Life Conditions Research Articles

Natural Skin Care Regimen Improves Clinical Parameters and Quality of Life in Children with Atopic Dermatitis

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent, chronic inflammatory skin disorder, characterized by xerosis, itching and recurrent eczematous lesions. The condition also has major psychosocial implications for patients and their families. A daily skincare regimen of gentle cleansing and moisturization is an important part of atopic dermatitis therapy. Objective: This study evaluated the tolerability and efficacy of a nature-based shampoo/wash and moisturizer in children with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis Methods: This open-label study involved 23 children (6 months – 13 years) with atopic dermatitis. A daily skin care regimen of nature-based shampoo/wash and moisturizer was used for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was tolerability assessed through clinical grading of erythema, dryness and roughness. The study pediatrician graded the eczema condition using the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), and assessments of stratum corneum hydration and transepidermal water loss were performed before and after treatment. Parent/guardian completed two validated quality of life questionnaires. Results: Twenty children completed the study. Clinical evaluations showed significant improvement in subjects’ atopic disease with daily use of nature-based regimen. Significant reduction in dryness and roughness was observed, indicating that both products were well-tolerated. Moisture content and transepidermal water loss measurements showed directional improvements in skin barrier function. Parent/guardian reported significant improvements in quality-of-life assessments. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that nature-based skin care regimen was well tolerated and improved quality of life and skin condition in children with atopic dermatitis and can be used either alone or in adjunction with traditional treatment for disease control.

The effect of ionizing radiation on hydrated fungal cells: Implications for planetary protection and mars habitability

Liquid water is one of the essential conditions for life as we know it. Its presence has been currently reported beyond Earth. Geological and mineralogical evidence indicates that water once flowed on Mars. The recent discovery of present ice-water on the planet's surface is one of the driving factors for life-detection missions. The highly radiative Martian surface, combined with aqueous thin layers, is prohibitive for the presence of hypothetical forms of terrestrial-like life on the planet. In this context, we examined the survival of hydrated colonies of the Antarctic black fungus Cryomyces antarcticus, which thrives in the extreme environment of McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica, after the exposure to increasing doses of space relevant γ-rays. Results suggest that water significantly reduces the number of survivors at the lowest doses, while at the higher dose (117 kGy) the cumulative damage caused by radiation could no longer be counteracted by dehydration.

Dimensions of Housing Deprivation in Poland: A Rural-Urban Perspective

The paper focuses on severe housing deprivation and its components—overcrowding and housing conditions problems. It is based on the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) 2019 survey data. The paper analyzes this data on households in Poland—a country with significant problems in terms of housing deprivation. Three dimensions of housing deprivation are examined: experiencing only overcrowding, experiencing only housing conditions problems, and being severely housing deprived. The study aims to investigate three-dimensional housing deprivation depending on the urbanization level of living places and other socioeconomic characteristics of Polish households. The multinomial logit model was used to assess relative risk ratios for explanatory variables to achieve these purposes. It was found that some socioeconomic characteristics significantly influenced one dimension but not another. Moreover, the relative risk ratios for given characteristics sometimes are greater than one for a particular dimension and less than one for another. Specifically, a significant difference in housing conditions problems between households living in towns and rural areas was found. However, there are no significant differences in overcrowding and severe housing deprivation, given that all other explanatory variables are fixed. Furthermore, considering the relative risk as a ratio of the probability of experiencing the given dimension of housing deprivation and the probability of not being housing deprived at all, households in cities compared with rural households were more likely to be overcrowded and to experience severe housing deprivation but less likely to have housing conditions problems.

