In today’s digital media data communication over the internet increasing day by day. Therefore the data security becomes the most important issue over the internet. With the increase of data transmission, the number of intruders also increases. That’s the reason it is needed to transmit the data over the internet very securely. Steganography is a popular method in this field. This method hides the secret data with a cover medium in a way so that the intruders cannot predict the existence of the data. Here a steganography method is proposed which uses a video file as a cover medium. This method has five main steps. First, convert the video file into video frames. Then a particular frame is selected for embedded the secret data. Second, the Least Significant Bit (LSB) Coding technique is used with the double key security technique. Third, an 8 characters password verification process. Fourth, reverse the encrypted video. Fifth, signature verification process to verify the encryption and decryption process. These five steps are followed by both the encrypting and decrypting processes.

Brazil became a major player in the global beef market, after the market liberalization in the 1990’s, and experiencing a substantial development. Nonetheless, the environmental impact of beef production associated with land use and greenhouse gas emissions has been under discussion. The necessity of increased adoption of sustainable technologies, however, may preclude some farmers to keep up to date with technological advances. This article describes the major historical changes in beef farming and how they have been shifting production systems toward a sustainable intensification of grass-fed beef, with likely impacts for farmers. We combined an extensive literature review, public data and our own insights, as senior researchers, to achieve that. The trajectory shown here evidenced the substantial technological development underway in Brazilian beef farming, with strong support of public policies for decarbonizing agriculture. Nonetheless, the pace of this sustainable transition may affect small to medium farmers unable to cope. Our recommendations, therefore, involve a broad program of technical assistance and training on sustainable technologies and other supportive practices, including financial and digital literacy. Additionally, we suggest an alternative credit system, with progressive borrowing allowances to ensure financial resources to support a sustainable and inclusive transition of Brazilian beef farming.

(1) E-governance is defined as the application of electronic means in the interaction between government and citizens and government and business, as well as in internal government operations to simplify and improve democratic, governmental, and business aspects of governance. Thus, e-governance is built from a paradigmatic dimension such as e-democracy (relationship between government and citizens) and an operational one such as e-government. The objective was to design and validate an instrument to measure e-governance based on three factors: a) e-administration, b) e-services, and c) e-democracy; (2) Methods: Based on the level of importance given to each factor (sample of 2042 Latin American citizens), as well as the relationships between them, an analysis of the importance of each factor is carried out; (3) Results: After the confirmatory analysis, the definitive instrument with which e-governance can be measured by other researchers and future research is obtained, considering the three selection factors, namely: e-administration, e-services and e-democracy; (4) Conclusions: This research contributes to political science through the design and validation of an instrument consisting of 39 items that can be used to measure e-governance according to the dimensions proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Western countries are experiencing an increasing aging population, resulting in heightened disability and mobility issues. This trend is expected to escalate in the coming decades. Therefore, ensuring adequate accessibility in collective residential housing –where individuals spend much of their daily lives– is of paramount importance. This paper presents a case study focused on the accessibility of building entrances in collective residential housing in Southeast Spain, specifically in the Region of Murcia. In this region, 9.8% of the population has disabilities, and 15.75% were over 64 years old in 2020. The study began by compiling the relevant national and regional accessibility regulations for existing buildings. Subsequently, extensive fieldwork was conducted, analyzing 150 collective residential housing buildings. Based on this analysis, a set of recommendations to enhance accessibility was formulated for buildings not complying with the regulations. The results are presented and discussed in detail. The most frequent recommendation was the construction of accessible ramps, identified as the primary solution in over 40% of cases, either alone or in conjunction with other measures. In 54% of the cases, multiple interventions were necessary to achieve effective accessibility adaptation. The findings of this study could inform the development of public policies aimed at improving accessibility conditions in urban areas.

Metaverse has become an emerging trend for both academia and industry, and it seems to concern the next generation of the Internet. Although it is still in its grassroots, metaverse is estimated to bring disruption to people’s lives. One of the effects concerns the generation of new value oppor-tunities that don't exist in real life. These new types of value as well as their impact on people's lives must be explored. In this respect, this paper utilizes literature evidence to define the value types of metaverse, which are circulated with experts from the focus group on metaverse of the Interna-tional Telecommunications Union. Results uncover economic, public, and social values that metaverse generates, which can ensure its financial viability and the community's social sustaina-bility. The economic value sources come from both the industrial and the commercial sectors, while the public values concern citizen empowerment and government efficiency. The social values of metaverse concern employment growth, and the provision of immersive experiences in enter-tainment and education environments. Finally, this paper critically reviews their role for envi-ronmental, economic, and social sustainability. The literature review indicated that metaverse can on the one hand, enhance sustainability but on the other hand, it can cause environmental impact.

Assessing dietary inadequacies can contribute to understanding the nutritional vulnerabilities of a country. This study aimed to investigate nutrient intakes and micronutrient inadequacies in the Brazilian adult population, with an interest in different age subgroups. Cross-sectional study with 1812 individuals aged 19 to 65 years from a population-based study with a representative sample of Brazilian adults. Dietary intake was assessed by two 24-hour food recalls, and the probabilities of inadequate intake were estimated using the Dietary Reference Intake targets. Adequate macronutrient intake was over 99% for proteins, 84.7% for carbohydrates, and 80.7% for total fats. There was a high probability of inadequacy (above 90%) for vitamins D and E, but vitamin D inadequacy was very similar between sexes. In contrast, vitamin E was more likely to be inadequately consumed among women. A high probability of inadequacy (above 85%) of calcium and magnesium was found in the population, regardless of age group. Except for iron, the probability of inadequacy of other minerals increased with age. The results showed a relevant proportion of nutrient inadequacies, with those most at risk being women and older individuals, helping with better targeting and monitoring of public health policies that address nutritional problems in the population.

Public health is an important aspect of community activities, making research on health necessary because it is a crucial field in maintaining and improving the quality of life in society as a whole. Research in public health allows for a deeper understanding of the health problems faced by a population, including disease prevalence, risk factors and other determinants of health. This work aims to explore the potential of hospital patient data analysis as a valuable tool for understanding community implications and deriving insights for effective community health interventions. The study recognises the significance of harnessing the vast amount of data generated within hospital settings to inform population-level health strategies. The methodology employed in this study involves the collection and analysis of deidentified patient data from a representative sample of a hospital in Indonesia. Various data analysis techniques, such as statistical modelling, data mining and machine learning algorithms, are utilised to identify patterns, trends and associations within the data. A program written in Python is used to analyse patient data in a hospital for five years from 2018 to 2022. These findings are then interpreted within the context of public health implications, considering factors such as disease prevalence, socioeconomic determinants and healthcare utilisation patterns. The results of the data analysis provide valuable insights into the public health implications of hospital patient data. The research also covers prediction for the patient data to the hospital based on disease, age and geographical residence. The research prediction shows that in 2023, the number of patients was not considerably affected, but in in March to April 2024, the number significantly increased to 10,000 patients. These recommendations encompass targeted prevention strategies, improved healthcare delivery models and community engagement initiatives. The research emphasises the importance of collaboration between healthcare providers, policymakers and community stakeholders in implementing and evaluating these interventions.

The concept of public financial accountability, often associated with account-rendering, lacks a clear and comprehensive definition in the realm of accounting literature. Disentanglement the true essence of a phenomenon is essential, as formal definitions can only provide a superficial understanding. This study seeks to delve into the core principles of public financial accountability and their implications for financial reporting in the public sector. Applying a qualitative approach, data was gathered through in-depth interviews with 25 Nigerian scholars, professionals, and public affairs experts. The analysis reveals that the essence of public financial accountability lies in upholding citisens' trust in public officials, ensuring the responsible management of public financial resources for the greater public good, and effectively communicating financial decisions, actions, and outcomes to the public through a transparent reporting mechanism. This study sheds light on the fundamental nature of financial accountability in the public sector, enhancing our understanding of its significance in governance and financial reporting.

Climate change not only affects weather conditions, patterns, and the frequency and severity of extreme weather events but also changes how governments spend money. Agriculture is an important sector of the European Union (EU), and it is projected to decrease by 16% by 2050, therefore a third of the EU budget has been spent on agricultural funding, adaptation, and climate action. The effect of climate change on agriculture is mixed and dependent on the country and its location. The southern EU is adversely affected while the northern EU is positively affected by the changes in weather patterns. The main goal of this paper is to gain insight regarding the effect that climate change has on public spending in relation to the agricultural sector of the EU, by using the pooled OLS and GMM methods. The study concluded that agriculture has a significant impact on public spending in the southern countries of the EU, where it represents a significant portion of the GDP. Inflation influences public spending in the whole EU region, the northern and southern countries of the EU. Rain has a moderately significant impact on public spending in the whole EU region. It is advised that governments maintain a controllable level of inflation using fiscal and monetary policy that will implicitly control public spending.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled the critical role that supercomputers play in addressing global health crises. This perspective article explores the transformative impact of supercomputing in pandemic response, highlighting how these powerful machines have transitioned from crisis management tools to essential components of preparedness strategies. In this article, we examine the key contributions of supercomputers in combating the pandemic, including their ability to accelerate scientific research, facilitate data analysis, model complex scenarios, and optimize resource allocation. Furthermore, we delve into the role of supercomputing in strengthening public health infrastructure and preparedness. We analyze the lessons learned from the pandemic and emphasize the need for proactive investment in supercomputing capabilities, data infrastructure, and computational expertise as a crucial element of pandemic preparedness efforts. By harnessing the potential of supercomputers, countries can establish robust computational frameworks that enable real-time monitoring, early detection, and effective response to future outbreaks. Moreover, we address the challenges faced by supercomputing initiatives, including the need for enhanced international collaboration, equitable access to computing resources, and the ethical considerations associated with data privacy and security. We discuss potential strategies to overcome these challenges and foster a global network of interconnected supercomputing centers dedicated to pandemic preparedness and response. Finally, we highlight ongoing research and development efforts aimed at advancing supercomputing technologies, such as exascale computing and quantum computing, and their potential to revolutionize pandemic response. We emphasize the importance of sustained investment in research and development to ensure that supercomputing remains at the forefront of future pandemic preparedness strategies.

Cemeteries can be compared to landfills since their leachate, also known as necroleachate, can be transported and pollute groundwater, surface waters, and soils. In Brazil, the cemeteries management is the responsibility of states and municipalities, to ensure that they do not generate negative environmental impacts and risks to public health. This article aims to discuss Brazilian sanitary-environmental legislation relating to cemetery waste management. Among the Brazilian states, half have sanitary-environmental legislation for cemeteries, and between the municipalities, only 19 have specific legislation. The legislation is broad and has many gaps, leading to environmental vulnerability and risk of contamination for the people who live in the surrounding area.

The analysis of the 2002 Prestige tanker accident showed how public misinformation can worsen marine pollution incidents, rendering their management suboptimal as these evolve, raising thus the issue of appropriately informing and educating coastal and island populations at risk. Two decades later, developments in electronic platforms, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in Automatic Identification System (AIS) for ship signal transmission, and in social media, provide a set of means for public monitoring of such incidents, creating the possibility to antagonize effec-tively erroneous, or malevolent information which can hinder efficient actions for containing ma-rine pollution risks even without active training of populations concerned. The authors, in the framework of development of the Marine Coastal Observatory and Risk Management project “AEGIS+”, have developed E-S.A.V.E., an online platform which: a) meets the needs of different users as revealed by a survey run across groups of them, b) uses a suitable Geographic Infor-mation Systems (GIS) environment, c) cooperates with public authorities, for the reliable update of automated systems, and d) employs an artificial intelligence (AI) supported tool for social me-dia monitoring; the platform also provides educational and information national and interna-tional resources on marine environmental protection and sustainable maritime logistics.

