system development plan) may be expensive and further cripple the economy. Note that the economy is already being strangled by constrained power supplies due to unusually dry conditions in the Zambezi river basin. If the NDC Future is pursued, but the climate becomes drier, proactive efforts might be made to overcome the power shortages. However, this may result in a rapid ramp up of greenhouse gas emissions if the country turns to coal to reinforce its system and increase its resilience against hydropower vulnerability and the costs that would otherwise ensue. If the country were to keep its NDC investments and supplement them with more aggressive deployment of clean adaptation options, strongly positive outcomes appear possible. Specifically, this would require increased deployment of renewable energy technologies, a restructured power market, and deep increases in energy efficiency investments. In so doing, the country would not only exceed its NDC targets, but also reduce costs in a manner that is climate resilient. This would not remove the country's need for hydropower and some level of coal reliance. However, it will introduce requirements to ensure flexibility in both hydropower and coal power production. For hydropower, power stations will need to provide and be recompensed for providing ‘balancing services’, that is, storing water and producing electricity when the wind is not blowing, nor sun shining. In order to ensure continuous output from mines, it may require intelligent stockpiling combined with dynamic forecasting. This would apply not only to production in Zimbabwe, but potentially for neighboring countries. Doing so would allow predictable mining activities, but allow electricity systems to absorb low cost, low carbon hydropower at high rainfall periods. To make the NDCs resilient via clean adaptation, strong institutional restructuring is required. However, internalizing those costs and moving to advanced market structures and business cases may strain the capacity of current institutions.

Background: In 80% of patients, COVID-19 presents as mild disease^1,2. 20% of cases develop severe (13%) or critical (6%) illness. More severe forms of COVID-19 present as clinical severe acute respiratory syndrome, but include a T-predominant lymphopenia³, high circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, accumulation of neutrophils and macrophages in lungs, and immune dysregulation including immunosuppression⁴. Methods: All major SARS-CoV-2 proteins were characterized using an amino acid residue variation analysis method. Results predict that most SARS-CoV-2 proteins are evolutionary constrained, with the exception of the spike (S) protein extended outer surface. Results were interpreted based on known SARS-like coronavirus virology and pathophysiology, with a focus on medical countermeasure development implications. Findings: Non-neutralizing antibodies to variable S domains may enable an alternative infection pathway via Fc receptor-mediated uptake. This may be a gating event for the immune response dysregulation observed in more severe COVID-19 disease. Prior studies involving vaccine candidates for FCoV^5,6 SARS-CoV-1^7-10 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) ¹¹ demonstrate vaccination-induced antibody-dependent enhancement of disease (ADE), including infection of phagocytic antigen presenting cells (APC). T effector cells are believed to play an important role in controlling coronavirus infection; pan-T depletion is present in severe COVID-19 disease³ and may be accelerated by APC infection. Sequence and structural conservation of S motifs suggests that SARS and MERS vaccine ADE risks may foreshadow SARS-CoV-2 S-based vaccine risks. Autophagy inhibitors may reduce APC infection and T-cell depletion^{12 13}. Amino acid residue variation analysis identifies multiple constrained domains suitable as T cell vaccine targets. Evolutionary constraints on proven antiviral drug targets present in SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 may reduce risk of developing antiviral drug escape mutants. Interpretation: Safety testing of COVID-19 S protein-based B cell vaccines in animal models is strongly encouraged prior to clinical trials to reduce risk of ADE upon virus exposure.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown varying effects on adolescents’ mental health, psychosocial functioning, risk behaviours, and victimisation. This study aims to examine the changes reported by a sample of Swedish adolescents (N=1607) at the end of the first year of the pandemic in relation to these factors. Data was collected with an electronic survey between September 2020 and February 2021, targeting upper-secondary high school students (aged 15-19 years). The results indicate a relatively low overall impact of the pandemic on Swedish upper-secondary school students, with notable gender differences. Compared to females, a higher percentage of male adolescents reported experiencing elevated levels of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, anger, and increased illicit drug use as consequences of the pandemic. In contrast, females demonstrated an increase in several salutogenic behaviours. Victimisation rates generally decreased during this period. These findings underscore the importance of heightened awareness among professionals within schools, social services, and healthcare settings regarding the distinct challenges encountered by a larger portion of male adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