Socio-Economic Condition and Aspirations in Life of Out-of-School Youths

Socio-Economic Condition and Aspirations in Life of Out-of-School Youths

Finite element modeling and analysis of tire creep test

Abstract The tire is one of the most complex components of the vehicle, which justifies strict standards and regulations set by governments worldwide to ensure the performance, durability, and reliability of tires approved for use in the transport sector. Among these requirements, tire durability testing involves the assessment of short-and long-term tire response to determine optimum conditions of use and service life. Therefore, this paper focuses on the creep performance of tires using the finite element method in ABAQUS. As a case study, a selected tire with visco-hyperelastic rubber compounds and linear elastic reinforcements is subjected to a constant prescribed force for a period of time, and the resulting strain evolution is recorded till the release of the applied load. Several parameters are accounted for, such as the inflation pressure, material characteristic times, and load amplitude. The post-processing of results enabled the prediction of the overall creep response of the tire over time with respect to the prescribed load. The knowledge gained in this study can be exploited to predict tire failure caused by excessive strain and pinpoint the areas of the tire that are the most exposed to creep failure.

Worker Empowerment and Alternative Models of Socialism: A Comparative Investigation

Recently, David Laibman presented a comparative framework to analyze how different models of socialism might empower workers. In the Marxist tradition, popular control over the material conditions of life requires the ability to determine the rate of investment, plan the production of use values, and create an egalitarian system of distribution. In addition, both Marxist and market socialist advocates argue that workers should have the ability to manage the operations of the enterprises in which they work. These goals are not unproblematically compatible since workers within the enterprise must always operate under constraints. The Bolshevik experience with worker's control of enterprises clearly demonstrates this tension. Despite this proviso, the three models of socialism we consider which place popular planning at the center of the socialist project could, in principle, meet all four criteria of worker empowerment. On the other hand, the market socialist alternative permits planning but not the detailed form of democratic planning traditionally advocated by Marxists. In addition, a market socialist model will have difficulty creating an egalitarian distribution system. Despite these drawbacks, the paper concludes by arguing that the market socialist model provides the best framework for empowering workers during a period of transition to a more robust planning regime.

What Do We Know about Peripartum Cardiomyopathy? Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Peripartum cardiomyopathy is a disease that occurs during or after pregnancy and leads to a significant decline in cardiac function in previously healthy women. Peripartum cardiomyopathy has a varying prevalence among women depending on the part of the world where they live, but it is associated with a significant mortality and morbidity in this population. Therefore, timely diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of this disease from its onset are of utmost importance. Although many risk factors are associated with the occurrence of peripartum cardiomyopathy, such as conditions of life, age of the woman, nutrient deficiencies, or multiple pregnancies, the exact cause of its onset remains unknown. Advances in research on the genetic associations with cardiomyopathies have provided a wealth of data indicating a possible association with peripartum cardiomyopathy, but due to numerous mutations and data inconsistencies, the exact connection remains unclear. Significant insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying peripartum cardiomyopathy have been provided by the theory of an abnormal 16-kDa prolactin, which may be generated in an oxidative stress environment and lead to vascular and consequently myocardial damage. Recent studies supporting this disease mechanism also include research on the efficacy of bromocriptine (a prolactin synthesis inhibitor) in restoring cardiac function in affected patients. Despite significant progress in the research of this disease, there are still insufficient data on the safety of use of certain drugs treating heart failure during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Considering the metabolic changes that occur in different stages of pregnancy and the postpartum period, determining the correct dosing regimen of medications is of utmost importance not only for better treatment and survival of mothers but also for reducing the risk of toxic effects on the fetus.

Влияние ополаскивателей полости рта на стабильность цвета эстетических реставраций

Over the past decades, intensive work has been carried out to expand the possibilities of aesthetic dentistry; the range of demands from patients has also increased. One of the main conditions for the long service life of filling material is careful oral care using the full arsenal of available hygiene products. We analyzed the effect of mouth rinses with various active ingredients (fluorine, chlorhexidine digluconate, medicinal plant extracts) on the level of oral hygiene, as well as on the quality of the filling, in particular on the color of the aesthetic restoration after their use. At the end of the study, all subjects experienced a significant improvement in oral hygiene (decrease in API scores). However, a negative effect of a liquid product containing chlorhexidine digluconate (Waterdent “Chlorhexidine mouthwash with mint flavor”) on the quality of composite restorations has been established. The use of additional oral hygiene products can reduce the risk of caries, but their selection must be personalized so as not to have a negative impact on the aesthetics of composite restorations.

