Analysis of avian disease transmission risk and prevention measures in China

Many zoonotic diseases are found in wild animals and present a serious risk to human health, in particularly the virus carried by birds flying freely around the world is hard to control. There are three main bird migration routes which cover the most areas of China. It is important to investigate and fully understand the types of avian transmitted diseases in key areas on the bird migration routines and its impacts on both birds and human health. However, no literature is available in how about the risk of virus carried by migrating birds, and how to predict and reduce this risk of virus spreading to human being so far. In this paper, we first reviewed the main pathogen types carried by birds, including coronaviruses, influenza viruses, parasites, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), etc., and then discussed the spread risk of avian viruses to human being and animals in key areas of biosafety prevention. We also analyzed and discussed the risk of cross-spread of diseases among different bird species in nature reserves located on bird migration routes which provide sufficient food sources for migratory birds and attract numerous birds. Diseases transmitted by wild birds pose a serious threat to poultry farms, where high density of poultry may become avian influenza virus (AIV) reservoirs, cause a risk of avian influenza outbreaks. Airports are mostly built in suburban areas or remote areas with good ecological environment. There are important transit places for bird migration and densely populated areas, which have serious risk of disease transmission. Finally, this paper puts forward the following prevention suggestions from three aspects. First, establish and improve the monitoring and prediction mechanism of migratory birds, and use laser technology to prevent contact between wild birds and poultry. Second, examine and identify virus types carried by birds in their habitats and carry out vaccination. Third, protect the ecological environment of bird habitat, and keep wild birds in their natural habitat, so as to reduce the contact between wild birds and human and poultry, and thus reduce the risk of virus transmission.

Mental health status of college students during coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic.

Objective To investigate the psychological characteristics of college students during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), so as to provide a basis for psychological intervention. Methods From May 17, 2020 to Jun. 17, 2020, the adjusted psychological questionnaires for emergent events of public health (PQEEPH) was surveyed among the college students of Beijing Union University. The questionnaire included 5 dimensions: depression, neurasthenia, fear, obsessive-compulsive anxiety, and hypochondriasis. Four grades were scored according to the degree and frequency of emotional responses: 0 means no symptoms, 1 means mild symptoms, 2 means moderate symptoms, and 3 means severe symptoms. Results A total of 3 019 valid questionnaires were collected. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the emotional responses of college students, from the most serious to the least, were fear, neurasthenia, depression, obsessive-compulsive anxiety, and hypochondriasis, with the incidences being 87.7% (2 648/3 019), 44.8% (1 353/3 019), 37.4% (1 129/3 019), 17.3% (522/3 019), and 11.6% (350/3 019), respectively. The fear scores of female students were higher than those of male students (P<0.001), the fear scores of college students from towns/suburbs were higher than those from rural and urban areas (both P<0.017), the scores of depression, neurasthenia and obsessive-compulsive anxiety of college students with confirmed COVID-19 cases around them or their relatives participated in the epidemic prevention and control as medical staff or logistics support personnel were higher than those without such conditions (all P<0.017), and the scores of depression, obsessive-compulsive anxiety and hypochondriasis of college students with suspected COVID-19 cases around them were higher than those without such condition (all P<0.017). Females were more likely to have moderate to severe fear than males (odds ratioOR=1.53, 95% confidence intervalCI1.25-1.88, P<0.001), those with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases around them were more likely to have moderate to severe fear than those without such conditions (OR=2.03, 95% CI 1.29-3.20, P=0.002), and those living in towns/suburbs were more likely to have moderate to severe fear than those living in rural and urban areas (OR=0.72, 95% CI 0.56-0.94, P=0.015;OR=0.78, 95% CI 0.63-0.97, P=0.025). Conclusion COVID-19 epidemic has impact on the psychology of college students. It is necessary to pay attention to the mental health of college students and provide targeted psychological counseling for them.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.

