IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1381: Influenza Vaccination in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Coverage Status and Its Determinants in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1381: Influenza Vaccination in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Coverage Status and Its Determinants in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071381

Authors: Ibraheem M. Alnaheelah Nabil J. Awadalla Khalid M. Al-Musa Abdullah A. Alsabaani Ahmed A. Mahfouz

Despite the significant role of seasonal influenza vaccination in preventing and minimizing the serious complications of influenza infection in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, unsatisfactory compliance still exists for vaccination. Study objectives were to explore the vaccination status and determinants in T2DM patients in southwestern Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study on a representative sample of T2DM patients in Abha city, southwestern Saudi Arabia, was conducted. Data for sociodemographic characteristics, clinical criteria, vaccination status, vaccination motivators and barriers and seasonal influenza knowledge were collected. Out of 353 T2DM patients included in the study, seasonal influenza vaccination coverage was 61% in year 2017. A significant factors associated with non-vaccination were; poor influenza and its vaccine knowledge (OR = 4.31, 95% CI: 2.73–6.80), illiteracy (OR = 1.93, 95% CI: 1.11–3.37), and more than 10 years disease duration (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.11–3.87). Presence of family history of DM and ischemic heart comorbidity minimized the possibility of non-vaccination (OR = 0.54 and 0.28 respectively). Healthcare givers’ advice was the most reported vaccination motivator (84.7%) while; fear of vaccine side effects was the most stated barrier (73%). In conclusion, influenza vaccination rate among T2DM in the present study is less than the recommended level. Continuous primary health care center-based educational programs should be implemented to aware and encourage influenza vaccination among T2DM patients.

https://ift.tt/2MDTJ9Q

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1380: In Vitro and In Vivo Experimental Studies of PM2.5 on Disease Progression

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1380: In Vitro and In Vivo Experimental Studies of PM2.5 on Disease Progression

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071380

Authors: Ching-Chang Cho Wen-Yeh Hsieh Chin-Hung Tsai Cheng-Yi Chen Hui-Fang Chang Chih-Sheng Lin

Air pollution is a very critical issue worldwide, particularly in developing countries. Particulate matter (PM) is a type of air pollution that comprises a heterogeneous mixture of different particle sizes and chemical compositions. There are various sources of fine PM (PM2.5), and the components may also have different effects on people. The pathogenesis of PM2.5 in several diseases remains to be clarified. There is a long history of epidemiological research on PM2.5 in several diseases. Numerous studies show that PM2.5 can induce a variety of chronic diseases, such as respiratory system damage, cardiovascular dysfunction, and diabetes mellitus. However, the epidemiological evidence associated with potential mechanisms in the progression of diseases need to be proved precisely through in vitro and in vivo investigations. Suggested mechanisms of PM2.5 that lead to adverse effects and chronic diseases include increasing oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and genotoxicity. The aim of this review is to provide a brief overview of in vitro and in vivo experimental studies of PM2.5 in the progression of various diseases from the last decade. The summarized research results could provide clear information about the mechanisms and progression of PM2.5-induced disease.

https://ift.tt/2KBAtMX

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1378: High Body Mass Index Is Associated with the Extent of Muscle Damage after Eccentric Exercise

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1378: High Body Mass Index Is Associated with the Extent of Muscle Damage after Eccentric Exercise

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071378

Authors: Jooyoung Kim Wi-Young So

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of body mass index (BMI), which is an obesity index, on the change in the muscle damage index after eccentric exercise. Methods: Forty healthy male university students participated in this study and were classified into normal (BMI 18.5–22.9 kg/m2, n = 20) and high BMI groups (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, n = 20). For eccentric exercise, a modified preacher curl machine was used. Participants performed two exercise sets with 25 repetitions in each set. With regard to the muscle damage index, maximum strength, muscle soreness, and the creatine kinase (CK) level were measured. Results: Loss of maximum strength, muscle soreness, and the CK level were higher in the high BMI group than in the normal BMI group (p < 0.05, p < 0.05, and p < 0.01, respectively). Conclusions: In conclusion, BMI is one of the potential factors related to muscle damage after eccentric exercise.

https://ift.tt/2lJ6MLP

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1379: Climate Change Impacts on Disaster and Emergency Medicine Focusing on Mitigation Disruptive Effects: an International Perspective

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1379: Climate Change Impacts on Disaster and Emergency Medicine Focusing on Mitigation Disruptive Effects: an International Perspective

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071379

Authors: Daniel Aiham Ghazali Maximilien Guericolas Frédéric Thys François Sarasin Pedro Arcos González Enrique Casalino

In recent decades, climate change has been responsible for an increase in the average temperature of the troposphere and of the oceans, with consequences on the frequency and intensity of many extreme weather phenomena. Climate change’s effects on natural disasters can be expected to induce a rise in humanitarian crises. In addition, it will surely impact the population’s long-term general health, especially among the most fragile. There are foreseeable health risks that both ambulatory care organizations and hospitals will face as global temperatures rise. These risks include the geographic redistribution of infectious (particularly zoonotic) diseases, an increase in cardiac and respiratory illnesses, as well as a host of other health hazards. Some of these risks have been detailed for most developed countries as well as for some developing countries. Using these existing risk assessments as a template, organizational innovations as well as implementation strategies should be proposed to mitigate the disruptive effects of these health risks on emergency departments and by extension, reduce the negative impact of climate change on the populations they serve.

https://ift.tt/2tPYzJu

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1377: Joint Risk of Rainfall and Storm Surges during Typhoons in a Coastal City of Haidian Island, China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1377: Joint Risk of Rainfall and Storm Surges during Typhoons in a Coastal City of Haidian Island, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071377

Authors: Hongshi Xu Kui Xu Lingling Bin Jijian Lian Chao Ma

Public health risks from urban floods are a global concern. A typhoon is a devastating natural hazard that is often accompanied by heavy rainfall and high storm surges and causes serious floods in coastal cities. Affected by the same meteorological systems, typhoons, rainfall, and storm surges are three variables with significant correlations. In the study, the joint risk of rainfall and storm surges during typhoons was investigated based on principal component analysis, copula-based probability analysis, urban flood inundation model, and flood risk model methods. First, a typhoon was characterized by principal component analysis, integrating the maximum sustained wind (MSW), center pressure, and distance between the typhoon center and the study area. Following this, the Gumbel copula was selected as the best-fit copula function for the joint probability distribution of typhoons, rainfall, and storm surges. Finally, the impact of typhoons on the joint risk of rainfall and storm surges was investigated. The results indicate the following: (1) Typhoons can be well quantified by the principal component analysis method. (2) Ignoring the dependence between these flood drivers can inappropriately underestimate the flood risk in coastal regions. (3) The co-occurrence probability of rainfall and storm surges increases by at least 200% during typhoons. Therefore, coastal urban flood management should pay more attention to the joint impact of rainfall and storm surges on flood risk when a typhoon has occurred. (4) The expected annual damage is 0.82 million dollars when there is no typhoon, and it rises to 3.27 million dollars when typhoons have occurred. This indicates that typhoons greatly increase the flood risk in coastal zones. The obtained results may provide a scientific basis for urban flood risk assessment and management in the study area.

https://ift.tt/2NaNfjW

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1376: Spatio-Temporal Modeling of Zika and Dengue Infections within Colombia

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1376: Spatio-Temporal Modeling of Zika and Dengue Infections within Colombia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071376

Authors: Daniel Adyro Martínez-Bello Antonio López-Quílez Alexander Torres Prieto

The aim of this study is to estimate the parallel relative risk of Zika virus disease (ZVD) and dengue using spatio-temporal interaction effects models for one department and one city of Colombia during the 2015–2016 ZVD outbreak. We apply the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) for parameter estimation, using the epidemiological week (EW) as a time measure. At the departmental level, the best model showed that the dengue or ZVD risk in one municipality was highly associated with risk in the same municipality during the preceding EWs, while at the city level, the final model selected established that the high risk of dengue or ZVD in one census sector was highly associated not only with its neighboring census sectors in the same EW, but also with its neighboring sectors in the preceding EW. The spatio-temporal models provided smoothed risk estimates, credible risk intervals, and estimation of the probability of high risk of dengue and ZVD by area and time period. We explore the intricacies of the modeling process and interpretation of the results, advocating for the use of spatio-temporal models of the relative risk of dengue and ZVD in order to generate highly valuable epidemiological information for public health decision making.

https://ift.tt/2IDEIme

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1375: Who and Where: A Socio-Spatial Integrated Approach for Community-Based Health Research

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1375: Who and Where: A Socio-Spatial Integrated Approach for Community-Based Health Research

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071375

Authors: Jeanne-Marie R. Stacciarini Raffaele Vacca Liang Mao

Social and spatial characteristics of a population often interact to influence health outcomes, suggesting a need to jointly analyze both to offer useful insights in community health. However, researchers have used either social or spatial analyses to examine community-based health issues and inform intervention programs. We propose a combined socio-spatial analytic approach to develop a social network with spatial weights and a spatial statistic with social weights, and apply them to an ongoing study of mental and physical well-being of rural Latino immigrants in North Florida, USA. We demonstrate how this approach can be used to calculate measures, such as social network centrality, support contact dyads, and spatial kernel density based on a health survey data. Findings reveal that the integrated approach accurately reflected interactions between social and spatial elements, and identified community members (who) and locations (where) that should be prioritized for community-based health interventions.

https://ift.tt/2tOzv5D

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1374: Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke in Relation to Behavioral, Emotional, Social and Health Indicators of Slovak School Children

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1374: Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke in Relation to Behavioral, Emotional, Social and Health Indicators of Slovak School Children

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071374

Authors: Ludmila Sevcikova Jana Babjakova Jana Jurkovicova Martin Samohyl Zuzana Stefanikova Erika Machacova Diana Vondrova Etela Janekova Katarina Hirosova Alexandra Filova Michael Weitzman Lubica Argalasova