2003 it is shown that after the Chernobyl accident, childhood leukemia by single age and year of birth in the 0-4y cohort increased significantly in Wales and Scotland combined in the period 1986-1990 compared with controls born 1970-1985 and 1991-1994. Relative risk RR = 1.41; 95% CI 1.20<RR<1.65; p = 0.00004. These exposure periods were chosen because whole body Caesium-137 monitoring had demonstrated that internal exposures persisted for more than 4 years. The dose-response exhibits saturation and reversal, interpreted as biological censoring effects in the developing individual.

The assessment of the prevalence of Subclinical Mastitis (SCM) in dairy farms is essential to validate the health status of the mammary gland. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of SCM in dual purpose livestock systems in Arauca, Colombian Orinoquia, through the analysis of the values found by the field diagnostic tests California Mastitis Test (CMT) and Electric Conductivity (EC). Milk samples were taken from the individual mammary quarters of 481 cows. The general prevalence, per affected room and the total number of rooms was determined according to the values obtained for each test using two methods of analysis. An ANOVA was performed to determine the difference between prevalence’s, a correlation analysis, and an analysis of sensitivity and specificity. The general prevalence was similar between the tests (CMT = 31.4%; EC = 29.7%) (p > 0.05). The prevalence of the total quarters was lower with EC (11.3% vs 14.2%) (p < 0.05). The correlations between tests were significant, but with low values (rs = 0.20-0.25). CMT and EC test concordance showed a sensitivity between 0.35-0.45 and a specificity of 0.75-0.90. The two tests showed positive results in detecting the same animals with or without the presence of the infection, although some animals that were positive for one test were not positive for the other test. The test EC classified animals and their quarters as SCM positive or negative in a more similar way to that obtained with CMT. The two diagnostic tests showed a general low prevalence of SCM in the livestock systems evaluated.

Background: Immunization prevents over 4-6 million deaths each year worldwide. Ensuring mother satisfaction is an important means of preventing the death of children caused by communicable diseases. However, in Ethiopia, there is paucity of evidence on maternal satisfaction with immunization services. Thus, this study is aimed at assessing the level of maternal satisfaction with childhood immunization services and associated factors among children’s caregivers. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 556 systematically selected children’s caregivers in public health facilities at Gondar Town from May through June, 2022. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. P≤ 0.25 during the bivariate binary logistic regression analysis was included in the multivariate analysis. From the multivariable analysis, variables with p ≤ 0.05 were declared statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of maternal satisfaction towards childhood immunization services was 69.3%(95%CI: 65.5, 73.1%). Of mothers, 45.3% had adequate knowledge, while 43.9% had favorable attitude. Mothers 19-24 years old [AOR = 5.29; 95%CI:2.58,10.86], mothers who waited less than one hour [AOR = 3.03; 95%CI: 1.92,4.77], mothers less than thirty minutes waiting in health facility[AOR=1.98;95%CI:1.24,3.15], mother feel happy during service[ AOR=4.00; 95%CI: 2.53,6.34], mothers adequate knowledge [AOR=2.91; 95%CI: 1.79, 4.73] and had favorable attitude [AOR=3.64; 95%CI: 2.25, 5.91] were significantly associated with maternal satisfaction during childhood immunization services.Conclusions: The overall level of mothers’ satisfaction with childhood immunization services was considerably lower as compared with other studies. Thus, the town health office and concerned stakeholders need more efforts to improve mothers’ satisfaction with childhood immunization services.

This study explored the living situations, financial conditions, religious obligations, and social distancing of Muslims during the covid 19 pandemic. In total, 20 Muslim community members living in the Kanto region were recruited, 15 of them were included in the in-depth qualitative and five in the focus group interviews. The Snowball method was used, and the questionnaires were designed into four themes. The audio/video interviews were conducted via Zoom and NAVIO was used to analyse the data thematically. The major Muslim events were cancelled, and the recommended physical distancing was maintained during the prayers at home and in the mosques. The Japanese government's financial support to each person was a beneficial step towards social protection, which was highlighted and praised by every single participant. Regardless of religious obligations, the closer of all major mosques in Tokyo demonstrates to the Japanese community how serious they are about adhering to the public health guidelines during the pandemic. This study highlighted that the pandemic has affected the religious patterns and behaviour of Muslims from inclusive to exclusive in a community and narrated the significance of religious commitments.

Millions of people use public transportation daily worldwide and frequently touch surfaces, thereby producing a reservoir of microorganisms on surfaces increasing the risk of transmission. Constant occupation makes sufficient cleaning difficult to achieve. Thus, an autonomous, perma-nent antimicrobial coating (AMC) could keep down the microbial burden on such surfaces. A photodynamic AMC was applied to frequently touched surfaces in buses. The microbial burden (colony forming units, cfu) was determined weekly and compared to equivalent surfaces in buses without AMC (references). The microbial burden ranged from 0 – 209 cfu/cm² on references and from 0 – 54 cfu/cm² on AMC. The means were 13.4 ± 29.6 cfu/cm² on references and 4.5 ± 8.4 cfu/cm² on AMC (p<0.001). The difference of microbial burden on AMC and references was al-most constant throughout the study. Considering a hygiene benchmark of 5 cfu/cm², the data yield an absolute risk reduction of 22.6 % and a relative risk reduction of 50.7 %. In conclusion, photo-dynamic AMC kept down the microbial burden, reducing the risk of transmission of microor-ganisms. AMC permanently and autonomously contributes to hygienic conditions on surfaces in public transportation. Photodynamic AMC therefore are suitable for reducing the microbial load and closing hygiene gaps in public transportation.

Despite the scientific and technological development, libraries of Jordanian universities suffer from an obvious lack of digital information resources, because for many reasons, the most important of these is the non-application of intellectual property legislation (IPL) related to these resources. This study investigated the reality of the application of intellectual property legislation related to digital information resources at the libraries of public universities in Jordan. The population study consisted of all employees of departments of digital information resources. The study sample was (74) employees. Texts of regulations for the intended libraries and the Jordanian copyright law No. (22) for the year (1992) were reviewed and analyzed. In addition, a questionnaire was developed regarding the actual application of intellectual property legislation relating to digital resources at the university libraries in Jordan. Results revealed that the application of IP legislation relating to digital resources at the libraries of public universities in Jordan was moderate and that the supervising to the libraries of universities from the National Library regarding the protection of intellectual property rights of digital resources was moderate. The study recommended the application of intellectual property legislation related to digital resources in the intended libraries, this could be achieved through including intellectual property legislation in the regulations of public services in the intended libraries, to provide for the terms of protecting IP rights for digital resources, improving the legislation, developing of the Jordanian copyright law to be compatible with digital information resources, providing the necessary support for these libraries, and emphasizing the role of the National Library.

The main purpose of this research is to analyze the perception of climate change impacts on human health in Bangladesh through data from nationality representative surveys conducted in some district of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh there have a few research has been conducted on public perceptions about the impact of climate change on human health. A structured questionnaire method was conducted, and data collected from 615 respondents. The findings of this study reveal that out of 615 respondents, 76.0% of the respondents replied positively while remaining 24.0%, almost one-fourth of total respondents, indicated that they have not heard the term climate change before. Knowledgeable in climate change, 92.5% of respondents agreed that climate change has an impact on human health while only 7.5% respondents disagreed with this statement. 90.5% of respondents argued that they are agreed with the opinion that climate change is a serious threat to human health.

SIGNIFICANCE Putting worth on research and selection of studies by importance are crucial in medical innovation. Practical applications include choosing personal study topics, publication review, study grant selection, and decisions of spending or misspending billions in public health. Multiple studies raised alarm that current methods perform poorly in reproducibility, prediction of best research and objectivity. I propose using the metrics how much disease burden is reduced and calculating objective, numerical research value. The concept is that worth of medical research is not subjective but can be reproducible and numerically quantified. The method increases transparency by giving decision makers an externally accountable proof, and frees peer reviewers to check scientific integrity. Its numerical form can capture small differences important in competition between studies. ABSTRACT Finding value and selecting knowledge by importance are crucial in medical innovation. Applications include individuals designing research, funding organizations selecting grants, journals – publications, institutions – priorities in public health and health policy, and decision makers spending or misspending billions of research funds. Currently finding value of knowledge is done by peer review together with checking scientific integrity. Multiple studies raised alarm that it performs poorly in prediction of highest citations, bias, transparency and quality. The resulting problems include perception of slow medical progress and wasting funds and time. I introduce a standard, objective and numerical method for finding value of medical research. It measures disease burden prevented by new knowledge contained in a study or a publication. In its simple form, it is calculated by multiplying disease prevalence, disease burden, and efficacy of the therapy. It can be modified for risk of failure, multi-disease effect and for ethical considerations. The process is described step-by-step in terms common in medical practice. A quick estimate is often sufficient. The advantage is objectivity, since it is calculated from real world data. This gives transparency and externally accountability of decision making. The second advantage is a numerical form. This can measure small differences in research value which, in sharp competition, determine which studies are selected. A researcher can calculate the value of own future effort. Institutions might ask to provide it at submission. The method is also applicable to broad policy analysis, objective evaluation of scientific achievement and bibliometric studies.

The epidemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) has brought many changes to people's life. This study aims to analysis Chinese people's psychological change and life after quarantining Wuhan and explore the influencing factors. Based on data from a web-survey after quarantining Wuhan (N=3268), the principal-component-analysis (PCA), multiple-linear-regression (MLR), propensity-score-matching (PSM) were used to explore the psychological change of people in China and the influencing factors. 83.3% of the respondents said that the impact of the epidemic on their life had increased after quarantining Wuhan. A considerable proportion of people's anxiety increased, being reflected in negative emotion, behavioral response and physiological response. The proportion of people who said their anxiety had increased in Wuhan was higher than that in other regions (p <0.05). The anxiety of people who were in medical isolation increased less than those who were not (p <0.05). All three aspects of people’s anxiety were positively related with time of medical isolation and degree of the attention on the epidemic (p＜0.05) except the effect of attention degree on the physiological response (p＝0.06). The measure of medical isolation at home should be advocated. Yet people should reduce the concern for the epidemic while paying attention to self-protection.

The global process of urbanization, and the modification of social interaction determined by the pandemic crisis poses the issue of the place of vulnerable users, and in particular children, within the contemporary city. This research aims to elaborate a theoretical and methodological framework, based on the concepts of affordance and capability, for analyzing the potential of public spaces to enable and support children’s independent activities. This potential, or meaningful usefulness, is expressed by the Index of Meaningful Usefulness of public Urban Spaces (IUIS). The latter is calculated via the tool ‘Opportunities for Children in Urban Spaces’ (OCUS). This methodology is applied to the analysis of significant public spaces within the historic center of the city of Iglesias in Sardinia, Italy. The results reveal adequate usefulness of the selected spaces, while underlining criticalities related to intrinsic spatial and physical attributes. The application to the case study confirms the validity of the theoretical and methodological framework embodied in the OCUS tool for supporting urban design and planning by orienting place-shaping processes towards the acknowledgement of children’s needs.

