People Use Research Articles

Incorporating tiny forests in the neighbourhood of Singapore - Opportunities and Challenges

‘Tiny forests’ have gained traction across the globe as a promising solution for restoring natural ecosystems and enriching biodiversity in highly urbanized areas. In land scarce cities, planting forests could mitigate the impacts of climate change and other urban socio-ecological challenges. This article investigates the potential for tiny forests to be part of the greening strategy in Singapore – a compact city that is already championing greening initiatives. Using a case study of the Jurong West neighbourhood, we conducted a survey aiming to understand people's perceptions and use of urban nature. We complement these results with a rapid assessment of land availability confirming the feasibility of implementing tiny forests in Singapore. From the survey, we found that residents were receptive to the idea of having nature closer to their residential areas despite highlighting disadvantages such as undesirable insects and animals. Factors such as minimal spatial requirements and planting methods that enhance trees growth make tiny forest a useful part of the landscaping portfolio to achieve national greening principles. Overall, we find that tiny forests have the potential to become part of the city-state's greening strategies.

Repurposing prescribed hydromorphone: Alternative uses of safer supply and tablet-injectable opioid agonist treatment to meet unaddressed health needs

BackgroundIn response to the ongoing overdose crisis in Canada, a number of opioid agonist treatment and safer supply programs provide people at high overdose risk with daily-dispensed tablet hydromorphone, with some requiring witnessed ingestion and others providing take-away doses. While these programs are intended to reduce overdose events by limiting people's use of the contaminated drug supply, the experiences of people receiving hydromorphone vary. In this article we explore the ways people repurpose hydromorphone to address unmet needs. MethodsThis article draws on in-depth qualitative interviews from two studies evaluating hydromorphone tablet distribution programs in British Columbia, Canada. We used thematic analysis to identify themes related to repurposing hydromorphone. We compared themes across the two studies to identify any similarities or differences in relation to the ways study participants discussed repurposing hydromorphone tablets. We utilize vignettes – snapshots of participant experiences – to analyse and represent the data. ResultsFour vignettes demonstrate how hydromorphone tablets are often being used to address and resolve unmet needs of people who use drugs. While most participants reported reducing their use of illicit drugs, a variety of instrumental uses of tablet hydromorphone were also discussed, including reducing anxiety, addressing sleep issues, withdrawal management, and managing chronic pain. ConclusionOur findings demonstrate how people who use drugs are maximizing the benefits of tablet hydromorphone distribution to address unmet needs. Hydromorphone distribution programs represent a public health and harm reduction intervention that is usefully addressing experiences related to structural vulnerabilities (such as inadequate pain management), which are often overlooked amongst stigmatized groups.

A Relative Analysis of Gardens of Pakistan and UK

Parks play an important role in improving people's quality of life, especially amidst rapid urbanization. This research aims to explore how differences in park design and management affect people's use and perceptions in both countries. The approaches used in this research are qualitative and quantitative. Data were collected through literature review, field observations, and interviews with relevant parties, such as park managers and visitors. The findings show that parks in Pakistan have great cultural significance, often used for social gatherings and recreation, with examples of historical parks such as Shalimar. On the other hand, gardens in the UK offer a diverse range of styles and functions, from formal gardens to natural landscapes, serving as an educational resource for botanical lovers. This analysis provides insights into the unique characteristics of parks in both countries and provides recommendations for park planning and management in Pakistan, taking into account best practices from the UK.

Routine outcomes to investigate differences between ethnic minorities and White British people presenting to emergency services for injury: the stakeholder consultation.

Research has found differences in processes and outcomes of care between people in ethnic minorities and White British populations in some clinical conditions, although findings have been mixed. The Building an understanding of Ethnic minority people's Service Use Relating to Emergency care for injuries study is investigating differences in presentation, experience and health outcomes between people from ethnic minorities and White British people who seek emergency health care for injury. Our aim was to consult with stakeholders to define measurable outcomes available in routine ambulance and emergency department data; to assess the appropriateness of existing outcome measures for ethnic minorities and White British people; and to identify any gaps. Clinicians, public contributors, researchers, people from the third sector, public health, healthcare inclusion were invited to join an online workshop to discuss routine outcomes. Twenty participants attended the stakeholder consultation, with only one being a public contributor, a limitation. Eleven were from a minority ethnic background and seven were female. The integrated list of outcomes included 25 items, combining routine outcomes from the Building an understanding of Ethnic minority people's Service Use Relating to Emergency care for injuries protocol and literature (n = 17) with additional outcomes (n = 8). Notably, the initial list lacked provisions for safeguarding referrals and cases of treatment refusal, which were new additions. Safety concerns arose due to the lack of safeguarding referrals, treatment refusal and self-discharge. Factors such as pre-existing health conditions, injury location and experiences of discrimination were identified as possible influences on care quality and waiting times for ethnic minority patients. Although the number of stakeholders taking part in our consultation was low, their participation identified outcomes not found in routine data, supporting the adoption of a mixed-methods approach to answer our research questions. A future consultation could look to include more public members and wider range of clinicians including those who work in safeguarding and rehabilitation services. This article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme as award number NIHR132744.

