The waste ban in China: what happened next? Assessing the impact of new policies on the waste management sector in China.

The 2017 ban on the waste import and new policies for the waste management sector in mainland China had wide-spread impact. After decades of poor environmental and public health impacts from the sector, a study is needed which focuses on policies updates and waste management. This provides a direction for the survival of local waste management industries and consider similarities with the ban promulgated in China on the restriction of waste import from other countries. We review the waste management situation in China before national legislation prevented the import of waste, highlight the status of landfill mining in China, and review the dynamics of domestic policies before and after the promulgation of the ban in China. The impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the waste management system is starting to emerge, providing both challenges and opportunities for the sector in China. We see the impact of the ban on the range of imported waste and domestically generated materials. The ban results in price increases for domestic recycling that forces companies to introduce more formal recycling processes and to drive the consumption behaviours to more reasonable and environmentally friendly options. The driver in China is to reduce pollution in the environment and improve health, but a negative impact has been from increased landfill mining which has impeded the original aim of the waste ban and requires further technological development. The dynamic of domestic policies in China shows higher level of activity of updates and revisions or introduction of new policies from 2015 onwards and the concept of 'zero waste cities' brings new hope for improvement of the Chinese waste management system. The pandemic also suggests an important step to establish sustainable management systems despite evidence of increased "fly-tipping". The rebound of the waste ban may have stimulated in the short term negative impacts on local environments both in China and internationally.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with chronic diseases: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to clarify the attitudes, knowledge and vaccination willingness of patients with chronic diseases toward COVID-19 vaccines and the influencing factors. BACKGROUND: Vaccination against COVID-19 is an important way to protect patients with chronic diseases, but the vaccination acceptance varies across diseases and populations. A better understanding of this condition will lead to tailored intervention strategies and high vaccination rates. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Data were collected between March 2021 and May 2021 in China. A self-compiled questionnaire was used in the survey. Two independent-samples t-tests/one-way analysis of variance or U test/H test was used to measure the differences between groups. Multivariate regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors. The study adhered to the EQUATOR checklist, STROBE. RESULTS: A total of 998 patients participated in the study. Score rates of attitudes, knowledge and vaccination willingness were 69.9%, 68.4% and 70.6% respectively. Age, vaccination status of family members, education levels, vaccine side effects and economic level were positive factors that could influence patients' vaccination acceptances, while time of illness, type of disease and political affiliations were negative predictors. The top reasons for willingness toward vaccination were supporting national strategies, belief on the vaccines and fearing of contracting COVID-19, while physical reasons, side effects and having a wait-and-see attitude were unwillingness factors. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' attitudes, knowledge and vaccination willingness were medium. Nurses should pay attention to patients who are from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, under 30 or over 70 years old, have no political affiliations, have damage to vital organs, have a long course of illness, family members have not received COVID-19 vaccines and had no side effects after receiving other vaccines. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Clinical nurses are recommended to take measures from patients' duration of illness, damaged organs, demographic characteristics and families to improve patients' vaccination acceptances.

Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines among college students: a study of the attitudes, knowledge, and willingness of students to vaccinate.

Universities are considered high risk areas for COVID-19 outbreaks given the crowded environment of campuses with high mobility and limited space. As such, vaccination is considered an essential intervention that could greatly reduce the incidence and spread of this deadly infectious disease. However, the willingness of college students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine varies significantly. Therefore, a study on the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines in college students that explores the attitudes, knowledge, willingness, and key factors influencing vaccination acceptance is of great significance to improve vaccine coverage and control the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on students from three universities in China. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t tests/one-way ANOVA (normal distribution), Mann-Whitney U tests/Kruskal-Wallis H tests (skewness distribution) and multivariate linear regression were performed. As a result, a total of 3,256 students participated in the survey. Students' willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was high (86%), and they had good knowledge of the vaccine (77.9%). However, they had a low-risk perception of COVID-19 and less positive attitudes toward vaccination (69.8%). The main influencing factors were sex, age, specialty, grades, living environment, spending level, traveling to risk areas, and family members' vaccination experiences. We believed that to increase vaccination coverage among college students, more attention should be paid for students majoring in Science and Engineering, male students, those in the lower age group, students with low or very high economic levels, living in remote or rural areas, and family members having not received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Tracking Changes of Social Distancing in the United States of America after Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) at the Early Stage.

OBJECTIVES: This research examines social distancing changes over time, and by region of the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic began. METHODS: We utilized information on social distancing from the Google Community Mobility Reports. We performed one-way repeated-measure analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) to examine the overall changes in the 6 types of social distancing from baseline to the 12-week follow-up (March 1 to May 24, 2020). We applied a 2-way RM-ANOVA to evaluate the effects of time and 4 regions on social distancing. RESULTS: According to one-way RM-ANOVA results, social distancing tended to increase until Time 3 (March 30 to April 12) and 4 (April 13 to April 26), before decreasing again, regardless of the area. The 2-way RM-ANOVA results revealed that the social distancing variations in the 6 area types over time were statistically significant in each region, along with the interaction of regions and time. Compared to other regions, social distancing was the highest in the Northeast area, except in park areas. CONCLUSIONS: We found that social distancing can be influenced not only by contagion changes, but also by regional differences. Understanding the features of social distancing can play a significant role in helping society build a promising COVID-19 prevention model.

Remote Reading and Teaching of Nuclear Medicine in the Era of COVID-19.

Community SARS-CoV-2 has profoundly affected traditional elements of learning and teaching in nuclear medicine and diagnostic radiology departments. The response of the nuclear medicine community to the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic can be described in 3 phases: accommodation, consolidation and optimization, and a return towards normalcy. Adoption of virtual communication platforms has emerged as the crucial interim tool for preservation of trainee supervision and diagnostic imaging education. Development of supplemental teaching materials, refocusing research interests, and relaxation of requirements have all contributed toward stabilization of the residency programs. As we embark on a gradual return to normalcy, many of the virtual solutions that were employed have gained a degree of enduring popularity and may find a place in the postpandemic period.

Mesenchymal stem cell immunomodulation: In pursuit of controlling COVID-19 related cytokine storm.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has grown to be a global public health crisis with no safe and effective treatments available yet. Recent findings suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the coronavirus pathogen that causes COVID-19, could elicit a cytokine storm that drives edema, dysfunction of the airway exchange, and acute respiratory distress syndrome in the lung, followed by acute cardiac injury and thromboembolic events leading to multiorgan failure and death. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), owing to their powerful immunomodulatory abilities, have the potential to attenuate the cytokine storm and have therefore been proposed as a potential therapeutic approach for which several clinical trials are underway. Given that intravenous infusion of MSCs results in a significant trapping in the lung, MSC therapy could directly mitigate inflammation, protect alveolar epithelial cells, and reverse lung dysfunction by normalizing the pulmonary microenvironment and preventing pulmonary fibrosis. In this review, we present an overview and perspectives of the SARS-CoV-2 induced inflammatory dysfunction and the potential of MSC immunomodulation for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 related pulmonary disease.