Poor Regulation Research Articles

A reduced carbohydrate diet improves glycemic regulation in hyperglycemic older people in a retirement home: The SAGE study.

Poor glucose regulation associated with gradual insulin resistance is a significant risk factor in several age-related chronic diseases. An eating plan that promotes a lower carbohydrate intake may have a beneficial effect on glucose metabolism. This study aimed to evaluate how a diet reduced carbohydrate by 32% (RCHO) over a 2-month period would influence the metabolic profile of older individuals (N = 24) living in a retirement home (RH). A continuous glucose monitor was used to measure blood glucose during four periods: the standard diet before (baseline) and after (washout) the intervention, during the 4 initial days of the RCHO diet (RCHO-early), and the final days of the 2-month intervention (RCHO-end). The blood metabolic profile was also measured (glucose, ketones, insulin, triglycerides and cholesterol). RCHO intake decreased average blood glucose compared to the standard diet in hyperglycemic participants: RCHO-early 7.8 ± 1.0 vs 7.5 ± 1.1 mM (p = 0.012) and RCHO-end 7.8 ± 1.0 vs 7.0 ± 0.9 mM (p = 0.050). In the hyperglycemic participants, the percentage of time spent in hyperglycemia (> 10.0 mM) decreased by 50% during the RCHO-early (p = 0.012) and by 66% at RCHO-end (p = 0.021) compared to baseline. Glycated hemoglobin was significantly lower at RCHO-end in both hyperglycemic and normoglycemic participants compared to baseline (p < 0.008). Plasma ketones increased 3-fold in hyperglycemic participants at RCHO-end compared to baseline (p < 0.028). This study shows that an RCHO diet has metabolic health benefits in an older population and confirms its safety, tolerability, and acceptability in a RH. (NCT06022094).

Development of Comorbid Alcohol Use and Depressive Symptoms During Late Adolescence: Examining the Roles of Emotion Regulation and Gender Differences.

Depression and alcohol use are highly comorbid, and often emerge during adolescence. Depressive symptoms may precede alcohol use, via the self-medication pathway, or alcohol use may precede depressive symptoms, via the alcohol induced disruption pathway. Yet little is known about other risks for developing comorbidity via either path. The present study hypothesized that poor cognitive and physiological emotion regulation (ER) are risk factors implicated in the development of comorbid depression and alcohol use during late adolescence. Participants were 229 (113 girls) Mexican-origin youth who reported on depressive symptoms and alcohol use at ages 17 (Time 1) and 19years (Time 2). At age 17, cognitive reappraisal (CR), an adaptive ER strategy, and baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a physiological index of ER capacity, were assessed. CR, RSA and gender were examined as predictors and moderators of the developing comorbidity of alcohol use and depression in cross-lagged panel models. Lower use of CR was concurrently associated with more depressive symptoms at age 17 and predicted greater depression at age 19. Age 17 alcohol use predicted age 19 depressive symptoms for boys. Lower RSA at age 17 also predicted more depressive symptoms at age 19 for boys. Neither CR nor RSA moderated the predicted relations between depression and alcohol use. Findings supported the alcohol induced disruption model of comorbidity for boys, and showed that poor cognitive and physiological ER increased risk for exacerbating depressive symptoms in late adolescence.

Centrality and bridge connections between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and professional identity among Chinese undergraduate nursing students: a network analysis

