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Vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) are available in Europe since 2006. They have been highly effective in preventing infection and disease caused by the vaccine types. Clinical efficacy data are available for cervical, vulvovaginal and anal precancer and invasive cervical cancer. Disease reduction is best with early vaccination and a coverage of more than 70%. Gender-neutral vaccination provides direct protection for all men and improves the coverage. A good coverage is followed by herd protection of the unvaccinated men and women. School-based programs appear to be most effective; under the age of 15 years, two doses with an interval of 6–12 months are sufficient. From the age of 15 years, the standard regimen with three doses is recommended. A broad catch-up program for young adult women and men improves the effectiveness. The vaccines are also effective in sexually active women and men with previous but cleared infections. Vaccination in addition to local treatment of HPV-related disease appears to reduce recurrent or subsequent HPV-related disease. Combination of HPV vaccination and screening with HPV testing is the most effective approach to prevention of cervical cancer. The screening intervals may increase in the vaccinated cohorts. The upper age limit for vaccination remains to be evaluated, is country specific and depends on cost-effectiveness. The European Society of Gynaecologic Oncology and the European Federation for Colposcopy strongly support gender-neutral vaccination programs for children and young adolescents, with a catch-up program for young adults. • Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is highly effective in preventing cervical disease caused by the vaccine types. • It further reduces the burden of other HPV-related cancers, such as anal, oropharyngeal, vulvar and vaginal cancer. • School-based programs appear to be more cost-effective. • The vaccines have excellent safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Adherence to Ketogenic Diet Therapies (KDT) is challenging for subjects. • The measurement of adherence lacks standardization, despite being essential. • The average adherence rates across age groups range from 63.9 to 71.5%. • Adherence is higher in short-therm KDT treatment. Treatment adherence, defined as the degree to which the patient actively follows the plan of care, is very difficult for subjects undergoing ketogenic dietary therapies (KDTs). This is a relevant issue because adherence to dietary therapies is considered 1 of the primary determinants of the treatment's success. This paper aimed to review the literature evidence about KDT adherence according to age and diagnosis of patients. Performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method, this systematic review included clinical trials and observational studies. The risk of bias was assessed by the RoB 2.0 Cochrane tool and the quality of evidence according to the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool system. Twenty-two articles were included, with more than half (n = 12) having average quality (2–3 stars). The studies' heterogeneity in measuring adherence and diagnosis made it difficult to compare results. Mean adherence rates were 71.5%, 66%, and 63.9% for children, adolescents, and adults, respectively. Adherence and compliance rates varied according to the follow-up period (79.7%, 66.7%, and 37.7% at 6, 24, and 36 months, respectively). The most frequent reasons for low adherence were linked to inefficacy in seizure control, adverse effects, food refusal, difficulty in preparing KDT meals or diet restrictiveness, lack of motivation, poor parental compliance, or cost of the diet. To conclude, there is a lack of standardized tools to measure adherence. Several studies highlighted the families' challenges in adhering to KDTs. These factors should be considered when creating strategies and resources on family education. A systematic review of 22 articles on ketogenic diet therapy adherence showed high heterogeneity, challenging comparisons with other studies. Mean adherence rates were similar across age groups: 71.5% for children, 66% for adolescents, and 63.9% for adults. Adherence varied over time: 79.7%, 66.7%, and 37.7% at 6, 24, and 36 months, respectively. Adherence was influenced by inefficacy in seizure control, adverse effects, food refusal, meal preparation challenges, diet restrictions, lack of motivation, poor parental compliance, and cost of the diet. Abbreviations: KDT, ketogenic diet therapies; mo, months. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of holding external loads on postural sway during upright stance across age decades. Sixty-five healthy adults (females, n = 35), aged 18-80 years were assessed in four conditions; (1) standing without holding a load, holding a load corresponding to 5% body mass in the (2) left hand, (3) right hand and (4) both hands. The centre of pressure (COP) path length and anteroposterior and mediolateral COP displacement were used to indirectly assess postural sway. External loading elicited reductions in COP measures of postural sway in older age groups only (P < 0.05). No changes were observed in younger or intermediate aged adults (P > 0.05). Holding external loads during standing is relevant to many activities of daily living (i.e. holding groceries). The reduction in postural sway may suggest this type of loading has a stabilising effect during quiet standing among older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze how cultural difference plays a different role in overseas tourists of different age groups. It examines how perceived cultural differences affect the perceived value of tourists from different age groups, in their travel abroad and, consequently, their satisfaction. The paper is based on self-determination theory (SDT) and develops a structural equation model (SEM) between tourists' cultural needs, perceived cultural differences, perceived value and satisfaction. Through textual analysis, questionnaires and interviews, this paper conducts three studies to empirically analyze the relationship between cultural difference variables related to overseas tourism and tries to explore the influence mechanisms of the cultural differences. The effects of cultural SDT needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness have different effects upon different age groups. Cultural factors play a significant role in influencing the experience of young tourists, but not in older tourists. The possible reasons why cultural differences play different roles in different groups of people are also explored. • The perceived cultural differences have no direct effect on perceived value in the context of overseas tourism. While the moderating effects of perceived cultural differences are confirmed. • Satisfaction of self-determination theory needs has no effects on the elderly groups. Conversely, among the younger group, the effects are significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a global disease with at least 2.8 million people dying each year as a result of being overweight or obese according to the world health organization figures. This paper aims to explore the links between obesity and mortality in COVID-19. Electronic search was made for the papers studying obesity as a risk factor for mortality following COVID-19 infection. Three authors independently selected the papers and agreed for final inclusion. The outcomes were the age, gender, body mass index, severe comorbidities, respiratory support and the critical illness related mortality in COVID-19. 572 publications were identified and 42 studies were selected including one unpublished study data. Only 14 studies were selected for quantitative analysis. All the primary points but the gender are significantly associated with COVID-19 mortality. The age >70, [odd ratio (OR): 0.17, CI; 95%, P-value: <0.00001], gender [OR: 0.89; CI: 95%, P-value: 0.32], BMI > 25 kg/m2 [OR: 3.68, CI: 95%, P-value: <0.003], severe comorbidities [OR: 1.84, CI:95%, P-value: <0.00001], advanced respiratory support [OR: 6.98, CI: 95%, P-value: <0.00001], and critical illness [OR: 2.03, CI: 95%, P-value: <0.00001]. Patients with obesity are at high risk of mortality from COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Traditional methods of summarizing burden of disease have limitations in terms of identifying communities within a population that are in need of prevention and intervention resources. This paper proposes a new method of burden assessment for use in guiding these decisions.Methods: This new method for assessing burden utilizes the sum of population-weighted age-specific z-scores. This new Z-Score Burden Metric was applied to firearm-related deaths in North Carolina counties using 2010‒2017 North Carolina Violent Death Reporting System data. The Z-Score Burden Metric consists of 4 measures describing various aspects of burden. The Z-Score Burden Metric Overall Burden Measure was compared with 2 traditional measures (unadjusted and age-adjusted death rates) for each county to assess similarities and differences in the relative burden of firearm-related death.Results: Of all 100 North Carolina counties, 73 met inclusion criteria (≥5 actual and expected deaths during the study period in each age strata). Ranking by the Overall Burden Measure produced an ordering of counties different from that of ranking by traditional measures. A total of 8 counties (11.0%) differed in burden rank by at least 10% when comparing the Overall Burden Measure with age-adjusted and unadjusted rates. All the counties with large differences between the measures were substantially burdened by firearm-related death.Conclusions: The use of the Z-Score Burden Metric provides an alternative way of measuring realized community burden of injury while still facilitating comparisons between communities with different age distributions. This method can be used for any injury or disease outcome and may help to prioritize the allocation of resources to communities suffering high burdens of injury and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cancer-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), the EORTC QLQ-C30, is a frequently applied questionnaire to assess cancer patients' self-reported health used as part of research and clinical practice. Normative data obtained from the general population can facilitate the interpretation of these data. Despite its frequent application, no detailed EORTC QLQ-C30 normative data have yet been published for the United Kingdom (UK). This study presents detailed EORTC QLQ-C30 normative data for the United Kingdom overall and by sex and age. The data are drawn from a larger published, international, cross-sectional online survey. For the recruitment, the sample was stratified by sex (males, females) and age in five age groups with a sample size of n = 100 per subgroup. A total of N = 1026 UK respondents completed the survey (n = 517 females, n = 509 males). There were no clear subgroup patterns by sex or age; however, older patients tended to show higher (i.e., better) scores in emotional and social functioning; they also reported some of the lowest (i.e., best) scores for symptoms, such as insomnia, appetite loss, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting or financial difficulties. This paper provides EORTC QLQ-C30 general population normative data for the UK, further stratified by sex and age. These data will greatly support the interpretation of EORTC QLQ-C30 scale scores obtained from UK cancer patients, and also enable comparison with other detailed national normative datasets collected in the same project, across several other European countries and the US. • EORTC QLQ-C30 is a cancer quality of life (QoL) tool for functioning and symptoms. • Normative QoL data collected from 1026 respondents in UK general population. • No clear patterns, generally oldest had better functioning and fewer