Consequences Of Inactivity Research Articles

Informing National Climate Action with the Green Economy Model: A Technical Description of the Structures and Processes

National climate ambitions have been hampered by a lack of understanding of the impacts of the transition to a low-carbon economy as well as the consequences of inaction. Amid legitimate concerns regarding transitional impacts, financing needs, and the institutional and political constraints to low-carbon policy implementation, knowledge and analytical skill gaps prevent countries from increasing necessary ambition on climate and environmental targets consistent with global goals. In this Technical Note, we present the green economy model (GEM), which aims to simultaneously improve people’s understanding of complex climate, environmental, and socioeconomic linkages; equip decision-makers with adequate tools for policy development; and help close coordination gaps and build technical capacity for low-carbon policymaking. It is a practical guide for local policymakers, experts, and academics to understand the model structures and considerations for employing GEM for green economic policy analysis.

Physiological determinants of mechanical efficiency during advanced ageing and disuse.

This study aimed to determine which physiological factors impact net efficiency (ηnet) in oldest-old individuals at different stages of skeletal muscle disuse. To this aim, we examined ηnet, central haemodynamics, peripheral circulation, and peripheral factors (skeletal muscle fibre type, capillarization and concentration of mitochondrial DNA [mtDNA]). Twelve young (YG; 25 ± 2 years), 12 oldest-old mobile (OM; 87 ± 3 years), and 12 oldest-old immobile (OI; 88 ± 4 years) subjects performed dynamic knee extensor (KE) and elbow flexors (EF) exercise. Pulmonary oxygen uptake, photoplethysmography, Doppler ultrasound and muscle biopsies of the vastus lateralis and biceps brachii were used to assess central and peripheral adaptations to advanced ageing and disuse. Compared to the YG (12.1 ± 2.4%), the ηnet of lower-limb muscle was higher in the OM (17.6 ± 3.5%, P < 0.001), and lower in the OI (8.9 ± 1.9%, P < 0.001). These changes in ηnet during KE were coupled with significant peripheral adaptations, revealing strong correlations between ηnet and the proportion of type I muscle fibres (r=0.82), as well as [mtDNA] (r=0.77). No differences in ηnet were evident in the upper-limb muscles between YG, OM and OI. In view of the differences in limb-specific activity across the lifespan, these findings suggest that ηnet is reduced by skeletal muscle inactivity and not by chronological age, per se. Likewise, this study revealed that the age-related changes in ηnet are not a consequence of central or peripheral haemodynamic adaptations, but are likely a product of peripheral changes related to skeletal muscle fibre type and mitochondrial density. KEY POINTS: Although the effects of ageing and muscle disuse deeply impact the cardiovascular and skeletal muscle function, the combination of these factors on the mechanical efficiency are still a matter of debate. By measuring both upper- and lower-limb muscle function, which experience differing levels of disuse, we examined the influence of central and peripheral haemodynamics, and skeletal muscle factors linked to mechanical efficiency. Across the ages and degree of disuse, upper-limb muscles exhibited a preserved work economy. In the legs the oldest-old without mobility limitations exhibited an augmented mechanical efficiency, which was reduced in those with an impairment in ambulation. These changes in mechanical efficiency were associated with the proportion of type I muscle fibres. Recognition that the mechanical efficiency is not simply age-dependent, but the consequence of inactivity and subsequent skeletal muscle changes, highlights the importance of maintaining physical activity across the lifespan.

The benefits and costs of U.S. employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