Frailty is an important age-associated risk-state. Despite this, many countries lack population estimates and large heterogeneity exists amongst studies. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, provides comparable high-quality population-level data for 195 countries and territories. Frailty has never been measured in the GBD studies. This analysis applies the deficit accumulation model to construct a novel frailty index (FI) using the GBD 2017 dataset. Standard FI criteria were applied to all GBD categories such that selected items were health-related, age-correlated, sufficiently prevalent, did not saturate at an early age, had little redundancy/duplication, covered a range of systems, were plausible and were available serially for the same population. From all 554 GBD items, 36 were selected including 26 non-communicable diseases, 3 metabolic risks, 3 biological impairments, infectious diarrheal diseases, protein-energy malnutrition, injurious falls, and low physical activity. Variable face validity was displayed against a selection of established FIs. The mean GBD-FI score for the global population aged ≥70 years in 2017 was 0.16; scores were higher in females than males (0.16 vs 0.15, respectively). Deficits accumulated with age at an estimated rate of 0.026 per year. Adding the mean GBD-FI scores to a regression model including country-level variables for demographics (proportion ≥85 years, proportion female), healthcare quality (HAQ index), and development (SDI) increased the adjusted r2 value from 27.0% to 39.6% (p<0.001) for predicting country-level death rates from non-communicable diseases, suggesting that the GBD-FI is a useful predictor of mortality. Further analysis is required to compare the reliability and predictive validity of the GBD-FI with existing frailty tools

While it is not new that Nigeria is challenged by a huge infrastructure deficit, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the country’s comatose healthcare system. Given the country’s dwindling revenue, massive debt profile and the inability of the public-sector to efficiently manage public facilities in the country, this paper examines how the public-private partnership model of infrastructure procurement can be deployed as a solution for Nigeria’s healthcare crisis. In addition to the above, this paper takes a look at how a partnership with the private sector can aid Nigeria’s quest towards achieving healthcare-related Sustainable Development Goals. The paper also considers two healthcare-based projects as case studies to serve as lessons for future projects in the country. Among others, the paper recommends a holistic long-term solution for the country’s healthcare needs.

This article aims to understand the domains and conceptual uses of contagion, its modalities and its effects, in its different historical contexts and meanings, as an expression of the process of interdependence between the positions and the different points of view of different actors involved in multiple scientific, moral, social and political challenges. Another objective focuses on understanding the process of collective management of contagion, disease and health, where prevention is an essential element of its objectives and justifications, its discursive order, as well as its practical activities.

Background: Chronic lower limb ulcers (CLLU) have an important burden to the individual and the healthcare system. However, there is a lack of information about the cost of CLLU in Argentina.Objective: To determinate the number and cost of consultation and hospitalization associated to CLLU in a public hospital in Argentina. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Cost estimation were calculated based on days of stay, treatments and laboratory tests in a inpatient population and the number of consultations, treatments and laboratory tests, in a outpatient population. Results: In 2013 and 2014, the overall number of consultation with ICD-10 codes was 7,224 and the number of inpatient was 359. The mean age for male and female outpatient consultations was 59.53(±13.06) years and 59.04(±10.93), respectively. For CLLU male and female inpatient, the mean age was 63.9(±10.4) years and 54.5(±8.6) years, respectively. The length of stay was 22.88 days. There was a mean of 0.41 surgeries per patient where 25% were amputations. The mean annual cost in a single public hospital was US$4,053.65 per inpatient and US$3,589.24 per outpatient. Conclusion: Cost information allows new public health policies to reduce socioeconomic burden due to CLLU.

The article mounts an argument for public theology as an appropriate if not vital adjunct to contemporary education’s addressing of security issues in light of current world events with indisputable religious and arguably quasi-theological foundations. It will briefly expound on the history of thought that has marginalized theology as a public discipline and then move to justify the counter view that the discipline, at least in the form of public theology, has potential to address matters of such public concern in a unique and helpful way. The article will culminate with an exploration of Global Jihadism as a case study that illustrates the usefulness of public theology in understanding it better and so allowing for a response with potential to be more informed and security-assured than is commonly effected.

The article mounts an argument for public theology as an appropriate if not vital adjunct to contemporary education’s addressing of security issues in light of current world events with indisputable religious and arguably quasi-theological foundations. It will briefly expound on the history of thought that has marginalized theology as a public discipline and then move to justify the counter view that the discipline, at least in the form of public theology, has potential to address matters of such public concern in a unique and helpful way. The article will culminate with an exploration of Global Jihadism as a case study that illustrates the usefulness of public theology in understanding it better and so allowing for a response with potential to be more informed and security-assured than is commonly effected.

Nietzsche is almost always regarded as one of the thinkers who advocate extreme individualism, totally indifferent to or exclusively polemical towards the public human dimension. While this is very difficult to contradict, if we read his texts carefully we can see how his constant celebration of the individual runs parallel to an acute awareness of living in a new era, which he defined as ‘the century of the multitude and the masses’. The herd, conformism, mediocrity, public opinion: a civilisation in which community attempts suffocate all individual inspiration, and which therefore seems to row in the opposite direction. Although Nietzsche often uses collective life merely as a negative pole for more effectively emphasising the individual, his provocative words—pushed to the limits of the inexorable victory of the herd and of the paradoxical impossibility of all that is ‘public’—offer us a direct testimony of the tragic way of life of the man of his time. This provides us with an extremely clear and interesting phenomenological cross-section of the social sphere, as well as a very finely tuned and valuable seismograph for the continual monitoring of our everyday coexistence with and perception of the constantly incumbent dangers of its degeneration.

Background: Foodborne disease is a major public health concern in both developed and developing countries. China has established a nationwide Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS) for collection and periodic reporting of data on the occurrence and causes of foodborne disease outbreaks in China. Each provincial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts the system working. Methods We reviewed foodborne disease outbreaks that occurred during 2011-2016 in Shandong Province from the FDOSS. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the median number of ill persons in outbreaks. All data analysis was performed using Epi Info 7. Results: During 2011-2016, Shandong CDC received reports of 1043 foodborne disease outbreaks, resulting in 8078 illnesses, 2442 hospitalizations, and 17 deaths. Hotels were the most common setting. Among the 744 (71.3%) outbreaks with an implicated food or contaminated ingredient reported, 704 (94.6%) could be assigned to one of 17 predefined commodity categories. Of the 280 outbreaks with a known aetiology, 117(41.8%) were caused by poisonous plants and animals and their toxins, 39(13.9) were caused by nitrite, and 27(9.6%) were caused by vibrio parahaemolyticus. Conclusion: Timely investigation, disposal and reporting of foodborne disease outbreaks provides information that might help FDOSS to make full use of efficiency and FDOSS should be continued and strengthened even more in Shandong Province, such as an increase in diagnostic laboratory capacities.

The objective of the research was to evaluate the concentration of organochlorine pesticides in sediment of the Alvarado Veracruz lagoon system, Mexico. To define the risk that causes to the public health the consumption of organisms that inhabit in sediments of this ecosystem. In 20 out of 41 stations analyzed, 11 prohibited organochlorine pesticides were identified, such as hexachlorocyclohexane, lindane, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, among others. The highest concentrations were: aldrin 46.05; β-HCH 42.11; α-HCH 38.44; γ-HCH (lindane) 34.20; δ-HCH 31.61; methoxychlor 29.40; heptachlor epoxide 25.70; heptachlor 24.11; dieldrin 22.13; endrin 21.23; and endrin aldehyde 12.40 ng g-1. Concentrations reported are prohibited in international standards. In Mexico it is necessary to establish permissible limits in the environmental legislation for this matrix. There is a strong need to demonstrate, with scientific studies, the level of concentration reported by impact of compounds widely used in agricultural-livestock activities.

This study presents the B92 Quantum Key Distribution scheme and its optimization and implementation considerations. Simulation software was developed to model and analyze the B92 protocol under varying conditions. Another contribution of this work is investigating how this protocol runs on real quantum computing hardware. New eavesdropping schemes were proposed and modeled.

In this paper consider the circuitry of voltage followers (VF) with unity-gain, intended for practical use in active Sallen-Key RC-filters (LPF, HPF, BPF, RF). The results of research and computer modeling of radiation-resistant and low-temperature VF in the LTSpice environment on models of CJFET transistors operating under the influence of neutron flux up to 10e14 n/cm2 and cryogenic temperatures up to -197°C are presented.

Cropland area per capita and pressure index on cropland is the important parameters measuring the social vulnerability and sustainability in the perspective of food security in a certain region in China during the historical periods. This study reconstructs the spatial distribution change of cropland area per labor/household and pressure index on cropland during the 17th-20th century by the methods of historical documents, regression analysis, pressure index model and GIS. Then it analyzed the impacting process of climate change and sustainability of cropland use during the different periods. It draws conclusions: (i) the spatial difference of labor/household density was obvious which had the same pattern as cropland distribution during the same periods, which is higher density in three agricultural areas. (ii) Cropland area per capita was relatively higher during the 17th-18th century, which were above 0.4 ha/person in majority counties and distributed homogenously. Till the 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, cropland area per capita in large amount of regions decreased below 0.2 ha/person embodying the increase of social vulnerability and unsustainability at that time. (iii) Pressure index on cropland also showed the similar spatial pattern as cropland area per capita which presented lower threshold than nowadays. During the 17th-18th century there was no pressure on cropland. While, in the 19th century and at the beginning of 20th century, two high value centers of pressure index on cropland appeared in Middle Shandong and the Jiaodong region, pressure on sustainable cropland use increased obviously and a food crisis is probably created. (iv) Higher sustainable extent of cropland use corresponds to cold period, and lower sustainable extent of cropland use corresponds to warm period in Shandong over the past 300 years. The turning point of 1680s from dry to wet attributes to the decrease of sustainable extent of cropland use in Shandong not very distinctively. More and more pressure on sustainability of cropland use finally since the beginning of 20th century would intensify the social conflict and increase the probability of social revolts.

Publicly-funded scientists have a responsibility to engage with the public on scientific information, but are lacking a standardized framework and assessment strategy to do it well. The PEPS (Public Engagement Practices for Scientists) Method is an outcomes-centered framework employing standardized pedagogical methods with quantifiable outcomes. This approach reveals that scientists often have unrealistic expectations for achieving affective learning outcomes (i.e. changing views from anti- to pro-vaccine) by solely cognitive learning strategies (i.e. supplying data). The PEPS Method can serve as a roadmap for standardized science communication assessments, complementing existing science communication training programs for the next generation of scientists.

ABSTRACT Purpose: Tongue image analysis for disease diagnosis is an ancient traditional non-invasive diagnosis technique widely used by traditional medicine practitioners. Deep Learning based multi-label disease detection models offer tremendous potential to clinical decision support systems, by facilitating preliminary diagnosis. Methods: In this work, we propose a multi-label disease detection pipeline, where in observation and analysis of tongue images captured and received via smartphones assist in predicting the health status of an individual. All images are voluntarily given by subjects consulting collaborating physicians. Images thus acquired are first and foremost classified either into a diseased or a normal category by a 5-fold cross-validation algorithm using a convolution neural network (MobileNetV2) model for binary classification. Once the diseased label is predicted, the image is used to diagnose multiple diseases using the prediction algorithm based on DenseNet121. Results: Average accuracy of 93 % was achieved in classifying diseased from normal healthy tongue by detection model with MobileNetV2 architecture. Multilabel disease classification produced more than 90% accurate results for the seven class labels considered. Conclusion: AI based image analysis shows promising results and an extensive dataset could provide further improvements to this approach. Rather than employing high-cost sophisticated image capturing setup, experimenting with smartphone images opens opportunity to provide preliminary health status to individuals on smartphone prior to further line of treatment and diagnosis.