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure has been shown in general as a major environmental risk factor and deserves attention in vulnerable population groups. The aim of the project is to analyze the relationships among the ETS and behavior and health in 6−15-year-old children in Slovakia. The status of physical and mental health of children in relation to exposure to tobacco smoke was examined in a representative group of 1478 school children. The methods used, included anonymous questionnaires filled in by parents, Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS), Behavior Problem Index (BPI) and anthropometry. The prevalence of ETS exposure is the highest in the capital (27%) and southern cities. A significant association was found between ETS and age, socio-economic status, incompleteness of the family, level of mother’s education and a higher prevalence of respiratory diseases (26.7%). The relationships of ETS with emotional (CIS scores ≥ 16) and behavioral functions (BPI score ≥ 14) were significant in children exposed to mother’s or father’s smoking at home. In the multivariate analysis these associations were not significant; the factors such as income and completeness of the family were dominant. The results showed mostly the predominant impact of social factors on the physical and mental health status of Slovak school children.

https://ift.tt/2KnNH0J

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1373: The Use of Antidepressive Agents and Bone Mineral Density in Women: A Meta-Analysis

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1373: The Use of Antidepressive Agents and Bone Mineral Density in Women: A Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071373

Authors: Julietta Ursula Schweiger Ulrich Schweiger Michael Hüppe Kai G. Kahl Wiebke Greggersen Kamila Jauch-Chara Eva Fassbinder

Antidepressive agents are one of the fastest-growing classes of prescribed drugs. However, the effects of antidepressive agents on bone density are controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the state of research on the relationship between the use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and bone mineral density (BMD) in women. The database searched was Pubmed. The meta-analysis included human studies in women fulfilling the following criteria: (i) an assessment of bone mineral density in the lumbar spine, the femoral neck or the total hip; (ii) a comparison of the BMD of depressed individuals using antidepressive agents (SSRIs or TCAs), and a control group that did not use antidepressive agents; (iii) measurement of BMD using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); and (iv) calculations of the mean BMD and standard deviation or standard error. Four studies were identified, which, in total, included 934 women using antidepressive agents and 5767 non-using individuals. The results showed that no significant negative composite weighted mean effect sizes were identified for the comparisons between SSRI users and non-users. Similarly, no significant negative composite weighted mean effect sizes were identified for the comparisons between TCA users and non-users, indicating similar BMD in SSRI or TCA users and non-users. The meta-analysis shows that the association between antidepressant medication and bone mineral density has not been extensively researched. Only four studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The global result of the literature review and meta-analysis was that the use of antidepressive agents was not associated with lower or higher BMD. This result applies to both SSRIs and TCAs and to all measurement locations (lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip).

https://ift.tt/2KvKtY5

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1372: When Control Exacerbates Distress: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences of Hong Kong Chinese Parents in Caring for a Child with Asthma

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1372: When Control Exacerbates Distress: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experiences of Hong Kong Chinese Parents in Caring for a Child with Asthma

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071372

Authors: Yuen-yu Chong Doris Leung Yim-wah Mak

Background: Many parents have difficulty managing childhood asthma. In Hong Kong (HK), while medication is the primary form of treatment, traditional Chinese medicine is another favored option. In addition, HK follows a dual-track healthcare system, which may pose unique experiences for Chinese parents in managing childhood asthma. This qualitative descriptive study aimed to explore the experiences of HK Chinese parents in caring for their children with asthma. Methods: Fourteen HK Chinese mothers of children (aged 3–10) suffering from asthma were purposively sampled to participate in individual, semi-structured interviews. A realist approach following conventional content analysis was used to interpret the interviews. Results: The mothers expressed feelings of uncertainty, fear of asthma crises, and searched for ways to cope. As long as their child’s asthma symptoms recurred, the mothers’ distress continued. Their distress was sometimes exacerbated by self-doubt and worries over whether they would receive adequate support from their family and healthcare professionals. Conclusions: Helping parents to understand their limits may help them be more open to varied aspects of their caregiving experiences, and thus to cope better. Psychological interventions together with traditional educational training may help to alleviate the psychological difficulties of parents.

https://ift.tt/2lLWY3M

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1370: Physical Activity and Physical Fitness of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Group Homes in Hong Kong

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1370: Physical Activity and Physical Fitness of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Group Homes in Hong Kong

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071370

Authors: Bik C. Chow Peggy H. N. Choi Wendy Y. J. Huang

Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) typically have a sedentary lifestyle and higher rates of overweight and obesity. This study describes the habitual daily physical activity (PA) and the health-related physical fitness (PF) of adults with mild and moderate ID who resided in four group homes and worked in sheltered workshops. We also assessed the contribution of PF variables towards PA levels and sedentary behavior of this population subgroup. Adults with mild and moderate ID (N = 114) were assessed on PF tests (percent body fat, waist and hip circumferences, 6-min walk (6MWT), arm curl, and sit and reach). PA and sedentary behavior on weekdays were determined using Actigraph accelerometers. Results showed these adults averaged 2% of their daily time (or 10 min) engaged in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and 67% of the time (495 min) being sedentary. No significant differences between mild and moderate ID were found for any PA or PF variable. Linear multiple regression analyses showed 6MWT to be the only significant PF variable contributing to the variance of PA and sedentary behavior. In conclusion, adults with ID reside in group home have low PA and low fitness levels. Among fitness variables, the walking test (i.e., cardiovascular fitness) had the highest positive association with participants’ daily PA, MVPA, and negative association with sedentary behavior. Future intervention studies in promoting PA and fitness for adults with ID are warranted.

https://ift.tt/2MxB4wl

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1371: Is Nature Relatedness Associated with Better Mental and Physical Health?

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1371: Is Nature Relatedness Associated with Better Mental and Physical Health?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071371

Authors: Julie H. Dean Danielle F. Shanahan Robert Bush Kevin J. Gaston Brenda B. Lin Elizabeth Barber Lara Franco Richard A. Fuller

Nature relatedness is a psychological characteristic with the potential to drive interaction with nature and influence well-being. We surveyed 1538 people in Brisbane, Australia to investigate how nature relatedness varies among socio-demographic groups. We determined whether people with higher nature relatedness reported fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and better overall health, controlling for potentially confounding socio-demographic and health-related variables. Overall nature relatedness was higher in older people, females, those without children living at home, not working, and people speaking English at home. Aspects of nature relatedness reflecting enjoyment of nature were consistently associated with reduced ill health, consistent with widespread evidence of the health and well-being benefits of experiencing nature. In contrast, aspects of nature relatedness reflecting self-identification with nature, and a conservation worldview, were associated with increased depression, anxiety or stress, after accounting for potential confounding factors. Detailed investigation of causal pathways among nature relatedness, socio-demographic factors and health is warranted, with particular focus on the relationship between stress and nature orientation.

https://ift.tt/2Kh45zL

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1369: Continuous Flow-Constructed Wetlands for the Treatment of Swine Waste Water

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1369: Continuous Flow-Constructed Wetlands for the Treatment of Swine Waste Water

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071369

Authors: Abasiofiok M. Ibekwe Shelton E. Murinda

The microbiological quality of treated waste water is always a concern when waste water is disposed to the environment. However, when treated appropriately, such water can serve many purposes to the general population. Therefore, the treatment and removal of contaminants from swine waste water by continuous flow-constructed wetlands involves complex biological, physical, and chemical processes that may produce better quality water with reduced levels of contaminants. Swine waste contains E. coli populations and other bacterial contaminants originating from swine houses through constructed wetlands, but little is known about E. coli population in swine waste water. To assess the impacts of seasonal variations and the effect of the wetland layout/operations on water quality, E. coli isolates were compared for genetic diversity using repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR). None of the isolates was confirmed as Shiga toxin producing E. coli O157:H7 (STEC); however, other pathotypes, such as enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) were identified. Using a 90% similarity index from REP-PCR, 69 genotypes out of 421 E. coli isolates were found. Our data showed that the E. coli population was significantly (p = 0.036) higher in November than in March and August in most of the wetland cells. Furthermore, there was a significant (p = 0.001) reduction in E. coli populations from wetland influent to the final effluent. Therefore, the use of continuous flow-constructed wetlands may be a good treatment approach for reducing contaminants from different waste water sources.

https://ift.tt/2tF0sJL

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1367: How Green Are the Streets Within the Sixth Ring Road of Beijing? An Analysis Based on Tencent Street View Pictures and the Green View Index

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1367: How Green Are the Streets Within the Sixth Ring Road of Beijing? An Analysis Based on Tencent Street View Pictures and the Green View Index

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071367

Authors: Rencai Dong Yonglin Zhang Jingzhu Zhao

Street greenery, an important urban landscape component, is closely related to people’s physical and mental health. This study employs the green view index (GVI) as a quantitative indicator to evaluate visual greenery from a pedestrian’s perspective and uses an image segmentation method to calculate the quantity of visual greenery from Tencent street view pictures. This article aims to quantify street greenery in the area within the sixth ring road in Beijing, analyse the relations between road parameters and the GVI, and compare the visual greenery of different road types. The authors find that (1) the average GVI value in the study area is low, with low-value clusters inside the third ring road and high-value clusters outside; (2) wider minor roads tend to have higher GVI values than motorways, major roads and provincial roads; and (3) longer roads, except expressways, tend to have higher GVI values. This case study demonstrates that the GVI can effectively represent the quantity of visual greenery along roads. The authors’ methods can be employed to compare street-level visual greenery among different areas or road types and to support urban green space planning and management.

https://ift.tt/2tKSuir

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1368: Impact of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme on the Rural Residents’ Hospitalization Medical Expenses: A Five-Year Survey Study for the Jiangxi Province in China

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1368: Impact of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme on the Rural Residents’ Hospitalization Medical Expenses: A Five-Year Survey Study for the Jiangxi Province in China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071368

