Search results for: chronic health problems

Authors: Agada N. Ihuoma, Nagata Yasunori

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Artificial intelligence (AI) techniques play a crucial role in predicting the expected energy outcome and its performance, analysis, modeling, and control of renewable energy. Renewable energy is becoming more popular for economic and environmental reasons. In the face of global energy consumption and increased depletion of most fossil fuels, the world is faced with the challenges of meeting the ever-increasing energy demands. Therefore, incorporating artificial intelligence to predict solar radiation outcomes from the intermittent sunlight is crucial to enable a balance between supply and demand of energy on loads, predict the performance and outcome of solar energy, enhance production planning and energy management, and ensure proper sizing of parameters when generating clean energy. However, one of the major problems of forecasting is the algorithms used to control, model, and predict performances of the energy systems, which are complicated and involves large computer power, differential equations, and time series. Also, having unreliable data (poor quality) for solar radiation over a geographical location as well as insufficient long series can be a bottleneck to actualization. To overcome these problems, this study employs the anaconda Navigator (Jupyter Notebook) for machine learning which can combine larger amounts of data with fast, iterative processing and intelligent algorithms allowing the software to learn automatically from patterns or features to predict the performance and outcome of Solar Energy which in turns enables the balance of supply and demand on loads as well as enhance production planning and energy management.

Keywords: artificial Intelligence, backward elimination, linear regression, solar energy

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Authors: Yanyan Wang

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This paper on second language teaching and learning uses conversation analysis (CA) approach and focuses on how second language learners of Chinese do repair when making clarification requests. In order to demonstrate their behavior in interaction, a comparison was made to study the differences between native speakers of Chinese with non-native speakers of Chinese. The significance of the research is to make second language teachers and learners aware of repair and how to seek clarification. Utilizing the methodology of CA, the research involved two sets of naturally occurring recordings, one of native speaker students and the other of non-native speaker students. Both sets of recording were telephone talks between students and teachers. There were 50 native speaker students and 50 non-native speaker students. From multiple listening to the recordings, the parts with repairs for clarification were selected for analysis which included the moments in the talk when students had problems in understanding or hearing the speaker and had to seek clarification. For example, ‘Sorry, I do not understand ‘and ‘Can you repeat the question? ‘were the parts as repair to make clarification requests. In the data, there were 43 such cases from native speaker students and 88 cases from non-native speaker students. The non-native speaker students were more likely to use repair to seek clarification. Analysis on how the students make clarification requests during their conversation was carried out by investigating how the students initiated problems and how the teachers repaired the problems. In CA term, it is called other-initiated self-repair (OISR), which refers to student-initiated teacher-repair in this research. The findings show that, in initiating repair, native speaker students pay more attention to mutual understanding (inter-subjectivity) while non-native speaker students, due to their lack of language proficiency, pay more attention to their status of knowledge (epistemic) switch. There are three major differences: 1, native Chinese students more often initiate closed-class OISR (seeking specific information in the request) such as repeating a word or phrases from the previous turn while non-native students more frequently initiate open-class OISR (not specifying clarification) such as ‘sorry, I don’t understand ‘. 2, native speakers’ clarification requests are treated by the teacher as understanding of the content while non-native learners’ clarification requests are treated by teacher as language proficiency problem. 3, native speakers don’t see repair as knowledge issue and there is no third position in the repair sequences to close repair while non-native learners take repair sequence as a time to adjust their knowledge. There is clear closing third position token such as ‘oh ‘ to close repair sequence so that the topic can go back. In conclusion, this paper uses conversation analysis approach to compare differences between native Chinese speakers and non-native Chinese learners in their ways of conducting repair when making clarification requests. The findings are useful in future Chinese language teaching and learning, especially in teaching pragmatics such as requests.

Keywords: conversation analysis (CA), clarification request, second language (L2), teaching implication

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Authors: H. Apaza, L. Chévez, H. Loro

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Plastic and microplastic pollution in human food chain is a big problem for human health that requires more elaborated techniques that can identify their presences in different kinds of food. Hyperspectral imaging technique is an optical technique than can detect the presence of different elements in an image and can be used to detect plastics and microplastics in a scene. To do this statistical techniques are required that need to be evaluated and compared in order to find the more efficient ones. In this work, two problems related to the presence of plastics are addressed, the first is to detect and identify pieces of plastic immersed in almond seeds, and the second problem is to detect and quantify microplastic in almond flour. To do this we make use of the analysis hyperspectral images taken in the range of 900 to 1700 nm using 4 unmixing techniques of hyperspectral imaging which are: least squares unmixing (LSU), non-negatively constrained least squares unmixing (NCLSU), fully constrained least squares unmixing (FCLSU), and scaled constrained least squares unmixing (SCLSU). NCLSU, FCLSU, SCLSU techniques manage to find the region where the plastic is found and also manage to quantify the amount of microplastic contained in the almond flour. The SCLSU technique estimated a 13.03% abundance of microplastics and 86.97% of almond flour compared to 16.66% of microplastics and 83.33% abundance of almond flour prepared for the experiment. Results show the feasibility of applying near-infrared hyperspectral image analysis for the detection of plastic contaminants in food.

Keywords: food, plastic, microplastic, NIR hyperspectral imaging, unmixing

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Authors: Chinasa U. Imo, Queen Chikwendu, Jonathan Ajuma, Mario Banuelos

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Background: Sociocultural norms primarily influence the health-seeking behavior of populations in rural communities. In the Nkporo community, Abia State, Nigeria, their sociocultural perception of diseases runs counter to biomedical definitions, wherein they rely heavily on traditional medicine and practices. In a state where birth asphyxia and sepsis account for the significant causes of death for neonates, malaria leads to the causes of other mortalities, followed by common preventable diseases such as diarrhea, pneumonia, acute respiratory tract infection, malnutrition, and HIV/AIDS. Most local mothers attribute their health conditions and that of their children to witchcraft attacks, the hand of God, and ancestral underlining. This influences how they see antenatal and postnatal care, choice of place of accessing care and birth delivery, response to children's illnesses, immunization, and nutrition. Method: To implement a community health improvement program, we adopted an asset-based community development model to address health's normative and social determinants. The first step was to use a qualitative approach to conduct a community health needs baseline assessment, involving focus group discussions with twenty-five (25) youths aged 18-25, semi-structured interviews with ten (10) officers-in-charge of primary health centers, eight (8) ward health committee members, and nine (9) community leaders. Secondly, we designed an intervention program. Going forward, we will proceed with implementing and evaluating this program. Result: The priority needs identified by the communities were malaria, lack of clean drinking water, and the need for behavioral change information. The study also highlighted the significant influence of youths on their peers, family, and community as caregivers and information interpreters. Based on the findings, the NGO SieDi-Hub collaborated with the Abia State Ministry of Health, the State Primary Healthcare Agency, and Empower Next Generations to design a one-year "Community Health Youth Champions Pilot Program." Twenty (20) youths in the community were trained and equipped to champion a participatory approach to bridging the gap between access and delivery of primary healthcare, to adjust sociocultural norms to improve health equity for people in Nkporo community – with limited education, lack of access to health information, and quality healthcare facilities using an innovative community-led improvement approach. Conclusion: Youths play a vital role in achieving health equity, being a vulnerable population with significant influence. To ensure effective primary healthcare, strategies must include cultural humility. The asset-based community development model offers valuable tools, and this article will share ongoing lessons from the intervention's behavioral change strategies with young people.