In 2021, the Biden Administration issued mandates requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for U.S. federal employees and contractors and for some healthcare and private sector workers. These mandates have been challenged in court; some have been halted or delayed. However, their costs and benefits have not been rigorously appraised. This study helps fill that gap. We estimate the direct costs and health-related benefits that would have accrued if these vaccination requirements had been implemented as intended. Compared with the January 2022 vaccination rates, we find that the mandates could have led to 15 million additional vaccinated individuals, increasing the overall proportion of the fully vaccinated U.S. population from 64% to 68%. The associated net benefits depend on the subsequent evolution of the pandemic-information unavailable ex ante to analysts or policymakers. In scenarios involving the emergence of a novel, more transmissible variant, against which vaccination and previous infection offer moderate protection, the estimated net benefits are potentially large. They reach almost $20,000 per additional vaccinated individual, with more than 20,000 total deaths averted over the 6-month period assessed. In scenarios involving a fading pandemic, existing vaccination-acquired or infection-acquired immunity provides sufficient protection, and the mandates' benefits are unlikely to exceed their costs. Thus, mandates may be most useful when the consequences of inaction are catastrophic. However, we do not compare the effects of mandates with alternative policies for increasing vaccination rates or for promoting other protective measures, which may receive stronger public support and be less likely to be overturned by litigation.

Muscle Histopathological Abnormalities in a Patient With a CCT5 Mutation Predicted to Affect the Apical Domain of the Chaperonin Subunit.

Recognition of diseases associated with mutations of the chaperone system genes, e.g., chaperonopathies, is on the rise. Hereditary and clinical aspects are established, but the impact of the mutation on the chaperone molecule and the mechanisms underpinning the tissue abnormalities are not. Here, histological features of skeletal muscle from a patient with a severe, early onset, distal motor neuropathy, carrying a mutation on the CCT5 subunit (MUT) were examined in comparison with normal muscle (CTR). The MUT muscle was considerably modified; atrophy of fibers and disruption of the tissue architecture were prominent, with many fibers in apoptosis. CCT5 was diversely present in the sarcolemma, cytoplasm, and nuclei in MUT and in CTR and was also in the extracellular space; it colocalized with CCT1. In MUT, the signal of myosin appeared slightly increased, and actin slightly decreased as compared with CTR. Desmin was considerably delocalized in MUT, appearing with abnormal patterns and in precipitates. Alpha-B-crystallin and Hsp90 occurred at lower signals in MUT than in CTR muscle, appearing also in precipitates with desmin. The abnormal features in MUT may be the consequence of inactivity, malnutrition, denervation, and failure of protein homeostasis. The latter could be at least in part caused by malfunction of the CCT complex with the mutant CCT5 subunit. This is suggested by the results of the in silico analyses of the mutant CCT5 molecule, which revealed various abnormalities when compared with the wild-type counterpart, mostly affecting the apical domain and potentially impairing chaperoning functions. Thus, analysis of mutated CCT5 in vitro and in vivo is anticipated to provide additional insights on subunit involvement in neuromuscular disorders.

Improving Shared Decision-Making Using Cognitive Effort-Optimization.

Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPPs) can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the participation rates in DPPs have been limited. Many individuals at risk of developing diabetes have difficulties making healthy choices because of the cognitive effort required to understand the risks, the role of biomarkers, the consequences of inaction and the actions required to delay or avoid development of T2D. We report on the design and development of a prototype digital tool that decreases cognitive effort for people at risk of developing T2D using the effort-optimized intervention framework.

Barriers of physical activity and consequences of inactivity in the population of nurses. A narrative review

Abstract Aim. Nurses are the largest professional group among health care workers. They encounter numerous health problems resulting from the specificity of their professional activity, including musculoskeletal diseases, low quality of sleep, cardiovascular diseases or glucose intolerance, obesity and depressive symptoms. Physical exercise protects against these disorders, but the compliance with the WHO recommendations of physical activity is low among nurses. The main purpose of the review was to identify the most frequently appearing barriers to undertaking physical activity in nurses population. Material and methods. The literature search of articles published from 1979-2020 in PubMed included the following Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): ‘Nurses’ or ‘Nursing Personnel’ or ‘Nursing Students’ or ‘Health Personnel’ or ‘Healthcare Workers’ or ‘Health Care Professionals’ or ‘Health Care Providers’; Physical Activity’ or ‘Physical Fitness’ or ‘Exercise’ or ‘Exercise Training’ or ‘Acute Exercise’ or ‘Aerobic Exercise’ or ‘Isometric Exercise’; ‘Barriers’ or ‘Benefits’. Results. The lack of time, tiredness, family responsibilities, inconvenient facilities or schedule, but also stress, physical appearance concerns, the cost of facilities, interpersonal barriers and the lack of support are identified as barriers to exercise. Another barrier is also the lack of knowledge of the proper dose of physical activity. Conclusions. Promoting physical activity among nurses seems to be necessary.

