Organizational safety climate and workplace violence among primary healthcare workers in Malaysia

Workplace violence (WPV) has become a global safety and health concern in recent times particularly in the healthcare sector. In addition, low levels of organisational safety climate (OSC) have been associated with higher occurrence of occupational related health outcomes. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the association between organisational safety climate and workplace violence among government primary healthcare workers. A cross-sectional study among a stratified random sample of 838 primary healthcare workers (HCW) from the nine district health offices under the Selangor state health department. Two standardized self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain data on WPV and OSC. Logistic regression models used to estimate the association between OSC and WPV. Prevalence of WPV was 68.5% whereby verbal abuse was the most common type (65%) followed by bullying (27%), physical violence (6%) and sexual harassment (2%). Nurses (29.7%) were the most affected by WPV. The main perpetrators were relatives of patients (38%). Low level of OSC was also associated with WPV (OR=3.04, 95% CI=1.45-6.41). The results of this study confirmed that safety climate is associated with WPV. Hence, interventions and efforts to prevent WPV among HCW should also include improving organizational safety factors

Commuting on Public Transport: Health Risks and Responses

Rapid urbanization places a huge demand for infrastructure on busy city roads, exposing commuters to the health risks of atmospheric air pollutants. Traffic-related air pollution causes significant health burdens worldwide and enormous economic losses. Both short- and long-term exposures to atmospheric air pollutants cause a range of adverse health effects on people who commute. The short-term symptoms of exposure include coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, and headaches. Long-term exposure is associated with cardiovascular, respiratory, and lung cancer mortality. Exposure to traffic-related air pollution also has detrimental effects on psychological and mental health. Although the use of proper respiratory protection may greatly reduce inhalation of microparticulate matter commonly found at high concentrations on busy roads, its use is not common in some communities. The adverse health risks associated with traffic-related air pollution can also be reduced through diet and lifestyle modifications, and these should be encouraged. A lack of environmental health literacy may result in the underutilization of preventive resources; therefore, fostering proper delivery of information may improve the health of commuters. Attention is drawn to the need for research tailored to individual societies or countries due to the influence of innumerable factors such as culture, religion, and climate, as well as policy and governance that contribute to diversity among health impacts and local community mitigation measures

Association Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the Interleukin-4 Gene and Atopic Dermatitis

ABSTRACT Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease in which both genetic and environmental factors seem to be involved. Several studies investigated the association of certain genetic factors with AD in different ethnic groups, but conflicting data were obtained. This study was performed to check the possible association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and the IL-4 receptor α chain (IL-4Rα) and AD in a group of Iranian patients. The allele and genotype frequencies of genes encoding for IL-4 and IL-4Rα were investigated in 89 patients with AD in comparison with 139 healthy controls, using methods based on polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers. The most frequent alleles of IL-4 in patients were T at -1098 (P&lt;0.001, odds ratio (OR)=2.35), C at -590 (P&lt;0.001, OR=4.84) and C at -33 (P=0.002, OR=2.08). The most frequent genotypes of IL-4 in patients were TT, CC, and CC at positions -1098 (P&lt;0.001, OR=3.59), -590 (P&lt;0.001, OR=31.25) and -33 (P&lt;0.001, OR=3.46), respectively. We found a significant lower frequency of GT at -1098 GT, TC at -590, and TC at -33 in patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency of alleles and genotypes of IL-4Rα gene at position +1902. A strong positive association was seen between TCC haplotype and AD (68% in patients vs. 23.4% in controls, P&lt;0.001, OR=8.91). We detected a significantly lower frequency of TTC, GCC, and TTT haplotypes (P&lt;0.001, OR=0.02, P&lt;0.001, OR=0.40, P&lt;0.001, OR=0.39, respectively) in patients compared to controls. A significant association between the polymorphisms of the IL-4 gene promoter at positions -1098, -590, and -33 and AD was detected in the Iranian population. Key words: atopic dermatitis; polymorphism, single nucleotide; interleukin-4 gene</p

Modeling Traffic Congestion Based on Air Quality for Greener Environment: An Empirical Study