The paper discusses the design and modeling of a simple and illustrative hardware kit for teaching the basics of quantum cryptography to engineering students. The novel solution differs from those already on the market in that it is focused on familiarising trainees with the physical principles of quantum key distribution, as well as with the basics of mathematical formalism in quantum mechanics. This is achieved by using a minimally sufficient set of optical elements with a simple mathematical description in the Jones formalism. This composition of the kit is targeted mostly at engineering students and does not require advanced training in physics as a prerequisite. The configurable architecture of the hardware educational kit contributes to the deeper involvement of students. By independently changing the modular configuration of the system, students can conduct experiments that were not directly provided by the developers. For instance, students can assess the impact of choosing the basic settings of phase retarders on the course of a man-in-the-middle attack. The proposed amount of mathematical and informational support, as well as ready-made formal models, is sufficient to reasonably put forward hypotheses for experimental verification and interpret the obtained empirical data. At this moment, the hardware kit is being replicated, distributed and successfully applied at universities and companies in the communications industry. The accumulated experience of educational use testifies to the high efficiency of the kit as a tool for basic QKD training for people without prior knowledge of quantum mechanics. A discrete event model simulating the operation of the hardware kit is implemented in the non-commercial modeling software CPN Tools and is openly distributed.

This paper presents the development, comparison and analysis of several implementations of the B92 Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocol. In order to achieve this objective a prototype which consists of traditional (non-quantum) simulators was created, one for B92 protocol, one for B92 protocol with eavesdropper and one for B92 protocol with Quantum Bit Travel Time (QBTT) eavesdropper detection method. The principles of quantum mechanics were studied, as a foundation of quantum cryptography, for the realization of simulation programs that were written in C ++, focusing mainly on the B92 protocol and QBTT eavesdropper detection method. We compared the Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) for implementation of B92 protocol without eavesdropper, B92 protocol with eavesdropper and B92 protocol with QBTT eavesdropper detection method and found that QBTT eavesdropper detection method significantly reduces the QBER from the final key.

We address security and privacy problems for digital devices and biometrics from an information-theoretic optimality perspective, where a secret key is generated for authentication, identification, message encryption/decryption, or secure computations. A physical unclonable function (PUF) is a promising solution for local security in digital devices and this review gives the most relevant summary for information theorists, coding theorists, and signal processing community members who are interested in optimal PUF constructions. Low-complexity signal processing methods such as transform coding that are developed to make the information-theoretic analysis tractable are discussed. The optimal trade-offs between the secret-key, privacy-leakage, and storage rates for multiple PUF measurements are given. Proposed optimal code constructions that jointly design the vector quantizer and error-correction code parameters are listed. These constructions include modern and algebraic codes such as polar codes and convolutional codes, both of which can achieve small block-error probabilities at short block lengths, corresponding to a small number of PUF circuits. Open problems in the PUF literature from a signal processing, information theory, coding theory, and hardware complexity perspectives and their combinations are listed to stimulate further advancements in the research on local privacy and security.

This research aims to explore and analyze the critical success factors (CSFs) that increase the likelihood of successful implementation of tourism PPP projects in China. As an important step toward developing such a protocol, this study identifies and examines 22 critical success factors for tourism PPPs based on a systematic research approach, which includes a rigorous literature review, and semi-structured interviews. A questionnaire survey was conducted to evaluate the relative importance of these 22 CSF. The results show that the top three critical success factors for China’s tourism PPPs are: adequate project evaluation and demonstration; political support and stability; clear and stable policy documents on PPP. Factor analysis indicated that the 22 CSFs could be grouped into five principal success factor groups. These insights are expected to profoundly influence the development of policies related to tourism PPPs, providing a structured framework to enhance the efficiency and success of these ventures.

People of all ages and skill levels can benefit from phonemic awareness activities due to their accessibility and adaptability. People can improve their pronunciation and communicate more clearly and confidently by developing their capacity to perceive and manipulate sounds. This combined emphasis on improving speech and reducing anxiety draws attention to the many benefits of incorporating phonemic awareness interventions into speech therapy plans and educational courses. The aim of this article review is to gather and collect relevant literature that solidifies the idea that phonemic awareness is one of the solutions to speech anxiety problems. Through the consistent practice of diverse phonemic exercises, people can become less sensitive to the anxiety-inducing elements of verbal communication, thus cultivating a sense of mastery and control over their speech. Through gradual exposure, people can gradually develop resilience and confidence, which is an essential component in the effective management of speech anxiety. In order to enable people to overcome speech anxiety, this conclusion emphasizes the importance of including phonemic awareness interventions within educational and therapeutic settings.

When profit-driven renewal is difficult to implement, many historic districts are “frozen protected” in China. In the social context of “building cities for the people” in recent years, the public value-oriented renewal of urban historic areas plays an important role in the transformation of cities. This study investigates the strategies of historic district regeneration in China by integrating spatial form, urban governance, and public value. We propose a novel framework to analyze the regeneration of historic districts, using Taiyuan Bell Tower Street as a case study. The framework distinguishes between two dimensions: spatial and economic-social. In the spatial dimension, we focus on the transformation of spatial form to regenerate public value, emphasizing the attribute of "publicness" as central to urban regeneration efforts. This involves a tiered approach of excavating and upgrading historic districts at macro, meso, and micro levels. In the economic-social dimension, we explore urban governance to strengthen public value, involving government, market, and societal actors in a collaborative renewal process. The analysis highlights that a public value-oriented approach to heritage regeneration offers greater sustainability and could serve as a model for other cities seeking similar outcomes.

This case report utilized the primary data gathered from the extension program of the LORMA College of Medical Laboratory Science at the institution’s adopted locale. Arosip is a secluded, difficult-to-reach mountainous barangay in the municipality of Bacnotan, in the province of La Union, Philippines. The study subjects were forty-one (41) kindergarten to grade three students of Arosip Elementary School. Modified Kato-Katz technique was performed to the submitted stool samples. Among 41 participants, nine were screened positive for the helminthic ova of Ascaris lumbricoides, and Trichuris trichiura – yielding a total of 21.95% prevalence rate. Among those 9 participants, 6 (66.67%) were positive for Ascaris lumbricoides ova, and 3 (33.33%) were co-infected with both Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura ova. The findings were relayed and reported to the local government unit. The team recommends for a more comprehensive screening and monitoring of STH cases in the locale, a continuous stewardship of health programs including mass-deworming for the school children and awareness campaigns, and provision of health resources. Ultimately, interagency collaboration between the Department of Health, Department Education, and Local Government Unit remains highly warranted to satisfy the health inequities experienced by this disadvantaged remote community.

Rationale - From the year 1 anno Domini until 1855 with the third Plague, major pandemics occurred on average every 348 years. Since then, they have occurred on average every 33 years, with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) now underway.Even though current technologies have greatly improved the way of life of human beings, COVID-19, with more than 700 000 000 cases and 6 950 000 deaths worldwide by the end of 2023, reminds us that much remains to be done. Objective - Given the frequency and duration of recent pandemics, it might be wise to start thinking about preventative methods to minimize the impact of future pandemics. This report looks back at 18 months of COVID-19, from March 2020 to August 2021, with the aim of highlighting potential solutions that could prove practical, or even essential, for the future. Material - COVID-19 data, including case and death reports, were extracted daily from the Worldometer platform to build a database for macroscopic analysis of the spread of the virus around the world. Demographic data were integrated into the COVID-19 database for a better understanding of the spatial spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in cities/municipalities. Method - Without loss of generality, we only analyzed data from the top 30 (out of 200 and above) countries ranked by total number of COVID-19 cases. Statistics (regression, t-test (p < 0.05), correlation, mean ± std, etc.) were carried out with Excel software. Spectral analysis, using Matlab software, was also used to try to better understand the temporal spread of COVID-19. Results - A good linear correlation was observed between the number of cases and the respective number of deaths depending on the country, i.e. y = 0.0121x + 19559 with R² = 0.8042. The analysis then focused mainly on the number of cases.This study showed that COVID-19 mainly affects G20 countries. The most interesting result is that cities/municipalities with high population density are a powerful activator of the spread of the virus. The current demographic context seems to be becoming a societal problem that must be addressed adequately.Spectral analysis highlighted that the very first months of spread of COVID-19 were the most notable with a strong expansion of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On the other hand, the following six months showed a certain stability due mainly to multiple preventive measures such as confinement, closure of non-essential services, wearing of masks, distancing of 2 meters, etc. Discussion - Analysis of case and death data showed that COVID-19 mainly affects G20 countries. Nevertheless, the most interesting result of this study is that cities and municipal areas with population densities of several thousand inhabitants per square kilometer largely favored the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is believed that such a demographic context is becoming a societal problem that developed countries around the world will sooner or later face and therefore needs to be adequately addressed. Conclusion - COVID-19 has made us understand that it is time to act both preventatively and curatively. Phenomenological insights suggest that the next pandemic could occur in less than 50 years. It may be time to launch new societal projects aimed at relieving congestion in densely populated regions.

This article introduces an innovative design method for public lighting systems that surpasses the limitations of conventional approaches, which rely on predefined lamp characteristics and spatial arrangement. By employing a multi-criteria decision algorithm, our study proposes an optimal design methodology considering several key aspects, including the distance between lamps, their type, power, and light distribution. The goal is to achieve optimal illumination that enhances visibility on public roads for drivers and pedestrians while simultaneously minimizing glare, installation costs and maximizing energy efficiency. The proposed methodology is implemented through an algorithm developed in Matlab, with results validated through simulations in Dialux. This information is used to construct a decision matrix, assessed using the CRITIC method across 180 different scenarios within a specific case study. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of multi-criteria decision-making as a tool for significantly improving the planning and design of lighting in public illumination systems, allowing for selecting the optimal combination of parameters that ensure the best lighting conditions.

AbstractCurrently, public health researchers are investigating several complex and multi-faced health problems that require mixed-method approaches (MMA) to clearly understand problems and design proper intervention approaches and policy formulation. Besides, a comprehensive comprehension of the complex operation of society is vital. The MMA helps in having a broader understanding of the functioning and structure of the community at large. MMA deliberately integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches carefully to build on the merits of each other and confirm that the findings of research are closer to the truth. Therefore, public health scholars must have an excellent comprehension of the MMA and its philosophical foundations for discovering the complex conditions that challenge public health nowadays. However, public health researchers do not clearly understand the theoretical underpinnings and practical application of MMA, despite its popularity in developing countries. Therefore, this article aimed to provide comprehensive evidence on the theoretical underpinnings and practical application of MMA.

In this work, quiescence is added to the Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered (SIR) model with demography. In order to investigate consequences of quiescence in the infection process in more depth, we use stochastic simulations on the stochastic version of model that we built. This method provides a more accurate picture of the dynamics of infectious diseases by taking into consideration the inherent randomness in the disease processes. We examine the effects of quiescence on the number of infected people using simulations. The results, presented in histograms depicting the distribution of infected individuals, reveal a notable trend: the mean number of infected individuals is higher when quiescence is incorporated into the dynamics. These finding emphasizes the dynamic influence of quiescence on infectious disease spread. The higher mean number of infections during periods of quiescence highlights the need for public health strategies that are flexible enough to focused interventions during these times to reduce the possibility of an increase in infections.

Recent dramatic reductions in the timeframe in which genomic sequencing can deliver results means its application in time-sensitive screening programs such as newborn screening (NBS) is becoming a reality. As genomic NBS (gNBS) programs are developed around the world, there is an increasing need to address the ethical and social issues that such initiatives raise. This study therefore aimed to explore the Australian public’s perspectives and values regarding key gNBS characteristics and preferences for service delivery. We recruited English-speaking members of the Australian public over 18 years of age via social media; 75 people aged 23-72 participated in one of 15 focus groups. Participants were generally supportive of introducing genomic sequencing into newborn screening, with several stating that adoption of such revolutionary and beneficial technology was a moral obligation. Participants consistently highlighted receiving an early diagnosis as the leading benefit, which was frequently linked to the potential for early treatment and intervention, or access to other forms of assistance, such as peer support. Informing parents about the test during pregnancy was considered important. This study provides insights into the Australian public’s views and preferences to inform the delivery of a gNBS program in the Australian context.