AimTo construct a network structure for cognitive emotion regulation among Chinese undergraduate nursing students and identify central nodes and to explore the bridge connections between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and professional identity from the perspective of network analysis. BackgroundUndergraduate nursing students are currently in a poor psychological condition and cognitive emotion regulation strategies can help them use positive approaches to regulate their emotions. There may be a link between cognitive emotion regulation strategies and professional identity. DesignThis was a cross-sectional study that used network analysis. MethodA total of 218 Chinese undergraduate nursing students were selected and surveyed using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Professional Identity Questionnaire. A network analysis model was constructed and the related indices were calculated using R 4.3.0 software. ResultsNetwork analysis showed that the central nodes of undergraduate nursing students’ cognitive emotion regulation strategies were positive reappraisal, refocusing on the plan and catastrophising; In the bridge network of cognitive emotion strategies and professional identity, professional self-concept, positive reappraisal, benefits of stay and risk of resignation and refocusing on planning were the nodes with the strongest bridge strength. ConclusionThe salient central and bridge nodes can serve as potential targets for interventions aimed at improving the mental health of undergraduate nursing students. Nursing educators must be trained in cognitive emotion regulation and appropriately guided to use positive emotion regulation strategies in their studies and work. Educators should focus on the relation between cognitive emotion regulation and professional identity to improve the mental health of nursing students and stabilise the nursing workforce.

An Integrated Method Using a Convolutional Autoencoder, Thresholding Techniques, and a Residual Network for Anomaly Detection on Heritage Roof Surfaces

The roofs of heritage buildings are subject to long-term degradation, resulting in poor heat insulation, heat regulation, and water leakage prevention. Researchers have predominantly employed feature-based traditional machine learning methods or individual deep learning techniques for the detection of natural deterioration and human-made damage on the surfaces of heritage building roofs for preservation. Despite their success, balancing accuracy, efficiency, timeliness, and cost remains a challenge, hindering practical application. The paper proposes an integrated method that employs a convolutional autoencoder, thresholding techniques, and a residual network to automatically detect anomalies on heritage roof surfaces. Firstly, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were employed to collect the image data of the heritage building roofs. Subsequently, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system was developed to detect, extract, and classify anomalies on heritage roof surfaces by integrating a convolutional autoencoder, threshold techniques, and residual networks (ResNets). A heritage building project was selected as a case study. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach improved the detection accuracy and efficiency when compared with a single detection method. The proposed method addresses certain limitations of existing approaches, especially the reliance on extensive data labeling. It is anticipated that this approach will provide a basis for the formulation of repair schemes and timely maintenance for preventive conservation, enhancing the actual benefits of heritage building restoration.

Impact of Government-Funded Health Insurance on Out-of-Pocket Expenditure and Quality of Hospital-Based Care in Indian States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

With its clear focus on financial protection, government-funded health insurance (GFHI) stands out among the strategies for universal health coverage (UHC) implemented by low-to-middle income countries globally. Since 2018, India has implemented a GFHI programme called the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), which covers 500 million individuals. The current study aims to evaluate the performance of GFHI in meeting its key objectives of improving access, quality and financial protection for hospital-based care in two large central Indian states: Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The study measures access in terms of utilisation of inpatient care. Financial protection was measured in terms of catastrophic health expenditure which was defined as the incidence of out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) above thresholds of 10% and 25% of annual household expenditure. Patient-satisfaction with care was taken as an indicator of quality. A household survey was conducted in 2023, covering a multi-stage sample of 11,569 and 12,384 individuals in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, respectively. Multi-variate analyses were conducted to find the effect of GFHI-enrolment on the desired outcomes. The instrumental variable method was applied to address potential endogeneity in insurance enrolment. Additionally, propensity score matching was done to ensure robustness. Around 71% and 63% of surveyed individuals were enrolled under GFHI in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, respectively. The hospitalisation rate did not differ much between the GFHI-enrolled and non-enrolled population. The average OOPE on hospitalisation was similar for the GFHI-enrolled and non-enrolled patients. The OOPE and catastrophic health expenditure in private hospitals remained very high, irrespective of GFHI enrolment. The pattern was similar in both states. Multi-variate adjusted models showed that GFHI had no significant effect on utilisation, quality, OOPE and catastrophic health expenditure. The above results were confirmed by propensity score matching. Coverage by GFHI enrolment was ineffective in improving access, quality or financial protection for inpatient hospital care despite 5 years of implementation of the programme. Long-standing supply-side gaps and poor regulation of private providers continue to hamper the effectiveness of GFHI in India.

