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Stress is widely known to have debilitating effects on physical health and mental wellbeing, particularly on one’s coping styles, personality traits, and outlook on life. Cumulative and chronic stress, which can serve as a triggering or aggravating factor for many pathological disorders if left unaddressed, has been linked to many life-threatening diseases. While many studies have looked at how optimism and pessimism are used as a form of coping mechanism, few have examined how different bio-psycho-social reactions to stress shape the level of optimism and pessimism. Using a sample of adult individuals aged 18 and older in the United States (n = 3361), this study addressed the following research questions: (1) What types of stress are predictive of optimism and pessimism? (2) Which responses to stress and coping mechanisms are most predictive of optimism and pessimism? (3) Do optimism and pessimism share the same stress-related risk and protective factors? Overall, this study found that while optimism and pessimism share conceptual similarities, they are not necessarily influenced by the same stress mechanisms. Stress, whether personal or financial, was associated with a negative outlook on life. This study showed that having good sleep quality and a lower number of psychological stress symptoms was linked to increasing optimism and reducing pessimism, while overeating or eating unhealthily was connected to both optimism and pessimism. Additionally, this study found that exercise/walking and emotional support mediated the effects of the responses to stress on the respondents’ level of optimism and pessimism.

Objectives. It has been established that an adult’s perceived ability to effectively address negative emotions predicts their life satisfaction. To increase the understanding of ethnic minority children’s mental health and quality of life, this study examined the relationship between perceived emotional self-efficacy and life satisfaction of Hispanic children. Methods. Using the nonexperimental–correlational research design and the convenience sampling method, a total of 176 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students (73 boys, 103 girls; 88% Hispanic) in one public elementary school on the US-Mexico border were recruited to participate in this study. Emotional self-efficacy was measured using the emotional subscale of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children and subjective well-being was measured using the Student Life Satisfaction Scale. Spearman correlation and ordinal regression analyses were used to test the study hypotheses. Results. Consistent with findings from the current literature, emotional self-efficacy was positively associated with subjective well-being. Children in lower elementary grades were more likely to report higher emotional self-efficacy than those in higher elementary grades. Boys were more likely to report higher life satisfaction than girls. Conclusions and Relevance. Using a sample of elementary school children with Hispanic backgrounds on the US-Mexico border, this study attested to the empirical link between emotional self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Our study findings stress the importance of early identification of students with low emotional self-efficacious beliefs and the early introduction of social-emotional learning programs in elementary schools to enhance students’ emotional self-efficacy. This study contributes to positive psychology literature and provides insights for future school-based mental health practice and research.

Freshwater pearl mussels (Margaritifera margaritifera) are vital bioindicators in river ecosystems, with their population health reflecting broader environmental conditions. Mussel population declines are well documented across Europe, and in Estonia, Pudisoo River supports the last remaining population. Long-term monitoring also indicates a significant decline in Pudisoo River, but the causes remain underexplored. This study aimed to assess how geology, geomorphology, and land use changes could impact pearl mussel population trends and distribution. We conducted field surveys, bioindication tests, and hydrological and morphometric analyses to evaluate physicochemical and environmental parameters in the Pudisoo River. The study revealed a declining but stabilizing population, concentrated in river sections with higher gradients and coarser riverbed substrates. Sediment transport and accumulation, influenced by both natural and human-induced factors, significantly affect habitat suitability, especially for juvenile mussels. Positive correlations were found between mussel populations and river sinuosity, suggesting that the varied microhabitats created by sinuosity, such as gradients in flow velocity and sediment deposition, play an important role in supporting the species. This finding highlights the importance of directing in-channel restoration efforts towards enhancing channel morphology to create more diverse habitats. Research on sediment dynamics and hydrological connectivity will be crucial for developing effective habitat management strategies for the species, especially considering the impacts of land use and climate change.

Using a quasi-experimental design with no control groups, this pilot study aimed to test the effectiveness of a universal mental health promotion program for elementary school students in an underserved United States-Mexico border community. A total of eighty-five fifth and sixth grade students participated in this program and completed the emotional domain of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children before and after the intervention. Preliminary program benefits were identified among students who perceived low emotional self-efficacy prior to program participation. The program satisfaction rate was over 60%. About 70% of the participants expressed both confidence and competence in using calming tools for future stressful events. This study supports the use of occupational- and activity-based programs in public elementary schools that serve predominantly Hispanic students from low socioeconomic households. Implications for future occupational therapy practice and research are discussed.

