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Composite materials are emerging as a vital entity for the sustainable development of both humans and the environment. Polylactic acid (PLA) has been recognized as a potential polymer candidate with attractive characteristics for applications in both the engineering and medical sectors. Hence, the present article throws lights on the essential physical and mechanical properties of PLA that can be beneficial for the development of composites, biocomposites, films, porous gels, and so on. The article discusses various processes that can be utilized in the fabrication of PLA-based composites. In a later section, we have a detailed discourse on the various composites and nanocomposites-based PLA along with the properties’ comparisons, discussing our investigation on the effects of various fibers, fillers, and nanofillers on the mechanical, thermal, and wear properties of PLA. Lastly, the various applications in which PLA is used extensively are discussed in detail.

Maternal mortality studies conducted at national level do not provide information needed for planning and monitoring health programs at lower administrative levels. The aim of this study was to measure maternal mortality, identify risk factors and district level variations in Sidama National Regional State, southern Ethiopia. A cross sectional population-based survey was carried in households where women reported pregnancy and birth outcomes in the past five years. The study was conducted in the Sidama National Regional State, southern Ethiopia, from July 2019 to May 2020. Multi-stage cluster sampling technique was employed. The outcome variable of the study was maternal mortality. Complex sample logistic regression analysis was applied to assess variables independently associated with maternal mortality. We registered 10602 live births (LB) and 48 maternal deaths yielding the overall maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of 419; 95% CI: 260-577 per 100,000 LB. Aroresa district had the highest MMR with 1142 (95% CI: 693-1591) per 100,000 LB. Leading causes of death were haemorrhage 21 (41%) and eclampsia 10 (27%). Thirty (59%) mothers died during labour or within 24 hours after delivery, 25 (47%) died at home and 17 (38%) at health facility. Mothers who did not have formal education had higher risk of maternal death (AOR: 4.4; 95% CI: 1.7-11.0). The risk of maternal death was higher in districts with low midwife to population ratio (AOR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.0-8.9). The high maternal mortality with district level variations in Sidama Region highlights the importance of improving obstetric care and employing targeted interventions in areas with high mortality rates. Due attention should be given to improving access to female education. Additional midwives have to be trained and deployed to improve maternal health services and consequently save the life of mothers.

Background In winter 2013/14 there was widespread flooding in England. Previous studies have described an increased prevalence of psychological morbidity six months after flooding. Disruption to essential services may increase morbidity however there have been no studies examining whether those experiencing disruption but not directly flooded are affected. The National Study of Flooding and Health was established in order to investigate the longer-term impact of flooding and related disruptions on mental health and wellbeing. Methods In year one we conducted a cross sectional analysis of people living in neighbourhoods affected by flooding between 1 December 2013 and 31 March 2014. 8761 households were invited to participate. Participants were categorised according to exposure as flooded, disrupted by flooding or unaffected. We used validated instruments to screen for probable psychological morbidity, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ 2), Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-2) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) checklist (PCL-6). We calculated prevalence and odds ratios for each outcome by exposure group relative to unaffected participants, adjusting for confounders. Results 2126 people (23%) responded. The prevalence of psychological morbidity was elevated amongst flooded participants ([ n  = 622] depression 20.1%, anxiety 28.3%, PTSD 36.2%) and disrupted participants ([ n  = 1099] depression 9.6%, anxiety 10.7% PTSD 15.2%). Flooding was associated with higher odds of all outcomes (adjusted odds ratios (aORs), 95% CIs for depression 5.91 (3.91–10.99), anxiety 6.50 (3.77–11.24), PTSD 7.19 (4.33–11.93)). Flooded participants who reported domestic utilities disruption had higher odds of all outcomes than other flooded participants, (aORs, depression 6.19 (3.30–11.59), anxiety 6.64 (3.84–11.48), PTSD 7.27 (4.39–12.03) aORs without such disruption, depression, 3.14 (1.17–8.39), anxiety 3.45 (1.45–8.22), PTSD 2.90 (1.25–6.73)). Increased floodwater depth was significantly associated with higher odds of each outcome. Disruption without flooding was associated with borderline higher odds of anxiety (aOR 1.61 (0.94–2.77)) and higher odds of PTSD 2.06 (1.27–3.35)) compared with unaffected participants. Disruption to health/social care and work/education was also associated with higher odds of psychological morbidity. Conclusions This study provides an insight into the impact of flooding on mental health, suggesting that the impacts of flooding are large, prolonged and extend beyond just those whose homes are flooded.

This study examines if households experience utility gains by selecting one of its members to specialize in its financial management. Utilizing data that are collected from the Health and Retirement Study, a variable measuring households’ level of financial specialization (HFS) is first constructed. The HFS variable is examined for its association with household utility, measured in this study as financial satisfaction, income satisfaction, and life satisfaction. The evidence provided strongly indicates that a household that selects one of its members to specialize in its financial management experiences utility gains.

Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders among older people. Depressive symptoms are often overlooked and untreated in primary care settings. This study aims to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated factors among older people in Vietnam. The study analyzed data from the Vietnam National Aging Survey (VNAS) conducted in 2022 with a nationally representative sample of 3,006 older people aged 60 and over in 12 provinces. The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between depressive symptoms and other related factors such as sociodemographic and economic characteristics, social support, health status, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) limitations, chronic diseases, cigarette smoking status, alcoholic drinking, and domestic violence. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among older people was 20.2%. The associated factors that increase the odds of having depression among older people were female gender (OR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.34-3.62), living in rural areas (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.15-2.89), the poorest quintile (OR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.39-3.66), self-rated poor health (OR = 11.68, 95% CI 4.96-27.49), ADL limitations (OR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.51-2.99), IADL limitation (OR = 1.61 95% CI 1.16-2.25), and experiencing domestic violence in the last 12 months (OR = 6.66, 95% CI 4.00-11.05). Depression symptoms were prevalent among older people in Vietnam. Depression screening for older people should be included in primary care settings for early identification and treatment of depression.

Household education debt is closely related to household consumption, and education itself is also a developmental high-quality consumption. Based on the panel data of five phases of the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) from 2013 to 2021, this paper explores the impact of households’ education debt on improving household consumption enthusiasm and consumption upgrading with households as the basic unit. The study finds that education debt can significantly promote the upgrading of household consumption. Mechanism analysis shows that education debt can promote the upgrading of household consumption by improving the level of Internet consumption, and there are different degrees of moderating effect on household risk attitude. Heterogeneity analysis shows that household education debt has a significant positive effect on the consumption of urban and rural areas, high-financially literate and middle- and low-income households, as well as middle-leveraged households. The conclusions of this study enrich the research on the influencing factors and mechanisms of household consumption upgrading, broaden the research boundary of household debt and consumption, and have important implications for promoting education equity and consumer demand in China.

Charcoal is produced in large quantities in the Portuguese region of Alentejo mainly using traditional brick kilns. Information about this type of carbonization technology is scarce, which makes it urgent to characterize the process as a starting point for performance improvements. In this context, this study aims to characterize the operation of a cylindrical brick kiln (≈80 m3) during regular wood carbonization cycles. Relevant process parameters were monitored along with the yields and/or composition of the main products (carbonization gas, charcoal, and charcoal fines) to evaluate the mass balance of the process. The results show that the bulk of the kiln operates at temperatures below 300 °C, which greatly limits the quality of the charcoal. For instance, the fixed carbon content of charcoal can easily be as low as 60 wt.%. The yield of charcoal is also low, with values below 25 wt.% of dry wood feed. This means that significant quantities of by-products are generated in the process with little or no commercial value. Modifications in the carbonization process are needed to improve efficiency, charcoal quality, and environmental acceptance to sustain this activity in regions where it still represents vital income related to wood-waste management.

This work reviews recent developments in the literature analyzing precautionary saving. After a description of traditional precautionary saving theory, which considers labor income risk and interest rate risk, we present different research lines which introduce a wide range of extensions and generalizations of the classical model: the contemporaneous presence of multiple risks, changes in risks of different types, multiple variables affecting household utility, preferences non-featuring risk aversion and joint decisions on many choice variables. For each of these issues, we provide specific highlights which summarize the main results obtained in the literature. Lastly, we briefly discuss the analyzes beyond the classical model.

Daily combustion of solid biomass fuels in traditional stoves, a practice affecting 2.6 billion people globally, releases substantial amounts of particulate matter and chemicals into the air. Exposure to these pollutants is a well-established risk factor for cardiorespiratory and systemic diseases. However, limited research exists on common health symptoms experienced by pregnant women cooking in rural Northwest Ethiopia. This study aimed at assessing the common health symptoms experienced during cooking and associated factor among 422 pregnant women in rural Northwest Ethiopia. We collected data on sociodemographic, economic, and cooking practice variables, using both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression to identify associated factors. Among pregnant women using biomass fuel, 338 (82%) reported at least one respiratory symptom (cough, wheezing, shortness of breath), while 312 (74%) experienced at least one non-respiratory symptom (eye irritation, headache, blurred vision) during cooking. Older age (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI 1.59,7.42), large family size (AOR = 2.32, 95% CI 1.37, 3.92), attached kitchens (AOR = 3.40, 95% CI 1.81, 6.38), lack of ventilation (AOR = 2.62, 95% CI 1.46, 4.82), more frequent fire ignition (AOR = 3.00, 95% CI 1.17,7.17) and use of mixed fuel (AOR = 3.52, 95% CI 1.72, 7.20) were associated with self-reported respiratory symptoms. Similarly, large family size (AOR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.06, 2.74), attached kitchen (AOR = 2.62. 95% CI 1.41, 4.89), cooked more than three times per day (AOR = 2.89, 95% CI 1.23, 6.80), lack of ventilation (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.00, 2.78) were associated with self-reported non-respiratory symptoms. This study reveals a high prevalence of respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms among rural Ethiopian pregnant women due to biomass fuel use. Older age, large family size, poor ventilation, and frequent cooking were significantly associated with these symptoms, highlighting the urgent need for interventions to reduce exposure and improve indoor air quality.