Physical Exposure Research Articles

My Life in American Studies – Memories and Expectations

I am now in that phase of life when old people like me tend to reminisce and give account. Since my long academic life was committed to American Studies, I wondered how this came about, and although I am aware of the inevitable mix between coincidence and symbolic self-construction, I believe that my career was rooted in certain moments of experience: a seminar on Melville, the physical exposure to “America,” and the significance America had for me from childhood on. I also believe that a temperamental affinity to an idea of democracy built on communication led me to embrace the democratic belief that is at the core of American Studies. At the same time, my own process of disillusionment ran parallel to the critical redefinition of American Studies that has characterized the development of the field during the last forty years or so. In what follows, I have tried to reflect on my original enthusiasm, and on where I stand now, in an effort to be realistic and optimistic at the same time.

Short-Form Video Exposure and Its Two-Sided Effect on the Physical Activity of Older Community Women in China: Secondary Data Analysis.

There is a tendency for older adults to become more physically inactive, especially older women. Physical inactivity has been exacerbated since the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and information-based preventive measures for COVID-19 increased the number of short-form video app users and short-form video exposure, including content exposure and the duration of exposure, which has demonstrated important effects on youths' health and health-related behaviors. Despite more older adults viewing short-form videos, less is known about the status of their short-form video exposure or the impacts of the exposure on their physical activity. This study aims to describe physical activity-related content exposure among older adults and to quantify its impacts along with the duration of short-form video exposure on step counts, low-intensity physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). We analyzed a subsample (N=476) of older women who used smartphones and installed short-form video apps, using the baseline data collected from an ongoing cohort study named the Physical Activity and Health in Older Women Study (PAHIOWS) launched from March to June 2021 in Yantai, Shandong Province, China. The information on short-form video exposure was collected by unstructured questions; physical activity-related content exposure was finalized by professionals using the Q-methodology, and the duration of exposure was transformed into hours per day. Step counts, LPA, and MVPA were assessed with ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers. Multiple subjective and objective covariates were assessed. Linear regression models were used to test the effects of short-form video exposure on step counts, LPA, and MVPA. MVPA was dichotomized into less than 150 minutes per week and 150 minutes or more per week, and the binary logistic regression model was run to test the effects of short-form video exposure on the achievement of spending 150 minutes or more on MVPA. Of 476 older women (mean age 64.63, SD 2.90 years), 23.7% (113/476) were exposed to physical activity-related short-form videos, and their daily exposure to short-form videos was 1.5 hours. Physical activity-related content exposure increased the minutes spent on MVPA by older women (B=4.14, 95% CI 0.13-8.15); the longer duration of short-form video exposure was associated with a reduced step count (B=-322.58, 95% CI -500.24 to -144.92) and minutes engaged in LPA (B=-6.95, 95% CI -12.19 to -1.71) and MVPA (B=-1.56, 95% CI -2.82 to -0.29). Neither content exposure nor the duration of exposure significantly increased or decreased the odds of older women engaging in MVPA for 150 minutes or more per week. Short-form video exposure has both positive and negative impacts on the physical activity of older adults. Efforts are needed to develop strategies to leverage the benefits while avoiding the harms of short-form videos.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ВНЕШНИХ ФАКТОРОВ НА СВОЙСТВА ДРОЖЖЕЙ CANDIDA TROPICALIS ПРИ УТИЛИЗАЦИИ СПИРТОВОЙ БАРДЫ