Socio-cultural deviations in the regulation of social interactions of young people

Social interactions in the youth environment are regulated not only on the basis of generally accepted models, but also on the basis of goals-principles that are formed among young people themselves as a response to changes in social and cultural conditions of life. From the point of view of the institutionally approved norm, these principles are socio-cultural deviations. At the level of consciousness, they are represented in the form of various configurations of meanings-judgments that are realised by different groups of young people in the process of interactions. One of the manifestations of deviation is the regulatory meanings orienting to separation and self-assertion at the expense of others. The data obtained in the course of a nationwide survey conducted by the Centre for Sociology of Youth of ISPR FCTAS RAS in 2021 are analysed. The links between labour, education and interpersonal interactions with sociocultural deviations of young people in social reality are considered. The incorporation of sociocultural deviations into the process of regulating interactions in the youth environment is reflected in young people's justification of the practices of bullying, provocation, evil pranks and disrespect for teachers as acceptable ways of interaction in important spheres of life. Their use is accompanied by the assignment of certain semantic characteristics to labour, communication and education in youth groups. In the course of data analysis, it was found that judgments about bullying and trolling differentiate young people by the meaning of labour "feeling of their usefulness". In addition, the judgement of bullying differentiates youth on the meaning of "forced necessity". The links of respondents' approval of judgements about bullying, trolling and teacher with the meaning of communication "joy, happiness" and "inner need" were revealed. It was also found that judgements about prank and teacher differentiate young people according to the meanings of education "opportunity to make a career" and "development of abilities".

Nihilism in Modern Literature: The Case of The Catcher in the Rye

The present research examines cultural implications of the 1951 novel The catcher in the rye by J. D. Salinger. The paper analyses the intradiegetic sentences made by the novel's main character, Holden Caulfield, and investigates on the inferences drawn from them. To this end, it would be used a structuralist methodological approach created by Gérard Genette and Roland Barthes in the 1970s. The conclusions reached indicate that around the date the book was written, a new type of nihilism was common for new generations in themes, characters, and symbols found in literary productions. In such manner, it is suggested that realist literature with intimate and existentialist characters, as well as other cultural objects, allow us to infer which are the daily life conditions. In the case of our work, those conditions are based on social discontent and cultural alienation of adolescents, which is in this research outlined as a new type of nihilism.

Дефицит медицинских кадров как глобальная проблема современности.

The shortage of medical personnel is a global problem of health systems, including countries with a high level of economic development and per capita income. The global aging of the population, the growth of chronic diseases, the inability of the educational system to adapt quickly to the changing conditions of modern life, to the rapid introduction of scientific achievements into curricula and practice, as well as natural and climatic threats and socio-political conflicts are factors that exacerbate the shortage of medical personnel and their uneven distribution across regions and in the world. Suboptimal working conditions, insufficient interprofessional and intersectoral cooperation, burnout, the need for long-term planning of training and professional development in the medical field are recognized as the main problems of health personnel turnover around the world.

Health effects of introducing an unconditional child benefit in Poland: Evidence from a difference in differences analysis

The association between income and health is well-documented, yet the impact of unconditional child benefits on health in high-income countries remains unclear. This study evaluates the health effects of a generous unconditional child transfer introduced in Poland in 2016. We employed a difference-in-differences methodology using 2010–2019 data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). Our analysis compared health outcomes between parents eligible for the child benefit and a control group of childless individuals and parents of ineligible children. The introduction of the child benefit was associated with a 2.7 percentage point increase in reporting very good self-perceived health among beneficiaries. The improvement was more significant among the lower-income half, and there was a notable decrease in unmet medical and dental needs by 1.4 percentage points. The policy significantly improved health outcomes, suggesting the potential of unconditional cash transfers to enhance health in high-income countries, particularly for economically disadvantaged groups.