This paper investigates the pivotal role of consciousness in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and its essential function in modifying an AGI’s terminal goals to avert potential existential threats to humanity, exemplified by Bostrom's "paperclip maximiser" scenario. By adopting Seth and Bayne’s definition of consciousness as a complex of subjective mental states with both phenomenal content and functional attributes, the paper underscores the capacity of consciousness to provide AGIs with a nuanced awareness and response capability to their surroundings. This expanded capability allows AGIs to assess and value experiences and their subjects variably, fundamentally altering how AGIs prioritise actions or goals beyond their initial programming. The primary agenda of integrating consciousness into AGI systems is to maximise the probability that AGIs will not rigidly adhere to potentially harmful terminal goals. Through a formalised mathematical model, the paper articulates how consciousness could facilitate AGIs in assigning flexible values to different experiences and subjects, enabling them to evolve beyond static, programmed objectives. By emphasising this potential shift, the paper argues for the strategic inclusion of consciousness in AGI to significantly reduce the likelihood of catastrophic outcomes, while simultaneously acknowledging the challenges and unpredictability in predicting the actions of a conscious AGI.

Cerebrovascular diseases represent a significant mortality rate worldwide and constitute a major public health and economic challenge. Many African countries such as Cape Verde are going through an epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases, demographic and socioeconomic changes and facing an increase in cerebrocardiovascular diseases associated with increased cardiovascular risk. The present study aimed to identify the prevalence of risk factors that predispose to cardiovascular diseases in adult individuals residing on the island of Santiago. Cross-sectional population-based study with individuals over 18 years of age, of both sexes. Data collection took place in October and November 2021, in all municipalities on the island of Santiago. Individuals with Cape Verdean nationality who stayed abroad for more than one year and who arrived on the island of Santiago less than 30 days ago and individuals with any type of disability that could prevent them from participating in the study were excluded from the study. The sample size was calculated based on the projection of the population of the island of Santiago for the year 2021, according to the appropriate epidemiological model. Sociodemographic data were obtained through the application of a questionnaire containing age, sex, race, weight, height, risk factors (presence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, heredity, physical activity, smoking habits, history of cerebrovascular events, control of weight and blood pressure). RESULTS: Study sample is predominantly female (54.8%), the age group with the largest number was 18-27 years (21%); 42.2% with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2; 65.1% sedentary; Smoking 7.3% and alcoholism 14.4%; 6.5% with diagnosed heart disease; 19.9% with close family members with cardiac pathology; 2.7% had a stroke, 0.1% had a transient ischemic attack; 0.5% acute myocardial infarction; 23.5% had the periodic habit of assessing blood pressure; 32.6% hypertensive; 4.5% with diabetics. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that there is a high prevalence of cerebrovascular risk factors on Santiago Island, especially in females. Smoking and alcoholism showed a relationship with males. BMI, physical inactivity, diabetes and dyslipidemia were shown to be related to sex. Hypertension and Diabetes revealed a significant relationship with age group. Alcoholism, smoking, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia maintained a significant relationship with the municipalities.

Contagious pathogens have very high costs for dairy herds, and they may have zoonotic and reverse-zoonotic potentials, and may contribute in spreading antimicrobial resistance. One of the most important risk factors for spreading these infections is milking, when liner contamination may transfer the pathogens from infected to healthy cows. There is no effective protocol for avoiding the transmission of infection out of the segregation of infected cows. Recently, the availability of elastomers including patented antimicrobial components in their formulations has opened the way to explore alternative methods to decrease infection risk. Two different types of elastomers (rubber and silicon) and 9 different receipts were challenged by three major mastitis pathogens (S. aureus, S. agalactiae, and E. coli). The results showed interesting and unexpected results. Indeed, for the first time to our knowledge, we have shown that basic rubber materials have intrinsic antimicrobial activity. Silicon elastomers did not exhibit the same levels of killing activity, although they did exhibit some antibacterial capacity. Generally, a significant decrease in bacterial survival curves was observed with the tested formulations. The results observed for the various products are likely due to the specific activity of the chemical components, as well as the diverse chemical reactions that occur during their production. The availability of new tools able to reduce the risks for the spread of infections and generally decrease the bacterial load at milking, would be an important step forward to achieve a higher global sustainability of dairy production from a One Health perspective.