To prevent environmental pollution from distillery waste, enterprises are required to carry out complete processing of stillage and / or dispose of it at treatment facilities, but it is not possible to fully utilize distillery stillage due to the lack of necessary strains of microorganisms. Therefore, in the processing of distillery stillage, the choice of a strain of microorganisms with sufficient biological activity is of particular relevance. For the first time, biotechnological utilization by the Candida tropicalis yeast strain AP-31-KBP Y-4883 was used for the processing of distillery stillage. Yeast activity was increased by two external factors: physical (UV radiation) and chemical (19-mycosaminyl nystatinolide) exposure. A rational concentration of 19-mycosaminyl-nystatinolide (500 U) was established at which Candida tropicalis colonies reached their maximum size. The efficiency of vinasse disposal was assessed by the accumulation of amine nitrogen in an aqueous solution after vinasse hydrolysis, the amount of which was determined by the formal titration method. Yeast inoculum, obtained after exposure to external factors, was introduced into a nutrient medium based on vinasse, and aerobic treatment was carried out for 72 hours. The morphological properties of cells and their number were controlled by optical and atomic force microscopy, the results of which are consistent with each other and with the biological activity of yeast. The greatest changes in the morphology of the cell surface are noted after chemical exposure: compared with the initial sample, the average cell height increased by 0.24 µm, and the surface area increased by 1.25 times. An increase in the degree of utilization of alcohol stillage by yeast was shown in the series “Candida tropicalis strain AP-31-KBP Y-4883 without treatment → UV-treated strain → antibiotic-treated strain”: indicators of biological activity increased by 4.3% (the proportion of cells saturated with glycogen ) and by 6.67% (amine nitrogen content); biomass yield increased by 1.7%. Increments of indicators are calculated in the transition from the original sample to the treated antibiotic. The assessment of the environmental hazard of bard samples was carried out using biotesting. It is shown that the efficiency of vinasse utilization increases after its treatment with yeast, which was previously exposed to UV radiation and an antibiotic. These samples were characterized by the highest germination of seeds relative to bards not treated with yeast.

Development and evaluation of the gender-specific CONSTANCES job exposure matrix for physical risk factors in France.

This study aimed to construct and evaluate a gender-specific job exposure matrix (JEM) for 27 physical work exposures, based on self-report. We constructed a JEM using questionnaire data on current physical exposures from 29 381 male and 35 900 female asymptomatic workers aged 18-69 years in the French CONSTANCES cohort study. We excluded workers with musculoskeletal pain to reduce potential reporting bias. We grouped 27 self-reported physical exposures using the French national job codes and stratified by gender. We compared individual and group-based exposures using the performance indicators Cohen's kappa (κ), sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). JEM validation showed fair-to-moderate agreement (κ 0.21-0.60) for most physical exposures for both genders except for 'reach behind' (poor), 'bend neck' (poor), 'finger pinch' (poor), standing' (good), 'use computer screen' (good), and 'use keyboard or scanner' (good). We found the highest AUC for 'standing' (men 0.85/ women 0.87), 'kneel/squat' (men 0.80/women 0.81), 'use computer screen' (men/women 0.81), and 'use keyboard or scanner' (men 0.82/ women 0.84). The AUC was <0.60 for only three exposures: 'bend neck' (men 0.58/women 0.57), 'finger pinch' (men 0.56/ women 0.55), and 'reach behind' (men 0.54/ women 0.51). The constructed JEM validation measures were comparable for men and women for all exposures. Further research will examine the predictive ability of this gender-specific JEM for musculoskeletal disorders and the relevance of gender-stratification in this process, knowing accuracy of each exposure.

ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT STATE OF WARNING OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS IN THE TERRITORIES OF UKRAINE WHICH WERE SUFFERED BY ROCKET AND ARTILLERY IMPACTS

