Relations of Adolescent Knowledge of COVID-19, Social Media Engagement, and Experiences During Quarantine/Lockdown with Well-Being.

This study investigated the relations of adolescent COVID-19 knowledge, quarantine/lockdown experiences, and social media use with indices of their psychosocial adjustment. The sample consisted of 215 adolescents from throughout the United States, with adolescents ranging from ages 14 to 17. Better knowledge of COVID-19 was related to lower loneliness, stress, anxiety, depression, and fear of missing out (FoMO). Higher parent-reported restrictions during quarantine were associated with these difficulties as well. Further, the lowest anxiety was reported for adolescents with good COVID-19 knowledge who also checked social media relatively less frequently. The findings point to the importance of accurate information about COVID-19 for adolescents and the impact of quarantine/lockdown experiences on their perceived emotional and social adjustment.

Toxicological impacts of roadway deicers on aquatic resources and human health: A review.

During winter, snow and ice on roads in regions with cold weather can increase traffic crashes and casualties, resulting in travel delays and financial burdens to society. Anti-icing or deicing the roads can serve a cost-effective method to significantly reduce such risks. Although traditionally the main priorities of winter road maintenance (WRM) have been level of service, cost-effectiveness, and corrosion reduction, it is increasingly clear that understanding the environmental impacts of deicers is vital. One of the most important problems in this regard is environmental contamination caused by cumulative use of deicers, which has many detrimental effects on the aquatic systems. Among the deicers, the chloride-based ones raise the most toxicological concerns because they are highly soluble, can migrate quickly in the environment and have cumulative effects over time. In this review, we summarize and organize existing data, including the latest findings about the adverse effects of deicers on surface water and groundwater, aquatic species, and human health, and identify future research priorities. In addition, the data provided can be used to develop a framework for quantifying some of the variables that stakeholders and agencies use when preparing guidelines and standards for WRM programs. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Pollution from the increasing use of roadway deicers may have detrimental effects on the environment. Of particular concern are the acute and cumulative risks that chloride salts pose to aquatic species. Chloride salts are water-soluble, very difficult to remove, highly mobile, and non-degradable. Deicers cause water stratification, change the chemicophysical properties of water, and affect aquatic species and human health. Current guidelines may not be appropriate for environmental protection and need to be revised.

A Narrative Review of Stigma Related to Infectious Disease Outbreaks: What Can Be Learned in the Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Infectious disease pandemics are associated with social consequences and stigma that are noticeably similar in various health conditions, health systems, and cultures. Stigma impacts health-related outcomes, not only as a barrier to receiving the timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment but also as an important variable that increases mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 outbreak has been associated with stigma too. Studying similarities as well as differences in the features of stigma observed in each outbreak can provide us with the knowledge and deeper understanding of the situation, which is necessary for approaching the issue comprehensively. The stigma needs to be addressed rigorously by professionals and health care providers as well as authorities. Here, we narratively review stigma due to some well-known infectious diseases and how it parallels to the current COVID-19 situation. After discussing its effects on both individuals and societies, we provide solutions to manage this important issue.

To be able, or disable, that is the question: A critical discussion on how language affects the stigma and self-determination in people with parability.

BACKGROUND: Despite several fruitful attempts in destigmatization, disability is still associated with stigma. The role of language, especially when addressing a disabling condition and people, has been the matter of social as well as scientific debates. This article poses an intriguing question about the language we apply when addressing people and disability. METHOD: A narrative review of different models of disability with the emphasis on how labels and more generally language affect identity formation, and the extendibility of positive psychology concepts on the field of disability studies. RESULTS: In this theoretical paper, the authors suggest that the term disability per se is contributing to increasing the stigma and has disempowering effect. Considering previous evidence from different lines of literature, the authors suggest a new approach of destigmatization, namely changing the term disability to a less stigmatizing one. Moreover, the authors discuss some theories to support this perspective. CONCLUSION: Replacing 'dis' in 'disability' with the prefix 'para' in the term 'Para-ability' is suggested.

