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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), characterized by airflow limitation, commonly manifests cognitive and physical impairments that are often managed separately. The aim of this paper was to describe a dual task protocol of walking with a cognitive task to assess related decrements and associated ΔO2Hb in patients with COPD and older adults. Sample data illustrates responses from two individuals. Two single tasks and a dual task were applied in random order: (1) single task walking evaluated by the Zeno Electronic Walkway to measure gait speed; (2) a cognitive task of determining the number of 5-letter words accurately spelled backwards; (3) dual task walking combined with spelling words backwards. The decrements of performance were evaluated by examining the differences from single to dual task performance for two participants, to illustrate the methodology, as well as normalizing the decrement to the single task performance by the following equation:.

PurposeTo contrast older and younger adults’ prefrontal cortex (PFC) neural activity (through changes in oxygenated hemoglobin) during single and dual tasks, and to compare decrements in task performance.MethodsChanges in oxygenated hemoglobin of dorsolateral PFC were monitored using functional near-infrared spectroscopy during single tasks of spelling backwards (cognitive task) and 30 m preferred paced walk; and a dual task combining both. Gait velocity was measured by a pressure sensitive mat.ResultsTwenty sex-matched younger (27.6 ± 3.5 years) and 17 older adults (71.2 ± 4.9 years) were recruited. The left PFC oxygenated hemoglobin decreased from start (1st quintile) to the end (5th quintile) of the walking task in younger adults ( – 0.03 ± 0.03 to – 0.72 ± 0.20 µM; p < .05) unlike the non-significant change in older adults (0.03 ± 0.06 to  –  0.41 ± 0.32 µM, p > .05). Overall, oxygenation increased bilaterally during dual versus single walk task in older adults (Left PFC: 0.22 ± 0.16 vs. – 0.23 ± 0.21 µM, respectively; Right PFC: 0.17 ± 0.18 vs. – 0.33 ± 0.22 µM, respectively), but only in right PFC in younger adults ( – 0.02 ± 0.15 vs.  –  0.47 ± 0.13 µM). Older adults exhibited lower velocity during the dual task compared to younger adults (1.03 ± 0.16 vs. 1.20 ± 0.17 m/s, respectively). Older age was associated with dual task cost on velocity during walking after adjusting for confounding variables.ConclusionsAge-related cognitive decline in older adults may increase neural activity for cognitive tasks and diminish walking automaticity that may lead to decrements during dual tasking; the greater PFC increases in the oxygenated hemoglobin and lower velocity may be due to increased cognitive load and limited attentional resources.

Background. Global climate change is resulting in dramatic increases in wildfires. Individuals exposed to wildfires experience a high burden of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the cost-effectiveness of the treatment options to address PTSD from wildfires has not been studied. The objective of this study was to conduct a cost-utility analysis comparing screening followed by treatment with paroxetine or trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) versus no screening in Canadian adult wildfire evacuees. Methods. Using a Markov model, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs were evaluated over a 5-y time horizon using health care and societal perspectives. All costs and utilities in the model were discounted at 1.5%. Probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses examined the uncertainty in the incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) under a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000. Results. From a societal perspective, no screening (NMB = $177,641) was dominated by screening followed by treatment with paroxetine (NMB = $180,733) and TF-CBT (NMB = $181,787), with TF-CBT having the highest likelihood of being cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY (probability = 0.649). The initial prevalence of PTSD, probability of acceptance of treatment, and costs of productivity had the largest impact on the INMB of both paroxetine or TF-CBT versus no screening. Neither intervention was cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY from a health care perspective. Interpretation. Screening followed by treatment with paroxetine or TF-CBT compared with no screening was found to be cost-saving while providing additional QALYs in wildfire evacuees. Governments should consider funding screening programs for PTSD followed by treatment with TF-CBT for wildfire evacuees. Highlights Two prior studies examined the cost-effectiveness of screening followed by treatment for PTSD among individuals exposed to other disaster-type events (i.e., terrorist attack and Hurricane Sandy) and found screening followed by treatment (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]) to be highly cost-effective. Among wildfire evacuees, screening followed by treatment with paroxetine or trauma-focused (TF)–CBT provides additional quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and is cost-saving from a societal perspective. TF-CBT was the treatment option found most likely to be cost-effective. Neither treatment option was cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY from a health care perspective. Screening programs for PTSD should be considered for wildfire evacuees, and individuals diagnosed with PTSD could be prescribed either TF-CBT or paroxetine depending on their preference and resources availability.