Keywords: asset-based community development, community health, primary health systems strengthening, youth empowerment

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Authors: Gunendra Rathnawali Kumarihamy Dissanayake

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Research on parenting of both perpetrators and victims of domestic violence (DV) is growing but limited. Further, much of this research in the Asian context is limited to explorations of victim mothers' parenting capacities, not shedding much light on the parenting of the perpetrator fathers. The current qualitative study aimed to explore how both the perpetrators and victims of DV engaged in parenting in the Sri Lankan cultural context. Twenty case studies were conducted with a sample of help-seeking women aged 20 to 40 years representing working to upper-middle social class. Participants have interviewed about their own as well as their partners´ parenting behaviors. The majority of women reported that their partners were often aggressive, controlling and authoritarian, less consistent, and engaged in a variety of manipulative behaviors intending to harm the relationship between their child and them. Further, victim mothers' styles of parenting and authority as parents have been severely undermined by their partners through frequent criticism, ridicule, and insulting in front of the children. As a result, mothers experienced great difficulty specifically trying to discipline their adolescent children as the children have started to disregard the mothers' authority. Most of the children also have shown treatment similar to that of their fathers', treating the mother as a personal servant not worthy of being listened to, thereby increasing the mothers' parenting stress. The mothers were often blamed and held responsible for the problems of the children by their partners, encouraging the children to disrespect and blame the mother for their problems leading them to take the side of the father who had more power. Findings are similar to those of the western context. This study highlights the intersection between domestic violence and parenting, and specific implications and recommendations for DV service providers are offered.

Keywords: parenting, domestic violence, impact, children

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Authors: Corina Muscurel, Irina Stoian, Laura Gaman, Valeriu Atanasiu

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Chronic inflammation predisposes cells to neoplastic transformation and is associated with angiogenesis. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) give rise to anti-inflammatory metabolites and decrease some inflammatory cytokines. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of n-3 PUFAs intake on patients with tumors in early-stage (without regional or distant metastasis). There were two groups of patients: one group with colon tumors and one group with lung tumors. All patients took for 60 days daily supplements from fish-oil containing 600 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 400 mg docosahexaenoic acid. The plasma markers were evaluated before and after PUFAs intake: ceruloplasmin (using p-phenylenediamine oxidase method), plasma total thiol groups (using dithiobis-nitrobenzoic acid method) and CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen using electrochemiluminescent immunoassay). The results reflect ceruloplasmin decrease (p < 0.05), plasma total thiol groups increase (not statistically significant) and CEA decrease (p < 0.05) after n-3 PUFAs intake. Conclusions: n-3 PUFAs intake is favorable in premalignant lesions or in early tumor stage and dietary fish-oil has anti-inflammatory effects and can contribute to reduce cancer progression.

Keywords: cancer, fish-oil, inflammation, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

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Authors: Babak Nemat

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Background and Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver is one of the most common liver disorders, which, as the most important cause of death from liver disease, has unpleasant consequences and complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an educational intervention based on a health belief model to prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver among women. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was performed among 110 women referring to comprehensive health service centers in Malayer City, west of Iran, in 2023. Using the available sampling method, 110 participants were divided into experimental and control groups. The data collection tool included demographic characteristics and a questionnaire based on the health belief model. In the experimental group, three one-hour training sessions were conducted in the form of pamphlets, lectures, and group discussions. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21, by correlation tests, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests. Results: The mean age of participants was 38.07±6.28 years, and most of the participants were middle-aged, married, housewives with academic education, middle-income, and overweight. After the educational intervention, the mean scores of the constructs include perceived sensitivity (p=0.01), perceived severity (p=0.01), perceived benefits (p=0.01), guidance for internal (p=0.01), and external action (p=0.01), and perceived self-efficacy (p=0.01) in the experimental group were significantly higher than the control group. The score of perceived barriers in the experimental group decreased after training. The perceived obstacles score in the test group decreased after the training (15.2 ± 3.9 v.s 11.2 ± 3.3, (p<0.01). Conclusion: The findings of the study showed that the design and implementation of educational programs based on the constructs of the health belief model can be effective in preventing women from developing higher levels of non-alcoholic fatty liver.

Keywords: non-alcoholic fatty liver, health belief model, education, women

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Authors: Azza A. Ali, Hebatalla I. Ahmed, Asmaa Abdelaty

