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Objective: Natural disasters cause enormous environmental, economic, and human losses. Children are the most vulnerable group and face severe consequences. While the primary cause of post-traumatic death is direct injury, the secondary cause is crush syndrome (CS). In this study, we aimed to share our experience in the management of children with CS during disasters by evaluating the clinical and laboratory outcomes of a group of 26 paediatric patients. Materials and Methods: Age, weight, length of time under rubble, laboratory results, and characteristics of crush injuries were assessed in 26 paediatric patients admitted to the emergency department after the earthquake. Diagnostic criteria for CS were established and the need for dialysis, hyperbaric oxygen or amputation and its determinants were assessed. Results: Crush syndrome was observed in 10 of the 26 patients. Significant differences in creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, hematocrit, pH, HCO3, and myoglobin levels were observed between patients with and without CS. None of the individuals rescued from the rubble within the first 6 hours had symptoms associated with CS. These 10 patients who developed CS were rescued within the first 48 hours of the earthquake, while 2 siblings were rescued after 81 hours and did not develop CS. Conclusion: The fact that the children were rescued from the rubble after 81 hours without developing CS shows the importance of patience in rescue operations. In addition, the very cold weather conditions during this earthquake may have prevented the development of dehydration and acute kidney injury and reduced the possibility of CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Non‐operating revenue (NOR), derived from investments, contributions, government appropriations, and medical space rentals, can contribute to financial stability of hospitals by offsetting operating losses and improving profitability. NOR might benefit rural hospitals that often face intense financial pressures. However, little is known about how much rural hospitals rely on NOR and if certain organizational characteristics are associated with differences in NOR. Methods: Healthcare Cost Report Information System data from 2011 to 2019 were used to analyze sources of revenue among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and Rural Prospective Payment System (R‐PPS) hospitals through descriptive statistics and regression models. Reliance on NOR was measured by the percentage of total revenue from non‐operating sources. Findings: Results indicate that both CAHs and R‐PPS hospitals rely on NOR; however, CAHs have a higher percentage of total revenue derived from non‐operating sources (3.2%) as compared to R‐PPS hospitals (1.9%) (p < 0.001). Government‐owned hospitals have significantly higher reliance on NOR than other ownership types. System affiliation also influences reliance on NOR. Lastly, results suggest that NOR may play a role in improving overall profit margins. Conclusions: As rural hospitals disproportionately face challenges related to declining profitability and the risk for closure, they may rely on NOR to continue to strengthen financial performance and provide health care to their communities. However, NOR is not guaranteed, and reliance on NOR further reiterates the value of stable, adequate reimbursement to guard against fluctuations in NOR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity offsetting seeks to balance losses in biodiversity from development with offset actions that generate biodiversity gains. In Victoria, Australia, native vegetation offset policy aims to achieve No Net Loss (NNL) in biodiversity, meaning gains from offsetting must be at least equivalent to development losses. Gains may be generated from measures that protect the existing biodiversity from loss (averted loss gains), and those that restore or enhance the biodiversity (improvement gains). However, previous work has suggested the Victorian offset policy overestimates averted loss gains, allowing a larger development impact for the same offset. Here, we undertake a detailed examination of five impact‐offset exchanges permitted under Victorian offset policy in 2019 and 2020, comparing gains under the policy to those resulting from plausible counterfactuals. We find that the projected gains from averted loss were likely to be overestimated by between 3 and 240 times, compared to the counterfactuals. If this level of over‐estimation holds throughout the scheme, it would mean that up to 86% of offsets purchased do not compensate for permitted impacts to native vegetation, thwarting Victoria's NNL policy objective. We discuss the key policy issues and make recommendations to address over‐estimating averted loss gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litter decomposition plays an important role in biogeochemical cycling in boreal peatlands, where mosses, especially Sphagnum species, are a determinant. In recent decades, these peatlands have experienced a decline in moss cover due to abrupt climate warming and atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. To reveal the effect of the reduction in moss cover on litter decomposition, we adopted a field living moss removal experiment (with the senesced tissues remaining) in a Sphagnum-dominated boreal peatland, and investigated litter mass loss and net N loss of three deciduous woody species decomposing in monocultures and mixtures over 3 years. Based on the observed and predicted mass loss and net N loss of litter mixtures, we divided litter mixing effects into additive (no significant difference), synergistic (observed value greater than predicted value), and antagonistic (observed value lower than predicted value) effects. Across 3 years of decomposition, moss removal increased litter mass loss and net N loss, irrespective of single- or mixed-species compositions. Moss removal generally changed litter mixing effects on mass loss from antagonistic to additive effects in the initial 2 years, but from synergistic to additive effects after 3 years of decomposition. Regarding net N loss of litter mixtures, moss removal often resulted in a shift from additive to synergistic effects or from antagonistic to additive effects after 2 and 3 years of decomposition. Our observations suggest that the declines in living moss cover can accelerate litter decomposition and nutrient release, and highlight that living moss loss makes litter mixture decomposition predictable by reducing non-additive effects in boreal peatlands. Given the widespread occurrence of reduced moss cover in boreal peatlands, the mechanisms explaining living moss controls on litter decomposition and N cycling should receive significant attention in further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamical understandings of midlatitude transient eddy activity, especially its midwinter minimum over the North Pacific, are still limited, partly because conventional Eulerian eddy statistics are incapable of separating cyclonic and anticyclonic contributions. Here we evaluate the two contributions separately based on local curvature of instantaneous flow fields to compare their seasonality between the North Pacific and North Atlantic storm‐tracks. The anticyclonic contribution is found crucial for the midwinter minimum of the North Pacific transient eddy activity. Eddy energetics reveals that the net efficiency of the anticyclonic contribution in replenishing total transient eddy energy over the North Pacific exhibits a