For achieving climate targets, public engagement is key. Climate communication can play an important role here. Telling regional stories of successful climate action seems a promising form of climate communication: It may convey a feeling of ‘So this is what climate action looks like – and it is people like you and me who are starting to take action.’ This transformative research project (1) formulates hypotheses on what could make such local climate stories effective, (2) then identifies, produces and disseminates stories in the region of Konstanz, Germany, following a rapid prototyping approach, and (3) analyzes the effect of the stories by using focus groups. So far, two prototyping series of filmic story production have been completed in 2022/2023 and some initial insights were derived: Potential protagonists seem willing to tell their stories, and the stories have a potential to inspire people. Technical film quality is relevant. The stories must be selected and told carefully (who is portrayed, which actions are interpreted as success, through which channels are the stories shared), in order to create resonance with different target groups. Next steps are continuation of film production prototyping, a broader sharing of stories, and thorough impact research by focus groups.

The main objective of this research was to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic and demographic indicators and the level of transparency of municipalities in the state of Maranhão. The transparency index was constructed based on the LRF and LAI and consisted of 32 items. Subsequently , for To identify which factors explain the level of transparency, a multiple linear regression was carried out, comparing the explanatory variables for the level of transparency adopted in this study. The sample consisted of municipalities in the State of Maranhão, totaling 211 municipalities, as 7 did not have a website. The results of the multiple linear regression model indicate that the IDHM, the log of total GDP, the GDP per capita and the variable log of POP explain the NT of the municipalities surveyed to the point of explain the level of transparency of the municipalities of Maranhão, only the IFDM did not show a relationship with the NT among the variables analyzed.

Introduction: Bystander CPR rates have increase from 15% to 30% in many countries over the last 20 years. However, these gains are at risk of being lost in the face of fear of transmission of the SARS-COV-2 virus given the global COVID-19 pandemic. This survey study was designed to examine the opinions and perceptions of the Canadian public on bystanderism as it relates to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic with a view to understanding the implications of those opinions on our expectations of bystanders during, and after the pandemic. Methods: In order to capture a pan-Canadian sample of the general public, we engaged with a well-established public opinion polling vendor, IPSOS (www.ipsos.com), to conduct a robust survey on public willingness to do bystander CPR in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Results: A total of n=1,000 surveys were completed by Canadian adults using the IPSOS eNation Canadian Online Omnibus survey platform.In summary there were five key findings from this pan-Canadian survey: 1) the ability to recognize cardiac arrest remains a point of confusion for the lay public, 2) at the time of the survey only about half of respondents said they would respond to someone having cardiac arrest, 3) the majority of respondents said the pandemic has changed their willingness to respond to someone in cardiac arrest, 4) willingness to use an AED is low and the greatest barrier was reported as lack of experience, and lastly 5) most Canadians say it is important to be certified in CPR and are willing to take a CPR training course, however only half are willing to pay for it. Conclusion: Bystander CPR is an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victim’s best chance of survival and so our understanding of how we encourage more citizens to respond given the current realities is more crucial than ever. Wider dissemination of the growing evidence on the safety of CPR in the context of COVID-19 and resuscitation training courses implemented with specific CPR maneuvers to reduce the risk of infection should be implemented to continued uncertainty and erosion in bystander CPR culture.

Academic performance and capabilities were greatly influenced by creativity. It has also contributed to comprehending academic skill development independent of motivation and intelligence. This study examines the relationship between student creativity and academic skills. This is the systematic literature review for 2016 to 2022. The main criteria for including an article in the research were that it was written in English, that it was pertinent to the topic of the study, that its sample consisted of students aged 5 to 16 with regular, typical development, that it was a descriptive, exploratory, or longitudinal study, and that it was accessible to the public. Seven articles were included in the study following a critical and systematic analysis and evaluation. As the results indicate, creativity and its characteristics correlate substantially with academic skills such as reading, comprehension, academics, word processing, and written assignments. Additionally, creativity contributed considerably to children’s academic performance, both currently and in the future. The present study concludes that creativity is essential for enhancing and promoting children’s academic performance.

Climate change is a large and challenging collective action problem facing the world today. This seminar review impacts of climate change on r yield of major cereal crops. Literatures have indicated that climate change would likely have positive impact in the highland agro-ecology in the short run. However, in the long run climate change will have negative impact in all agro-ecology. Negative impacts will be high in low land agro-ecology. Failure to prepare for climate variability can seriously affect the livelihood of smallholder farmers. Ethiopia by enacting Climate-Resilient Green Economy strategy and National Adaptation Plan aims to minimize the impacts of CC. Despite the existing adaptation and mitigation strategies negative impacts of climate change on agriculture especially on cereal crop production is continued. Thus, both private and public investment on adaptation strategies should be expanded more. Studies regarding the impacts of climate change on labour productivity, labour market, its distributional (which section society mostly by climate change?) and why the existing adaptation strategies are not successful? are not well studied, as most literature are focused on impact of climate change on yield, its adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Metabolomics is an advanced technology, still under development, with multiple research applications, especially in the field of health. Individual metabolic profiles, the functionality of the body, as well as its interaction with the environment can be established using this technology. The body's response to various external factors, including the food consumed and the nutrients it contains, has increased researchers' interest in nutrimetabolomics. Establishing correlations between diet and the occurrence of various diseases or even the development of personalized nutrition plans, could contribute to advances in precision medicine. The interdependence between humans, animals and the environment are of particular importance today, with the dramatic emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases, food, water and soil contamination, and the degradation of resources and habitats. All these events have led to an increase of risk factors for functional diseases, burdening global health. Thus, this study aimed to highlight the importance of metabolomics, in particular of nutrimetabolomics, as a technical solution for a holistic, collaborative, and precise approach for the advancement of the One Health strategy.

Health related quality of life’s (HRQoL) different domains of functioning can serve as a good prognosticator of later life’s outcomes for children and adolescents. Understanding associated factors is crucial for promoting better health and life satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate the impact of socio-economic status (SES), physical activity (PA) and cardio-fitness on the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in 224 Italian early adolescents attending secondary school in the Emilia-Romagna region located in northern Italy. The present cross-sectional study included measures of SES, demographic factors, cardio-fitness measures and self-reported PA levels. In a multivariate model, younger students and females reported higher HRQoL (β=-0.139, P<.05, 95% CI: -0.254 – -0.023 and β=0.142, P<.05, 95% CI: 0.011 – 0.273 respectively). Having both parents employed and having higher familiar educational status resulted in higher HRQoL. Greater engagement in routine PA was positively associated with HRQoL (β=0.429, P<.001, 95% CI: 0.304 – 0.554). Endurance (speed) was positively associated with HRQoL (β=0.221, P<.01, 95% CI: 0.087 – 0.355) and students with longer times on the shuttle run reported less HRQoL (β=-0.207, P<.01, 95% CI: -0.337 – -0.077). Findings reinforced the importance of promoting regular PA among students and addressing SES disparities to improve HRQoL. The study suggests a focus on expanding research measures and evaluating targeted PA interventions for a more comprehensive understanding of children’s well-being. These findings highlight the crucial roles of demographic, PA and cardio-fitness measures in child’s HRQoL, thus providing relevant information for stakeholders who work in the education, public health, and health policy sectors.

This systematic review seeks to position online radicalisation within whole system frameworks incorporating individual, family, community and wider structural influences, whilst reporting evidence of public mental health approaches for individuals engaging in radical online content. Methods: Authors searched Medline (via Ovid), PsycInfo (via Ebscohost) and Web of Science (Core Collection), with the use of Boolean operators across ‘extremism’, ‘online content’, and ‘intervention’. Results: Following assessment of full text, all retrieved papers had to be excluded. Results from six excluded articles which did not fit inclusion criteria but identified theoretical relationships between all three elements of online extremism, psychological outcomes, and intervention strategy, were discussed. Authors found no articles outlining public mental health approaches to specifically online radicalisation. Conclusions: There is an immediate need for further research in this field given the increase in different factions of radicalised beliefs resulting from online, particularly social media, usage.

PM2.5 levels affect human health. However, its relationship with other health vulnerability determinants has not been sufficiently explored. Furthermore, public access to PM2.5 datasets, linkable to health statistics, is not available. We built a georeferenced database and map of annual mean PM2.5 emissions and air concentrations values in Argentina in 2010 and explored their correlations with other health vulnerability determinants. We obtained data for montlhy PM2.5 values emissions and air concentrations in Argentina from public sources. We evaluated health vulnerability by the “Sanitary Vulnerability Index (SVI)”. Non-parametric correlations between variables below 0.22, corresponding to a R2=5%, were deemed meaningless. PM2.5 emissions concentrated in urban and intensive agricultural areas of Argentina. PM2.5 air concentrations were acceptable (≤10 microg/m3) in only 15% of the Argentinean territory, respectively. The correlation between air concentration of PM2.5 and human emission was meaningless. Emissions, but not air concentrations correlated &gt;0.22 with indicators of human activity. SVI correlated meaninglessly with PM2.5 air concentration. In conclusion, PM2.5 levels were above acceptable levels in 85% of the Argentinian territory in 2010. The lack of meaningful correlations between PM2.5 and SVI suggest that these coefficients might be used in combination to assess health vulnerability. Further research is warranted.

Migratory movements are a political, social and public health issue on a global scale. Access to sexual and reproductive health services for irregular migrant women (IMW) is a public health issue. The aim of this study is to identify qualitative evidence on IMW's experiences of sexual and reproductive health care in emergency and primary care settings. Methods: meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Synthesis includes assembling and categorising findings based on the simili-arty in meaning. The search was conducted between January 2010 and June 2022 using PubMed, WOS and CINAHL databases. Results: of 131 articles found in the initial search, only 9 articles met the criteria and were included in the review. Four main themes were established: (1) The need to focus emergency care on sexual and reproductive health, (2) Unsatisfactory clinical experiences, (3) Forced reproduction, (4) Alternating between formal and informal healthcare services. Con-clusions: IMW’s attitudes towards sexual and reproductive health are influenced by culture, ed-ucational level, fear, barriers and the attitude of healthcare providers. Healthcare institutions need to be aware of the IMW’s experiences to understand the specific difficulties they face. IMW call for socially and culturally sensitive health care, cultural mediators, improved communication and safe environments that ensure confidentiality.

Viruses with encephalitogenic potential can cause neurological conditions of clinical and epidemiological importance, such as Saint Louis encephalitis virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus, Eastern equine encephalitis virus, Western equine encephalitis virus, dengue virus, Zika virus, Chikungunya virus, Mayaro virus and West Nile virus. The objective of the present study was to determine the number of arboviruses with neuroinvasive potential isolated in Brazil that corresponds to the collection of viral samples belonging to the Section of Arbovirology and Hemorrhagic Fevers (SAARB/IEC) of the Laboratory Network of National Reference for Arbovirus Diagnosis from 1954 to 2022. A total of 1,090 arbovirus samples with encephalitogenic potential were isolated from mice. From a total of 7,054 samples intended for cell culture. The isolates from mosquitoes totaled 659 viruses. The emergence of new arboviruses may be responsible for diseases still unknown to humans, making the Amazon region a hotspot for infectious diseases due to its fauna and flora species characteristics. The detection of circulating arboviruses with the potential to cause neuroinvasive diseases is constant, which justifies the continuation of active epidemiological surveillance work that offers adequate support to the public health system regarding the virological diagnosis of circulating arboviruses in Brazil.