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Background: Manganese (Mn) is a naturally occurring element. Exposure to high levels of Mn causes neurotoxic effects and represents an environmental risk factor. Mn neurotoxicity is poorly understood but changing of AChE activity, monoamines and oxidative stress has been established. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a synthetic compound widely used in the production of polycarbonate plastics. There is considerable debate about whether its exposure represents an environmental risk. Caffeine is one of the major contributors to the dietary antioxidants which prevent oxidative damage and may reduce the risk of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate is another major component of green tea and has known interactions with caffeine. It also has health-promoting effects in CNS. Objective: To evaluate the potential protective effects of Caffeine and/or EGCG against Mn-induced neurotoxicity either alone or in the presence of BPA in rats. Methods: Seven groups of rats were used and received daily for 5 weeks MnCl2.4H2O (10 mg/kg, IP) except the control group which received saline, corn oil and distilled H2O. Mn was injected either alone or in combination with each of the following: BPA (50 mg/kg, PO), caffeine (10 mg/kg, PO), EGCG (5 mg/kg, IP), caffeine + EGCG and BPA +caffeine +EGCG. All rats were examined in five behavioral tests (grid, bar, swimming, open field and Y- maze tests). Biochemical changes in monoamines, caspase-3, PGE2, GSK-3B, glutamate, acetyl cholinesterase and oxidative parameters, as well as histopathological changes in the brain, were also evaluated for all groups. Results: Mn significantly increased MDA and nitrite content as well as caspase-3, GSK-3B, PGE2 and glutamate levels while significantly decreased TAC and SOD as well as cholinesterase in the striatum. It also decreased DA, NE and 5-HT levels in the striatum and frontal cortex. BPA together with Mn enhanced oxidative stress generation induced by Mn while increased monoamine content that was decreased by Mn in rat striatum. BPA abolished neuronal degeneration induced by Mn in the hippocampus but not in the substantia nigra, striatum and cerebral cortex. Behavioral examinations showed that caffeine and EGCG co-administration had more pronounced protective effect against Mn-induced neurotoxicity than each one alone. EGCG alone or in combination with caffeine prevented neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra, striatum, hippocampus and cerebral cortex induced by Mn while caffeine alone prevented neuronal degeneration in the substantia nigra and striatum but still showed some nuclear pyknosis in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. The marked protection of caffeine and EGCG co-administration also confirmed by the significant increase in TAC, SOD, ACHE, DA, NE and 5-HT as well as the decrease in MDA, nitrite, caspase-3, PGE2, GSK-3B, the glutamic acid in the striatum. Conclusion: Neuronal degeneration induced by Mn showed some inhibition with BPA exposure despite the enhancement in oxidative stress generation. Co-administration of EGCG and caffeine can protect against neuronal degeneration induced by Mn and improve behavioral deficits associated with its neurotoxicity. The protective effect of EGCG was more pronounced than that of caffeine even with BPA co-exposure.

Keywords: manganese, bisphenol a, caffeine, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, neurotoxicity, behavioral tests, rats

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Authors: Srushti R. Joshi, Ujjwal Rakesh, Spoorthi Sripad

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The rapid advancement of remote sensing technologies has revolutionized plant health monitoring, offering valuable insights for precision agriculture and environmental management. This paper presents a comprehensive comparative analysis between the widely employed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and state-of-the-art hyperspectral sensors in the context of plant health assessment. The study aims to elucidate the weigh ups of spectral resolution. Employing a diverse range of vegetative environments, the research utilizes simulated datasets to evaluate the performance of NDVI and hyperspectral sensors in detecting subtle variations indicative of plant stress, disease, and overall vitality. Through meticulous data analysis and statistical validation, this study highlights the superior performance of hyperspectral sensors across the parameters used.

Keywords: normalized difference vegetation index, hyperspectral sensor, spectral resolution, infrared

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Authors: Huafeng Wei

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Dementia in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the number one cause of dementia internationally, without effective treatments. Increasing evidence suggest that disruption of intracellular calcium homeostasis, primarily pathological elevation of cytosol and mitochondria but reduction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium concentrations, play critical upstream roles on multiple pathologies and associated neurodegeneration, impaired neurogenesis, synapse, and cognitive dysfunction in various AD preclinical studies. The last federal drug agency (FDA) approved drug for AD dementia treatment, memantine, exert its therapeutic effects by ameliorating N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor overactivation and subsequent calcium dysregulation. More research works are needed to develop other drugs targeting calcium dysregulation at multiple pharmacological acting sites for future effective AD dementia treatment. Particularly, calcium channel blockers for the treatment of hypertension and dantrolene for the treatment of muscle spasm and malignant hyperthermia can be repurposed for this purpose. In our own research work, intranasal administration of dantrolene significantly increased its brain concentrations and durations, rendering it a more effective therapeutic drug with less side effects for chronic AD dementia treatment. This review summarizesthe progress of various studies repurposing drugs targeting calcium dysregulation for future effective AD dementia treatment as potentially disease-modifying drugs.

Keywords: alzheimer, calcium, cognitive dysfunction, dementia, neurodegeneration, neurogenesis

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Authors: Kunthida Kulprateepunya, Napat Boontiam, Bunthita Phuasa, Chatsuda Kankayant, Bantoeng Polsawat, Sumran Poontong

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Frailty is the thin line between good health and illness. The syndrome is more common in the elderly who transition from strong to weak. (Vulnerability). Fragility can prevent and promote healthy recovery before it goes into disability. This research and development aim to analyze the situation analysis of frailty of the elderly, develop a program, and evaluate the effect of a health promotion program to prevent and solve the problem of frailty among the elderly. The research consisted of 3 phases: 1) analysis of the frailty situation, 2) development of a model, 3) evaluation of the effectiveness of the model. Samples were 328, 122 elderlies using the multi-stage random sampling method. The research instrument was a frailty questionnaire use of the five symptoms, the main characteristics were muscle weakness, slow walking, low physical activity. Fatigue and unintentional weight loss, criteria frailty use more than or equal to three or more symptoms are frailty. Data were analyzed by descriptive and t-test dependent test statistics. The findings showed three parts. First, frailty in the elderly was 23.05 percentage and 56.70% pre-frailty. Second, it was development of a health promotion program to prevent and solve the problem of frailty the elderly with a combination of Nine-Square Exercise, Elastic Band Exercise, Elastic Coconut Shell. Third, evaluation of the effectiveness of the model by comparison of the elderly's get up and go test, the average time before using the program was 14.42 and after using the program was 8.57. It was statistically significant at the .05 level. In conclusion, the findings can used to develop guidelines to promote the health of the frailty elderly.

Keywords: elderly, fragile, nine-square exercise, elastic coconut shell

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Authors: Huafeng Wei

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Failures of developing new drugs primarily based on the amyloid pathology hypothesis after decades of efforts internationally lead to changes of focus targeting alternative pathways of pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Disruption of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis, especially the pathological and excessive Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via ryanodine receptor (RyRs) Ca2+ channels, has been considered an upstream pathology resulting in major AD pathologies, such as amyloid and Tau pathology, mitochondria damage and inflammation, etc. Therefore, dantrolene, an inhibitor of RyRs that reduces the pathological Ca2+ release from ER and a clinically available drug for the treatment of malignant hyperthermia and muscle spasm, is expected to ameliorate AD multiple pathologies synapse and cognitive dysfunction. Our own studies indicated that dantrolene ameliorated impairment of neurogenesis and synaptogenesis in neurons developed from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) originated from skin fibroblasts of either familiar (FAD) or sporadic (SAD) AD by restoring intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Intranasal administration of dantrolene significantly increased its passage across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and, therefore its brain concentrations and durations. This can render dantrolene a more effective therapeutic drug with fewer side effects for chronic AD treatment. This review summarizes the potential therapeutic and side effects of dantrolene and repurposes intranasal dantrolene as a disease-modifying drug for future AD treatment.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, calcium, drug development, dementia, neurodegeneration, neurogenesis