The author created an array of soil disturbances as a result of military operations. Physical and chemical exposure lead to a drastic increase in dangerous factors. Dangerous factors to local (in the worst case scenario to background) changes in indicators of physical and chemical properties (condition) of soils, they have a long-term nature of danger to the soil environment and pose a danger to the population and territories. The author established that there is a primary accumulation of pollutants in the soil with subsequent redistribution both in the soil itself and in other environments - surface and underground waters. The process of modeling the spread of pollutants is a complex task due to the need to take into account many variables in time and space, physical and chemical parameters of the soil, as well as environmental conditions and the form of pollutants. Scientific developments in the field of monitoring and ecological-geochemical assessment of soil conditions are fragmentary in nature. To date, no universal methodologies have been created for assessing the safety of soils in territories affected by war and approaches regarding the permissible level of their pollution for the prevention of emergency situations. Research should be conducted using a complex of field, remote and laboratory methods. The author determined that the development of new organizational and technical methods of emergency prevention in territories that have suffered missile and artillery damage, based on comprehensive forecasting, monitoring and modeling of soil hazards, should be based on unified methodological positions regarding the place and role of the processes of prevention, prevention, localization and liquidation in the structure of the general process of combating emergency situations. The methodologies were previously tested in a number of works on the development and implementation of organizational, operational engineering and information methods for the prevention of emergency situations of various types of occurrence and spread. Keywords: military-technogenic load, soil pollution, solid metals, emergency happening, prevention of emergency situations.

Relationship Between Wearable-based Measures Of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior And Light Exposure

Relationship Between Wearable-based Measures Of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior And Light Exposure

Risk perception or hazard perception? Examining misperceptions of miners' personal exposures to noise.

While perceptions of risk have been examined in the workplace to understand safety behavior, hazard perception has been overlooked, particularly for chemical, physical, and biological agents. This study sought to establish the prevalence of one type of mismatch in hazard perception, - noise misperception - among miners, to examine whether different types of noisy environments (e.g., continuous, highly variable, etc.) alter workers' misperception of their noise exposures, and to evaluate whether noise misperception is associated with hearing protection device (HPD) use behavior. In this cross-sectional study across 10 surface mines in the USA, 135 normal-hearing participants were surveyed on their perceptions of exposure to noise at work and were monitored for three shifts, each with personal noise dosimetry, to examine which workers had a mismatch in perceived versus true noise exposure by 8-hr, time-weighted average, NIOSH exposure limits (TWANIOSH). Mixed effects logistic regression and probit Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) models examining on the odds of noise misperception associated with four different noise metrics (kurtosis, crest factor, variability, and number of peaks >135dB) were used to determine which types of noisy environments may influence noise misperception. The relationship between noise misperception and odds of not wearing HPDs during a work shift was further examined. Our findings showed that nearly 1 in 3 workers underestimated their exposure to noise when their true exposure was in fact hazardous (TWANIOSH≥85 dBA) for at least one shift, and 6% misperceived hazardous exposures for all shifts. Work shifts with highly kurtotic noise distributions (>3) had 3.1 (95% CI: 1.1 to 8.4) times significantly higher odds of resulting in misperceived noise; no other noise metric was significantly associated with noise misperception. BKMR modeling provided further evidence that kurtosis dominates this relationship, with an IQR increase in kurtosis significantly associated with 1.68 (95% CI: 1.13 to 2.50) higher odds of noise misperception. Although not statistically significant, misperception of hazardous noise exposure was associated with 3.2 (95% CI: 0.8 to 12.5) times higher odds of not using earplugs during a work shift. Misperception of noise occurs in the workplace, and likely occurs for other physical, chemical, and biological exposures. This hazard misperception may influence risk perceptions and worker behavior and reduce the effectiveness of behavior-related training. Elimination, substitution, or engineering controls of exposures is the best way to prevent hazard misperceptions and exposure-related diseases.

Exercise in Polluted Spaces: Inflammatory Differentiation and Lung Mitochondrial Biogenesis