Particulars of breastfeeding age in preterm child (case report)

Background. General physicians often encounter preterm infants and adverse sequelae of prematurity-related morbidities. Interruption of intrauterine development leads to considerable deficits in the internal organs structure and function. It can lead to endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, proteinuria and metabolic abnormalities that persist throughout life. Children born early or low birth weight (LBW) infants also have relatively increased risk for the deve­lopment of kidney injury later in life. Often these infants have history of treatment at the intensive care unit due to hypoxic damage or inflammatory response that also affects kidneys necessitating the use of nephrotoxic medications. The treatment and diagnosis outcomes were applied to make a conclusion about clinical features of the preterm 7-month-old girl. The data were analyzed using PubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases. The aim is to summarize particulars of breastfeeding period in a LBW baby, providing a physician with practical information regar­ding organization of a follow-up. Material and methods. The baby was moderately preterm (32–33 weeks of gestation) with LBW (2100 g). Her mother was consulted regarding hypertension and threat of miscarriage during pregnancy. The child had renal borderline states in the newborn period. Apgar score was low, neonatal resuscitation and respiratory support by the continuous positive airway pressure were used. The newborn had poor regulation of body temperature, depended on environmental factors and prone to rapid heat loss, so she was nursed in incubator. A feeding tube was used despite poor sucking at the first days after delivery and breastfeeding was continued as soon as possible. Eventually, formula feeding was started. Results. Fever, vomiting, dehydration, loss of body weight and oliguria appeared in the 7-month-old baby after the upper respiratory tract infection. Examination showed the stigmas, neurodevelopmental delay, physical growth gap. Blood tests revealed anemia of the first stage and a rapid increase in the level of white blood cells with a left shift and electrolyte imbalance. The laboratory tests of primary and secondary hemostasis were normal. Physical, chemical and microscopic urine properties were changed according to results of urine test. The sonography revealed changes in renal tissue and thymic hyperplasia. The child was diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis and treated. Conclusions. Physicians should focus attention on the stigmas, neurodevelopmental delay, physical growth gap, life history, clinical signs and results of examination to make timely conclusion about child’s general state. Kidney injury could be diagnosed in preterm LBW infants.

Osmoregulation in Alligatoroidea: shifting the paradigm untethers biogeographic questions

ABSTRACT A pervasive maxim in herpetology is that alligators (Alligatoridae) are poor salinity regulators relative to their taxonomic kin, crocodiles (Crocodylidae), evidenced by the purported lack of osmoregulatory abilities of modern Alligator and caimans, which has led to the assumption that freshwater obligation is synapomorphic across the clade, to include extinct members of Alligatoridae, or even Alligatoroidea. Presented here is a brief review of osmoregulation and the fossil record of alligatoroids and a suggestion that salt-tolerance may have been more widespread in the group than is widely assumed, based upon the observations that 1) modern alligatorids are increasingly reported from brackish and marine environs and possess osmoregulatory abilities attained through different regulatory pathways than their crocodile counterparts, and 2) fossil members of the group are routinely (or exclusively) found in or near marine depositional settings, suggesting plausibility that earlier members of the clade were more ocean-going than their extant descendants. Starting with fewer assumptions about the osmoregulatory abilities of extinct taxa may help solve continuing problems in eusuchian biogeography, namely, the dispersals of alligatoroids into Europe and Asia, and multiple dispersal events to and from pre-Interchange South America. Secondary loss of salinity tolerance in Alligator may be adaptive in continental habitats.

