During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, governments issued movement restrictions and placed areas into quarantine to combat the spread of the disease. In addition, individuals were ...encouraged to adopt personal health measures such as social isolation. Information regarding the disease and recommended avoidance measures were distributed through a variety of channels including social media, news websites, and emails. Previous research suggests that the vast amount of available information can be confusing, potentially resulting in overconcern and information overload.
This study investigates the impact of online information on the individual-level intention to voluntarily self-isolate during the pandemic. Using the protection-motivation theory as a framework, we propose a model outlining the effects of cyberchondria and information overload on individuals' perceptions and motivations.
To test the proposed model, we collected data with an online survey (N=225) and analyzed it using partial least square-structural equation modeling. The effects of social media and living situation were tested through multigroup analysis.
Cyberchondria and information overload had a significant impact on individuals' threat and coping perceptions, and through them on self-isolation intention. Among the appraisal constructs, perceived severity (P=.002) and self-efficacy (P=.003) positively impacted self-isolation intention, while response cost (P<.001) affected the intention negatively. Cyberchondria (P=.003) and information overload (P=.003) indirectly affected self-isolation intention through the aforementioned perceptions. Using social media as an information source increased both cyberchondria and information overload. No differences in perceptions were found between people living alone and those living with their families.
During COVID-19, frequent use of social media contributed to information overload and overconcern among individuals. To boost individuals' motivation to adopt preventive measures such as self-isolation, actions should focus on lowering individuals' perceived response costs in addition to informing them about the severity of the situation.
Understanding the real-world impacts of lifestyle modification (LSM) for diabetes prevention is imperative to inform resource allocation. The purpose of this study was to synthetize global evidence ...on the impact of LSM strategies on diabetes incidence and risk factors in one parsimonious model.
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for studies published between January 1990 and April 2015. Effectiveness/translation studies of any design testing LSM strategies, targeting high-risk populations (with prediabetes or diabetes risk factors), and reporting diabetes incidence, weight, or glucose outcomes were included. We extracted number of diabetes cases/incidence rates and mean changes in weight (kg), fasting blood glucose (FBG, mmol/L), 2-h postload glucose (mmol/L), and hemoglobin A
(%). Pairwise random-effects and frequentist random-effects network meta-analyses were used to obtain pooled effects.
Sixty-three studies were pooled in the meta-analysis (
= 17,272, mean age 49.7 years, 28.8% male, 60.8% white/European). In analyses restricted to controlled studies (
= 7), diabetes cumulative incidence was 9% among intervention participants and 12% among control participants (absolute risk reduction 3%; relative risk 0.71 95% CI 0.58, 0.88). In analyses combining controlled and uncontrolled studies (
= 14), participants receiving group education by health care professionals had 33% lower diabetes odds than control participants (odds ratio 0.67 0.49, 0.92). Intervention participants lost 1.5 kg more weight -2.2, -0.8 and achieved a 0.09 mmol/L greater FBG decrease -0.15, -0.03 than control participants. Every additional kilogram lost by participants was associated with 43% lower diabetes odds (β = 0.57 0.41, 0.78).
Real-world LSM strategies can reduce diabetes risk, even with small weight reductions.
Aims/hypothesis
This study reports the results of the first phase of a national study to determine the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose ...tolerance) in India.
Methods
A total of 363 primary sampling units (188 urban, 175 rural), in three states (Tamilnadu, Maharashtra and Jharkhand) and one union territory (Chandigarh) of India were sampled using a stratified multistage sampling design to survey individuals aged ≥20 years. The prevalence rates of diabetes and prediabetes were assessed by measurement of fasting and 2 h post glucose load capillary blood glucose.
Results
Of the 16,607 individuals selected for the study, 14,277 (86%) participated, of whom 13,055 gave blood samples. The weighted prevalence of diabetes (both known and newly diagnosed) was 10.4% in Tamilnadu, 8.4% in Maharashtra, 5.3% in Jharkhand, and 13.6% in Chandigarh. The prevalences of prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance) were 8.3%, 12.8%, 8.1% and 14.6% respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age, male sex, family history of diabetes, urban residence, abdominal obesity, generalised obesity, hypertension and income status were significantly associated with diabetes. Significant risk factors for prediabetes were age, family history of diabetes, abdominal obesity, hypertension and income status.