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Authors: Lamphong Volady

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The primary purpose of this study was to explore the traditional cuisine (local food) of Luangprabang Province in line with the Lao PDR’s One District One Product Policy. Another purpose of the study was to examine channels used to present local food, reasons to preserve and promote local food, as well as local food preservation and promotion strategies. It also aimed at testing correlation hypotheses whether there is a statistically significant relationship between enjoyment of having local food and willingness to promote local cuisines becoming international cuisines, attractiveness to consume local food, preservation and promotion of local food problems, and local people’s occupations. The Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods were employed in this study. The results of the study showed that several local cuisines were found to be local food of Luangprabang Province, namely Jeow Bon (Chilli dipping suace), Or Lam or aw lahm (stew buffalo skin, herbs, Mai sakaan), Kai Pan (River Weed Dry), Tam Mak Houng Luangprabang (Papaya Salad), Nang (Yam Buffalo Skin Dry), Sai Oor (Sausage), Laap Sin Koay Sai Mar-Keua Pao (Beef Salad with Roasted Eggplants), Orm Born (Taro leaves Stew), Oor Nor Mai (Bamboo Shoot Sausage), Jeow Nam Poo (Pickled Crab Chillies), Mok Dok Kae (steaming or roasting a Dok Kae Wrapp), Nor Sa Wan, Kao Noom Kee Noo, Kao Noom Ba Bin. It also depicted that YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok were multiple social channels or platforms which were found to be used to introduce traditional food as well as television, smartphone, word of mouth, Lao food fairs and other provincial events. The study also found that local food should be preserved and promoted since traditional food is not only ancestral, ancient, traditional, and local cuisines, but it is also wisdom, unique, and national cuisine. The study also found that people feel attracted to consuming local food because local food is delicious, unique, clean, nutritious, non-contaminated and natural. The study showed that lack of funds to produce local food, inadequate draw materials, lack material to store products, insufficient place to produce and lack of related organizations engagement were found to be problems for preserving and promoting traditional food. Finally, the result of the study revealed that there is a statistically significant weak relationship between enjoyment of having local food and willingness to promote local cuisines becoming international cuisines (R²= 4.5%), (p-value <0.001). There is a statistically significant moderate relationship between enjoyment of having local food and attractiveness to consume local food (R²= 7.8%), (p-value <0.001). However, there is a statistically insignificant relationship between enjoyment of having local food and preservation and promotion of local food problems (R²= 1.8%), (p-value = 0.086). It was found that there is a statistically insignificant relationship between enjoyment of having local food and local people’s occupations (R²= 0.0%), (p-value = 0.929).

Keywords: local food, preservation, promotion, traditional food, cuisines

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Authors: Aryan Sood, Shruti Pathak, Dipanshu Chaudhary, Shreyanshi, Yogesh Pal

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In this comprehensive meta-analysis, the study delves into the widespread issue of body shaming, revealing its pervasive impact on various aspects of human life and its profound implications for mental health. The paper first explores the origins of body shaming, including societal norms, media influences, and interpersonal dynamics. It highlights the various forms it takes and its detrimental effects on self-esteem, body image, and psychological well-being. Particularly among adolescents and teenagers in today's social media-driven world, the pressure to conform to idealized beauty standards is significant, leading to negative consequences for their development and health. The research emphasizes the long-lasting mental health effects of body shaming, including depression, body dysmorphia, low self-esteem, and eating disorders. The study also discusses the emergence of body positivity movements as a means to challenge societal norms and promote inclusivity and empathy. Furthermore, the research addresses body shaming in the workplace and presents strategies to combat it, stressing the importance of awareness campaigns, education, and policy changes. In conclusion, the study underscores the critical need for a culture of acceptance and support, the promotion of positive body image, and efforts to mitigate the severe mental health toll that body shaming takes on individuals and communities. Overall, this research provides a comprehensive overview of body shaming, its root causes, and its far-reaching impacts on mental health and well-being. It highlights the urgency of addressing this issue in various contexts, from adolescence to the workplace, and offers solutions, such as awareness campaigns and societal changes, to foster a more inclusive and empathetic future.

Keywords: body shaming, mental health, age, gender, societal norms, appearance-based discrimination, cyberbullying, self-esteem, social media, depression, acceptance

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Authors: Mohammaad Afzal Khan, Ghazi Abdulmalik Ashoor , Fatimah Alanazi, Talal Shamma, Abdullah Altuhami, Hala Abdalrahman Ahmed, Abdullah Mohammed Assiri, Dieter Clemens Broering

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Microvascular injuries during inflammation are key causes of transplant malfunctioning and permanent failure, which play a major role in the development of chronic rejection of the transplanted organ. Inflammation-induced microvascular loss is a promising area to investigate the decisive roles of regulatory and effector responses. The present study was designed to investigate the impact of IL-10 on immunotolerance, in particular, the microenvironment of the allograft during rejection. Here, we investigated the effects of IL-10 blockade/ reconstitution and serially monitored regulatory T cells (Tregs), graft microvasculature, and airway epithelium in rejecting airway transplants. We demonstrated that the blocking/reconstitution of IL-10 significantly modulates CD4+FOXP3+ Tregs, microvasculature, and airway epithelium during rejection. Our findings further highlighted that blockade of IL-10 upregulated proinflammatory cytokines, IL-2, IL-1β, IFN-γ, IL-15, and IL-23, but suppressed IL-5 secretion during rejection; however, reconstitution of IL-10 significantly upregulated CD4+FOXP3+ Tregs, tissue oxygenation/blood flow and airway repair. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a potential reparative modulation of IL-10 during microvascular and epithelial repair, which could provide a vital therapeutic window to rejecting transplants in clinical practice.

Keywords: interleukin -10, regulatory T cells, allograft rejection, immunotolerance

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Authors: Amir Salamatzade, Marhamet HematPour

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Due to the increasing importance of psychological factors in the incidence and exacerbation of chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, the aim of this study was to determine the difference between emotional regulation strategies and psychological symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis and normal people. The research method was causal-comparative (post-event). The statistical population of this research included all patients with multiple sclerosis referred to the MS Association of Rasht in the first quarter of 2021, approximately 350 people. The study sample also included 120 people (60 patients with multiple sclerosis and 60 normal people) who were selected by the available sampling method and completed the emotional regulation and anxiety, depression, and stress Lavibund and Lavibund (1995) questionnaires. Data were analyzed using an independent t-test and multivariate variance analysis. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the mean of emotional regulation strategies and the components of emotional reassessment and emotional inhibition between the two groups of patients with multiple sclerosis and normal individuals (p < 0.01). There is a significant difference between the mean of psychological symptoms and the components of depression, anxiety, and stress in the two groups of patients with multiple sclerosis and normal individuals. (p < 0.01). Based on this, it can be concluded that patients with multiple sclerosis have lower levels of emotional regulation strategies and higher levels of psychological symptoms than normal individuals.