Indonesia is ranked as the most highly polluted country in Southeast Asia and the 26th on the list of the most polluted countries worldwide. Exercising in polluted spaces can have complex effects on inflammation and mitochondrial biogenesis in the lungs. The interaction between physical activity and pollution exposure may affect lung health. This study aimed to analyse the different effects of exercise in polluted open spaces and antioxidant administration on lung inflammation and mitochondrial biogenesis. The research approach used was a quantitative approach with a comparative descriptive design using random assignment technique. The research sample used male white rats (Rattus Norvegicus) Wistar strain aged 8-10 weeks with a body weight of 200-300 g obtained from Biofarma Animal Breeding Facility. The sampling technique used in this study was random assignment technique. In this study, the number of members of the treatment group was 5, so the total research sample amounted to 5 x 9, namely 45 samples. The results showed that there was a differentiation in the level of inflammation represented by the level of IL-6 and NF-κB and lung mitochondrial biogenesis level represented by PGC-1α, TOM20, and COX IV with moringa administration in physical activities, as indicated by the comparison of the mean values of the inflammatory process and lung mitochondrial biogenesis in the nine treatment groups. The implication of this research is that it is necessary to consider appropriate sport strategies or guidelines for individuals who exercise in a polluted environment to reduce the negative impact on the respiratory system and overall lung health.

Analysis of polymorphic loci of candidate genes in patients with occupational diseases

Introduction. Development and progress features of vibration syndrome (VS) and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) are determined by genetic factors to a certain extent. The latter define the relevance of the search for individual approaches to prevention and medical support of patients with these occupational diseases.&#x0D; The aim of the study was to investigate the genotypes distribution of polymorphic loci of candidate genes in patients with occupational diseases caused by vibration and noise impact.&#x0D; Materials and methods. Polymorphic variants of the HSPA1B (rs1061581), IL17A (rs2275913), IL10 (rs1800872), and TNF-α (rs1800629) genes of three hundred ninety eight males were studied using PCR-RFLP and real-time PCR methods, including 268 patients with VS divided into two groups: VShtv (n = 117) and VScomb (n = 151), in which VS was caused by exposure to hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) or combined exposure to HTV and whole-body vibration (COMB), respectively. The study also involved 96 patients with occupational NIHL diagnosis and 34 individuals of the comparison group without occupational contact with physical factors.&#x0D; Results. The increase in GG-HSPA1B (1267A/G) genotype frequency (p=0.058) was found in VScomb patients compared with those from the VShtv group. There was a significant difference in carriers of the C/C genotype of the IL10 (rs1800872) polymorphic locus in the group of NIHL patients relative to the comparison group (p=0.036). The results of regression analysis indicate the carriage of the A allele to reduce the risk of NIHL development.&#x0D; Limitations. The limitations include the number of examined cases in all groups, especially in comparison group and the lack of groups of workers with no occupational exposure to a physical factor. &#x0D; Conclusion. The obtained results expand the understanding of the genetic features able to determine sensitivity to the physical factors exposure that define the development of occupational pathology and the issues to be resolved at the next stage of research.

High Physical Exposure During Female Recruits' Basic Military Training inSweden-A Descriptive Study.

There is a knowledge gap concerning the occurrence of physical complaints/injuries, i.e., musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), among Swedish women who undergo basic military training (BMT). The aims were to describe prevalence and factors related to MSD and explore physical exposure and performance in Swedish female recruits during BMT. A total of 144 females (mean age 22 years) who underwent BMT in 2016 participated in this cross-sectional study. Data regarding self-reported MSD, physical performance, physical activity and exercise, motivation and mental and physical preparation, and physical exposure during BMT and perceived health were collected at the end of BMT through the Musculoskeletal Screening Protocol questionnaire. Additional data on muscle strength were retrieved from IsoKai isokinetic lift tests. Descriptive and analytic (paired samples t-test and logistic binary regression) statistics were used. The prevalence of MSD was high, with 33% (n = 48) reporting MSD before BMT, 78% (n = 113) during, and 50% (n = 72) at the end of BMT. Knee and upper back were the most frequently reported MSD locations. Forty-four (30%) participants felt insufficiently physically prepared for BMT. The physical exposure was high with loaded marches/runs and carrying heavy loads as the most demanding tasks. The longest walking distance was reportedly 55 km, and the reported maximum load was 50 kg. Forty-five participants (31%) had carried a load representing over 50% of their body weight. Most participants reported good to excellent health at the end of BMT. There was a small (8 N) but significant (P = 0.045) increase in mean force over time. Two variables, MSD before BMT (odds ratio 2.24, P = 0.03) and being physically unprepared (odds ratio 3.03, P < 0.01), were associated with MSD at the end of BMT. This study showed that the prevalence of MSD in Swedish female recruits was high before, during, and at the end of BMT, with knee and upper back as the most frequent locations. Although the physical exposure during BMT was occasionally high, self-rated health was mainly perceived as good to excellent at the end of BMT. Previous MSD and being physically unprepared were related to MSD at the end of BMT. These important and relevant findings indicate the necessity for implementing interventions to increase physical fitness and treat MSD at the beginning of BMT.

