Influenza is a contagious virus affecting both one's health and economic productivity. This study evaluates uses a survey of 2168 individuals across the U.S. Ordered logit regressions are used to ...model risk perception and generalized ordered logit regressions are used to model risk mitigation travel-related decisions. Models are estimated for three influenza outbreak scenarios, specifically an individual's travel-related: 1) risk perceptions, 2) risk mitigation decisions when infected and the individual wants to prevent spreading it, and may want treatment, and 3) risk mitigation decisions when not infected and the individual wants to reduce exposure. Risk perception results show that a recent personal experience with influenza-like symptoms and being female significantly increased risk perception at mandatory and medical trip locations. Risk mitigation model results show that males are less likely to alter their travel patterns in response to the possible spreading of the virus or increasing exposure. Knowing the difference between influenza and the stomach flu is more influential in reducing travel than a recent influenza experience in one's household. Individuals proactive with their health (i.e., receive the vaccine, have health insurance) are also proactive in seeking medical attention and reducing influenza spread. Lastly, aligned with the Protection Motivation Theory, individuals reduce travel to locations in which they perceived medium or high risk. However, increased risk perceived at one's work location did not significantly reduce travel. The findings provide insight into the risk perception and mitigation behavior of the American public during the COVID-19 pandemic and after restrictions are lifted.
•Individual's travel-related influenza risk perception and mitigation is modeled.•Recent influenza experience increased perceived risk for all trips types.•Risk mitigation results show that males are less likely to alter their travel plans.•Persons proactive with their health are also proactive in mitigating influenza risk.•Increased risk perception at work did not significantly reduce travel.
Rockström et al. (2009a, 2009b) have warned that humanity must reduce anthropogenic impacts defined by nine planetary boundaries if “unacceptable global change” is to be avoided. Chemical pollution ...was identified as one of those boundaries for which continued impacts could erode the resilience of ecosystems and humanity. The central concept of the planetary boundary (or boundaries) for chemical pollution (PBCP or PBCPs) is that the Earth has a finite assimilative capacity for chemical pollution, which includes persistent, as well as readily degradable chemicals released at local to regional scales, which in aggregate threaten ecosystem and human viability. The PBCP allows humanity to explicitly address the increasingly global aspects of chemical pollution throughout a chemical's life cycle and the need for a global response of internationally coordinated control measures. We submit that sufficient evidence shows stresses on ecosystem and human health at local to global scales, suggesting that conditions are transgressing the safe operating space delimited by a PBCP. As such, current local to global pollution control measures are insufficient. However, while the PBCP is an important conceptual step forward, at this point single or multiple PBCPs are challenging to operationalize due to the extremely large number of commercial chemicals or mixtures of chemicals that cause myriad adverse effects to innumerable species and ecosystems, and the complex linkages between emissions, environmental concentrations, exposures and adverse effects. As well, the normative nature of a PBCP presents challenges of negotiating pollution limits amongst societal groups with differing viewpoints. Thus, a combination of approaches is recommended as follows: develop indicators of chemical pollution, for both control and response variables, that will aid in quantifying a PBCP(s) and gauging progress towards reducing chemical pollution; develop new technologies and technical and social approaches to mitigate global chemical pollution that emphasize a preventative approach; coordinate pollution control and sustainability efforts; and facilitate implementation of multiple (and potentially decentralized) control efforts involving scientists, civil society, government, non-governmental organizations and international bodies.
•Planetary boundaries of Rockström et al. (2009) to avoid “unacceptable global change”•Boundary for chemical pollution (PBCP) reflects Earth's finite assimilative capacity.•While conceptually necessary, a PBCP is challenging to operationalize.•To meet the need of abating global pollution, four recommendations are presented.•Recommend devising new, preventative technologies and social approaches.
Fibers are ideal carriers for AIEgens towards realizing sophisticated optical functions. On the single fiber level, the integration of a multiple functional components into a fiber provides ...adjustable microenvironments to manipulate the aggregate state of AIEgens. On the multiple‐fiber level, the assembly of multiple fiber offers entangled network to produce large‐scale fabrics to endow AIEgens with amplified functions and practical values (10.1002/chem.202201664).