Keywords: emotional regulation strategies, psychological symptoms, multiple sclerosis, normal Individuals

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Authors: Sk Ajim Ali

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The present study is an attempt to overview on the major environmental and health impacts due to hazardous waste generation and poor management. In present scenario, not only hazardous waste, but as a common term ‘Waste’ is one of the acceptable and thinkable environmental issues. With excessive increasing population, industrialization and standardization of human’s life style heap in extra waste generation which is directly or indirectly related with hazardous waste generation. Urbanization and population growth are solely responsible for establishing industrial sector and generating various Hazardous Waste (HW) and concomitantly poor management practice arising adverse effect on environment and human health. As compare to other Indian state, West Bengal is not too much former in HW generation. West Bengal makes a rank of 7th in HW generation followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, U.P, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh. During the last 30 years, the industrial sectors in W.B have quadrupled in size, during 1995 there were only 440 HW generating Units in West Bengal which produced 129826 MTA hazardous waste but in 2011, it rose up into 609 units and it produced about 259777 MTA hazardous waste. So, the notable thing is that during a 15 year interval there increased 169 waste generating units but it produced about 129951 MTA of hazardous waste. Major chemical industries are the main sources of HW and causes of adverse effect on the environment and human health. HW from industrial sectors contains heavy metals, cyanides, pesticides, complex aromatic compounds (i.e. PCB) and other chemical which are toxic, flammable, reactive, and corrosive and have explosive properties which highly affect the surrounding environment and human health in and around he disposal sites. The main objective of present study is to highlight on the sources and components of hazardous waste in West Bengal and impacts of improper HW management on health and environment. This study is carried out based on a secondary source of data and qualitative method of research. The secondary data has been collected annual report of WBPCB, WHO’s report, research paper, article, books and so on. It has been found that excessive HW generation from various sources and communities has serious health hazards that lead to the spreading of infectious disease and environmental change.

Keywords: environmental impacts, existing HW generation and management practice, hazardous waste (HW), health impacts, recommendation and planning

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Authors: Hong Geng, Zaiyu Fan

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With the acceleration of urbanization and motorization in China, the scale of cities and the travel distance of residents are constantly expanding, and the number of cars is continuously increasing, so the urban traffic problem is more and more serious. Traffic congestion, environmental pollution, energy consumption, travel safety and direct interference between traffic and other urban activities are increasingly prominent problems brought about by motorized development. This not only has a serious impact on the lives of the residents but also has a major impact on the healthy development of the city. The paper found that, in order to solve the development of motorization, a number of problems will arise; urban planning and traffic planning and design in residential planning often take into account the development of motorized traffic but neglects the demand for street life. This kind of planning has resulted in the destruction of the traditional communication space of the residential area, the pollution of noise and exhaust gas, and the potential safety risks of the residential area, which has disturbed the previously quiet and comfortable life of the residential area, resulting in the inconvenience of residents' life and the loss of street vitality. Based on these facts, this paper takes a residential area in Wuhan as the research object, through the actual investigation and research, from the perspective of micro-transformation analysis, combined with the concept of traffic micro-reconstruction governance. And research puts forward the residential traffic optimization strategies such as strengthening the interaction and connection between the residential area and the urban street system, street traffic classification and organization.

Keywords: micro-transformation, residential traffic, residents demand, traffic microcirculation

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Authors: Juliet Sorensen, Anna Maitland

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Introduction: Characterized by lack of water and sanitation, food insecurity, and low access to hospitals and clinics, informal urban settlements in Lagos, Nigeria have very poor health outcomes. With little education and a general inability to demand basic rights, these communities are often disempowered and isolated from understanding, claiming, or owning their health needs. Utilizing community-based participatory research characterized by interdisciplinary, cross-cultural partnerships, evidence-based assessments, and both primary and secondary source research, a holistic health education and advocacy program was developed in Lagos to address health barriers for targeted communities. This includes a first of its kind guide formulated to teach community-based health educators how to transmit health information to low-literacy Nigerian audiences while supporting behavior change models and social support mechanisms. This paper discusses the interdisciplinary contributions to developing a health education program while also looking at the need for greater beneficiary ownership and implementation of health justice and access. Methods: In March 2016, an interdisciplinary group of medical, legal, and business graduate students and faculty from Northwestern University conduced a Health Needs Assessment (HNA) in Lagos with a partner and a local non-governmental organization. The HNA revealed that members of informal urban communities in Lagos were lacking basic health literacy, but desired to remedy this lacuna. Further, the HNA revealed that even where the government mandates specific services, many vulnerable populations are unable to access these services. The HNA concluded that a program focused on education, advocacy, and organizing around anatomy, maternal and sexual health, infectious disease and malaria, HIV/AIDS, emergency care, and water and sanitation would respond to stated needs while also building capacity in communities to address health barriers. Results: Based on the HNA, including both primary and secondary source research on integrated health education approaches and behavior change models and responsive, adaptive material development, a holistic program was developed for the Lagos partners and first implemented in November 2016. This program trained community-nominated health educators in adult, low-literacy, knowledge exchange approaches, utilizing information identified by communities as a priority. After a second training in March 2017, these educators will teach community-based groups and will support and facilitate behavior change models and peer-support methods around basic issues like hand washing and disease transmission. They will be supported by community paralegals who will help ensure that newly trained community groups can act on education around access, such as receiving free vaccinations, maternal health care, and HIV/AIDS medicines. Materials will continue to be updated as needs and issues arise, with a focus on identifying best practices around health improvements that can be shared across these partner communities. Conclusion: These materials are the first of their kind, and address a void of health information and understanding pervasive in informal-urban Lagos communities. Initial feedback indicates high levels of commitment and interest, as well as investment by communities in these materials, largely because they are responsive, targeted, and build community capacity. This methodology is an important step in dignity-based health justice solutions, albeit in the process of refinement.