Perceptions of Agentic and Communal Narcissism on Facebook.

Studies on narcissism in social media have been numerous. Manifestations of narcissistic behaviors are typically viewed negatively by others online. However, previous study is limited by only examining agentic narcissism. This study investigated perceptions of both agentic and communal narcissism in the context of Facebook. Two hundred and sixty undergraduate students viewed fictitious Facebook profiles with narcissistic or neutral status updates and rated the target on likeability, successfulness, and whether they would want to be friends with the target. Narcissistic statuses were viewed more negatively than neutral statuses across domains. Agentic narcissistic statuses were viewed most harshly. Some gender differences emerged. Female participants rated agentic narcissistic statements from female targets and communal narcissistic statements from male targets more negatively than did male participants. Participants' self-reported communal narcissism was related to their ratings of others, whereas self-reported agentic narcissism was not. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Fullerene nanoparticle in dermatological and cosmetic applications.

Nanoparticles are equipped with exceptional properties which make them well suitable for diverse and novel applications. Fullerene is one of the nanomaterials that has valuable applications in the field of biomedicine. It possesses exceptional antioxidant capacity which has made it a promising core ingredient in many dermatological and skin care products. However, fullerene has the potentials to display a range of activities resulting in cell death or dysfunction. This review outlines the achievements made so far by reporting studies that have focused on incorporating fullerene in skin care products and cosmetics and assessed their beneficial effects. We have also documented reports that have assessed toxicity of this novel carbon allotrope toward skin cells and discussed its possible dermal reactions. Aside from pointing out the recent developments, areas that can benefit from further researches are identified.

New applications and mechanisms of action of saffron and its important ingredients.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) has been an important subject of interest for research teams in the past two decades because of its various biological properties. Chemical analysis has shown the presence of more than 150 components in saffron stigmas. Here, we review the medicinal and industrial applications of saffron. Then, the new findings from different research groups about its medicinal properties and various cellular and molecular mechanisms of action will be discussed. The methods used for this study included searching Web of Science and Medline for saffron and its constituent's applications. The results show that in recent years saffron's application in a variety of disorders involving neuronal, cardiovascular and other systems, as well as cancer have been investigated. The cellular and molecular mechanisms of its action are also under study. The more powerful components of saffron are carotenoids and monoterpene aldehydes. Structure-function relationship studies show that some properties are related to deglycosylated derivatives, while others belong to more glycosylated ones. Our study concludes that saffron has a wide range of usefulness in medicine, cosmetics, and coloring industries, so it can be used for new drug designs. However, more research about its mechanism of action is needed.

Retinopathy of prematurity in infants with late retinal examination.

PURPOSE: To report the incidence, severity and risk factors of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature infants with late ROP examination in Farabi Eye Hospital. METHODS: In a retrospective study from January 2001 to July 2007, hospital records of premature infants who were examined later than 9 weeks after birth were reviewed to determine the incidence, severity and possible risk factors of ROP including gender, singleton or multiple gestations, gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW), oxygen therapy,blood transfusion, phototherapy, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), mechanical ventilation,intraventricular hemorrhage and sepsis as well as age at initial examination. RESULTS: Out of a total of 797 infants referred for ROP screening during the study period,216 (27.1%) had late examinations at a mean age of 141.7± 150.4 (range 64-1,460) days. Of these, 87 (40.3%) had different stages of ROP, 65 (30.1%) had stage 4 or 5 disease including 34 (16.2%) infants with stage 5 ROP in both eyes which was untreatable. Lower GA (P<0.001), RDS (P=0.041) and blood transfusion (P=0.009) were associated with the development of ROP. CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of ROP and the incidence of severe ROP in particular,were unacceptably high in premature infants with late screening. These findings necessitate interventions to optimize timely referral for screening of premature infants.