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Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions significantly affect the environment, public health, and socioeconomic systems. Many countries and organizations have launched sustainable strategies to ease damaging consequences caused by the global climate change. Food services contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions. Service factors involved are food waste, the type of food service provided, and the use of single-use plastic products. For example, a single-use plastic food container related greenhouse gas emissions ranges from 0.16 to 0.48 kg CO2e. We have encouraged staffs to use reusable food containers since July 2024, and we shared the related information with all of staffs via emails and official website. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of sustainability initiatives—particularly the promotion of reusable food containers and a variable price buffet system. In our staff restaurant, 3 types of food services were in place: (i) variable price buffet service, (ii) fixed price canteen service, and (iii) fixed price box lunch. Data were first collected from July 2023 to December 2024, and then analysed according to the following 4 aspects: (i) the average number of lunches consumed each day, (ii) the amount of reusable food containers used, (iii) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and (iv) an observation of food waste in food services. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS software, version 22. We found that in 2024, the restaurant provided 1,200 to 1,800 meals/day during lunch time. Within these meals, 37.1% were from variable price buffets, 18.8% were from fixed price canteen, and 44.1% were from fixed price box lunches. First, in 2024, the use of reusable food containers in the variable price buffet averaged at 50% (47.9% to 56.3% on a monthly basis). In comparison to the period July to December 2023, our results show a significant increase in use of reusable food containers from July to December in 2024 (p < 0.05). Second, from July to December 2024, an estimated GHG emission reduction of 15,387–46,163 kg CO2e. Finally, based on the observation of food waste in different types of food services, there was almost no food waste in variable-price buffet service. In the literature, Matzembacher et al. have reported that the variable-price buffet service generates 116% less avoidable food wastes when compared with the fixed price canteen service(1). With the increasing public awareness of sustainable practices aimed at environmental protection, the adoption of reusable food containers and a variable-price buffet model effectively reduced plastic waste and GHG emissions. These initiatives included the implementation of a variable price buffet service to reduce food wastes and minimizing single-use plastic items and carbon footprints.
The Kolmogorov’s refined similarity hypothesis (RSH), which plays a fundamental role in studying turbulence intermittency, establishes a connection between locally averaged energy dissipation rates and statistics of velocity increments. This work extends the RSH framework from hydrodynamic (HD) turbulence to magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. In analogy to the form of the RSH in HD turbulence and the third-order law in MHD turbulence (Politano & Pouquet, Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 25, 1998, pp. 273–276), simple and mixed forms of RSH in MHD turbulence are proposed. These two forms are systematically verified and compared with datasets from direct numerical simulations. The results reveal that the simple form satisfies the predictions of Kolmogorov’s RSH, with respect to the scaling exponents of the local variables and the probability density functions (PDFs) of the Elsässer increments. The range of the local Reynolds number over which the RSH is satisfied is wider for the simple form than for the mixed form. The PDFs of the normalised Elsässer increments reasonably follow Gaussian and Rayleigh distributions for the simple and mixed forms, respectively. The effects of the external forcing and mean magnetic fields are studied, and these do not alter the performance of the two forms. However, cross-helicity can change the RSH constant for the simple form, while this constant for the mixed form does not vary. This study advances understanding of intermittency, multifractality, anomalous scaling and cascade dynamics in MHD turbulence.
Slotted blade technology is a passive flow control strategy that can effectively suppress the boundary layer separation within compressors. To reduce the iteration time of the traditional Design-Experiment-Design method, this study innovatively proposes a fast and universal three-dimensional design method for the slotted blade technology, enabling slot modeling completion within 1 s. Furthermore, combined with machine learning (ML), the mapping relationships between eight design parameters and two key aerodynamic performances – compressor design point efficiency ($\eta$DE) and stator total pressure recovery coefficient at the near-stall point ($\sigma ^{*}_{NS}$) – were pioneeringly established. In this study, the prediction performances of six models were compared: one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN), random forest (RF), support vector regression (SVR), Gaussian process regression (GPR), multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and long short-term memory network (LSTM). The results indicate that 1D-CNN achieves the highest prediction accuracy: for the $\eta$DE, the mean absolute error (MAE) and coefficient of determination (R2) are 0.041 and 0.987, respectively; for the $\sigma ^{*}_{NS}$, the MAE and R² are 0.479 × 10−3 and 0.955, respectively. Notably, the computational time of the 1D-CNN model is 99.11% less than that of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was employed to reveal the effects of design parameters on the compressor aerodynamic performance. Notably, the slot outlet axial position (Zout) exerts the most significant influence on the $\eta$DE, while the slot outlet radial position close to the casing (R1_out) has the strongest impact on the $\sigma ^{*}_{NS}$. This study provides theoretical support and valuable references for the intelligent design of slotted blade technology.