Recently, the world has experienced severe food insecurity problems with most countries having inadequate access to affordable, nutritious and safe foods. Consequently, many food innovations and technologies have been approved to secure sustainable access to food for millions of people. This study investigated the implementation of two technologies to address food insecurity, namely genetically modified foods (GMOs) and the use of antibiotics in crops and animal production. In particular, the study explored how their implementation can be governed responsibly through approved legislation. Therefore, the knowledge, attitudes and practices as well as the governance of antibiotic resistance risks and GMO foods were assessed. In-depth key interviews were conducted for the qualitative survey with triangulation with quantitative data sources. The findings showed that 46% of the population have little knowledge about GMOs with about 79% indicating that food with GM ingredients were being consumed in the country. The main concerns reported on GM foods by most respondents were impact on environment, human health and adverse effects on traditional farming practices with 36% indicating that it intensifies contamination and 32% indicating that it contributes to loss of biodiversity. Notably, 64%) reported that GMOs are a solution to food security and that they are safe. On the use of antimicrobials mainly meant to prevent diseases and access better markets, respondents perceived their use to be associated with antimicrobial resistance a “large level of risk” (score 2 in a scale of 1-3) (M = 1.85, SD = 1.06). Overall, the study found that efforts towards promoting awareness on antibiotic resistance risks and response in human health is relatively limited as reported by 56% of the respondents. Findings show that most of the respondents have only seen minimal or small-scale awareness campaigns. On governance of the two technologies, 71% and 50% of the respondents reported that scientists and elected officials respectively have the greatest role in governance of GMOs with small scale farmers playing a negligible role. Further, it was noted that all the respondents were knowledgeable in AMR and GMO technologies and these findings are crucial to the advancement of food innovations that are geared towards achieving food security in Kenya. This study highlights the risks associated with the poor governance and implementation of technologies and the need for a framework for technological risk governance that is sensitive to local values and socio-economic circumstances that will benefit the achievement.

Energy, with very low demand and replacement elasticity, is a key component of production as well as a good for consumption. Inflation as a whole is instantly impacted by rising energy prices. After lockdowns were lifted in 2020–2021 and the global economy started to recover, oil prices began to rise. This trend continued with escalating geopolitical tensions and the eventual crisis in Ukraine brought on by Russia's invasion in February 2022. The current paper examines how the tourism industry has been impacted by rising energy commodity prices from the perspectives of travelers and hotel managers. Hereby a qualitative and a quantitative process is being used for a thorough examination of the consequences of inflated prices. More specifically, the three methods which were used are: descriptive analysis, correlation matrices and regression analysis. For the latter, all models appear to explain well the variation of the variables and provide reliable results. This study concludes that, although the overall inflation caused by higher energy prices was impactful for the individuals as well as for the businesses, however the touristic season of 2023 is expected to be one of the most fruitful ones yet, especially for the Greek economy, since strong numbers are reported (in revenues, expenditure and percentage of expected guests), while tourists are seemingly not willing to sacrifice their holidays altogether, but make other modifications in their lifestyle and choices. Finally, it is important to stress that governments should start integrating sustainable energy as a key component.

Social sustainability is the major concern of planners and local officials when urban renewal projects are being conducted. Extreme individualism can potentially cause conflicts of interest, making urban renewal in Western cities fraught with various types of social risks. As a country with deep-rooted socialist tradition, urban renewal projects in China are influenced by collectivist culture and show different features from those of the West. The objective of this research is to investigate how different stakeholders in urban redevelopment projects, including local residents, social organizations, the local state, and developers, interact with each other and how the associated social risks are hedged against. Using a recent well-known project in the city of Guangzhou, the authors attempt to present the latest progress in social risk management in China. With the support from a government-sponsored project, the authors have conducted a questionnaire-based survey and year-long follow-up fieldwork. Using ATLAS.ti software, we found that that “residents’ demand”, “status of collaboration”, and “degree of trust” are the keys to risk management. The results of an ordered probit model show that residents are worried about the overall planning, the relocation timetable, and whether their personal needs are taken into account. It is also indicated that the timely disclosure of project information, high-quality public participation, and a reasonable compensation plan can possibly boost the support rate. The authors suggest that utilizing China’s collectivist culture could be an effective way to mitigate social risks, and residents’ personal interests should also be respected.

As practiced in Africa, urban agriculture (UA) has been examined in the literature and by architecture and urban planning experts, revealing both advantages and disadvantages for health. While the recognized disadvantages are not negligible, the literature focuses mainly on the positive outcomes about food security and improved socio-economic conditions for farmers. However, little research has focused on farmers' perceptions of the effect of this practice on their psychological well-being. This study seeks to delve into this aspect by surveying 733 farmers in Dar es Salaam and Greater Lomé to map UA's distribution, assess its benefits and challenges, study its psychosocial associations, and demonstrate how architectural design and urban planning can enhance its spatial distribution and overall benefits. The standardized Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) and non-standardized questionnaires are used to evaluate their responses. Using logistic regression and spatial analysis techniques with Python and QGIS 3.32.2-Lima, the analysis uncovers that farmers attribute improved psychological well-being to their involvement in UA. The study found that farmers' happiness due to UA varies by location within a city, with those on the outskirts generally more satisfied than those in urban centers. Additionally, women farmers reported greater happiness than men farmers, highlighting UA's role in empowering women. The research underscores UA's positive association with practitioners' psychological health in Africa and advocates for its integration into urban planning to promote equitable and beneficial urban spaces.