Carbon Neutrality Policies and Technologies: A Scientometric Analysis of Social Science Disciplines

Carbon neutrality, or “net zero”, has become the impact assessment project of human impact on Earth, increasingly structured to examine the implications, for the environment and people, of proposed actions and consequences of inaction. International and local collaboration efforts have been made with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality or “net-zero” emissions; thus, policies and technological innovations have been developed. Such impact-oriented risk assessment and control efforts amount to carbon-neutral pathways. Although such pathways may diverge in terms of energy, resources, and cost, it is critical to summarize essential and promising preparatory work on related policies and technologies to inform both policy-makers and social scientists to take actions. Through a scientometric analysis and systematic review of the latest social science literature, the study identified the size, scope and exemplar work for each social science discipline on carbon neutrality, based on 907 articles collected in early 2021 from the Web of Science database. This study reveals a set of disciplines focusing on certain common and distinct aspects of carbon neutrality. By outlining the possibilities and application areas for future research and policy development for socio-technical transition towards a net-zero or post-carbon future, this study has contributed to the understanding of the global efforts to achieve a clearer and viable carbon-neutral pathway. In conclusion, as many aspects of the planet and humans have become datafied, digitized, and networked, carbon neutrality, as the ecological indicator that guide human production and consumption patterns, must take on a central role in guiding our conscious green digital transformation of many political, economic, social and psychological aspects of our societies according to the existing and emerging social science knowledge.

Examining self-affirmation as a tactic for recruiting inactive women into exercise interventions.

Recruitment of insufficiently active individuals into exercise interventions is difficult due to many different barriers, including motivational barriers and negative body image. The present study provided an initial conceptual test of whether self-affirmation can help increase recruitment of insufficiently active women to an exercise intervention. Emerging adult women were randomly assigned to complete a self-affirmation or control task prior to reading the same message concerning the consequences of inactivity. In addition to completing demographic and body image measures at baseline, U.S. undergraduate participants (N = 254) indicated their interest in registering for an intervention and their intention to exercise after the experimental manipulation. Data did not support hypotheses that (1) self-affirmed women would find the message less threatening and less manipulative, (2) self-affirmed women would have higher intentions to exercise, (3) self-affirmed women would be more likely to register interest for a future exercise intervention, and (4) condition and body dissatisfaction would interact such that the intervention would be particularly beneficial for women with high body dissatisfaction. Results revealed that 70% of participants were unwilling to register for an exercise intervention, which indicates that other novel exercise intervention recruitment techniques need to be tested.

Transcription regulates ribosome hibernation.

Most bacteria are quiescent, typically as a result of nutrient limitation. In order to minimize energy consumption during this potentially prolonged state, quiescent bacteria substantially attenuate protein synthesis, the most energetically costly cellular process. Ribosomes in quiescent bacteria are present as dimers of two 70S ribosomes. Dimerization is dependent on a single protein, hibernation promoting factor (HPF), that binds the ribosome in the mRNA channel. This interaction indicates that dimers are inactive, suggesting that HPF inhibits translation. However, we observe that HPF does not significantly affect protein synthesis in vivo suggesting that dimerization is a consequence of inactivity, not the cause. The HPF-dimer interaction further implies that re-initiation of translation when the bacteria exit quiescence requires dimer resolution. We show that ribosome dimers quickly resolve in the presence of nutrients, and this resolution is dependent on transcription, indicating that mRNA synthesis is required for dimer resolution. Finally, we observe that ectopic HPF expression in growing cells where mRNA is abundant does not significantly affect protein synthesis despite stimulating dimer formation, suggesting that dimerization is dynamic. Thus, the extensive transcription that occurs in response to nutrient availability rapidly re-activates the translational apparatus of a quiescent cell and induces dimer resolution.