Authors: Fei Xie Xiaoqing Jiang Fang Yuan Xiaoyun Chen Zhaokang Yuan Yuanan Lu

This survey study was conducted to understand the effect of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) on farmers’ medical expenses through comparing the information from five investigations and to obtain a scientific basis for a more applicable NCMS. The survey was carried out through interviewing farmers in their homes. The multi-phase stratified cluster random sampling was adopted to select 3 counties from all 92 counties of the Jiangxi province, 9 townships from the 3 selected counties, 27 villages from the selected 9 townships, and 60 families from each village between 2006 and 2014, and a longitudinal comparative analysis was conducted. The numbers of households/overall sample for the five years were 1924/8082, 1879/8015, 1885/7506, 1890/7857, and 1896/7811, respectively. We collected family members’ social demographic characteristics, health resources, and peoples’ health and medical expenses and reimbursement of each family member. The adjusted hospitalization expenses per capita of township hospitals and county hospitals were totally on a rising trend. However, the costs of tertiary hospitals were on a decreasing tendency. In addition, the expenses for county hospitalization per admission were on an upward trend in general. Furthermore, the total hospitalization expenses and reimbursement per capita (the insurance paid out for the hospitalization expenses) were also all on an upward trend. The proportion of reimbursement also had a tendency of increasing from 24.41% in 2006 to 41.34% in 2014. The costs paid from farmers’ pockets were fluctuated, but in general all lower than the costs in 2006. Furthermore, the percentage of hospitalization expenses from farmers’ annual incomes gradually decreased each year from 56.38% in 2006 to 26.58% in 2014. NCMS program has had an obvious impact on the hospitalization expenses in the Jiangxi rural area. It reduced the hospitalization expenses of the tertiary hospitals significantly. In addition, the program has also encouraged farmers to get more health care. However, there are still some shortages associated with present construction of the NCMS. Hence, there is a need for local government to continue to take effective countermeasures to control the rising trend of hospitalization expense.

https://ift.tt/2tNH5xq

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1366: Suicide Stigma among Medical Students in Puerto Rico

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1366: Suicide Stigma among Medical Students in Puerto Rico

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071366

Authors: Eliut Rivera-Segarra Ernesto Rosario-Hernández Paola Carminelli-Corretjer Nelmit Tollinchi-Natali Norka Polanco-Frontera

Suicide is a global public health issue and the 10th leading cause of death, regardless of age, in the U.S. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens with one of the highest rates of suicide ideation and attempts (SIA) among all Latino sub-groups. Research has found that stigma is a risk factor for SIA. Medical students are an important group to target as they engage in routine clinical interactions with potential suicide victims, playing an important role in suicide prevention efforts. However, these efforts may be hampered by suicide stigma. The purpose of this study is to examine the correlates of suicide stigma in a sample of medical students in Puerto Rico. We implement an exploratory cross-sectional design using quantitative techniques. A total of 123 medical students participate in the study. Bivariate analyses suggest that gender is significantly correlated to suicide stigma (p < 0.05). Hierarchical regression analysis suggests that suicide literacy (β = −0.196, p < 0.05) and emotional reaction to suicide (β = 0.212, p < 0.05) predict suicide stigma. Although preliminary, these findings echo previous research regarding the importance of literacy and emotional reaction in the stigmatization process. Future research may develop intervention strategies aimed at reducing suicide stigma among medical students.

https://ift.tt/2KyUVuv

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1365: Characterization of Bacterial Communities and Their Antibiotic Resistance Profiles in Wastewaters Obtained from Pharmaceutical Facilities in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1365: Characterization of Bacterial Communities and Their Antibiotic Resistance Profiles in Wastewaters Obtained from Pharmaceutical Facilities in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071365

Authors: Amarachukwu Obayiuwana Adeniyi Ogunjobi Min Yang Mark Ibekwe

In Nigeria, pharmaceutical wastewaters are routinely disseminated in river waters; this could be associated with public health risk to humans and animals. In this study, we characterized antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and their antibiotic resistance profile as well as screening for sul1 and sul2 genes in pharmaceutical wastewater effluents. Bacterial composition of the wastewater sources was isolated on non-selective media and characterized by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the 16S rRNA genes, with subsequent grouping using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequencing. The antibiotics sensitivity profiles were investigated using the standard disk diffusion plate method and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of selected antibiotics on the bacterial isolates. A total of 254 bacterial strains were isolated, and majority of the isolates were identified as Acinetobacter sp., Klebsiella pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter sp. and Bacillus sp. A total of 218 (85.8%) of the bacterial isolates were multidrug resistant. High MICs values were observed for all antibiotics used in the study. The result showed that 31.7%, 21.7% and 43.3% of the bacterial isolates harbored sul1, sul2, and Intl1 genes, respectively. Pharmaceuticals wastewaters are potential reservoirs of ARBs which may harbor resistance genes with possible risk to public health.

https://ift.tt/2NchaZc

Systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions aimed at enhancing return to work for sick-listed workers with common mental disorders, stress-related disorders, somatoform disorders and personality disorders

Objectives

Mental disorders are associated with significant functional impairment, sickness absence and disability. The consequences of sickness absence warrant investigation into interventions aimed at enhancing return to work (RTW) for workers with mental disorders. The present systematic review and meta-analysis aim to synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing RTW in sick-listed workers with mental disorders.

Methods

EconLit, Embase, PsychInfo, PubMed, Svemed+ and Web of Science were searched for peer-reviewed, randomised or controlled studies assessing employment-related outcomes of interventions. A meta-analysis was conducted and meta-regressions were performed to explore prespecified potential sources of heterogeneity between studies.

Results

The literature search yielded 3777 publications of which 42 (n=38 938) were included in the systematic review and 32 (n=9459) had appropriate data for the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size (95 % CI) was 0.14 (0.07 to 0.22). Meta-regressions revealed that the heterogeneity could not be attributed to study quality, timing of the intervention or length of the intervention. However, it could be partly explained by number of components included in the intervention, if the intervention included contact to the work place and by the disorder targeted by the intervention.

Conclusions

The results reveal strong evidence for interventions including contact to the work place and multicomponent interventions and moderate evidence for interventions including graded RTW. In addition, the results provide strong evidence for interventions targeting stress compared with interventions targeting other mental disorders. The findings point to important implications for policy and design of future interventions.

https://ift.tt/2Mupcva

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1363: Walking and Walkability in Pre-Set and Self-Defined Neighborhoods: A Mental Mapping Study in Older Adults

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1363: Walking and Walkability in Pre-Set and Self-Defined Neighborhoods: A Mental Mapping Study in Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071363

Authors: Malte Bödeker

Neighborhood walkability contributes to older adults’ walking. However, associations vary depending on the neighborhood definition applied as well as between objective and perceived walkability measures. Therefore, this study aimed to comparatively assess walkability indices for commonly used pedestrian network buffers and perceived neighborhood areas. A total of 97 adults aged ≥65 years answered a written physical activity questionnaire and 69 respondents participated in face-to-face interviews that involved mental mapping, i.e., to draw perceived neighborhood delineations on paper maps. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to compare the contribution of walkability indices for pre-set buffers and self-defined neighborhoods to older adults’ walking after adjusting for covariates. Results show that older adults’ self-defined neighborhoods are significantly larger, less home-centered, and more walkable than commonly used buffers. Furthermore, the variance accounted for in neighborhood walking increased from 35.9% to 40.4% (ΔR2 = 0.046; p = 0.029), when the walkability index was calculated for self-defined neighborhoods rather than pre-set buffers. Therefore, the study supports that geometric differences between pre-set buffers and older adults’ spatial ideas of perceived neighborhoods have a significant influence on estimated walkability effects and that exposure areas should be matched with the spatial dimension of outcome variables in future research.

https://ift.tt/2Ksa94q

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1360: On the Development of Health-Based Ventilation Guidelines: Principles and Framework

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1360: On the Development of Health-Based Ventilation Guidelines: Principles and Framework

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071360

Authors: Paolo Carrer Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes Hugo Santos Otto Hänninen Stylianos Kephalopoulos Pawel Wargocki

This paper summarizes the results of HealthVent project. It had an aim to develop health-based ventilation guidelines and through this process contribute to advance indoor air quality (IAQ) policies and guidelines. A framework that allows determining ventilation requirements in public and residential buildings based on the health requirements is proposed. The framework is based on three principles: 1. Criteria for permissible concentrations of specific air pollutants set by health authorities have to be respected; 2. Ventilation must be preceded by source control strategies that have been duly adopted to improve IAQ; 3. Base ventilation must always be secured to remove occupant emissions (bio-effluents). The air quality guidelines defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) outside air are used as the reference for determining permissible levels of the indoor air pollutants based on the principle that there is only one air. It is proposed that base ventilation should be set at 4 L/s per person; higher rates are to be used only if WHO guidelines are not followed. Implementation of the framework requires technical guidelines, directives and other legislation. Studies are also needed to examine the effectiveness of the approach and to validate its use. It is estimated that implementing the framework would bring considerable reduction in the burden of disease associated with inadequate IAQ.

https://ift.tt/2Kjzsd1

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1362: The Efficient Measurement of Job Satisfaction: Facet-Items versus Facet Scales

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1362: The Efficient Measurement of Job Satisfaction: Facet-Items versus Facet Scales

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071362

Authors: Angelika Lepold Norbert Tanzer Anita Bregenzer Paulino Jiménez

The measurement of job satisfaction as a central dimension for workplace health and well-being is crucial to set suitable health- and performance-enhancing management decisions. Measuring different facets of job satisfaction leads to a more precise understanding about job satisfaction in research as well as to more specific interventions in companies. This study examines the measurement of job satisfaction with facet scales (multiple-items for one facet) and facet-items (one item for one facet). Facet-items are a cost-effective and fast way to measure job satisfaction in facets, whereas facet scales are more detailed and provide further information. Results from 788 bank employees showed that facet-items of job satisfaction were significantly correlated with the corresponding facet scales and had high factor loadings within the appropriate factor. Furthermore, the same correlational pattern between facet scales and external criteria was found for facet-items and external criteria (identification with the company, work engagement, stress, resources). The findings support the usage of facet-items in companies and in research where cost- and time-effectiveness is imperative and the usage of facet scales where an even deeper understanding of job satisfaction is needed. In practice, the usage of efficient measurements is evident, especially in the upcoming field of eHealth tools.