Background The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) is the gold standard diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia in Asian populations. The calf circumference (CalF), the strength, assistance in walking, rising from a chair, climbing stairs, and falls (SARC-F) and the SARC-CalF questionnaires for sarcopenia screening have been used by AWGS 2019. The aim of this study was to assess accuracy of these three sarcopenia screening tools in patients with interstitial lung disease . Methods In this cross-sectional study, stable patients with interstitial lung disease were enrolled. The SARC-F, SARC-CalF, and CalF, used in patients with interstitial lung disease, were compared to the diagnostic criteria proposed by AWGS 2019. The accuracy of screening tools was compared using sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) were computed. Results Seventy eight patients were analyzed, and sarcopenia was identified in 25 (32.1%) patients with interstitial lung disease by the AWGS 2019 criteria. The sensitivity of the CalF was highest (96%) of the three screening tools, while the specificity was 60%. The sensitivity of SARC-F and SARC-CalF were 24% and 68%, while the specificity were 92% and 66%, respectively. The AUCs of CalF, SARC-F, and SARC-CalF in all patients were 0.78, 0.58, and 0.67, respectively. Conclusions The CalF is most suitable for screening sarcopenia in patients with interstitial lung disease, while SARC-F and SARC-CalF are not.

The current work experimentally and theoretically studied the effect of water injection on improving the performance of three different types of single-cylinder internal combustion engines. The first engine is a four-stroke diesel, the second is a four-stroke gasoline, and the third is a two-stroke gasoline engine. Different amounts of water were injected relative to fuel consumption for the three engines to find how it affected the performance, exhaust gas temperatures, and emissions. Comparing the experimental and theoretical results was done to determine the effect of spraying water on lowering the temperatures of the exhaust gases, increasing the thermal efficiency, and lowering specific fuel consumption. The experimental results for the various tested engines show that, in general, the exhaust gas temperature and gas emission decreases by increasing the mass of water injection; these differences vary based on the engine and the operating conditions. Water injected at the inlet of the gasoline engine reduces the overall emissions greater than with the diesel engine and the two-stroke engine. The current laboratory experiments have shown and confirmed by theoretical analyses that spraying water at the inlet of engines reduces braking fuel consumption by a maximum of 10% with an increase in thermal efficiency by up to a maximum of 4.5% and reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and exhaust gas temperature by up to 35%.

IntroductionEconomic transition has historically been shown to be associated with longer life expectancy in current high-income countries. We examined the role of alcohol consumption in this transition process for lower- and middle-income countries.MethodsWe tested three hypotheses on the interrelationship between economic growth, level of alcohol consumption and life expectancy in all six countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region, which transitioned from low- to lower-middle-income countries over the past 20 years. Structural equation modelling, corrected for autoregressive effects, was used to test the association between economic development and life expectancy, adult per capita consumption of alcohol, the prevalence of past-year drinkers and alcohol-attributable mortality. The direct impact of alcohol per capita consumption (APC) on life expectancy was also estimated.ResultsOverall, economic development was strongly positively associated with both life expectancy and alcohol consumption, and a higher level of alcohol consumption resulted in a lowered life expectancy, when directly measured. Thus, changes in gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity of $ 1000 Int. were linked to changes in the same direction in life expectancy of 0.94% (95% CI 0.66%, 1.21%) and with an increase in APC of 76.8% (55.38%, 98.3%). Average loss in life expectancy due to alcohol consumption was 1.76 (0.81, 2.72) years for males and 0.59 (0.12, 1.07) for females. There was heterogeneity found between countries.ConclusionAlcohol consumption is expected to increase in an economic transition from a low- to lower-middle-income country and to have a negative impact on life expectancy. Alcohol control policies should be enacted to reap the full health benefits of economic growth.

The physical impairments (e.g., slower walking speed) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been attributed to peripheral characteristics (e.g., muscle atrophy). However, cognitive impairment may compromise motor control including walking automaticity. The objective of this study was to investigate PFC neural activity, evaluated using changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (ΔO2Hb), during preferred paced walking (PPW) in COPD patients and age-matched controls. The ΔO2Hb from the left and right dorsolateral PFC was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Fifteen COPD patients (age: 71 ± 8) and twenty age-matched controls (69 ± 7 years) participated. Two-way mixed ANOVA demonstrated that O2Hb in both groups decreased during PPW from the start (quintile 1; Q1) to the end (quintile 5; Q5) in the left dorsolateral and medial PFC. Q1 was comprised of the data during the first 20% of the task, while Q5 included data collected in the last 20% of the task duration. PPW duration ranged between 30.0 and 61.4 s in the control group and between 28.6 and 73.0 s in COPD patients. COPD patients demonstrated a higher O2Hb in Q5 compared to the negative O2Hb in controls in the right medial and dorsolateral PFC during PPW. PPW velocity was lower in COPD patients compared to controls (1.02 ± 0.22 vs. 1.22 ± 0.14 m/s, p = 0.005). Healthy older controls exhibited automaticity during walking unlike patients with COPD. The lesser decrease in O2Hb in COPD patients may be attributed to increased executive demands or affect-related cues (e.g., pain or dyspnea) during walking.