The Political Economy of Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Insurgency and its Impact on Southern Africa’s Regional Security

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; This article investigates the political economy of Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado insurgency and its implications on the regional security of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The conflict in Cabo Delgado has drawn attention to the SADC’s vulnerability to conflict, specifically with respect to Islamic extremism. Southern Africa has enjoyed relative peace in comparison to other regions on the continent, but studies on intrastate conflicts have indicated that conflict is likely to spill over into neighboring countries. Secondary data was used to analyze how natural resource governance practices have contributed to intrastate conflicts and how this has driven Islamic extremism and insurgent behavior in Mozambique. This study argues that the SADC must actively intervene by providing humanitarian and military assistance through training and deployment of military personnel to restore peace and security in Mozambique, and that the consequences of inaction have escalated the conflict, as illustrated by the humanitarian crisis. Unless the SADC deploys military personnel and training, there remains a risk of conflict spreading to vulnerable neighboring countries, consequently destabilizing the region.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Interventions to Address the Opioid Crisis—Modeling Predictions and Consequences of Inaction

Invited commentary: The scale of the opioid crisis in the United States highlights the need to identify and implement the most effective approaches to prevent overdose fatalities. Over the last 15 years, deaths due to opioid overdoses have exceeded 500 000,1 and declines in overall US life expectancy are partly explained by this increase in overdose mortality. The Healing Communities Study (HCS), part of the National Institutes of Health Healing Addiction Long-Term initiative to address the opioid crisis, is testing whether an integrated set of evidence-based prevention and treatment interventions can reduce overdose mortality by 40% over a 3-year period (the first year to select interventions and train personnel and 2 years of implementation).....

A country comparison of place-based activity response to COVID-19 policies

The emergence of the novel Coronavirus Disease in late 2019 (COVID-19) and subsequent pandemic led to an immense disruption in the daily lives of almost everyone on the planet. Faced with the consequences of inaction, most national governments responded with policies that restricted the activities conducted by their inhabitants. As schools and businesses shuttered, the mobility of these people decreased. This reduction in mobility, and related activities, was recorded through ubiquitous location-enabled personal mobile devices. Patterns emerged that varied by place-based activity. In this work the differences in these place-based activity patterns are investigated across nations, specifically by focusing on the relationship between government enacted policies and changes in community activity patterns. By addressing five research questions, we show that people's activity response to government action varies widely both across nations as well as regionally within them. Three assessment measures, namely cosine similarity, lag response, and subregional variation, are devised and the results correlate with a number of global indices. We discuss these findings and the relationship between government action and residents' response.

Practical Recommendations for Maintaining Active Lifestyle during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Literature Review.

Diminished volumes of habitual physical activity and increased sedentary levels have been observed as a result of COVID-19 home-confinement. Consequences of inactivity, including a higher mortality rate and poorer general health and fitness, have been reported. This systematic review aimed to provide practical recommendations for maintaining active lifestyles during pandemics. In May 2020, two electronic databases (PubMed; Web of Science) were used to search for relevant studies. A total of 1206 records were screened by two researchers. Thirty-one relevant studies were included in this systematic review, in which the methodological quality was assessed. With regard to six studies, which explicitly dealt with physical activity during COVID-19, the evidence level is classified by three articles to level II, and in the other three to level VI. Regarding the physical activity recommendations in these papers, three of them were classified to a medium, and the same number to a weak evidence base. Of the 25 papers which refer to other pandemics and/or isolation situations, one was classified to evidence level I, four were ranged to level II, three to level III, one to level V, and the others to level VI. This systematic review revealed that reduced physical activity levels are of serious concern during home confinement in pandemic times. The recommendations provided by many international organizations to maintain active lifestyles during these times mainly target the general population, with less consideration for vulnerable populations (e.g., older adults, people with health issues). Therefore, personalized and supervised physical activity programs are urgently needed, with the option to group-play physical activity programs (e.g., exergames). These can be assisted, delivered, and disseminated worldwide through information and communication technology solutions. If it is permitted and safe, being active outside in daylight is advised, with an effort level of mild to moderate using the rating of perceived exertion scale. Relaxation techniques should be integrated into the daily routine to reduce stress levels. On the evidence base and levels of the included articles in this review, the results need to be interpreted with caution. Given that policies are different across regions and countries, further research is needed to categorize recommendations according to different social-distancing scenarios.