A Systematic Review of Antibiotic Use in Humans in Nigeria and Its Potential Contribution to Rising Antimicrobial Resistance

INTRODUCTION: The value of medicines is lost when these resources are not used rationally. Out of 12 developing countries, Nigeria has the third highest percentage of antibiotic prescriptions, at 48%. Antibiotic misuse results in limited efficacy, which can lead to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. We conducted a systematic review to synthesise the evidence on antibiotic use in humans in Nigeria. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of medicine use behaviour by patients and prescription behaviour by health workers, which were searched for in articles published in English from 2000 to 2017. Data was entered into purpose-built templates. Key quantitative indicators were extracted and summarised as frequencies and proportions, while free-text responses were synthesised. RESULTS: The systematic review determined that the median prevalence of persons using antibiotics without prescription is 46.7%. The drivers of irrational antibiotic use included poor regulation of medicines and premises, a chaotic medicine distribution system, limited licensed medicine prescribers, over-the-counter (OTC) sales of antibiotics, patients’ demand for antibiotics, and access to health insurance. DISCUSSION: Irrational antibiotic use is widespread in humans and animals. We recommend that the government enforce regulations on antibiotic sales to humans and animals and increase awareness of irrational antibiotic use and AMR in Nigerian communities through a whole-of-society approach. The collated information was used to develop a National Action Plan on AMR in 2017.

A narrative review of anxiety regulation in PhD students based on Green model.

To gain a better understanding of the factors that contribute to anxiety among PhD students and the reasons for poor regulation in the current situation, this paper analyses the existing literature on anxiety among PhD students using Green's model. It also compares and evaluates various methods of regulating anxiety. The literature review to extract information on the causes and levels of anxiety, methods and outcomes of anxiety intervention and regulation, and to make comparisons. The study reveals that the phenomenon of PhD students' anxiety has intensified globally in recent years, especially after the end of the epidemic. PhD students experience anxiety due to research pressure, economic pressure, future development, and interpersonal pressure. The main influencing factors are currently the relationship with the supervisor, development prospects, social support, and peer comparison. Among the stress relief methods, the regulation of self-relaxation was found to have better effects on mild anxiety, such as positive thinking, meditation, yoga and physical exercise can be helpful for emotion release then help focus on problem solved. Whereas severe anxiety may require institutional and pharmacological support, also including using psychological therapy such as behavioral cognitive therapy and systematic desensitization methods. For university, competence to provide course-assisted guidance, such as writing groups, peer support, and time management, is also important. Academic communities should pay attention to the guidance on academic fairness. However, PhD students are often unaware of the resources available to them for coping with stress and may not take the initiative to seek psychological counseling or institutional assistance. Therefore, PhD students should receive support from various sources, be guided to express their thoughts, and receive additional education and academic assistance to manage stress. This will enhance their confidence and aid in improving their scientific research.

Threat, Emotion Dysregulation, and Parenting in a Clinical Sample of Children with Disruptive Behaviour.

Early-life adversity is associated with the development of internalizing and externalizing problems in children. Despite this, there is a need to understand the mechanisms linking these experiences to psychopathology, especially in clinical samples. This cross-sectional study tested emotion dysregulation as a mechanism linking early-life threat to psychopathology in a clinical sample of children with disruptive behavior problems. We also explored parental positive reinforcement as a protective factor in these pathways.A clinical sample of 606 children aged 6-12years, referred to a mental healthcare hospital, were included. Parent-reported child threat, and parent- and teacher-reported child emotion dysregulation and psychopathology, were collected. Path analysis was used to explore the mediating effect of emotion dysregulation in the relation between threat and psychopathology. The moderating effects of parental positive reinforcement were explored through moderated-mediation analyses. Emotion dysregulation partially mediated the association between threat and both internalizing (β = .18, P = .006)and externalizing (β = .19, P = .002) problems. Positive reinforcement did not buffer the association between threat and emotion dysregulation (β = .09, P = .62) or the association between emotion dysregulation and internalizing (β = -.003, P = .20)or externalizing (β = -.002, P = .35). Poor emotion regulation may be a transdiagnostic mechanism linking early-threat with internalizing and externalizing problems in clinic-referred children with disruptive behaviors. Factors aside from parental positive reinforcement should be explored as protective factors in these pathways, including those directly implicated in the purported mechanisms linking these factors over time.