Exploring 'early globalism and Chinese literature' through the lens of 'literary diffusion,' this Element analyzes two primary forms. The first is Buddhist literary diffusion, whose revolutionary impact on Chinese language and literature is illustrated through scriptural translation, transformation texts, and 'journey to the West' stories. The second, facilitated diffusion, engages with the maritime world, traced through the seafaring journey of Cinderella stories and the totalizing worldview in literature on Zheng He's voyages. The authors contend that early global literary diffusion left a lasting imprint on Chinese language, literature, and culture. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
We developed a two-phase lattice Boltzmann model by coupling the entropic multiple-relaxation-time (EMRT or KBC) collision operator enabling low fluid viscosity, with a source term (Wang et al. 2022, Phys. Rev. E vol. 105, no 4) to independently adjust surface tension. The coupling is implemented via the exact difference method (EDM), which allows full consideration of external-force effects on the entropic stabiliser in KBC, in contrast to the recent work of Wang et al. (2022 Phys. Rev. E vol. 105) and Xu et al. (2024 Comput. Math. Appl. vol. 159, 92–101). More importantly, we address a major drawback of the EDM by explicitly demonstrating how its high-order error terms influence the pressure tensor and surface tension. Using the developed model, we investigated droplet impact and splashing on a thin liquid film at a remarkably high Weber number of ${\textit{We}} = 5000$ and Reynolds number of ${\textit{Re}} = 5000$. Droplet impact and splashing on flat surfaces and mesh structures at very high ${\textit{Re}}$ (15 200) and ${\textit{We}}$ (1020) are also studied after validating four representative cases against experiments. For droplet impact on flat surfaces, hydrophobicity promotes the growth of peripheral instabilities, leading to fingering splashing. Corona splashing transitions to fingering splashing as the liquid–gas viscosity ratio increases. For droplet impact on mesh structures, large openings promote liquid penetration, whereas small openings enhance spreading. As the solid ratio increases, the maximum spreading ratio increases monotonically but nonlinearly, whereas the maximum penetrated liquid pillar length first rises and then drops. These simulations demonstrate the proposed model offers significant advantages for accurately capturing and elucidating complex droplet impact and splashing dynamics at high ${\textit{Re}}$ and ${\textit{We}}$.
Music is associated with reduced pain, anxiety, and sedative requirements in ICU patients. Slow-tempo music (60 to 80 beats per minute) in particular has been associated with a neuromodulatory effect. The minimum duration of music listening associated with decreased pain may be as brief as 20 to 30 minutes, resulting in a nearly 2-point decrease in self-reported pain scores (on a 0-10 scale). Longer duration of music listening (i.e., more than 45 minutes) is associated with improved sleep quality and less depressive symptoms after critical illness. Through its interaction with various cortical areas, music may also offer beneficial effects on cognition. Neurocognitive processing of music invokes brain centers related to emotion, perception, cognition, and the autonomic nervous system. In EEG and functional MRI studies, music increased communication between the functional neural networks typically disrupted in delirium and dementia. Whether music listening in ICU patients with delirium can improve long-term cognitive function is not clearly understood but is being evaluated in randomized controlled trials. Ongoing clinical and scientific work will lay the groundwork to identify the neuroprotective mechanisms by which music may reduce the risk of ICU delirium and long-term cognitive impairments.
