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Farmer G, Lloyd J. Two Sides of the Same Virtual Coin: Investigating Psychosocial Effects of Video Game Play, including Stress Relief Motivations as a Gateway to Problematic Video Game Usage. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:772. [PMID: 38610194 PMCID: PMC11011277 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12070772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Video gamers can play to negate the psychological impact of stress, which may become problematic when users over-rely on the stress relief potential of gaming. This study used a repeated measures experimental design to investigate the relationships between stress, video gaming, and problematic video gaming behaviours in a convenience sample of 40 students at a UK university. The results indicated that positive affect increased and negative affect decreased, whilst a biological stress measure (instantaneous pulse rate) also decreased after a short video gaming session (t(36) = 4.82, p < 0.001, d = 0.79). The results also suggested that video gaming can act as a short-term buffer against the physiological impact of stress. Further research should focus on testing individuals who have been tested for gaming disorder, as opposed to the general population. Research could also utilise variations of the methodological framework used in this study to examine the intensity of a stress relief effect under different social situations. The study's findings in relation to published works are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Farmer
- Westminster Centre for Psychological Sciences, University of Westminster, London W1W 6UW, UK
| | - Joanne Lloyd
- Cyberpsychology Research—University of Wolverhampton, School of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK;
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Mileski M, McClay R, Kruse CS, Topinka JB, Heinemann K, Vargas B. Using Serenity Rooms and Similar Tools to Improve the Workplace during COVID-19: A Rapid Review. Nurs Rep 2024; 14:376-389. [PMID: 38391074 PMCID: PMC10885053 DOI: 10.3390/nursrep14010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
This manuscript examines using serenity rooms and similar tools to improve the workplace during COVID-19 for nurses and other practitioners. A rapid review of the literature was conducted and completed from four different databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Science Direct, and Academic Search Complete. The literature review was completed with the use of a single-string Boolean search to maximize the number of articles returned. The resulting 14 germane articles yielded six facilitator themes and four barrier themes. Facilitator themes included: benefits, assistive adjuncts, places of relaxation, leadership required, availability, and other effects. Barrier themes included: lacking leadership, concerns regarding lack of space, holistic concerns, and negative perceptions. There is a significant lack of research in the literature in this area. Most of the literature reviewed showed widely positive results for institutions that utilized serenity rooms or similar tools for decreasing nurse and practitioner stress and burnout. The use of these tools improved nurse and practitioner compassion, retention, and resiliency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Mileski
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Rebecca McClay
- School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, American Public University System, Charles Town, WV 25414, USA
| | - Clemens Scott Kruse
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Joseph Baar Topinka
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Katharine Heinemann
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Brea Vargas
- School of Health Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
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3
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Liu C, Xie Y, Xu Y, Song Z, Tang J, Shen J, Jiang Z, Shen C, Zhan X, Zheng C. Assessing the stress-relief impact of an art-based intervention inspired by the broaden-and-build theory in college students. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1324415. [PMID: 38356766 PMCID: PMC10864434 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1324415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives This study's primary objective is to investigate the impact of art-making on the mental well-being of college students, who often experience heightened stress during their initial university years. Methods Employing a comprehensive methodology, combining interviews and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the research aimed to assess whether a four-week art-making intervention can effectively alleviate stress levels among college students. In the experimental group, participants engaged in a variety of art-making activities, including freehand drawing, clay modeling, and crafting. Results The results revealed that, in the pre-test, there were no significant differences between the experimental and control groups for each assessed indicator. However, in the post-test, significant differences emerged across all indicators. Further analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in stress perception among the experimental group participants between the pre-test and post-test phases. Conclusion In conclusion, this study provides compelling evidence that art-making has the potential to foster positive personal development and significantly reduce stress levels among college students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Liu
- School of International Education, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yuan Xie
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yiwen Xu
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zhenhai Song
- School of Basic Education and Art, Shandong Vocational College of Industry, Zibo, China
| | - Jiayi Tang
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Junjie Shen
- School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zhou Jiang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Chao Shen
- Department of Immunization Program, Nanjing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - Xingya Zhan
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chu Zheng
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
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Osman I, Mncwabe S, Singaram VS. Twelve tips for creating a multicultural mindfulness-based intervention in diverse healthcare settings. Med Teach 2024; 46:40-45. [PMID: 37450669 DOI: 10.1080/0142159x.2023.2232529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
High levels of stress and burnout, low help-seeking behaviour and unhealthy coping in healthcare professionals (HCPs), are a critical concern globally. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) reduce stress, are a healthy coping mechanism and have become increasingly popular among HCPs, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, HCPs' busy schedules require the intervention to be accessible, pragmatic, and context specific. Key to this goal is approaching mindfulness from a multicultural perspective, especially in diverse settings such as Africa. This paper aims to provide practical tips to ensure that the MBI offered is effective with multicultural HCPs during intense stress. Four tips each discuss the curriculum, implementation, and sustainability, respectively. The tips are elucidated by practical examples of regulating stress in healthcare settings and to offer a guideline to help structure future MBIs to be culturally and context appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iram Osman