Social media informs the public about the most important events and conveys important information. Before, during and after disasters, social media are used to disseminate information about disasters and to collect data relevant to the implementation of preparedness, response and recovery activities and measures. Social networks are effective in disseminating information and warnings, as well as in educating the public. The subject of the research is examining the influence of demographic factors on the effectiveness of social media in informing the public about the risks of disasters. Using an online survey questionnaire, and according to the snowball principle, a survey of 247 respondents was conducted in 2022. The research results show no statistically significant relationship between the level of education of the respondents and the assessment of the effectiveness of social media reporting on disasters. The use of social media can improve communication between stakeholders in disaster management and facilitate coordination of efforts, fostering communication and allocation of resources. To effectively use social media in disaster management, decision-makers in the disaster management system must be aware of new technologies, their disadvantages and advantages, as well as ways in which data from social networks can be collected and analyzed.

Background: The potential of Artificial intelligent (AI) models to process and interpret large health datasets at scale could revolutionize public health and epidemiology, providing a foundation for public health. Ethics has been recognized as a priority concern in the development and deployment of AI. Because AI technology can jeopardize patient safety, privacy, and posing a new set of ethical problems that must be addressed. Objectives: We aim to provide a holistic view on what are the different ethical and legal principles that was addressed in the included studies regarding the use of AI in public health and what are the ethical challenges that can arise.Methods: Following PRISMA guideline, five bibliographic databases were used in our search: PubMed, Scopus, JSTOR, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar from 2015 to February 2022. Four reviewers carried out study selection and data extraction, and the data extracted was synthesized by a narrative approach. Results: This review included 23 unique publications out of a total of 1123 items that were initially identified. Different ethical principles regarding the uses of AI in public health and community health were identified and discussed distinctly in the current review. The common ethical and legal themes that this review focused on are equity, bias, privacy and security, safety, transparency, confidentiality, accountability, social justice, and autonomy. In addition, five ethical challenges were mentioned. Conclusion: Research regarding ethical and legal principles and challenges about using AI in public health specifically consider a new filed, because all previous themes are concerning the physical and patients’ area where it focuses only on the clinical settings.

During the past few years many projects and initiatives were undertaken deploying and testing automated vehicles for public transportation and logistics. However in spite of their ambition, all of these deployments stayed on the level of elaborated experimentation deploying no more than 4 maximum 5 AVs in rather small sites (few Kms of roads) and never really reached the level of large scale “commercial” deployment of transport services. The reasons for this are many, but the most important being the lack of economically viability and commercially realistic models, the lack of scalability of the business and operating models, and the lack of inclusive citizen/user centric services required for the large end-user acceptation and adoption of the solutions. In this paper, based on the experience gained in the H2020 AVENUE project, we present the missing pieces of the puzzle, ad which will be addressed in the Horizon Europe project ULTIMO.

Being overweight or obese is a public health problem. This work evaluated a food and nutrition education (EAN) intervention against overweight schoolchildren in four schools in the West Panama Province. A quasi-experimental before-and-after study that implemented a 34-week EAN intervention through workshops with didactic material to 403 children between 8 and 13 years old. The knowledge and attitude survey was used as an evaluation tool before and after the educational intervention. The prevalence of excess weight (40%) did not report differences after the intervention. No differences were reported in the median level of attitude, although higher levels of knowledge were reported in students of both sexes. EAN in schoolchildren can be effective in acquiring knowledge and maintaining a positive attitude towards food.

Background: This study describes the attitudes and practices of Brazilian adults regarding the mandatory vaccination for COVID-19 and the hesitancy to children´s vaccination. Methods: The participants answered an online questionnaire disseminated on social networks. An adaptation of the SAGE-WG questionnaire was used to measure the children's vaccination hesitancy. Results: Among 1,007 participants, 677 (67.4%) believed that vaccination for COVID-19 among adults should be mandatory. Just over half of the participants (51.5%) believe that parents and guardians should be free to decide whether their children should be vaccinated against COVID-19, and 9.1% were unsure about this. Younger, non-religious people who have higher self-perceptions of risk for COVID-19, and who evaluate the federal government's performance in combating the disease as bad or very bad, have a higher agreement with mandatory vaccination, a lower agreement that parents and guardians should be free to vaccinate their children, and lower child vaccination hesitancy scores. Conclusion: In Brazil, mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for adults is far from a consensus, and an expressive part of the population believes that parents and guardians should be free to choose whether or not to vaccinate their children. These perceptions and vaccine hesitancy for children are associated with religious and political inclinations.

The Indonesia’s Tobacco Excise Sharing Fund (DBHCHT) policy mandates that part of the fund should be allocated for tobacco crop diversification – reducing the farmers’ reliance on tobacco industry as well as implementing Article 17 of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). However, very little is known on practical implication of this fund on tobacco farmers livelihood. We collected primary data from key stakeholders in four main tobacco producing municipalities. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis with NVivo 12. Numbers of challenges on DBHCHT utilization remained at sub-national levels. The sub-optimal use of DBHCHT could partly be explained by: (i) constantly changing central government regulation; (ii) farmers’ unawareness of DBHCHT regulation; (iii) the delay in DBHCHT allocation; and (iv) supply and demand mismatch. Although Indonesia has not been a part of the FCTC ratification, the DBHCHT mandate is in line with the FCTC article 17, i.e., promoting economically viable alternatives for tobacco farmers. This study concluded that DBHCHT utilization needs to go a long way to void this mandate given the challenges at sub-national level. Therefore, this study recommends more technical and practical regulations involving multisectoral stakeholders and the use of DBHCHT to facilitate financial needs of crop diversification.

This article analyzes the perspectives of professional training of the public administration staff, from the viewpoint of the sustainability criteria, starting from the experiences of the online courses run in the last two years. In order to understand the nature, type and magnitude of the changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in the field of professional training for public administration, we performed a survey among public institution employees, by applying a questionnaire. The instrument included qualitative elements, to allow the framing of statistical results. The article is grounded on the hypothesis that the professional training activities in the last two years were organized preponderantly online and it aims to analyze the sustainability of the new teaching systems/methods. The limitations of the study are given by the fact that each administrative system has structure particularities and its own legal framework regarding the professional training of public administration staff, what makes that the model proposed cannot be applied in all countries. The study provides a model of online professional training for public administration staff, sustainable, based on the experience accumulated in the last two years.

Infectious diseases, as COVID-19 is proving, pose a global health threat in an interconnected world. In the last 20 years, resistant infectious diseases such as SARS, MERS, H1N1, Ebola, Zika and now COVID-19 have been impacting global health defences, and aggressively flourishing within the rise of global travel, urbanization, climate change and ecological degradation. In parallel, this extraordinary episode in global human health highlights the potential for artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled disease surveillance to collect and analyse vast amounts of unstructured and real-time data to inform epidemiological and public health emergency responses. The uses of AI in these dynamic environments are increasingly complex, challenging the potential for human autonomous decisions. In this context, our study of qualitative perspectives will consider a responsible AI framework to explore its potential application to disease surveillance in a global health context. Thus far, there is a gap in the literature in considering these multiple and interconnected levels of disease surveillance and emergency health management through the lens of a responsible AI framework.

The use of biomarkers to measure immune responses in serum is crucial for understanding population-level exposure and susceptibility to human pathogens. Advances in sample collection, multiplex testing, and computational modeling are transforming serosurveillance into a powerful tool for public health program design and response to infectious threats. In July 2018, 70 scientists from 20 countries met to perform a landscape analysis of approaches that support an integrated serosurveillance platform, including the consideration of issues for successful implementation. Here, we summarize the group’s insights and proposed roadmap for implementation, including objectives, technical requirements, ethical issues, logistical considerations, and monitoring and evaluation.

Starting from the importance of risk perception for taking certain preventive measures to protect people and their property from disasters, the subject of the research is to examine the factors influencing public perception of mythically-based human behavior in disaster conditions. Using the random sampling method, 250 adult respondents were surveyed in the city of Belgrade, using a specially created and adapted survey questionnaire. The results of the research show that there is no statistically significant influence of gender, age, educational and economic factors on the public perception of human behavior in disaster conditions. The results of the research can be used to improve strategies and campaigns based on risk assessment, aimed at improving the safety of people in disasters.

The purpose of this research article is to provide a comprehensive method that allows the evaluation of the public transportation in their different transport lines that offer in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. This study presents a description of the public transport system as part of the literature review that describes an appropriate model based on the more outstanding publications about urban mobility and public transportation for passengers’ as well as success cases published which serves as a starting point to check the actual state of the public transportation system based on the Pythagorean Fuzzy CODAS to analyze and evaluate the alternatives through criteria that defines the general performance. The integration of these methods provides an adequate methodology for decision-making concerning urban planning and mobility to detect and improve the performance of criteria not considered within sustainable urban mobility plans.

On 14 March 2020 the state of epidemic threat was introduced in Poland applicable until 20 March 2020 when the state of epidemic was introduced in the territory of the Republic of Poland. The situation associated with the growing number of SARS-CoV-2 infections forced ongoing monitoring of the epidemic situation, which entailed an introduction of a number of restrictions and solutions intended to isolate the infected persons on the one hand, and to minimize the risk of development of an epidemic in Poland on the other. Activity of the Polish legislator is also essential, which tried to introduce solutions that would correspond with current expectations and needs. In this paper, the author points to the issues of communication with a public authority by specific reflections on the principles of serving documents on beneficiaries of EU programs under which they were awarded funding for their implementation. The author points to the dynamics of the legislator’s work in this respect by analyzing the rules for serving documents by a public authority on beneficiaries who are public entities and those who are not.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the five grand parks in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and provide a geoprocessing approach to different aspects such as sport, health, leisure, recreation, and public wellbeing. The study uses a hybrid of qualitative and quantitative approach as methodology. Sustainability offerings, accessibility for people of determination and special needs, typology and the geolocations of the grand parks plays crucial role in residents’ wellbeing. The paper concludes with recommendations for Dubai government to design new and innovative approaches to manage wellbeing of urban public places into the leisure environment for residents.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) worldwide pandemic in 2020. In response, most countries in the world implemented lockdowns, restricting their population’s movements, work, education, gatherings, and general activities in attempt to ‘flatten the curve’ of COVID-19 cases. The public health goal of lockdowns was to save the population from COVID-19 cases and deaths, and to prevent overwhelming health care systems with COVID-19 patients. In this narrative review I explain why I changed my mind about supporting lockdowns. First, I explain how the initial modeling predictions induced fear and crowd-effects [i.e., groupthink]. Second, I summarize important information that has emerged relevant to the modeling, including about infection fatality rate, high-risk groups, herd immunity thresholds, and exit strategies. Third, I describe how reality started sinking in, with information on significant collateral damage due to the response to the pandemic, and information placing the number of deaths in context and perspective. Fourth, I present a cost-benefit analysis of the response to COVID-19 that finds lockdowns are far more harmful to public health than COVID-19 can be. Controversies and objections about the main points made are considered and addressed. I close with some suggestions for moving forward.

COVID-19 is a potentially fatal viral infection. This study investigates geography, demography, socioeconomics, health conditions, hospital characteristics, and politics as potential explanatory variables for death rates at the state and county levels. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Census Bureau, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Definitive Healthcare, and USAfacts.org were used to evaluate regression models. Yearly pneumonia and flu death rates (state level, 2014-2018) were evaluated as a function of the governors’ political party using repeated measures analysis. At the state and county level, spatial regression models were evaluated. At the county level, we discovered a statistically significant model that included geography, population density, racial and ethnic status, three health status variables along with a political factor. State level analysis identified health status, minority status, and the interaction between governors’ parties and health status as important variables. The political factor, however, did not appear in a subsequent analysis of 2014-2018 pneumonia and flu death rates. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 has greater and disproportionate effect within racial and ethnic minority groups, and the political influence on the reporting of COVID-19 mortality was statistically relevant at the county level and as an interaction term only at the state level.