Economic resilience of families in a suburban residential area in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Background and Objectives: Faster than expected, the COVID-19 disease changed people's lives on an unprecedented scale. The present research aimed to shed light on the economic challenges of the pandemic and the efforts made concerning economic resilience. Thus, this study delved into the experience of families residing in a suburban town. Methods: The present study was qualitative in type. It used a qualitative content analysis with a guided approach conducted through 17 in-depth semi-structured individual interviews with subjects over 15 years of age living in Tawheed Gonabad town. These subjects had lived in the area for at least three years. The interviews were held and audio-recorded in a purposive sampling method after gaining informed consent from the participants in the spring of 2021. In order to estimate the validity of the data, Lincoln and Goba's criteria were used. Results: The economic resilience of families during the pandemic was marked by three main categories and nine sub-categories. The categories were: (1) changes to the economic dimension of the family (the sub-categories: employment, income, consumption and socioeconomic status), (2) solutions to the economic changes of the family (sub-categories: reliance on internal resources, family and receiving support from outside of the family), and (3) the effectiveness of economic resilience of families at higher levels (sub-categories: macroeconomics, family social capital and regional resilience). As more detailed results showed, the pandemic has caused a decrease in the income and consumption of essential items in quantity and quality and imposed excessive costs on the target community. The dominant solution to economic problems has been changing consumer's behavior and income diversification. The lack of supportive plans, poor social networks and the identity of the neighborhood are the significant barriers to the increase of economic resilience. Conclusion: The families investigated in the present study were vulnerable in many ways and had low economic resilience. In order to improve the families' level of economic resilience, it is necessary to know the context and carry out interventions and support plans based on the families' internal and external capacities, including the neighborhood's empowering conditions.

Mental health status of college students during coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic

Objective To investigate the psychological characteristics of college students during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), so as to provide a basis for psychological intervention. Methods From May 17, 2020 to Jun. 17, 2020, the adjusted psychological questionnaires for emergent events of public health (PQEEPH) was surveyed among the college students of Beijing Union University. The questionnaire included 5 dimensions: depression, neurasthenia, fear, obsessive-compulsive anxiety, and hypochondriasis. Four grades were scored according to the degree and frequency of emotional responses: 0 means no symptoms, 1 means mild symptoms, 2 means moderate symptoms, and 3 means severe symptoms. Results A total of 3 019 valid questionnaires were collected. During the COVID-19 epidemic, the emotional responses of college students, from the most serious to the least, were fear, neurasthenia, depression, obsessive-compulsive anxiety, and hypochondriasis, with the incidences being 87.7% (2 648/3 019), 44.8% (1 353/3 019), 37.4% (1 129/3 019), 17.3% (522/3 019), and 11.6% (350/3 019), respectively. The fear scores of female students were higher than those of male students (P<0.001), the fear scores of college students from towns/suburbs were higher than those from rural and urban areas (both P<0.017), the scores of depression, neurasthenia and obsessive-compulsive anxiety of college students with confirmed COVID-19 cases around them or their relatives participated in the epidemic prevention and control as medical staff or logistics support personnel were higher than those without such conditions (all P<0.017), and the scores of depression, obsessive-compulsive anxiety and hypochondriasis of college students with suspected COVID-19 cases around them were higher than those without such condition (all P<0.017). Females were more likely to have moderate to severe fear than males (odds ratio[OR]=1.53, 95% confidence interval[CI]1.25-1.88, P<0.001), those with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases around them were more likely to have moderate to severe fear than those without such conditions (OR=2.03, 95% CI 1.29-3.20, P=0.002), and those living in towns/suburbs were more likely to have moderate to severe fear than those living in rural and urban areas (OR=0.72, 95% CI 0.56-0.94, P=0.015;OR=0.78, 95% CI 0.63-0.97, P=0.025). Conclusion COVID-19 epidemic has impact on the psychology of college students. It is necessary to pay attention to the mental health of college students and provide targeted psychological counseling for them.Copyright © 2022, Second Military Medical University Press. All rights reserved.