https://ift.tt/2IAzw2j

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1361: The Vicious Circle of Working Hours, Sleep, and Recovery in Expert Work

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1361: The Vicious Circle of Working Hours, Sleep, and Recovery in Expert Work

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071361

Authors: Annina Ropponen Mikko Härmä Barbara Bergbom Jouko Nätti Mikael Sallinen

This study aimed to investigate working hours, sleep quality and alertness, and recovery and detachment in expert work using a mobile app. The study sample comprised members of The Finnish Business School Graduates and employees of an information technology (IT) company. The final study sample included 154 employees with at least four days of mobile app data. For statistical analyses of the survey and mobile app data (cross-sectional setting), we used logistic regression, and for the day-to-day data, we used multi-level logistic regression to calculate the odds ratios (OR), and a general equation estimates model for regression coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The results showed that moderate to fair sleep quality or alertness at awakening were associated with longer working hours the following day (OR 1.07–1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.22). Recovery and detachment during the preceding day were associated with longer working hours. These associations were the same in the opposite direction. To conclude, the day-to-day ratings of sleep quality and alertness at awakening, and recovery and detachment from work during leisure time were associated with increased working hours the following day. In addition, longer working hours the preceding day were associated with worse ratings of sleep quality, alertness, recovery, and detachment.

https://ift.tt/2N58aEU

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1364: Use of Sorption of Copper Cations by Clinoptilolite for Wastewater Treatment

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1364: Use of Sorption of Copper Cations by Clinoptilolite for Wastewater Treatment

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071364

Authors: Iveta Pandová Anton Panda Jan Valíček Marta Harničárová Milena Kušnerová Zuzana Palková

This paper from the field of environmental chemistry offers an innovative use of sorbents in the treatment of waste industrial water. Various industrial activities, especially the use of technological fluids in machining, surface treatment of materials, ore extraction, pesticide use in agriculture, etc., create wastewater containing dangerous metals that cause serious health problems. This paper presents the results of studies of the natural zeolite clinoptilolite as a sorbent of copper cations. These results provide the measurement of the sorption kinetics as well as the observed parameters of sorption of copper cations from the aquatic environment to the clinoptilolite from a promising Slovak site. The effectiveness of the natural sorbent is also compared with that of certain known synthetic sorbents.

https://ift.tt/2KqwX4x

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1359: Using Interpretative Structural Modeling to Identify Critical Success Factors for Safety Management in Subway Construction: A China Study

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1359: Using Interpretative Structural Modeling to Identify Critical Success Factors for Safety Management in Subway Construction: A China Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071359

Authors: Ping Liu Qiming Li Jing Bian Liangliang Song Xiaer Xiahou

With the rapid development of urbanization in China, a vast number of subway projects are under construction and planned in many cities. However, the complexities of the environment in subway construction inherently bring about many uncertainties and risk factors. Understanding the inherent properties of the critical success factors (CSFs) will contribute significantly to the subway construction. From this perspective, this paper aims to identify the CSFs for safety management in subway construction. This study screened preliminary CSFs through a literature review and in-depth interviews with experts in China. Based on the data gathered and subsequently analyzed from the questionnaire surveys, a final total of 24 CSFs were identified. Then, interpretative structural modeling was employed to ascertain the interrelations among them. The result showed that the factors concerning the engineering survey and design not only occupy relatively higher scores in the questionnaire survey but also contribute significantly latent impacts on other factors. In addition, the creation of a reasonable schedule and the investment of the safety measures were also found to have a fundamental impact on the safety management of subway construction. This research guided the safety managers in determining the most important safety factors they must face and provided them valuable information that could promote safety performance and decrease the number of accidents over the course of subway construction.

https://ift.tt/2KuR2a7

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1358: A Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling Approach Using Biomonitoring Data in Order to Assess the Contribution of Drinking Water for the Achievement of an Optimal Fluoride Dose for Dental Health in Children

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1358: A Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling Approach Using Biomonitoring Data in Order to Assess the Contribution of Drinking Water for the Achievement of an Optimal Fluoride Dose for Dental Health in Children

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071358

Authors: Keven J. Jean Nancy Wassef Fabien Gagnon Mathieu Valcke

Due to an optimal fluoride concentration in drinking water advised for caries prevention purposes, the population is now exposed to multiple sources of fluoride. The availability of population biomonitoring data currently allow us to evaluate the magnitude of this exposure. The objective of this work was, therefore, to use such data in order to estimate whether community water fluoridation still represents a significant contribution toward achieving a suggested daily optimal fluoride (external) intake of 0.05 mg/kg/day. Therefore, a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model for fluoride published in the literature was used and adapted in Excel for a typical 4-year-old and 8-year-old child. Biomonitoring data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey among people living in provinces with very different drinking water fluoridation coverage (Quebec, 2.5%; Ontario, 70% of the population) were analyzed using this adapted model. Absorbed doses for the 4-year-old and 8-year-old children were, respectively, 0.03 mg/kg/day and 0.02 mg/kg/day in Quebec and of 0.06 mg/kg/day and 0.05 mg/kg/day in Ontario. These results show that community water fluoridation contributes to increased fluoride intake among children, which leads to reaching, and in some cases even exceeding, the suggested optimal absorbed dose of 0.04 mg/kg/day, which corresponds to the suggested optimal fluoride intake mentioned above. In conclusion, this study constitutes an incentive to further explore the multiple sources of fluoride intake and suggests that a new balance between them including drinking water should be examined in accordance with the age-related physiological differences that influence fluoride metabolism.

https://ift.tt/2N5F2xj

Fire-resistant design of eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints

Publication date: Available online 27 June 2018
Source:Fire Safety Journal
Author(s): Meijing Liu, Shenggang Fan, Wenjun Sun, Runmin Ding, Ting Zhu
Based on the test results of 7 specimens in fire, the numerical simulation analysis were performed on the fire-resistance performance of the eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints and the numerical simulation methods were verified. The parametric analysis was carried out to investigate the influence of key factors (such as load ratio, eccentricity, axial constraint stiffness ratio, slenderness ratio, and so on) on the fire-resistance of the eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints. Based on the existing fire-resistant design methods of unconstrained stainless steel columns, the calculation formula for the buckling temperature of eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints is proposed, and the relationship between the buckling temperature and failure temperature is obtained. The results show that the fitting formula can better predict the buckling temperature and the post-buckling stage may better improve the fire resistance performance of stainless steel columns. The load ratio, eccentricity and axial constraint stiffness ratio are the key factors that determine the fire-resistance performance of eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints. The greater the load ratio, eccentricity and axial constraint stiffness ratio, the greater the deviations between the buckling temperature and failure temperature become and the better the fire resistance performance of columns in post-buckling stage. When the slenderness ratio is among 80–120, the difference between the buckling temperature and failure temperature is the smallest, and correspondingly, the fire resistance performance of stainless steel column is weakest.



https://ift.tt/2KpdBA7

Experimental investigation of eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints in fire

Publication date: Available online 27 June 2018
Source:Fire Safety Journal
Author(s): Shenggang Fan, Meijing Liu, Wenjun Sun, Yang Guo, Yun Long Han
To study the behaviour reaction and failure mechanism of stainless steel columns in fire, a series of fire tests were performed on the eccentrically compressed columns with constraints, based on S30408 stainless steel. 7 specimens were used to investigate the effects of the load ratio n, eccentricity e and axial constraint stiffness ratio β on the fire-resistance performance of eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns. The failure process and failure modes of stainless steel columns in fire were revealed. The test phenomena, heating curve, deformation curve and buckling temperature were obtained. The test results show that the load ratio n (n = 0.22–0.35), eccentricity e and axial constraint stiffness ratio β (β = 0.0458 and 0.0495) are the key factors that determine the fire-resistance performance of eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints. The larger the load ratio n, eccentricity e and axial constraint stiffness ratio β are, the lower the buckling temperature of the specimen. There are two main types of failure modes of eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints in fire: the first is the overall buckling mode and the second is the local-overall interaction buckling mode. The failure modes depend mainly on the section dimensions and the section type of the stainless steel column. The process of bearing capacity of eccentrically compressed stainless steel columns with constraints in fire goes through two stages: the prebuckling stage and the post-buckling stage. It takes times for the specimen to progress from the buckling state to the ultimate failure state. The bearing capacity of the post-buckling stage can effectively improve the fire-resistance performance of the stainless steel column with constraints.



https://ift.tt/2MwwjDw

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1357: Self-Reported Sleep Duration and Its Correlates with Sociodemographics, Health Behaviours, Poor Mental Health, and Chronic Conditions in Rural Persons 40 Years and Older in South Africa

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1357: Self-Reported Sleep Duration and Its Correlates with Sociodemographics, Health Behaviours, Poor Mental Health, and Chronic Conditions in Rural Persons 40 Years and Older in South Africa