pronounced midwinter minimum leading to net energy loss, while that of its cyclonic counterpart does not, in harmony with a precipitation peak around midwinter. This study suggests that more attention should be paid to anticyclones in studying midlatitude storm‐track dynamics. Plain Language Summary: Our understanding of the dynamics of midlatitude transient eddy activity, especially its midwinter minimum over the North Pacific, is still limited. This is partly because conventional local statistics based on temporal filtering, which are commonly used as a measure of transient eddy activity, are unable to treat contributions from cyclones and anticyclones separately. Here we evaluate cyclonic and anticyclonic contributions to local eddy statistics separately based on local curvature of instantaneous flow fields, to compare their seasonality between the North Pacific and North Atlantic storm‐tracks. The anticyclonic contribution is found crucial for the midwinter minimum of the North Pacific transient eddy activity. We then apply eddy energetics to assess the relative importance of various processes relevant to the seasonality of eddy activity. The net efficiency of the relevant processes associated with the anticyclonic contribution in replenishing total transient eddy energy over the North Pacific exhibits a pronounced midwinter minimum leading to net energy loss. By contrast, that of the cyclonic counterpart does not, in harmony with a precipitation peak around midwinter. This study suggests that more attention should be paid to anticyclones in studying midlatitude storm‐track dynamics. Key Points: Anticyclonic contribution is crucial for the midwinter minimum of the North Pacific transient eddy activityThis minimum is consistent with net energy loss for anticyclonic regions in midwinter in energy conversion/generation termsMore attention should be paid to anticyclones in studying midlatitude storm‐track activity and their interaction with a time‐mean flow [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), a key component of early defense against microbial infection, are also associated with tissue injury. NET composition has been reported to vary with some disease states, but the composition and variability of NETs across many healthy subjects provide a critical comparison that has not been well investigated. We evaluated NETs from twelve healthy subjects of varying ages isolated from multiple blood draws over a three-and-one-half-year period to delineate the variability in extracellular DNA, protein, enzymatic activities, and susceptibility to protease inhibitors. We calculated correlations for NET constituents and loss of human bronchial epithelial barrier integrity, measured by transepithelial electrical resistance, after NET exposure. We found that although there was some variability within the same subject over time, the mean NET total DNA, dsDNA, protein, LDH, neutrophil elastase (NE), and proteinase 3 (PR3) in isolated NETs were consistent across subjects. NET serine protease activity varied considerably within the same donor from day to day. The mean NET cathepsin G and MPO were significantly different across donors. IL-8 > IL-1RA > G-CSF were the most abundant cytokines in NETs. There was no significant difference in the mean concentration or variability of IL-8, IL-1RA, G-CSF, IL-1α, IL-1β, or TNF-α in different subjects' NETs. NET DNA concentration was correlated with increased NET neutrophil elastase activity and higher NET IL-1RA concentrations. The mean reduction in protease activity by protease inhibitors was significantly different across donors. NET DNA concentration correlated best with reductions in the barrier integrity of human bronchial epithelia. Defining NET concentration by DNA content correlates with other NET components and reductions in NET-driven epithelial barrier dysfunction, suggesting DNA is a reasonable surrogate measurement for these complex structures in healthy subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consider an insurer who operates two lines of businesses and hence receives two types of insurance net losses. In the bidimensional discrete-time risk model with a constant interest rate, the net loss vectors from the two business lines form a sequence of independent and identically distributed real-valued random vectors. We propose a bidimensional extended regularly varying structure in terms of survival copulas to model the dependence between the two components of each net loss vector, which includes not only asymptotic independence but also asymptotic dependence. Under the framework of consistent variation, we obtain several (uniformly) asymptotic formulas for various ruin probabilities. In particular, the investigation of random-time ruin probabilities unifies and extends the results on both finite-time and infinite-time ruin probabilities. Some numerical studies are also performed to check the accuracy of our obtained asymptotic results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the mechanisms linking motivated behavior and reward--punishment stimuli in shy individuals. This study was designed to probe these mechanisms by examining shy and non-shy college student responses to both monetary rewards and penalties in the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Specifically, out of the 280 undergraduates surveyed in East China, 45 participants (18 boys) identified as shy and 45 (19 boys) identified as non-shy based on their shyness questionnaire scores were selected to participate in the IGT. Results revealed that shy participants selected favorable low-risk seeking decks (deck C) more frequently and adverse high-risk seeking decks (deck B) less frequently and were more inclined to change deck selection after incurring a net loss. Furthermore, the net score of shy students was higher than that of nonshy students. Results demonstrated that shy people were the winners of IGT games, indicating that they are more likely to exhibit risk-averse behaviors when making decisions. The results are discussed from the perspective of the decision-making style and practical implications of shy individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges and impacts of online romance scams. Topics including the manipulation of vulnerable individuals seeking love; the characteristics of both victims and scammers; the financial and emotional consequences of these scams; the profile of scam victims; the tactics used by scammers to manipulate and deceive; and emphasizing the need for awareness, caution and personal safety measures in online interactions to prevent financial ruin and emotional distress.