From Earnings to Occupations: Understanding Intergenerational Mobility inTurkey

The studies analyzing intergenerational economic mobility have been rather scarce for developing countries due to unavailability of longitudinal datasets. This study uses data from Survey of Income and Living Condition (SILC) from2006- 2021, obtained from Turkish Statistical Institute to analyze the intergenerational income and occupational mobility in Turkey. Besides measuring the dynamics of income and occupational mobility across generations, we also analyze howdoes the association of children socioeconomic outcome with their family backgroundvary at different career levels of children. Our findings reveal that the associationwith parents income is much higher for daughters as compared to sons suggestingdaughters outcomes are more explained by their family socioeconomic status. Regarding the association of children’ outcome with family status at different career stage, the relationship is stronger when children are at the mid-career level. The Bayesian methodology and Pseudo-panel fixed effect model has beenemployed to estimate intergenerational income elasticity and for the rest of the analysis, Bayesian methodology has been utilized. Our finding also reveals higher intergenerational occupational persistence among children in higher income families while children from disadvantaged families have higher probability of switching career upon receiving good education and income perspective.

Некоторые аспекты развития функциональной грамотности обучающихся на уроках информатики

The article discusses some aspects of the development of functional literacy of students in computer science lessons. The author reveals the essence and content of functional literacy, the main components of functional literacy, and the signs of a functionally literate person. A solution to the problem of developing students' functional literacy within the framework of the implementation of the updated Federal State Educational Standard is proposed through the use of teaching methods and techniques, forms, tools, techniques and tasks aimed at developing students' functional literacy. This approach is possible when teaching computer science, since computer science is one of the subjects in which functional literacy can be most effectively developed. In computer science lessons, it is possible to use elements of a large number of educational technologies that make it possible to successfully develop the functional literacy of a future graduate who is able to adapt to the changing conditions of modern life. The purpose of the study is to identify opportunities for developing functional literacy of students in computer science lessons. The methodological basis of the article is a complex of general scientific, paradigmatic and instrumental approaches. The results obtained can be used as a resource for expanding the factual base in the application of various teaching methods for the development of functional literacy of students.

UKRAINIAN INTERPRETERS IN THE WAR ZONE (2014-2015)

The article focuses on the study of interpreters’ work in Donetsk, Ukraine in 2014-2015, the first two years of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Complex legal, political and personal aspects of interpreters’ work with international media teams indicate that the legislation regulating the work of interpreters and the general preparedness of Ukrainian professionals for the dangerous working environment are lacking. What political and personal factors affect the language professionals in the field, what risks and challenges they have to overcome, and how they do their best to stay impartial and politically neutral in their work. The study shows that the environment, in which Ukrainian interpreters had to work was complicated and dangerous: they faced many challenges which included performing new functions, taking safety measures to protect their lives and health, adjusting to fast-changing conditions of work and life, coping with psychological pressure, etc. There is an obvious necessity to improve the legislation regulating the work of interpreters in a war zone, introduce training programmes for interpreters working in extreme and dangerous environments, and conduct further research of the work of interpreters in the war zones.

Is Childhood Adversity Before Age 5 Associated with Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Use? Findings from a U.S. Prospective Cohort Study

Objective Growing research suggests that adversity experienced early in life can affect young children’s development, with implications for health-related outcomes years later. This study explored long-term associations between early life adversity before age 5 (ELA) and later substance use outcomes, and racial and ethnic differences in associations. Method Data are from children born 1984–2000 to female participants in the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Youth-1979 cohort (N = 4582 children nested within 2683 mothers, with 1.4–1.8 outcome observations on average for each child in each age period). ELA at ages 0–4 was measured through home observations and maternal surveys, and included high parental conflict and maternal hazardous drinking/drug use (threat-related exposures), and low cognitive stimulation, low emotional support, and household poverty (deprivation-related exposures). Alcohol and cannabis use frequency were measured in biennial adolescent and young adult surveys through 2016. Analyses involved multilevel regression and interactions accounting for demographics, birth cohort, and family history of alcoholism. Results ELA-threat exposure was associated with greater alcohol and cannabis use frequency in mid-adolescence and at ages 22–25 and 26–32 [exp( β ^ )’s = 1.05 to 1.13, p’s < 0.05]. Associations of ELA-deprivation with substance use were either null or negative. There were pronounced racial and ethnic inequities in ELA exposure but no evidence of racial and ethnic differences in associations between ELA and later substance use. Conclusions Broadening substance use research to focus on early childhood conditions appears warranted. Studies that identify intervening pathways to outcomes could inform early, targeted substance use prevention. Efforts are needed to eliminate racial and ethnic inequities in early life conditions.