Conclusions/interpretations
We estimate that, in 2011, Maharashtra will have 6 million individuals with diabetes and 9.2 million with prediabetes, Tamilnadu will have 4.8 million with diabetes and 3.9 million with prediabetes, Jharkhand will have 0.96 million with diabetes and 1.5 million with prediabetes, and Chandigarh will have 0.12 million with diabetes and 0.13 million with prediabetes. Projections for the whole of India would be 62.4 million people with diabetes and 77.2 million people with prediabetes.
Protein rich wastes from aquaculture systems result in total ammonia nitrogen (TAN), total organic carbon (TOC) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). A number of conventional approaches have been ...adopted for the removal of these wastes in aquaculture ponds and hatcheries with varying degrees of success but they face critical problems such as membrane fouling, high cost or the generation of toxic by-products. To overcome such issues, electrochemical technology is commonly employed. The advantages of electrochemical treatment include high efficiency, ambient operating conditions, small equipment sizes, minimal sludge generation and rapid start-up. An even better system involves bio-electrochemical reactors (BERs), which have the potential to generate energy from wastewater (by means of microbial fuel cells) or a valuable product such as hydrogen (using microbial electrolysis cells). Mechanisms of cathodic nitrate reduction and anodic oxidation in electrochemical and bio-electrochemical technology are reported in this review. Also some work on the simultaneous removal of nitrate and organic matter by Electro-Fenton and microbial fuel cells are elaborated upon. It is apparent that BERs can remove contaminants at high efficiencies (≈
99%) whilst giving least impact upon the environment.
► Conventional nitrate and organic carbon removal generate environmental issues. ► Electrochemical technology can remove both contaminants in a
green manner. ► Mechanisms of contaminant removal in electrochemical reactors are discussed. ► Mechanisms of contaminant removal in
bio-
electrochemical reactors are discussed. ► 99% removal of organic matter and nitrate achieved with bio-electrochemical cell.
The fast advancements in technology have generated significant interest in optoelectronic materials. Nevertheless, the difficulty of creating affordable materials with exceptional optical ...characteristics is an ongoing challenge. Therefore, the objective of this work was to tune the optical properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) by embedding silver vanadate (SV) in the polymer matrix. Moreover, the wettability test of the fabricated composite membranes showed a hydrophobic behavior, with the PMMA film containing 0.6 wt.% SV showed a contact angle of 86.75 ± 0.7°. Furthermore, SV showed high thermal stability with a maximum weight loss of 0.74% at 830°C, which is very high thermal stability at high temperatures. In addition, the 0.6 wt.% SV@PMMA film exhibited a maximum weight loss of 96.7% at 785°C. Moreover, the 0.6 wt.% SV@PMMA film showed the lowest indirect band gap energy (2.02 eV) compared to the other films and pure SV NPs. The findings demonstrate the potential of the synthesized films for optoelectronic applications.
The addition of silver vanadate to PMMA film showed good indirect band gap energy of 2.02 eV with exceptional hydrophobocity.
Sulfonated pomegranate (
Punica granatum
) peel biochar (SPPBC) was developed
via
thermal activation with sulfuric acid (H
2
SO
4
) to act as a promising biochar material for the adsorptive removal ...of toxic cationic dye namely methylene blue (MB) dye from contaminated water. A Box-Behnken design (BBD) and numerical desirability function were adopted to optimize the input adsorption variables (SPPBC dosage, temperature, pH, and contact time). The maximum removal of the MB dye can be accomplished by simultaneous significant interaction between SPPBC dosage with solution pH, SPPBC dosage with time, SPPBC dosage with temperature, solution pH with time, and time with temperature. The numerical desirability function identified the highest MB dye removal (93.9%) can be achieved at the following optimum numerical adsorption conditions: SPPBC dosage 0.18 g, temperature 49 °C, pH 9.7, and time 4.3 h. Equilibrium data were well fitted to the Temkin and Langmuir isotherm models. The maximum recorded adsorption capacity of SPPBC for MB dye adsorption by using Langmuir isotherm model was 161.9mg/g. This research work reveals the possibility of converting lignocellulose pomegranate peel into a renewable and environment-friendly biochar
via
a relatively fast acid-activation process with the great potential to be promising adsorbent for removal of MB dye.
Nipah Virus (NiV) is a highly fatal emerging zoonotic virus and a potential threat to global health security. Here we describe the characteristics of the NiV outbreak that occurred in Kerala, India, ...during May-June 2018.