This paper extends the two-layer high-level Green–Naghdi (HLGN) internal-wave model to study boundary time-varying problems, involving moving bottom or surface disturbances. The equations for the two-layer HLGN model with time-varying boundaries are presented, accompanied by a time-domain algorithm for solving these equations. The wave profiles predicted by the HLGN model for internal waves generated by boundary disturbances, whether occurring at the bottom or at the surface, show excellent agreement with results obtained by the fully nonlinear potential-flow (FNPF) solution. For internal waves generated by a surface moving disturbance, the results obtained by the HLGN model show good agreement with the experimental observations and the FNPF solution, including the relationships between the disturbance speed and the resulting wave amplitude and phase speed. Furthermore, the HLGN model is applied to analyse the evolution of the wave profiles and speed generated by the surface disturbance with different moving speeds. In addition, the extended HLGN model incorporates background linear shear currents to examine internal waves generated by a moving bottom disturbance with a linear shear current. The results reveal that background vorticity exerts a pronounced modulation effect on the wave profile and velocity field. Counter-flow narrows the waves and increases their phase speed, whereas co-flow broadens the waves and enhances their amplitude.
Trichostrongylus spp. are globally distributed gastrointestinal nematodes that affect ruminants and humans, posing significant veterinary and public health challenges. Despite their zoonotic potential, the temporal dynamics of Trichostrongylus infection remain poorly understood globally. This study aimed to estimate long-term trends in Trichostrongylus prevalence in humans, ovines, and bovines using time series modelling. A systematic review identified 240 eligible studies with annual prevalence data across 60 countries. Following Kalman smoothing, annual prevalence time series were constructed for each host species covering 1947–2024 for humans, 1966–2024 for ovines, and 1962–2024 for bovines. ARIMA models were fitted separately: ARIMA(0,1,1) for humans, ARIMA(3,0,0) for ovines, and ARIMA(0,1,1) for bovines. Model selection was based on Stationary R2, RMSE, MAPE, and the Ljung-Box Q test for residual independence. Forecast 95% confidence intervals were reported to convey uncertainty in the projected trends. All three models demonstrated good in-sample fit and adequate residual diagnostics. Infection rates in humans and bovines are projected to decline, from 4.64% to 3.73% in humans and from 20.11% to 11.76% in bovines by 2034. In contrast, the ovine model forecasts an increase in infection rates, from 6.50% to 15.56%. This increase in ovines may reflect greater pasture exposure and environmental persistence of infective larvae, while improvements in hygiene and livestock management likely contribute to the declining trends observed in humans and bovines. The rising infection rate in ovines, coupled with sustained zoonotic risk, underscores the need for integrated One Health surveillance and control efforts.
This chapter offers an overview of Antarctica’s major meteorological and climate features using the latest methods, data products, and research findings. The first half of the chapter presents a thorough description of the Antarctic geography and its climatological temperature, precipitation, and near-surface environment. It provides a dedicated section covering Antarctic foehn and foehn-induced warming, which have been identified as major ‘hot spots’ for Antarctic surface melt and ice shelf destabilisation. Next the chapter details the major large-scale and regional atmospheric circulation patterns that characterise the high southern latitudes and strongly influence Antarctic meteorology, including the Southern Annular Mode, teleconnections associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation, and the Amundsen Sea Low. We then present the latest research discoveries on Antarctic climate extremes, with a focus on Antarctic ‘atmospheric rivers’ and their role in driving extreme temperature, precipitation, and surface melt events. The chapter closes with a summary of recent Antarctic climate change, current research gaps and challenges, and recommendations for future work.
To investigate the advantages and disadvantages of two multi-swirl fuel-rich dome configurations, namely the triple-swirler and double-swirler, for a novel high-temperature rise centre-staged combustor, this study employed ANSYS Fluent software. Utilising the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equation as the governing equation, three-dimensional numerical simulations were conducted using the Realisable k-ε turbulence model and non-premixed probability density function (PDF) combustion model to analyse the flow and combustion characteristics of both configurations. A comparative study was then performed to evaluate the performance differences between the two dome configurations under take-off and idle conditions. The results demonstrate that, under both conditions, the fuel-air mixing in the triple-swirler combustor occurs faster and more uniformly. Specifically, during takeoff, the primary zone temperature distribution in the triple-swirler combustor is more uniform, while during idle, the fuel-rich combustion region is more symmetrical. Furthermore, across both conditions, the outlet temperature distribution of the triple-swirler combustor is of superior quality, albeit with equivalent combustion efficiency. Notably, the formation of NOx and soot in the triple-swirler combustor, during takeoff conditions, exceeds that of the double-stage combustor along the flow path, whereas the generation of CO and UHC, during idle conditions, is lower in the former.