symptoms. • Look-up tables for EORTC QLQ-C30 scales for the UK general population. • Interpretation aid for data from individual and groups of UK cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 is a frequently used cancer-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire. To aid interpretation of data obtained via EORTC QLQ-C30, general population norm data have been published for many countries. However, despite its frequent use in the United States, no normative data by sex and age exist to date. Therefore, this study aimed to generate sex- and age-specific EORTC QLQ-C30 normative data for the United States. Recruitment and data collection were carried out via online panels as part of a larger cross-sectional study. For the recruitment, the sample was stratified by sex and age (18–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60–69, ≥ 70 years) to achieve a balanced distribution, with n = 100 per subgroup. Descriptive statistics are presented by age and age/sex. A total of N = 1009 respondents completed the survey (n = 508 females, n = 501 males). More than two thirds of participants (72.5%) reported at least one health condition, e.g., arthritis (26%). Across EORTC QLQ-C30 scales, women and men 60 years and older reported generally better/higher functioning and better/lower symptom scores compared to the younger age groups. To date, no specific EORTC QLQ-C30 general population normative data have been published for the United States. This paper provides these important normative data, which will greatly support the interpretation of EORTC QLQ-C30 scale scores obtained from US cancer patients, and also enable comparison with European norms. • EORTC QLQ-C30 is a cancer-specific health related quality of life (HRQoL) measure. • HRQoL normative data from US general population was collected (1009 respondents). • EORTC QLQ-C30 look-up tables for the US general population by sex/age are presented. • Participants ≥ 60 years reported overall better functioning than younger age groups. • Results will enhance interpretation and validity from EORTC QLQ-C30 data in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central auditory processing disorders (CAPD) can significantly affect the daily functioning of a child, and the first step in determining whether rehabilitation procedures are required is a proper diagnosis. Different guidelines for making diagnoses have been published in the literature, and in various centers normative values for psychoacoustic tests of CAPD have been used internally. The material presented in this paper is based on more than 1000 children and is the largest collection so far published. The aim of this study is to present normative values for tests assessing CAPD in children aged 6 to 12 years, divided by age at last birthday. We tested 1037 children aged 6 to 12 years who were attending primary schools and kindergartens. The criteria for inclusion were a normal audiogram, intellectually normal, no developmental problems, and no difficulties in auditory processing. To evaluate auditory processing all children were given three tests on the Senses Examination Platform: the Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), Duration Pattern Test (DPT), and Dichotic Digit Test (DDT). The results from 1,037 children allowed us to determine normative values for FPT, DPT, and DDT in seven different age groups (6 through to 12 years). We developed a newapproach, based on quantile-based norms, to determine normative values in each group. Three categories – average, below-average, and above-average – allow for a broader but more realistic interpretation than those used previously. We compare our results with published standards. Our study is the largest normative database published to date for CAPD testing, setting a standard for each child by age in years. We used the Senses Examination Platform, a universal tool, to unify standards for the classification of CAPD. Our study can serve as a basis for the development of a Polish model for the diagnosis of CAPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the study of offline prosocial behavior has a long tradition, much less information is available about how these behaviors manifest and change in the digital environment, and little is known about their background. This paper evaluates differences by age and gender in a variety of attitudes and beliefs during adolescence and studies their influence on the online prosocial behavior emitted and received. A cross-sectional study was performed with 1299 participants aged between 14 and 20 from the Region of Madrid (Spain). The Spanish adaptation of the Online Prosocial Behavior Scale and a selection of items from various studies on attitudes and beliefs regarding altruism, direct and indirect reciprocity, social responsibility, and the perception of the subjective norm were administered. The results suggest that female adolescents maintain higher altruism, social responsibility, and indirect reciprocity than males, and that the older age group (18–20 years old) has higher scores in altruism, social responsibility, and direct reciprocity. Together with altruism, the subjective norm, social responsibility, and indirect reciprocity positively influence the online prosocial behavior emitted by adolescents. Indirect reciprocity, the subjective norm and altruism also influence the feeling of receiving online prosocial behaviors from others. Knowing the extent to which adolescents hold prosocial beliefs and which of these beliefs may favor prosocial online behaviors can be beneficial when promoting such beliefs and fostering more positive online conduct, as well as lessening cyberbullying, online hate and any other manifestation of aggressive behavior online. • Social networks constitute a space for the socialization of prosocial behavior in adolescence. • Beliefs about altruism, social responsibility, and indirect reciprocity favor the emission of online prosocial behavior. • Beliefs about altruism and indirect reciprocity favor greater perception of receiving prosocial behaviors online. • The prosocial subjective norm favors both the emission and reception of online prosocial behaviors. • Direct reciprocity does not seem to influence the emission and reception of online prosocial behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tree age is introduced for global and national oil palm suitability assessment. • Other regions have lower proportion of suitable area than Southeast Asia. • Differences in industrial and smallholder oil palm are less obvious than expected. • Market factors and local policies play important role in oil palm production. Oil palm is the dominant global oil crop due to its high productivity and diversified usage in many sectors. Since the late 20th century, oil palm cultivations proliferated in Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Latin America. However, global market factors, different national and regional policies, and smallholder versus commercial planting regimes in different areas lead to significant differences in economic benefits and environmental problems from deforestation and loss of biodiversity. We investigated changes in global and national distributions against suitability and indices of tree age distribution change for industrial oil palm (IOP) and smallholder oil palm (SOP). Spatial and temporal change analyses show that: i) For most tree ages, the proportion of global oil palm planting in suitable areas was less than 50%, but the impact of temporal regimes, from possible market factors and local policies, on planting structure should not be neglected; ii) Central America, South America, and West Africa were less suitable for oil palm cultivation compared to Southeast Asia. While, as two dominant oil palm planting countries, Indonesia and Malaysia had relatively low planting suitability, with 39.23% of Indonesia's IOP, 44.85% of Indonesia's SOP, 30.90% of Malaysia's IOP and 18.77% of Malaysia's SOP in highly and most suitable intervals; iii) There exist clear differences between IOP and SOP in terms of suitability, planting structure and spatial expansion patterns; iv) Hysteresis effect exists between latecomers (countries in West Africa and Latin America) and forerunner (Indonesia and Malaysia) in terms of spatial expansion; v) The spatial expansion patterns of oil palm planting centers have obvious scale effects for both IOP and SOP, with clear inter-country and intra-country differences. This paper reinterprets the global distribution of tree age and spatial expansion pattern and recommends scientific strategies to guide site selection and planting structure that enable oil palm cultivation for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Recent years have witnessed a plethora of research on cyberbullying. However, many of the published studies have yielded mixed findings related to cyberbullying and its relation to demographic variables such as age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Review papers have been published on some of these topics, but comprehensive reviews of the relation between age and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration are lacking, particularly with regard to protective factors. Thus, the current paper takes a developmental approach to examine age and cyberbullying. The review focuses specifically on age variations in technology use, prevalence of cyberbullying involvement, risk and protective factors, and outcomes. Directions for future research, including implications for prevention and intervention, are discussed. Highlights • A developmental approach to ICT use and cyberbullying is discussed. • Cyberbullying risk and protective factors across ages are examined. • Notable gaps in the literature are highlighted, specifically among elementary school age youth and adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Child nutritional health has always been a research focus and an essential indicator reflecting children's health and living conditions in developing countries. This study investigates how household income and other individual and family factors influence child nutritional status. The Chinese Health and Nutrition Survey data are used to analyze changing patterns of child malnutrition status, and to compare the gap between genders, rural and urban areas etc., and the WHO new child growth standards are used in this paper as the reference for each specific age and gender. The findings in this paper include three aspects. First of all, the headcount ratio of undernourished children in both stunting and underweight has declined over years from 1991 to 2009 in China. Second, regional disparity in child nutritional status was significant, and the economic growth was a key driver to improve the nutritional conditions of the poor children. Furthermore, this paper also employs the stepwise logistic regression models to illustrate the influencing mechanisms of family income and other factors on child nutrition, and finds that household income affected child nutritional status significantly through the mechanisms of community, household, parental and individual factors. Highlights • This paper studies stunting and underweight rates of Chinese children and finds both malnutritional indicators have declined from 1991 to 2009. • This paper studies the regional and demographic differences in child nutrition and finds certain heterogeneity in malnutritional indicators. • This paper studies the relationship between family income and child nutrition and reveals significant and positive correlation between the two. • This paper finds significant impact mechanisms of individual, parental, family and community factors on child nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The use of technology by children and adolescents to communicate has numerous advantages, but it is also associated with cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Risk and protective factors are numerous and interact with each and are important to reduce