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071357

Authors: Karl Peltzer Supa Pengpid

This study aims to investigate sleep duration and its association with sociodemographic, health behaviour, mental health, and chronic disease factors among rural individuals 40 years and older in South Africa. Cross-sectional data from the “Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH community in South Africa” (HAALSI) baseline survey were analysed. Socio-demographic, clinical, health, and sleep duration data were collected. The total sample included 4725 persons 40 years and older (mean age 61.5 years, SD = 13.0, age range of 40–111 years) in one sub-district in rural South Africa. The mean sleep duration was 8.28 ± 1.93 h. Short (<7 h) and long (≥9 h) sleepers accounted for 13.1% and 40.0% of the sample, respectively. In adjusted multinomial logistic regression, greater wealth status (p < 0.05), inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption (p < 0.001), and depressive symptoms (p < 0.05) were associated with a higher odds and physical inactivity (p < 0.05) with a lower odds of short sleep duration. Being male (p < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (p < 0.001) were associated with a higher odds and being 50 to 69 years old (p < 0.01), having Grade 1 to 11 education (p < 0.05), and greater wealth status (p < 0.001) were associated with a lower odds of long sleep duration. In adjusted multinomial logistic regression, compared to normal sleepers, long sleepers were more likely to have myocardial infarction (p < 0.05). In unadjusted analysis, compared to normal sleepers, short sleepers were more likely to have cataracts (p < 0.05). This study found that a significant proportion of rural dwellers 40 years and older in South Africa had a short sleep duration and a high proportion had a long sleep duration. Some associations, such as depression and myocardial infarction, with short and/or long sleep duration were confirmed, while no associations were found for many chronic conditions.

https://ift.tt/2N7UYPA

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1353: Evaluating Disparities in Elderly Community Care Resources: Using a Geographic Accessibility and Inequality Index

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1353: Evaluating Disparities in Elderly Community Care Resources: Using a Geographic Accessibility and Inequality Index

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071353

Authors: Hui-Ching Wu Ming-Hseng Tseng

This study evaluated geographic accessibility and utilized assessment indices to investigate disparities in elderly community care resource distribution. The data were derived from Taiwanese governmental data in 2017, including 3,148,283 elderly individuals (age 65+), 7681 villages, and 1941 community care centers. To identify disparities in geographic accessibility, we compared the efficacy of six measurements and proposed a composite index to identify levels of resource inequality from the Gini coefficient and “median-mean” skewness. Low village-level correlation (0.038) indicated inconsistencies between the demand populations and community care center distribution. Method M6 (calculated accessibility of nearest distance-decay accounting for population of villages, supplier loading, and elderly walkability) was identified as the most comprehensive disparity measurement. Community care policy assessment requires a comprehensive and weighted calculation process, including the elderly walkability distance-decay factor, demand population, and supplier loading. Three steps were suggested for elderly policy planning and improvement in future.

https://ift.tt/2IAohqU

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1352: Exposure to Environmental Contaminants and Lung Function in Adolescents—Is There a Link?

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1352: Exposure to Environmental Contaminants and Lung Function in Adolescents—Is There a Link?

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071352

Authors: Marike M. Leijs Janna G. Koppe Kees Olie Pim de Voogt Wim M. C. van Aalderen Gavin W. ten Tusscher

Dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF)), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and brominated flame retardants (BDEs) are well known toxic environmental contaminants. Their possible role in the incidence of respiratory disease is not yet well understood. Previous studies showed a negative effect on lung function in relation to prenatal and lactational dioxin exposure in pre-pubertal children. Effects of BDE exposure on the lung function have not previously been evaluated. As part of a longitudinal cohort study, the effects of perinatal dioxin (PCDD/F) exposure and serum PCDD/F, dl-PCB, and BDE levels on lung function in adolescents were assessed using spirometry, a body box, and diffusion measurements. Thirty-three children (born between 1986 and 1991) consented to the current follow-up study. Prenatal, lactational, and current dioxin, PCB, and BDE concentrations were determined using GC-MS. No relationship was seen between prenatal and lactational dioxin exposure, nor with current PCB body burden, and lung function. Indications of increasing airway obstruction were seen in relation to increasing current BDE exposure. This is a novel finding and certainly warrants further research.

https://ift.tt/2IxeMZl

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1349: Electrode Modification and Optimization in Air-Cathode Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1349: Electrode Modification and Optimization in Air-Cathode Single-Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071349

Authors: Yanhua Wang Jiayan Wu Shengke Yang Huihui Li Xiaoping Li

Due to the known problems of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), such as low electricity generation performance and high cost of operation, we modified the electrode with graphene and polyaniline (PANI) is a single-chamber air-cathode MFC and then evaluated the effects of electrode modification on MFC electricity generation performance. Carbon cloth electrodes (unmodified, CC; graphene-modified, G/CC; and polyaniline-graphene-modified, PANI-G/CC) were prepared using the impregnation method. Sulfonated cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPcS) was then introduced as a cathode catalyst. The Co-PANI-G/CC cathode showed higher catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction compared with other electrodes. The maximum power density of the MFC with Co-PANI-G/CC cathode was 32.2 mW/m2, which was 1.8 and 6.1 times higher than the value obtained with Co-G/CC and Co/CC cathodes, respectively. This indicates a significant improvement in the electricity generation of single-chamber MFCs and provides a simple, effective cathode modification method. Furthermore, we constructed single-chamber MFCs using the modified anode and cathode and analyzed electricity generation and oxytetracycline (OTC) degradation with different concentrations of OTC as the fuel. With increasing added OTC concentration, the MFC performance in both electricity generation and OTC degradation gradually decreased. However, when less than 50 mg/L OTC was added, the 5-day degradation rate of OTC reached more than 90%. It is thus feasible to process OTC-containing wastewater and produce electricity using single-chamber MFCs, which provides a new concept for wastewater treatment.

https://ift.tt/2tJvlvA

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1351: Upstream-Downstream Joint Carbon Reduction Strategies Based on Low-Carbon Promotion

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1351: Upstream-Downstream Joint Carbon Reduction Strategies Based on Low-Carbon Promotion

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071351

Authors: Xiqiang Xia Junhu Ruan Zhiru Juan Yan Shi Xuping Wang Felix T. S. Chan

A differential game model is established to analyze the impact of emissions reduction efforts and low-carbon product promotion on the reduction strategies of low-carbon product manufacturers (subsequently referred to as manufacturers) and the retailers of such products in a dynamic environment. Based on this model, changes in emissions reduction efforts and promotional efforts are comparatively analyzed under three scenarios (retailers bearing the promotional cost, manufacturers bearing the promotional cost, and centralized decision-making). The results are as follows: (1) the trajectory of carbon emissions reduction per product unit is the highest when the supply chain is under centralized decision-making, followed by when manufacturers bear the promotional cost, and lastly when retailers bear the cost; (2) when manufacturers bear the promotional cost, the market demand, emissions reduction effort, and promotional effort are higher, although the unit retail price is higher than when retailers bear the promotional cost; and (3) under centralized decision-making, the unit retail price is the lowest; however, sales volume, the emissions reduction effort, and the promotional effort are all higher than those in the other scenarios.

https://ift.tt/2lz9Hqm

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1348: Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review in Environmental Tobacco Smoke Risk of Female Lung Cancer by Research Type

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1348: Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review in Environmental Tobacco Smoke Risk of Female Lung Cancer by Research Type

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071348

Authors: Xue Ni Ning Xu Qiang Wang

More than 50% of women worldwide are exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS). The impact of ETS on lung cancer remains unclear. Cohort studies since the late 1990s have provided new evidence of female lung cancer risk due to ETS. The objective of this meta-analysis and systematic review was to analyze the association of ETS with female lung cancer risk from 1997 to 2017, organised based on research design. According to our applied inclusion and exclusion criteria, 41 published studies were included. The relative risk (RR) from the cohort studies or odds ratio (OR) from case-control studies were extracted to calculate the pooled risks based on the type of study. The summary risks of ETS were further explored with the modulators of ETS exposure sources and doses. The pooled risks of lung cancer in non-smoking women exposed to ETS were 1.35 (95% CI: 1.17–1.56), 1.17 (95% CI: 0.94–1.44), and 1.33 (95% CI: 1.17–1.51) for case-control studies, cohort studies, and both types of studies, respectively. The summary RR estimate of the cohort studies was not statistically significant, but the RR increased with increasing doses of ETS exposure (p trend < 0.05). Based on the results of this study, ETS might be an important risk factor of female lung cancer in non-smokers.

https://ift.tt/2lB9nY5

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1350: The At Risk Child Clinic (ARCC): 3 Years of Health Activities in Support of the Most Vulnerable Children in Beira, Mozambique

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1350: The At Risk Child Clinic (ARCC): 3 Years of Health Activities in Support of the Most Vulnerable Children in Beira, Mozambique

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071350

Authors: Claudia Marotta Francesco Di Gennaro Damiano Pizzol Geoffrey Madeira Laura Monno Annalisa Saracino Giovanni Putoto Alessandra Casuccio Walter Mazzucco

The concept of “children at risk” changes worldwide according to each specific context. Africa has a large burden of overall risk factors related to childhood health and development, most of which are of an infective or social origin. The aim of this study was to report and analyze the volumes of activities of fifteen At Risk Child Clinics (ARCCs) within the Beira District (Mozambique) over a 3 year-period in order to define the health profile of children accessing such health services. We retrospectively analyzed the data from all of the children accessing one of the 15 Beira ARCCs from January 2015 to December 2017. From this, 17,657 first consultations were registered. The motivations for accessing the services were in order of relevance: HIV exposure (n. 12,300; 69.7%), other risk conditions (n. 2542; 14.4%), Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) (n. 1664; 9.4%), Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) (n. 772; 4.4%), and TB exposure (n. 542; 3.1%). During the first consultations, 16,865 children were screened for HIV (95.5%), and 7.89% tested HIV-positive. In our three years of experience, HIV exposure was the main indication for children to access the ARCCs in Mozambique. ARCCs could represent a strategic point to better understand health demands and to monitor the quality of care provided to this vulnerable population group, however significant effort is needed to improve the quality of the data collection.

https://ift.tt/2tJngqK

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1347: Human Exposure to Ferret Badger Rabies in Taiwan

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1347: Human Exposure to Ferret Badger Rabies in Taiwan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071347

Authors: Tai-Hwa Shih Jeng-Tung Chiang Hung-Yi Wu Satoshi Inoue Cheng-Ta Tsai Shih-Chiang Kuo Cheng-Yao Yang Chang-Young Fei