Habitat fragmentation could potentially affect tree architecture and allometry. Here, we use ground surveys of terrestrial LiDAR in Central Amazonia to explore the influence of forest edge effects on tree architecture and allometry, as well as forest biomass, 40 years after fragmentation. We find that young trees colonising the forest fragments have thicker branches and architectural traits that optimise for light capture, which result in 50% more woody volume than their counterparts of similar stem size and height in the forest interior. However, we observe a disproportionately lower height in some large trees, leading to a 30% decline in their woody volume. Despite the substantial wood production of colonising trees, the lower height of some large trees has resulted in a net loss of 6.0 Mg ha−1 of aboveground biomass – representing 2.3% of the aboveground biomass of edge forests. Our findings indicate a strong influence of edge effects on tree architecture and allometry, and uncover an overlooked factor that likely exacerbates carbon losses in fragmented forests. Forest responses can have major effects on tree architecture and community structure near the edges of forest fragments. Here, using terrestrial LiDAR scanning data from long-term forest plots, the authors find a net negative effect of fragmentation on Amazonian Forest aboveground biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure the safe and efficient application of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE), it is crucial to investigate its impacts on the carbonate system. While various modeling studies showed promising results in the past, there has been a lack of empirical data to support the applicability of this technology in natural environments. Recent studies have described the effect of runaway precipitation in the context of OAE, showing that calcium carbonate formation was triggered if certain Ωaragonite saturation threshold levels were exceeded. This precipitation can adversely affect the carbon storage capacity and may in some cases result in CO2 emissions. Experiments at the Espeland Marine Biological Station (Bergen, Norway) were conducted to systematically study the chemical consequences of OAE deployment. The experiments lasted for 20–25 days to monitor the temporal development of carbonate chemistry parameters after alkalinity addition and the eventually triggered carbonate precipitation process. Identified uniform patterns before and during the triggered runaway process can be described by empirical functional relationships. For the CO2-equilibrated approaches, total alkalinity levels (TA) of up to 6500 µeq kgsw-1 remained stable without loss of total alkalinity (TA) for up to 20 days. Higher implemented TA levels, up to 11200 µeq kgsw-1, triggered runaway carbonate formation. Ones triggered, the loss of alkalinity continued until Ωaragonite values leveled out at 5.8–6.0, resulting still in a net gain of 3600–4850 µeq kgsw-1 in TA. The CO2-non-equilibrated approaches, however, remained only stable for TA additions of up to 1000 µeq kgsw-1. The systematic behavior of treatments exceeding this level allows to predict the duration of transient stability and the quantity of TA loss after this period. Once triggered, the TA-loss continued in the CO2-non-equilibrated approaches until Ωaragonite values of 2.5–5.0 were reached, in this case resulting in a net loss of TA. To prevent a net loss of TA, treated water must be diluted below the time-dependent critical levels of TA and Ωaragonite within the identified transient stability duration. Identified stability and loss patterns of added TA depend on local environmental conditions impacting the carbonate system, like salinity, temperature, biological activity, and particle abundance. Implementation of such identified stability and loss patterns into ocean biogeochemical models, capable of resolving mixing patterns of treated and untreated water parcels, would allow to predict, from the geochemical perspective, safe local application levels of TA, as well as the fate of added alkalinity, and therefore a more realistic carbon storage potential as if neglecting observed carbonate system response to OAE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact varies between and within nations, causing new forms of inequality. Refugee and orphan children in conflicted areas are more likely to suffer due to poverty, vulnerability, and limited access to essential services including reduction in donor funding. This qualitative study is the first to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial crisis on Iraqi and Syrian orphaned children and their mothers. The Modified Grounded Theory was used for the preliminary analysis to expand the range of themes. This study has identified five major themes: financial crisis, low educational attainment, child labour, mental health issues, violence, and social problems. The impact of COVID-19 children and adolescents' mental health is of great concern. These multiple crises may significantly impact orphan children and adolescents' cognitive, mental health, and physical development. It is critical to address mental health issues during the current crisis and to plan for possible future pandemics and their intersecting outcomes. A Holistic approach requires providers to be aware of their clients' intersecting circumstances and needs using a range of lenses, including the person in the environment, family dynamics, culture, politics, and structural challenges. Offering food, medical supplies, and housing are considered basic needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article compares the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change in terms of natural characteristics of the crisis triggers as well as of socio-political responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most gamblers lose money, and this means that a behavioral dependence to gambling can cause harm. However, some professional gamblers win consistently, and there is little academic literature on their psychology and how they differ from disordered gamblers. To contribute to this understudied area, we qualitatively analyzed interviews with 19 elite online professional poker players, by examining factors from the disordered gambling and decision-making literatures. Like disordered gamblers, participants displayed aspects of a behavioral dependence to gambling, but contrastingly did not generally experience harm. Other contrasts included their rational approach to statistical thinking, a general selfreported tendency to not be impulsive, and their social connections with other experts. One factor that did not yield clear contrasting results was whether or not they experienced early big wins. Parallels with the decision-making literature included their assessment of decision quality based on expected value rather than realized outcomes, their reluctance to take risks outside of their 'circle of competence,' and their 'active open-minded' thinking style. This study contributes to gambling psychology via an in-depth exploration of an understudied group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands of the central Congo Basin have accumulated carbon over millennia. They currently store some 29 billion tonnes of carbon in peat. However, our understanding of the controls on peat carbon accumulation and loss and the vulnerability of this stored carbon to climate change is in its infancy. Here we present a new model of tropical peatland development, DigiBog_Congo, that we use to simulate peat carbon accumulation and loss in a rain‐fed interfluvial peatland that began forming ~20,000 calendar years Before Present (cal. yr BP, where 'present' is 1950 CE). Overall, the simulated age‐depth curve is in good agreement with palaeoenvironmental reconstructions derived from a peat core at the same location as our model simulation. We find two key controls on long‐term peat accumulation: water at the peat surface (surface wetness) and the very slow anoxic decay of recalcitrant material. Our main simulation shows that between the Late Glacial and early Holocene there were several multidecadal periods where net peat and carbon gain alternated with net loss. Later, a climatic dry phase beginning ~5200 cal. yr BP caused the peatland to become a long‐term carbon source from ~3975 to 900 cal. yr BP. Peat as old as ~7000 cal. yr BP was decomposed before the peatland's surface became wetter again, suggesting that changes in rainfall alone were sufficient to cause