The rapid process of urbanization is affecting residents’ living patterns. Concurrently, shopping and consumption patterns are changing at what seems to be a constant rate. Recently, a look at retail centers would leave one to understand that these centers are by no means exempted from these changes. Retail centers, which initially held a more commercial role, are now considered to be places of leisure as well as. In this research, the new role of these retail centers as a new part of public spaces and area for leisure activities is being examined. In order to survey this new concept of retail centers, two retail centers that were almost similar to each other in terms of function and characteristics in Iran and Spain respectively, considered as a developing country and developed country were studied. The results of the research show that retail centers, due to their new nature, have shown similar behavior in both. In general, nowadays retail centers have more of a recreational role, so that more than 65% of the people in Tehran and Madrid are spending their time in recreational activities. Nevertheless, in developing countries, the process of these changes has been imitative and to say anything of cross-sectoral policies it will require more research.

Much has been explored in the individual health issue, and most of them adopt the objective data such as laboratory tests or health services utilization to analyze individual health assessment. However, the factors influencing individuals in self‐assessed health is still unclean. The study considers that self‐assessed health is viewed as catalyst in health management and explores various dimensions associated with self‐assessed health. Totally, 800 participants who were randomly sampled from the citizen of Porter County, Indiana completed the Needs Assessment Citizen Survey in 2007.After adjustment for age, gender, education, income, and health coverage, life quality (β=1.5538, sdandard erro of β=0.8404), and Medicaid assistance (β= -0.7715, sdandard erro of β= 0.3958) are the main determinants of individuals’ self‐assessed health. The results suggest that public health officials should consider improving citizens’ self-assessed health by providing good living and socio-economic environment.

Given the contradiction between the current demands for sustainability and the way the financial system works, this paper explores in a retrospective and a prospective view the Romanian Public Finance Sustainability, highlighting the major challenges and vulnerabilities. For the retrospective part, we concentrate mainly on empirical tests on Romanian government solvency between the period 1986- 2016, by applying unit root and co-integration tests. To gain a better, general understanding of the behavior of policy-makers, in the second part we use a scenario analysis of budgetary adjustment in the short and medium run under alternative hypotheses. The results provide a formal proof that policy makers decisions face critical and complex questions and the way in which they manage fiscal stimuli have a direct implication on the sustainability of the country and on the lax implementation of fiscal policy.

Background: Maternal near-miss refers to a situation where a woman who nearly died but survived from severe life-threatening obstetric complications that occurred during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. It has been estimated that up to 9 million women survive obstetric complications every year. According to studies done around the world most mothers suffer from Near Miss due to the factors which includes, low socioeconomic status, patient related, health provider related, and health related and health institution related issues. Objectives: The objective of the study was to determine the proportion of maternal near misses and its associated factors in Selected Public Health Institutions of Keffa, Bench-Maji and Sheka Zones of South Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional state, South West Ethiopia, 2017. Methodology: Hospital based cross-sectional study design was employed and simple random sampling techniques (Lottery Method) was used to select the study institution and Systematic sampling technique was used to select 845 study participants every 5^th interval. Information was collected by using pre-tested and structured interviewer administered questioner. Using SPSS version 21 software, descriptive statistics and bivariate logistic regression analysis was done and variables with p-value <0.2 were transferred to multivariate analysis and during Multivariate logistic regression analysis Variables with P-value < 0.05 were considered as statistically significant and AOR with 95% CI were used to control for possible confounders and to interpret the result. The results were summarized by tables, graphs and charts. Result: There were 5530 Live Births, 227 Sever Acute Maternal Morbidity cases of this 210 were Maternal Near-Misses cases and 17 were maternal deaths, 364 Maternal Near-Misses Events. The overall Maternal Near-Misses Proportion is 24.85%. The maternal Near-Misses outcome ratio was 41 cases/1,000 live births (LB); mortality ratio was 12.35cases/1 maternal death and 74.8/1000LB of mortality index. Parity, residence, distance of living place from hospital, ANC Follow up, duration of labor, and administrative related problems were found to have statistically significant associations. Conclusion: The proportion of Maternal Near-Misses is relatively high when compared to other regional studies and efforts should be done to lower the near-misses.

Urban trees are generally considered to be a public asset and are an important part of a city's heritage. The aim of this work is to analyse the influence of season on the economic appraisal of various trees in Madrid. Photographs were taken of 43 individual tree specimens in summer and winter. The survey was designed to compare differences of opinion in the economic assessment of trees. The trees were assessed by five valuation methods used worldwide. 78 agroforestry engineering students answered a written survey, and the variables considered were: percentage of students who always evaluated the tree equally (%0), percentage of students who assigned more value to the summer photograph (%S), and percentage of students who assigned more value to the winter photograph (%W). The results were analysed by the statistical test of equal proportions and ANOVA to detect differences according to tree type (evergreen or deciduous), species and other groupings made by the authors in previous works. W and S percentages are similar. The ANOVA analysis rejects the equality of percentages of S and W between groups. The Welch test rejects the equality of percentage of S, W and O between species.

Background: Internal migrants had obstacles in accessing local public health services in China. This study aimed to estimate the utilization of local public health services and its determinants among internal migrants. Methods: Data were from the 2014 and 2015 nationally representative cross-sectional survey of internal migrants in China. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate the relationship between socioeconomic, migration, demographic characteristics and public health services utilization. Results: Internal migrants in more developed eastern regions used less public health services. Those with higher socioeconomic status were more likely to use public health services. The broader and shorter they migrated, the less they used public health services. Compared to migration within the city, migration across provinces is negatively associated with health records (OR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.86-0.90), health education (OR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.94-1.00), and health education on NCDs (OR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.89-0.95) or through Internet channel (OR=0.96, 95% CI: 0.94-0.99). Conclusion: Public health services coverage for internal migrants has seen great improvement due to government subsides. Internal migrants with lower socioeconomic status and across provinces need to be targeted. More attention should be given to the local government in the developed eastern regions in order to narrow the regional gaps.

This paper discusses the management of public expenditures in Indonesia in State Budget 2017. The data collected from fiscal policy documents, especially about government spending plans in 2017, and then be reviewed by policy analysis, the theory of public expenditures, and the theory of public goods, and compared with the theory of public expenditure in Islamic economics. Public expenditure management in Indonesia has implemented a distribution system that divided public expenditure for central government expenditures, transfers to the regions, and the village fund. In terms of fiscal policy, public expenditure priorities to support the achievement of sustainable economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and the reduction of gaps in the welfare of the whole community. In Islamic economics, public expenditure is used to meet the needs of the community based on the principles of general interest derived from the shari'a. Public expenditure on Indonesia's government as an effective tool to divert economic resources and increase the income of society as a whole, and focused on the embodiment of the people's welfare.

The present study aims at investigating the relationship between Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) variables mainly underpricing on one hand, and the brand value measures on the other. Our final data set is 104 international brand companies. We implement empirical approach using hierarchical OLS regression and descriptive statistics. We show that underpricing is positively related to brand value which emphasizes the marketing role of going public and underpricing in enhancing brand equity through the product market, which additionally confirms some information asymmetry models. We also find that on average brand companies had not been recognized as brands at the IPO time. Moreover, we show the positive role of private equity in enhancing brand value, additionally, the non-linear association between underpricing and brand value is not evident. Finally, we draw some policy implication and suggestions for future research.

The analysis of the key factors which prevent or contribute to the promotion and development of the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in order to meet the sustainability goals represents an important issue which worth being investigated, especially in the situation in which entering in bilateral relations inside this contract has a powerful meaning in achieving new climate targets, developing and improving the use of green energy, and promoting a sustainable green economy. The main goal of this research is to identify and analyze the main factors which help or pre-vent the promotion and development of a PPA, in order to meet the sustainability goals by promoting a green economy. For this research survey based on comparative analysis, questionnaires and interviews with energy experts, Spearman’s correlation matrix and IBM SPSS Statistics for Window are also used. The results suggest that although there are positive interest and an open attitude towards the PPA from both sides (sellers and buyers), but there is still place for improvement, the lack of knowledge or the insufficient measures taken so far being two of the reasons way until now in Romania we do not have a developed PPA market and the level of knowledge regarding this type of mechanism is quite low.

Quantum cryptography revolutionizes secure information transfer, providing defense against both quantum and classical computational attacks. The primary challenge in extending the reach of quantum communication comes from the exponential decay of signals over long distances. Addressing this challenge, we have developed Quantum-protected Control-based Key Distribution (QCKD), overcoming transmission range limitations by monitoring signal leakages and rendering leaked quantum states significantly non-orthogonal. This paper reports on the experiments with the QCKD, conducted over a 1,707 km fiber line. We demonstrate advancements in critical components of the protocol, showing its remarkable scalability and adaptability for extended distances and multi-user configurations.

AbstractPolyamines (PAs) including putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD) and spermine (SPM) are small, versatile molecules with two or more positively charged amino groups. Despite their importance for almost all forms of life, their specific roles in molecular and cellular biology remain partly unknown. The molecular structures of PAs suggest two presumable biological functions: (i) as potential buffer systems and (ii) as interactants with poly-negatively charged molecules like nucleic acids.The present report focuses on the question, whether the molecular structures of PAs are essential for such functions, or whether other simple molecules like small peptides with closely spaced positively charged side chains might be suitable as well. Consequently, we created titration curves for PUT, SPD, and SPM, as well as for oligolysines like tri-, tetra-, and penta-lysine. None of the molecules provided substantial buffering capacity at physiological intracellular pH values. Apparently, the most important mechanism for intracellular pH homeostasis in neurons is not a buffer system but is provided by the actions of the sodium-hydrogen and the bicarbonate-chloride antiporters.In a similar approach we investigated the interaction with DNA by following the extinction at 260 nm when titrating DNA with the above molecules. Again, PUT and tri-lysine were not able to interact with herring sperm DNA, while SPD and SPM were. Obviously, the presence of several positively charged groups on its own is not sufficient for the interaction with nucleic acids. Instead, the precise spacing of these groups is necessary for biological activity.

An extended classification of active RC- and RLC- filters with Sallen-Key architectures, including those created in the last three years, is proposed. This makes it possible to formulate new design directions for an extended family of active RC- and RLC- Sallen-Key filters (PF, LPF, HPF, RF) for the tasks of high-speed and ultra-fast analog-to-digital signal conversion.

This research critically examines the dichotomies in urban public space and discussions on city evolution over the past two centuries. The original discourse identified amplifies the importance that inclusivity needs to address issues deeper than physical accessibility. The growing diversity and changes seen in urban public open spaces are followed throughout history along a timeline of important socio-political and planning injectors in the Western world. These public spaces are the important spine connecting all the private and semi-private parts of the city. Urban public spaces have seen population changes due to globalisation, resulting in mobility and changes due to the different needs of its diverse user base. In this paper, a rigorous quasi-chronological investigation is presented. Firstly, the context of the evolution of space is established. Secondly, a closer focus on inclusion research provides a thorough analysis of the utopian city plans, the development of Haussmann's Paris and the later plans of the Centrist and the Decentrist. Thirdly, a critical and analytical understanding of the effect these precursors have had on the city's public spaces, and the hierarchies it established in a nuanced manner are made explicit. The culmination of this research process is the identification of outcomes associated with inclusivity. Findings are established across three significant themes—a) Understanding public space as social space, b) Components of inclusivity, and c) Values of inclusivity including accessibility, sense of place, conviviality and resilience. Key insights and guidance for inclusivity as a key constituent of social sustainability are the unique contribution.