Molecular Detection of Canine Parvovirus-2c (Cpv-2c) in Diseased Coyote Pups (Canis Latrans) at Northeastern Mexico

Intro: Canine parvovirus type 2 (PVC-2), Protoparvovirus genus of the Parvoviridae family, is a worldwide distribution virus that affects the Canidae family. In free-living coyotes (Canis latrans), the presence of the PCV-2a, PCV-2b and PCV-2c subtypes of PVC-2 has been reported, but there are no reports of their presence as a cause of clinical damage. The objective of this study is to report the presence of PVC-2c in an outbreak of mild gastroenteritis in three coyote pups detected in northeastern Mexico Methods: During the fall of 2019, in the suburban area of Monterrey, N.L., 3 affected coyote pups were detected with a mild gastroenteric condition consisting of mild diarrhea with loose stools, vomiting, dehydration, loss of appetite, pale mucous membranes, and low weight. Stool samples were tested for Canine Parvovirus (CPV-2), Canine Coronavirus (CCV) or Giardia antigens with a commercial kit. All samples were positive for CPV-2 and these were subsequently analyzed by PCR and sequencing of the CPV-2 VP2 gene. Using bioinformatics, the VP2 gene sequence data obtained were used to establish phylogenetic relationships with homologous sequences reported in coyotes and CPV-2 vaccines. Finding(s): The genetic sequence of VP2 obtained showed a high homology (98.1 to 100%) with CPV-2c. The sequences obtained from the pups showed 100% homology to each other. The phylogenetic tree showed that the sequences reported in coyotes are grouped in different clades and that the sequence of the VP2 gene of CPV-2c from coyote pups is grouped in a different monophyletic group. Conclusion(s): Information suggests that wild coyotes may not only act as asymptomatic reservoir hosts but may also be clinically affected by PVC-2c. It is necessary to carry out studies to know the effects of the genetic subtypes of PVC-2 in the population of coyotes and other wild canids of northeastern Mexico.Copyright © 2023

"Home away from home” in pandemic times: how has COVID-19 changed the Airbnb market in Melbourne?

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and changed Airbnb market in the Greater Melbourne area in terms of its temporal and spatial patterns and identify possible shifts in underlying trends in travel activities.Design/methodology/approachA panel data set of Airbnb listings in Melbourne is analysed to compare temporal patterns, spatial distribution and lengths of stay of Airbnb users before and after the COVID outbreak.FindingsThis study found that the COVID disruption did not fundamentally change the temporal cycle of the Airbnb market. Month-to-month fluctuations peaked at different levels from pre-pandemic times mainly because of lockdowns and other restrictive measures. The impact of COVID-19 disruptions on neighbourhood-level Airbnb revenues is associated with distance to CBD rather than number of COVID cases. Inner city suburbs suffered major loss during the pandemic, whereas outer suburbs gained popularity due to increased domestic travel and long stays. Long stays (28 days or more, as defined by Airbnb) were the fastest growing segment during the pandemic, which indicates the Airbnb market was adapting to increasing demand for purposes like remote working or lifestyle change. After easing of COVID-related restrictions, demand for short-term accommodation quickly recovered, but supply has not shown signs of strong recovery. Spatial distribution of post-pandemic supply recovery shows a similar spatial variation. Neighbourhoods in the inner city have not shown signs of significant recovery, whereas those in the middle and outer rings are either slowly recovering or approaching their pre-COVID levels.Practical implicationsThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted short-term rental markets and in particular the Airbnb sector during the phase of its rapid development. This paper helps inform in- and post-pandemic housing policy, market opportunity and investment decision.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is one of the first attempts to empirically examine both temporal and spatial patterns of the COVID-19 impact on Airbnb market in one of the most severely impacted major cities. It is one of the first attempts to identify shifts in underlying trends in travel based on Airbnb data.

Untangling the Integral Impact of Land Use Change, Economic, Ecological and Social Factors on the Development of Burabay District (Kazakhstan) during the Period 1999–2021

Long-term spatiotemporal Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) analysis is an objective tool for assessing patterns of sustainable development (SD). The basic purpose of this research is to define the Driving Mechanisms (DM) and assess the trend of SD in the Burabay district (Kazakhstan), which includes a city, an agro-industrial complex, and a national natural park, based on the integrated use of spatiotemporal data (STD), economic, environmental, and social (EES) indicators. The research was performed on the GEE platform using Landsat and Random Forest. The DM were studied by Multiple Linear Regression and Principal Component Analysis. SD trend was assessed through sequential transformations, aggregations, and integrations of 36 original STD and EES indicators. The overall classification accuracy was 0.85–0.97. Over the past 23 years, pasture area has changed the most (−16.69%), followed by arable land (+14.72%), forest area increased slightly (+1.81%), and built-up land—only +0.16%. The DM of development of the AOI are mainly economic components. There has been a noticeable drop in the development growth of the study area in 2021, which is apparently a consequence of the COVID-19. The upshots of the research can serve as a foundation for evaluating SD and LULC policy.