a catastrophic loss of peat carbon lasting thousands of years. During this time, 6.4 m of the column of peat was lost, resulting in 57% of the simulated carbon stock being released. Our study provides an approach to understanding the future impact of climate change and potential land‐use change on this vulnerable store of carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epiphytic lichen Letharia vulpina has been commonly sampled in-situ for nitrogen (N) deposition biomonitoring studies but has never before been transplanted for this purpose. In the high-elevation wilderness areas of southern California Letharia vulpina is generally uncommon, making in-situ sampling difficult. In this study, we compared thallus N accumulation between in-situ Letharia vulpina reference samples from the relatively low N deposition environment of the northern Sierra Nevada mountains and Letharia vulpina transplants that were deployed at nine plots of varying climatic and N deposition regimes in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains for 12 months. Survival of transplants was low (33%) and only occurred at the plots within the current range of Letharia vulpina. Transplant N concentrations became higher than those of the reference samples, while transplants that died had a net loss of N. Transplants that survived had strong relationships of N concentrations to N deposition and approached N concentrations of in-situ Letharia vulpina at the same plots. At the same time, reference plot N concentrations in a relatively clean environment increased substantially from early summer 2020 to 2021, presumably in response to extended exposure to smoke from huge wildfires in summer and fall of 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies for biodiversity no net loss and net gain underwrite narratives for green growth through advancing reparative logics to ongoing habitat impacts. By enabling offsetting practices that risk accommodating rather than averting land change developments, net principles are said to resemble modes of 'accumulation by environmental restoration'. Biodiversity net principles are frequently depicted visually as a diagram of the mitigation hierarchy for communicational ease and have proliferated over recent decades despite little evidence for their ecological effectiveness. This paper combines economic sociology, visual media analysis of the net diagram and political ecology to account for the stabilisation of net principles in policy frameworks. It highlights the upstream imaginative work that this visual tool and its wider assemblages perform to support offsetting and habitat banking practices on the ground. The paper positions the NNL diagram as a conceptual and ideational technology. It traces the practices through which biodiversity is rationalised by the Cartesian coordinates of an XY schematic, and en-framed as a measure of numerical value on a vertical scale. The effect is to engender coherence to the idea of netting out differences in aggregate sums of biodiversity unit value, making nature conceptually offset-able. I develop this account through a history of the diagram as well as the broader processes that have shaped the policy and its arrival in English planning frameworks. Observers increasingly question how biodiversity offsetting and no net loss/ net gain have become so popular when their empirical foundations are so weak. This paper proposes that within the wider assemblages of actors, one answer is located in the potency and mobility of conceptual technologies such as diagrams of no net loss or net gain of biodiversity and the logic of balance-sheet accounting that is imbricated within the visual design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need to achieve sustainable agricultural production to secure food, fiber, and fuel for a growing global population. Climate-smart (CS) actions (no-till and cover crops) can reduce carbon emissions and promote soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. Contemporary voluntary carbon markets provide producers with a monetary incentive to adopt CS actions. However, SOC–yield dynamics under CS actions are not well known, making it difficult for producers to judge whether additional income from carbon credits will offset potential losses to yield income. We designed a SOC–yield framework that captures SOC–yield–income dynamics under traditional (reduced tillage, no cover crops) and CS actions. Using a modified structured decision-making approach, we applied the framework to a case study in which producers aim to increase income by selling carbon credits after adopting CS actions. Specifically, we demonstrated how to balance tradeoffs between yield and carbon credit income that arise from tillage and winter cover crop actions (cereal rye, Secale cereale L. and crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L.) in a soybean (Glycine max L.) production system in Mississippi. Results indicated that a producer could minimize losses to net yield income by adopting no-till if already using cover crops. There was also evidence that carbon credit income could offset losses to yield income when adopting CS in place of traditional actions. Identifying risks to yield income and SOC storage can help design carbon neutrality policies that have minimum impact on a producer's income. History: This paper has been accepted for the Decision Analysis Special Issue on Decision Analysis to Advance Environmental Sustainability. Funding: This work was supported by the USDA-ARS [Grants 58-0200-0-002 (Advancing Agricultural Research) and 58-6001-8-003] and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture [McIntire Stennis Project 1020959]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/deca.2023.0478. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic differences in the attitudes of men and women towards risk is well established. In this paper, we investigate the joint role of two prominent psychological characteristics in explaining this difference. Our starting point is that risk assessments can be thought of, in general terms, to combine beliefs about the probability of negative outcomes occurring with a subjective valuation of how painful that negative outcome would be. Exploiting large‐scale panel data from the United Kingdom, we find that gender differences in financial optimism and financial loss aversion – the stronger psychological response to monetary losses than monetary gains – explain a substantial proportion of the parallel gender difference in willingness to take risks. This result prevails even after controlling for the Big Five personality traits, suggesting that the prominent psychological characteristics capture different aspects of behaviour than the Big Five. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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BACKGROUND: Construction projects are one of the most critical occupational sectors that experienced many challenges in occupational accidents and safety performance. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to assess safety risk in construction projects based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. METHODS: This study was conducted with 12 construction and occupational safety experts in one of the largest construction projects in Tehran-Iran in 2020. The process of this study included (1) risk identification, (2) measurement of risk parameters and sub-parameters, and (3) risk assessment based on a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Risk-forming parameters in this study included the probability and severity of the event. The probability of occurrence was estimated based on four sub-parameters of technical inspection, accident experience, detection probability, and human reliability. Sub-parameters of severity included human injury, cost imposition, tarnishing the organization's esteem, and impact on project timing and work stoppage. RESULTS: Twenty-eight identified hazards were examined in the studied construction project, including falling from a height (9-hazard), falling objects (2-hazard), electric shock (6-hazard), falling crane or load (6-hazard), elevator crashes (2-hazard), and soil fall (3-hazard). Safety risk assessment revealed that 27 risk sources were at the tolerable level and one risk source was unacceptable. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the risk levels in the studied construction project were tolerable and unacceptable. The obtained model in this study demonstrated that using parameters that determine the probability and severity of risk according to the nature of the working environments can be a practical step in risk evaluating and implementing control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had major ramifications for health and the economy at both the individual and collective levels. This study examined exogenous negative changes in household income and their implications on psychological well-being (PWB) among the Chinese population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data were drawn from the early China COVID-19 Survey, a cross-sectional anonymous online survey administered to the general population in China. Self-reported PWB was measured using a 5-point Likert scale with five questions related to the participants' recent psychological state. Hierarchical multiple linear regression was employed to examine whether income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with poor psychological health. Results: This study included 8,428 adults, of which 90% had suffered from a moderate or severe loss of household income due to the early COVID-19 pandemic. Those who had experienced moderate or severe loss of income scored significantly lower on psychological well-being than those who did not experience income loss (19.96 or 18.07 vs. 21.46; P < 0.001); after controlling for confounders, income loss was negatively associated with PWB scores (moderate income loss: B = − 0.603, P < 0.001; severe income loss: B = − 1.261, P < 0.001). An interaction effect existed between the degree of income loss and pre-pandemic income groups. Specifically, participants in the middle-income group who had suffered severe income loss scored the lowest on PWB (B = − 1.529, P < 0.001). There was also a main effect on income loss, such that participants with varying degrees of income loss differed across five dimensions, including anhedonia, sleep problems, irritability or anger, difficulty with concentration, and repeated disturbing dreams related to COVID-19. Conclusions: Income loss during the pandemic has had detrimental consequences on psychological well-being, and the magnitude of the impact of income loss on psychological well-being varied according to previous income levels. Future policy efforts should be directed toward improving the psychological well-being of the economically vulnerable and helping them recover from lost income in the shortest time possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Because of a change of government, the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection is in the process of presenting a structural reform for the General System of Social Security in Health (GSSSH), in order to implement a 'preventive and predictive health model'. However, it will always be relevant to review and analyze the fiscal implications of any proposed public policy program, to protect financial sustainability and to promote the better functioning of the system in question. Methods: To contribute to this topic, we have calculated, using a financial–actuarial approach, the loss ratio for the years 2017 to 2021 for the Capitation Payment Unit (CPU) for all the Health-Promoting Entities (HPE) for both contributory and subsidized schemes. This information, derived from public reports available on the official website of the National Health Superintendency, allows us to estimate the financial burden of the institutions that guarantee access to and provision of health services and technologies in Colombia. Results: The study shows that close to half of the HPEs in Colombia (which represent 11.6 million affiliates) have CPU loss ratios of more than 100% for the year 2021, evidencing insufficient resources for the operation of health insurance. Conclusions: Finally, we propose some policy recommendations regarding the strengthening of informed decision-making to allow the healthy financial sustainability of the Colombian GSSSH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are on the frontlines offering resources and support to residents during times of distress. Through a community-academic partnership, an interdisciplinary team developed, collected, and analyzed 91 surveys from social services providers across New York City assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their organizations' operations. The majority (93%) of these organizations stayed open during the pandemic but had to shift the services they offered to meet new needs. Although most (89%) shared they were not offering on-site testing for COVID-19, 53% expressed interest in becoming a test site, citing needs such as funding, test kits, and skills-building for staff. More than half of the respondents were eager to get involved in public health efforts in other ways, such as joining local research advisory boards. Despite increasing the services they provided, CBOs saw decreases in staffing and volunteers. Furthermore, although nearly half (48%) received governmental aid, many faced financial pressures and several had to close offices during the pandemic. As trusted resources, CBOs can help meet public health needs if provided with proper support and resources. It is critical that those working in prevention and relief are considerate about how and when they leverage effective partnerships between public health organizations and CBOs, offering organizations the resources they need to be effective in this charge, given the role they can have in promoting health equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether suicide rates in the elderly population are associated with media coverage of senior or celebrity suicides. Analyzing data from 2012 to 2015, we found that seniors were likely to be more influenced by media coverage of senior suicides than by celebrity suicides. Furthermore, the effects of media coverage of senior suicides were more significant when the reported reason was either health (mental or physical problems) or financial issues, such as poverty than other reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canada, persons living with dementia represent a sizable number of home care recipients. Although home care is not wholly publicly funded under provincial health insurance plans, some provinces like Ontario subsidize a maximum number of hours of home care provided by a personal support worker (PSW) on the basis of need. The public subsidization of home care may be interpreted as a mechanism of financial risk protection, enabling unpaid caregivers to maintain employment, income levels, and personal health. However, deficits in the availability of home care call into question how the