- School of Clinical Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Sduduzo Mncwabe
- Psychology Department, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Veena S Singaram
- School of Clinical Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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5
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Su H, Xu Z, He X, Yao Y, Zheng X, She Y, Zhu Y, Zhang J, Liu SF. Surface Energy Engineering of Buried Interface for Highly Stable Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency Over 25. Adv Mater 2024; 36:e2306724. [PMID: 37863645 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
The abundant oxygen-related defects (e.g., O vacancies, O-H) in the TiO2 electron transport layer results in high surface energy, which is detrimental to effective carrier extraction and seriously impairs the photovoltaic performance and stability of perovskite solar cells. Here, novel surface energy engineering (SEE) is developed by applying a surfactant of heptadecafluorooctanesulfonate tetraethylammonium (HFSTA) on the surface of the TiO2 . Theoretical calculations show that the HFSTA-TiO2 is less prone to form O vacancies, leading to lower surface energy, thus improving the carrier-extraction efficiency. The experimental results show that superior perovskite film is obtained due to the reduced heterogeneous nucleation sites and improved crystallization process on the modified TiO2 . Furthermore, the flexible long alkyl chains in HFSTA considerably relieve the compressive stresses at the buried interface. By combining the passivation of TiO2 , crystallization process modulation, and stress relief, a champion PCE up to 25.03% is achieved. The device without encapsulation sustains 92.2% of its initial PCE after more than 2500 h storage under air ambient with relative humidity of 25-30%. The SEE of a buried interface paves a new way toward high-efficiency, stable perovskite solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Su
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
- Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
- Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Institute for Adv. Energy Mater., School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, P. R. China
| | - Zhuo Xu
- Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Institute for Adv. Energy Mater., School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, P. R. China
| | - Xilai He
- State key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Center for Nano Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi´an, 710072, P. R. China
| | - Yuying Yao
- Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Institute for Adv. Energy Mater., School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, P. R. China
| | - Xinxin Zheng
- Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Institute for Adv. Energy Mater., School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, P. R. China
| | - Yutong She
- Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Institute for Adv. Energy Mater., School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, P. R. China
| | - Yujie Zhu
- Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Institute for Adv. Energy Mater., School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, P. R. China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Institute for Adv. Energy Mater., School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, P. R. China
| | - Shengzhong Frank Liu
- Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, 116023, P. R. China
- Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Advanced Energy Devices, Shaanxi Engineering Lab for Advanced Energy Technology, Institute for Adv. Energy Mater., School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710119, P. R. China
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6
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Dong Y, Li Y, Xiang X, Xiao ZC, Hu J, Li Y, Li H, Hu H. Stress relief as a natural resilience mechanism against depression-like behaviors. Neuron 2023; 111:3789-3801.e6. [PMID: 37776853 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Relief, the appetitive state after the termination of aversive stimuli, is evolutionarily conserved. Understanding the behavioral role of this well-conserved phenomenon and its underlying neurobiological mechanisms are open and important questions. Here, we discover that the magnitude of relief from physical stress strongly correlates with individual resilience to depression-like behaviors in chronic stressed mice. Notably, blocking stress relief causes vulnerability to depression-like behaviors, whereas natural rewards supplied shortly after stress promotes resilience. Stress relief is mediated by reward-related mesolimbic dopamine neurons, which show minute-long, persistent activation after stress termination. Circuitry-wise, activation or inhibition of circuits downstream of the ventral tegmental area during the transient relief period bi-directionally regulates depression resilience. These results reveal an evolutionary function of stress relief in depression resilience and identify the neural substrate mediating this effect. Importantly, our data suggest a behavioral strategy of augmenting positive valence of stress relief with natural rewards to prevent depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyan Dong
- Department of Psychiatry and International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yifei Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xinkuan Xiang
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zhuo-Cheng Xiao
- Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Ji Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haohong Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hailan Hu
- Department of Psychiatry and International Institutes of Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu 322000, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China.
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7
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Willems JIA, van Twist DJL, Peeters RP, Mostard GJM, van Wijngaarden RFATDL. Stress-Induced Graves Disease: Spontaneous Recovery After Stress Relief. J Endocr Soc 2023; 8:bvad157. [PMID: 38148855 PMCID: PMC10750305 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvad157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Emotional stress is a precipitating factor for Graves disease (GD). However, the influence of stress relief on the course of GD is unknown. Here, we present a series of patients diagnosed with stress-induced GD in whom stress relief alone led to remission of GD. Cases We report on 11 patients in whom hyperthyroid symptoms started just after severe emotional stress. All patients had suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and elevated free thyroxine (FT4; 22.2-49.5 pmol/L) and TSH-receptor antibody (TRAb; 0.57-40 U/L) levels and were subsequently diagnosed with stress-induced GD. However, all patients declined antithyroid drug treatment. Surprisingly, clinical and biochemical remission was observed in 9 out of 11 patients after 1 to 3 and 2 to 7 months of self-reported stress relief, respectively. Five patients showed long-lasting remission (median follow-up 2.3 years). In 4 patients, remission was initially achieved, but GD relapsed 1 to 4 years afterwards. In 2 patients, treatment with antithyroid drugs was initiated because of rapidly increasing FT4 levels. Baseline FT4 and TRAb levels tended to be higher in patients who did not achieve remission. Furthermore, patients without long-lasting remission were more frequently known to have prior thyroid disease. Conclusion We report on a series of patients with stress-induced GD in whom stress relief alone led to remission of GD (thus without antithyroid drugs). This may indicate that clinicians could consider stopping antithyroid drug treatment or at least shortening the treatment period after stress relief in patients with stress-induced GD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeresa I A Willems