Objective: This study aimed to explore potential interventions or preventive measures to reduce the incidence of falls among the elderly in the Madinah region, and to provide recommendations for healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community stakeholders to enhance fall prevention strategies and improve the overall well-being of the elderly population in this area. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional study design, and was carried out in the Madinah region using convenient physical assignment among of Saudi and non-Saudi local residents aged 65 years and over. Questionnaire surveys were circulated and demographic characteristics were collected, including participants’ fall experience and health status data over the past year, in order to assess the incidence of falls among the elderly population. This design allows for the collection of data at a single point in time, aiming to evaluate the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of falls among the target population. Results: A total of 189 participants were recruited to the study, and the data indicated that the prevalence of falls among those aged 65 years and older in the past year was 41.5%. We found that 73% of the participants had experienced falls and post-fall injuries within the past 12 months. There were minimal differences in terms of physical handicapped cases found between those with and without a fall history. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant link between fall experience and maximum bite force. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of falls in the elderly population in the Madinah region. Our study reveals that 50.79% of our elderly participants had experienced more than one fall during the preceding year. Some preventable risk factors were identified in an analysis of their daily routines. The impacts of these risk factors have potential consequences for their healthy lives.

This paper investigates the relationship between public spaces and quality of life (QoL) for older adults, aiming to identify knowledge gaps within the context of population ageing and urbanization. Recognizing the growing importance of sustainable urban development, the research explores how cities can foster active ageing and improve QoL through accessible and inclusive public spaces. A scoping literature review identifies five key QoL domains for older adults: autonomy, meaningful activities, positive social relationships, leisure opportunities, and health. The review highlights areas requiring further investigation, including the interplay between environmental design and social connections, intergenerational perspectives on public space liveliness, the influence of context on QoL and the built environment, and the value of qualitative research in this field. By contributing to the understanding of QoL in relation to public spaces through the lens of Person-Environment fit theory, this study aims to inform urban design, landscape architecture, and policymaking in the creation of age-friendly communities with inclusive public spaces.

Financing frameworks for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) are lacking in developing countries. This study develops and recommends a financing framework for water and sanitation PPP infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe. The framework model integrates the Public Private Partnership models, sources of finance for water and sanitation PPPs, and the drivers of water and sanitation PPP finance. Both the public and private sources of finance are instrumental for financing water and sanitation PPP projects. Tobit econometric models are applied on data collected from both international and domestic data banks. The time frame for the analysis is a 25-year period running from 1996 ending 2021. Capital market variables, bank market development and economic affluence drive the financing of water and sanitation Public Private Partnership infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe. The study recommends the application of the developed framework in the water and sanitation Public Private Partnership infrastructure financing policy, for developing countries.

Background: Surveys conducted in different regions of the world showed that the prevalence rates of health risk behaviors (HRBs) in university students are sometimes higher than those found in non-university populations. This study aims to identify the prevalence rates and demographic and academic environment correlates associated with HRBs among Brazilian university students. Methods: In a cross-sectional epidemiological study, a random sample of 5,310 university students answered an online questionnaire with demographic (sex, age, skin color, marital status, and paid work) and academic setting information (housing type, size of campus, year and shift of study), as well as items clustered in four HRB domains: personal safety and violence, sexual behavior and contraception, addictive substance use, and eating habits, physical activity, and sleep. The data were analyzed statistically using bivariate analysis and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: The highest prevalence rates occurred in HRBs clustered in the domain of eating habits, physical activity, and sleep (> 60%), while HRBs for personal security and violence were less prevalent (

Technological advances in the last decades have led to the realization of the concept of a smart environment. A significant part of this development is decentralized ledger technology and its variant, a blockchain. The blockchain database is immutable, open to all stakeholders, secure by architecture and robust. Applying a blockchain in water supply sanitary control creates opportunities for optimization, higher quality of service, cost reduction, better sanitary standards and public control. Physical, chemical, and biological water supply contamination is a great source of public health hazards. Implementation of a blockchain for water supply IoT, from the source point to the consumption point, enables effective response to changing environments, possible cross-contamination, stormwater management or disaster and emergency action. The chapter encompasses all fundamental elements and principles of water collection, distribution and consumption, with a focus on the health hazards and sanitary requirements for potable water. The chapter listed the main contaminants, methods of their registration and elimination, and requirements for drinking water in accordance with WHO, EU Drinking Water Directive and EPA standards. Blockchain technology solutions are described for smart water supply, including smart supply management, smart contracts, tokenization, smart compliance systems, and, most importantly, effective utilization of distributed ledger technologies for sanitary monitoring of water sources, water treatment, and water distribution systems.

The consistent and continuous growth in the world’s population is creating many challenges for public policymakers in the different life areas, including dealing with the increasing amounts of waste that are generating problems involving air and land pollution and a shortage of land for waste disposal. This study presents the results of public policy on managing municipal waste, as manifested in the quantity and rate of waste collected throughout Israel in recent years and disposed of in the various landfills and in analysis of the political and economic factors affecting this policy. The study combines a quantitative and qualitative approach, where the quantitative study includes analysis of statistical data based on information from the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Finance, and others, and the qualitative study relies on reading and analyzing primary documents of the different government ministries on Israel’s waste disposal policy and information in the media on this issue. The research findings attest to an increase in the amount of municipal waste dumped in Israel, a merely slight decrease in the rate of landfilling as a proportion of all municipal waste disposal, and a merely slight increase in the rate of municipal waste recycled in recent years. The research conclusions stress the effects of the landfill levy and the Cleanliness Maintenance Fund on one hand, and of the government instability in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the positivist policy embraced by decision makers in the Ministry of Environmental Protection, and the power struggles between Israel’s different ministries on the other, as the respective economic and political factors affecting Israeli policy on municipal waste management.

The COVID-19 pandemic halted progress in global vaccine coverage and disrupted routine childhood vaccination practices worldwide. While there is ample evidence of vaccination declines experienced during the pandemic, it is less clear how low-income countries were affected. We executed a systematic review to synthesize the current literature on impacts to routine childhood vaccinations in low-income countries from January 1, 2020 to February 8, 2023. We collected data using an extraction form on Covidence and assessed the quality of studies included in the review using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Effect estimates for changes in vaccination during the pandemic were reported and summarized. Factors that influenced changes were grouped into descriptive themes. Thirteen studies, encompassing 18 low-income countries and evaluating 15 vaccines at varying doses, were included in the final review. We found that routine childhood vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic varied considerably by vaccine type, location, and phase of the pandemic. Nine different themes were identified as factors that influenced changes in vaccination. Documenting past experiences and lessons learned is crucial for informing preparedness efforts in anticipation of future public health emergencies. Failure to effectively address these things in the next public health emergency could result in a recurrence of declining routine childhood vaccinations.

Background: There is a lack of knowledge about how nurses and general practitioners (GPs) collaborated during the COVID-19 pandemicin primary care settings. Our study examined the roles of primary care nurses during the pandemic’s first wave, between March and June 2020, in Switzerland. Methods: The study involved all eight general practices implementing of a nursing role to the practice’s team. Primary care practice staff members (nurses, GPs and medical assistants) have been involved on the development of a new organizational model. A mixed-methods design study collected quantitative data using daily activity monitoring and an electronic survey. Additionally, eight nurses and nine GPs participated in a focus group discussion and individual interviews. Results: GPs recognized the substantial contributions, versatility, and autonomy of the primary care nurses in their practices during the pandemic. Those nurses experienced their involvement positively, mainly thanks to their perceived autonomy. The distribution of activities between primary care practice professionals was heterogenous due to extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Conclusion: Both nurses and GPs agreed that there was added value in having primary care nurses ingeneral practices in time of crisis, and this agreement will bolster plans to integrate this workforce across the canton. The development of nurses’ roles in primary care during the pandemic was reliant on many factors, including practice organization and Switzerland’s healthcare reimbursement and payment system

Achieving sustainable development will require improved water management, but the main framework to address it, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), lacks clarity and acceptance among a diverse community of many stakeholders. This creates communication problems and obscures issues that people care about like drinking water and pollution prevention. As a process within IWRM, the concept of water resources assessment also suffers from a lack of clarity, which leads to ambiguity and reports that are too general to lead to action. This lack of acceptance of IWRM and water resources assessment saps support for essential data collection, analysis, and reporting. Clarifying IWRM will require work within the water community and better messaging to stakeholders. Methods for water resources assessment can be clarified by linking outcomes to higher level reporting of policy and issues. Acceptance of the role of water resources assessment can be facilitated by adding it to the management instruments in the IWRM Toolbox. Stovepipes among water management agencies require coordination to achieve this, usually through framework studies. Improved messaging will involve what people and stakeholders care about and will require changed approaches to presentation of outcomes by categories, such as drinking water, pollution prevention, and flood risk reduction. Researchers can report outcomes with technical messaging that trends toward uniform language and definitions and the water resources management community can nudge its media outlets to carry unifying messages.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected the entire world, has not only created a number of emerging issues for each country, especially in the field of public health, but has also provided a number of opportunities for risk management, alternative strategies and completely new ways of looking at challenges. This paper examines the COVID-19 pandemic response in Türkiye and the possible implications of the experience for future responses to other health emergencies and disaster risk management, based on the lessons learned. This study uses publicly available literature from government, private sector, and academic sources to analyse the conflicts, changes and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are components of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health EDRM) framework. The COVID-19 experience in Türkiye has several aspects, including the significant role of healthcare workers, the existence of an effective health system accustomed to emergencies, applications based on information technologies, partial transparency of public authorities in providing information, and socio-cultural environment related to cooperation on prevention strategies, including wearing masks and vaccination. Challenges in Türkiye include distance learning in schools, lockdowns that particularly affect the elderly, ensuring environmental sustainability, hesitation about the effectiveness of social/financial support programmes, socio-cultural trivialisation of pandemics after a while, and relaxation of prevention strategies. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic include the value of transparency in public health/healthcare information, the strengthening of all aspects of the health system in terms of health workers, and the importance of a balanced economy prepared for foreseeable risks.

To describe the main health surveillance strategies for the control of COVID-19 in Brazil, with emphasis on decisions and actions taken at the federal level to prevent the infection caused by the new SARS-CoV-2. This is a scoping review study carried out from November 2019 to January 2021 using the DECS and MeSH health descriptors in Portuguese and English in four databases, in addition to the legislation found on the Brazilian Government's legislation portal. Based on the analysis of the documents, the actions describe non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures, measures related to decisions on closing and opening international borders, the acquisition of supplies and essential services. Although some strategies for containing the pandemic were identified, discrete and unnoticed surveillance measures are observed in view of the number of cases and number of deaths during the period of research analysis. The results show the absence of the federal level as support for the states and municipalities and imply decision-making and planning of actions by the Unified Health System to control the pandemic.

We construct a repeated quantum game with public goods by the quantum entanglement and strong reciprocity. By using the paradigm of quantum game analysis, we obtain that both the quantum entanglement and strong reciprocity are helpful to intensify cooperation and achieving Pareto optimality. In addition, under an example which is greenhouse green viable planting industry, we verify that the quantum entanglement and strong reciprocity have a positive role in cooperation.

The modern civil engineering and construction sector requires collaborative work environments, learning and trust among all parties involved, qualities that are absent in the Peruvian reality. This research, which is based on an extensive literature review, investigates this challenge. The study reflects upon (i) the current situation of public works procurement in Peru and (ii) the New Engineering Contract (NEC). Comparisons are presented between the characteristics, documentation and roles of these two systems, with the purpose of understanding and representing the advantages, disadvantages and possibilities of integrating tools of NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract to the Peruvian State Contracting Law (Ley de Contrataciones del Estado: LCE). The research is validated through the case study of a high impact road infrastructure project in the city of Arequipa, Peru; which revealed five main negative impacts on good contractual management and, also, facilitated an initial assessment of challenges and improvement opportunities in public infrastructure procurement. Thus, contribution is made to closing the knowledge gap regarding the implementation of NEC4 ECC in public sector works.