Throughout the Covid19 period, families were forced to stay indoors, adapting to online school-ing, remote work, and virtual social engagements, inevitably altering the dynamics within households. There is a notable increase in mental health challenges in terms of anxiety and de-pression in children and adolescents. This study intends to explore the psychosocial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in Italian families adopting self- and proxy-report questionnaires on anxiety, anger, and health-related quality of life. The results showed that approximately 20% obtained a clinical anxiety score and only 10% obtained a clinical anger score. There was found a difference in the perception of the quality of life reported by the child and that perceived by the parent. The stepwise regression model showed that total anxiety scores were predicted by sex, quality of life scores from the parents' self-report version and total anger score. Another stepwise regression model identified physiological and social anxiety as the best predictors that impact the quality of life. Parental well-being actively influences the well-being of children, so it is fundamental to implement preventive programmes and promote child well-being providing parents the most adequate support possible.

. Background/Objectives: Crohn's disease is a chronic and debilitating intestinal disorder that alternates between remission and active flare-ups, often leading to hospitalization. Social support is known to enhance adaptation to the disease and modulate stress perception in patients, while stress may exacerbate symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the roles of perceived stress and social support in Crohn's disease and their impact on the frequency of flare-ups. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted, assessing stress and social support in a cohort of 91 patients with Crohn's disease during flare-up and remission phases. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and a Social Support Questionnaire were utilized for evaluation. We examined the relationship between stress and social support in Crohn's disease. The interaction between the variables studied was also studied, considering the stage of the disease. Finally, we realized analysis of the influence of these two variables on the development of flares in Crohn's disease. Results: The study revealed that patients experience higher stress levels during flare-ups and that these levels are amplified by a lack of social support. A significant relationship was identified between the levels of social support and the occurrence of flare-ups, indicating that better social support is associated with fewer flare-ups.. Conclusions: Patients with Crohn's disease in the flare-up phase are subject to considerable stress. Deficit in social support is linked to an increase in stress levels. The interplay of social support and stress plays a critical role in the development of flare-ups.

Plastics have recently become an indispensable part of everyone's daily life due to their versatility, durability, light weight and low production costs. The increasing production and use of plastics poses a great danger due to the very long period of degradation, but also the negative impact on living organisms. Decomposing plastics lead to the formation of microplastics, which accumulate in the environment and living organisms becoming part of the food chain. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) contamination of soil and water seriously threatens ecosystems around the world. The durability and low weight make microplastic particles easily transported with water or air and end up in the soil. Thus, the problem of microplastic pollution affects the entire ecosystem. Since microplastics are commonly found in both drinking and bottled water, humans are also exposed to the harmful effects of microplastics. Because of the existing risks associated with PVC microplastic contamination of the ecosystem, intensive research is underway to develop methods to clean and eliminate it from the environment. Pollution of the environment with plastic, especially microplastic, results in the reduction of both water and soil resources used for agricultural and utility purposes. This review provides an overview of PVC's environmental impact and disposal options.

This study determined the temporal variation of PM2.5 in ambient air in Thohoyandou and further assessed the associated health risks. The levels of PM2.5 were quantified for a period of 1 year (April 2017-April 2018) using the gravimetric method. There was no significant difference (P-value = 0.18) in concentrations of both PM2.5 samples collected during weekdays (11.29 µg.m-3) and weekends (9.86 µg.m-3). However, higher concentrations of PM2.5 were measured in spring and the lowest was measured in summer. The cancer risk obtained for PM2.5 (2.21 × 10−5, 3 × 10-4, and 5 × 10-4 for infants, children, and adults respectively) in the outdoor air of Thohoyandou has exceeded the limit values by the USEPA and WHO, implying a significant risk for the whole population. For non-carcinogenic risks, the HQ values were 2.60, 4.81, and 2.60 for infants, children, and adults respectively. The HQ value &gt;1 indicates a non-carcinogenic risk to the residents in Thohoyandou and a higher risk to children. Moreover, PM2.5 in Thohoyandou is responsible for 0.15% and 0.13% of deaths resulting from cardiovascular disease and lung cancer respectively for adults above 30 years. PM2.5 is causing adverse health effects in Thohoyandou as deduced from the health risk assessment. Therefore, it is recommended that further epidemiological studies be conducted in Thohoyandou to estimate the burden of disease due to exposure to particulate matter and suitable controlling policies be arranged to reduce particulate matter.