On 17 July 2013, Taiwan confirmed multiple cases of the rabies virus (RABV) in the wild Taiwan Ferret badger (TFB) (Melogale moschata) member of the family Mustelidae. This study aims at investigating the risk factors for human exposure to rabid TFBs. Statistical inference based on Pearson correlation showed that there was a strong positive correlation between the total number of positive TFB rabies cases and the number of rabid TFBs involved with human activities in 81 enzootic townships (r = 0.91; p < 0.001). A logistic regression analysis indicated that the risk probability of a human being bitten by rabid TFBs was significantly higher when there were no dogs around (35.55% versus 6.17% (indoors, n = 171, p = 0.0001), and 52.00% versus 5.26% (outdoors, n = 44, p = 0.021)), and whether or not there was a dog around was the only crucial covariate that was statistically significantly related to the risk of a human being bitten. In conclusion, this study showed the value of having vaccinated pets as a deterrent to TFB encounters and as a buffer to prevent human exposure to rabid TFBs. The presence of unvaccinated pets could become a significant risk factor in the longer term if rabies isn’t controlled in TFBs because of the spillover between the sylvatic and urban cycles of rabies. Consequently, raising dogs, as well as keeping rabies vaccinations up-to-date for them, can be considered an effective preventive strategy to reduce the risk for human exposure to rabid TFBs.

https://ift.tt/2tySJwN

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1344: Childhood and Adolescence Cancers in the Palermo Province (Southern Italy): Ten Years (2003–2012) of Epidemiological Surveillance

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1344: Childhood and Adolescence Cancers in the Palermo Province (Southern Italy): Ten Years (2003–2012) of Epidemiological Surveillance

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071344

Authors: Walter Mazzucco Rosanna Cusimano Sergio Mazzola Giuseppa Rudisi Maurizio Zarcone Claudia Marotta Giorgio Graziano Paolo D’Angelo Francesco Vitale

Italy has one of the highest paediatric cancer incidence rates in Europe. We compared cancer incidence and survival rates in children (0–14 years) and adolescents (15–19 years) residing in Palermo Province (PP) with statistics derived from Italian and European surveillance systems. We included all incident cancer cases, malignant tumours and non-malignant neoplasm of central nervous system (benign and uncertain whether malignant or benign), detected in children and adolescents by the Palermo Province Cancer Registry (PPCR) between 2003 and 2012. A jointpoint regression model was applied. Annual Average Percentage Changes were calculated. The Besag–York-Mollie model was used to detect any cluster. The 5-year survival analysis was computed using Kaplan-Meier and actuarial methods. We identified 555 paediatric cancer incident cases (90% “malignant tumours”). No difference in incidence rates was highlighted between PPCR and Italy 26 registries and between PPCR and Southern Europe. No jointpoint or significant trend was identified and no cluster was detected. The 5-year overall survival didn’t differ between PP and the Italian AIRTUM pool. A borderline higher statistically significant survival was observed in age-group 1–4 when comparing PPCR to EUROCARE-5. The epidemiological surveillance documented in the PP was a paediatric cancer burden in line with Italy and southern Europe. The study supports the supplementary role of general population-based cancer registries to provide paediatric cancer surveillance of local communities.

https://ift.tt/2lDaYNc

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1343: Effect of Social Media on Child Obesity: Application of Structural Equation Modeling with the Taguchi Method

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1343: Effect of Social Media on Child Obesity: Application of Structural Equation Modeling with the Taguchi Method

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071343

Authors: Datis Khajeheian Amir Mohammad Colabi Nordiana Binti Ahmad Kharman Shah Che Wan Jasimah Bt Wan Mohamed Radzi Hashem Salarzadeh Jenatabadi

Through public health studies, specifically on child obesity modeling, research scholars have been attempting to identify the factors affecting obesity using suitable statistical techniques. In recent years, regression, structural equation modeling (SEM) and partial least squares (PLS) regression have been the most widely employed statistical modeling techniques in public health studies. The main objective of this study to apply the Taguchi method to introduce a new pattern rather than a model for analyzing the body mass index (BMI) of children as a representative of childhood obesity levels mainly related to social media use. The data analysis includes two main parts. The first part entails selecting significant indicators for the proposed framework by applying SEM for primary and high school students separately. The second part introduces the Taguchi method as a realistic and reliable approach to exploring which combination of significant variables leads to high obesity levels in children. AMOS software (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) was applied in the first part of data analysis and MINITAB software (Minitab Inc., State College, PA, USA) was utilized for the Taguchi experimental analysis (second data analysis part). This study will help research scholars view the data and a pattern rather than a model, as a combination of different factor levels for target factor optimization.

https://ift.tt/2lxvgrc

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1342: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data in the Development of Outcome Measures: The Case of the Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) Measures in Mental Health Populations

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1342: Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data in the Development of Outcome Measures: The Case of the Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) Measures in Mental Health Populations

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071342

Authors: Anju Devianee Keetharuth Elizabeth Taylor Buck Catherine Acquadro Katrin Conway Janice Connell Michael Barkham Jill Carlton Thomas Ricketts Rosemary Barber John Brazier

While it is important to treat symptoms, there is growing recognition that in order to help people with mental health problems lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, it is crucial to capture the impact of their conditions on wider aspects of their social lives. We constructed two versions of the Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) measure—ReQoL-10 and ReQoL-20—for use in routine settings and clinical trials from a larger pool of items by combining qualitative and quantitative evidence covering six domains. Qualitative evidence was gathered through interviews and focus groups with over 76 service users, clinicians, and a translatability assessment. Psychometric evidence generated from data from over 6200 service users was obtained from confirmatory factor models and item response theory analyses. In this paper we present an approach based on a traffic light pictorial format that was developed to present qualitative and quantitative evidence to a group of service users, clinicians, and researchers to help to make the final selection. This work provides a pragmatic yet rigorous approach to combining qualitative and quantitative evidence to ensure that ReQoL is psychometrically robust and has high relevance to service users and clinicians. This approach can be extended to the development of patient reported outcome measures in general.

https://ift.tt/2MXotUx

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1341: Development of a Cumulative Exposure Index (CEI) for Manganese and Comparison with Bone Manganese and Other Biomarkers of Manganese Exposure

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1341: Development of a Cumulative Exposure Index (CEI) for Manganese and Comparison with Bone Manganese and Other Biomarkers of Manganese Exposure

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071341

Authors: Danelle Rolle-McFarland Yingzi Liu Jieqiong Zhou Farshad Mostafaei Yuanzhong Zhou Yan Li Quiyan Fan Wei Zheng Linda H. Nie Ellen M. Wells

Manganese (Mn) exposure can result in parkinsonism. However, understanding of manganese neurotoxicity has been limited by the lack of a cumulative Mn biomarker. Therefore, the current goal was to develop Mn cumulative exposure indices (MnCEI), an established method to estimate cumulative exposure, and determine associations of MnCEI with blood Mn (BMn), fingernail Mn (FMn), and bone Mn (BnMn). We completed a cross-sectional study of 60 male Chinese workers. Self-reported occupational history was used to create two MnCEIs reflecting the previous 16 years (MnCEI16) and total work history (MnCEITOT). An in vivo neutron activation analysis system was used to quantify BnMn. BMn and FMn were measured using ICP-MS. Mean (standard deviation) MnCEITOT and MnCEI16 were 37.5 (22.0) and 25.0 (11.3), respectively. Median (interquartile range) BMn, FMn, and BnMn were 14.1 (4.0) μg/L, 13.5 (58.5) μg/g, and 2.6 (7.2) μg/g dry bone, respectively. MnCEI16 was significantly correlated with FMn (Spearman’s ρ = 0.44; p = 0.02), BnMn (ρ = 0.44; p < 0.01), and MnCEITOT (ρ = 0.44; p < 0.01). In adjusted regression models, MnCEI16 was significantly associated with BnMn (β = 0.03; 95% confidence interval = 0.001, 0.05); no other biomarkers were associated with MnCEI. This suggests BnMn may be a useful biomarker of the previous 16 years of Mn exposure, but larger studies are recommended.

https://ift.tt/2tsHVQU

Study of occupation and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a Danish cohort

Objectives

Several manuscripts have proposed associations between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and occupational toxicant exposures—not to mention physical activity and trauma/injury. Some have also reported associations in investigations of specific occupations. Using data from a prospective Danish cohort study, we investigated the association between employment in certain industries and ALS diagnosis.

Methods

We identified 1826 ALS cases who were 25 years old or less in 1964 and diagnosed from 1982 to 2013 from the Danish National Patient Registry then matched 100 population controls to each case based on birth year and sex. Demographic data were linked to the Danish Pension Fund to determine occupation history. Conditional logistic regression models were adjusted for socioeconomic status, marital status and residential location at the index date.

Results

There was an increase in odds of ALS among men who worked in agriculture, hunting, forestry or fishing (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.21; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.45). There was also a positive association for men employed in construction (aOR=1.21; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.39). In women, a protective association was seen with employment in the cleaning industry (aOR=0.69; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.93).