The primary focus of this paper is to govern traffic congestion on urban road networks based upon a cumulative approach comprising of traffic flow modeling, vehicle emission modeling, and air quality modeling. Based upon the traffic conditions, a simulation model is proposed and further tested for performance metrics, which is relative to three main aspects, namely, the waiting time of the vehicles at the junctions/intersections/signals, the type of pollutant emitted by a vehicle, and the traveling time. The experimental analysis and validation are carried out for different case studies in Malaysia, such as Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam, Mont Kiara, and Jalan Tun Razak. Three different scenarios (morning, afternoon, and evening) are analyzed and tested to explore the traffic usage parameter. The results showed that when traffic is modeled and governed based upon traffic flow, vehicle emission, and air quality index (AQI), nearly 75% of traffic congestion is mitigated, hence making the atmosphere pollution free as well as avoiding Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect due to the heat generated from vehicles. The experimental results are tested, validated, and compared with existing solutions for performance analysis. The proposed model is aimed toward overcoming the major drawbacks of existing approaches, such as single-path suggestions, traffic delay during peak hours/emergencies, non-recurring congestion consideration, congestion avoidance instead of recovering from it, improper reporting of road accidents, and notifications about traffic jam ahead to the users and high vehicle usage rate

Analyzing Predictors of Control Measures and Psychosocial Problems Associated with COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Eight Countries

COVID-19 has harshly impacted communities globally. This study provides relevant information for creating equitable policy interventions to combat the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to predict the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the COVID-19 pandemic at a global level to determine control measures and psychosocial problems. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to October 2020 using an online questionnaire. Questionnaires were initially distributed to academicians worldwide. These participants distributed the survey among their social, professional, and personal groups. Responses were collected and analyzed from 67 countries, with a sample size of 3031. Finally, based on the number of respondents, eight countries, including Bangladesh, China, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United States, and Zambia were rigorously analyzed. Specifically, questionnaire responses related to COVID-19 accessibility, behavior, knowledge, opinion, psychological health, and susceptibility were collected and analyzed. As per our analysis, age groups were found to be a primary determinant of behavior, knowledge, opinion, psychological health, and susceptibility scores. Gender was the second most influential determinant for all metrics except information about COVID-19 accessibility, for which education was the second most important determinant. Respondent profession was the third most important metric for all scores. Our findings suggest that health authorities must promote health educations, implement related policies to disseminate COVID-19-awareness that can prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 infection

Urban heat mitigation by green and blue infrastructure: drivers, effectiveness, and future needs

The combination of urbanisation and global warming leads to urban overheating and compounds the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events due to climate change. Yet, the risk of urban overheating can be mitigated by urban green-blue-grey infrastructures (GBGI), such as parks, wetlands, and engineered greening, which have the potential to effectively reduce summer air temperatures. Despite many reviews, the evidence bases on quantified GBGI cooling benefits remains partial and the practical recommendations for implementation are unclear. This systematic literature review synthesises the evidence base for heat mitigation and related co-benefits, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes recommendations for their implementation to maximise their benefits. After screening 27,486 papers, 202 were reviewed, based on 51 GBGI types categorised under 10 main divisions. Certain GBGI (green walls, parks, street trees) have been well-researched for their urban cooling capabilities. However, several other GBGI have received negligible (zoological garden, golf course, estuary) or minimal (private garden, allotment) attention. The most efficient air cooling was observed in botanical gardens (5.0±3.5°C), wetlands (4.9±3.2°C), green walls (4.1±4.2°C), street trees (3.8±3.1°C), and vegetated balconies (3.8±2.7°C). Under changing climate conditions (2070-2100) with consideration of RCP8.5, there is a shift in climate subtypes, either within the same climate zone (e.g., Dfa to Dfb and Cfb to Cfa) or across other climate zones (e.g., Dfb (continental warm-summer humid) to BSk (dry, cold semi-arid) and Cwa (temperate) to Am (tropical)). These shifts may result in lower efficiency for the current GBGI in the future. Given the importance of multiple services, it is crucial to balance their functionality, cooling performance, and other related co-benefits when planning for the future GBGI. This global GBGI heat mitigation inventory can assist policymakers and urban planners in prioritising effective interventions to reduce the risk of urban overheating, filling research gaps, and promoting community resilience

Hydrodynamics and particle mixing/segregation measurements in an industrial gas phase olefin polymerization reactor using image processing technique and CFD-PBM model