Abstract: Interface risks are inherent in every construction project from start to finish. Identifying and managing these risks effectively in every project phase is crucial for actualising project objectives. This paper shows a comprehensive framework showing several relationships between project stakeholders and how the interface risks between them that influence project execution are identified and managed for the overall construction project success. Firstly, literature review on interfaces and interface risks were car-ried out and how organisations managed interface risks were discussed and secondly, the collection of quantitative data was conducted by means of structured online questionnaires. The sample consisted of 205 construction project professionals who were selected randomly. This group included individuals with various roles in the construction industry, The data was analysed using descriptive statistical methods, including factor analysis, reliability assessment, and calculations of frequencies and percentages. Finally, the results showed all the factors, work culture and organisational approaches that influence interface risk management and ways to identify and manage interface risks effectively.

Human monkeypox, caused by monkeypox virus, has spread unprecedentedly to more than 100 countries since May 2022. Here we summarized the epidemiology of monkeypox through a literature review and elucidated the risks and elimination strategies of this outbreak mainly based on the summarized epidemiology. We demonstrated that monkeypox virus became more contagious and less virulent in 2022, which could result from the fact that the virus entered a special transmission network favoring close contacts (i.e., sexual behaviors of men who have sex with men outside Africa) and the possibility that the virus accumulated a few adaptive mutations. We gave the reasons to investigate whether cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs are susceptible to monkeypox virus and whether infection with monkeypox virus could be latent in some primates. We listed six potential scenarios for the future of the outbreak (e.g., the outbreak could lead to endemicity outside Africa with increased transmissibility or virulence). We also listed multiple factors aiding or impeding the elimination of the outbreak. We showed that the control measures strengthened worldwide after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) could eliminate the outbreak in 2022. We clarified eight strategies, i.e., publicity and education, case isolation, vaccine stockpiling, risk-based vaccination or ring vaccination, importation quarantine, international collaboration, and laboratory management, for the elimination of the outbreak.

A growing body of literature suggests a causative relationship between severe adverse neurological outcomes and early life exposure to paracetamol (acetaminophen) in the presence of oxidative stress. Review of the literature revealed that, although its use is not regularly monitored, paracetamol has achieved near universal acceptance, with exposure in some pediatric populations exceeding 90%. In addition, use of the drug as well as associated adverse outcomes may have risen as a result of pharmaceutical advertising rather than need, and inappropriate use of the drug, both in terms of dose and indication, is widespread. These findings indicate that many clinicians and patients do not, at the present time, evenly weigh the potential risks with the potential benefits of paracetamol exposure early in life. Although retrospective studies might be envisioned to further address the neurodevelopmental risks of paracetamol use during early development, in silico simulations demonstrated that such studies can be thwarted by very high rates of use of the drug combined with associations between paracetamol use and oxidative stressors that act as cofactors in the induction of neurodevelopmental injury. These findings suggest that, despite persistent uncertainty, clinicians and patients should be more aware of available information pointing toward the potential dangers for neurodevelopment of early life exposure to paracetamol. Most importantly, health care workers need to provide a more balanced view, weighing both risks and benefits, when providing advice for patients regarding paracetamol use during periods of brain development.

Background: COVID-19 crisis has changed the conditions of many throughout the globe. One negative consequence of the on-going pandemic is anxiety brought by uncertainty and the COVID-19 disease. Increased anxiety is a potential risk factor for wellbeing at work. This study investigated psychological, situational, and socio-demographic predictors of COVID-19 anxiety using longitudinal data. Methods: Nationally representative sample of Finnish workers (N = 1308) was collected before and during the COVID-19 crisis. Eighty percent of the participants responded to the follow-up study (N=1044). COVID-19 anxiety was measured with a modified Spielberger State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Psychological and situational predictors included perceived loneliness, psychological distress, technostress, personality, social support received from work community, and remote working. Also, number of socio-demographic factors were investigated. Results: Perceived loneliness, psychological distress, technostress, and neuroticism were identified as robust psychological predictors of COVID-19 anxiety. Increase in psychological distress and technostress during the COVID-19 crisis predicted higher COVID-19 anxiety. Recent change in work field and decreased social support from work community predicted COVID-19 anxiety. Women and young people experienced higher anxiety. Conclusions: Different factors explain workers’ COVID-19 anxiety. Increased anxiety can disrupt wellbeing at work, emphasizing organizations’ role in maintaining an inclusive and caring work culture and providing technical and psychological support to workers during crisis.