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zuyd Thyroid Center, Zuyderland Medical Center, 6162 BG Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Daan J L van Twist
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zuyd Thyroid Center, Zuyderland Medical Center, 6162 BG Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands
| | - Robin P Peeters
- Department of Internal Medicine, Academic Center for Thyroid Diseases, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Guy J M Mostard
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zuyd Thyroid Center, Zuyderland Medical Center, 6162 BG Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands
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Bi H, Liu J, Zhang Z, Wang L, Kapil G, Wei Y, Kumar Baranwal A, Razey Sahamir S, Sanehira Y, Wang D, Yang Y, Kitamura T, Beresneviciute R, Grigalevicius S, Shen Q, Hayase S. Ferrocene Derivatives for Improving the Efficiency and Stability of MA-Free Perovskite Solar Cells from the Perspective of Inhibiting Ion Migration and Releasing Film Stress. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2023; 10:e2304790. [PMID: 37867208 PMCID: PMC10724429 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Further improvement of the performance and stability of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is necessary for commercialization. Here, ferrocene derivative dibenzoylferrocene (DBzFe) is used as an additive to enhance the performance and stability of MA- and Br- free PSCs. The results show that the introduction of DBzFe not only passivates the defects in the film but also inhibits the ion migration in the film. The final device achieves a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.53%, which is one of the highest efficiencies currently based on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Moreover, it maintains more than 96.4% of the original efficiency when running continuously for 400 h at the maximum power point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Bi
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
- Faculty of Informatics and EngineeringThe University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Jiaqi Liu
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Zheng Zhang
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Liang Wang
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Gaurav Kapil
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Yuyao Wei
- Faculty of Informatics and EngineeringThe University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Ajay Kumar Baranwal
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Shahrir Razey Sahamir
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Sanehira
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Dandan Wang
- Faculty of Informatics and EngineeringThe University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Yongge Yang
- Faculty of Informatics and EngineeringThe University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Takeshi Kitamura
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Raminta Beresneviciute
- Department of Polymers Chemistry and TechnologyKaunas University of TechnologyRadvilenu Plentas 19KaunasLT50254Lithuania
| | - Saulius Grigalevicius
- Department of Polymers Chemistry and TechnologyKaunas University of TechnologyRadvilenu Plentas 19KaunasLT50254Lithuania
| | - Qing Shen
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
- Faculty of Informatics and EngineeringThe University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
| | - Shuzi Hayase
- i‐Powered Energy System Research Center (i‐PERC)The University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
- Faculty of Informatics and EngineeringThe University of Electro‐Communications1‐5‐1 Chofugaoka, ChofuTokyo182‐8585Japan
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9
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Henn SL, Martinasek MP, Lange M. Vaping Behavior in Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Respir Care 2023; 68:1493-1501. [PMID: 37024281 PMCID: PMC10589117 DOI: 10.4187/respcare.10629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) continue to be popular among young adults. These devices are often advertised as a healthy alternative to quitting tobacco cigarettes. However, young adults represent a population who view it as a novel behavior that provides a sense of popularity, social acceptance, and desired physiologic properties. The objective of this study was to examine characteristics of vaping behavior among college students and explore possible associations between groups of vaping behavior (stopped, initiated, increased, decreased, stayed the same). METHODS In a multi-center cross-sectional study, 656 students from University of Tampa in the United States and University of Applied Sciences in Germany (IST) were recruited to answer a 31-item online questionnaire. A chi-square test was used to evaluate associations between the groups. RESULTS Prevalence rates indicated approximately 31% of all students were currently using ENDS. Even though more negative than positive experiences with ENDS were reported, most students stated their vaping increased during COVID-19 lockdowns. Addiction and stress relief emerged to be predictors (P < .001) of an increase in vaping, whereas social motives were not statistically significant. Living situation (P = .63) and depression (P = .10) were not significantly associated with vaping behavior. CONCLUSIONS ENDS products continue to yield very high levels of nicotine creating addiction in young adults. Addiction counseling and evidenced-based practices should be employed at every level (individual, community, and school). Additionally, mental health counseling for students in pandemic and high-stress environments may help to combat stress in a more proactive manner than self-medicating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella L Henn
- Department of Fitness and Health, IST University of Applied Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mary P Martinasek
- Department of Health Science and Human Performance, The University of Tampa, Tampa, Florida
| | - Martin Lange
- Department of Fitness and Health, IST University of Applied Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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10
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Erratum: Nanosilicon: An approach for abiotic stress mitigation and sustainable agriculture. Front Plant Sci 2023; 14:1177575. [PMID: 37035049 PMCID: PMC10075461 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1177575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1025974.].