Keywords: community health educators, interdisciplinary and cross cultural partnerships, health justice and access, Nigeria

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Authors: Jill Hanass-Hancock, Bradley Carpenter, Samantha Willan, Kristin Dunkle

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Access to quality health care for persons with disabilities is the litmus test in our strive toward universal health coverage. Persons with disabilities experience a variety of health disparities related to increased health risks, greater socioeconomic challenges, and persistent ableism in the provision of health care. In low- and middle-income countries, the support needed to address the diverse needs of persons with disabilities and close the gaps in inclusive and accessible health care can appear overwhelming to staff with little knowledge and tools available. An action-orientated disability inclusion toolkit for health facilities was developed through consensus-building consultations and field testing in South Africa. The co-creation of the toolkit followed a bottom-up approach with healthcare staff and persons with disabilities in two developmental cycles. In cycle one, a disability facility assessment tool was developed to increase awareness of disability accessibility and service delivery gaps in primary healthcare services in a simple and action-orientated way. In cycle two, an intervention menu was created, enabling staff to respond to identified gaps and improve accessibility and inclusion. Each cycle followed five distinct steps of development: a review of needs and existing tools, design of the draft tool, consensus discussion to adapt the tool, pilot-testing and adaptation of the tool, and identification of the next steps. The continued consultations, adaptations, and field-testing allowed the team to discuss and test several adaptations while co-creating a meaningful and feasible toolkit with healthcare staff and persons with disabilities. This approach led to a simplified tool design with ‘key elements’ needed to achieve universal health coverage: universal design of health facilities, reasonable accommodation, health care worker training, and care pathway linkages. The toolkit was adapted for paper or digital data entry, produces automated, instant facility reports, and has easy-to-use training guides and online modules. The cyclic approach enabled the team to respond to emerging needs. The pilot testing of the facility assessment tool revealed that healthcare workers took significant actions to change their facilities after an assessment. However, staff needed information on how to improve disability accessibility and inclusion, where to acquire accredited training, and how to improve disability data collection, referrals, and follow-up. Hence, intervention options were needed for each ‘key element’. In consultation with representatives from the health and disability sectors, tangible and feasible solutions/interventions were identified. This process included the development of immediate/low-cost and long-term solutions. The approach gained buy-in from both sectors, who called for including the toolkit in the standard quality assessments for South Africa’s health care services. Furthermore, the process identified tangible solutions for each ‘key element’ and highlighted where research and development are urgently needed. The cyclic and consultative approach enabled the development of a feasible facility assessment tool and a complementary intervention menu, moving facilities toward universal health coverage for and persons with disabilities in low- or better-resourced contexts while identifying gaps in the availability of interventions.

Keywords: public health, disability, accessibility, inclusive health care, universal health coverage

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Authors: Jianzhou Ni, Hua Fan

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It has been determined that supervisor support has a major influence on postgraduate students' academic emotions and is considered a method of successfully anticipating postgraduates' good psychological well-being levels. As a result, by assessing the mediating influence upon academic emotions for contemporary postgraduates in China, this study investigated the tight reciprocal relationship between psychological empowerment and positive mental well-being among postgraduates. To that end, a help enables a theoretical analysis of role clarity, academic emotion, and positive psychological health was developed, and its validity and reliability were demonstrated for the first time using the normalized postgrad relationship with supervisor scale, academic emotion scale, and positive mental scale, as well as questionnaire data from Chinese postgraduate students. This study used the cross-lagged (ARCL) panel model data to longitudinally measure 798 valid data from two survey questions polls taken in 2019 (T1) and 2021 (T2) to investigate the link between supervisor support and positive graduate student mental well-being in a bidirectional relationship of influence. The study discovered that mentor assistance could have a considerable beneficial impact on graduate students' academic emotions and, as a result, indirectly help learners attain positive mental health development. This verifies the theoretical premise that academic emotions partially mediate the effect of mentor support on positive mental health development and argues for the coexistence of the two. The outcomes of this study can help researchers gain a better knowledge of the dynamic interplay among three different research variables: supervisor support, academic emotions, and positive mental health, as well as fill gaps in previous research. In this regard, the study indicated that mentor assistance directly stimulates students' academic drive and assists graduate students in developing good academic emotions, which contributes to the development of positive mental health. However, given the restricted measurement time in this study's cross-lagged panel data and the potential effect of moderating effects other than academic mood on graduate students' good mental health, the results of this study need to be more fully understood and validated.

Keywords: supervisor support, academic emotions, positive mental health, interaction effects, longitudinal cross-lagged measurements

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Authors: Saba Nuzhat

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The present ethnographic study examines how domestic violence and authoritative knowledge affect the reproductive health of females; in terms of contraceptive behavior and induced abortion. This qualitative study has been conducted by collecting in depth informal interviews and case studies of 12 female respondents living in an urban slum of Keraniganj, located Dhaka city. The study depicts how multivariable factors are linked to a woman’s ability to contracept and make abortion decisions in a cultural context where being a wife infers to submission, limited mobility, sexual availability, and restricted autonomy on her own reproduction health. This study shows how violence is being normalized and socially acceptable, every time women do not adhere to go through expected gender roles. The study primarily explores the subjective experiences and perceptions of the females about contraceptive behavior as well as abortions from a medical anthropological perspective. A number of salient examples are highlighted into this paper where women who go through abortion or adopt various measures of contraceptives get highly influenced by authoritative knowledge or under the pressure of male dominance. The lack of female autonomy or prevalence of domestic violence challenges the gender equality of Bangladeshi society and female sovereignty in accessing sexual or reproductive rights. This paper remarks the significance of medical anthropological research that helps to understand the intricate interrelationship between authoritative knowledge and male dominance with female reproductive health in order to reduce women’s risk of experiencing domestic violence and to promote reproductive health autonomy for themselves for espousing contraceptive behaviors and abortion decisions.

Keywords: abortion, authoritative knowledge, contraception, domestic violence, reproductive health

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Authors: Jiashu Shen

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With the increase in the prevalence of divorce, the impact of divorce on children’s sexual and reproductive health has received wide attention, while few studies have investigated parent marital relationship. This study aims to study the relation of both parent divorce and perceived parental marital relationship with children’s sexual behaviors among Chinese university or vocational college students. The study used data from “National College Student Survey on Sexual and Reproductive Health 2019”, an internet-based survey conducted from November 2019 to February 2020, in 241 universities or vocational colleges in China. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess the relationship of perceived parental marital relationship and parents’ divorce of distinct occurrence time with sexual intercourse, risky sexual behaviors, unintended health outcomes and sexual abuse. Among 51,124 university or vocational college students, those whose parents had divorced accounted for 10.72%. Better perceived parental relationship was associated with a lower likelihood to have sexual intercourse (male: OR: 0.83, 95%CI: 0.80-0.86; female: OR: 0.73, 95%CI: 0.70-0.75), sexual abuse, risky sexual behaviors and unintended health outcomes. Divorce was also found to be associated with higher risk of sexual abuse, risky sexual behaviors and unintended health outcomes. The findings highlight the importance of parental marital relationship and divorce in risky sexual behavior among young adults. The findings may provide implications on intervention programs targeting at children with divorced parents from an early stage.