such behaviors. Among these factors, parental online involvement can reduce cyberbullying or cybervictimization. The parental role can be positive by actively supervising and monitoring online activities or by restricting what their children are doing. Monitoring, supervising or even controlling what their children do online will enable them to see and whether they are involved in some way in cyberbullying. This was the focus of our study. Parents can also control and then limit use of technology and online access. Both approaches are beneficial; however, controlling and limiting can make the child-parent relationship distant, with children not sharing their online problems, and parents not knowing what their children might be doing. This paper looks at the relationship of these online parental roles with adolescent's involvement in cyberbullying and cybervictimization, to help parents and adults in general, to equip them most efficiently to protect their children from avoidable harm and problems. A total of 4390 Italian adolescents aged 13–20 years completed a paper and pencil self-report questionnaire, with results indicating that risk factors for cyberbullying include being a boy, being older, and spending more hours online, as well as parental control of online activities which is a very broad concept but could facilitate parents be aware of whether their children are involved in cyberbullying or cybervictimization. Concerning cybervictimization, risk factors were being older, spending more hours online, and inadequate parental supervision. Differences emerged between boys and girls. Highlights • 1 boy in 3 is involved in cyberbullying and similarly in cybervictimization. • 1 girl in 4 is involved in cyberbullying and 1:3 in cybervictimization. • Half of the adolescents reported their parents not having any information or access to their online activities. • Cyberbullying boys reported almost three times more than cyberbullying girls' poor parental online supervision. and almost twice poorer parental control of online activities and social network supervision. • Cybervictim girls reported more than twice higher poor parental online supervision, boys reported twice poorer parental control of online activities and psocial network supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinicians use forward bending and backward return in routine clinical examinations for evaluating spine mobility. The magnitude and timing of lumbar spine and pelvic contributions have been described in the literature as lumbopelvic rhythm. There is still limited knowledge about the factors which can determinate lumbar and hip mobility and coordination in the sagittal plane. The aim of this study is to demonstrate those factors contributing to the lumbopelvic rhythm and to explain the differences observed between subjects. The studies included in the review present possible explanations of observed lumbar-pelvic motion and/or coordination. They measure movement of the lumbar spine, the pelvis and/or the hip in the sagittal plane. The search was conducted in August 2017. Two databases (PubMed and Web of Science) were searched. The search identified 126 potentially relevant articles (53 in PubMed, 73 in Web of Science). Initial screening based on titles and abstracts retrieved 35 articles. The second stage of selection involved reading the full texts of articles. Twenty-four papers were selected in this stage. After careful bibliographic study, seven papers were added for this review, resulting in a total of 31. This literature review demonstrates those factors contributing to lumbopelvic motion. Age and gender, hamstring muscle tightness, feet position, muscle fatigue, movement speed and external loading as well phase of motion can affect various aspects of lumbopelvic rhythm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly 100 years ago, the philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell warned of the social dangers of widespread envy. One view of modern society is that it is systematically developing a set of institutions -- such as social media and new forms of advertising -- that make people feel inadequate and envious of others. If so, how might that be influencing the psychological health of our citizens? This paper reports the first large-scale longitudinal research into envy and its possible repercussions. The paper studies 18,000 randomly selected individuals over the years 2005, 2009, and 2013. Using measures of SF-36 mental health and psychological well-being, four main conclusions emerge. First, the young are especially susceptible. Levels of envy fall as people grow older. This longitudinal finding is consistent with a cross-sectional pattern noted recently by Nicole E. Henniger and Christine R. Harris, and with the theory of socioemotional regulation suggested by scholars such as Laura L. Carstensen. Second, using fixed-effects equations and prospective analysis, the analysis reveals that envy today is a powerful predictor of worse SF-36 mental health and well-being in the future. A change from the lowest to the highest level of envy, for example, is associated with a worsening of SF-36 mental health by approximately half a standard deviation (p < .001). Third, no evidence is found for the idea that envy acts as a useful motivator. Greater envy is associated with slower -- not higher -- growth of psychological well-being in the future. Nor is envy a predictor of later economic success. Fourth, the longitudinal decline of envy leaves unaltered a U-shaped age pattern of well-being from age 20 to age 70. These results are consistent with the idea that society should be concerned about institutions that stimulate large-scale envy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper offers a review of the phenomena of bullying and peer violence among children and adolescents living in residential care settings (RCS). The review was conducted on four databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO and ERIC). Findings of the 31 full-text papers included in the present work showed that bullying and peer violence involve various forms of direct and indirect attacks. While bullying in RCS involves severe and repeated aggressive actions, peer violence seems to be characterized by distinct levels of severity; i.e., low-level attacks are infrequent and isolated, whereas high level attacks may be severe and frequent. Several individual factors, such as age, gender, and length of stay in RCS were found to be associated with both bullying and peer violence. Contextual risk factors such as activities, structure and facility size, along with a residential peer culture characterized by a high level of hierarchy and a poor emotional bond between children and staff, contributed to bullying and peer violence. Furthermore, findings of the studies included in the present review showed that both perpetrators and victims manifest a number of behavioral and psychological problems. Overall, the present study offers a picture of bullying and peer violence among institutionalized children. However, distinct operationalization of constructs among studies, together with the use of different methods and measures, made comparisons among studies difficult. Future research should overcome these limitations in order to promote validity and compatibility of research in this field of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and greenspace can affect respiratory health. However, it is unclear whether effects of neighborhood SES and greenspace on respiratory health still exist regardless of temperature variations. This paper conducted a two-stage, age-stratified case time-series study. The first goal is to examine the associations between two temperature metrics (daily mean temperature [DMT] and diurnal temperature range [DTR]) and respiratory emergency department (ED) visits among four age groups in New York City. The second goal is to evaluate whether neighborhood SES and greenspace would be determinants of respiratory ED visits independent from temperature varying factors. A distributed lag nonlinear model was applied on ED data from 135 zip codes (October 2016 - February 2020). Our first-stage analysis indicated that older adults aged 65+ had higher risk of ED visits (RR=2.78, 95% eCI: 2.41, 3.22; with 7 days of lag) on days with low DMT (-10 °C), followed by adults aged 18-64 (RR=2.48, 95% eCI: 2.32, 2.65), children and youth aged 5-17 (RR=1.38, 95% eCI: 1.24, 1.53), and young children aged 0-4 (RR=1.04, 95% eCI: 0.96, 1.13). However, no excess respiratory ED visits were observed on days with high DMT (30 °C). Higher DTR was associated with higher risk, with children and youth more susceptible when DTR was high (DTR 20 °C; RR=5.70, 95% eCI: 3.42, 9.49; with 7 days of lag). The second-stage analysis indicated neighborhood SES and greenspace had significant associations with respiratory ED visits regardless of temperature variations. Specifically, Higher income and greenspace exposure were negatively associated with ED visits among all age groups. Neighborhood SES and greenspace could affect respiratory morbidity regardless of weather conditions. Daily temperature variations accelerated the short-term risk among population subgroups under different weather conditions (e.g., higher risk of days with low DMT among older adults, higher risk of days with high DTR among children and youth aged 5-17), which could create co-effects with neighborhood SES and greenspace on respiratory health. • Respiratory ED visit was significantly associated with both DMT and DTR. • Older adults more vulnerable to low DMT (RR=2.78, 95% eCI: 2.41, 3.22). • Youth aged 5-17 more vulnerable to high DTR (RR=5.70, 95% eCI: 3.42, 9.49). • SES and greenspace associated with respiratory ED visit regardless of temperature. • Intracity examination of impacts of DMT and DTR on health allows local actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines consumers’ interactions with retailers via three different shopping channels. Two of the channels are “smart” (technological) channels, comprising (i) where consumers shop using a computer and (ii) where consumers shop using a mobile phone. These two channels are compared with (iii) the traditional store channel. The paper explores the effect that consumers’ interactions with these channels has on their wellbeing, with a focus on individuals who perceive themselves as being socially excluded, for example, lacking access to goods, services and information. We make a connection between social exclusion and channel contribution to wellbeing for multiple channels, through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The online survey findings (n = 1368) indicate that for each channel, there is a higher contribution to wellbeing for that channel for people who are more socially excluded. Social exclusion can have many underlying causes, but channel contributions to wellbeing remain for consumers suffering from financial stress and also those with mobility disability. For the mobile phone channel, the positive channel contributions to wellbeing are greater for younger than for older people. The paper outlines the implications for scholars and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Background Paper-based estimated food diaries are often used in research to collect dietary data, despite this method being burdensome for both participants and researchers. Such food diaries are often time consuming, labour intensive, and rely on participant literacy and therefore may lead to greater rates of under-reporting. Methods This study assessed the validity of the ‘ Boden Food Plate’ , a novel web-based electronic application, compared to a paper-based three-day estimated food diary. Participants were also asked to rate their satisfaction with the new electronic diary. Sixty-seven participants with overweight or obesity completed both the electronic and paper-based diaries at two different time-points. Results Baseline BMI of participants (mean ± standard deviation (SD)) was 30.4 ± 2.9 kg/m 2 , body weight was 87.6 ± 13.4 kg, and age was 42.3 ± 7.7 years. Fifty four percent (n = 41) of the cohort were female. Bland Altman plots for total energy, and percentage of total energy intake from fat, carbohydrate, and protein, indicated wide limits of agreement between the two methods of dietary data collection, and in some analyses there were a few cases that did not lie within the 95% confidence intervals. Approximately 70% of participants rated the electronic food diary as easier to use and more fun when compared to the traditional paper-based estimated food diary. Conclusion Innovative and visual dietary collection applications such as the ‘Boden Food Plate’ provide an enjoyable and interactive means of measuring nutritional intake in a time efficient manner. Further validation studies incorporating micronutrient analysis and to improve the applications validity are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Morbidity and mortality in children due to COVID-19 remained low • Adolescents had higher reported cases than younger children • Reported cases were lower in pediatric population than adult population • Testing protocols vary between countries; reflects bias in reported cases Few data on the COVID-19 epidemiological characteristics among the pediatric population in Africa exists. This paper examines the age and sex distribution of the morbidity and mortality rate in children with COVID-19 and compares it to the adult population in 15 Sub-Saharan African countries. A merge line listing dataset shared by countries within the Regional Office for Africa was analyzed. Patients diagnosed within 1 March and 1 September 2020 with a confirmed positive RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 were analyzed. Children's data were stratified into three age groups: 0-4 years, 5-11 years, and 12-17 years, while adults were combined. The cumulative incidence of cases, its medians, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. 9% of the total confirmed cases and 2.4% of the reported deaths were pediatric cases. The 12-17 age group in all 15 countries showed the highest cumulative incidence proportion in children. Adults had a higher case incidence per 100,000 people than children. The cases and deaths within the children's population were smaller than the adult population. These differences may reflect biases in COVID-19 testing protocols and reporting implemented by countries, highlighting the need for more extensive investigation and focus on the effects of COVID-19 in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early readmission to hospital after hip fracture is associated with increased mortality and significant costs to the healthcare system. There is growing interest in the use of 30-day readmission rates as a metric of hospital performance. Identifying patients at increased risk of readmission after hip fracture may enable pre-emptive action to mitigate this risk and the development of effective methods of risk-adjustment to allow readmission to be used as a reliable measure of hospital performance.Methods: We conducted a systematic review of bibliographic databases and reference lists up to July 2016 to identify primary research papers assessing the effect of patient- and hospital-related risk factors for 30-day readmission to hospital after hip fracture.Results: 495 papers were found through electronic and reference search. 65 full papers were assessed for eligibility. 22 met inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. Medical causes of readmission were significantly more common than surgical causes, with pneumonia consistently being cited as the most common readmission diagnosis. Age, pre-existing pulmonary disease and neurological disorders were strong independent predictors of readmission. ASA grade and functional status were more robust predictors of readmission than the Charlson score or individual co-morbidities. Hospital-related risk factors including initial length of stay, hospital size and volume, time to surgery and type of anaesthesia did not have a consistent effect on readmission risk. Discharge location and the strength of hospital-discharge facility linkage were important determinants of risk.Conclusions: Patient-related risk factors such as age, co-morbidities and functional status are stronger predictors of 30-day readmission risk after hip fracture than hospital-related factors. Rates of 30-day readmission may not be a valid reflection of hospital performance unless a clear distinction can be made between modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. We identify a number of deficiencies in the existing literature and highlight key areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The numbers using illicit anabolic-androgenic steroids are a cause of concern for those seeking to reduce health harms. Using the 'risk environment' as a conceptual framework to better comprehend how steroid users' practices and perspectives impact on health risks, this paper examines steroid user motivations, patterns of use, and the ways in which these practices are accounted for.Methods: As part of a wider mixed-method study into performance and image enhancing drug (PIED) use and supply in one mid-sized city in South West England, qualitative interviews were undertaken with 22 steroid users. Participants were recruited from a local safer injecting service, rather than bodybuilding gyms, in order to access a wider cross-section of steroid users. A limitation of this approach is potential sample bias towards those showing more health optimising behaviours.Results: The research findings highlight that patterns of steroid use varied according to motivation for use, experience and knowledge gained. Most reported having had little or no knowledge on steroids prior to use, with first use being based on information gained from fellow users or suppliers-sometimes inaccurate or incomplete. In accounting for their practices, many users differentiated themselves from other groups of steroid users-for example, older users expressed concern over patterns of use of younger and (what they saw as) inexperienced steroid users. Implicit in these accounts were intimations that the 'other' group engaged in riskier behaviour than they did.Conclusion: Examining social contexts of use and user beliefs and motivations is vital to understanding how 'risk' behaviours are experienced so that this, in turn, informs harm reduction strategies. This paper examines the ways in which use of steroids is socially situated and the implications of this for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we deal with the existence and stability of an equilibrium age distribution of the linearly implicit Euler-Riemann method for nonlinear age-structured population model with density dependence, i.e., the Gurtin-MacCamy models. It is shown that a dynamical invariance is replicated by numerical solutions for a long time. With the help of infinite-dimensional Leslie operators, the numerical processes are embedded into a nonlinear dynamical process in an infinite dimensional space, which provides a numerical basic reproduction function and numerical endemic equilibrium distributions. As an application to the Logistic model, a numerical reproduction number R 0 h ensures the global stability of disease-free equilibrium whenever R 0 h < 1 and the existence of the numerical endemic equilibrium for R 0 h > 1. Moreover, instead of the convergence of numerical solutions, it is much more interesting that the numerical solutions preserve the existence of endemic equilibrium for small stepsize, since the numerical reproduction numbers, numerical endemic equilibrium and distribution converge to the exact ones with accuracy of order 1. Finally, some numerical experiments illustrate the verification and the efficiency of our results. • The existence and stability of an endemic equilibrium of an IMEX method are discussed by Leslie operators. • A numerical basic reproduction function is introduced and numerical endemic equilibrium distributions are derived. • As an application, a numerical reproduction number ensures the global stability of disease-free equilibrium. • The numerical reproduction numbers and numerical endemic equilibrium converge to the exact ones with accuracy of order 1. • It is much more interesting that the numerical solutions preserve the existence of endemic equilibrium for small stepsize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the escalating burden of diabetes in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a pressing concern about the widening disparities in care and outcomes across socioeconomic groups. This paper estimates health poverty measures among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Malaysia. Using data from the National Diabetes Registry between 2009 and 2018, the study linked 932,855 people with T2DM aged 40–75 to death records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the 5-year survival probabilities for each patient, stratified by age and sex, while controlling for comorbidities and area-based indicators of socio-economic status (SES), such as district-level asset-based indices and night-time luminosity. Measures of health poverty, based on the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) measures, were employed to capture excessive risk of premature mortality. Two poverty line thresholds were used, namely a 5% and 10% reduction in survival probability compared to age and sex-adjusted survival probability of the general population. Counterfactual simulations estimated the extent to which comorbidities contribute to health poverty. 43.5% of the sample experienced health poverty using the 5% threshold, and 8.9% were health poor using the 10% threshold. Comorbidities contribute 2.9% for males and 5.4% for females, at the 5% threshold. At the 10% threshold, they contribute 7.4% for males and 3.4% for females. If all patients lived in areas of highest night-light intensity, poverty would fall by 5.8% for males and 4.6% for females at the 5% threshold, and 4.1% for males and 0.8% for females at the 10% threshold. In Malaysia, there is a high incidence of health poverty among people with diabetes, and it is strongly associated with comorbidities and area-based measures of SES. Expanding the application of health poverty measurement, through a combination of clinical registries and open spatial data, can facilitate simulations for health poverty alleviation. • Novel health poverty measures applied to T2DM in Malaysia using early mortality risk. • Administrative dataset comprising 1M adults combined with death records and SES. • Male gender, older age and area deprivation drive health poverty. • Nighttime luminosity reveals regional patterns in health poverty. • Combining luminosity data and medical datasets enhances risk stratification in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the influence of digital technologies on the consumer decision-making in retail sector with two online survey-based studies. Study 1 identifies unique attributes of six digital technologies, including two current (Internet and Mobile Platform) and four emerging (Artificial Intelligence, Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality) technologies. Study two focuses on older consumers to understand their decision-making process when shopping for products or services using new digital technologies. We extend the AISAS (Awareness, Interest, Search, Action, and Sharing) model to show that with digital technologies, consumer decision journey is no longer linear. For example, attention can lead directly to action, without going through the interest or search stages. Similarly, purchase can lead to sharing that may lead to loyalty and psychological engagement, and reinforce attention. We found no significant difference in these effects between older and younger consumers. Besides providing useful insights about consumer decision-making process with emerging digital technologies