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11
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Li G, Shi G, Miao H, Liu D, Li Z, Wang M, Wang L. Effects of the Gas-Atomization Pressure and Annealing Temperature on the Microstructure and Performance of FeSiBCuNb Nanocrystalline Soft Magnetic Composites. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:1284. [PMID: 36770287 PMCID: PMC9921008 DOI: 10.3390/ma16031284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
FeSiBCuNb powders prepared by the gas atomization method generally exhibit a wide particle size distribution and a high degree of sphericity. In addition, the correspondingly prepared nanocrystalline soft magnetic composites (NSMCs) perform good service stability. In this paper, effects of the gas-atomization pressure and annealing temperature on the microstructure and soft magnetic properties of FeSiBCuNb powders and NSMCs are investigated. The results show that the powders obtained by a higher gas-atomization pressure possess a larger amorphous ratio and a smaller average crystallite size, which contribute to the better soft magnetic performance of the NSMCs. After being annealed at 550 °C for 60 min, the NSMCs show a much better performance than those treated by the stress-relief annealing process under 300 °C, which indicates that the optimization of the soft magnetic properties resulting from the precipitation of the α-Fe(Si) nanocrystalline largely overwhelms the deterioration caused by the grain growth of the pre-existing crystals. In addition, the annealed NSMCs prepared by the powders with the gas-atomization pressure of 4 MPa show the best performance in this work, μe = 33.32 (f = 100 kHz), Hc = 73.08 A/m and Pcv = 33.242 mW/cm3 (f = 100 kHz, Bm = 20 mT, sine wave).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanzhi Li
- School of Mechanical, Electrical & Information Engineering, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Guibing Shi
- School of Mechanical, Electrical & Information Engineering, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Hongyi Miao
- School of Mechanical, Electrical & Information Engineering, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Weihai Wanfeng Magnesium Industry Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd., Weihai 263200, China
| | - Zongzhen Li
- Jiangsu JITRI Advanced Energy & Materials Research Institute Co., Ltd., Changzhou 213000, China
| | - Mingxu Wang
- School of Mechanical, Electrical & Information Engineering, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
| | - Li Wang
- School of Mechanical, Electrical & Information Engineering, Shandong University, Weihai 264209, China
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12
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Zhang J, Yan H, Wang D. Effects of Acoustic Environment Types on Stress Relief in Urban Parks. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023; 20:1082. [PMID: 36673837 PMCID: PMC9859344 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Urban public space environments are critical to the health of residents. In previous studies on urban park environments and health, landscape environment questionnaires have been the main method to evaluate the environmental quality and comfort of urban parks. The research on sound perception also focuses on the exploration of evaluation methods and evaluation indicators; there is little objective empirical evidence in these studies. To further explore the nature of the health role of urban parks, this study started with the sound types of urban parks, based on a field survey, combined the electrocardiogram (ECG) index with the sound type of the park through a portable intelligent device, and HR and RMSSD were selected as the ECG indicators to evaluate the stress relief status. The regression model between the type of acoustic environments and the ECG data was established through the analysis of relevant data. This paper tries to improve the physiological recovery benefit and influence mechanism of sound types in urban parks from an objective point of view and puts forward reasonable suggestions to improve the sound environment in urban parks. The preliminary results show that, in a short time frame, natural sound has a strong relieving effect on mental pressure, while mechanical sound has an obvious impediment effect on the recovery of mental pressure. The results also reveal that the human voice has no obvious impediment effect, and changes in wind and broadcast sound have little impact on the recovery of mental pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hongliang Yan
- School of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
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13
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Verma KK, Zeng Y, Song XP, Singh M, Wu KC, Rajput VD, Li YR. Nanosilicon: An approach for abiotic stress mitigation and sustainable agriculture. Front Plant Sci 2022; 13:1025974. [PMID: 36618645 PMCID: PMC9816422 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1025974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Abiotic stresses causing extensive yield loss in various crops globally. Over the past few decades, the application of silicon nanoparticles (nSi) has emerged as one of the abiotic stress mitigators. The initial responses of plants are shown by the biogenesis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to sustain cellular/organellar integrity to ensure in vivo operation of metabolic functions by regulating physiological and biochemical pathways during stress conditions. Plants have evolved various antioxidative systems to balance/maintain the process of homeostasis via enzymatic and non-enzymatic activities to repair the losses. In the adverse environment, supplementation of Si mitigates the stress condition and improved the growth and development of plants. Its ameliorative effects were correlated with the enhanced antioxidant enzymes activities to maintain the equilibrium between the ROS generation and reduction. However, there are limited studies covered the role of nSi in the abiotic stress condition. This review addresses the accumulation and/or uptake of nSi in several crops and its mode of action linked with improved plants' growth and tolerance capabilities to confer sustainable agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishan K. Verma
- Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement/Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Yuan Zeng
- International Co-operation Division, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiu-Peng Song
- Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement/Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Munna Singh
- Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Kai-Chao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement/Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
| | - Vishnu D. Rajput
- Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| | - Yang-Rui Li
- Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Biotechnology and Genetic Improvement (Guangxi), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/Guangxi Key Laboratory of Sugarcane Genetic Improvement/Sugarcane Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning, Guangxi, China
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14
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Gu J, Liu H, Lu H. Can Even a Small Amount of Greenery Be Helpful in Reducing Stress? A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:9778. [PMID: 36011414 PMCID: PMC9408062 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19169778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A positive experience of nature triggers beneficial mental and physical responses. Today, we live in a rapidly urbanizing world where access to nature is often limited. Against this backdrop, this systematic review investigated studies on the effectiveness of small-scale greenery for stress reduction. We searched EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct, searching databases from inception to April 2022. Studies were screened against predetermined criteria, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions for RCTs and The Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Of the 2500 records identified, we screened 1817 citations for eligibility, which included 13 RCT studies and 6 non-RCT studies. The studies were conducted in eight different countries. The study populations included office workers, students, senior citizens, and patients with specific diseases. Research has mainly focused on indoor greening, with relatively little research on small-scale outdoor greening. All included studies assessed the impact of the intervention on various stress reduction-related outcomes, with the most common stress measures being blood pressure and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Various beneficial effects of the interventions on human health were reported in all 19 studies, 15 of which reported positive effects on stress reduction. All included studies were at high risk of bias. It is recommended that future studies in this area take appropriate measures to reduce bias and improve quality in order to build a strong evidence-based medical foundation. According to our findings, even very small-scale greening, including indoor green walls and potted plants, may provide effective help for stress relief. Understanding the physiological and psychological benefits of small-scale greenery can help better provide more opportunities for urban residents to engage with nature in the context of dense urban trends, as well as provide some reference for urban design planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Gu