Conclusions

Our study shows various occupations with exposure to toxicants, such as diesel exhaust and lead, and strenuous physical activity associated with increased odds of ALS in men. Future studies should have a particular focus on gathering detailed information on physical exertion and toxicant exposures specific to certain job tasks.

https://ift.tt/2MpO9rN

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1334: Does the Effort Meet the Challenge in Promoting Low-Carbon City?—A Perspective of Global Practice

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1334: Does the Effort Meet the Challenge in Promoting Low-Carbon City?—A Perspective of Global Practice

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071334

Authors: Yingli Lou Liyin Shen Zhenhua Huang Ya Wu Heng Li Guijun Li

Global warming caused by carbon emissions has been recognized as a challenge to human sustainable development, and low-carbon city development is widely considered as an effective strategy to address this challenge. Numerous emission reduction measures have been implemented, and considerable efforts have been devoted in promoting low-carbon city. This paper examines whether sufficient efforts have been paid to these typical emission sectors, including Building, Industry, Energy Transformation, and Transportation by referring to the shared responsibility of each sector. The shared responsibility of individual emission sector is calculated by applying energy consumption data in 2014 World Energy Balance. The efforts contributed in emission reduction by each sector are examined by analyzing the low-carbon city work plans of 24 representative sample cities, which are selected globally. The research results demonstrate that sufficient emission reduction efforts have been paid in the Building sector and Transportation sector. But the Industry sector and Energy Transformation sector are less-attended in addressing emission reduction. The reason for the sufficient efforts paid in the Building sector and Transportation sector is considered as that the efforts for emission reduction in these two sectors can bring more co-benefits. However, emission reduction in Industrial sector is generally considered to have the effects of holding back economic growth, and the emission reduction in the sector of Energy Transformation will need enormous investment for advanced technologies. Policy for emission reduction in the Industry sector and Energy Transformation sector is indispensable to promote low-carbon city. This study appeals that (1) low-carbon city can be effectively implemented only if carbon reduction policy is adopted to all industrial activities; (2) multiple channels of financial resources should be established to support cities to mitigate carbon emissions in Industry sector; (3) cooperation on the development of clean energy technology between cities should be promoted; and (4) efforts should be paid to reduce carbon emission from using traditional energy transformation equipment by improving their efficiency.

https://ift.tt/2MlTDna

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1333: The Association between Mental Wellbeing, Levels of Harmful Drinking, and Drinking Motivations: A Cross-Sectional Study of the UK Adult Population

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1333: The Association between Mental Wellbeing, Levels of Harmful Drinking, and Drinking Motivations: A Cross-Sectional Study of the UK Adult Population

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071333

Authors: Anita Appleton Rosie James John Larsen

Mental well-being and excessive alcohol consumption each represent a significant public health concern, and evidence suggests an association between them. Furthermore, drinking motivations associated with harmful drinking have been studied, but not systematically in the UK population. A representative sample of 6174 UK adults aged 18–75 were surveyed online. Low risk drinkers were found to have higher mental well-being than hazardous, harmful, and, probable, dependence drinkers. Using a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, it was found that just over 5% of the variance in well-being scores was accounted for by the level of harmful drinking and drinking motivation; the most significant contribution was drinking to cope. Among people drinking to cope, those drinking in more harmful ways were statistically significantly more likely to have low well-being compared to less harmful drinkers. In the UK adult population there is a clear association between poor mental well-being and harmful drinking. Furthermore, coping was a significant motivation to drink for many with low mental well-being. While mental well-being was found to be directly linked with levels of harmful drinking, the motivation for drinking was a stronger predictor of mental well-being.

https://ift.tt/2tpUgp0

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1331: Mental Well-Being of Older People in Finland during the First Year in Senior Housing and Its Association with Physical Performance

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1331: Mental Well-Being of Older People in Finland during the First Year in Senior Housing and Its Association with Physical Performance

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071331

Authors: Sinikka Lotvonen Helvi Kyngäs Pentti Koistinen Risto Bloigu Satu Elo

Growing numbers of older people relocate to senior housing, when their physical or mental performance declines. The relocation is known to be one of the most stressful events in the life of older people and affect their mental and physical well-being. More information about the relationships between mental and physical parameters is required. We examined self-reported mental well-being of 81 older people (aged 59–93, living in northern Finland), and changes in it 3 and 12 months after relocation to senior housing. The first measurement was 3 months and the second measurement 12 months after relocation. Most participants were female (70%). Their physical performance was also measured, and associations between these two were analyzed. After 12 months, mental capability was very good or quite good in 38% of participants, however 22% of participants felt depressive symptoms daily or weekly. Moreover, 39% of participants reported daily or weekly loneliness. After 12 months participants reported a significant increase in forgetting appointments, losing items and difficulties in learn new things. They felt that opportunities to make decisions concerning their own life significantly decreased. Furthermore, their instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), dominant hand’s grip strength and walking speed decreased significantly. Opportunities to make decisions concerning their life, feeling safe, loneliness, sleeping problems, negative thoughts as well as fear of falling or having an accident outdoors were associated with these physical parameters. In addition to assessing physical performance and regular exercise, the various components of mental well-being and their interactions with physical performance should be considered during adjustment to senior housing.

https://ift.tt/2Mp1CjF

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1332: Toxic Effects of Methanol among Illegally Dispatched Workers at Aluminum CNC Cutting Process in Small-Scale, Third-Tier Subcontractor Factories of Smartphone Manufacturers in the Republic of Korea

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1332: Toxic Effects of Methanol among Illegally Dispatched Workers at Aluminum CNC Cutting Process in Small-Scale, Third-Tier Subcontractor Factories of Smartphone Manufacturers in the Republic of Korea

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071332

Authors: Chung Won Kang Hyunjoo Kim Kyongsok Shin Jia Ryu Kyunghee Jung-Choi Key Hwan Lim Jin-Ha Kim

An outbreak of occupational methanol poisoning occurred in small-scale, third-tier factories of large-scale smartphone manufacturers in the Republic of Korea in 2016. To investigate the working environment and the health effects of methanol exposure among co-workers in the methanol poisoning cases, we performed a cross-sectional study on 155 workers at five aluminum Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) cutting factories. Gas chromatography measured air and urinary methanol concentration. In the medical examination, symptom surveys, ophthalmological examinations, and neurobehavioral tests were done. Multiple logistic regression analyses controlling for age and sex were conducted to reveal the association of employment duration with symptoms. Air concentrations of methanol in factory A and E ranged from 228.5 to 2220.0 ppm. Mean urinary methanol concentrations of the workers in each factory were from 3.5 mg/L up to 91.2 mg/L. The odds ratios for symptoms of deteriorating vision and central nervous system (CNS) increased according to the employment duration after adjusting for age and sex. Four cases with an injured optic nerve and two cases with decreased neurobehavioral function were founded among co-workers of the victims. This study showed that the methanol exposure under poor environmental control not only produces eye and CNS symptoms but also affects neurobehavioral function and the optic nerve. The role of subcontracting production and dispatched work under poor environmental control was discussed.

https://ift.tt/2K60kgK

Fentanyls and the safety of first responders: Science and recommendations

American Journal of Industrial Medicine, EarlyView.


https://ift.tt/2ItgxGS

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1330: Effect of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria on the Mobility of Insoluble Cadmium and Metabolic Analysis

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1330: Effect of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria on the Mobility of Insoluble Cadmium and Metabolic Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071330

Authors: Ping Yang Xue-Fang Zhou Li-Li Wang Qu-Sheng Li Ting Zhou Yu-Kun Chen Zi-Yi Zhao Bao-Yan He

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can promote plant growth by dissolving insoluble phosphate. Therefore, PSB may have the potential to improve the mobility of heavy metals in soils and enhance phytoextraction. This study isolated a few PSB strains that could dissolve CdCO3 and solid Cd in soil. Two typical PSB, namely, high- and low-Cd-mobilizing PSB (Pseudomonas fluorescens gim-3 and Bacillus cereus qh-35, respectively), were selected to analyze the metabolic profiles, metabolic pathways, and mechanisms of mobilization of insoluble Cd. A total of 34 metabolites secreted by the two PSB strains were identified. Gluconic acid was the main contributor to Cd dissolution (42.4%) in high-Cd-mobilizing PSB. By contrast, gluconic acid was not secreted in low-Cd-mobilizing PSB. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that gluconic acid was produced by the peripheral direct oxidation pathway. Hence, PSB with peripheral direct oxidation pathway were likely to have high-Cd-mobilizing capacity.

https://ift.tt/2KmC0D2

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1329: Effect of an Intervention Program Based on Active Video Games and Motor Games on Health Indicators in University Students: A Pilot Study

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1329: Effect of an Intervention Program Based on Active Video Games and Motor Games on Health Indicators in University Students: A Pilot Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071329

Authors: Félix Zurita-Ortega Ramón Chacón-Cuberos Manuel Castro-Sánchez Francisco Luis Gutiérrez-Vela Gabriel González-Valero

(1) Background: High levels of physical inactivity caused by sedentary digital screen leisure constitute one of the main causes of the high levels of obesity observed in today’s society; (2) Methods: The present study aims to analyse the effect of a 12-week intervention program based on the application of active video games and motor games on health status indicators, problematic use of video games, and resilience capacity in university students. Besides, the content blocks of the Physical Education (PE) field are worked on through these devices, revealing their potential as an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) resource. A longitudinal study with a pre-experimental design with pretest–posttest measurements in a single group (n = 47) was performed, using as main instruments a Tanita TBF300® bioimpedance scale, the 20mSRT test for maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), the Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet Test (KIDMED), the Questionnaire for Experiences Related to Video games (QERV) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC); (3) Results: The main results were a discrete improvement in the percentage of fat mass and VO2max, representing a small effect size in both cases. The quality of the diet followed and the confidence and tolerance for adversity as a resilience factor were also improved, representing a medium size effect for this last variable; (4) Conclusions: Despite the limitations of this study as it does not have a control group, the main conclusions are that active video games and motor games can be a motivational resource to follow an active lifestyle, helping to improve health status indicators in young adults.

https://ift.tt/2KhWKiN

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1327: Daily Intake Estimation for Young Children’s Ingestion of Residential Dust and Soils Contaminated with Chlorpyrifos and Cypermethrin in Taiwan

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1327: Daily Intake Estimation for Young Children’s Ingestion of Residential Dust and Soils Contaminated with Chlorpyrifos and Cypermethrin in Taiwan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071327