The role of industrial zones in local development based on the example of the Wieliczka Economic Activity Zone (Poland)

The aim of the article is to present the role of economic activity zones in the development of local urban centres and their surroundings. The main area of research was the area of the town and commune of Wieliczka, with particular emphasis on the Wieliczka Economic Activity Zone (WEAZ). As part of the analysis, attention was focused primarily on the impact of enterprises on the labour market and the income of the commune. Based on the existing literature studies, the scale of multiplier effects resulting from the development of enterprises in WEAZ was also estimated. The presentation of the impact of companies located in the Wieliczka Economic Activity Zone on the socio-economic development of the commune area made it possible to determine the scale of benefits resulting from investing public funds in the creation of this type of investment zones. Analysing the role of WEAZ in the development of the local economy, the authors identified the relationship between the inflow of investments and a permanent increase in demand on the local labour market. This also concerned the resilience of newly created jobs in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Economic Resilience of Families in a Suburban Residential Area in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Background and Objectives: Faster than expected, the COVID-19 disease changed people's lives on an unprecedented scale. The present research aimed to shed light on the economic challenges of the pandemic and the efforts made concerning economic resilience. Thus, this study delved into the experience of families residing in a suburban town. Methods: The present study was qualitative in type. It used a qualitative content analysis with a guided approach conducted through 17 in-depth semi-structured individual interviews with subjects over 15 years of age living in Tawheed Gonabad town. These subjects had lived in the area for at least three years. The interviews were held and audio-recorded in a purposive sampling method after gaining informed consent from the participants in the spring of 2021. In order to estimate the validity of the data, Lincoln and Goba's criteria were used. Results: The economic resilience of families during the pandemic was marked by three main categories and nine sub-categories. The categories were: 1) changes to the economic dimension of the family (the sub-categories: employment, income, consumption and socioeconomic status), 2) solutions to the economic changes of the family (sub-categories: reliance on internal resources, family and receiving support from outside of the family), and 3) the effectiveness of economic resilience of families at higher levels (sub-categories: macroeconomics, family social capital and regional resilience). As more detailed results showed, the pandemic has caused a decrease in the income and consumption of essential items in quantity and quality and imposed excessive costs on the target community. The dominant solution to economic problems has been changing consumer's behavior and income diversification. The lack of supportive plans, poor social networks and the identity of the neighborhood are the significant barriers to the increase of economic resilience. Conclusion: The families investigated in the present study were vulnerable in many ways and had low economic resilience. In order to improve the families' level of economic resilience, it is necessary to know the context and carry out interventions and support plans based on the families' internal and external capacities, including the neighborhood's empowering conditions. © 2022 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

"We Can Manage This Corona Disaster”: Psycho-Social Experiences of a Diverse Suburban Middle-Class Community in South Africa: Interview-Based Study

The study concerns psycho-social domains experienced in a diverse suburban middle-class community, reporting the most positive cases and the deepest suffering, and interactions towards adaptation in stressful situations, such as the Coronavirus pandemic. This qualitative investigation used a descriptive design, with a strengths-based perspective directing a two-phased method. Through non-probability convenience sampling, 80 participants completed a web-based qualitative questionnaire (phase one). From those, 20 purposely selected volunteers participated in individual, face-to-face, open-ended, and unstructured interviews (phase 2). Themes, interpreted as one set, show how strengths and resilience appear, despite extreme shock and uncertainty. Transitional processes in psycho-social spheres reveal conscious decisions towards dynamic engagement, embracing change, reflecting on life's value, and regarding novel meaningful priorities in contrast with "before”. Most prominent relational spaces have human connections in the inner (close) and outer (community) circles. Personal, meaningful relationships strengthen social bonds. Appreciative inquiry (AI) assisted in the transitional process to co-construct awareness of the positive core, emotional agility, and pride in embracing and expanding on newly developed strengths. Interpreted inductively, meaning described in ed knowledge can be transferred to and integrated with other contexts, identifying new initiatives and trans-, multi-, and inter-disciplinary debates mitigating psycho-social consequences and fostering resilience during disasters.