- School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Haixiao Liu
- School of Carey Business, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC 20036, USA
| | - Hong Lu
- School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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15
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Almeqbaali M, Ouhbi S, Serhani MA, Amiri L, Jan RK, Zaki N, Sharaf A, Al Helali A, Almheiri E. A Biofeedback-Based Mobile App With Serious Games for Young Adults With Anxiety in the United Arab Emirates: Development and Usability Study. JMIR Serious Games 2022; 10:e36936. [PMID: 35916692 PMCID: PMC9382548 DOI: 10.2196/36936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Following the outbreak of COVID-19, several studies have reported that young adults encountered a rise in anxiety symptoms, which could negatively affect their quality of life. Promising evidence suggests that mobile apps with biofeedback, serious games, breathing exercises, and positive messaging, among other features, are useful for anxiety self-management and treatment. Objective This study aimed to develop and evaluate the usability of a biofeedback-based app with serious games for young adults with anxiety in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods This study consists of two phases: Phase I describes the design and development of the app, while Phase II presents the results of a usability evaluation by experts. To elicit the app’s requirements during Phase I, we conducted (1) a survey to investigate preferences of young adults in the UAE for mobile games for stress relief; (2) an analysis of serious games for anxiety; and (3) interviews with mental health professionals and young adults in the UAE. In Phase II, five experts tested the usability of the developed app using a set of Nielsen’s usability heuristics. Results A fully functional biofeedback-based app with serious games was co-designed with mental health professionals. The app included 4 games (ie, a biofeedback game, card game, arcade game, and memory game), 2 relaxation techniques (ie, a breathing exercise and yoga videos), and 2 additional features (ie, positive messaging and a mood tracking calendar). The results of Phase II showed that the developed app is efficient, simple, and easy to use. Overall, the app design scored an average of 4 out of 5. Conclusions The elicitation techniques used in Phase I resulted in the development of an easy-to-use app for the self-management of anxiety. Further research is required to determine the app’s usability and effectiveness in the target population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Almeqbaali
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sofia Ouhbi
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mohamed Adel Serhani
- Department of Information Systems and Security, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Leena Amiri
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Reem K Jan
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Nazar Zaki
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ayman Sharaf
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, College of Information Technology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abdulla Al Helali
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Eisa Almheiri
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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16
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Kim C, Song C. Physiological and Psychological Relaxation Effects of Fir Essential Oil on University Students. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:5063. [PMID: 35564457 PMCID: PMC9103969 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies have reported a significant increase in stress experienced by students owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, interest in stress management using nature-derived substances has increased. However, studies examining the effects of olfactory stimulation by fir are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological and psychological effects of inhaling fir essential oil. Additionally, differences between male and female participants were compared. Twenty-six university students (16 female and 10 male students; mean age, 21.5 ± 1.9 years) participated in this study. Fir essential oil was used for olfactory stimulation, with normal room air as the control. The odor was administered for 3 min. Heart rate variability and heart rate were used as indicators of autonomic nervous system activity. The Profile of Mood States and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used as psychological indicators. The ln(Low Frequency/High Frequency) ratio, which is an indicator of sympathetic nervous activity reflecting a stressful or aroused state during stimulation with fir essential oil, was significantly lower than during the control condition. Assessment of psychological indicators showed that the positive mood of "vigor" improved significantly and negative moods of "tension-anxiety", "depression", "anger-hostility", "fatigue" and anxiety levels reduced significantly after inhaling fir essential oil compared to the control condition. This study showed that inhalation of fir essential oil has physiologically and psychologically relaxing effects, with differences in results depending on the sex of the participants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chorong Song
- Department of Forest Science, Kongju National University, 54 Daehak-ro, Yesan-eup, Yesan-gun 32439, Korea;
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17
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Prochazka L, Huber A, Schneider M, Ghafoor N, Birch J, Pfiffner F. Novel Fabrication Technology for Clamped Micron-Thick Titanium Diaphragms Used for the Packaging of an Implantable MEMS Acoustic Transducer. Micromachines (Basel) 2021; 13:mi13010074. [PMID: 35056242 PMCID: PMC8779576 DOI: 10.3390/mi13010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) acoustic transducers are highly sophisticated devices with high sensing performance, small size, and low power consumption. To be applied in an implantable medical device, they require a customized packaging solution with a protecting shell, usually made from titanium (Ti), to fulfill biocompatibility and hermeticity requirements. To allow acoustic sound to be transferred between the surroundings and the hermetically sealed MEMS transducer, a compliant diaphragm element needs to be integrated into the protecting enclosure. In this paper, we present a novel fabrication technology for clamped micron-thick Ti diaphragms that can be applied on arbitrary 3D substrate geometry and hence directly integrated into the packaging structure. Stiffness measurements on various diaphragm samples illustrate that the technology enables a significant reduction of residual stress in the diaphragm developed during its deposition on a polymer sacrificial material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Prochazka
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (A.H.); (F.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-(0)44-255-5823
| | - Alexander Huber
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (A.H.); (F.P.)
| | | | - Naureen Ghafoor
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; (N.G.); (J.B.)
| | - Jens Birch
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; (N.G.); (J.B.)
| | - Flurin Pfiffner
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland; (A.H.); (F.P.)