A prospective observational study of prescription pattern of antihypertensive drugs in general medicine outpatient department of associated hospital RUHS CMS, Jaipur

Background: The increasing prevalence of hypertension is attributed to population growth, ageing and behavioural risk factors, such as unhealthy diet, harmful use of alcohol, lack of physical activity, excess weight and exposure to persistent stress. The aim of study is the prescribing pattern and the consumption of antihypertensive drugs in isolated hypertensive patients and in hypertensive patients with different co-existing morbidities. Methods: The present study is a Prospective observational study. The study was conducted at Medicine Department of associated hospital of RUHS College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur. Results: A total of 965 patients having hypertension were analyzed, in that 556 patients were male and 409 patients were female. In hypertension patients, angiotensin receptor blockers ARB, diuretics and β- blockers (29.90%) were mostly used classes in three drug therapy. Whereas telmisartan, hydrochlorothiazide and metoprolol (35.05%) were mostly prescribed. Drugs. In hypertension patients, angiotensin receptor blockers ARB, diuretics, β- blockers and calcium channel blockers (56.67%) and calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers and diuretics (43.33%) were used classes in four drug therapy. Whereas Telmisartan, Hydrochlorothiazide, Nebivolol and Amlodipine (62.5%) were mostly prescribed drugs. Hypertensive Patients with Comorbidity were found in higher prevalence with 276 hypertensive patients (28.60%) along with Diabetes Mellitus most commonly found and 389 hypertensive patients (40.31%) were found to be with No Comorbidity. Conclusions: Present results reveal that antihypertensive medication adherence to JNC-8 recommendations is suboptimal. Therefore, physicians should follow JNC-8 guidelines to improve the patients care because suboptimal adherence leads to adverse clinical outcomes. The present study demonstrated that physicians are not completely adhering to standard guidelines while treating hypertension with co-morbid conditions.

Best Practices of Hospitals in Management of Epidemic Conditions: A Scoping Review.

Many hospitals globally have valuable experiences in preparing for management and responding to infectious epidemics. Identifying and analyzing these experiences can provide comprehensive and practical data for decision-making and effective performance. This study aimed to conduct a scoping review and content analysis of the best practices of hospital (private or public) management in epidemic conditions. This research is a scoping review and content analysis, conducted in 2021. Data was collected by searching different databases, including Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, ProQuest, websites, search engines, and public reports without time limits. Content analysis was performed for data analysis. We retrieved 8842 records from databases and other sources. Finally, 24 studies from 12 countries were selected for analysis. Most studies belonged to the United States (9 cases), and most subjects were on Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) (19 studies). We classified the results into two major categories of in-hospital executive readiness and logistic readiness. Executive readiness included 11 main categories (physical structure, resource management, exposure reduction, patients and caregivers' management, corpse management, disinfection, staff support, patient admission, instructions and guidelines, tele- communication, and education) and 26 sub-categories. Logistic readiness consisted of three major categories (leadership/team making, communication, and using capabilities) and five sub-categories. Healthcare managers can use the identified categories and dimensions of managerial readiness and responsiveness as an action plan during an infectious disease epidemic.