Why do women choose homebirth in Australia? A national survey

BackgroundIn Australia there have been regulatory and insurance changes negatively affecting homebirth. AimThe aim of this study is to explore the characteristics, needs and experiences of women choosing to have a homebirth in Australia. MethodsA national survey was conducted and promoted through social media networks to women who have planned a homebirth in Australia. Data were analysed to generate descriptive statistics. Findings1681 surveys were analysed. The majority of women indicated a preference to give birth at home with a registered midwife. However, if a midwife was not available, half of the respondents indicated they would give birth without a registered midwife (freebirth) or find an unregistered birthworker. A further 30% said they would plan a hospital or birth centre birth. In choosing homebirth, women disclosed that they wanted to avoid specific medical interventions and the medicalised hospital environment. Nearly 60% of women reported at least one risk factor that would have excluded them from a publicly funded homebirth programme. Many women described their previous hospital experience as traumatic (32%) and in some cases, leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, 6%). Only 5% of women who reported on their homebirth experience considered it to be traumatic (PTSD, 1%). The majority of these were associated with how they were treated when transferred to hospital in labour. ConclusionThere is an urgent need to expand homebirth options in Australia and humanise mainstream maternity care. A potential rise in freebirth may be the consequences of inaction.

The Need for Civil Disobedience and Radical Change in Education

This article argues that it is necessary to fight for a radical and immediate restructuring of our educational systems. Young people are currently being prepared for a future that does not exist, and we are lying to them and to ourselves by pretending that we can address the climate and ecological emergency from within existing educational and political paradigms. The author's argument that direct action and civil disobedience are essential in achieving the change that is needed might sound extreme to some people. But the consequences of inaction are far more extreme. We are taught – constantly and not only in schools – that breaking the rules is wrong. But if following the rules means conforming with collective behaviours that are rapidly destroying the living planet and our chances of continued life on it, then we must quickly learn to constructively disobey. Radical change for a more humane educational system is needed for its own sake, but, in the current emergency, this need for change is not only necessary but also urgent.

The Dangers of Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine, and a Partial Solution

The Dangers of Humanitarian Intervention and the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine, and a Partial Solution Matthew Bellinger (bio) Introduction When the United Nations (UN) was formed, one of its most important goals was to render war obsolete. The UN Charter states as a goal the hope to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."1 When President Franklin D. Roosevelt first described his vision for a post-World War II international organization, he envisioned an organization that would promote and facilitate "international cooperation . . . to consider and deal with the problem of world relations."2 He also wanted a council that would "concern itself with peaceful settlement of international disputes."3 The UN Charter itself took the then-unprecedented step of outlawing war, stating that "all Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means," and that "all Members shall refrain . . . from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state."4 However, the UN Charter does not address the important potential exception of humanitarian intervention. This lack of clarity has led to a robust debate that continues to this day—can a state legitimately use [End Page 371] force for humanitarian purposes? Today, many countries have embraced the "responsibility to protect" doctrine, which allows countries to intervene in a humanitarian crisis if five criteria are met.5 One is that of reasonable prospects which asks, is "there a reasonable chance of the military action being successful in meeting the threat in question, and are the consequences of action not likely to be worse than the consequences of inaction?"6 Unfortunately, this level of scrutiny needs to be revised; instead, it should be more rigorous to account for world leaders' consistent inability to estimate the effects of their intervention. Additionally, cultural disruption should be considered as one of the negative effects in this balancing test to address concerns about the use of humanitarian intervention as a pretext for colonialism. In this article, I intend to offer a potential solution to address these concerns. In Part I, I will examine the development of the doctrine of humanitarian intervention and its transformation into the Responsibility to Protect. In Part II, I will discuss two of the potential problems with the Responsibility to Protect doctrine. The first problem is countries using humanitarian excuses as a pretext to advance national aims. The second problem is countries not accurately assessing the consequences of intervention. In Part III, I will discuss my potential solution to address these problems–heightening the balance of consequences test. This will be used to determine whether humanitarian intervention should be attempted and requiring countries to consider the desires and culture of the country that is the object of the intervention before intervening. Part I: The Humanitarian Intervention Doctrine and the Responsibility to Protect The United Nations Charter seems to forbid intervention in the domestic affairs of other states. The Charter states that nothing in its contents "shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state,"7 but the Genocide Convention of 1948 quickly created an agreed upon exception.8 The Convention states that "[a]ny Contracting Party may call upon the competent organs of the United Nations to take such action . . . as they consider appropriate for the prevention and [End Page 372] suppression of acts of genocide."9 However, none of the Charter nations acted on the Convention during the Cold War. Gareth Evans, in a piece in the Wisconsin Law Journal, argues that the large number of states joining the UN during the Cold War discouraged humanitarian intervention. States saw the norm of non-intervention as one of the few protections against more powerful international actors.10 Indeed, the general consensus in the twentieth century was that unilateral humanitarian intervention was illegal. The UN Charter doesn't exempt humanitarian intervention from the prohibition against the use of force, and the International Court of Justice ruled in Nicaragua v. United States that custom doesn't permit unilateral humanitarian intervention.11 This status quo changed with the end of the Cold War, as a new era of...