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18
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Mauriello ML, Tantivasadakarn N, Mora-Mendoza MA, Lincoln ET, Hon G, Nowruzi P, Simon D, Hansen L, Goenawan NH, Kim J, Gowda N, Jurafsky D, Paredes PE. A Suite of Mobile Conversational Agents for Daily Stress Management (Popbots): Mixed Methods Exploratory Study. JMIR Form Res 2021; 5:e25294. [PMID: 34519655 PMCID: PMC8479600 DOI: 10.2196/25294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Approximately 60%-80% of the primary care visits have a psychological stress component, but only 3% of patients receive stress management advice during these visits. Given recent advances in natural language processing, there is renewed interest in mental health chatbots. Conversational agents that can understand a user's problems and deliver advice that mitigates the effects of daily stress could be an effective public health tool. However, such systems are complex to build and costly to develop. OBJECTIVE To address these challenges, our aim is to develop and evaluate a fully automated mobile suite of shallow chatbots-we call them Popbots-that may serve as a new species of chatbots and further complement human assistance in an ecosystem of stress management support. METHODS After conducting an exploratory Wizard of Oz study (N=14) to evaluate the feasibility of a suite of multiple chatbots, we conducted a web-based study (N=47) to evaluate the implementation of our prototype. Each participant was randomly assigned to a different chatbot designed on the basis of a proven cognitive or behavioral intervention method. To measure the effectiveness of the chatbots, the participants' stress levels were determined using self-reported psychometric evaluations (eg, web-based daily surveys and Patient Health Questionnaire-4). The participants in these studies were recruited through email and enrolled on the web, and some of them participated in follow-up interviews that were conducted in person or on the web (as necessary). RESULTS Of the 47 participants, 31 (66%) completed the main study. The findings suggest that the users viewed the conversations with our chatbots as helpful or at least neutral and came away with increasingly positive sentiment toward the use of chatbots for proactive stress management. Moreover, those users who used the system more often (ie, they had more than or equal to the median number of conversations) noted a decrease in depression symptoms compared with those who used the system less often based on a Wilcoxon signed-rank test (W=91.50; Z=-2.54; P=.01; r=0.47). The follow-up interviews with a subset of the participants indicated that half of the common daily stressors could be discussed with chatbots, potentially reducing the burden on human coping resources. CONCLUSIONS Our work suggests that suites of shallow chatbots may offer benefits for both users and designers. As a result, this study's contributions include the design and evaluation of a novel suite of shallow chatbots for daily stress management, a summary of benefits and challenges associated with random delivery of multiple conversational interventions, and design guidelines and directions for future research into similar systems, including authoring chatbot systems and artificial intelligence-enabled recommendation algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Louis Mauriello
- Department of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Nantanick Tantivasadakarn
- Symbolic Systems Program, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | | | | | - Grace Hon
- Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Parsa Nowruzi
- Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Dorien Simon
- Computer Science Department, College of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Luke Hansen
- Symbolic Systems Program, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Nathaniel H Goenawan
- Computer Science Department, College of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Joshua Kim
- Computer Science Department, College of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Nikhil Gowda
- Alliance Innovation Lab, Silicon Valley, CA, United States
| | - Dan Jurafsky
- Computer Science Department, College of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Linguistics, School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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19
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Traylor CS, Johnson JD, Kimmel MC, Manuck TA. Effects of psychological stress on adverse pregnancy outcomes and nonpharmacologic approaches for reduction: an expert review. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM 2020; 2:100229. [PMID: 32995736 PMCID: PMC7513755 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2020.100229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Both acute and chronic stress can cause allostatic overload, or long-term imbalance in mediators of homeostasis, that results in disruptions in the maternal-placental-fetal endocrine and immune system responses. During pregnancy, disruptions in homeostasis may increase the likelihood of preterm birth and preeclampsia. Expectant mothers traditionally have high rates of anxiety and depressive disorders, and many are susceptible to a variety of stressors during pregnancy. These common life stressors include financial concerns and relationship challenges and may be exacerbated by the biological, social, and psychological changes occurring during pregnancy. In addition, external stressors such as major weather events (eg, hurricanes, tornados, floods) and other global phenomena (eg, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic) may contribute to stress during pregnancy. This review investigates recent literature published about the use of nonpharmacologic modalities for stress relief in pregnancy and examines the interplay between psychiatric diagnoses and stressors, with the purpose of evaluating the feasibility of implementing nonpharmacologic interventions as sole therapies or in conjunction with psychotherapy or psychiatric medication therapy. Further, the effectiveness of each nonpharmacologic therapy in reducing symptoms of maternal stress is reviewed. Mindfulness meditation and biofeedback have shown effectiveness in improving one's mental health, such as depressive symptoms and anxiety. Exercise, including yoga, may improve both depressive symptoms and birth outcomes. Expressive writing has successfully been applied postpartum and in response to pregnancy challenges. Although some of these nonpharmacologic interventions can be convenient and low cost, there is a trend toward inconsistent implementation of these modalities. Future investigations should focus on methods to increase ease of uptake, ensure each option is available at home, and provide a standardized way to evaluate whether combinations of different interventions may provide added benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire S. Traylor
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Jasmine D. Johnson
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Mary C. Kimmel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Tracy A. Manuck
- Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC,Institute for Environmental Health Solutions, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC,Corresponding author: Tracy A. Manuck, MD
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20
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Paszkiel S, Dobrakowski P, Łysiak A. The Impact of Different Sounds on Stress Level in the Context of EEG, Cardiac Measures and Subjective Stress Level: A Pilot Study. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E728. [PMID: 33066109 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10100728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Everyone experiences stress at certain times in their lives. This feeling can motivate, however, if it persists for a prolonged period, it leads to negative changes in the human body. Stress is characterized, among other things, by increased blood pressure, increased pulse and decreased alpha-frequency brainwave activity. An overview of the literature indicates that music therapy can be an effective and inexpensive method of improving these factors. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of various types of music on stress level in subjects. The conducted experiment involved nine females, aged 22. All participants were healthy and did not have any neurological or psychiatric disorders. The test included four types of audio stimuli: silence (control sample), rap, relaxing music and music triggering an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) phenomenon. The impact of individual sound types was assessed using data obtained from four sources: a fourteen-channel electroencephalograph, a blood pressure monitor, a pulsometer and participant’s subjective stress perception. The conclusions from the conducted study indicate that rap music negatively affects the reduction of stress level compared to the control group (p < 0.05), whereas relaxing music and ASMR calms subjects much faster than silence (p < 0.05).
