Category: Nevin Manimala

Waste Manag Res. 2022 Oct 19:734242X221126376. doi: 10.1177/0734242X221126376. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study uses material flow analysis to investigate the amounts and pathways of municipal plastic waste (MPW) in Thailand. The aim is to understand the country’s situation and investigate the effects of Thailand’s Roadmap on Plastic Waste Management 2018-2030, which sets a goal for recycling ‘target plastic waste’ at 100% by 2027. The analysis was conducted using waste statistics between 2008 and 2020 and waste forecasts. Two scenarios of plastic waste management, the business-as-usual, and the national roadmap, were constructed for 2025 and 2030. In 2030, the annual MPW generation is projected to reach 2.19 Mt. Under the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, the recycling and utilisation rate will be 32.3% of waste generated. About 30.3% of waste generated will not be treated properly and possibly leaked into the open environment. Under the roadmap scenario, the recycling and utilisation rate will increase to 98.4%, while 1.6% of waste generated will not be treated properly. The recycling rate for target plastic waste in 2027 could only reach 67.1% because plastic waste is required as fuel for waste incinerators and industries. With the roadmap fully implemented, certain effects can be foreseen for waste-to-energy and plastic industries. Findings from this study stress on the importance of holistic policy planning, efficient prioritising and allocating of waste as a resource, and cooperation from all sectors for sustainable plastic waste management.

PMID:36259956 | DOI:10.1177/0734242X221126376

Nursing. 2022 Nov 1;52(11):57-61. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000889816.36819.74.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To explore the stress, experience, and unmet needs of parents whose child has attempted suicide.

METHODS: A 23-question survey and a 53-item Family Management Measurement questionnaire were distributed to the parents of children admitted to an acute care facility for a suicide attempt (SA). Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System. Responses to the open-ended questions were sorted, synthesized, and clustered into tentative categories.

RESULTS: Eleven parents enrolled, but only 10 completed the qualitative questions. Three themes emerged: feelings of helplessness, uncertainty, and life management difficulty. Parents rated their stress as moderate (6.6 out of 10). Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was questionable (0.69); however, three of six subscales were good to excellent (0.81-0.95).

CONCLUSION: Families experience stress, feelings of hopelessness, and uncertainty after an SA. More research is needed to better understand and quantify parental experiences.

PMID:36259910 | DOI:10.1097/01.NURSE.0000889816.36819.74

Rev Bras Epidemiol. 2022 Oct 17;25:e220027. doi: 10.1590/1980-549720220027. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if the diet quality and its components are associated with breast cancer risk.

METHODS: A case-control study was conducted with 332 women, 114 who were diagnosed with breast cancer, and 218 control individuals. Groups were matched for age, body mass index, and menopausal status. The quality of diet was assessed using Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised (BHEI-R) and its components. Food consumption was measured through three 24-h dietary recalls and assessed using the NDS-R software. For statistical analyses, it was performed an adjusted logistic regression, estimation of the Odds Ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (95%CI), with a p-value <0.05.

RESULTS: The BHEI-R score, classified into quartiles, did not differ between groups in the lowest quartile of diet quality (p=0.853). The components total cereals (p=0.038), saturated fat (p=0.039) and Gord_AA (fat, alcohol, and added sugar) (p=0.023) had higher scores among the case group. The scores for total fruits (p=0.010) and milk and dairy products (p=0.039) were higher among the control group. The BHEI-R components and the quality of diet were not associated with the outcome.

CONCLUSION: Diet quality, assessed by the BHEI-R and its components, was not associated with breast cancer.

PMID:36259887 | DOI:10.1590/1980-549720220027

Rev Bras Epidemiol. 2022 Oct 17;25:e220025. doi: 10.1590/1980-549720220025. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between adolescent and young adult homicide mortality rates in Brazilian municipalities according to gender, race, and contextual characteristics at the municipal and federation unit levels.

METHODS: This is an ecological study that used secondary data available from the death records of the Mortality Information System and socioeconomic data from the Brazilian Census. The dependent variables were homicide mortality rates among people aged 15-29 years by sex and race from 2015 to 2017. The contextual variables were related to education, income, schooling, and vulnerability. Multilevel linear regression was applied in an ecological model to verify the first- and second-level variables’ effect. Each variable’s effect was estimated using β and its respective confidence intervals (95%CI) and statistical significance.

RESULTS: There was a direct and significant relationship between the adolescent and young adult mortality rates and the homicide mortality rates among adults, regardless of sex and race/skin color. However, this relationship was more pronounced among black adolescents and young adults. At the federative unit level, the human development index was significantly related to the mortality rates of black men, white men, and white women.