"We're Checking a Box and, You Know, Covering Our Own": Health Professionals' Descriptions of Hospital-Policy Making Regarding Child Welfare Reporting Related to Birthing People's Drug Use.

Hospital policies play a role in healthcare providers' decision-making about reporting birthing people who use drugs to child welfare. This study sought to understand how these specific hospital policies are made. We conducted semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals involved in developing or revising hospital policies related to child welfare reporting for birthing people who use drugs. The interview guide was informed by an implementation science framework and focused on participants' experiences developing or revising these policies. We coded transcripts inductively, focusing on themes that emerged in the interviews themselves, and deductively, focusing on pre-determined aspects of the policy development process. Participants (N = 16) were physicians (69%), registered nurses (19%), and social workers (12%). The sample was drawn from all regions of the United States. Two themes emerged in data analysis. The first theme was that urine drug testing policies for pregnant and birthing individuals are seen as part of hospital child welfare reporting policies. Specifically, participants often described child welfare reporting policies as including criteria for urine drug testing and explained that the connection between urine drug testing and child welfare reporting policies was by design. The second theme was that the content of hospital child welfare reporting policies is a result of hospital politics and a focus on legal compliance. They described the legal compliance aspects of the hospital policies as serving to protect the institution and, occasionally, individual employees from legal consequences. The content of hospital policies regarding birthing people who use drugs appears influenced by political and legal considerations more than considerations of patient or public health.

Double-Edged Effects of Social Strategies on the Well-Being of Autistic People: Impact of Self-Perceived Effort and Efficacy.

Autistic people employ various social strategies to form and maintain interpersonal relationships in their daily environments. These strategies can help autistic people with social interactions (leading to self-perceived efficacy of using social strategies), but can also lead to cognitive fatigue (self-perceived effort of using social strategies). However, previous studies have focused primarily on self-perceived effort, overlooking the self-perceived efficacy of using social strategies, and the balance between self-perceived effort and efficacy. To address this gap, this study examined the impact of autistic people's use of social strategies on their well-being, focusing on self-perceived effort, self-perceived efficacy, and their interaction effect. An online survey was conducted among self-reported autistic people in Japan aged 18-65 years, using a modified Compensation Checklist. Data from 104 self-reported autistic participants were analyzed using linear regression. High self-perceived effort in using social strategies was negatively associated with well-being, whereas high self-perceived efficacy was positively associated with well-being. The interaction effect between effort and efficacy was not significant. These results were supported even when loneliness was used as an index of social well-being. Additionally, the number of strategies used by an autistic person was positively associated with well-being. This study highlights the double-edged effect of autistic people using social strategies, and that using a broader repertoire of social strategies may improve the well-being of autistic people. These findings call for a nuanced approach by researchers and clinicians considering both the positive and negative aspects of using social strategies.

Increasing Community Creativity Through Ecoprint Training In Dempelrejo Village

Nowadays, people's use of plastic bags is increasing, especially in the domestic environment. Even though plastic waste is an item that is difficult to decompose naturally. This service seeks to understand the problems that exist in society in the form of the large amount of plastic waste. This service is part of community service. Namely in the form of ecoprint training whose products can be a substitute for plastic bags in everyday life. Service activities take the form of ecoprint training using community education and observation methods. The subject of this service is women in Dempelrejo Village. This activity uses tote bags and leaves around the house as the main materials. The stages of this service activity include: 1. Initial planning and assessment, starting from identifying and observing the conditions of the Dempelrejo community to determining the advantages and disadvantages as well as the objectives of the ecoprint training. 2. Preparation stage, providing equipment, materials and implementation location. 3. Implementation stage, explaining the techniques on how to have leaves, hitting the leaves, and soaking the totebag. The aim of the ecoprint training activity is to provide education to the Dempelrejo community to reduce the community's tendency to replace plastic bags with environmentally friendly tote bags. Apart from that, ecoprint products can be used many times to meet household needs. Moreover, the materials used in making ecoprints are materials that are easily accessible. This dedication emphasizes the importance of loving and protecting nature from the dangers of plastic waste which threatens the environment.