Preventive effect of one-session brief focused attention meditation on state fatigue: Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

IntroductionThe extended practice of meditation may reduce the influence of state fatigue by changing neurocognitive processing. However, little is known about the preventive effects of one-session brief focused attention meditation (FAM) on state fatigue in healthy participants or its potential neural mechanisms. This study examined the preventive effects of one-session brief FAM on state fatigue and its neural correlates using resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) measurements. MethodsWe randomly divided 56 meditation-naïve participants into FAM and control groups. After the first rsfMRI scan, each group performed a 10-minute each condition while wearing a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device for assessing brain activity. Subsequently, following a second rsfMRI scan, the participants completed a fatigue-inducing task (a Go/NoGo task) for 60 min. We evaluated the temporal changes in the Go/NoGo task performance of participants as an indicator of state fatigue. We then calculated changes in the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the rsfMRI from before to after each condition and compared them between groups. We also evaluated neural correlates between the changes in rsFC and state fatigue. Results and discussionThe fNIRS measurements indicated differences in brain activity during each condition between the FAM and control groups, showing decreased medial prefrontal cortex activity and decreased functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus. The control group exhibited a decrement in Go/NoGo task performance over time, whereas the FAM group did not. These results, thus, suggested that FAM could prevent state fatigue. Compared with the control group, the rsFC analysis revealed a significant increase in the connectivity between the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and right superior parietal lobule in the FAM group, suggesting a modification of attention regulation by cognitive effort. In the control group, increased connectivity was observed between the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex and left inferior occipital gyrus, which might be associated with poor attention regulation and reduced higher-order cognitive function. Additionally, the change in the rsFC of the control group was related to state fatigue. ConclusionOur findings suggested that one session of 10-minute FAM could prevent behavioral state fatigue by employing cognitive effort to modify attention regulation as well as suppressing poor attention regulation and reduced higher-order cognitive function.

Lifestyle Habits Related to Internet Use in Adolescents: Relationships between Wellness, Happiness, and Mental Health.

Studies in recent years have shown a significant increase in problematic internet use. Prolonged internet usage negatively impacts various aspects of adolescents' lifestyles. The survey was conducted in three Lithuanian cities-Vilnius, Klaipėda, and Molėtai-between October and December of 2023. The survey involved students between the ages of 12 and 16. The participants completed a questionnaire that included questions about wellness and happiness, the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Our study aimed to investigate problematic internet use among Lithuanian adolescents and its relationships with wellness, happiness, and mental health. This study included 1412 adolescents, with a mean age of 14.41 ± 1.20, with the sample composed of 52.3% boys. Boys indicated that they felt healthier and happier than girls (69.4% vs. 47.4%; 51.4% vs. 29.6%), p < 0.001. A total of 20.8% of students had IAT scores that reflect a normal level of internet usage. For IAT, the average score of girls was statistically significantly higher than that of boys (41.87 ± 12.24 vs. 39.96 ± 12.37), p < 0.001. The IAT score was higher in the group of students who felt less happy and healthy, had more frequent headaches or abdominal pain, and had problems with sleep, p < 0.001. A statistically significant, positive weak correlation was found between students' IAT scores and SDQ internalizing and SDQ externalizing scores (r = 0.366; r = 0.385, p < 0.001). Prolonged internet use is arising as a serious problem among adolescents. Negative feelings, unhappiness, and poor emotion regulation have an association with internet addiction. Also, the female gender may be more associated with possible internet addiction. The results of this study can serve as initial steps toward developing preventive interventions.

Are Tobacco Companies in Nigeria Complying With Health Warning Label Regulations on Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products?