CONCLUSION: There is racial inequality in adolescent and young adult mortality from violence in Brazil; the rates are related to municipal characteristics, such as violence in the adult population and inequalities in education and social protection.

PMID:36259885 | DOI:10.1590/1980-549720220025

Rev Bras Enferm. 2022 Oct 17;75Suppl 2(Suppl 2):e20210878. doi: 10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0878. eCollection 2022.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: to verify the association between sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics with rural workers’ reproductive autonomy.

METHODS: a cross-sectional study, with a sample of 346 women and application of the Reproductive Autonomy Scale. Multinomial regression was performed to analyze associations between independent variables and outcomes.

RESULTS: in the analysis of subscales “Decision-making”, “My sexual partner or someone else such as a parent”, “Both me and my partner” and “Me”, women experienced greater reproductive autonomy in relation to their partners. For outcomes “Decision about which method to use”, “When to have a baby” or “About unplanned pregnancy”, the highest prevalence was for category “Me”, with statistically significant associations.

CONCLUSIONS: the sociodemographic and reproductive characteristics among the most vulnerable women, in terms of the social, economic and cultural context in which they are inserted, may be associated with greater difficulties in exercising reproductive autonomy.

PMID:36259879 | DOI:10.1590/0034-7167-2021-0878

Int J Neurosci. 2022 Oct 19:1-11. doi: 10.1080/00207454.2022.2138381. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To observe the effect of ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in the treatment of herpes zoster neuralgia (HZN).Methods: Eighty patients with HZN were randomly divided into observation group and control group, with 40 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with ultrasound-guided PRP injection of target nerves combined with drugs. The control group was treated with drugs alone. The pain scores of before treatment (T0), and 1 week (T1), 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3) and 6 months (T4) after treatment were recorded with Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). The sleep quality of patients was assessed with the Athens Insomnia Scale, and the dosage used at each time point, skin lesions, adverse reactions, and the occurrence of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) were recorded.Results: The NRS score of the two groups after treatment showed a downward trend. Compared with T0 at each time point, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). And the NRS score of the observation group was lower than control group (P < 0.05). The sleep quality of the observation group was better. The dosage of the observation group was less, and the time of herpes dry-up, scab crusting and shedding in the observation group was significantly shorter (P < 0.05). The incidence of dizziness, lethargy, ataxia and PHN in the observation group was significantly reduced (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Compared with traditional drug treatment alone, the ultrasound-guided PRP injection has the advantages of better analgesia and fewer side effects, which provides a new idea for the treatment of HZN.

PMID:36259487 | DOI:10.1080/00207454.2022.2138381

Anat Sci Educ. 2022 Oct 19. doi: 10.1002/ase.2230. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Visuospatial skills are considered important attributes when learning anatomy and there is evidence suggesting that this ability can be improved with training techniques including drawing. The Mental Rotations Test (MRT) has been routinely used to assess visuospatial ability. This study aimed to introduce students to drawing as a learning strategy for anatomy. Undergraduate speech science anatomy students took part in a drawing tutorial (n = 92), completed an MRT test, pre- and post-tutorial tests and surveys regarding their use and attitudes towards drawing as a study tool. The impact on their examination performance was then assessed. Regardless of MRT score or attitude to drawing, students who participated in the drawing tutorial demonstrated immediate improvement in post-tutorial test scores. Students in the drawing group performed better in most anatomy components of the examination, but the result did not reach statistical significance. There was only a positive correlation between MRT score and one type of anatomy question (non-image-based) and speech physics questions (r = 0.315, P = 0.002). The unexpected finding may relate to the MRT which assesses spatial rather than object visualization skills. Students who liked drawing also performed significantly better in word-based and speech physics questions. It is likely that the style of identification question did not require the mental manipulation ability assessed in the MRT. This study demonstrated that students with lower MRT scores are not outperformed in all aspects of anatomy assessment. The study highlights the importance of a more nuanced understanding of visuospatial skills required in anatomy.