Multidisciplinary Teams Knock Down Barriers to Medication Treatment for OUD

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Cancer Patients Not Immune to Opioid Crisis

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Wireless Physical Activity Monitor Use Among Adults Living With HIV: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) can help promote healthy aging while addressing health-related challenges experienced with HIV infection. To determine the benefits of PA or consequences of inactivity, it is critical to ensure that we have accurate ways of measuring PA in the context of HIV infection. Wireless physical activity monitors (WPAMs) are increasingly used for measuring PA; however, evidence of their use in the context of HIV infection is unclear. Our aim was to characterize the literature (nature and extent and gaps in evidence) pertaining to WPAM use among adults living with HIV. Methods: We conducted a scoping review using the Arskey and O'Malley framework. We answered the following question: “What is the nature and extent of evidence pertaining to WPAMs and their use among adults living with HIV?” We searched databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane, and PsycINFO from 1980 to September 2016. Two authors independently reviewed titles and abstracts, followed by full texts for inclusion. Two authors independently piloted and then extracted data from included articles. We described characteristics of included studies using frequencies and medians and collated results from text data using content analytical techniques. Results: Our search strategy yielded 1315 citations, of which 25 articles were included. The majority of articles (76%) were published between 2011 and 2016. Among a total sample of 1212 adults living with HIV in the included studies, 56% were women. Across the 20 studies, 23 WPAMs were used including actigraphs (n = 10 WPAMs), accelerometers (n = 8), and pedometers (n = 5) to measure PA. WPAMs were used primarily as an outcome measure of PA. No included studies assessed measurement properties of WPAMs among adults living with HIV. Conclusion: WPAM use in the context of HIV infection primarily involved measuring PA. Areas to address in future research include examining the effectiveness of WPAMs for enhancing PA and assessing measurement properties of WPAMs to ensure they accurately assess PA among adults living with HIV.

Infection control in aesthetic medicine and the consequences of inaction

Microbiology is the study of microbes—living organisms so small they can only be seen through a microscope. They are considered the smallest form of life and include bacteria, viruses, fungi, archaea and protozoa. Microbes that can cause disease are referred to as pathogens. The relationship between the human body and the microbial world is dynamic; however, despite this lifelong partnership and the undeniable value these organisms bring to both the human body and the earth's ecology, some pathogens are capable of destroying human life. The skin and mucous membranes are the body's protective barriers and if they are breached by pathogens, they can reach subcutaneous tissue, muscle, bone and body cavities. In the field of aesthetic medicine, the injection of a dermal filler into the soft tissues is one of the most sought after treatments. This procedure can incorporate multiple injection passes from skin to bone. There is therefore a risk of an infectious complication arising if all traces of make-up are not removed and the skin disinfected, if there is inadequate hand antisepsis or environmental disinfection, and if aseptic technique is not executed during the delivery of these injections.