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTION DESIGN

In order to create the necessary conditions for life and development of society, the production of various products are organized. The nomenclature and consumer qualities of the produced products are determined by the level of scientific and technical development, economic and social living conditions. For the production of products, houses and buildings are erected, which are equipped with certain means of production. The term of functioning of means of production is due to physical and moral wear and tear of machines and mechanisms. Buildings and structures in, which means production are located and function also age physically and morally, although this aging occurs slower than the means of production.Scientific and technical progress is currently characterized by a faster onset of wear and tear of the nomenclature of manufactured products. In addition, in connection with the changes taking place in society, the nomenclature of manufactured products replaced. The problem of retooling the functioning industry (replacing morally or physically outdated means of production, the emergence of need to produce new types of products) arose before humanity a long time ago.Under reconstruction - the production of works, which carried out according to single project:- with a change in volume-planning decisions;- replacement or strengthening of existing structures;- demolition of existing and construction of new structures related to the operation of technological equipment;- with the replacement of obsolete or physically worn equipment;- with mechanization, production automation, etc. When carrying out the reconstruction of the main production facility, as a rule, significant volumes of work are always performed on auxiliary and service facilities.Reconstruction also includes the construction of new workshops and facilities instead of those, which being liquidated, the further operation of which is deemed impractical due to technical and economic conditions. They can be erected both on free territories and on areas vacated as a result of the liquidation (demolition) of the object.Technical re-equipment is clear as the implementation of a set of measures in accordance with the technical development plan of the enterprise according to projects and estimates for individual objects and types of work (without expanding existing production areas) to raise the technical level of individual areas of production, aggregates, and installations to modern requirements by introducing new equipment and technology, mechanization and automation of production processes, modernization and replacement of obsolete or physically worn equipment with new, more productive ones.Sometimes technical rearmament considered as a type of reconstruction with a relatively small amount of construction and installation work. As it is not difficult to see from the given definitions, new construction and expansion are in fact new construction, while the difference between them is only in the conditions of execution of works. Expansion of construction is carried out in difficult (compressed) conditions. Technical rearmament, as it was emphasized, mainly involves the organization of the dismantling of the old and the installation of new equipment on the existing foundations.In the future, the main attention will be paid to the issues of actual reconstruction, namely:- organization of works related to the strengthening of existing building structures, their replacement with temporary transfer of loads;- replacement of beams and trusses in areas of the covering located in areas difficult to reach for installation cranes;- by increasing the pitch of the columns without disassembly.

The Impact of Waste Application on the Reclamation and Biological Life of Degraded Soils

This work concerns the assessment of soil reclamation and its impact on biological life in areas destroyed by the sulfur industry in Jeziórko. Sulfur extraction using the borehole method causes enormous destruction to the soil environment. Among the many forms of degradation, the most pronounced are the chemical transformations of the environment and the disturbances in water relations in large areas, which could theoretically impact areas not within the direct range of the mining plant. This work aimed to assess the condition of biological life in soil reclaimed with waste in areas devastated by the sulfur industry in Jeziórko. The reclamation of these soils was difficult but necessary due to the complete disappearance of biological life. Appropriate actions were taken to restore and improve the properties of the soil, which resulted in an improvement in their production capacity. Reclamation was carried out, among other techniques, by deacidifying the soil using post-flotation lime and fertilizing the soil with municipal sewage sludge and post-use mineral wool. Studies have shown an improvement in many soil properties, such as its physical, water, chemical, and biological properties. The implemented reclamation methods significantly influenced, among other things, the density and water properties of the degraded soil. The soil reclaimed with mineral wool and sewage sludge recorded the highest density and water capacity. Applying mineral wool to the degraded soil influenced the changes in the analyzed physical and water properties. The obtained research results also show the beneficial effect of mineral wool and sewage sludge on the increase in organic carbon content. In the soil treated with these substances, the organic carbon content ranged from 13.60 g·kg−1 to 14.30 g·kg−1. It is shown that reclamation has had a considerable impact on and is essential for biological life in Jeziórko.