To investigate the stall mechanisms of a multi-stage axial compressor under different rotational speeds and identify the initial stall stages, this study focuses on a high-load nine-stage axial compressor, validated through experimental data. The results reveal that at 100% corrected rotational speed, flow instability is primarily triggered by corner separation in the front four stators (S1–S4). At 80% corrected rotational speed, the instability stems from the interaction between the first rotor (R1) tip leakage vortex and the main flow, coupled with the front four stators’ corner separation. Precise identification of initial stall locations in multi-stage axial compressors is imperative. The study first employs qualitative flow-field analysis to identify initial stall locations by comparing meridional mass flux variation contour maps and axial velocity iso-surfaces. The results show that the stall inception occurs at the S2 root under 100% corrected rotational speed, while at 80% corrected rotational speed, stall initiates simultaneously at both the S2 root and the R1 tip. Furthermore, an innovative three-dimensional flow blockage quantification method was established to systematically evaluate blockage severity within multi-stage blade passages. This approach utilises relative blockage variation metrics to quantitatively identify regions of rapid flow deterioration, achieving remarkable consistency with qualitative flow-field analysis. The qualitative and quantitative analysis results have been mutually corroborated. The proposed blockage quantification approach enables precise evaluation across stages without complex flow fields comparisons, allowing rapid identification of stall-initiating locations and supporting subsequent stability enhancement optimization.
Respiratory virus transmission in healthcare settings is not well understood. To investigate the transmission dynamics of common healthcare-associated respiratory virus infections, we performed retrospective whole genome sequencing (WGS) surveillance at three teaching hospitals.
Methods:
From January 2, 2018, to January 4, 2020, nasal swab specimens positive for rhinovirus, influenza virus, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) from patients hospitalized for ≥3 days were sequenced. High-quality genomes were assessed for genetic relatedness using ≤3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as a cutoff, except for rhinovirus (≤10 SNPs). Patient health records were reviewed for genetically related clusters to identify epidemiological connections.
Results:
We collected 436 viral specimens from 359 patients: rhinovirus (n = 291), influenza virus (n = 50), RSV (n = 48), and HMPV (n = 47). Of these, 42%% (152/359 patients) were from a pediatric hospital, and 58% were from adult hospitals. WGS was performed on 61.2% (178/291) rhinovirus, 78% (39/50) influenza virus, 90% (43/48) RSV, and all HMPV specimens. Among high-quality genomes, we identified 14 genetically related clusters involving 36 patients (range: 2–5 patients per cluster). We identified common epidemiological links for 53% (19/36) of clustered patients; 63% (12/19) of patients had same-unit stays, 26% (5/19) had overlapping hospital stays, and 11% (2/19) shared common providers. On average, genetically related clusters spanned 16 days (range: 0 − 55 days).
Conclusion:
WGS offered new insights into respiratory virus transmission dynamics. These advancements could potentially improve infection prevention and control strategies, leading to enhanced patient safety and healthcare outcomes.
In this paper we consider a dynamic Erdős–Rényi graph in which edges, according to an alternating renewal process, change from present to absent and vice versa. The objective is to estimate the on- and off-time distributions while only observing the aggregate number of edges. This inverse problem is dealt with, in a parametric context, by setting up an estimator based on the method of moments. We provide conditions under which the estimator is asymptotically normal, and we point out how the corresponding covariance matrix can be identified. We also demonstrate how to adapt the estimation procedure if alternative subgraph counts are observed, such as the number of wedges or triangles.
In this article, we report new marine reservoir age correction (ΔR) values from the Marine20 calibration for the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait over the past 6700 cal BP, derived from 14C and U-Th ages of Holocene corals. Since secondary calcite from diagenetic processes can influence coral 14C ages, we developed a pretreatment protocol that ensures low calcite content (<1%, 0.8±0.2%) using a combination of thorough physical cleaning and repeated XRD measurements. We compare our new measurements with published ΔR values from the region, recalculated to conform to the Marine20 dataset. The results show larger temporal variation (∼300 yr) in ΔR from 5500 to 6700 cal BP for the Penghu Islands and ∼400 yr variability at several SCS sites from 5500 to 8200 cal BP. Relatively smaller ΔR variability is observed from 0–5500 cal BP: ∼220 yr in the Penghu Islands and ∼320 yr for South China Sea sites. The weighted mean ΔR value of –155±59 14C yr for the past 5500 cal BP is determined as the marine reservoir age correction around Taiwan and northeastern SCS, and this value is consistent with modern values inherited from the North Equatorial Current, the upstream source of the Kuroshio Current that feeds the northeastern SCS and the Taiwan Strait.