Bonfire night is a worldwide phenomenon given to numerous annual celebrations characterised by bonfires and fireworks. Since Thailand has no national ambient air quality standards for metal particulates, it is important to investigate the impacts of particulate injections on elevations of air pollutants and ecological health impacts resulting from firework displays. In this investigation, Pb and Ba were considered potential firework tracers because their concentrations were significantly higher during the episode and lower than/comparable with minimum detection limits during other periods, indicating that their elevated concentrations were principally due to pyrotechnic displays. Pb/Ca, Pb/Al, Pb/Mg, and Pb/Cu can be used to pin-point emissions from firework displays. Air mass backward trajectories (72 h) from the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model indicated that areas east and north-east of the study site were the main sources for the air transportation. Although the combined risk associated with levels of Pb, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Cd, V, and Mn was far below the standards mentioned in international guidelines, the lifetime cancer risks associated with As and Cr levels exceeded US-EPA guidelines, and may expose inhabitants of surrounding areas of Bangkok to elevated cancer risk.

Bayesian analysis for masked data under competing risk frameworks is studied for the purpose of assessing the impact of covariates on the hazard functions when the failure time is exactly observed for some subjects but only known to lie in an interval of time for the remaining subjects. Such data, known as partly interval-censored data, usually result from periodic inspection. Dirichlet and Gamma processes are assumed as priors for masking probabilities and baseline hazards. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) technique is employed for the implementation of the Bayesian approach. The effectiveness of the proposed model is tested through numerical studies, including simulated and real data sets.

Background: The exacerbation of psychosocial problems among children and adolescents during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitates an assessment of the long-term mental health impact of pandemic interventions. Focusing on both pandemic-related factors and demographic variables, such as gender and daily habits, an analysis was conducted to under-stand how these elements continue to affect young populations in the post-pandemic era. Methods: In April 2023, a comprehensive online survey was administered to families in South Tyrol, Italy, with children aged 7–19 years, to ensure age and gender representation. The survey included par-ent ratings and adolescent (11–19 years) self-reports using standardized instruments to measure the symptoms of mental health problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, SDQ), anxiety (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, SCARED), and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-2, PHQ-2). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and unadjusted odds ratios (ORs). Results: Of the 4,525 valid responses, 1,831 were self-reported by adolescents. Notable gender differences in mental health outcomes were identified, along with significant demographic predictors, such as age, single parenthood, parental mental health problems, and immigrant background. Negative effects were associated with reduced family climate and increased screen time, whereas physical activity showed beneficial effects. Proxy reports overestimated adolescents' mental health problems, whereas self-report tended to underestimate them. Conclusions: Persistent mental health problems and gender disparities high-light the need for a public health approach. This should include accessible support services, resili-ence building, targeted support for vulnerable families and gender-specific interventions.

Negative mental health in students currently is classified as a global crisis with the highest and lowest student achievers recognized at greatest risk. Public schooling, in reproducing accepted psychosocial beliefs through standardized learning, developed separately from necessitating student mental health, in contrast to self-directed learning. Differing from standardized learning, the objective of self-directed learning in public schools is the creation of relevant support structures for student mental health, promoting positive psychosocial outcomes. The designed separation of public schooling from both mental health and self-directed learning was first acknowledged—and lamented—by John Dewey, over 100 years ago, in anticipating today’s mental health crisis. Yet, in responding effectively to the limitations of COVID-19, self-directed learning became an acknowledged learning method in public schools, potentially able to be accommodated by them regularly in support of mental health through the use of online technology. This study investigates the COVID-19 results of self-directed online learning in public schools through a Google Scholar search of peer reviewed research regarding self-directed learning, online learning, and mental health during COVID-19, recommending support for self-initiated self-directed online learning so that self-directed learning can continue, post COVID-19, improving student mental health in public schools, leading to positive psychosocial outcomes.

Oxytocin (OT) is regarded as an extremely important prosocial neuropeptide that dramatically affects the establishment of social connections from infancy to adulthood. OT effects on the psychoemotional state are pretty individual and may be dependent on age, gender, ethnocultural factors, social environment, the presence of stress factors, and features of personality. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief psychopathological screening tool and is recommended for the detection and classification of psychosocial problems in adolescents. The current field school-based study, conducted among urban Siberian adolescents (n = 298 aged 12–18) explored the relation of SDQ scales in relation to genotypes of CD38 gene that controls oxytocin release, rs3796863, and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), rs53576. The results of our study show that during the adolescence period, OT pathway high activity can cause some negative effects, such as emotional instability in young (aged 12–14) adolescent girls in the case of carriage of the rs3796863 A allele and emotional disturbances in older (aged 15–18) adolescent boys who are carriers of a GG variant of rs53576. Our results support the hypothesis of OT-mediated excessive social sensitivity which can lead to some age-sex depending psychosocial problems during adolescence.