Yearly adult per capita consumption of alcohol in China between 2016 and 2019 decreased by 2.4 L of pure alcohol, or 33%. According to the World Health Organization, this decrease in consumption was accompanied by reductions in alcohol-attributable mortality of 23% between 2015 and 2019. This paper examines the contribution of alcohol control policies in China to these public health gains. A systematic search of the literature was conducted on alcohol control policies and their effectiveness in China as part of a larger search of all countries in WHO Western Pacific Region. In addition to articles on empirical evidence on the impact of such alcohol control policies, we also searched for reviews. The plausibility of changes of traditional alcohol control policies (taxation increases, availability restrictions, restriction on advertisement and marketing, drink-driving laws, screening and brief interventions) in explaining reductions of consumption levels and attributable mortality rates was explored. There was some progress in the successful implementation of strict drink-driving policies, which could explain reductions in traffic injuries, including fatalities. Other traditional alcohol control policies seem to have played a minimal role in reducing alcohol consumption and attributable harms during the time period 2016–2019. However, an anti-corruption campaign was extensive enough to have substantially contributed to these reductions. The campaign prohibited the consumption of alcoholic beverages in everyday life of government officials and thus contributed to a de-normalization of alcohol. While this anti-corruption campaign was the only policy to potentially explain marked decreases in levels of alcohol consumption and attributable mortality, more detailed research is required to determine exactly how the campaign achieved these decreases. •China had decreases of alcohol consumption and attributable mortality since 2016.•Cardiovascular and digestive diseases were the main causes of death responsible.•None of the classic alcohol control policies seem to be able to explain these decreases.•Economic explanations also fail to explain the changes.•A massive anti-corruption campaign denormalized alcohol use and offers a likely explanation.

Background Varroa mite, Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman (Parasitiformes: Varroidae), is an ectoparasitic mite of the honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with a great economic importance. It is the major deadlock of apiculture development all over the world. Results This work aimed to assess the effect of bee house and dark bee house on numbers of Varroa mite on white card board sheets, worker broods, and alive bees during spring and autumn of 2018 and 2019. Two types of card board for sticking the fallen Varroa mite were evaluated through winter of 2019. Keeping honey bee hives in a dark room during March and September of 2018 and 2019 for a successive 3 days resulted in a great reduction in the number of Varroa inner bee hive, i.e., on the white card board sheets, area of broods, and alive honey bee. Highest number of fallen Varroa mite on the white card board sheets was obtained in the case of using the dark bee house during March and September in 2018 and 2019, followed by keeping in a normal bee house then those fallen in the case of the open apiary. Conclusion The dark bee house grooming behaviour increased through 3 days of dark. Environmental management of bee house and dark bee house can be promising in colony collapse disorder. Modified adhesive sheets were more efficient in this regard than the normal ones.

Traits involved in plant growth promotion by bacteria are ambiguously decided as phytohormones, siderophores, HCN, proteases, chitinases, cellulases, ammonia, exopolysaccharide production and phosphate solubilization or antagonistic activity. A total of 40 fluorescent Pseudomonas strains were isolated from diverse soils of various agro-ecosystems of India. Among these 7 strains viz , P1, P10, P13, P18, P21, P28 and P38 were selected depending on their character of possessing single or multiple PGPR traits. These isolates individually and in combination with AM fungi ( Glomus fasciculatum and Glomus aggregatum ) were used for treating sorghum seeds. 25 days after sowing, plants were analysed for different plant growth promoting parameters. It was observed that strains in presence of mycorrhizae performed well compared to the strains devoid of mycorrhizae. Pseudomonas sp. P1 possessing GA3, EPS production and ‘P’ solubilization performed well. Pseudomonas sp. P38 which was a volatile (HCN) producer but a good phosphate solubilizer did not perform well. Strain P28 with multiple PGPR traits did not show the expected out come. Results varied when mycorrhizae was used in combination. P10 and P13 which were good in IAA, GA3, EPS, siderophore and ‘P’ solubilization performed well with mycorrhizae, with an overall increase in plant biomass, leaf area, total chlorophyll and mycorrhizal infection compared to other combinations. Here, strain P1 in combination with mycorrhizae did not show significant increase in plant growth compared to P10 and P13. Hence, mere possession of multiple PGPR traits does not confer fluorescent Pseudomonas strains as PGPR. Further studies have to be carried out in order to evaluate the other traits which may be involved in plant growth promotion.