Mental disorder may affect individual’s ability to operate the motor vehicle. Previous studies have found that patient’s negative emotions may trigger aggressive driving behaviors. Thus, efficiently evaluating the correlation between emotions and driving behaviors in individuals with mental disorders has been drawn emphasis.
Objectives
To explore the related factors of fitness-to-drive of individuals with mental disorders, to determine the application value of traffic psychology scales in assessment for fitness-to-drive of individuals with mental disorders, and to help establish consummate and effective assessment systems.
Methods
One hundred individuals with mental disorders were enrolled as the patient group, and 100 healthy individuals were enrolled as the control group. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the psychiatric symptoms of the patient group. Driver Profile of Mood States (DPOMS), Driver Anger Scale (DAS), and Driving Behavior Scale (DBS) were used to evaluate the performance during driving within two groups. T-test were used to compare the differences in each factor score of traffic psychology scales within two groups. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to calculate the correlation between scores of PANSS and scores of traffic psychology scales of the patient group.
Results
The patient group had significantly higher score of driving function deficit in DBS than the control group (t=2.48, P<0.05), but scores of hostile gestures, impolite driving, overly cautious behaviors in DBS and total score of DAS showed the opposite (P<0.05). Positive syndrome in PANSS was positively related to traffic congestion in DAS (r = 0.315, P < 0.05). Anger in DPOMS was positively related to driving function deficit (r = 0.488, P < 0.01) and hostile behaviors in DBS (r = 0.510, P < 0.01), whereas it was negatively related to overly cautious behaviors in DBS (r = -0.417, P < 0.05). Anxiety and depression were also related to some factors in DAS and DBS.
Conclusions
The study found the practical application value of DPOMS, DAS, and DBS in assessment for fitness-to-drive of individuals with mental disorders. Patient’s anger in specific traffic situations such as traffic congestion may be mainly related to their positive syndrome. Patient’s anger may be a trigger of aggressive driving behaviors, and other emotions such as anxiety and depression also play important roles. Patient’s aggressive driving behaviors may be attributed to the compounding of many negative emotions.
Disclosure of Interest
S. Wang: None Declared, X. Ling: None Declared, Q. Zhang: None Declared, H. Li Grant / Research support from: This study was supported by National Key R & D Program of China [grant number 2022YFC3302001], National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 81801881], Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai Municipality [grant numbers 20DZ1200300, 21DZ2270800, 19DZ2292700].
Patients with mental disorders often engage in extreme and unpredictable violent behaviors that seriously endanger the public security and stability of the society. Violence risk is commonly assessed by subjective judgement, which may lead to bias and uncertainty in the appraisal results. Existing expression recognition and analysis techniques have limitations in identifying the emotional states of patients with mental disorders.
Objectives
The study aimed to explore the association between violent behaviors and facial expression in patients with mental disorders by machine learning algorithm, to evaluate the application value of facial expression analysis system in violence risk assessment of individuals with mental disorders.
Methods
Thirty-nine patients with mental disorders were enrolled and assessed by using Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS), positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS). An emotional arousal paradigm was performed and the intensity of baisc emotions and expression action units was recorded before, during and after the paradigm. The processed quantitative data was used to generate one-dimensional waveform maps and two-dimensional time-frequency maps and then quantized feature data were extracted. A machine learning model with high accuracy was trained using these feature data, which can accurately determine the violence risk states of patients and output the probability. All individuals participated voluntarily and provided informed consent. This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Academy of Forensic Science.
Results
The intensity difference of sadness, surprise and fear in different time periods was statistically significant. The intensity of the left medial eyebrow lift action unit was found significantly different before and after the emotional arousal. The intensity of anger and disgust was positively correlated with the MOAS scores, PANSS scores and BPRS scores. The features of time-frequency diagrams of 5 expression action units (medial eyebrow raise, eyebrow lowering, slightly open lips, chin drop and eye closure) and 8 basic emotions were selected and then support vector machine was used for triple classification, which is a classifier that can well distinguish the three stages of non-violence risk period, violence risk period, and post-violence risk period. In the 4:1 training-testing grouping, the classification accuracy reaches 91.2%.