Keywords: college students, divorce, family relationship, sexual behavior

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Authors: M. Abouleish, R. Umer, Z. Sara

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Nitrate can cause serious environmental and human health problems. Effluent from different industries and excessive use of fertilizers have increased the level of nitrate in ground and surface water. Nitrate can convert to nitrite in the body, and as a result, can lead to Methemoglobinemia and cancer. Therefore, different organizations have set standard limits for nitrate and nitrite. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) of 10 mg N/L for nitrate and 1 mg N/L for nitrite. The removal of nitrate from water and wastewater is very important to ensure the availability of clean water. Different plant materials such as banana peel, rice hull, coconut and bamboo shells, have been studied as biosorbents for the removal of nitrates from water. The use of abundantly existing plant material as an adsorbent material and the lack of energy requirement for the adsorption process makes biosorption a sustainable approach. Therefore, in this research, the fruit of the plant was investigated for its ability to act as a biosorbent to remove the nitrate from wastewater. The effect of pH on nitrate removal was studied using both the raw and chemically activated fruit (adsorbent). Results demonstrated that the adsorbent needs to be chemically activated before usage to remove the nitrate from wastewater. pH did not have a significant effect on the adsorption process, with maximum adsorption of nitrate occurring at pH 4. SEM/EDX results demonstrated that there is no change in the surface of the adsorbent as a result of the chemical activation. Chemical activation of the adsorbent using NaOH increased the removal of nitrate by 6%; therefore, various methods of activation of the adsorbent will be investigated to increase the removal of nitrate.

Keywords: biosorption, nitrates, plant material, water, and wastewater treatment

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Authors: Elisabetta Cianfanelli, Paolo Pupparo, Maria Claudia Coppola

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The recent evolutions in the innovation processes and in the intrinsic tendencies of the product development process, lead to new considerations on the design flow. The instability and complexity that contemporary life describes, defines new problems in the production of products, stimulating at the same time the adoption of new solutions across the entire design process. The advent of Additive Manufacturing, but also of IOT and AI technologies, continuously puts us in front of new paradigms regarding design as a social activity. The totality of these technologies from the point of view of application describes a whole series of problems and considerations immanent to design thinking. Addressing these problems may require some initial intuition and the use of some provisional set of rules or plausible strategies, i.e., heuristic reasoning. At the same time, however, the evolution of digital technology and the computational speed of new design tools describe a new and contrary design framework in which to operate. It is therefore interesting to understand the opportunities and boundaries of the new man-algorithm relationship. The contribution investigates the man-algorithm relationship starting from the state of the art of the Made in Italy model, the most known fields of application are described and then focus on specific cases in which the mutual relationship between man and AI becomes a new driving force of innovation for entire production chains. On the other hand, the use of algorithms could engulf many design phases, such as the definition of shape, dimensions, proportions, materials, static verifications, and simulations. Operating in this context, therefore, becomes a strategic action, capable of defining fundamental choices for the design of product systems in the near future. If there is a human-algorithm combination within a new integrated system, quantitative values can be controlled in relation to qualitative and material values. The trajectory that is described therefore becomes a new design horizon in which to operate, where it is interesting to highlight the good practices that already exist. In this context, the designer developing new forms can experiment with ways still unexpressed in the project and can define a new synthesis and simplification of algorithms, so that each artifact has a signature in order to define in all its parts, emotional and structural. This signature of the designer, a combination of values and design culture, will be internal to the algorithms and able to relate to digital technologies, creating a generative dialogue for design purposes. The result that is envisaged indicates a new vision of digital technologies, no longer understood only as of the custodians of vast quantities of information, but also as a valid integrated tool in close relationship with the design culture.

Keywords: decision making, design euristics, product design, product design process, design paradigms

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Authors: Antoine Vikkey Hinson, Ranty Jolianelle Dassi, Menonli Adjobimey, Rose Mikponhoue, Paul Ayelo

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Introduction: The psychological hardship of the teaching profession maintains a chronic stress that inevitably evolves into burnout (BO) in the absence of adequate preventive measures. The objective of this study is to study the prevalence and factors associated with burnout among secondary school teachers in the city of Cotonou in 2022. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with an analytical aim and prospective data collection that took place over a period of 2 months, from July 19 to August 19 and from October 1 to October 31, 2022. Sampling was done using a three-stage probability sampling technique. Data analysis was performed using R 4.1.1 software. Bivariate logistic regression was used to identify associated factors. The significance level chosen was 5% (p < 0.05). Results: A total of 270 teachers were included in the study, of whom 208 (77.00%) were men. The mean age of the workers was 38.03 ± 8.30 years. According to the Maslach Burnout Inventory, 58.51% of the teachers had burnout, with 41.10% of teachers in emotional exhaustion, 27.40% in depersonalization and 21.90% in loss of personal accomplishment. The severity of the syndrome was low to moderate in almost all teachers. The occurrence of BO was associated with), not practicing sports (ORa= 2,38 [1,32; 4,28]), jobs training (ORa= 1,86 [1,04; 3,34]) and an imbalance of effort/reward (ORa= 5,98 [2,24;15,98]). Conclusion: The prevalence of BO is high among secondary school teachers in the city of Cotonou. A larger scale study, including research on its consequences on the teacher and the learner, is necessary in order to act quickly to implement a prevention program.

Keywords: burnout, teachers, Maslach burnout inventory, associated factors, Benin

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Authors: Naeem Ahmed

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Social work is a professional activity based on the approach of “helping people to help themselves” (Stroup). Social work education and practice both are based on humanitarian philosophy in which social workers try to increase the happiness of the society and to reduce the problems of society. Labour welfare is a specialised field of social work which especially focuses on welfare of organised and unorganised labour. In India labour is facing numerous problems in both organised and unorganised sectors because of ignorance, illiteracy, high rate of unemployment etc. In most of the Indian social work institutions we have this specialization with different names like Human Resource Management or Industrial Relation and Personnel Management or Industrial Relations and Labour Welfare or Industrial Social Work etc. Field work practice is integrated part of social work education curriculum in all specialised field. In India we have different field work practice models being followed in different institutions. The main objective of this paper is to prepare a universal field work practicum model in the field of labour welfare. This paper is exploratory in nature, researcher used personal experience and secondary data (model of field work practice in different institutions like Aligarh Muslim University, Pondicherry University, Central University of Karnataka, University of Lucknow, MJP Rohilkhand University Bareilly etc.) Researcher found that there is an immediate need to upgrade the curriculum or field work practice in this particular field, as more than 40 percent of total population engaged in either unorganised or organised sector (NSSO 2011-12) and they are not aware about their rights. In this way a social worker can play an important role in existing labour welfare facilities by making them aware.