Peri-urban home gardens in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico are fundamental spaces of resistance

Objective: To determine the effects of neoliberal policies (including the Green Revolution), the urban sprawl (as a consequence of population growth), and the reduction of agricultural areas on peri-urban agriculture;however, the main focus is the forms of resistance against these pressures from the dominant system. Design/Methodology/Approach: Through participant observation, surveys, collection, and botanization we identified plant species, their diversity, uses, and richness. Home gardens in San Felipe Ecatepec, Chiapas, Mexico are a system, which consists of subsystems, functions, composition, and management, as well as a high number of species, high to moderate richness, and a surface that oscillates between 600 m2 and 2500 m2. Growing products next to the house provides healthy and fresh food, creates a useful and productive space, and preserves agrobiodiversity. It is an agroecosystem where each family and sitio or home garden interact with other families and other home gardens, integrating local knowledge and offering a space for families to live together. They can be considered spaces of resistance based on traditional knowledge, which also help to control their resources and to bolster individual and collective food sovereignty. Results: Home gardens in San Felipe Ecatepec, Chiapas, Mexico are a system, which consists of subsystems, functions, composition, and management, as well as a high number of species, high to moderate richness, and established on surfaces that oscillates between 600 m2 and 2,500 m2. Study Limitations/Implications: The research was carried out during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed an extra challenge to the field work. Findings/Conclusions: Growing products next to the house provides healthy and fresh food, creates a useful and productive space, and preserves agrobiodiversity. It is an agroecosystem where each family and sitio or home garden interact with other families and other home gardens, integrating local knowledge and offering a space for families to live together. They can be considered spaces of resistance based on traditional knowledge, which also help families to control their resources and to bolster individual and collective food sovereignty.

The impact of life experiences on the school disciplinary practices of suburban high school administrators

This narrative study examined how the life experiences of high school administrators impact how they conceptualize and understand school discipline. These experiences were then positioned within the current context of COVID-19 pandemic related school closures and protests associated with George Floyd's death which brought light to systemic racism prevalent in school codes of conduct to determine how these events changed their disciplinary practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight administrators from suburban schools in the New York metropolitan region that also had a minority student population of at least 10%. Transcripts were analyzed using in vivo and process coding to identify themes across the interviews. Three themes were identified: elements that lead to an initial understanding of school discipline, how these initial practices change over time, and the twin impact of COVID-19 and protests highlighting systemic racism causing a drastic change to how administrators respond to student misbehavior. These findings were then analyzed using Critical Race Theory and situated among the current literature. The first finding was centered on the understanding administrators use their personal experiences as both as student and teacher to establish their understanding of school discipline. The second finding uncovered an awareness that in order to address student behaviors, administrators develop stakeholder connections. Lastly, there was an awareness and discovery that codes of conduct in their respective schools contributed to disproportionate discipline. While some administrators had already been working to enact change, others were in the beginning stages of learning about this problem and were unsure of the next steps. Form these findings, recommendations for practice and research were proposed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Potential of TROPOMI for understanding spatio-temporal variations in surface NO2 and their dependencies upon land use over the Iberian Peninsula