organization of home care may be contributing to financial risk among unpaid caregivers. Inspired by qualitative phenomenology, this study describes the financial risks experienced by unpaid caregivers of persons living with dementia navigating publicly funded homecare in Ontario. Based on 24 interviews conducted between August-December, 2020, we found financial risk emerges across three dimensions: 1) receiving information about publicly funded home care that anticipates future care needs; 2) receiving flexible hours of support from a PSW; and 3) maintaining consistent access to quality support. Financial risks included turning to privately funded home care options, or taking time off work to provide care. Findings may inform local and international home care reforms aiming to protect caregivers from financial risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Getting diagnosed with cancer can be a tremendous stressor; it can even be recognized as an emotional trauma that can lead to several mental health problems and dysfunction in many aspects of one's life. Recent studies demonstrated that mental health issues can affect the quality of life, compliance with cancer treatment, medication efficacy, mortality rate costs of health services, and economic loss of cancer patients. In this review study, we gathered the literature by searching the databases, including Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. Google Scholar search engine was also used to make an extensive search strategy. We chose articles based on reporting the prevalence rate of mental health problems and the psychological and psychiatric problems that can influence the treatment of patients with cancer. The literature review showed that one-third of all cancer patients suffer from psychiatric disorders and psychological dysfunctions, and the most common mental disorders that can be comorbid with cancer are depression spectrum and anxiety disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Prescribed fire is a common management practice in native rangelands that can result in significant losses of C, N, and P from plant and soil. This study evaluated the short-term, fire-induced changes in C, N, and P stocks in subtropical native rangelands in Florida, USA. Methods: Changes in C, N, and P stocks were quantified in aboveground biomass and soil (0-20 cm depth) in locations within native rangelands dominated by either saw-palmetto (Serenoa repens Bartr.; Saw-palmetto) or grasses (mixed C4 grasses; Grass). Results: Prescribed fire had no impact on soil temperature below 2.5 cm, but peak temperature at soil surface was greater in Saw-palmetto than Grass areas. Despite greater pre-fire aboveground biomass in Saw-palmetto (1115 g m−2) vs. Grass (689 g m−2), no difference in post-fire net loss (−660 g m−2) was observed between vegetation types. This occurred because 97% of biomass in Grass was combusted during fire vs. 65% in Saw-palmetto dominated areas. Similar responses were observed for aboveground C and P stocks. Fire-induced N loss was greater in Saw-palmetto (−6 g N m−2) than grass (−2.7 g N m−2). Soil C, N, and P stocks were not affected by prescribed fire. This was likely due to limited effects of prescribed fire on soil temperature. Although fire had no effect on soil respiration, ash addition increased soil potentially mineralizable C by 11%. Conclusion: Prescribed fire reduces C, N, and P stocks in aboveground vegetation, but limited impacts are expected to occur in soil pools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the research is to analyze whether the elaboration and implementation of biodiversity offsetting policies depend on the quality of spatialized ecological data. We compared the availability and use of such data in Colombia and France, at various stages of the process: (i) anticipation (policy elaboration), (ii) planning, and (iii) monitoring and control. We show that spatialized ecological data are used to implement offsetting policies (France), but may also be a tool to develop such policies, in particular through the elaboration of predetermined ratios based on available scientific data (Colombia). We also show, based on geographical, ecological and legal aspects of the data, that the geographical characteristics of a country and its legal framework are an important determinant of the efficiency of offsets. Where the offset ratio is high, the feasibility of the offsetting will likely depend on whether preservation, and not only restoration, measures are allowed, but also on space finiteness and availability. There is also a necessity to balance the need for legal certainty that predetermined ratios provide with policy effectiveness in terms of no net loss of biodiversity. We emphasize the need for a regularly updated public portal that centralizes environmental data. Further, we note that an important caveat is to ensure that the guidance purpose of offsetting-related land-use planning instruments is not diverted and used to replace fieldwork. We also show that the legal requirement of 'ecosystem' (Colombia) vs 'ecological' (France) equivalence has practical consequences. • Scientific data are not only used to implement offsetting policies (France), but also to develop such policies (Colombia). • The need for legal certainty in offsetting policies must be balanced with the need for policy effectiveness. • The legal framework of a country but also its geographical characteristics are determinants of the efficiency of offsets. • The legal distinction between 'ecosystem' (Colombia) and 'ecological' (France) equivalence has practical consequences. • With high predetermined ratios, offsetting feasibility depends on the type of measures allowed and on space availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive socioeconomic changes wrought by COVID-19 have disrupted multiple aspects of family life. However, evidence is still lacking on the sustained long-term impact of the pandemic and how families are adapting to this new normal. This article studies changes in women's family relationships against the backdrop of evolving COVID-19 public health responses, and investigates the adverse effects of working from home, income loss, and anxiety about the virus. We survey 356 Singaporean mothers over four waves: a baseline in April–July 2018 and follow-ups in May, June, and November 2020. Results suggest that while some family relationships suffered during the early days of the crisis, most families displayed resilience in the long-term. Nevertheless, a substantial minority continued to report worsened relationships. Mother's work from home status and father's income loss emerged as significant predictors of change in family relationships, highlighting the gendered nature of adaptation to crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On average, net losses realized by direct indexing loss-harvesting strategies taper off within the first few years after their inception. In our historical simulations, they reach a maximum average cumulative level of about 30% of the initially invested capital. In addition, direct indexing strategies exhibit a high dispersion of net loss outcomes. Long-short strategies motivated by factor investing can significantly outperform direct indexing strategies from both a pre-tax and tax perspective. We model two types of long-short factor-based strategies: relaxed-constraint and composite long-short. Both types of strategies, if implemented with a sufficiently high level of leverage and tracking error, can realize a cumulative net capital loss of 100% of the