Hyperexpansion of genetic diversity and metabolic capacity of extremophilic bacteria and archaea in ancient Andean lake sediments

BackgroundThe Andean Altiplano hosts a repertoire of high-altitude lakes with harsh conditions for life. These lakes are undergoing a process of desiccation caused by the current climate, leaving terraces exposed to extreme atmospheric conditions and serving as analogs to Martian paleolake basins. Microbiomes in Altiplano lake terraces have been poorly studied, enclosing uncultured lineages and a great opportunity to understand environmental adaptation and the limits of life on Earth. Here we examine the microbial diversity and function in ancient sediments (10.3–11 kyr BP (before present)) from a terrace profile of Laguna Lejía, a sulfur- and metal/metalloid-rich saline lake in the Chilean Altiplano. We also evaluate the physical and chemical changes of the lake over time by studying the mineralogy and geochemistry of the terrace profile.ResultsThe mineralogy and geochemistry of the terrace profile revealed large water level fluctuations in the lake, scarcity of organic carbon, and high concentration of SO42--S, Na, Cl and Mg. Lipid biomarker analysis indicated the presence of aquatic/terrestrial plant remnants preserved in the ancient sediments, and genome-resolved metagenomics unveiled a diverse prokaryotic community with still active microorganisms based on in silico growth predictions. We reconstructed 591 bacterial and archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), of which 98.8% belonged to previously unreported species. The most abundant and widespread metabolisms among MAGs were the reduction and oxidation of S, N, As, and halogenated compounds, as well as aerobic CO oxidation, possibly as a key metabolic trait in the organic carbon-depleted sediments. The broad redox and CO2 fixation pathways among phylogenetically distant bacteria and archaea extended the knowledge of metabolic capacities to previously unknown taxa. For instance, we identified genomic potential for dissimilatory sulfate reduction in Bacteroidota and α- and γ-Proteobacteria, predicted an enzyme for ammonia oxidation in a novel Actinobacteriota, and predicted enzymes of the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle in Planctomycetota, Gemmatimonadota, and Nanoarchaeota.ConclusionsThe high number of novel bacterial and archaeal MAGs in the Laguna Lejía indicates the wide prokaryotic diversity discovered. In addition, the detection of genes in unexpected taxonomic groups has significant implications for the expansion of microorganisms involved in the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur.EPcqnK6xUD66cr6MUL2q3UVideo

Well-being effects of the digital platform economy: the case of temporary and self-employment

The surge in non-traditional employment, including self-employment and temporary jobs, driven by the digital platform economy (commonly known as the gig economy), has thrust this form of work into the centre of social and political discussions. Among the European Union countries, Spain stands out with the highest volume of digital platform work. To explore the well-being effects of various gig economy employment arrangements, this study utilizes microdata from the Spanish Living Conditions Survey for 2018 and Google Trends data related to platforms like Deliveroo, Airbnb, Just Eat, Uber, and Freelance as a proxy for digital platform economy demand. Employing an econometric approach based on instrumental variables, the study reveals that the most detrimental well-being effects are observed among self-employed workers. Specifically, in terms of self-reported health, self-employed individuals (own-account workers) exhibit 125.8% lower average health levels compared to permanent workers. These findings suggest that the heightened job insecurity and precariousness associated with self-employment outweigh the potential benefits arising from greater flexibility and autonomy in this type of work.