In orbit since late 2017, the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) is offering new outstanding opportunities for better understanding the emission and fate of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in the troposphere. In this study, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the spatio-temporal variability of TROPOMI NO2 tropospheric columns (TrC-NO2) over the Iberian Peninsula during 2018–2021, considering the recently developed Product Algorithm Laboratory (PAL) product. We complement our analysis with estimates of NOx anthropogenic and natural soil emissions. Closely related to cloud cover, the data availability of TROPOMI observations ranges from 30 %–45 % during April and November to 70 %–80 % during summertime, with strong variations between northern and southern Spain. Strongest TrC-NO2 hotspots are located over Madrid and Barcelona, while TrC-NO2 enhancements are also observed along international maritime routes close the strait of Gibraltar, and to a lesser extent along specific major highways. TROPOMI TrC-NO2 appear reasonably well correlated with collocated surface NO2 mixing ratios, with correlations around 0.7–0.8 depending on the averaging time.We investigate the changes of weekly and monthly variability of TROPOMI TrC-NO2 depending on the urban cover fraction. Weekly profiles show a reduction of TrC-NO2 during the weekend ranging from -10 % to -40 % from least to most urbanized areas, in reasonable agreement with surface NO2. In the largest agglomerations like Madrid or Barcelona, this weekend effect peaks not in the city center but in specific suburban areas/cities, suggesting a larger relative contribution of commuting to total NOx anthropogenic emissions. The TROPOMI TrC-NO2 monthly variability also strongly varies with the level of urbanization, with monthly differences relative to annual mean ranging from -40 % in summer to +60 % in winter in the most urbanized areas, and from -10 % to +20 % in the least urbanized areas. When focusing on agricultural areas, TROPOMI observations depict an enhancement in June–July that could come from natural soil NO emissions. Some specific analysis of surface NO2 observations in Madrid show that the relatively sharp NO2 minimum used to occur in August (drop of road transport during holidays) has now evolved into a much broader minimum partly de-coupled from the observed local road traffic counting;this change started in 2018, thus before the COVID-19 outbreak. Over 2019–2021, a reasonable consistency of the inter-annual variability of NO2 is also found between both datasets.Our study illustrates the strong potential of TROPOMI TrC-NO2 observations for complementing the existing surface NO2 monitoring stations, especially in the poorly covered rural and maritime areas where NOx can play a key role, notably for the production of tropospheric O3.

Variation of carbon dioxide mole fraction at a typical urban area in the Yangtze River Delta, China

The observations of atmospheric CO2 mole fraction in urban area in China are relative sparse. Here, we present the first-hand observation of atmospheric CO2 mole fraction from 2016 to 2020 at a city station (Hangzhou, abbreviated as HZ) in the Yangtze River Delta, which is one of the strongest CO2 source regions in China. The CO2 mole fraction at an adjacent World Meteorological Organization / Global Atmospheric Watch (WMO/GAW) programme site (Lin'an, LAN) are also presented and compared. The temporal variations, seasonal variations, and influence of COVID-19 pandemic are analyzed. Our results show that, the variations of CO2 mole fraction in Hangzhou are mainly driven by the local emissions, both atmospheric dilution conditions (i.e., wind speed, visibility) and topography, and the temporal variations are apparently different with the suburb site of LAN, although the distance between the two stations is only 50 km. During the observation period, the CO2 mole fraction at HZ is on average 15.6 +or- 0.2 ppm higher than LAN, with two distinct peaks observed at 9:00 and 17:00-18:00, corresponding to traffic rushing hours. The growth rate of atmospheric CO2 mole fraction is 11.2 +or- 0.1 ppm yr-1 before the COVID-19 pandemic (from 2016 to 2019), which is much higher than the suburb site of LAN, 5.4 +or- 0.1 ppm yr-1. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a plunge of atmospheric CO2 mole fraction at HZ in 2020, with a value of 15.7 +or- 0.7 ppm, corresponding to 3.5% lower than the year of 2019. But at LAN, the annual average CO2 mole fraction in 2020 is 1.5 +or- 0.5 ppm higher than the previous year, similar to the trend in the northern hemisphere. The different annual CO2 mole fraction growth rate at HZ indicates that the CO2 mole fraction at Hangzhou may be dominated by local anthropogenic emissions, despite the transport of airmass from the north and southwest.

Deconstruction of COVID-19 transmission network and its epidemic analysis in a suburban village of Shijiazhuang in China

In January 2021, the COVID-19 outbreak in Xiaoguozhuang Village of Shijiazhuang, the first COVID-19 public health emergency in the rural areas of China. Based on the individual trajectory data in 14 days of 941 confirmed cases, taking the transmission network structural analysis and the epidemic transmission dynamics analysis as the methods, the COVID-19 transmission network from the three aspects is deconstructed: epidemic points formation, types of outputs, and regional expansion evolution. Compared with the COVID-19 transmission network of Beijing Xinfadi Market and Dalian Kaiyang Seafood Company, the conclusions are as follows: (1) The numbers of epidemic points and types are large. In the approximate exposure time, new epidemic points will be formed simultaneously with the central city under the background of rapid urbanization. Still, high community activity leads to the formation of co-exposure to epidemic points;short distance "pendulum moves" leading to more extensive individual trajectory density, and finally resulting in the risk of temporary exposure of epidemic points. (2) It has the significant individual-individual contact infection characteristic and output chain relationship characteristic. The secondary outputs of the rural areas are due to the multigenerational family transmission, which is not seen in the urban cities. (3) Compared with the regional expansion of urban cities, the rural areas are manifested by a longer transmission period, caused by the long occult time of outbreaks and the relatively high relative risk of symptomatic confirmed cases in the rural areas. Finally, three suggestions are put forward, enlarging the management space from the terminal areas to adjacent areas around airports, and then implementing delay management on the overflow personnel based on time shift due to carrying the virus from potential epidemic points and buffering isolation area according to the range of risk changes. The deconstruction network of public health emergencies is a beneficial exploration and will provide a basis for improving the resilience of public health networks in rural areas. © 2022, Science Press. All rights reserved.