for future academic researchers, these results also give useful ideas to marketing practitioners interested in introducing these emerging technologies to deliver superior value to their customers. • Emerging digital technologies are changing consumer decision-making process. • We explore this phenomenon in retail shopping context using two online studies. • Study one identifies and categorizes unique attributes of digital technologies. • Study two confirms non-linear consumer decision-making with digital technologies. • No influence of consumers' age on their decision-making with digital technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Economic deprivation of Welsh neighbourhoods is associated with higher rates of children in care. • Infants are at a far higher risk of appearing in care proceedings in Wales than older children. • S.31 cases involving children cluster in deprived urban areas in Wales, but far less in rural areas. • Tackling area-level deprivation may help reduce children's risk of appearing in care proceedings. • Spend for family support is higher in deprived areas, as councils try to accommodate the higher need. There is international concern about rising rates of children entering out-of-home care and what might be done to reduce the need for compulsory intervention in family life. Previous studies have analysed the associations with family-level variables, such as a presence of domestic abuse, parental mental health problems, and substance misuse in the parental household. Other studies have looked at multiple area-deprivation as a predictor of childhood adversity, but there is a dearth of research which disentangle the associations between the rates of children in care and different forms of deprivation. This paper sheds light the statistical associations between different area-deprivation domains and the rates of infants and older children involved in care proceedings in local authorities in Wales, UK, between 2014 and 2019. Data on family court proceedings in Wales from the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass Cymru), held within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank, was linked to information on area-deprivation and incidence rates were computed. Employment deprivation, income, educational and health deprivation are associated with increased incidence rates. Environmental factors such as the physical, housing and access to services domain were not found to be statistically related to the risk of care proceedings. The paper advances knowledge about the wider policy context regarding how to improve the social wellbeing of children in local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Major trauma in older people is a significant health burden in the developed world. The aging of the population has resulted in larger numbers of older patients suffering serious injury. Older trauma patients are at greater risk of death from major trauma, but the reasons for this are less well understood. The aim of this review was to identify the factors affecting mortality in older patients suffering major injury.Materials and Methods: A systematic review of Medline, Cinhal and the Cochrane database, supplemented by a manual search of relevant papers was undertaken, with meta-analysis. Multi-centre cohort studies of existing trauma registries that reported risk-adjusted mortality (adjusted odds ratios, AOR) in their outcomes and which analysed patients aged 65 and older as a separate cohort were included in the review.Results: 3609 papers were identified from the electronic databases, and 28 from manual searches. Of these, 15 papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Demographic variables (age and gender), pre-existing conditions (comorbidities and medication), and injury-related factors (injury severity, pattern and mechanism) were found to affect mortality. The 'oldest old', aged 75 and older, had higher mortality rates than younger patients, aged 65-74 years. Older men had a significantly higher mortality rate than women (cumulative odds ratio 1.51, 95% CI 1.37-1.66). Three papers reported a higher risk of death in patients with pre-existing conditions. Two studies reported increased mortality in patients on warfarin (cumulative odds ratio 1.32, 95% CI 1.05-1.66). Higher mortality was seen in patients with lower Glasgow coma scores and systolic blood pressures. Mortality increased with increased injury severity and number of injuries sustained. Low level falls were associated with higher mortality than motor vehicle collisions (cumulative odds ratio 2.88, 95% CI 1.26-6.60).Conclusions: Multiple factors contribute to mortality risk in older trauma patients. The relation between these factors and mortality is complex, and a fuller understanding of the contribution of each factor is needed to develop a better predictive model for trauma outcomes in older people. More research is required to identify patient and process factors affecting mortality in older patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Census-based deprivation indices have been widely used in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Canada and UK to measure area-based socio-economic inequalities. This paper examines the indicators used in census-based area deprivation indices using a political ecology approach. We question whether the current indicators of deprivation derived from census data are meaningful for the all age groups and minority groups in the population, with a particular focus on deprivation indicators used in New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. We comparatively reviewed methodological papers and reports that describe the indicators of deprivation in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Canada and the UK from 1975 to 2014. We consider the relationship between the notion of standards of living and measurements of deprivation and explore how hegemonic cultural constructs are implicit in measures of deprivation that privilege a Eurocentric, ageist and gender normative construction of statistics. We argue for more political ecological analyses to studying the relationship between social inequalities, geographies, health inequities and political economy to transform structures of oppression and inequality. This requires turning the analytical gaze on the wealthy and privileged instead of defaulting into deficit models to account for inequality. Studies of deprivation and inequality would benefit from understanding the processes and operations of power in the (re)production of socio-economic and health inequities to inform holistic strategies for social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to examine the relationship between health literacy (HL) and health behaviors in the South Bohemia Region in the Czech Republic (CR) and compare them to HL and health behaviors in the Visegrád group countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia). The paper reports the results from the research in the CR. A quantitative descriptive study. The sample was stratified by sex and age and included a representative sample of 303 adults. The data were collected using the combination of a country-specific questionnaire with the HLS-EU-16 standardized questionnaire. Exercise was significantly associated with perceived health and HL; those with a lower level of HL did not exercise during the previous month. Based only on full answers (N = 251), inadequate HL was identified in 17.5% of the respondents (44), marginal HL in 31.5% (77), and adequate HL in 51% (128) of the respondents. Nearly 49% of the participants evaluated their health as 'good', 25.7% rated their health as 'very good' and 'satisfactory' by 25.7%. But 41.6% experienced one or more chronic diseases, 37.6% had some limitations to their health, and 20.5% smoked. For alcohol consumption, 26% drank weekly and 23% drank two to three times a month. Exercise varied from never (29.7%) to daily (7.9%). Based on our results, we conclude that health behavior risk factors are still present in the South Bohemia region of the CR regardless of levels of HL reported on the HLS-EU-16. • Inadequate health literacy (HL) was identified in 17.5% of the respondents, marginal HL in 31.5%. • Exercise was significantly associated with perceived health and HL. • For alcohol consumption, 26% drank weekly and 23% drank two to three times a month. • Health behavior risk factors are still present in South Bohemia region of the CR. • We still have not accomplished universal levels of adequate health literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24) is a self-administered web-based tool designed to collect detailed dietary data at low cost in observational studies. The objectives of this study were to describe, overall and by demographic groups, the performance and feasibility of ASA24-2011 recalls and compare Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) total and component scores to 4-day food records (4DFRs) and food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). Over 12 months, participants completed up to 6 ASA24 recalls, 2 web-based FFQs, and 2 unweighed paper-and-pencil 4DFRs. Up to 3 attempts were made to obtain each ASA24 recall. Participants were administered doubly-labeled water to provide a measure of total energy expenditure and collected two 24-hour urine samples to assess concentrations of nitrogen, sodium, and potassium. From January through September 2012, 1,110 adult members of AARP, 50 to 74 years of age, were recruited from the Pittsburgh, PA, area to participate in the Interactive Diet and Activity Tracking in AARP (IDATA) study. After excluding 33 participants who had not completed any dietary assessments, 531 men and 546 women remained. Response rates, nutrient intakes compared to recovery biomarkers across each ASA24 administration day, and HEI-2015 total and component scores were measured. Means, medians, standard deviations, interquartile ranges, and HEI-2015 total and component scores computed using a multivariate measurement error model are presented. Ninety-one percent of men and 86% of women completed 3 ASA24 recalls. Approximately three-quarters completed 5 or more, higher than the completion rates for 2 4DFRs and 2 FFQs. Approximately, three-quarters of men and 70% of women completed ASA24 on the first attempt; 1 in 5 completed it on the second. Completion rates varied slightly by age and body mass index. Median time to complete ASA24-2011 (current version: ASA24-2020) declined with subsequent recalls from 55 to 41 minutes in men and from 58 to 42 minutes in women and was lowest in those younger than 60 years. Mean nutrient intakes were similar across recalls. For each recording day, energy intakes estimated by ASA24 were lower than energy expenditure. Reported intakes for protein, potassium, and sodium were closer to recovery biomarkers for women, but not for men. Geometric means of reported intakes of these nutrients did not systematically vary across ASA24 administrations, but differences between reported intakes and biomarkers differed by nutrient. Of 100 possible points, HEI-2015 total scores were nearly identical for 4DFRs and ASA24 recalls and higher for FFQs (men: 61, 60, and 68; women: 64, 64, and 72, respectively). ASA24, a freely available dietary assessment tool for use in large-scale nutrition research, was found to be highly feasible. Similar to previously reported data for nutrient intakes, HEI-2015 total and component scores for ASA24 recalls were comparable to those for 4DFRs, but not FFQs. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03268577 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Bangladesh has a rich traditional plant-medicine use, drawing on Ayurveda and Unami medicine. How these practices translate into people׳s homes and lives vary. Furthermore, the overlap between food and medicine is blurred and context-specific. This paper explores the food–medicine interface as experienced by Bengali women in their homes, in the context of transnational and generational changes. Aim and objectives The aim is to explore the overlap of food and medicines in homes of Bengali women in Sylhet. The objectives are to explore the influences on medicinal plant practice and to scrutinise how catagories of food and medicine are decided. Material and methods The paper draws on in-depth ethnographic research conducted in Sylhet, North-east Bangladesh as part of a wider project looking at food and medicine use among Bengali women in both the UK and Bangladesh. Methods included participant observation, unstructured interviews and semi-structured interviews with a total of thirty women. Results The study indicates that the use of plants as food and medicine is common among Bengali women in Sylhet. What is consumed as a food and/or a medicine varies between individuals, generations and families. The use and perceptions of food–medicines is also dependent on multiple factors such as age, education and availability of both plants and biomedicine. Where a plant may fall on the food–medicine spectrum depends on a range of factors including its purpose, consistency and taste. Conclusions Previous academic research has concentrated on the nutritional and pharmacological properties of culturally constructed food–medicines ( Etkin and Ross, 1982; Owen and Johns, 2002, Pieroni and Quave, 2006 ). However, our findings indicate a contextualisation of the food-plant spectrum based on both local beliefs and wider structural factors, and thus not necessarily characteristics intrinsic to the products׳ pharmacological or nutritional properties. The implications of this research are of both academic relevance and practical importance to informing health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unemployment is an unfortunate reality, whose overcoming often depends on social support, among other factors. Online social media, such as social network sites and communities, may offer an additional source of such support for unemployed people. This paper posits that online social support plays an important role in unemployed people’s ability to cope with unemployment and search for new employment. The paper develops and tests a structural equation model of the influence of online-mediated, enabling and caring social support on job search self-efficacy, which may foster the job search behaviour of unemployed persons. In addition, we control for gender, age, user experience, and attitude towards the Internet. Based on 1322 telephone interviews with unemployed individuals in Germany, we find that online social support drives job search behaviour. Our results show that social support derived from new information and communication technology counteracts the adverse effect of being unemployed to a certain degree. Enabling support and caring support experienced through social media both lead to higher job search self-efficacy, which, in turn, fosters job search behaviour. Furthermore, our model shows that these relationships differ by gender, age, user experience, and attitude towards the Internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land expropriation-induced resettlement (LEIR) is an emerging land phenomenon manifested in Chinese cities to accommodate urban transformation and outward expansion. The resettlement has forced affected rural dwellers to leave their villages and be resettled to high-density urban neighborhoods. By employing surveys with relocated villagers from two different types of LEIR neighborhoods in suburban Shanghai, this paper extends the acculturation discourse to examine villagers' life transformation in resettlement neighborhoods. Our study addresses three research questions. First, what are the general acculturation patterns manifested among resettled villagers during their life transformation in LEIR neighborhoods? Second, how do individual acculturation outcomes vary by socio-demographic attributes of resettled villagers? Third, how do villagers' acculturation outcomes influence their current residence preferences? The results indicate villagers' stronger inclination toward rural village culture than urban neighborhood culture. For the socio-demographic attributes, we find that older villagers are more likely to maintain their original culture; villagers with higher education levels better adapt to urban neighborhood culture; multi-generation living benefits intercultural learning and exchange; and pre-resettlement conditions influence villagers' acculturation. We further contend that an increase in the probability of a villager's residence preference for LEIR neighborhoods aligns with an increase in that person's adherence to urban neighborhood culture and/or a decrease in that individual's continuity of rural village culture. Comparing the results collected from the two types of resettlement neighborhoods, we posit that socio-spatial mixture and diversity facilitates villagers' urban integration. Finally, we suggest long-term institutional supports to be continuously provided to resettled villagers for building adaptive resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Delta-Omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (Wave 4) in the United States occurred in Fall of 2021 through Spring of 2022. Although vaccinations were widely available, this was the deadliest period to date in the U.S., and the toll was especially high in rural areas, exacerbating an existing rural mortality penalty. This paper uses county-level multilevel regression models and publicly available data for 47 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. We describe differences in COVID-19 case and mortality rates across the rural-urban continuum during Wave 4 of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a progressive modeling approach, we evaluate the relative contribution of a range of explanatory factors for the rural disadvantage we observe, including: pre-pandemic population health composition, vaccination rates, political partisanship, socioeconomic composition, access to broadband internet rate, and primary care physicians per capita. Results show that rural counties had higher observed burdens of cases and deaths in Wave 4 compared to more urban counties. The most remote rural counties had Wave 4 COVID-19 mortality rates 52% higher than the most urban counties. Older age composition, worse pre-pandemic population health, lower vaccination rates, higher share of votes cast for Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential election, and lower socioeconomic composition completely explained the rural disadvantage in reported COVID-19 case rates in Wave 4, and accounting for these factors reversed the observed rural disadvantage in COVID-19 mortality. In models of mortality rate, Trump vote share had the largest effect size, followed by the percentage of the population age 50 or older, the poverty rate, the pre-pandemic mortality rate, the share of residents with a 4-year college degree, and the vaccination rate. These findings add to a growing literature describing the disproportionate toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural America, highlighting the combined effect of multiple sources of rural disadvantage. • Rural counties had higher case and death rates in the Delta-Omicron wave. • Rural counties had up to 51% more deaths per capita than the most urban counties. • Age, health, and SES composition partially explained the rural disadvantage. • Vaccination and Trump vote share were separate factors in the rural disadvantage. • Multiple sources of disadvantage combined in rural areas to produce poor outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Routinely captured biomarker data can be useful for assessing the prognosis of patients who have suffered a hip fracture. • Hypoalbuminemia and lymphocytopenia are independent predictors of inpatient mortality. • Patients over the age of 85 and men and are also at greater risk. Hip fractures are common and it is estimated to cost the National Health Service (NHS) around £2 billion/year. The majority of these patients are elderly and they require careful perioperative management as morbidity and mortality are high. This study aims to look at routinely gathered biomarker data and baseline demographics to evaluate if they may be used to predict inpatient mortality. The study included 2158 patients from a single Centre over a 5-year period. Inclusion criteria: age>60, confirmed fractured neck of femur on radiological imaging. Exclusion criteria: pathological fractures, patients treated non-operatively, missing data. Univariate followed by multivariate analysis was conducted to identify the independent predictors of inpatient mortality. The variables found to be independent predictors of inpatient mortality were: age > 85, sex (male), albumin < 35, lymphocytes < 1, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) grade > 3. For the final derived multivariate logistic regression model, a receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to assess the ability of the included variables to predict inpatient mortality. The area under the curve was 0.794 which together with sensitivity of 63.2% and a specificity of 79.1% at a cut value of 0.1. This paper supports research previously conducted in this field, showing the prognostic value of both biomarker (albumin and lymphocytes), and non-biomarker data (ASA grade, age and gender) in predicting mortality in patients who have sustained a hip fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A probabilistic methodology to assess the resilience of distribution systems subjected to hurricanes is proposed. • The poles' failure probability, concerning their dependence on one another, was modeled. • A novel resilience quantification framework has been proposed. The impact of extreme weather events on power system resilience can be seen in historical electrical disruptions. Due to the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events following global warming and climate change, a greater focus is required to design power systems with high resilience and low cost through assessing and quantifying power system resilience. In this way, we propose a transparent methodology and a set of metrics to quantify the resilience of distribution systems subjected to hurricanes. This methodology includes a probabilistic and detailed approach to modelling the failure probability of overhead lines and the restoration time of damaged lines. Moreover, the fragility analysis of the power system infrastructure is considered age-dependent, and the system's resilience by considering different lifetimes is assessed. The time-dependent resilience assessment constitutes an essential component in risk-informed decision-making for resilience enhancement strategies in the future. Specifically, this paper provides two resilience curve-based metrics: vulnerability rate and restoration rate. The first metric indicates the power system's ability to resist extreme events, and the second indicates its ability to bounce back to normal performance. Simulations are performed on the IEEE 69-bus distribution test system to validate the suggested methodologies. The results indicate the capability of the proposed methodology and metrics to precisely assess and quantify the power system resilience. A significant correlation between the age of power distribution systems and the system's resilience can be seen. These findings can support decision-making concerning system management and plans such as expansion planning and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paradigm shift from a linear economy to a circular economy is crucial to reduce pressure on the environment and to improve the security of supply of primary raw materials. Under this new paradigm, governed by the imperatives of "reduce, reuse, and recycle", the extraction of primary resources is minimised by extending the useful life of existing resources and materials. This paper seeks to identify the drivers and barriers of this circularisation and provide