invested capital within a few years and, at the same time, substantially outperform the benchmark index before tax, net of implementation costs. We further show that leverage and tracking error of long-short strategies can be managed dynamically in a highly tax-efficient manner. For example, an investor who becomes less optimistic about the prospects of factor investing can reduce the leverage and tracking error substantially, albeit not all the way to zero, without recognizing net capital gains. We find that a full liquidation of the long and short extensions results in realization of most of the previously deferred gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authentication process is the first line of defence against potential impostors, and therefore is an important concern when protecting personal and organisational data. Although there are many options to authenticate digital users, passwords remain the most common authentication mechanism. However, with password numbers increasing, many users struggle with remembering multiple passwords, which affects their security behaviour. Previous researchers and practitioners have attempted to suggest ways to improve password memorability and security simultaneously. We introduce novel approach that utilises colour as a memory cue to increase password memorability and security. A longitudinal study examined in total over 3000 passwords that were created, learnt and recalled (password process) over a period of five-weeks. By adding colour to the password process, our results suggest that password memorability and security can be increased simultaneously. Through giving the user the option of choosing the colours (compared with colours being preselected), encourages users to create more personal and meaningful memory cues when creating their passwords. Additionally, colour also provided another security parameter by increasing password entropy. These unique results have practical implications for researchers and practitioners that could positively impact password security, and the financial losses suffered due to password security breaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While research highlights that, on average, women's income and labor force participation fall around the time of a birth, little is known about how women's experiences of poverty around childbirth vary by birth parity or race and ethnicity. Using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the Supplemental Poverty Measure (a comprehensive measure of poverty), this research note examines the poverty rate of mothers overall and by birth parity and racial and ethnic group in the six months before and after childbirth. We also assess the role of current government support programs in moderating financial losses during the time around a birth. We find that poverty rates among mothers increase after childbirth, with the magnitude varying by birth parity and racial and ethnic group. While current government programs help reduce poverty among mothers around childbirth, these programs do not protect mothers from falling into poverty after childbirth nor do they reduce the inequities in poverty by race or ethnicity. Our results highlight the need for greater public assistance for mothers with recent births to ensure improved child and family well-being and also call attention to the need for policies to address long-standing racial and ethnic inequities in child and family well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of knee wraps for competitive powerlifters. To achieve this, an analysis of powerlifting results dating back to 1964 has been conducted. From these results the one repetition max (1RM) squat was evaluated, specifically examining the influence of competitors using knee wraps versus raw (allowing only neoprene knee sleeves). Student's t-test was used to compare the 1RM squat for male raw competitors (n=270,268) to those using wraps (n=26,576); and likewise for female raw (n=136,530) versus wraps (n=11,468). Overall, the males using wraps yielded significantly higher (p<.05) 1RM squat values (203 kg ± 46.8) than their raw counterparts (195 kg ± 45.7). The females yielded modest, but significantly higher (p<.05) 1RM squat values for raw (112 kg ± 29.3), compared to wraps (111 kg ± 29.8). The results were stratified by weight classes, and it was found that males in heavier classes (105, 120, and 120+ kg) significantly benefited (p<.05) from using knee wraps (+1.3, +4.8, and +6.9 kg respectively). For the lighter weight classes (59, 66, and 74 kg) knee wraps appeared significantly detrimental (p<.05) to the 1RM squat (-8.4, -4.4, and -3.6 kg, respectively). Only the heaviest female weight class (84 kg+) saw a significant benefit (p<.05) in the use of wraps with a net gain in 1RM squat of 4.5 kg. Again, wraps were shown to be significantly detrimental (p<.05) to the lighter weight classes (47, 52, 57, and 63 kg) with a net loss in 1RM squat (-3, -5.3, -3.6, and -3.3 kg, respectively). Considering these findings, it is suggested that only males in the heaviest three weight classes (105, 120, and 120+ kg), as well as females in the heaviest weight class (84+ kg), stand to gain any benefit from the use of knee wraps in competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of land plant root systems occurred stepwise throughout the Devonian, with the first evidence of complex root systems appearing in the mid-Givetian. This biological innovation provided an enhanced pathway for the transfer of terrestrial phosphorus (P) to the marine system via weathering and erosion. This enhancement is consistent with paleosol records and has led to hypotheses about the causes of marine eutrophication and mass extinctions during the Devonian. To gain insight into the transport of P between terrestrial and marine domains, we report geochemical records from a survey of Middle and Late Devonian lacustrine and near-lacustrine sequences that span some of these key marine extinction intervals. Root innovation is hypothesized to have enhanced P delivery, and results from multiple Devonian sequences from Euramerica show evidence of a net loss of P from terrestrial sources coincident with the appearance of early progymnosperms. Evidence from multiple Middle to Late Devonian sites in Greenland and northern Scotland/Orkney reveal a near-identical net loss of P. Additionally, all sites are temporally proximal to one or more Devonian extinction events, including precise correlation with the Kačák extinction event and the two pulses associated with the Frasnian/ Famennian mass extinction. For all sites, weathering, climate, and redox proxy data, coupled with nutrient input variability, reveal similar geochemical responses as seen in extant lacustrine systems. Orbitally forced climatic cyclicity appears to be the catalyst for all significant terrestrial nutrient pulses, which suggests that expansion of terrestrial plants may be tied to variations in regional and global climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Third Party Funding (TPF) is presented as a tool to help fund the cost of expensive litigation. In the context of Investment Arbitration, however, TPF has instead led to the commodification of justice, and raises concerns around its assetization. Arbitration often comes at a net loss for States, and the extraordinary expenditures required may pique the interest of third party funders who wish to profit from suing States. A two-fold movement contributed to the assetization process of TPF. The first movement was to package TPF as a tool to ensure access