Longitudinal associations of neighbourhood environmental exposures with mental health problems during adolescence: Findings from the TRAILS study

BackgroundCross-sectional studies have found associations between neighbourhood environments and adolescent mental health, but the few longitudinal studies mainly focused on single exposure-based analyses and rarely assessed the mental health associations with environmental changes. ObjectivesWe assessed longitudinal within- and between-person associations of multiple neighbourhood time-varying physical and social environmental exposures with externalising and internalising problems throughout adolescence. MethodsWe used four waves of TRAILS (Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey) data on self-reported externalising and internalising problems at ages 11, 13, 16, and 19 among 2,135 adolescents in the Netherlands. We measured residence-based time-varying environmental exposures, including green space, air pollution (fine particulate matter (PM2.5)), noise, deprivation, and social fragmentation. We fitted random-effect within-between regression models to assess the environment-mental health associations. ResultsAt the within-person level, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 0.056 IQR (95% CI: 0.014, 0.099) increase in externalising problems, while an IQR social fragmentation increase was associated with a 0.010 IQR (95% CI: −0.020, −0.001) decrease in externalising problems. Stratification revealed that the association with PM2.5 was significant only for movers, whereas the association with social fragmentation remained only for non-movers. At the between-person level, an IQR higher noise was associated with a 0.100 IQR (95% CI: 0.031, 0.169) more externalising problems, while higher deprivation (β = 0.080; 95% CI: 0.022, 0.138) and lower fragmentation (β = -0.073; 95% CI: −0.128, −0.018) were associated with more internalising problems. We also observed positive between-person associations between PM2.5, noise, and internalising problems, but both associations were unstable due to the high PM2.5-noise correlation. Further, we observed a non-linear between-person PM2.5-externalising problems association turning positive when PM2.5 > 15 µg/m3. Null associations were found for green space. ConclusionOur findings suggested that air pollution, noise, and neighbourhood deprivation are risk factors for adolescent mental health. Not only exposure levels but also exposure changes matter for adolescent mental health.

The association between the incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer and occupational exposure to selected organic solvents, Montreal, Canada, 2008-2011.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women and recognized risk factors explain 25%-47% of cases. Organic solvents are used widely in the workplace and exposure may increase the risk of developing breast cancer, yet there are insufficient data to confirm this hypothesis. We sought to determine whether past occupational exposures to selected organic solvents were associated with the incidence of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women in Montréal, Canada. From a population-based case-control study (2008-2011), using in-depth interviews we elicited information on risk factors and lifetime occupational histories. Industrial hygienists and chemists translated job descriptions into specific chemical and physical exposures. We assessed 11 individual solvents and four solvent groups. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for metrics of past exposures to selected solvents. Exposure metrics included any previous exposure, average frequency in hours per week, duration in years, and average cumulative concentration weighted by hours per workweek exposed. We enrolled 695 cases and 608 controls. We found increased ORs for average cumulative concentration of exposure to mononuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (OR: 1.52, 95%CI: 1.04, 2.28), chlorinated alkanes (OR: 2.42, 95%CI: 1.23, 5.68), toluene (OR: 1.59, 95%CI: 1.02, 2.59), and a group of organic solvents with reactive metabolites (OR: 1.53, 95%CI: 1.08, 2.24). Positive associations were found across all exposure metrics and were higher among women with estrogen-positive/progesterone-negative tumors. Our findings suggest occupational exposure to certain organic solvents may increase the risk of incident postmenopausal breast cancer.

Prospective associations of psychosocial work factors with sickness absence spells and duration: Results from the French national working conditions survey.