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21
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Grilli G, Sacchelli S. Health Benefits Derived from Forest: A Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:E6125. [PMID: 32842490 PMCID: PMC7504269 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this paper the scientific literature on the association between forests, stress relief and relaxation is reviewed with the purpose to understand common patterns of research, the main techniques used for analysis, findings relevant to forest-therapy-oriented management, and knowledge gaps. The database of studies was collected with a keyword search on the Web, which returned a set of 32 studies that were included in the analysis. The main findings and patterns were identified with a text mining analysis of the abstract to search for keyword patterns across studies. The analysis indicates that most studies compared rest and relaxation performances across urban and forest environments and used a combination of self-reported measure of stress or rest collected with validate scales, e.g., the Profile of Mood of States (POMS) and the Restoration Outcome Scale (ROS), and a minority-only set of these two groups of indicators. Results of this review indicate that primary studies identified a positive association between forest exposure and mental well-being, in particular when compared to urban environments, thus suggesting that forest are effective in lowering stress levels. This study found that, to date, the characteristics of forests and characteristics of the visit are little investigated in the literature. For this reason, more research with a focus on forest variables such as tree species composition, tree density and other variables affecting forest landscape should be further investigated to inform forest management. Similarly, the characteristics of the visits (e.g., length of visit and frequency) should be further explored to provide robust forest therapy guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Grilli
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, I-50144 Florence, Italy;
- Economic and Social Research Institute, D02 K138 Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity College Dublin, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sandro Sacchelli
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, I-50144 Florence, Italy;
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22
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Abstract
Lithium (Li) metal is among the most promising anode materials for next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, inevitable Li dendrite growth and huge volume expansion severely restrict its practical application. Here, we propose a melamine sponge@silver nanowires (MS@AgNWs) current collector to achieve highly reversible Li storage. By combining the strength advantages of lithophilic nanoseeds, 3D current rectification structure and stress-releasing soft substrate, the MS@AgNWs host can successfully release the compress stress generated during the Li-plating process and hence give rise to uniform Li deposition. In particular, the MS@AgNWs-Li composite anode shows high Coulomb efficiency of 99.1% over 300 cycles and ultralow overpotentials of 10 mV at 1 mA cm-2 and 19 mV at 2 mA h cm-2. Superior long-term cycle stability over 1000 h is attained in symmetric cell under various densities. The assembled full cells with LiFePO4 cathode deliver excellent cycle performance with capacity retention of 138.2 mAh g-1 at 1C after 400 cycles and outstanding rate performance (discharge capacity of 119 mAh g-1 at 10 C). Scalable fabrication of 3D MS@AgNWs flexible host can be easily realized, which is potential for developing practical flexible Li metal based batteries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mold Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Jinyi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mold Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Lixia Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mold Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Zhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mold Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Yunhui Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die & Mold Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
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23
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Abstract
Dementia is highly prevalent among the worldwide elderly population. Only a small number of the currently marketed drugs are effective in controlling its symptoms, and none has any effect on its progression. Further, as the condition advances, even these pharmaceuticals lose their efficiency, and new research into interventions that might improve the life quality of patients at the end stage of dementia and their families is increasingly rare. In our previous studies, we explored the benefits of exposure to nature, in the form of a Japanese garden, for persons with advanced dementia. In the current work, we extended our observations to two new locations and a new set of subjects with a different ethnic composition with the goal of identifying interventions that might improve their quality of life. We found that, even in these new settings, garden observation not only relieved physiological stress, it improved qualitative measures such as verbalization and memory retrieval. We present data that viewing the garden is a holistic experience rather a solely visual stimulus. Our new data further support the conclusion that garden observation is worth including in the care planning schedule of advanced dementia patients. Its low cost and easy availability make it an economical adjunct to current pharmacological methods that has the potential to improve the quality of life of people with dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seiko Goto
- Department of Environmental Studies, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki-shi Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Xuting Shen
- Division of Life Science and the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Minkai Sun
- Department of Environmental Studies, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki-shi Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Yutaka Hamano
- Tawaramachi Hamano Hospital, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
| | - Karl Herrup
- Division of Life Science and the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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24