Economic Resilience of Families in a Suburban Residential Area in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

Background and Objectives: Faster than expected, the COVID-19 disease changed people's lives on an unprecedented scale. The present research aimed to shed light on the economic challenges of the pandemic and the efforts made concerning economic resilience. Thus, this study delved into the experience of families residing in a suburban town. Method(s): The present study was qualitative in type. It used a qualitative content analysis with a guided approach conducted through 17 in-depth semi-structured individual interviews with subjects over 15 years of age living in Tawheed Gonabad town. These subjects had lived in the area for at least three years. The interviews were held and audio-recorded in a purposive sampling method after gaining informed consent from the participants in the spring of 2021. In order to estimate the validity of the data, Lincoln and Goba's criteria were used. Result(s): The economic resilience of families during the pandemic was marked by three main categories and nine sub-categories. The categories were: 1) changes to the economic dimension of the family (the sub-categories: employment, income, consumption and socioeconomic status), 2) solutions to the economic changes of the family (sub-categories: reliance on internal resources, family and receiving support from outside of the family), and 3) the effectiveness of economic resilience of families at higher levels (sub-categories: macroeconomics, family social capital and regional resilience). As more detailed results showed, the pandemic has caused a decrease in the income and consumption of essential items in quantity and quality and imposed excessive costs on the target community. The dominant solution to economic problems has been changing consumer's behavior and income diversification. The lack of supportive plans, poor social networks and the identity of the neighborhood are the significant barriers to the increase of economic resilience. Conclusion(s): The families investigated in the present study were vulnerable in many ways and had low economic resilience. In order to improve the families' level of economic resilience, it is necessary to know the context and carry out interventions and support plans based on the families' internal and external capacities, including the neighborhood's empowering conditions.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

COVID‐19 and consumer behavior: Food stockpiling in the U.S. market

The emergence of the COVID‐19 pandemic has brought radical changes in consumer spending patterns. One aspect of this change is food stockpiling detected in several countries. Using a univariate probit model, this paper relies on the COVID‐19 Impact Survey (2020) for American households to assess the likelihood of consumers stockpiling food in response to the stringent lockdown measures imposed by the government's pandemic regulations. Our findings reveal a set of significant correlations between marital status, age, race, occupation, household structure, and the propensity of stockpiling food during the pandemic. Furthermore, the results show that residents in urban areas are more likely to engage in food stockpiling compared with residents in rural and suburban areas. The paper also examines the nexus between residence areas, lockdown measures, and the probability of stockpiling food. This research reveals a significant association between psychological factors and the likelihood of stockpiling food in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic [EconLit Citations: D12, H12, I18, P25].

Unpacking the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods: disentangling "desired outcomes” from the "means” available for achieving them