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•The levels of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP were assessed in 45 vegetable oils from the Iranian market.•Sesame and corn oils had respectively the highest and lowest mean concentration of 3-MCPD ...and 1,3-DCP.•Calculated total Hazard Index (HI) values for both chemicals indicated no significant risk.•The correlation coefficient between 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP levels was of 0.819.
As food toxicants, 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and 1,3-Dichloropropan-2-ol (1,3-DCP) are potentially carcinogenic and/or genotoxic chemicals formed during high-temperature refining of vegetable oils. We examined 45 edible vegetable oil samples (i.e. sunflower, rapeseed, corn, olive, and sesame oils) randomly collected from Iran market (3 batches × 3 brands × 5 types of vegetable oils = 45 samples) for the presence of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP by chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Our results showed statistically significant associations between the mean concentration of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP and the type of vegetable oils, while no significant differences in either chloropropanol mean level among the brands were found. Sesame and corn oils had respectively the highest and lowest mean concentration of 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP. Based on the probabilistic scenario, Hazard Index (HI) values calculated for 3-MCPD and 1,3-DCP levels indicated no major risk (HI < 1.0) to Iranian consumers. Nonetheless, to protect the consumers, understanding the dynamics of processes that contribute to contaminants' formation, providing online real-time methods for monitoring reactions that lead to their production, developing new technologies to mitigate the occurrence of such chemicals while maintaining food safety and sensory properties, seem necessary.
Nowadays, mankind faces increasingly energy crisis and electromagnetic radiation pollution. An energy harvester with function of protecting human health from electromagnetic radiation is a desirable ...solution to this problem. Here, a stretchable electromagnetic shielding hybrid nanogenerator (ES‐HNG) is reported which can not only scavenge thermal and mechanical energy from living environment but also protect and monitor human health. The ES‐HNG is capable of transforming mechanical and thermal energy to electricity based on triboelectric, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric effects. To be devised as a computer keyboard cover, ES‐HNG takes about 200 s to charge a capacitor to 3 V by typing. The stored energy can drive the portable devices successfully. Besides, the ES‐HNG eliminates electromagnetic radiation of computer completely due to its unique electromagnetic shielding property. A large range of electromagnetic wave (frequency is between 0 and 1.5 GHz) is shielded more than 99.9978% by the ES‐HNG. Moreover, the ES‐HNG is able to monitor human health by attaching it on human abdomen to be a self‐powered sensor. This work opens up a new prospect of harvesting energy effectively as well as protecting/monitoring human health from electromagnetic radiation surroundings.
An electromagnetic shielding hybrid nanogenerator (ES‐HNG) is fabricated by integrating triboelectric nanogenerator and pyroelectric‐piezoelectric nanogenerators. The ES‐HNG is capable of harvesting thermal and mechanical energies from ambient environment, monitoring, and protecting human health from electromagnetic radiation.
Mesoscopic aggregate is important to transfer or even amplify the molecular information in macroscopic materials. As an important branch of aggregate science, aggregation‐induced emissive luminogens ...(AIEgens) often show slight or even no emission in solutions but exhibit bright emission when they aggregate, which open a new avenue for the practical applications. Due to the flexible and rotor structure of AIEgens, the aggregate structure of AIEgens is highly sensitive to the surrounding microenvironment, resulting in adjustable optical properties. Fibers integrated of a multiplicity of functional components are ideal carriers to control the aggregation processes, further assembly of fibers produces large‐scale fabrics with amplified functions and practical values. In this Concept article, we focus on the latest advances on the synergy between “AIE+Fiber” for the boosted performance that beyond AIE, and their applications are presented and ed out to stimulate new ideas for developing “AIE+Fiber” systems.
Fibers are ideal carriers for AIEgens towards realizing sophisticated optical functions. On the single fiber level, the integration of a multiple functional components into a fiber provides adjustable microenvironments to manipulate the aggregate state of AIEgens. On the multiple‐fiber level, the assembly of multiple fiber offers entangled network to produce large‐scale fabrics to endow AIEgens with amplified functions and practical values.