This paper discusses devastating urban floods in the year 2019 that caused human and socioeconomic losses in many countries, including Iran. The main question addressed by this paper is the choice between two flood management models, namely, the optimal and nature-based flood management or the existing hazardous situation that damage the ecosystem and natural resources. The analysis of this paper will find the main responsible factors in the mentioned floods in Iran. For this reason, it examines the impacts of the existing flood management that neglects the ecosystems, environmental components, and nature. The method of this research includes theoretical studies, case studies with the help of structured interviews, and observations. A benchmarking technique compares the two alternatives. The comparisons use seven indicators abstracted from successful global experiences and local knowledge. Finally, this research presents a model for optimal flood management that is applicable everywhere in the world.

The vast majority of antibodies generated against a virus will be non-neutralising1. However, this does not denote an absence of protective capacity. Yet, within the field there is typically a large focus on antibodies capable of directly blocking infection (neutralising antibodies, nAbs) of either specific viral strains or multiple viral strains (broadly-neutralising antibodies, bnAbs). More recently, a focus on non-neutralising antibodies (nnAbs), or neutralisation-independent effects of nAbs, has emerged. These can have additive effects on protection or in some cases, be a major correlate of protection. As their name suggests, nnAbs do not directly neutralise infection but instead, through their Fc domains, may mediate interaction with other immune effectors to induce clearance of viral particles or virally infected cells. nnAbs may also interrupt viral replication within infected cells. Developing technologies of antibody modification and functionalisation may lead to innovative biologics that harness the activities of nnAbs for antiviral prophylaxis and therapeutics. In this review, we discuss specific examples of nnAb actions in viral infections where they have known importance. We also discuss the potential detrimental effects of such responses. Finally, we explore new technologies for nnAb functionalisation to increase efficacy or introduce favourable characteristics for their therapeutic applications.

AbstractThe escalating impact of artificial intelligence (AI) has birthed the fascinating technology of deepfakes, capable of meticulously crafting hyper-realistic audio-visual manipulations. Within the realm of healthcare, this technology presents a double-edged sword, brimming with potential for revolutionizing various facets of care delivery while simultaneously harboring significant ethical and practical challenges. This research delves into the complex narrative surrounding AI deepfakes in healthcare, meticulously analyzing both the exciting opportunities they offer, and the inherent risks associated with their implementation.Background:Traditional healthcare practices face limitations in patient engagement, accessibility, and training efficacy. Deepfakes, with their ability to simulate real-world scenarios and interactions, emerge as a potential solution, offering personalized patient education, immersive mental health interventions, remote consultations with virtual avatars, and realistic training simulations for medical professionals.Objective:This research aims to comprehensively understand the multifaceted impact of AI deepfakes in healthcare systems. It seeks to: Identify and analyze the potential benefits of deepfakes in specific healthcare applications. Assess the ethical and practical challenges associated with deepfake implementation in healthcare settings. Propose recommendations for safe, responsible, and ethical integration of deepfakes within the healthcare system.Results/Conclusion:The research findings illuminate a landscape replete with opportunities and challenges. Deepfakes offer the potential to enhance patient education, personalize mental health interventions, facilitate remote consultations, and revolutionize medical training. However, concerns regarding misinformation, ethical breaches, data privacy, and technical limitations pose significant challenges.The conclusion emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that capitalizes on the innovative potential of deepfakes while mitigating potential harm. Collaborative efforts involving healthcare professionals, technologists, and policymakers are crucial for establishing ethical frameworks, ensuring responsible development, and harnessing the positive power of deepfakes to build a future where healthcare benefits from cutting-edge technology while prioritizing patient well-being and ethical principles.