Purpose: An in-depth literature review was undertaken to uncover (1) what are described as the desired outcomes for 20 minute neighbourhoods (20MNs) – the normatively based ends which planners, architects and decision-makers want 20MNs to achieve;(2) the means (the mechanisms, levers, triggers and causal factors) that have to be correctly assembled and lined up for 20MNs to operate as intended and (3), in order to avoid naive environmental determinism, the behavioural changes required to support the operation of 20MNs even where the required configuration of means can be achieved. The content analysis was conducted following guidelines offered by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. Design/methodology/approach: Growing interest in the urban design concept of the "20MNs” has been greatly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been presented as a way of increasing the quality of local environments by enabling people to meet their daily needs through access to safe walking and cycling routes or by public transport. Internationally, it has captured the imagination of political decision-makers, built-environment practitioners and communities alike, as a life-affirming post-pandemic vision, held up as achieving environmental, health and economic improvements as well as reducing inequalities experienced by many. This paper's overall purpose is to separate the ends pursued in 20MNs from means available for achieving them. Findings: The paper concludes that the ambition to see the 20MNs widely woven into existing urban, suburban and rural neighbourhoods will require significant effort to ensure all that all the component parts of, and key players in, planning's place-delivery systems are aligned and mutually supportive. Even where this can be achieved, further guidance will be needed on (1) how to operationalise the practical implementation of 20MNs and (2) how their success can be measured. Originality/value: The originality of the paper lies in its efforts to discriminate between ends and means – between desired outcomes of 20MNs and the means available for achieving them. The significance of the paper lies here in this attempt to initiate a discussion on possible causal relationships between what is wanted and what would need to be done to achieve it. Without clarity about these relationships, misunderstanding, confusion and barriers to communication may arise across the many different organizations, stakeholder groups and actors involved. This lack of clarity could undermine trust and confidence, potentially undermining both the process and to its outcomes. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

What does lockdown smell like? Understanding the COVID-19 pandemic through smell

This paper contributes to understandings of COVID society by offering insights into the lived experience of lockdown. It reveals how larger social and economic impacts of the virus unfold in one suburban town in New Zealand. Employing "smellwalks,” it mobilizes smell as an empirical tool to understand lockdown experience. Drawing from the "sensory turn” this method recognizes smell as a way of knowing social existence and gleaning non-discursive and embodied insights into the global pandemic. This paper endeavors to develop sensory methodology within urban sociology by revealing how smell furthers understandings of place and modes of being during lockdown. It argues changes in suburban smells signal disruption to daily life as a result of the government's social and economic pandemic-response measures. For instance, the empty cold smell of the mall usually warm and bustling with activity, conveys the isolation and loss of social connectedness produced by lockdown restrictions. Similarly, the dry smell of concrete dust created by the closure and demolition of a high-street bank reflects the slowing of the national economy. Attention to smell enables insight into new modes of being for residents that involve heightened anxiety around viral contagion and a slower, quieter, environmentally cleaner way of life.

NOISE POLLUTION AND ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Environmental noise significantly impacts human health and well-being. It is a widespread problem in Europe, where at least one in five people are exposed to harmful levels of noise. Hearing loss is the most known health effect related to noise exposure. There is, however, growing data that links noise exposure to hypertension, coronary artery disease, and stroke. According to some theories, this relationship may be explained by the indirect pathway of noise exposure, which can cause sympathetic and endocrine activation, as well as several cognitive and emotional responses, including annoyance. Noise exposure leads to stress reactions independent of cognitive involvement. There is a possibility that noise exerts its effects directly through synaptic interactions, as well as through cognitive and emotional effects. Epidemiological studies indicate that nocturnal noise exposure has more profound health consequences. Nighttime noise exposure is associated with an increase in heart rate due to sympathetic activation or parasympathetic withdrawal, and with an increase in blood pressure as well as endothelial dysfunction. Hypertension is a common condition and is an important risk indicator for other cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies showed an association between noise exposure, blood pressure and arterial hypertension. Meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies found an increase of hypertension prevalence per 10 dB increase in daytime average road traffic noise level. There is, however, some heterogeneity among these studies. Prospective studies have also found an association between aircraft noise exposure and hypertension, supporting the cross-sectional findings. The analyses, of data from the large Hypertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports (HYENA) study, showed that an increase in nocturnal aircraft noise exposure per 10 dB was associated with an increased incidence of hypertension. The meaningful effect of night-time aircraft noise on arterial hypertension was also observed in the prospective observation of the subset of individuals from that study. In a longitudinal observation of 420 participants, higher aircraft noise exposure during the night significantly associated with the incidence of hypertension. Previous cross-sectional case-control study conducted in 2015, in 2 suburban areas of Krakow, Poland, revealed an increase in blood pressure and arterial stiffness as determined by carotid - femoral pulse wave velocity in individuals exposed to increased aircraft noise levels. However, even short-term noise reduction, as experienced during the COVID-19 lockdown, may reverse those unfavorable effects. As a result of these observations, noise mitigation strategies are important for cardiovascular health.