We used real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of throat swab, blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens to detect NiV. Further, the viral genome was sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. We conducted an epidemiologic investigation to describe the outbreak and elucidate the dynamics of NiV transmission.
During 2-29 May 2018, 23 cases were identified, including the index case; 18 were laboratory confirmed. The lineage of the NiV responsible for this outbreak was closer to the Bangladesh lineage. The median age of cases was 45 years; the sex of 15 (65%) was male. The median incubation period was 9.5 days (range, 6-14 days). Of the 23 cases, 20 (87%) had respiratory symptoms. The case-fatality rate was 91%; 2 cases survived. Risk factors for infection included close proximity (ie, touching, feeding, or nursing a NiV-infected person), enabling exposure to droplet infection. The public health response included isolation of cases, contact tracing, and enforcement of hospital infection control practices.
This is the first recorded NiV outbreak in South India. Early laboratory confirmation and an immediate public health response contained the outbreak.
Abstract
Centuries of effort to improve imaging has focused on perfecting and combining lenses to obtain better optical performance and new functionalities. The arrival of nanotechnology has brought ...to this effort engineered surfaces called metalenses, which promise to make imaging devices more compact. However, unaddressed by this promise is the space between the lenses, which is crucial for image formation but takes up by far the most room in imaging systems. Here, we address this issue by presenting the concept of and experimentally demonstrating an optical ‘spaceplate’, an optic that effectively propagates light for a distance that can be considerably longer than the plate thickness. Such an optic would shrink future imaging systems, opening the possibility for ultra-thin monolithic cameras. More broadly, a spaceplate can be applied to miniaturize important devices that implicitly manipulate the spatial profile of light, for example, solar concentrators, collimators for light sources, integrated optical components, and spectrometers.
This research was designed to find out the effect of different factors such as influence of lunar cycle, harvesting interval, rope type and seeding gap on the production of G. tenuistipitata in coast ...of Cox's Bazar. Duration of these experiments were sixty days and all the parameters were recorded fortnightly. Monitoring of water quality parameters indicated that salinity, temperature, transparency, pH and DO were suitable for seaweed cultivation. In determining lunar cycle effect, results envisaged that fresh yield was 14.43% increased when seeding and harvesting time was selected considering the moon cycle. Regarding the selection of harvesting interval, it was found that T
(30 days interval) was the best to harvest the seaweed whereas T
(40 days interval) showed decreasing trend in production. Our study also found that semi floating single line showed better yield performance compared to semi floating double line system. In case of influence on seeding gap, it has been found that 20 cm gap between two seed showed the highest yields followed by 10 cm, 30 cm and 40 cm, respectively. Overall, it can be concluded that yield of G. tenuistipitata in coast of Cox's Bazar could be improved considering those factors.
Aims/hypothesis
We aimed to estimate the lifetime risk of diabetes and diabetes-free life expectancy in metropolitan cities in India among the population aged 20 years or more, and their variation by ...sex, age and BMI.
Methods
A Markov simulation model was adopted to estimate age-, sex- and BMI-specific lifetime risk of developing diabetes and diabetes-free life expectancy. The main data inputs used were as follows: age-, sex- and BMI-specific incidence rates of diabetes in urban India taken from the Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (2010–2018); age-, sex- and urban-specific rates of mortality from period lifetables reported by the Government of India (2014); and prevalence of diabetes from the Indian Council for Medical Research INdia DIABetes study (2008–2015).
Results
Lifetime risk (95% CI) of diabetes in 20-year-old men and women was 55.5 (51.6, 59.7)% and 64.6 (60.0, 69.5)%, respectively. Women generally had a higher lifetime risk across the lifespan. Remaining lifetime risk (95% CI) declined with age to 37.7 (30.1, 46.7)% at age 60 years among women and 27.5 (23.1, 32.4)% in men. Lifetime risk (95% CI) was highest among obese Indians: 86.0 (76.6, 91.5)% among 20-year-old women and 86.9 (75.4, 93.8)% among men. We identified considerably higher diabetes-free life expectancy at lower levels of BMI.
Conclusions/interpretation
Lifetime risk of diabetes in metropolitan cities in India is alarming across the spectrum of weight and rises dramatically with higher BMI. Prevention of diabetes among metropolitan Indians of all ages is an urgent national priority, particularly given the rapid increase in urban obesogenic environments across the country.
Graphical abstract
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