to justice, and the second was to assert a 'funding gap' in access to justice that ad hoc TPF alone could not address. TPF leads to more claims and riskier claims against States and increases the risk of crippling compensation. This requires States to allocate public funds to the cost of litigation, rather than to other necessary public services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contemporary Accounting Research is the property of Canadian Academic Accounting Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Contemporary Accounting Research is the property of Canadian Academic Accounting Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hardly a day goes by without a warning or headline about scams. Employee frauds, push payment or errant suppliers short-changing customers – the level of activity is rising, despite the actions of authorities to stamp out the problem [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on a study on the impact of Super Typhoon (ST) Odette, with international name Rai, on college students in Southern Leyte, Philippines. Topics discussed include difference of the study from the results of a study by J. V. Cleofas, the loss and trauma experienced by the students who were included in the study, and crucial aspects of the study.

Background This study investigated the association between various types of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related fear and the level of area deprivation in Korea. Methods Different types of COVID-19-related fear were examined, namely fear of infection, fear of dying from infection, fear of public criticism, fear of a family member getting infected and fear of economic loss. The level of area deprivation was measured based on the Area Deprivation Index, which was calculated based on population census data. The association between various types of COVID-19-related fear and the level of area deprivation was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results This study included 199 859 individuals from the 253 administrative divisions in South Korea. Findings indicated that fear was most common in individuals residing in the most deprived areas, followed by those in the mediocre and least deprived areas (fear of infection: odds ratio (OR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.09; fear of dying from infection: OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.19–1.28; fear of public criticism: OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.15–1.24; fear of a family member getting infected: OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.07–1.18). Conclusions The findings suggest the need to monitor and account for area deprivation in managing the psychological health effects of the COVID-19 crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beaver dam analogues (BDAs) have seen growing use as restoration structures across the western United States. This study investigates the patterns in streambed upwelling and downwelling along a 1.2‐km stream reach in Red Canyon Creek (RCC), Wyoming before and after the installation of 31 new BDAs and the upgrade of four existing BDAs in July 2021. Over 100 mini‐piezometers were used to measure upwelling and downwelling in low‐flow, summer periods as quantified by vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG). Both before and after BDA installation, the stream reach was dominated by downwelling patterns, suggesting that RCC was a net losing stream during this summer period, with and without BDAs. While there were spatial variations in VHG before BDA installation, this variation was not dependent on stream depth, water surface concavity, sediment characteristics, and position relative to meanders, suggesting that unobservable subsurface properties may be a control on VHG or that there are attributes that were not captured due to the 10‐m spacing of mini‐piezometers. After BDA installation, VHGs were primarily related to the magnitude of the elevation gradient across the BDA. VHGs were highest near the BDAs and diminished once moving more than a few metres from the BDAs. When VHGs were averaged over the full reach length, BDAs appeared to slightly enhance net stream loss, albeit we could not control for possible seasonal differences in water table gradient during the observtion period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River networks play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. Although global/continental scale riverine carbon cycle studies demonstrate the significance of rivers and streams for linking land and coastal regions, the lack of spatially distributed riverine carbon load data represents a gap for quantifying riverine carbon net gain or net loss in different regions, understanding mechanisms and factors that influence the riverine carbon cycle, and testing simulations of aquatic carbon cycle models at fine scales. Here, we (1) derive the riverine load of particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for over 1,000 hydrologic stations across the Conterminous United States (CONUS) and (2) use the river network connectivity information for over 80,000 catchment units within the National Hydrography Dataset Plus (NHDPlus) to estimate riverine POC and DOC net gain or net loss for watersheds controlled between upstream-downstream hydrologic stations. The new riverine carbon load and watershed net gain/loss represent a unique contribution to support future studies for better understanding and quantification of riverine carbon cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19 has not only taken a staggering toll in terms of cases and lives lost, but also in its psychosocial effects. We assessed the psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in a large cohort of people with HIV (PWH) in Washington DC and evaluated the association of various demographic and clinical characteristics with psychosocial impacts. Methods: From October 2020 to December 2021, DC Cohort participants were invited to complete a survey capturing psychosocial outcomes influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some demographic variables were also collected in the survey, and survey results were matched to additional demographic data and laboratory data from the DC Cohort database. Data analyses included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate the association between demographic and clinical characteristics and psychosocial impacts, assessed individually and in overarching categories (financial/employment, mental health, decreased social connection, and substance use). Results: Of 891 participants, the median age was 46 years old, 65% were male, and 76% were of non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity. The most commonly reported psychosocial impact categories were mental health (78% of sample) and financial/employment (56% of sample). In our sample, older age was protective against all adverse psychosocial impacts. Additionally, those who were more educated reported fewer financial impacts but more mental health impacts, decreased social connection, and increased substance use. Males reported increased substance use compared with females. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has had substantial psychosocial impacts on PWH, and resiliency may have helped shield older adults from some of these effects. As the pandemic continues, measures to aid groups vulnerable to these psychosocial impacts are critical to help ensure continued success towards healthy living with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]