Air Pollution, Foreign Direct Investment, and Mental Health: Evidence From China

On the Asymmetric Relationship Between Physician Mental Health Disorders on Quality of Healthcare Under the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan: Quantile on Quantile Regression Analyses

Purpose

When examining the nexus of physician mental health disorders and healthcare quality from the empirical perspective, mental health disorders are frequently associated with cyclical patterns corresponding to cyclic seasonality, mood swings, emission of air pollution and business cycles, the potential asymmetric effects of physician mental health disorders on healthcare quality have not received adequate attention from researchers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the asymmetric relationship between physician mental health disorders and healthcare quality during the pandemic outbreak in Taiwan.

Methods

Daily data for care quality indicators and physician mental health disorders were collected from the National Insurance Research Database in Taiwan, and the quantile-on-quantile regression model was applied to proceed with our analyses.

Results

Our results indicated that the overall aggregate effects of each quantile of physician mental health disorders on the cumulative quantiles of healthcare quality are negative (positive) for the 14-day readmission rate (preventable hospitalization rate and non-urgent ED-visit rate). Positively (negatively) cumulative effects of each quantile of physician mental health disorders were detected in the middle (low and high) quantiles of the preventable hospitalization rate. The cumulative effects of each quantile of physician mental health disorders on the high (low and middle) quantiles of the 14-day readmission rate are negative (positive), but the cumulative effects on various quantiles of the non-urgent ED-visit rate exhibit the opposite pattern.

Conclusion

The observed variation in the relationship between physician mental health disorders and different quantiles of healthcare quality suggests the need for tailored strategic interventions based on distinct levels of healthcare quality when addressing the higher risk of physician mental health disorders during the pandemic outbreak conditions.

NEUROMETABOLOMIC IMPACTS OF MODELED WILDFIRE SMOKE AND PROTECTIVE BENEFITS OF ANTI-AGING THERAPEUTICS IN AGED FEMALE C57BL/6J MICE

Wildland fires have become progressively more extensive over the past 30 years in the US, and now routinely generate smoke that deteriorates air quality for most of the country. We explored the neurometabolomic impact that smoke derived from biomass has on older (18 months) female C57BL/6J mice, both acutely and after 10 weeks of recovery from exposures. Mice (N=6/group) were exposed to wood smoke (WS) 4 hours/day, every other day, for 2 weeks (7 exposures total) to an average concentration of 0.448mg/m 3 per exposure. One group was euthanized 24 hours after the last exposure. Other groups were then placed on 1 of 4 treatment regimens for 10 weeks after wood smoke exposures: vehicle; resveratrol in chow plus nicotinamide mononucleotide in water (RNMN); senolytics via gavage (dasatanib+quercetin; DQ); or both RNMN with DQ (RNDQ). Among the findings, the aging from 18 months to 21 months was associated with the greatest metabolic shift, including changes in nicotinamide metabolism, with WS exposure effects that were relatively modest. WS caused a reduction in NAD+ within the prefrontal cortex immediately after exposure and a long-term reduction in serotonin that persisted for 10 weeks. The serotonin reductions were corroborated by forced swim tests, which revealed an increased immobility (reduction in motivation) immediately post-exposure and persisted for 10 weeks. RNMN had the most beneficial effects after WS exposure, while RNDQ caused markers of brain aging to be upregulated within WS-exposed mice. Findings highlight the persistent neurometabolomic and behavioral effects of woodsmoke exposure in an aged mouse model.

Significance Statement

Neurological impacts of wildfire smoke are largely underexplored but include neuroinflammation and metabolic changes. The present study highlights modulation of major metabolites in the prefrontal cortex and behavioral consequences in aged (18 month) female mice that persists 10 weeks after wood smoke exposure ended. Supplements derived from the anti-aging field were able to mitigate much of the woodsmoke effect, especially a combination of resveratrol and nicotinamide mononucleotide.

Environmental pollution and economic growth: Evidence of SO2 emissions and GDP in China

This study explores the inherent linkage mechanism between environmental pollution and economic growth using a non-linear MS (M)-VAR (p) model. The results indicate that, first, the growth rates of China's gross domestic product (GDP) and SO₂ emissions are in a state of significant inertia. Second, when the system was in a medium-growth regime, the growth rates of SO₂ emissions and GDP had a positive correlation, characterized by lower probability and weaker durability. Third, when the system was in a high- or low-growth regime, their growth rates were negatively correlated, characterized by higher probability and stronger durability. Overall, economic growth increases environmental pollution emissions, which intensifies as well as inhibits economic growth. The correlation and sustainability of SO₂ emissions and GDP are closely related to the regional status of the entire system. This study is helpful in analyzing the reasons for the nonlinear linkage mechanism between environmental pollution and economic growth.