Keywords: field work, labour welfare, organised labour, social work practice, unorganised labour

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Authors: Chiedu C. Ifekandu, Olusegun Sangowawa, Jean E. Njab

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Background: Health care providers (HCPs) in Nigeria receive little or no training of the healthcare needs of men who have sex with men (MSM) limiting the quality and effectiveness of comprehensive HIV prevention and treatment services. Consequently, most MSM disguise themselves to access services which limit the quality of care provided partly due to challenges related to stigma and discrimination, and breach of confidentiality. Objective: To assess the knowledge of healthcare providers on effective intervention for MSM. Methods: We trained 122 HIV focal persons drawn from 60 health facilities from twelve Nigerian states. , the participants were requested to complete a pre-training questionnaire to assess their level of working experience with key populations as a baseline. Participants included male and female doctors, nurses and counselors/testers. A test was administered to measure their knowledge on MSM sexual risk practices, HIV prevention and healthcare needs and also to assess their attitudes (including homophobia) and beliefs and how it affects service uptake by key populations particularly MSM prior and immediately after the training to ascertain the impact of the training. Results: The mean age of the HCP was 38 years +/- SD Of the 122 HCPs (45 % female, 55 % male; 85 % counsellor/testers; 15 % doctors and nurses; 92 % working in government facilities) from 42 health facilities were trained, of which 105 attempted the test questions. At the baseline, few HCPs reported any prior sensitivity training on MSM. Most of the HCPs had limited knowledge of MSM sexual health needs. Over 90% of the HCPs believed that homosexuality is a mental illness. 8 % do not consider MSM, FSW and PWID as key populations for HIV infection. 45 % lacked knowledge on MSM anal sexual practices. The post-test showed that homophobic attitudes had decreased significantly by the end of the training; the health care providers have acquired basic knowledge compared to the pre-test. Conclusions: Scaling up MSM sensitivity training for Nigerian HCPs is likely to be a timely and effective means to improve their understanding of MSM-related health issues, reduce homophobic sentiments and enhance their capacity to provide responsive HIV prevention, treatment and care services in a supportive and non-stigmatizing environment.

Keywords: healthcare providers, key population, men who have sex with men, HCT

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Authors: Ilana Singer, Anastasia Lučić, Julie Leclerc

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Introduction: Tics, characterized by repetitive, sudden, non-voluntary motor movements or vocalizations, are prevalent in chronic tic disorder (CT) and Tourette Syndrome (TS). These neurodevelopmental disorders often coexist with various psychiatric conditions, leading to challenges and reduced quality of life. While medication in conjunction with behavioral interventions, such as Habit Reversal Training (HRT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), and Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), has shown efficacy, a significant proportion of patients experience persistent tics. Thus, innovative treatment approaches are necessary to improve therapeutic outcomes, such as mindfulness-based approaches. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in the context of CT and TS remains understudied. Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the current state of research on mindfulness-based interventions for CT and TS, identify knowledge and evidence gaps, discuss the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions with other treatment options, and discuss implications for clinical practice and policy development. Method: Using guidelines from Peters (2020) and the PRISMA-ScR, a scoping review was conducted. Multiple electronic databases were searched from inception until June 2023, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychInfo, Global Health, PubMed, Web of Science, and Érudit. Inclusion criteria were applied to select relevant studies, and data extraction was independently performed by two reviewers. Results: Five papers were included in the study. Firstly, we found that mindfulness interventions were found to be effective in reducing anxiety and depression while enhancing overall well-being in individuals with tics. Furthermore, the review highlighted the potential role of mindfulness in enhancing functional connectivity within the Default Mode Network (DMN) as a compensatory function in TS patients. This suggests that mindfulness interventions may complement and support traditional therapeutic approaches, particularly HRT, by positively influencing brain networks associated with tic regulation and control. Conclusion: This scoping review contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in managing CT and TS. By identifying research gaps, this review can guide future investigations and interventions to improve outcomes for individuals with CT or TS. Overall, these findings emphasize the potential benefits of incorporating mindfulness-based interventions as a smaller subset within comprehensive treatment strategies. However, it is essential to acknowledge the limitations of this scoping review, such as the exclusion of a pre-established protocol and the limited number of studies available for inclusion. Further research and clinical exploration are necessary to better understand the specific mechanisms and optimal integration of mindfulness-based interventions with existing behavioral interventions for this population.

Keywords: scoping reviews, Tourette Syndrome, tics, mindfulness-based, therapy, intervention

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Authors: Bahlous Afef, Bouzid Kahena, Bardkis Ahlem, Mrad Mehdi, Kalai Eya, Sonia Bahri, Abdelmoula Jaouida

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Diabetic nephropathy is the first cause of chronic renal failure and hemodialysis use in several countries including Tunisia. The role of hypertension (HT) as major risk factor for nephropathy is undeniable. The aim of our study was to determine the relationship between blood pressure and nephropathy in a population of diabetic type 2 recently discovered. Materials and methods: We conducted a prospective study focused on 60 patients with type 2 diabetes recently discovered (<5 years). Each patient have benefited from: -a full clinical examination with measurement of blood pressure - exploring a blood-glucose control and renal function -urinary exploration with the determination of proteinuria microalbuminumie of 24 hours with a immunoturbidimetric method using Architect (ABBOTT CI 8200). Results and discussion: Hypertension was present in 46.7% of cases. Twenty patients, 35% of the study population showed nephropathy. Four of these patients (6.66% of cases) had proteinuria, while 16 (26.6% of patients) had microalbuminuria (> 30mg/24 hours). Systolic blood pressure was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the presence of nephropathy (139 +19.44) vs. for the group with normal renal function (128.65 +15.12 mmHg). Conclusion: The etiology of diabetic nephropathy is multifactorial. However, systolic blood pressure and glycemic control remains the major risk factors. Better glycemic control and treatment of hypertension allowed preventing and slowing the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

Keywords: hypertension, nephropathy, hemodialysis, diabetes

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