Association between the Health Belief Model, Exercise, and Nutrition Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our nation’s health further than the infection it causes. Physical activity levels and dietary intake have suffered while individuals grapple with the changes in behavior to reduce viral transmission. With unique nuances regarding the access to physical activity and nutrition during the pandemic, the constructs of Health Belief Model (HBM) may present themselves differently in nutrition and exercise behaviors compared to precautions implemented to reduce viral transmission studied in previous research. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of exercise and nutritional behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic and explain the reason for and extent of this change using HBM constructs (perceived susceptibility, severity, benefit of action, and barriers to action). Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design to collect 206 surveys. This survey collected information on self-reported exercise and nutrition changes during the pandemic and self-reported levels of the HBM constructs. Results: Findings showed individuals with medium or high exercise behavior change had greater odds of increased HBM score than individuals with little to no exercise behavior change (OR = 1.117, 95% CI: 1.020–1.223, SE: 0.0464, p = 0.0175). There was no association between nutritional behavior change and HBM score (OR = 1.011, 95% CI: 0.895–1.142, p = 08646). Conclusion: Individuals who reported a more drastic change in either exercise had greater odds of increased feelings of perceived susceptibility and severity related to COVID-19 and decreased perceived benefits and increased barriers to exercise. This relationship was not found regarding nutrition behavior change. These results encourage public health practitioners to understand how an individual’s perceived feelings about a threat may affect exercise and nutritional behaviors

Universal Magnetic-Field-Driven Metal-Insulator-Metal Transformations in Graphite and Bismuth

Applied magnetic field induces metal - insulator and re-entrant insulator-metal transitions in both graphite and rhombohedral bismuth. The corresponding transition boundaries plotted on the magnetic field - temperature (B - T) plane nearly coincide for these semimetals and can be best described by power laws T ~ (B - B_c)^k, where B_c is a critical field at T = 0 and k = 0.45 +/- 0.05. We show that insulator-metal-insulator (I-M-I) transformations take place in the Landau level quantization regime and illustrate how the IMT in quasi-3D graphite transforms into a cascade of I-M-I transitions, related to the quantum Hall effect in quasi-2D graphite samples. We discuss the possible coupling of superconducting and excitonic correlations with the observed phenomena, as well as the signatures of quantum phase transitions associated with the M-I and I-M transformations.Comment: 23 pages including 14 figure

Eigenmode excitation of Alfven ion cyclotron instability

科研費報告書収録論文(課題番号:07558072・基盤研究(A)(2)・H7～H9/研究代表者:犬竹, 正明/高密度プラズマ源を用いた電磁流体工学試験装置の開発

Mars global surveyor navigation and aerobraking at Mars

The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft was successfully inserted into an elliptical orbit around Mars on 9/12/97, 01:53:49 UTC. This orbit was near polar (inclination = 93.26 deg) with an orbital period of 44.993 hours and apoapsis and periapsis altitudes of 54,025.9 km and 262.9 km respectively. After a short aerobraking (AB) initiation interval (9/12/97 to 10/2/97), the main phase of AB or orbit period reduction was established. However shortly thereafter, a significant problem with the minus-Y axis solar array developed which necessitated a temporary suspension of AB. Ultimately, this forced the Project to abandon the original plan to complete AB on 1/18/98 and establish the mapping orbit on 3/15/98. The revised plan called for a reduced level of AB, thus subjecting the solar array and yoke assembly to less aerodynamic stress. After 201 orbits and 196 days after MOI, the first phase of AB has ended, the orbital period was 11.64 hours with apoapsis and periapsis altitudes of 17,870.3 and 170.7 km respectively. At present, MGS is in a science phasing orbit (SPO) and shall acquire science data from 3/28/98 to 9/11/98. Thereafter the second phase of AB shall begin and is expected to end during Feb 1999 when the orbital period shall be 1.9 hours and the orbit's descending node shall be at the 2:00 am (local mean solar time) orientation

Ethical Approaches to Mandating Influenza Vaccinations for Local Health Department Workforce in Georgia

Background: The seasonal influenza illness occurs every year in the United States during the cooler months from October to April, sometimes lasting longer. Although certain populations are more susceptible to this condition, data have shown that otherwise healthy individuals have experienced alarming rates of morbidity and mortality associated with these infections. Despite the CDC’s recommendation for influenza vaccination for all HCWs, compliance have been lagging among local health departments’ workforce. This practice arguably exposes a wide cross section of the U.S. population to the flu, while being served in these facilities. The utilitarian approach provides a framework to examine the ethical implications to the public of mandating influenza vaccination for these employees. Methods: A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted to address the following research questions: 1) Do local public health departments in Georgia mandate annual influenza vaccinations?  2) What are the ethical considerations for mandating influenza vaccinations for public health employees? and 3) What are the ethical considerations for mandating influenza vaccinations for the community? Twenty-five articles were included in the review. Results: Descriptive analysis shows that there is no mandatory vaccination policy in place for state or local departments in health in the state of Georgia. Most of the literature available relates to policy implementation within acute or long-term care facilities. A systematic review of mandatory influenza vaccination for public health workers focused on four areas: theoretical approaches to increase influenza vaccination coverage and support of, opposition to, and alternative strategies for influenza vaccinations. Conclusions: The utilitarian approach is sufficient for the influenza vaccination policy- making strategies and in the ethical approaches of mandating influenza vaccinations for local health department workforce in Georgia if need be, for vaccination targets are to be achieved