Conclusions
Featured expressive action units and various baisc emotions might be used to capture information associated with violent behaviors. The facial expression analysis system mentioned above can be used as an auxiliary tool to assess the potential risk of violence in patients with mental disorders.
Disclosure of Interest
X. Ling: None Declared, S. Wang: None Declared, X. Zhou: None Declared, N. Li: None Declared, W. Cai: None Declared, H. Li Grant / Research support from: This study was supported by National Key R & D Program of China [grant number 2022YFC3302001], National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 81801881], Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai Municipality [grant numbers 20DZ1200300, 21DZ2270800, 19DZ2292700].
Violence is a major global health concern among patients with schizophrenia. However, the triggers of violent behavior remain unclear. In previous studies, familial risk factors are believed to be associated with mental disorders and violence. The relationship between parental bonding or childhood adversity and psychopathologic behavior (such as violence) has rarely been evaluated.
Objectives
The study aimed to explore the relationship between violent behavior and childhood experience and to determine the role of the early child-parent bond in violence risk in patients with schizophrenia.
Methods
The study enrolled 287 patients with schizophrenia and 100 healthy controls. Patients were divided into 3 groups: patients with homicidal history (Group A), patients with violent behavior and without homicidal history (Group B) and patients without violent behavior (Group C). Childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ), parental bonding instrument (PBI) and modified overt aggression scale (MOAS) were used to explore the violent behavior and childhood experience. All individuals participated voluntarily and provided informed consent. This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Academy of Forensic Science.
Results
The findings indicated the proportion of males to be higher in the patient groups than in the healthy controls, especially in the group with homicidal history. Patients had a significantly higher prevalence of sexual abuse, emotional abuse and emotional neglect than the healthy controls. The emotional abuse and emotional neglect were found to be positively and negatively related to MOAS scores. Maternal over protection was found to be negatively related to the MOAS scores. On the CTQ subscales, emotional neglect was significantly associated with violence risk (OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.04–1.22). On the PBI subscales, maternal and paternal care (0.84, 0.74–0.94 and 1.30, 1.13–1.49) and over protection (1.18, 1.07–1.29 and 0.87, 0.81-0.95) were found to be significantly associated with violence risk. Maternal and paternal over protection were significantly associated with homicide risk (0.87, 0.78-0.97 and 1.10, 1.01-1.20).
Conclusions
The schizophrenia patients with violence might suffer lower paternal care and emotional abuse during the childhood. In terms of violence in schizophrenia patients, paternal over protection and maternal care might be a protective factor and emotional neglect, maternal over protection and paternal care might be a risk factor. In terms of homicide in schizophrenia patients, paternal over protection might be a risk factor and maternal over protection might be a protective factor. Therefore, childhood trauma and parental care and over protection could be a potential reference indicator for assessing violence risk in patients with schizophrenia.
Disclosure of Interest
X. Ling: None Declared, S. Wang: None Declared, N. Li: None Declared, Q. Zhang: None Declared, H. Li Grant / Research support from: This study was supported by National Key R & D Program of China [grant number 2022YFC3302001], National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 81801881], Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai Municipality [grant numbers 20DZ1200300, 21DZ2270800, 19DZ2292700].
People with psychotic-like experiences (PLE) have slow movements and uncontrolled movements, which are indicative of transition to psychotic disorders afterwards. Earlier research has reported that rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) is a promising therapeutic technique for movement abnormalities in people in the psychosis continuum. However, the small sample size was a major limitation in earlier research and restricted result generalizability.
Objectives
This study was to increase the sample size and examine if faster RAS induced faster movements and less uncontrolled movements at both hands in people with PLE.
Methods
A total of 55 right-handed people with PLE (age: 20.51±2.50 years; 28 females) and 55 age- and gender-matched right-handed healthy controls (age: 20.53±3.10 years; 24 females) were recruited. Participants used the index finger to perform the alternate touching task for each hand when the motion capture system recorded the movement procedure. They were required to follow each beat of RAS with the normal tempo (100% of the fastest movement tempo without RAS) and the fast tempo (110% of the fastest movement tempo), the order of which was counterbalanced, when performing the alternate touching task. Kinematic variables were calculated to reflect severity of slow movements and uncontrolled movements in participants.
Results
Two-way analysis of variance showed no interaction between groups and RAS in right-hand and left-hand kinematic values. People with PLE had slow movements at both hands and uncontrolled movements at the right hand. Faster RAS induced faster movements and less uncontrolled movements at both hands in people with PLE.
