Effect of daily temperature range on respiratory health in Argentina and its modification by impaired socio-economic conditions and PM10 exposures

Epidemiological investigations regarding temperature influence on human health have focused on mortality rather than morbidity. In addition, most information comes from developed countries despite the increasing evidence that climate change will have devastating impacts on disadvantaged populations living in developing countries. In the present study, we assessed the impact of daily temperature range on upper and lower respiratory infections in Cordoba, Argentina, and explored the effect modification of socio-economic factors and influence of airborne particles We found that temperature range is a strong risk factor for admissions due to both upper and lower respiratory infections, particularly in elderly individuals, and that these effects are more pronounced in sub-populations with low education level or in poor living conditions. These results indicate that socio-economic factors are strong modifiers of the association between temperature variability and respiratory morbidity, thus they should be considered in risk assessments.

Identifying gaps in COVID-19 health equity data reporting in Canada using a scorecard approach

OBJECTIVE

To assess health equity-oriented COVID-19 reporting across Canadian provinces and territories, using a scorecard approach.

METHODS

A scan was performed of provincial and territorial reporting of five data elements (cumulative totals of tests, cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and population size) across three units of aggregation (province or territory level, health regions, and local areas) (15 "overall" indicators), and for four vulnerable settings (long-term care and detention facilities, schools, and homeless shelters) and eight social markers (age, sex, immigration status, race/ethnicity, healthcare worker status, occupational sector, income, and education) (180 "equity-related" indicators) as of December 31, 2020. Per indicator, one point was awarded if case-delimited data were released, 0.7 points if only summary statistics were reported, and 0 if neither was provided. Results were presented using a scorecard approach.

RESULTS

Overall, information was more complete for cases and deaths than for tests, hospitalizations, and population size denominators needed for rate estimation. Information provided on jurisdictions and their regions, overall, tended to be more available (average score of 58%, "D") than that for equity-related indicators (average score of 17%, "F"). Only British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario provided case-delimited data, with Ontario and Alberta providing case information for local areas. No jurisdiction reported on outcomes according to patients' immigration status, race/ethnicity, income, or education. Though several provinces reported on cases in long-term care facilities, only Ontario and Quebec provided detailed information for detention facilities and schools, and only Ontario reported on cases within homeless shelters and across occupational sectors.

CONCLUSION

One year into the pandemic, socially stratified reporting for COVID-19 outcomes remains sparse in Canada. However, several "best practices" in health equity-oriented reporting were observed and set a relevant precedent for all jurisdictions to follow for this pandemic and future ones.

Improving psychosocial health and employment outcomes for individuals receiving methadone treatment: a realist synthesis of what makes interventions work

BACKGROUND

For over 50 years, methadone has been prescribed to opioid-dependent individuals as a pharmacological approach for alleviating the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. However, individuals prescribed methadone sometimes require additional interventions (e.g., counseling) to further improve their health. This study undertook a realist synthesis of evaluations of interventions aimed at improving the psychosocial and employment outcomes of individuals on methadone treatment, to determine what interventions work (or not) and why.

METHODS

The realist synthesis method was utilized because it uncovers the processes (or mechanisms) that lead to particular outcomes, and the contexts within which this occurs. A comprehensive search process resulted in 31 articles for review. Data were extracted from the articles, and placed in four templates to assist with analysis. Data analysis was an iterative process and involved comparing and contrasting data within and across each template, and cross checking with original articles to determine key patterns in the data.

RESULTS

For individuals on methadone, engagement with an intervention appears to be important for improved psychosocial and/or employment outcomes. The engagement process involves attendance at interventions as well as an investment in what is offered. Three intervention contexts (often in some combination) support the engagement process: a) client-centered contexts (or those where clients' psychosocial and/or employment needs/issues/skills are recognized and/or addressed); b) contexts which address clients' socio-economic conditions and needs; and, c) contexts where there are positive client-counselor and/or peer relationships. There is some evidence that sometimes ongoing engagement is necessary to maintain positive outcomes. There is also some evidence that complete abstinence from drugs (e.g., cocaine, heroin) is not necessary for engagement.

CONCLUSIONS

It is important to consider how the contexts of interventions might elicit and/or support clients' engagement. Further research is needed to explore how an individual's background (e.g., involvement with different interventions over an extended period) may influence engagement. Long-term engagement may be necessary to sustain some positive outcomes although how long is unclear and requires further research. Engagement can occur without complete abstinence from such drugs as cocaine or heroin, but additional research is required as engagement may be influenced by the extent and type of drug use.

Paving towards the sustainable development goals: Analyzing the nexus of financial technology, business-centric-tourism, and green growth

The world is facing crucial challenges such as environmental degradation, social inequality, and slow economic growth due to the current transformative era. These challenges constitute a significant barrier to unlocking the world's full potential. In response, green growth has emerged as a focal point in global discourse due to the pivotal shift of legislators and researchers from conventional economic growth to sustainable and green growth. This research will examine the influence of financial technology and business-centric-tourism on green growth for a full panel of 148 worldwide economies and four different income-levels during the period spanning 2004-2021. The financial technology index comprises twenty-one enabling and integrated variables that capture the intersection between finance and technology. The two-step system GMM (Generalized Method of Moment) corroborated by the 2SLS (Two-Stage Least Square) method indicates that financial technology and business-centric-tourism endorse green growth for the world overall, while mixed results were observed at different income-levels. Moreover, energy transition, globalization, and business environment positively influence green growth, while it is negatively impacted by urban transition and socio-economic conditions. This study aligns its outcomes with the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of 2030 and adds value to business literature on green growth by offering significant policy implications for achieving balanced and inclusive growth.

Big disparities in CH4 emission patterns from landfills between the United States and China and their behind driving forces

Waste is the bridge linking resource consumption and greenhouse gas generation, and waste landfills are the main anthropogenic source of methane (CH4). The United States (US)-China Joint Glasgow Declaration and the Global Methane Pledge are committed to reducing tractable CH4 emissions; however, differences between the involved countries as well as their generation forecast processes have hampered cooperation. In this study, we provide a deep insight into CH4 emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and identify the disparities in CH4 emissions with local socio-economic conditions. The US and China, the world's two largest economies, generated approximately 3.73 and 1.48 million tonnes of CH4 from 1248 to 1955 landfills in 2012 using the FOD/bottom-up method, with corresponding 26.93 and 11.94 kg per tonne waste and emission value from each landfill ranging between 100 and 105 and 10-5-105 tonnes. The spatial distribution was also quantified and compared with national, state/province, and urban agglomeration perspectives based on historical MSW variations (1990-2015) to clarify the triangular relationship between the economic situation, waste properties, and landfill CH4 emissions. High-density CH4 emission regions spatially overlapped with highly developed urban agglomerations, positively correlated with the local gross domestic product (GDP) and population (p < 0.01), with more emissions generated per thousand US dollars in the US (0.25 tonnes) than in China (0.16 tonnes). The US tertiary industry and China's secondary industry contributed to high CH4 emissions from the waste sector. The increase in tertiary industry might reduce the waste sector's CH4 emissions. This study will help to understand this new triangular relationship and predict future patterns of CH4 emissions.