Willingness to intervene as an effective bystander is critical in preventing partner violence and fostering safety among college students. Informed by the Social Determinants of Health framework, this conceptual paper provides an overview of the background and historical evolution of bystander intervention and invites a rethinking of how various factors impact bystander intervention for partner violence among college students by highlighting the roles of (1) economic factors and education, (2) sexual beliefs, myths, and media, (3) gender values and norms, (4) environmental factors, (5) college students at risk, (6) social support network and access to services, (7) acculturation and familiarity with the U.S. culture, and (8) cost-benefit analyses. We also discuss potential practice, research, and policy implications. Understanding the Social Determinants of Health is instrumental in addressing the root cause of intersecting health disparities, which is vital in preventing violence, encouraging bystander intervention, and creating a safer community.

The application of analytics on Twitter feeds is a very popular field for research. A tweet with a 280-character limitation can reveal a wealth of information on how individuals express their sentiments and emotions within their network or community. Upon collecting, cleaning, and mining tweets from different individuals on a particular topic, we can capture not only the sentiments and emotions of an individual but also the sentiments and emotions expressed by a larger group. Using the well-known Lexicon-based NRC classifier, we classified nearly seven million tweets across seven battleground states in the U.S. to understand the emotions and sentiments expressed by U.S. citizens toward the 2020 presidential candidates. We used the emotions and sentiments expressed within these tweets as proxies for their votes and predicted the swing directions of each battleground state. When compared to the outcome of the 2020 presidential candidates, we were able to accurately predict the swing directions of four battleground states (Arizona, Michigan, Texas, and North Carolina), thus revealing the potential of this approach in predicting future election outcomes. The week-by-week analysis of the tweets using the NRC classifier corroborated well with the various political events that took place before the election, making it possible to understand the dynamics of the emotions and sentiments of the supporters in each camp. These research strategies and evidence-based insights may be translated into real-world settings and practical interventions to improve election outcomes.

Di desa Kolongan kecamatan Talawaan kabupaten Minahasa Utara masyarakatnya pernah terkonfirmasi Covid – 19 varian Delta berjumlah 30 orang. Terpaparnya masyarakat oleh Covid disebabkan karena beraktivitas di luar rumah dengan tidak disiplin dalam memperhatikan protokol kesehatan. Dalam rangka penanganan Covid – 19 masyarakat dapat menggunakan tanaman herbal untuk meningkatkan imunitas tubuh. Penelitian dilaksanakan pada tanggal 10 s/d 27 Oktober tahun 2021.Tujuan pengabdian pada masyarakat adalah untuk mensosialisasikan langsung penggunaan tanaman herbal dalam bentuk ramuan atau ekstrak, tanaman yang terdapat di pekarangan rumah dan tanaman yang terdapat di perkebunan. Metode pelaksanaan, penelitian ini adalah penelitian kualitatif dengan sumber data diperoleh secara langsung sebagai data primer dan data informasi dari masyarakat dalam pertemuan, meliputi; 1) interaksi dengan mitra dalam hal ini pemerintah dan masyarakat desa Kolongan, menyampaikan maksud dan tujuan pengabdian pada masyarakat (PKM), 2) melakukan observasi mengidentifikasi tanaman yang berpotensi positif tanaman herbal sebagai imunitas tubuh, 3) mengimplementasikan proses pembuatan ramuan tanaman herbal yang ada di desa Kolongan, 4) memberikan angket kepuasan mitra terhadap kegiatan pkm dan tanggapan pengetahuan mitra terhadap tanaman herbal. Jumlah peserta responden 41 orang. Hasil untuk a) kepuasan mitra dengan indikator pkm memberi dampak positif bagi mitra, sangat setuju sebanyak 21 orang (51.22%) dan setuju sebanyak 20 orang (48.78%). Menambah wawasan dalam membuat ramuan tanaman herbal, sangat setuju sebanyak 12 orang (29.26%) dan setuju sebanyak 29 orang (70.74%). Masyarakat tahu jenis tanaman yang meningkatkan imunitas tubuh, sangat setuju sebanyak 14 orang (34.15%) dan setuju sebanyak 27 orang (65.85%), b) tanggapan mitra terhadap pengetahuan tanaman herbal, pernah mengenal sebanyak 12 orang (29.26%) dan tidak mengenal sebanyak 29 orang (70.74%). Pernah menggunakan tanaman herbal di masa pandemi Covid – 19 sebanyak 10 orang (24.39%) dan tidak pernah menggunakan sebanyak 31 orang (75.61%). Lama penggunaan tanaman herbal di masa pandemi Covid – 19 sebanyak 8 orang digunakan selama 1 minggu. Bagian tanaman herbal yang digunakan, bagian tanaman biji sebanyak 4 orang (9,75%) dan daun sebanyak 3 orang (7.31%), c) tanaman herbal yang teridentifikasi sebanyak 23 jenis.