Some psychosocial work factors are associated with sickness absence, however little information is available on the associations of various psychosocial work factors and multiple exposures with sickness absence spells and duration, and gender differences. Data were from the French working conditions survey conducted on a nationally representative sample of the working population. The study sample included 17,437 employees (7292 men, 10,145 women) followed from 2013 to 2016 and/or from 2016 to 2019. Occupational exposures (20 psychosocial work factors, 4 working time/hours factors, 4 physical work exposures) were measured at the beginning of each follow-up period. Hurdle and multinomial models were used to study the associations with the number of days and spells of sickness absence. Most of the psychosocial work factors predicted the risk of at least 1 day of sickness absence. Stronger associations were found among women than men for some factors. Psychosocial work factors were more likely to predict the number of spells than the number of days of sickness absence. Some physical work exposures predicted sickness absence spells and days, whereas shift work in women predicted the risk of at least 1 day of sickness absence. Dose-response associations were found between multiple psychosocial work exposures and sickness absence spells, and between multiple physical exposures and sickness absence spells and days. Comprehensive prevention policies oriented toward the whole psychosocial and physical work environment should be useful to reduce sickness absence among men and women.

Does hand stiffness reflect internal organ fibrosis in diabetes mellitus?

Fibrosis leads to irreversible stiffening of tissue and loss of function, and is a common pathway leading to morbidity and mortality in chronic disease. Diabetes mellitus (both type 1 and type 2 diabetes) are associated with significant fibrosis in internal organs, chiefly the kidney and heart, but also lung, liver and adipose tissue. Diabetes is also associated with the diabetic cheirarthropathies, a collection of clinical manifestations affecting the hand that include limited joint mobility (LJM), flexor tenosynovitis, Duypuytren disease and carpal tunnel syndrome. Histo-morphologically these are profibrotic conditions affecting various soft tissue components in the hand. We hypothesize that these hand manifestations reflect a systemic profibrotic state, and are potential clinical biomarkers of current or future internal organ fibrosis. Epidemiologically, there is evidence that fibrosis in one organ associates with fibrosis with another; the putative exposures that lead to fibrosis in diabetes (advanced glycation end product deposition, microvascular disease and hypoxia, persistent innate inflammation) are 'systemic'; a common genetic susceptibility to fibrosis has also been hinted at. These data suggest that a subset of the diabetic population is susceptible to multi-organ fibrosis. The hand is an attractive biomarker to clinically detect this susceptibility, owing to its accessibility to physical examination and exposure to repeated mechanical stresses. Testing the hypothesis has a few pre-requisites: being able to measure hand fibrosis in the hand, using clinical scores or imaging based scores, which will facilitate looking for associations with internal organ fibrosis using validated methodologies for each. Longitudinal studies would be essential in delineating fibrosis trajectories in those with hand manifestations. Since therapies reversing fibrosis are few, the onus lies on identification of a susceptible subset for preventative measures. If systematically validated, clinical hand examination could provide a low-cost, universally accessible and easily reproducible screening step in selecting patients for clinical trials for fibrosis in diabetes.

Non-banks contagion and the uneven mitigation of climate risk

This paper develops a framework for the short-term modelling of market risk and shock propagation in the investment funds sector, including bi-layer contagion effects through funds’ cross-holdings and overlapping exposures. Our work tackles chiefly climate risk, with a first-of-its-kind dual view of transition and physical climate risk exposures at the fund level. So far, while fund managers communicate more aggressively about their awareness of climate risk, it is still poorly assessed. Our analysis shows that the topology of the fund network matters and that both contagion channels are critical in its study. A stress test based on granular short-term transition shocks suggests that the differentiated integration of sustainability information by funds has made network amplification less likely, although first-round losses can be material. On the other hand, there is room for fund managers and regulators to consider physical risk better, and mitigate the second-round effects it induces, as these are less efficiently absorbed by investment funds. Improving transparency and setting relevant industry standards in this context would help mitigate short-term financial stability risks.

Clinical Features and Biophysical Characteristics of Lips of South Asian Women.