PMID:36259486 | DOI:10.1002/ase.2230

Br J Nutr. 2022 Oct 19:1-27. doi: 10.1017/S0007114522003373. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome characterized by a severe disorder of pathophysiology caused by infection of pathogenic microorganisms. The addition of antioxidant micronutrient therapies such as thiamine to sepsis treatment remains controversial. This study explored the effect of thiamine on the prognosis of patients with sepsis. This study was a retrospective study involving patients with sepsis from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV. Patients were divided into two groups, the thiamine received group (TR) and the thiamine unreceived group (TUR), according to whether they were supplemented with thiamin via intravenous while in the intensive care unit (ICU). The primary outcome was ICU mortality. The association between thiamine and outcome was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model, propensity score matching (PSM), generalized boosted model-based inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), and doubly robust estimation. A total of 11,553 sepsis patients were enrolled in this study. After controlling for potential confounders using Cox regression models, the TR group had a statistically significantly lower ICU mortality risk than the TUR group. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of ICU mortality for the TR group was 0.80 (0.70, 0.93). We obtained the same results after using PSM, IPTW, and doubly robust estimation. Supplementation with thiamine has a beneficial effect on the prognosis of patients with sepsis. More randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the effectiveness of thiamine supplementation in the treatment of sepsis.

PMID:36259460 | DOI:10.1017/S0007114522003373

Eur J Sport Sci. 2022 Oct 19:1-14. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2138556. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Sirt1 is an enzyme involved in several anti-aging pathways. Associations between Sirt1, age, and body fat (BF) were assessed in master sprinters (MS; n = 35; 50.25 ±5.93 yr.), untrained young non-athletes (UY; n = 32; 23.78 ±3.98 yr.), and untrained middle-aged (UMA; n = 24; 47.29 ±8.04 yr.). BF was assessed using a skinfold protocol, and Sirt1 was measured in plasma by using commercial kits. Sirt1 of MS (17.18 ±4.77 ng/mL) was higher than UMA (6.36 ±2.29 ng/mL; p<0.0001) and did not differ from UY (20.26 ±6.20 ng/mL). Relative BF of MS was lower than UMA (12.71 ±4.07% vs. 22.13 ±4.18%; p<0.0001). Sirt1 was negatively correlated with chronological age (r =-0.735; p<0.0001) when combining UY and UMA in the analysis. However, when Sirt1 of MS and UY were analyzed together, no significant relationship between Sirt1 and chronological age was observed (r= -0.243; p=0.083). Sirt1 correlated inversely with BF (r= -0.743; p<0.0001) for UY and UMA. Stepwise multiple regression revealed that being either a young or master athlete, as well as body adiposity, are possible predictors of Sirt1 levels. MS and UY were associated with higher levels of Sirt1, while UMA and increased BF were associated with lower levels of this enzyme. The relationships among Sirt1, BF, and chronological age of young and middle-aged non-athletes were not statistically significant when the middle-aged participants were MS. These findings suggest possible links between Sirt1 and body composition, which may play roles in the rate of biological aging.Highlights Lower levels of Sirt1 are associated with higher body fat.Master Athlete lifestyle seems to promote higher Sirt1 Levels.

PMID:36259465 | DOI:10.1080/17461391.2022.2138556

J Neurotrauma. 2022 Oct 19. doi: 10.1089/neu.2022.0300. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Recent investigations have identified water polo athletes as at risk for concussions and repetitive subconcussive head impacts. However, head impact exposure in collegiate varsity women’s water polo has not yet been longitudinally quantified. We aimed to determine the relationship between cumulative and acute head impact exposure across preseason training and changes in serum biomarkers of brain injury. Twenty-two Division I collegiate women’s water polo players were included in this prospective observational study. They wore sensor-installed mouthguards during all practices and scrimmages during eight weeks of preseason training. Serum samples were collected at six time points (at baseline, before and after scrimmages during week 4 and 7, and after the eight-week preseason training period) and assayed for neurofilament light (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) using Simoa® Human Neurology 2-Plex B assay kits. Serum GFAP increased over time (e.g., an increase of 0.6559 pg/mL per week; p = 0.0087). However, neither longitudinal nor acute pre-post scrimmage changes in GFAP were associated with head impact exposure. Contrarily, an increase in serum NfL across the study period was associated with cumulative head impact magnitude (sum of peak linear acceleration: B = 0.015, SE = 0.006, p = 0.016; sum of peak rotational acceleration: B = 0.148, SE = 0.048, p = 0.006). Acute changes in serum NfL were not associated with head impacts recorded during the two selected scrimmages. Hormonal contraceptive use was associated with lower serum NfL and GFAP levels over time, and elevated salivary levels of progesterone were also associated with lower serum NfL levels. These results suggest that detecting increases in serum NfL may be a useful way to monitor cumulative head impact burden in women’s contact sports and that female-specific factors, such as hormonal contraceptive use and circulating progesterone levels, may be neuroprotective, warranting further investigations.

PMID:36259456 | DOI:10.1089/neu.2022.0300