Conclusions
The major contribution of this study was to use a relatively large sample size to demonstrate effectiveness of faster RAS on inducing faster movements and less uncontrolled movements at both hands in people with PLE and thus increase result generalizability. Given that movement abnormalities are initial signs in the psychosis continuum and risk factors of transition to psychotic disorders, when healthcare practitioners design early intervention for movement problems in people with PLE, incorporating RAS in therapy is suggested.
Stigma not only influences the willingness to disclose mental health conditions and self-esteem but may also diminish the overall quality of life in individuals with mental illnesses. However, limited research has examined the potential mechanisms underlying this complex relationship.
Objectives
This study aims to explore the mediating roles of disclosure and self-esteem in the association between mental illness stigma and quality of life.
Methods
We utilized the meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) approach and conducted a comprehensive literature search across various electronic databases to identify relevant publications up to July 2023. MASEM was employed to derive bivariate correlation matrices for stigma, disclosure, self-esteem, and quality of life. Additionally, two simple mediation models and one serial mediation model were tested to examine the relationships between these variables.
Results
The analysis included 181 articles reporting 195 independent samples (N = 33,162) and 278 effect sizes. The single mediator model indicated that self-esteem (β = −0.155, 95% CI [−0.276, −0.070], p < .001), rather than disclosure (β = −0.019, 95% CI [−0.094, 0.031], p > .05), served as a mediator. In the multiple mediator model, disclosure and self-esteem were found to have serial mediating roles between stigma and quality of life (β = −0.016, 95% CI [−0.0546, −0.0003], p < .05).
Conclusions
This study makes a significant contribution to understanding how stigma attitudes impact the quality of life in individuals with mental health problems, providing a strong empirical foundation for the development of mental health interventions. Future research directions and practical implications are also explored.
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder affecting 50% of patients intermittently and 20% chronically, with high unemployment rates (80-90%) and reduced life expectancy. Although genetic and neurodevelopmental factors are established non-modifiable risk factors, knowledge gaps persist regarding prevention strategies, particularly the combined impact of modifiable risk factors.
Objectives
The aim of this study is to identify the modifiable risk factors and to estimate their joint effect on Schizophrenia.
Methods
We conducted an exposure-wide association study (EWAS) using the UK Biobank cohort to systematically evaluate 206 potentially modifiable factors associated with schizophrenia risk. The study population comprised individuals without schizophrenia at baseline, with diagnoses determined using ICD-10 criteria. We employed Cox proportional hazard regression models with Bonferroni correction (significance threshold: P<1.91×10-4) to identify significant factors. The identified factors were categorized into six domains: lifestyle, local environment, medical history, physical measures, psychosocial factors, and socioeconomic status (SES). Domain-specific, weighed, and standardized scores were calculated based on coefficients from Cox models, adjusting for covariates. Scores were stratified into tertiles (favorable, intermediate, unfavorable) for risk assessment. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were calculated to quantify prevention potential.
Results
The study cohort included 498,351 participants (54.45% female; mean age: 56.55 years) followed for a mean duration of 14.37 years, during which 1,345 participants developed schizophrenia. We identified 86 significant modifiable factors, with disability (HR 6.23, 95% CI 5.48-7.07), depression (HR 5.06, 95% CI 4.93-5.20), and anxiety disorders (HR 3.69, 95% CI 3.12-4.36) showing the strongest associations. Our analyses suggested that transitioning unfavorable profiles to intermediate and favorable status (Estimation 1) could prevent 59.6% of schizophrenia cases, while shifting both intermediate and unfavorable profiles to favorable (Estimation 2) could prevent 90.4% of cases. In Estimation 2, the preventive potential was highest for SES (18.0%), followed by medical history (17.5%), lifestyle factors (17.0%), psychosocial factors (14.3%), physical measures (12.8%), and local environment (10.8%).
Image:
Conclusions
This analysis identifies multiple modifiable risk factors for schizophrenia, demonstrating substantial prevention potential through multi-domain interventions. Socioeconomic, medical, and lifestyle factors emerge as key targets for prevention strategies. The consistency of associations across genetic risk strata suggests interventions could be beneficial regardless of genetic predisposition, informing targeted prevention strategies and public health policies.