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Balkaya M, Seidel JL, Sadeghian H, Qin T, Chung DY, Eikermann-Haerter K, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Ferrari MD, Ayata C. Relief Following Chronic Stress Augments Spreading Depolarization Susceptibility in Familial Hemiplegic Migraine Mice. Neuroscience 2019; 415:1-9. [PMID: 31299346 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cortical spreading depolarization (CSD) is the electrophysiological substrate of migraine aura, and a putative trigger of trigeminovascular activation and migraine headache. Many migraineurs report stress or relief after a stress triggers an attack. We tested whether various stress conditions might modulate CSD susceptibility and whether this is dependent on genetic factors. Male and female wild type and familial hemiplegic migraine type1 (FHM1) knock-in mice heterozygous for the S218L missense mutation were subjected to acute or chronic stress, or chronic stress followed by relief (36 h). Acute stress was induced by restraint and exposure to bright light and white noise (3 h). Chronic stress was induced for 28 days by two cycles of repeated exposure of mice to a rat (7 days), physical restraint (3 days), and forced swimming (3 days). Electrical CSD threshold and KCl-induced (300 mM) CSD frequency were determined in occipital cortex in vivo at the end of each protocol. Relief after chronic stress reduced the electrical CSD threshold and increased the frequency of KCl-induced CSDs in FHM1 mutants only. Acute or chronic stress without relief did not affect CSD susceptibility in either strain. Stress status did not affect CSD propagation speed, duration or amplitude. In summary, relief after chronic stress, but not acute or chronic stress alone, augments CSD in genetically susceptible mice. Therefore, enhanced CSD susceptibility may explain why, in certain patients, migraine attacks typically occur during a period of stress relief such as weekends or holidays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Balkaya
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Jessica L Seidel
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Homa Sadeghian
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Tao Qin
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - David Y Chung
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Katharina Eikermann-Haerter
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Arn M J M van den Maagdenberg
- Department of Neurology Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300, RC, the Netherlands; Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300, RC, the Netherlands
| | - Michel D Ferrari
- Department of Neurology Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300, RC, the Netherlands
| | - Cenk Ayata
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Stroke Service and Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
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25
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Waja T, Ebrahim J, Yohannis Z, Bedaso A. Prevalence of alcohol use disorders and associated factors among people with epilepsy attending Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2016; 12:2989-2996. [PMID: 27920535 PMCID: PMC5125799 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s122296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alcohol use disorders represent one of the leading causes of preventable death, illness, and injury in many societies throughout the world. Heavy alcohol consumption has multiple negative consequences for people with epilepsy such as precipitation of seizure, exacerbation of seizure, poor seizure control, increased side effects of antiepileptic drugs, noncompliance to antiepileptic drugs, alcohol withdrawal seizures, long-term hospital admission, status epilepticus, sudden unexpected death, and premature mortality. METHODS An institution-based cross sectional study was conducted from April 15, 2014 to May 15, 2014 with the aim of assessing prevalence of alcohol use disorders and associated factors among people with epilepsy attending Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A total of 413 randomly selected epileptic patients were included in this study. Data were structured using the 10-item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to study the association, and variables with P-value <0.05 were considered as having a statistically significant association at 95% confidence interval. RESULTS A total of 423 study participants were selected, of whom 413 completely filled the questionnaire making the response rate 97.6%. The mean age of the respondents was 31.9 years with standard deviation of ±10.97, and 248 (60%) were males. The prevalence of alcohol use disorder was 17.4%. Educational status (grade 9-12) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =3.25, [1.21, 8.69]), not living with family members (AOR =1.89, [1.06, 3.39]), availability of house (AOR =2.04, [1.10, 3.78]), taking carbamazepine (AOR =2.38, [1.13, 5.01]), and drinking alcohol to find relief from stress (AOR =4.28, [1.89, 9.67]) were significantly associated with alcohol use disorder among people with epilepsy. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION The findings of this study revealed that the prevalence of alcohol use disorder among people with epilepsy was high. Routine screening of epileptic patients with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsegereda Waja
- Department of Psychiatry, Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa
| | - Jemal Ebrahim
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, SNNPR, Ethiopia
| | - Zegeye Yohannis
- Department of Psychiatry, Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa
| | - Asres Bedaso
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, SNNPR, Ethiopia
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26
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Zhao X, Wang M, Zhang Z, Liu Y. The Effect of Ultrasonic Peening Treatment on Fatigue Performance of Welded Joints. Materials (Basel) 2016; 9:ma9060471. [PMID: 28773589 PMCID: PMC5456831 DOI: 10.3390/ma9060471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasonic peening treatment (UPT) as a method of severe plastic deformation was used to treat cruciform welded joints of Q345 steel. The application of UPT achieves material surface nanocrystallization of the peening zone, reduces stress concentration, and produces residual compressive stresses at the welded toe. Micro-structure, hardness, stress relief, S-N curve, and the fatigue fracture mechanism of cruciform welded joint of Q345 steel, both before and after UPT, were analyzed in detail. The main results show that: stress concentration and residual tensile stress are the main reasons to reduce fatigue strength of cruciform welded joints. The fatigue life of cruciform welded joints is improved for surface hardening, compressive stress, and grain refinement by UPT. Residual compressive stress caused by UPT is released with the increase of fatigue life. A very significant fatigue strength improvement happens when UPT is replenished repeatedly after a certain number of cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China.
| | - Mingyi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Automobile Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China.
| | - Yu Liu
- School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130025, China.
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