BACKGROUND: Nigeria has approved 50% coverage of text and images of pictorial health warning labels (PHWLs) on packages of cigarettes and other tobacco products such as cigars, smokeless tobacco, and loose tobacco. While there is knowledge on the extent to which LMICs like Nigeria adopt the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC), there is need to examine the compliance with adopted packaging and labeling policies to generate knowledge for strengthening existing policies and efforts at enforcement. We assessed agreement with FCTC regulations as well as compliance with Nigerian requirements which are not adequate and do not effectively capture all FCTC requirements to identify the gaps being explored by these companies in an environment of poor regulation in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in Lagos State, Nigeria, from October 2022 to January 2023. A multistage random sampling method was utilized. Four local government areas (LGAs) with a combined population of 16 million, accounting for 70% of the population in Lagos, Nigeria were selected while three points‑of‑sale were randomly picked from two selected wards in each LGA. Empty discarded packs of cigarette and other tobacco products were collected from these outlets. The pack dimensions were measured and assessed for PHWLs, health warning manipulations and cessation assistance. Findings were assessed for compliance with the FCTC and national legislation. For each compliance feature, we calculated the frequencies and percentages of the packs that were compliant. RESULTS: 704 packs: 434 packs of 22 cigarette brands and 270 packs of 17 different tobacco products including cigars, snuff and loose tobacco were included in the study. Of 434 cigarette packs assessed, 50.3% were compliant with 9 indicators measured. These ranged from 48.8% to 55.5% for individual brands. For cessation assistance, image variability and image manipulation, compliance was 0% across all cigarette packs. Out of 270 tobacco product packs assessed, 10.6% were compliant with the 9 indicators assessed. Of the 12 multinational parent companies and product distributors assessed, the overall level of compliance among them was 24.9%. Level of compliance was noted to very low for companies involved in marketing other tobacco products, ranging from 0% to 20% but moderate for those marketing cigarettes, ranging from 37% to 55.5%. Companies that had no presence or subsidiaries in Nigeria but only export their products were highly non-compliant. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco companies had low compliance with PHWL on cigarettes and negligible compliance on other tobacco products like cigars, loose and smokeless tobacco. The government should expand and strictly enforce all regulations applying to health warnings, especially on non-cigarette tobacco products and closely monitor companies that merely export their products to the country.

3-level inverter based compensator for power quality enhancement using proposed Trianguzoidal PWM technique

In today’s scenario, the integration of a grid-connected load system with a hybrid energy system (HES) is encouraged to improve the reliability of the system. With the stunning rise in nonlinear loads in HES over the last two decades, the power quality (PQ) of the system has emerged as a paramount concern in contemporary times. The power quality problems include the injection of harmonics in the source current, low input power factor, poor voltage regulation, the burden of reactive power, etc. So, to mitigate these power quality problems in a single-phase distribution system, a 3-level Cascade H-bridge (CHB) inverter-based shunt active power filter (SAPF) is employed alongside a proposed Trianguzoidal pulse width modulation (TRZ PWM) strategy. The single-phase distribution system with SAPF is simulated in fixed and dynamic load conditions to check the system’s efficacy. The proposed PWM techniques for SAPF are compared with conventional PWM techniques, i.e., level shift, phase shift, and hybrid PWM techniques. Results indicate satisfactory performance of the proposed PWM techniques, exhibiting low harmonic distortion in source current, well within IEEE 519 limits, and high active filtering efficiency (AFE) compared to conventional PWM methods. Furthermore, this paper provides detailed comparisons of conventional and proposed PWM techniques in the context of active & reactive power supplied or delivered by load, source, and compensator, input power factor, harmonics in source or grid current, AFE, and individual harmonic components concerning fundamental component of source current.

Spatial and component structure analysis of the inclusive circular economy: SGICE