Particle size distribution (PSD) has a significant impact on the performance of fluidized bed reactors due to uneven distribution in the segregation and mixing phenomena. This paper develops a new method of digital image processing that investigates the hydrodynamics of an industrial gas phase olefin polymerization reactor and studies the fluidization structure of a wide range of particle size distribution in an industrial gas phase polymerization reactor by means of a CFD-PBM coupled model, where the direct quadrature method of moments (DQMOM) was implemented to solve the population balance model. It was shown that the applied parameter assumptions and closure laws were appropriately chosen to satisfactorily predict the available operational data in terms of pressure drop and bed height. The transient CFD-PBM/DQMOM coupled model and image analysis technique are then implemented extensively to analyze bubble fluidization structure and segregation phenomena at different velocities. The particle segregation indicates that the small bubbles present in the bed are unable to induce vigorous mixing at low superficial gas velocity while particle mixing improves at a velocity above the minimum fluidization velocity. Further, the predicted results show higher axial segregation phenomena when compared to the radial direction

Determinants of shisha use among secondary school students in Sudan

Background: Shisha smoking has re-emerged in the Middle East in the last two decades and has spread rapidly in these communities. Information about shisha smoking in adolescents in Sudan is deficient. Hence, the aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of shisha smoking among adolescents and determine the associated factors. Methods: This study is a school based cross sectional study among secondary school students in Khartoum State - Sudan that targets both male and female students aged 14-17 years. A total of 3387 students from 29 public and private schools were selected by multi stage random sampling. The participants completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire which was based on Arabic version of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). Results: The response rate was 100% in schools and among participants, 57.3% were females and 51.6% were from public schools. The overall prevalence of those who had ever smoked shisha was 13.4%, and among male students the prevalence was 16.8%, while it was 10.9% in females. The associated factors were poor academic performance OR 2.90 CI 95% (1.21-6.94), friends smoking shisha OR 2.39 CI 95% (1.65-3.45), friends smoking cigarettes OR 2.76 CI 95% (1.90-4.01), peer pressure to smoke shisha OR 13.76 CI 95% (7.86-24.07) and unexpectedly restriction of selling shisha to minors OR 2.21 CI 95% (1.28-3.82). Conclusion: The prevalence of those who had ever smoked shisha is among the lowest in Middle East region; therefore, regular surveillance system is needed. A well-structured peer based comprehensive tobacco control programmes that are supported by strict and rigorous anti-tobacco regulations which control both commercial and social resources of tobacco are needed to contain this issue among adolescents. © 2019 The Author(s)

Shisha Smoking Practices, Use Reasons, Attitudes, Health Effects and Intentions to Quit among Shisha Smokers in Malaysia

Despite its popularity, shisha smoking practices, reasons for its use, attitudes, detrimental health effects and intention to quit among shisha users in Malaysia have never been investigated. A total of 503 shisha users responded to a cross-sectional study conducted between July 2015 and March 2016. The majority of users were young people aged 21–30; a small minority were underage. The reasons for shisha use were its growing popularity as a favourite pastime activity and the perception of shisha use as cool and trendy. Just over half (57.3%) agree that shisha use exposes the smoker to large amounts of smoke and the majority were unsure about the health risks of shisha smoking compared to tobacco smoking. The three most common detrimental health effects reported by the study respondents were dry throat, headache and nausea. Regular shisha users have significantly higher detrimental health effects compared to no-regular shisha users. Shisha users with a duration of smoking of 6–12 months (odds ratio (OR) 3.212; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.651–6.248) and 6 months and below (OR 2.601; 95% CI 1.475–4.584) were significantly more likely to have a higher proportion who intend quitting smoking than shisha users of more than 12 months duration

High rate treatment of hospital wastewater using activated sludge process induced by high-frequency ultrasound

The biomass concentration of conventional activated sludge (CAS) process due to low sludge sedimentation in clarifiers is limited to 3000 mg/L. In this study, high-frequency ultrasound wave (1.8 MHz) was applied to enhance the CAS process performance using high Mixed Liquor Suspended Solid (MLSS) concentration. The study conducted using a pilot scale CAS bioreactor (with and without ultrasound) and their performance for treating a hospital wastewater were compared. Experimental conditions were designed based on a Central Composite Design (CCD). The sets of data analyzed, modeled and optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The effect of MLSS concentration 3000–8000 mg/L and hydraulic retention time (HRT) 2–8 h are considered as operating variables to investigate on process responses. The obtained results showed that high-frequency ultrasound was significantly decreased the sludge volume index (SVI) 50% and effluent turbidity about 88.5% at high MLSS. Also, observed that COD removal of both systems was nearly similar, as the maximum COD removal for sonicated and non-sonicated systems were 92 and 92.5% respectively. However, this study demonstrates that the ultrasound irradiation has not had any negative effect on the microbial activity