Kegiatan pengabdian pada masyarakat ini bertujuan untuk melaksanakan workshop pembelajaran berbasis daring melalui metode interaktif dalam menunjang program pembelajaran jarak jauh dimasa pandemi Covid-19 pada Guru-guru di Desa Pineleng, Kabupaten Minahasa. Kegiatan ini dilaksanakan dalam 3 tahap yaitu tahap persiapan, tahap pelaksanaan, dan tahap evaluasi hasil kegiatan. Pada tahap persiapan dilaksanakan penentuan tujuan kegiatan, melaksanakan analisis situasi, merumuskan pelaksanaan serta menentukan jadwal pelaksanaan. Pada tahap pelaksanaan diadakan penyuluhan dan pelatihan perancangan dan penerapan pembelajaran berbasis daring melalui metode interaktif dalam menunjang program pembelajaran jarak jauh. Pada tahap evaluasi dilaksanakan evaluasi hasil kegiatan dengan menggunakan kuesioner. Tim pengabdian masyarakat membagikan kuesioner kepada peserta. Berdasarkan kuesioner yang dibagikan kepada guru dapat disimpulkan bahwa pembelajaran ini bermanfaat, efektif dan efisien serta memudahkan dan meningkatkan keterampilan guru dalam melaksanakan pembelajaran jarak jauh dengan 60% memilih sangat setuju, 8% netral dan 32% memilih setuju. Aktivitas pembelajaran berbasis daring bermanfaat untuk membantu guru agar proses pembelajaran dapat terus berlangsung dimasa pandemi Covid-19.

Background: Seeking mental health care is crucial for supporting effective reintegration among veterans. The U.S.–Mexico border presents a compelling and urgent case for study due to its proximity to economically marginalized and medically underserved areas, where the availability and accessibility of services are often limited. Objective: This study explored veterans' mental health challenges and factors that hindered their adjustment to civilian life on the U.S.–Mexico border. Methods: A total of 36 veterans were recruited using purposive sampling from a mental health agency located in Southwestern Texas on the U.S.–Mexico border between November 2023 and May 2024 to complete an in-depth semi-structured interview and a brief survey. Results: Using thematic analysis, we found six themes associated with our study: (1) mental health struggles, (2) enduring military-influenced mindset, (3) adjustment to civilian life, (4) strained family relationships, (5) past victimization and discrimination, and (6) barriers to opportunities and mental health care. Conclusion: Understanding veterans' mental health well-being and their prospects for integration into the civilian world is critical for identifying risk and protective factors that can inform the development of targeted health promotion initiatives, strengthen the implementation of equitable health care efforts, and support strategies for enhancing treatment access that address the unique needs of veterans in the border region. Policy and practice implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from the socio-ecological model, this study examined the relationships between child, family, and neighborhood/community factors and self-regulation among five subgroups of adolescents aged 12–17 years with developmental challenges and delays (Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental delay, learning disability, and intellectual disability). Data for this study came from the 2019 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative dataset (n=3,181). Using multiple regression analyses, we found that not all five subgroups of adolescents shared similar experiences. In sum, having good health and health insurance was positively associated with self-regulation, while adverse childhood experiences and being bullied were negatively linked to self-regulation. Family and neighborhood/community-related variables that were positively related to adolescents' self-regulation consisted of parent-child closeness, having college-educated parents, household food security, and parents' knowledge of where to obtain help in their neighborhood. Family variables negatively associated with adolescents' self-regulation included living in two-parent households and receiving public assistance, but only for adolescents with intellectual disabilities. Socio-demographic variables significantly linked to adolescents' self-regulation were biological sex, age, Hispanic ethnicity, and race. Future research and practice should focus on identifying and addressing the diverse ecological factors influencing adolescents' social-emotional development to improve behavioral outcomes and support their transition to adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fue evaluado el efecto de realcalinización electroquímica aplicando las normas UNE-EN-1504, NACE-SP0107 2007 y NMX-C-553-ONNCCE-2018, en muestras de concreto reforzado previamente carbonatadas. Con el seguimiento del grado de realcalinización, mediante mediciones de pH y potencial de media celda a 7, 14, 21 y 28 días, se observa la recuperación del pH en todos los casos, obteniendo valores de potencial de media celda característicos en cada aplicación de corriente, que confirma la polarización del acero modificando la condición termodinámica de la intercara concreto-acero y ocasionando cambios químicos en la pasta de concreto. Con la norma NMX-C-553-ONNCCE-2018 se polarizó el acero sin llegar a la región de sobreprotección, evitando el riesgo de producir hidrógeno y fragilidad en el acero