guidance for effective policies to hasten the transition to it. The innovative contribution made by this paper to this area of research is the empirical evidence it provides on the role played by economic, social, and environmental factors in the transition to a circular economy. To achieve this, yearly data from 2010 to 2019, for a panel of 19 European Union countries were analysed employing a Panel-Corrected Standard Errors estimator, which was shown to be an appropriate estimator for the data's characteristics. The circular material use rate was used as a proxy for the circular economy. The main findings suggest that the age distribution of a country is a significant predictor of a circular economy. Older people tend to be reluctant to change their behaviour, while young people are more inclined to move away from the so-called 'take-make-waste' extractive industrial model. Policies directed to older people to sensibilize them on the benefits and importance of a circular economy are thus required. When per capita income increases, the propensity to accept products containing recycled materials decreases. This finding merits the particular attention of policymakers. In turn, income inequality makes moving toward a circular economy more difficult. Those in the middle-income bracket are more likely to exhibit green behaviour, which implies that they are more aware of environmental issues. [Display omitted] • Role of social, economic, and environmental factors on circularisation is assessed. • Annual data from 2010 to 2019 were analysed for 19 EU countries by using a PCSE. • The countries' age distribution is a significant predictor of a circular economy. • Per capita GDP, the GINI index, and poverty, decrease circularisation. • Environmental regulation and environmental awareness drive the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This is paper two of four in the small-dollar children''s savings account series in this issue that examines the relationship between children''s small-dollar savings accounts and college enrollment and graduation. This series of papers uses different subsamples to examine three important research questions: (a) Are children with savings of their own more likely to attend or graduate from college; (b) Does dose (no account, only basic savings, savings designated for school of less than $1, $1 to $499, or $500 or more) matter; and (c) Is designating savings for school more predictive than having basic savings alone. Using propensity score weighted data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and its supplements we created multi-treatment doses of savings accounts and amounts to answer these questions separately for children from low- and moderate-income (below $50,000; n=512) and high income ($50,000 or above; n=345) households. We find that low- and moderate-income children may be more likely to enroll in and graduate from college when they have small-dollar savings accounts with money designated for school. A low- and moderate-income child who has school savings of $1 to $499 prior to reaching college age is over three times more likely to enroll in college and four times more likely to graduate from college than a child with no savings account. These findings lead to policy implications that are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sleep is a biological imperative associated with cardiometabolic disease risk. As such, a thorough discussion of the sociocultural and demographic determinants of sleep is warranted, if not overdue. This paper begins with a brief review of the laboratory and epidemiologic evidence linking sleep deficiency, which includes insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality, with increased risk of chronic cardiometabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Identification of the determinants of sleep deficiency is the critical next step to understanding the role sleep plays in human variation in health and disease. Therefore, the majority of this paper describes the different biopsychosocial determinants of sleep, including age, gender, psychosocial factors (depression, stress and loneliness), socioeconomic position and race/ethnicity. In addition, because sleep duration is partly determined by behavior, it will be shaped by cultural values, beliefs and practices. Therefore, possible cultural differences that may impact sleep are discussed. If certain cultural, ethnic or social groups are more likely to experience sleep deficiency, then these differences in sleep could increase their risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Furthermore, if the mechanisms underlying the increased risk of sleep deficiency in certain populations can be identified, interventions could be developed to target these mechanisms, reduce sleep differences and potentially reduce cardiometabolic disease risk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: Children aged 0 to 5years in out-of-home care represent a vulnerable population at high risk of social, emotional and developmental problems, yet there are few services specifically addressing their psychological needs. This paper is the first of two concerning the establishment of The Gumnut Clinic, a specialist mental health assessment clinic in Western Sydney for this population. The current paper provides the rationale for the development of the clinic and detail of the referral and assessment processes. Method: The paper describes the establishment of The Gumnut Clinic at Redbank House in Sydney, Australia, the approach to assessment of these young children and their carers, and the challenges encountered. Conclusions: Young children are overrepresented in child protection and out-of-home care services. Their social, emotional and developmental needs are under-recognized. Development of a specialist mental health service is a step towards improving health outcomes for these children. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: One of the core primary care reform initiatives seen across provinces in Canada is the introduction of inter-professional primary healthcare teams in which family physicians are encouraged to collaborate with other health professionals. Although a higher proportion of physicians are collaborating with various health professionals now compared to the previous decade, a substantial number of physicians still do not work in a collaborative setting. The objective of this paper is to examine the age, period and cohort effects of Canadian family physicians’ decisions to collaborate with seven types of health professionals: specialists, nurse practitioners, nurses, dieticians, physiotherapists, psychologists and occupational therapists. To this end, this paper employs a multivariate probit model consisting of seven equations and a cross-classified fixed-effects strategy to explain the collaborative decisions of family physicians. Utilizing three cross-sectional physician surveys from Canada over the 2001–2007 period, cohorts are defined over five-year intervals according to their year of graduation from medical school. We find that newer cohorts of physicians are more likely to collaborate with dieticians, physiotherapists, psychologists and occupational therapists; newer female cohorts are more likely to collaborate with nurses while newer male cohorts are less likely to collaborate with nurses but more likely to collaborate with specialists. Older physicians are more likely to collaborate with specialists, physiotherapists, psychologists, and occupational therapists; the age effect for nurses is U-shaped for male physicians while it is inverse U-shaped for females. Family physicians are collaborating more with all seven health professionals in 2004 and 2007 compared to 2001. Belonging to a group practice has a largely positive influence on collaborations; and being paid by a fee-for-service remuneration scheme exerts a negative influence on collaboration, ceteris paribus. The findings suggest that combining a non-fee-for-service remuneration arrangement with a group practice structure would facilitate effective collaboration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objectives: Adolescents who have a history of being detained report rates of STI that are 8 to 10 times higher than peers without such histories. Over the last decade, an increasing number of studies have identified multiple factors that are associated with STI risk behaviors and acquisition among detained youth. However to date, no reviews of this literature have been conducted, which is the aim of this paper. Method: We conducted a review of the published literature to identify correlates of risky and STIs among detained youth. PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE and Googlescholar were searched for English-language publications from 1999 to present. These dates represent the time period when the majority of research was conducted among this population. Results: This paper utilizes an ecological model to review risk and protective factors related to STIs among this population. Findings indicated that individual factors (i.e., age, gender, substance use, and mental health); micro factors (i.e., parental monitoring, family violence, and peer influences); meso factors (i.e., school enrollment, student-teacher connectedness, and community violence exposure); and macro factors (i.e., race/ethnicity, cultural norms, gender violence and health care policies) were related to risky sex and STIs. Conclusion: We discuss conceptual and theoretical mechanisms that may account for such relationships and conclude with recommendations for advancing future research and service delivery with this population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: The objective of this systematic review was to explore the effects of cardiac rehabilitation interventions on the quality of life of patients with coronary heart disease with a specific focus on interventions that could be delivered within the context of a publicly funded health service. Design: Systematic review of trials reporting quality of life data as an outcome measure. Electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO) were searched from 1 January 1999 to 25 November 2010 in the English language. Inclusion criteria were: randomised controlled trials of cardiac rehabilitation as configured for a publicly funded health service. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. Results: The 16 papers reported RCTs conducted in nine countries. Fifteen measurement instruments were utilised to measure quality of life across the different studies precluding a meta-analysis. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the selected papers: physical well-being (including fitness and symptoms); psychological well-being (including anxiety and depression); social well-being (including family life and relationships); and functional status (including return to work and previous life style). Physical domain outcomes suggest that cardiac rehabilitation may improve physical well-being and levels of physical activity and thereby improved levels of physical fitness. Both physical and psychological domain outcomes suggest that home-based interventions are at least as effective as centre-based interventions. Relatively few trials reported on quality of life within the social domain and any difference between centre-based and home-based interventions appeared to favour the home-based intervention. Conclusions: This review indicates that cardiac rehabilitation improves the quality of life for coronary heart disease patients and that quality of life improvements have a bi-directional relationship with increased physical activity and vocational status. Further research is needed to explore the relationship of quality of life outcomes to cardiac mortality, the relationship between improved physical well-being and anxiety, and the quality of life and mortality effects of cardiac rehabilitation in older people. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Medical end-of-life decisions, defined as end-of-life practices with a potential or certain life-shortening effect, precede almost 50% of deaths in Western countries, and receive ample medical-ethical attention. This systematic review aims to detect whether there are differences in the prevalence of medical end-of-life decisions in ‘vulnerable’ patient groups. In 2009, five major databases were scrutinized for publications containing original data on the prevalence of euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide, life-ending without explicit patient request, intensified symptom alleviation, non-treatment decisions and palliative sedation by social factors (eg age, gender and SES). Heterogeneous findings were pooled using a random effects model. We identified 6377 papers of which 51 papers were selected, involving over 1.09 million patients. Most publications reported the prevalence of non-treatment decisions. The most studied social factors were age and gender. Among patients older than eighty years, non-treatment decisions occurred more frequently compared with younger patients, while intensified symptom alleviation, palliative sedation, euthanasia/physician-assisted suicide and life-ending without explicit request were practiced less often. Similar patterns of association, although less strong, were found for female patients compared with males and those with lower levels of education versus more highly-educated patients. We conclude that the administration of medication with a potential or certain life-shortening effect seemed generally to be practiced less often among the elderly, females and less well-educated patients compared with younger, male or more educated patients, while decisions that include the withdrawal or withholding of treatments seem to be more common in these groups. Further studies should focus on investigating whether these differences reflect less than optimal end-of-life care for specific patient groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Phenological model based on development rate functions versus demographic model. • Age distribution of the individuals in the overwintering stage. • Introduction of temperature- and age-dependent fecundity rate functions. • Introduction of temperature-dependent mortality rate functions. • Application to the codling moth. Pest phenological models describe the cumulative flux of the individuals into each stage of the life cycle of a stage-structured population. Phenological models are widely used tools in pest control decision making. Despite the fact that these models do not provide information on population abundance, they share some advantages with respect to the more sophisticated and complex physiologically-based demographic models. The main advantage is that they do not require data collection to define the initial conditions of model simulation, reducing the effort for field sampling and the high uncertainty affecting sample estimates. Phenological models are often built considering the developmental rate function only. To the aim of adding more realism to phenological models, in this paper we explore the consequences of taking three additional elements into account: the age distribution of individuals which exit from the overwintering phase, the age- and temperature-dependent profile of the fecundity rate function and the consideration of a temperature-dependent mortality rate function. Numerical simulations are performed to investigate the effects of these elements with respect to phenological models considering development rate functions only. To further test the implications of different models formulation, we compare results obtained from different phenological models to the case study of the codling moth (Cydia pomonella) a primary pest of the apple orchard. The results obtained from model comparison are discussed in view of their potential application in pest control decision support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last two decades have seen growing unease regarding the negative health consequences of increasing levels of physical inactivity, both in the UK and further afield. Public health initiatives and interventions aimed at increasing levels of physical activity have, therefore, become somewhat commonplace. Within the current context of demographic change, with growing numbers of older adults and evidence that inactivity increases with age, these initiatives hold particular relevance to mid and later-life adults. Yet despite their prevalence, the policy gains from such promotional efforts have typically been modest at best, demonstrating the limits to decontextualized health messages that encourage people to 'sit less', 'move more' or 'move faster'. In this paper, we draw on the concept of rhythm, to provide an original contribution in response to recent calls to rethink existing approaches to physical activity in mid-life and beyond. We draw from three qualitative data sets from separate studies exploring health, wellbeing and ageing (two in the context of chronic health conditions and sensory impairments). Inspired by facet methodology, we advance knowledge by providing 'flashes of insight' into the subtle patterns and tempos that frame physical activity in mid and later life. In doing so, we offer alternative insight into how people avail themselves to, and experience motion and stillness during these life stages. That alternative, as we also note, has an important role to play in the development of appropriate, relatable health messages regarding movement that recognises 'expertise by experience'. • Instructions to simply 'move more' can overlook the impact of context on PA. • Experiences of physical activity are shaped by numerous rhythmic flows. • Rhythm provides new ways of understanding PA in mid-later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Families under multiple stresses present a challenge that requires coordinated multiple helping hands. Drawing on the baseline data, this paper profiles >200 multistressed families (MF) who entered into a specific enhancement programme in Singapore and compares the sociodemographies, family functioning and resilience of the children between transnational and non-transnational families. Findings show these transnational families have significantly older fathers, greater age difference between spouses, more fathers unemployed, and have significantly more needs related to system barriers. Although their youths do not have a lower resilience when compared to the non-transnational group, the overall resilience level of the youths from MF is significantly lower than that of the normative youths. Family income and number of system needs are found significantly correlated with both family cohesion and family flexibility. Multilevel regression with variables controlled shows that being a male and those with high family flexibility will predict a better youth resilience. Discussion and recommendation are made on the unique context of Singapore and possible ways to improve family flexibility in the Asian context. • This study analyzed the baseline data of ≥200 families under multiple stresses (MF) who joined an enhancement programme in Singapore. • Transnational families have significantly different father profile and more needs related to system barriers than non-transnational families. • The overall resilience level of the youths from MF is significantly lower than that of the normative youths. • Multilevel regression shows that being a male and those from family with high flexibility will predict a better youth resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We executed the same survey of airline itinerary choice on Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) and on Qualtrics. • Prior air travel characteristics are similar for the two populations. • AMT respondents are more likely to be younger, be male, and have low incomes. • Airline preferences for connections, elapsed time, and departure time of day are similar. • AMT respondents under age 65 are more price-sensitive than Qualtrics respondents. Within the transportation community, there has been increasing interest in using online outsourcing platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) to conduct surveys. To date, transportation researchers' use of AMT has been justified based on findings from studies in other fields. That is, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no study that has evaluated how the distribution of responses associated with each question and behavioral model estimated from AMT survey data compares to survey data collected from a traditional platform for a travel behavior application. This paper fills an important gap in the literature by examining (1) whether the distributions of responses from AMT and Qualtrics (a traditional market research firm) respondents are statistically equivalent, and (2) whether itinerary choice models estimated from these two surveys are statistically equivalent? Results show that AMT and Qualtrics respondents reported similar air trip characteristics and were drawn from a similar geographic distribution, but they exhibited distinct sociodemographic characteristics. After controlling for different age distributions in the two datasets, we found that airline itinerary choice models estimated from the AMT and Qualtrics survey data produced similar results, with the key difference related to price sensitivities. Our study provides preliminary evidence on the viability of using AMT and similar online outsourcing platforms for air travel behavior studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Elderly being married, acquiring resources and, practicing higher social action enjoy higher degree of social capital. • Elderly with higher degree of social capital are seen to experience better quality of life and healthy aging. • Social capital is signifcanly associated to lowering functional limitation, depression among eldelry. • High access to psychological resources regarding controlling important things in life put profound impact on the quality of life. • Emerging need to highlight the component of social capital in framing policy for elderly in India. Abstract Background Lacuna in contemporary Indian academic research highlights the need to investigate the component of social capital and health outcome among elderly individuals in Indian context. Study endeavors to investigate prevalence of health indicators: self-rated good health(SRH), functional limitation, depression and quality of life(QoL) and the illustrative effects of social capital on elderly health outcome and QoL. Methods Nationally representative cross-sectional data from WHO Study on global AGEing and adults health (SAGE) India 2007 is used. Individuals aged 50+ are included where logistic regression is used to estimate the effect of social capital along with other co-founders on SRH, functional limitation, and depression. Linear regression model is used to analyse evaluates the impact of social capital with other co-founders on QoL among elderly. Results The multivariate analysis shows that SRH is associated with age, female, those having education, higher social-action with strong trust, safety and higher psychological resources. Depression among elderly is significantly related to age, gender, education level, higher wealth, strong sociability. QoL is inversaly related to age, gender, being muslim. A positive association of QoL is observed with higher education, having wealth, and strong social capital component like currently married, civic engagement, social-action, trust solidarity,and strong psychological resources. Conclusion The paper presents evidence that social capital significantly associated with SRH, lower depression, better functional health and higher quality of life. Hench forth policy makers should construct social policy where elderly feel safe and trusty surrounding, that can involved them into main stream as a productive resource of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]