Smoke generated in moxibustion process, which is physiotherapy in traditional Chinese medicine, includes various organic compounds bearing particulate matter. In this paper, according to the ...composition analysis of moxa smoke, a breathable filter was introduced to reform the moxibustion box for reducing potential respiratory risk and environmental pollution. The breathability, smoke filtration performance, and reuse stability of the filters were systematically evaluated. PTFE membrane with its pore size around 1.44 μm can effectively filtrate (99.99%) the smoke aerosols with the gas permeance of 1257 m3·m-2·h-1·kPa-1, while that of Cambridge filter is 469 m3·m-2·h-1·kPa-1 (filtration efficiency 99.98%). Most of the organic substances such as o-cresol, phenol, stearic acid amide, 2-Pyrrolidinone, etc. can be captured by the PTFE membrane, indicating its excellent protection role. The regeneration performance of the filters and the filtration mechanism of the PTFE membrane were then revealed to verify the applicability of the filters. This PTFE reformed moxibustion box exhibits good application performance and can be well used in clinical practice.
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•Using ultrathin membrane in moxibustion process for occupation health protection.•The new device has good personal protective and curative effect.•The membrane-based filter has good breathability and regeneration performance.
Bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd) in the agricultural soil constitutes a dangerous risk for the health of both the environment and humans. Especially in the European Union, a large amount of Cd in ...agricultural topsoil originates from mineral fertilizer application. In this context, the EU has recently adopted the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 with the aim to establish stricter limits for Cd presence in fertilizer products and to promote a higher use of fertilizers from organic sources. This paper discusses the future implications of the new regulation to limit the presence of cadmium (Cd) in agricultural soils and food products. The Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 represents an important step of the EU circular economy action plan with its aim to encourage the production of low cadmium content fertilizers. This paper focuses on the limits of the Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 and on the need for complementary policy instruments to protect and conserve agricultural soil health. We highlight the recently proposed, and subsequently withdrawn, EU Soil Framework Directive (SFD) as a meaningful complementary policy tool in the context of a renewed effort to pursue protection and conservation of soil health.
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•Soil health protection needs to be strengthened in the EU regulatory framework.•Regulations supposed to ensure soil health and food safety are currently inadequate.•Long-term negotiations demonstrate the need for a EU Soil Framework Directive.•Soil cadmium reduction by the fertilizer Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 is questionable.•Soil protection is not yet considered as a primary EU policy objective.
Despite the growing body of literature examining social media in health contexts, including public health communication, promotion, and surveillance, limited insight has been provided into how the ...utility of social media may vary depending on the particular public health objectives governing an intervention. For example, the extent to which social media platforms contribute to enhancing public health awareness and prevention during epidemic disease transmission is currently unknown. Doubtlessly, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) represents a great challenge at the global level, aggressively affecting large cities and public gatherings and thereby having substantial impacts on many health care systems worldwide as a result of its rapid spread. Each country has its capacity and reacts according to its perception of threat, economy, health care policy, and the health care system structure. Furthermore, we noted a lack of research focusing on the role of social media campaigns in public health awareness and public protection against the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan as a developing country.
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of social media platforms on public health protection against the COVID-19 pandemic via public health awareness and public health behavioral changes as mediating factors in Jordan.
A quantitative approach and several social media platforms were used to collect data via web questionnaires in Jordan, and a total of 2555 social media users were sampled. This study used structural equation modeling to analyze and verify the study variables.
The main findings revealed that the use of social media platforms had a significant positive influence on public health protection against COVID-19 as a pandemic. Public health awareness and public health behavioral changes significantly acted as partial mediators in this relationship. Therefore, a better understanding of the effects of the use of social media interventions on public health protection against COVID-19 while taking public health awareness and behavioral changes into account as mediators should be helpful when developing any health promotion strategy plan.
Our findings suggest that the use of social media platforms can positively influence awareness of public health behavioral changes and public protection against COVID-19. Public health authorities may use social media platforms as an effective tool to increase public health awareness through dissemination of brief messages to targeted populations. However, more research is needed to validate how social media channels can be used to improve health knowledge and adoption of healthy behaviors in a cross-cultural context.
The evolution of an epidemic is conditioned by the health protection behaviors adopted by the population, which depends, in part, on their perception of the risk of contracting the disease. This ...study on the perception of the risk of COVID-19 infection in a sample of the Spanish population (N = 374) reveals that significant predictors of one’s perception of the risk of infection are personal experience with the disease, trust in those responsible for managing it, and personal attitudes towards the effectiveness of the protective measures established by the administration. The individual factors (personal experience, trust, knowledge…) and prosocial behavior (as opposed to individualism) were found to be the main elements related to the perception of risk and the performance of protection behaviors.
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