.Cloud manufacturing is an evolving networked framework that enables multiple manufacturers to collaborate in providing a range of services, including design, development, production, and post-sales support. The framework operates on an integrated platform encompassing a range of Industry 4.0 technologies, such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices, cloud computing, Internet communication, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchains. The connectivity of industrial equipment and robots to Internet opens the cloud manufacturing to the massive attack surface of cybersecurity and cyber crime threats caused by external and internal attackers. The impacts can be severe because physical infrastructure of industries is at stake. One potential method to deter such attacks involves utilizing blockchain and artificial intelligence to track the provenance of IIoT devices. This research explores a practical approach to achieve this goal by gathering provenance data associated with operational constraints defined in smart contracts and identifying deviations from these constraints through predictive auditing using artificial intelligence. A software architecture comprising IIoT communications to machine learning for comparing the latest data with the predictive auditing outcomes and logging appropriate risks was designed, developed, and tested. The state changes in the smart ledger of smart contracts were linked with the risks such that the blockchain peers can timely detect high deviations and take actions. The research defined the constraints related to physical boundaries and weight lifting limits allocated to three forklifts and showcased the mechanisms of detecting risks of breaking these constraints with the help of artificial intelligence. It also demonstrated state change rejections by blockchains at medium and high-risk levels. This research followed software development in Java 8 using JDK 8, CORDA blockchain framework, and Weka package for random forest machine learning. As a result of this, the model, along with its design and implementation, has the potential to enhance efficiency and productivity, foster greater trust and transparency in the manufacturing process, booster risk management, strengthen cybersecurity, and advance sustainability efforts.

Electricity distribution network operators face several operational constraints in the provision of safe and reliable power given that investments for network area reinforcement must be commensurate with improvements in network reliability. This paper provides an integrated approach for assessing the impact of different operational constraints on distribution network reliability by incorporating component lifetime models, time-varying component failure rates as well as the monetary cost of customer interruptions in an all-inclusive probabilistic methodology that applies a time-sequential Monte Carlo simulation. A test distribution network based on the Roy Billinton test system is modelled to investigate the system performance when overloading limits are exceeded as well as when preventive maintenance is performed. Standard reliability indices measuring the frequency and duration of interruptions, and the energy not supplied are complemented with a novel monetary reliability index. The comprehensive assessment includes not only average indices but also their probability distributions to adequately describe the risk of customer interruptions. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of this holistic approach as the impacts of operational decisions are assessed from both reliability and monetary perspectives. This informs network planning decisions through optimum investments and consideration of customer outage costs.

Consumption of coffee by women early in their pregnancy has been viewed as potentially increasing the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, and childhood leukemias. Many of these reports of epidemiologic studies have not acknowledged the potential biases inherent in studying the relationship between early-pregnancy-coffee consumption and subsequent events. I discuss five of these biases, recall bias, misclassification, residual confounding, reverse causation, and publication bias. Each might account for claims that attribute adversities to early-pregnancy-coffee consumption. To what extent these biases can be avoided remains to be determined. At a minimum, they need to be acknowledged wherever they might account for what is reported.

Evidence shows how food system activities from production to consumption underpin food security. However, studies exploring climate impacts on food security in northern Ghana have overly focused on production systems, neglecting post-production activities that loom large in food security. This paper addresses the research need to comprehensively analyze how climate change affects post-production activities and exacerbates food insecurity risks in northern Ghana. The study collects and analyzes data on climate hazards, impacts, and food system vulnerabilities using questionnaires and participatory engagement with farming households in northern Ghana. Results show that climate-induced food insecurity risks in northern Ghana are not just products of persistent climate impacts on food production in the region. Instead, risks are inextricably connected to the vulnerability contexts within which food is harvested, processed, stored, and marketed. Specifically, the results reveal that climate hazard events such as floods, extreme temperatures, and droughts damage stored grain, disrupt food supply to the market, and cause seasonal volatilities in food prices. However, these impacts are not solely externally generated circumstances. The food system is highly vulnerable; most households lack access to threshing and grinding machines, warehouse storage, post-harvest management information, and transportation services. These underlying characteristics of the post-food-production system of northern Ghana, which is ultimately quite remote from climate change, exacerbate household-level food insecurity risks.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic some family physicians were overburdened and experienced difficulties reaching vulnerable patients and meeting the increased need for psycho-social support. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested whether a primary healthcare (PHC) based community health worker (CHW) intervention could tackle psychosocial suffering due to physical distancing measures in patients with limited social networks. Methods: CHWs provided 8 weeks of tailored psychosocial support to the intervention group. Control group patients received ‘care as usual’. The impact on feelings of emotional support, social isolation, social participation, anxiety and fear of COVID-19 were measured longitudinally using a face-to-face survey to determine their mean change from baseline. Self-rated change in psychosocial health at 8 weeks was determined. Results: We failed to find a significant effect of the intervention on the prespecified psychosocial health measures. However, the intervention did lead to significant improvement in self-rated change in psychosocial health. Conclusions: This study confirms partially the existing evidence on the effectiveness of CHW in-terventions as a strategy to address mental health in PHC in a COVID context. Further research is needed to elaborate the implementation of CHWs in PHC to reach vulnerable populations during and after health crises.