Research on Emotion Expression in Painting Art Based on Resemblance Theory

In the face of paintings, people will have a variety of emotions, but it is not a matter of course that art can express emotions. Art itself cannot produce emotions, it is human beings who express emotions from the beginning to the end. Based on people's use of resemblance theory to express emotions through artworks, this paper probes into the nature of resemblance theory and the problems brought by the convention and seeks interaction of artists, audience and artworks in art expressing emotions. Art expressing emotion needs participation of the three, can not be one-sided demonstration. Resemblance theory is not invulnerable, but more of a hope to point to the root cause of this theoretical behavior, to thinking of the "mind", about this differentiating mind that defines emotion, the coexistence of empathy and prejudice, and so on. In addition, this paper also uses the uniqueness of ancient Chinese painting, which is different from Western art, highlights the connected forms of multi-emotion expression in painting art, and enriches and improves the research system of emotional expression in the field of Eastern painting art.

Research on Emotion Expression in Painting Art Based on Resemblance Theory

In the face of paintings, people will have a variety of emotions, but it is not a matter of course that art can express emotions. Art itself cannot produce emotions, it is human beings who express emotions from the beginning to the end. Based on people's use of resemblance theory to express emotions through artworks, this paper probes into the nature of resemblance theory and the problems brought by the convention and seeks interaction of artists, audience and artworks in art expressing emotions. Art expressing emotion needs participation of the three, can not be one-sided demonstration. Resemblance theory is not invulnerable, but more of a hope to point to the root cause of this theoretical behavior, to thinking of the "mind", about this differentiating mind that defines emotion, the coexistence of empathy and prejudice, and so on. In addition, this paper also uses the uniqueness of ancient Chinese painting, which is different from Western art, highlights the connected forms of multi-emotion expression in painting art, and enriches and improves the research system of emotional expression in the field of Eastern painting art.

Young people's experiences and use of violence in the home: Examining four types of child maltreatment, their intersections and self-reported use of violence in the home

BackgroundChild maltreatment has received substantial academic attention. However, little remains known about the intersection of different types of child maltreatment and their association with young people's use of violence in the home. ObjectiveTo examine the intersection of child maltreatment types and the intergenerational transmission of violence through young people's use of violence in the home. Participantsand setting: A total of 5021 young people (16–20 years old) completed an online survey, recruited using non-probability sampling via survey panels. MethodsAnalyses were carried out using χ2 tests and a series of binary logistic regressions to examine the association between participant characteristics and unique child maltreatment experiences with different forms of maltreatment and young people's use of violence. ResultsOverall, 29.9% of participants had experienced at least one form of maltreatment and 16.7% reported experiences of multi-type maltreatment. The most common experiences were childhood experiences of domestic violence (CEDV) (27.3%), followed by verbal/emotional abuse (17%), which both increased the likelihood of also experiencing physical abuse (OR = 5.85 and OR = 10.21, respectively). Cisgender females and children living with a disability were more likely to experience all four types of maltreatment. Experiences of verbal/emotional abuse (OR = 4.56), and CEDV (OR = 4.52) increased the risk of young people's use of violence in the home. ConclusionsFindings contribute to a growing body of work recognising CEDV as a distinct form of child maltreatment which intersects with other experiences of abuse, including young people's use of violence in the home.

Identify Factors Influencing Young People's Use of Eco-friendly Shopping Bags in the China Guangdong Province

The severity of plastic pollution is increasing, and delaying sustainable development is not an option. China is a large consumer of plastic, so it is essential to encourage the use of eco-friendly shopping bags there. The paper focuses on the recognition and use of eco-friendly shopping bags among young people in Guangdong Province, China, and determines what factors can lead to a rise in the use of these bags. A questionnaire was utilized to gather data from 392 young people in Guangdong Province using a quantitative research approach. According to the data from the questionnaire, they generally are supportive of eco-friendly shopping bags. Ultimately, the paper's data emphasize the positive effects of materials (paper material), function (internal compartment), and design (green label). For the purpose of advocating sustainable development, this paper provides helpful guidance for the design of eco-friendly shopping bags.

Young people's use of disposable vapes: A qualitative study.