Modern statistics and scientific research consider the circular economy rather one-sidedly, essentially as recycling and reuse of resources. The article proposes methodology (concept) of the global inclusive circular economy, which can be considered as a complex multidimensional system, the main components of which are the economic, sociological, ecological and circular aspects of the country's life. To achieve this goal, the GNU regression, econometrics and time-series library was used – an applied software package for econometric modeling, a part of the GNU project. Accordingly, we will define the global inclusive circular economy as the SGICE (Global Inclusive Circular Economy) system, characterized by the vector of functions. For the most exhaustive consideration of the entire range of opportunities of the global inclusive circular economy, the study developed and accordingly analyzed the integrated index of the development of the global inclusive circular economy (IGICE) by ecological, economic, social and circular components with isolated weakly correlated indicators. The ranking of countries was carried out separately by the components of the index, on the basis of which circular cores were distinguished: the social component (Belgium, the Czech Republic, USA, China, France, Greece, Austria, Australia), the ecological component (Japan, Denmark), the economic component (Germany, China), which became the basis for the model of formation of global inclusive circular chains. The conducted cluster analysis based on the component indicators of the index of the global inclusive circular economy confirmed the formation of a large circular gap (gap) in the ecological and circular components. This indicator is introduced for the first time and makes it possible to comprehensively analyze the country and highlight additional effects that arise from the moment of implementation of circular business projects and the inclusion of the country (on the basis of firms, corporations) in global circular chains of added value. After all, the main problematic aspects are the illegal trade in waste and growing smuggling, which cause serious negative social consequences and actualize the inclusive component in the justification of the global inclusive circular economy paradigm. Waste reduction combined with wise use of resources has the potential to address the gap resulting from the scarcity of natural resources and a growing global population or consumption. The formation of circular trade will contribute to: the determination of priority materials for trade and the required level of processing capacity, coordination of material quality standards, promoting demand for used goods and secondary raw materials, removing unnecessary regulatory barriers and avoiding environmentally harmful activities such as non-compliance, poor regulation and informal recovery.

An Active Virtual Space Vector Modulation Scheme for Three‐Level Neutral‐Point‐Clamped Converters

The performance of neutral‐point‐clamped (NPC) converters is subject to the regulation of neutral point balance. In the literature, researchers have addressed two main modulation methods: the active space vector PWM (SVPWM) technique and the virtual SVPWM (VSVPWM) method. However, those two approaches respectively suffer from reduced DC‐link voltage utilization and poor active regulation capability. To address this, an improved VSVPWM modulation scheme with actively strong voltage regulation capability is proposed in this paper. The fast and precise control of capacitor voltages is achieved by optimizing the synthesis scheme of the virtual vectors. When there is a voltage imbalance, the proposed technique can quickly restore and maintain the capacitor voltage balance till the full DC‐link voltage utilization without affecting the converter output quality. The experimental validation results on the NPC converter have demonstrated the benefits of the proposed active VSVPWM method. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Exploring Interleukin 6 as a Promising Marker for The Diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a condition in which the ability of the mother's pancreatic β-cells to function properly is compromised. This leads to inadequate insulin production and, therefore, poor glucose regulation throughout pregnancy. In recent years, there has been a significant surge in interest in determining the impact of inflammation on the progression of GDM. Inflammatory factors may function as antagonists to insulin and induce insulin resistance. Interleukin -6 (IL-6), a kind of cytokine, significantly impacts the development of glucose intolerance and may be used as a possible indicator in the blood for early detection of glucose intolerance. This study aims to assess the potential role of IL6 as a prospective diagnostic marker for Gestational Diabetes mellitus. Our study is a case-control study started from September 2022 to June 2023 and enrolled 200 pregnant women aged between 15 and 45 years; cases included 100 patients selectively collected with a confirmed diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in Kerbala obstetrics and gynecology hospital, and the control group included 100 healthy pregnant women also gathered from the obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Kerbala governorate. Results show that the mean of Interleukin 6 was significantly higher in pregnant women with GDM, with p-values of 0.05 and 0.001. these results suggest that Interleukin6 (IL6) can be used as a prospective diagnostic marker for GDM.

Is trust an essential therapeutic goal in working with childhood sexual abuse (CSA)? – a body of empirical research

ABSTRACT Impaired ability to develop trusting relationships, self-dysregulation, poor emotional regulation, poor self valuation, and relational sensitivity are key challenges for survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. These increase the risk of ruptures in the therapeutic relationship and dropouts. Nevertheless, there is little evidence of the role of therapeutic trust in CSA. We collectively present the findings of a 15-year research journey into CSA recovering. Central to recovering was the establishment and maintenance of trust. Trust was also key for client satisfaction and facilitating the recovering process. Trust mediated regulation of threat responses, facilitated empathy, and enabled accurate symbolisation and re-contextualisation of traumatic narratives. In an increasingly traumatogenic world, more clinicians will be called to respond to disclosures of abuse and maintain engagement. Given the lack of effective interventions for CSA/complex trauma, trust-based person-centred psychotherapies are a promising alternative for managing dropouts, supporting the therapeutic relationship, and facilitating change.