Authors: Ya-Qing Yang Lih-Ming Yiin

We estimated the daily intakes of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin via ingestion of indoor dust and outdoor soils using the Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation Model on a probabilistic approach for Taiwanese young children. Variables for the estimation, such as concentration, ingestion rate, and body weight, were adopted from previous studies. Monte Carlo simulation was performed with 1,000,000 iterations to simulate a single daily intake, which was shown in terms of percentage of the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of either insecticide. The daily intakes are minimal with a 99% probability, but go up steeply at the 99.9th percentile (13.1% and 20.0% of the ADIs of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin, respectively). The sensitivity analysis indicates that concentration is the most determinant variable for daily intake estimation, suggesting that high intakes may occur when insecticide concentrations are elevated. Compared to the data of daily intakes via dietary ingestion of vegetables derived from a previous study, the estimated non-dietary intakes are negligible until reaching the highest percentile. Consequently, the non-dietary ingestion exposure to either insecticide is commonly low for young children in Taiwan’s homes, unless high contamination (e.g., indoor insecticide application) occurs in the environment. Care has to be taken to avoid high contamination indoors.

https://ift.tt/2lAVEjX

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1328: Ventilation and Air Quality in Student Dormitories in China: A Case Study during Summer in Nanjing

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1328: Ventilation and Air Quality in Student Dormitories in China: A Case Study during Summer in Nanjing

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071328

Authors: Zhe Yang Jialei Shen Zhi Gao

The Air quality in student dormitories can have a major impact on the health of millions of students in China. This study aims to investigate the ventilation and air quality in student dormitories. Questionnaire survey was conducted in eight dormitory buildings and field measurements were conducted in one dormitory during the summer in Nanjing. The survey result reveals that most students thought the indoor and outdoor air quality was neutral and the correlation between indoor and outdoor perceived air quality is statistically significant. There are few indoor PM2.5 and ozone sources in dormitories and natural ventilation is the most common form of ventilation. However, there is no statistically significant correlation between window opening behaviors and the perceptions of indoor and outdoor air quality. The field measurement result shows the measured I/O ratios of PM2.5 and ozone over 37 days are in the range of 0.42–0.79 and 0.21–1.00, respectively. The I/O ratios for PM2.5 and ozone are 0.49 ± 0.05 and 0.26 ± 0.05 in the case of the window being closed, and the I/O ratios for PM2.5 and ozone are 0.65 ± 0.08 and 0.50 ± 0.15 in the case of the window being open. The outdoor and indoor ozone concentrations show pronounced diurnal periodic variations, while the PM2.5 concentrations do not. Finally, recommended open/close window strategies are discussed to reduce indoor pollutant levels. Understanding the indoor/outdoor PM2.5 and ozone concentrations in different window patterns can be a guidance to preventing high indoor PM2.5 and ozone exposure in student dormitories.

https://ift.tt/2yFwNoL

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1326: Predicted Mercury Soil Concentrations from a Kriging Approach for Improved Human Health Risk Assessment

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1326: Predicted Mercury Soil Concentrations from a Kriging Approach for Improved Human Health Risk Assessment

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071326

Authors: David Imo Holger Dressel Katarzyna Byber Christine Hitzke Matthias Bopp Marion Maggi Stephan Bose-O’Reilly Leonhard Held Stefanie Muff

Health-risks from contaminated soils are assessed all over the world. An aspect that many risk assessments share is the heterogeneity in the distribution of contaminants. In a preceding study, we assessed potential health-risks for mothers and children living on mercury-contaminated soils in Switzerland using human biomonitoring-values (HBM) and soil samples. We assessed 64 mothers and 107 children who had resided in a defined area for at least 3 months. HBM-concentrations for mercury in urine and hair were measured, a detailed questionnaire was administered for each individual, and more than 4000 individual mercury soil values were obtained in 2015. In this study, we aimed at investigating possible associations of mercury soil- and HBM-values by re-analyzing our data, using predictions of the mercury concentrations at the exact location of the participant’s homes with a kriging approach. Although kriging proved to be a useful method to predict mercury soil concentrations, we did not detect an association between mercury soil- and HBM-values, in agreement with earlier findings. Benefits of geostatistical methods seem to be limited in the context of our study. Conclusions made in our preceding study about potential health risks for the residential population are robust and not altered by the current study.

https://ift.tt/2tsZwrE

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1323: Social Risk Factors of Transportation PPP Projects in China: A Sustainable Development Perspective

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1323: Social Risk Factors of Transportation PPP Projects in China: A Sustainable Development Perspective

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071323

Authors: Jingfeng Yuan Wei Li Jiyue Guo Xianbo Zhao Mirosław J. Skibniewski

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become increasingly important in improving the sustainability of society in China, with transportation being the largest investment area. However, the Social Risk Factors (SRFs) of transportation PPPs in China, which serve as a useful tool for distinguishing strengths and weaknesses for effective social risk management (SRM), have not been clearly identified. A conceptual model including 3 risk dimensions and 15 SRFs was proposed to mitigate social risks and improve the social sustainability of transportation PPP projects. A questionnaire survey conducted to investigate stakeholders’ opinions on the proposed SRFs demonstrated that all the SRFs were important. The SRFs can be used to evaluate social risks from economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the classification of the SRFs and indicated that all the risk dimensions contributed to social risks. The social and environmental impacts on social sustainability may contribute more to the generation of social risks. Furthermore, the concept of people-first PPPs was proposed to reduce social risks from the perspective of different stakeholders, with the interactions among different stakeholders being prioritized. The identified SRFs and their relationships can improve our understanding of SRM in the delivery of social sustainability and improve social resilience.

https://ift.tt/2KjltTC

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1321: Removal Behavior of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution by Tea Waste: Kinetics, Isotherms and Mechanism

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1321: Removal Behavior of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution by Tea Waste: Kinetics, Isotherms and Mechanism

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071321

Authors: Li Liu Shisuo Fan Yang Li

Tea waste (biosorbent) was characterized by BET, SEM, FTIR, XPS, solid state 13C-NMR and applied to remove methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. The effect of different factors on MB removal, kinetics, isotherms and potential mechanism was investigated. The results showed that tea waste contains multiple organic functional groups. The optimum solid-to-liquid ratio for MB adsorption was 4.0 g·L−1 and the initial pH of the MB solution did not need to be adjusted to a certain value. The pseudo-second-order model could well fit the adsorption kinetic process. The adsorption process could be divided into two stages: a fast adsorption stage and a slow adsorption stage. The adsorption isotherm could be well described by Langmuir and Temkin isotherm models. The maximum adsorption amount could reach 113.1461 mg·g−1 based on Langmuir isotherm fitting. Desorption and reusability experiments showed that MB adsorption onto tea waste could be stable and could not cause secondary pollution. The interaction mechanism between tea waste and MB involved electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bond, ion exchange, π-π binding. The organic functional groups of tea waste played an important role during the MB removal process. Therefore, tea waste has the potential to act as an adsorbent to remove MB from aqueous solution.

https://ift.tt/2KjdO7O

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1320: Risk Factors for Ventricular Septal Defects in Murmansk County, Russia: A Registry-Based Study

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1320: Risk Factors for Ventricular Septal Defects in Murmansk County, Russia: A Registry-Based Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071320

Authors: Anton A. Kovalenko Erik Eik Anda Jon Øyvind Odland Evert Nieboer Tormod Brenn Alexandra Krettek

Cardiovascular malformations are one of the most common birth defects among newborns and constitute a leading cause of perinatal and infant mortality. Although some risk factors are recognized, the causes of cardiovascular malformations (CVMs) remain largely unknown. In this study, we aim to identify risk factors for ventricular septal defects (VSDs) in Northwest Russia. The study population included singleton births registered in the Murmansk County Birth Registry (MCBR) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2011. Infants with a diagnosis of VSD in the MCBR and/or in the Murmansk Regional Congenital Defects Registry (up to two years post-delivery) constituted the study sample. Among the 52,253 infants born during the study period there were 744 cases of septal heart defects (SHDs), which corresponds to a prevalence of 14.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) of 13.2–15.3] per 1000 infants. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify VSD risk factors. Increased risk of VSDs was observed among infants born to mothers who abused alcohol [OR = 4.83; 95% CI 1.88–12.41], or smoked during pregnancy [OR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.02–1.80]. Maternal diabetes mellitus was also a significant risk factor [OR = 8.72; 95% CI 3.16–24.07], while maternal age, body mass index, folic acid and multivitamin intake were not associated with increased risk. Overall risks of VSDs for male babies were lower [OR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.52–0.88].

https://ift.tt/2Inv9HI

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1322: Four Major South Korea’s Rivers Using Deep Learning Models

IJERPH, Vol. 15, Pages 1322: Four Major South Korea’s Rivers Using Deep Learning Models

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph15071322

Authors: Lee Lee

Harmful algal blooms are an annual phenomenon that cause environmental damage, economic losses, and disease outbreaks. A fundamental solution to this problem is still lacking, thus, the best option for counteracting the effects of algal blooms is to improve advance warnings (predictions). However, existing physical prediction models have difficulties setting a clear coefficient indicating the relationship between each factor when predicting algal blooms, and many variable data sources are required for the analysis. These limitations are accompanied by high time and economic costs. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence and deep learning methods have become increasingly common in scientific research; attempts to apply the long short-term memory (LSTM) model to environmental research problems are increasing because the LSTM model exhibits good performance for time-series data prediction. However, few studies have applied deep learning models or LSTM to algal bloom prediction, especially in South Korea, where algal blooms occur annually. Therefore, we employed the LSTM model for algal bloom prediction in four major rivers of South Korea. We conducted short-term (one week) predictions by employing regression analysis and deep learning techniques on a newly constructed water quality and quantity dataset drawn from 16 dammed pools on the rivers. Three deep learning models (multilayer perceptron, MLP; recurrent neural network, RNN; and long short-term memory, LSTM) were used to predict chlorophyll-a, a recognized proxy for algal activity. The results were compared to those from OLS (ordinary least square) regression analysis and actual data based on the root mean square error (RSME). The LSTM model showed the highest prediction rate for harmful algal blooms and all deep learning models out-performed the OLS regression analysis. Our results reveal the potential for predicting algal blooms using LSTM and deep learning.

https://ift.tt/2KfjuQt