The vermillion lip has unique physical properties and environmental exposures make them prone to dryness and chapping. While lips contribute to facial beauty, perioral aging is highly individual and dependent on ethnicity. Specifically with regard to South Asian population, there is no other literature identified on the biophysical characteristics of the vermillion lip. In this work, characteristics of the vermillion skin in South Asians were examined through various clinical and biophysical characteristics of the lips such as dryness and roughness, fine lip lines, lip texture, hydration, and barrier function. Healthy South Asian females, from age 20-45 were recruited for this study and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), hydration, visual lip tolerance, and visual dryness were measured and graded by the dermatologist-investigator. Lip texture and fine lines significantly increased from the 20s to the 40s. Overall lip health significantly decreased with age. TEWL and dryness increased with age while hydration decreased with age, although not significantly so. This first-of-its kind study on South Asian females establishes that with age there is a decrease in overall lip health and an increase in signs of aging of the lips (fine lines, texture) from the 20s to 40s.

K-means cluster analysis of characteristic patterns of allergen in different ages: Real life study.

Atopy varies in people of different ages owing to different physical conditions and exposure to allergens. We aimed to cluster ages based on atopic severity using K-means cluster analysis and identify atopic incidence, severity, as well as the association among peripheral eosinophils, IgE and sensitisation. Consecutive patients (n=7654) with allergic symptoms and undergoing allergen-specific IgE tests were included from 2013 to 2017. Age, sex, specific-IgE, peripheral eosinophil counts and total-IgE were collected. Five age categories were identified: 1-17, 18-36, 37-52, 53-69 and 70-100years. The incidences of atopy and poly-sensitisation decreased with increasing age. Similar trend was observed for aeroallergens, egg and milk but not for peanuts, soy or seafood. Dust mites remain the crucial factor bothering patients with allergic symptoms, especially for children and adolescents. In patients aged <52years, sensitisation to aeroallergens was more prevalent than food. In group 37-52years, incidence of females' atopy was higher than that of males. The overlap of atopy, high eosinophils, and high total-IgE was found in only 19.18% of patients. The trend of allergen-test positivity is not parallel to total IgE and peripheral eosinophil counts. Age-grouping based on cluster analysis helps to find the changes in atopic status and distribution of sensitised allergens with age. Allergen tests are still necessary in the clinical diagnosis and treatment. An innovative exploration of the influence of age and allergens on total-IgE and eosinophil counts is helpful for the development of bio-targeted precision therapy. ChiCTR2300067700.

Integrating the social environment with an equity perspective into the exposome paradigm: A new conceptual framework of the Social Exposome

The importance of the social environment and social inequalities in disease etiology is well-known due to the profound research and conceptual framework on social determinants of health. For a long period, in exposome research with its classical orientation towards detrimental health effects of biological, chemical, and physical exposures, this knowledge remained underrepresented. But currently it gains great awareness and calls for innovations in rethinking the role of social environmental health determinants. To fill this gap that exists in terms of the social domain within exposome research, we propose a novel conceptual framework of the Social Exposome, to integrate the social environment in conjunction with the physical environment into the exposome concept. The iterative development process of the Social Exposome was based on a systematic compilation of social exposures in order to achieve a holistic portrayal of the human social environment – including social, psychosocial, socioeconomic, sociodemographic, local, regional, and cultural aspects, at individual and contextual levels. In order to move the Social Exposome beyond a mere compilation of exposures, three core principles are emphasized that underly the interplay of the multitude of exposures: Multidimensionality, Reciprocity, and Timing and continuity. The key focus of the conceptual framework of the Social Exposome is on understanding the underlying mechanisms that translate social exposures into health outcomes. In particular, insights from research on health equity and environmental justice have been incorporated to uncover how social inequalities in health emerge, are maintained, and systematically drive health outcomes. Three transmission pathways are presented: Embodiment, Resilience and Susceptibility or Vulnerability, and Empowerment. The Social Exposome conceptual framework may serve as a strategic map for, both, research and intervention planning, aiming to further explore the impact of the complex social environment and to alter transmission pathways to minimize health risks and health inequalities and to foster equity in health.