A daily diary exploration of contexts and experiences associated with planned drinking decisions in young adults.

Despite the potential for negative consequences, young adults continually engage in heavy alcohol use. Unplanned (vs. planned) drinking has been of particular interest in several studies, as it is theoretically suggested to be related to poor behavioral regulation and negative consequences. Ecological momentary assessment and daily diary (DD) studies have been used to examine the contexts and consequences of planned and unplanned drinking specifically, resulting in somewhat mixed findings surrounding the factors contributing to and consequences of planned drinking. The present DD study adds to this literature by studying rewarding incentives and physical contexts of planned versus unplanned alcohol use, as well as the experiences, or consequences, of planned drinking events. Ninety-nine young adults took part in a mobile study investigating drinking decisions for the current day and day prior, reporting the rewarding incentives contributing to their decision, the context of drinking events, and the experience of each event. Planned drinking was associated with being influenced by social/party and alcohol incentives, as well as being at a bar and pregaming. There was a positive relationship between planned drinking and subjective level of intoxication, but not negative or positive experience. Planned drinking is likely associated with rewarding incentives and social contexts and may contribute to higher levels of subjective intoxication. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Are Tobacco Companies in Nigeria Complying With Health Warning Label Regulations on Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products?

BACKGROUND: Nigeria has approved 50% coverage of text and images of pictorial health warning labels (PHWLs) on packages of cigarettes and other tobacco products such as cigars, smokeless tobacco, and loose tobacco. While there is knowledge on the extent to which LMICs like Nigeria adopt the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC), there is need to examine the compliance with adopted packaging and labeling policies to generate knowledge for strengthening existing policies and efforts at enforcement. We assessed agreement with FCTC regulations as well as compliance with Nigerian requirements which are not adequate and do not effectively capture all FCTC requirements to identify the gaps being explored by these companies in an environment of poor regulation in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in Lagos State, Nigeria, from October 2022 to January 2023. A multistage random sampling method was utilized. Four local government areas (LGAs) with a combined population of 16 million, accounting for 70% of the population in Lagos, Nigeria were selected while three points‑of‑sale were randomly picked from two selected wards in each LGA. Empty discarded packs of cigarette and other tobacco products were collected from these outlets. The pack dimensions were measured and assessed for PHWLs, health warning manipulations and cessation assistance. Findings were assessed for compliance with the FCTC and national legislation. For each compliance feature, we calculated the frequencies and percentages of the packs that were compliant. RESULTS: 704 packs: 434 packs of 22 cigarette brands and 270 packs of 17 different tobacco products including cigars, snuff and loose tobacco were included in the study. Of 434 cigarette packs assessed, 50.3% were compliant with 9 indicators measured. These ranged from 48.8% to 55.5% for individual brands. For cessation assistance, image variability and image manipulation, compliance was 0% across all cigarette packs. Out of 270 tobacco product packs assessed, 10.6% were compliant with the 9 indicators assessed. Of the 12 multinational parent companies and product distributors assessed, the overall level of compliance among them was 24.9%. Level of compliance was noted to very low for companies involved in marketing other tobacco products, ranging from 0% to 20% but moderate for those marketing cigarettes, ranging from 37% to 55.5%. Companies that had no presence or subsidiaries in Nigeria but only export their products were highly non-compliant. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco companies had low compliance with PHWL on cigarettes and negligible compliance on other tobacco products like cigars, loose and smokeless tobacco. The government should expand and strictly enforce all regulations applying to health warnings, especially on non-cigarette tobacco products and closely monitor companies that merely export their products to the country.