Youth use of disposable vapes has increased markedly in the United Kingdom in recent years, yet little is known about the motivations, experiences and perceptions of young people themselves. This study aimed to explore young people's experiences and use of disposable vapes. This was a qualitative study recruiting young people reporting regularly vaping disposables, collecting data via dyad guided, individual and group interviews. Data analysis was theoretically informed by the Social Ecological Model. Inductive and deductive coding approaches were used, with resolution of coded interpretations by consensus. Twenty-nine young people aged 16-20 years participated in qualitative interviews. At the individual level, participants discussed how characteristics of disposable vapes were important to them-particularly price, accessibility and the attractive designs, colours, names and flavours. Young people frequently engaged in both vaping and tobacco smoking, seeing the behaviours as interchangeable dependent on context, and having inaccurate relative harm perceptions of vaping compared with smoking. Experimentation was widespread and many used vapes as a way of managing stress and anxiety. Vaping was positioned as a social behaviour, common among peers. Parental influence on vaping behaviour was minimal, although vaping initiation could be influenced by family vaping norms. Culturally, vaping was a widespread normalized behaviour. Young people were aware of media reports and potential harms, but were less aware of smoking related harms as a consequence. Disposable vapes appear to be attractive and accessible to young people in the United Kingdom. Vaping is normalized in this population, despite being seen as potentially damaging to health, and vaping and smoking are engaged in interchangeably. Underage sales of vapes are reportedly widespread. Strict regulation, such as banning products or increasing prices, may prompt UK youth to switch from vaping to smoking.

Prevalence and correlates of alcohol and drug harms to others: Findings from the 2020 U.S. National Alcohol Survey.

Measure prevalence and overlap of secondhand harms from other people's use of alcohol, cannabis, opioid, or other drugs and examine sociodemographic and other correlates of these secondhand harms. This cross-sectional analysis used data from 7,799 respondents (51.6% female; 12.9% Black, 15.6% Hispanic/Latiné; mean age: 47.6) in the 2020 U.S. National Alcohol Survey. Secondhand harms included family/marriage difficulties, traffic accidents, vandalism, physical harm, and financial difficulties. Weighted prevalence estimates provided nationally representative estimates of these harms. Logistic regression assessed associations between individual characteristics and secondhand harms. Lifetime prevalence of secondhand harms from alcohol, cannabis, opioid, or other drugs was 34.2%, 5.5%, 7.6%, and 8.3%, respectively. There was substantial overlap among lifetime harms: almost 30% of those reporting secondhand alcohol harms also reported secondhand drug harms. Significant correlates of secondhand substance harms included female sex (alcohol, other drug); white (alcohol, opioid), American Indian/Alaska Native (opioid), and Black (cannabis) race/ethnicity; and separated/divorced/widowed marital status (opioid). Those reporting family history of alcohol problems had significantly higher odds of reporting secondhand harms across substance types. Individuals who reported frequent cannabis use had higher odds of reporting secondhand alcohol and opioid harms compared to those with no cannabis use, (aOR=1.55; aOR=2.38), but lower odds of reporting secondhand cannabis harms (aOR=0.51). Although less prevalent than secondhand alcohol harms, 14% of participants reported secondhand harms from someone else's drug use and frequently experienced secondhand harms attributed to multiple substances. Population-focused interventions are needed to reduce the total burden of alcohol and drug use.

Psychometric Validation of the Compulsive Internet Use Scale in Spanish Adolescents.

Despite problematic internet use being especially high among adolescents, there are no screening instruments in Spain specifically for adolescents that would facilitate early detection of this problem. The main goal of this study was to validate the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) in the adolescent Spanish population as well as to analyze the discriminative capacity of CIUS based on sociodemographic characteristics, grade point average, and other addictive behaviors. Data were obtained from the ESTUDES, a representative survey of addictive behaviors of Spanish adolescents. The sample consisted of a total of 34,308 adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years old (Mage = 15.70; SD = 1.19; 51.7% females). Results indicated that the CIUS fit a unidimensional structure, exhibited measurement invariance with respect to sex and age, and demonstrated excellent reliability (ω = .94). Past-month tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use, as well as past-year gambling and gaming, were related to CIUS scores. A standardized screening instrument that provides valid, reliable information on young people's use of the Internet in Spain is a critical requirement for successful early detection and intervention in this population.

Experimental analysis of building envelope integrating phase change material and cool paint under a real environment in autumn

The application of phase change material (PCM) and cool paint (CP) to building envelope is one of the effective solutions to improve thermal comfort of passive buildings. Therefore, the thermal performance of buildings in Hefei, China in autumn is compared and analyzed by integrating PCM and CP into the building envelope. According to the comprehensive analysis of indoor thermal environment and the ability to maintain indoor thermal comfort, it is concluded that the combined application of PCM and CP is better than the application of PCM or CP alone. And the combination of PCM and CP laid on the south wall and roof respectively is the best. It is more suitable for commercial buildings, which can prolong indoor air temperature (Ti) in the thermal comfort zone for more than 10 h during the day. The combination of PCM and CP laid on the roof can prolong Ti in the thermal comfort zone for more than 8.05 h, which is more suitable for residential buildings. The purpose is to explore the best combination mode of residential and commercial buildings according to the characteristics of temperature change and building types (according to people's main use time) in the real environment.

Aging in the Digital Age: Public Beliefs About the Potential of Virtual Reality (VR) for the Aging Population

This paper responds to the scholarly call for investigating the role of technology consumption in promoting healthy aging—it aims to identify the public's beliefs about the potential of virtual reality technology (VR) for the well-being of older adults. The study utilized a big-data methodology and employed machine learning to scrape comments made by social media users on the most popular YouTube videos that discuss older people's use of VR technology. After the data cleaning process, the study was left with 1,917 comments out of 3,952 that were then subject to analysis through thematic, emotion, and sentiment analyses. The findings revealed three themes of the public beliefs: 1) empowerment through technology, generational adaptability, and learning; 2) social and ethical implications of VR for healthy aging; and 3) cognitive and physical engagement. The emotion and sentiment analyses indicated that the general public has a predominantly positive perception of the application of virtual reality technology for older people. In summary, the synthesis of the results from the three analyses suggested that VR has the potential to empower seniors and promote mental and physical activity while also highlighting the importance of maintaining genuine connections and ethical standards.

Dampak Teknologi Inovatif, Word of Mouth dan Motivasi Hedonis terhadap Pemakaian Shoppe Paylater

This research aims to analyze the influence of innovative technology, word of mouth, and hedonic motivation on people's use of Shopee Paylater in 2023. The research method uses a short study approach with primary data collection. The research results show that innovative technology does not significantly influence users' interest in using the PayLater feature in the Shopee application. However, word of mouth has a significant influence, showing that positive recommendations from other people can influence perceptions of Shopee Paylater. Apart from that, hedonic motivation also has a significant effect, indicating that enjoyment in using Shopee PayLater is an important factor in user interest in the service. In conclusion, this research provides important insights for the future development of digital financial services, by considering the factors that influence user adoption. Keywords: Hedonic, Word of Mouth, Shoppe Paylater, Innovative Technology

More research needed regarding psychedelics' effects on youths

A study of adolescents in Sweden appears to offer some promising findings on risk associated with young people's use of psychedelics, but the lead researcher warns that limitations in the analysis should give pause to anyone seeking to draw firm conclusions about the drugs' safety.

Perceived Traits of Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAS) on Social Commerce Intention and Acceptance by Incorporating the Personality Traits: A Research Model

AI plays a significant role in social commerce. To foster the acceptance of AI technologies for social commerce, it is important to understand people's use of IPAs. This paper proposes a research model on the perceived traits of IPAs in relation to social commerce intention and acceptance by incorporating personality traits. The paper suggests that perceived competence, perceived intelligence, perceived playfulness, and perceived trustworthiness are the major constructs used to measure perceived IPA traits. Furthermore, the paper concludes that personality traits such as openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism moderate the relationship between perceived IPA traits and social commerce intention. Research hypotheses, research methodology, and research instruments are also presented in this ongoing research paper.

STUDY ON THE CONSUMPTIOM IMPACT OF THE OTT PLATFORM AMONG YOUTH

The rise of over-the-top (OTT) services has revolutionized the entertainment industry, particularly for younger generations. The effects and habits of young people's use of over-the-top (OTT) platforms are the subject of this research. The elements that impact the engagement of youth with over-the-top (OTT) material, including accessibility, diversity of content, and affordability, are investigated in this study using a mixed-methods approach that includes surveys, interviews, and content analysis. More specifically, the study investigates how young people's attitudes and behaviors are affected by the social and psychological effects of long-term OTT use. It also delves at how OTT platforms could change the way people watch traditional media and how society is evolving. Implications for content creators, advertisers, and lawmakers are offered by the findings, which offer vital insights into the changing environment of young media consumption. Keywords: OTT platforms, youth, consumption patterns, entertainment industry, mixed-methods approach, content diversity, affordability, psychological effects, social impacts, traditional media, societal trends, media consumption.