Perceived economic pressure and colorectal cancer-related perceptions among U.S. males (aged 45-75).

PURPOSE: To examine whether a greater perception of economic pressure would be associated with more-negative attitudes, greater perceived barriers, and lower subjective norms regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) and CRC screening among males aged 45-75 years. METHODS: We recruited 492 self-identified males aged 45-75 years living in the United States. We operationalized perceived economic pressure as a latent factor with three subscales: can't make ends meet, unmet material needs, and financial cutbacks. Our dependent variables were attitudes toward CRC and CRC screening, perceived barriers to completing a CRC screening exam, and subjective norms regarding CRC screening (e.g., how others value CRC screening). We tested a hypothesized model using structural equation modeling with maximum-likelihood estimation, adjusting for covariates, and made post-hoc modifications to improve model fit. RESULTS: Greater perceived economic pressure was associated with more-negative attitudes toward CRC and CRC screening (ß = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.37,0.57) and with greater perceived barriers to CRC screening (ß = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.34), but was not significantly associated with subjective norms (ß = 0.07, 95% CI: - 0.05, 0.19). Perceived economic pressure was an indirect pathway by which lower-income and younger age were associated with more-negative attitudes and greater perceived barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is one of the first to show that, among males, perceived economic pressure is associated with two social-cognitive mechanisms (i.e., negative attitudes, greater perceived barriers) that are known to influence CRC screening intent and, ultimately, CRC screening completion. Future research on this topic should employ longitudinal study designs.

Metabolic syndrome among commercial truck drivers: The relationship between condition prevalence and crashes.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is especially prevalent among US truck drivers. However, there has been limited research exploring associations between MetS conditions with roadway crashes among truck drivers. The objective of this paper is to assess relationships between specific combinations of individual MetS components and crashes and near-misses. METHODS: Survey, biometric, and anthropometric data were collected from 817 truck drivers across 6 diverse US states. Survey data focused on demographics and roadway safety outcomes, and anthropometric/biometric data corresponded to five MetS conditions (waist circumference blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein [HDL] cholesterol). Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios of lifetime crashes and near-miss 1-month period prevalence associated with: 1) specific MetS conditions regardless of presence or absence of other MetS conditions, and 2) specific MetS conditions and counts of other accompanying MetS conditions. RESULTS: Hypertension was the MetS characteristic most strongly associated with lifetime crash and 1-month near-miss outcomes, while high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and large waist circumference were most commonly present among groups of conditions associated with crashes and near-misses. Overall, an increasing number of specific co-occurring MetS conditions were associated with higher reporting of roadway crashes. CONCLUSIONS: Specific combinations and higher prevalence of MetS conditions were associated with increased frequency of reported crashes. Moreover, when the co-occurrence of MetS conditions is aggregated, a dose-response relationship with crashes appears. These results suggest that policy changes and interventions addressing MetS may increase driver health and reduce crash risk.

Examining the relationship between household wealth and colorectal cancer screening behaviors among U.S. men aged 45-75.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death among men in the United States (U.S.), particularly among men aged 45 years and older. Early-detection screening remains a key method of decreasing CRC-related deaths, yet socioeconomic barriers exist to planning and completing CRC screening. While accumulating evidence shows income disparities in CRC screening prevalence, a dearth of research has investigated wealth disparities. This study aimed to determine whether household wealth was associated with CRC screening uptake and future screening intent. In February 2022, we sent an online survey to potential participants; U.S. men aged 45-75 years were eligible to participate. We examined four CRC screening behaviors as outcomes: ever completing a stool-based or exam-based screening test, current screening status, and future screening intent. Household net wealth, determined by self-reported household wealth and debt, was the primary predictor. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence interval (CI). Of the study participants (N = 499), most self-identified as Non-Hispanic White, were aged 50-64 years, and had previously completed a CRC screening test. Results revealed that, among men aged 45-49 years, higher net wealth decreased the odds of ever completing a stool- or exam-based test (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.98; OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.31, 0.94, respectively). By contrast, among men aged 50-75 years, higher net wealth increased the odds of being current with CRC screening (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.92). Net wealth was unassociated with CRC screening intent. These findings suggest that household net wealth, rather than income, is an important socioeconomic factor to consider in relation to uptake of CRC early-detection screening. The financial and social cognitive mechanisms linking household wealth to CRC screening behaviors merit future research and intervention.

Burnout and Engagement's Relationship to Drug Abuse in Lawyers and Law Professionals.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the associations between drug abuse and the prevalence of the engagement and burnout dichotomy in law professionals. METHODS: Eligible participants completed a questionnaire where odds ratios of drug abuse and other confounding variables and their association to engagement or burnout were calculated using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: When looking at all law professionals, burnout is a statistically significant predictor for drug abuse ( P = 0.04, not shown). Law professionals whose burnout scores fell in the highest bin have 4.71 (95% CI [1.38-16.08]) times higher odds of having a problem with drug abuse than those whose burnout scores fell in the second bin. CONCLUSION: Study findings showed a possible way to affect the prevalence of drug abuse in law professionals by affecting the engagement and burnout dichotomy.

Biochar porosity: a nature-based dependent parameter to deliver microorganisms to soils for land restoration.

Literature shows that biochar can potentially retain nutrients in agricultural soils, avoiding significant nutrient losses. Furthermore, biochar porosity and functional groups have been shown to enhance physico-chemical properties of soil when amended, which in turn has the ability to encourage inhabitation of specific microorganisms as biofertilizers or to enhance soil remediation. It supports scale-dependent parameters and provides both ecosystem services and soil-vegetation solutions relevant to nature-based solutions. However, detailed researches on the mechanisms of soil microbial interactions with biochar porous properties are required, along with the microbial attachment factors, sustenance, and detachment when applied to soils. Recent valuable works have impregnated plant growth-promoting bacteria unto biochar and have observed inconsistent results. Firstly, biochar intrinsic properties alter the fate of impregnation by inhibiting quorum sensing signals, and the macropore requirements for adsorption and/or biofilm formation have not been well considered. Additionally, the nutrient and supplement requirements for each microorganism as well as the adsorption capacity have not been well understood for biochar surfaces. Substantial information is required to understand the mechanisms of microbe adsorption and factors that influence the process, as well as sustenance of the matrix even when deployed in soils. Research directions should focus on determining molecular and chemical mechanisms responsible for the biochar-microbe interaction process and fate of microbe on biochar while expressing plant growth-promoting properties, which needs to be done in laboratory and field trials. Graphical abstract.

Indigenous 14C-phenanthrene biodegradation in "pristine" woodland and grassland soils from Norway and the United Kingdom.

In this study, the indigenous microbial mineralisation of 14C-phenanthrene in seven background soils (four from Norwegian woodland and three from the UK (two grasslands and one woodland)) was investigated. ∑PAHs ranged from 16.39 to 285.54 ng g-1 dw soil. Lag phases (time before 14C-phenanthrene mineralisation reached 5%) were longer in all of the Norwegian soils and correlated positively with TOC, but negatively with ∑PAHs and phenanthrene degraders for all soils. 14C-phenanthrene mineralisation in the soils varied due to physicochemical properties. The results show that indigenous microorganisms can adapt to 14C-phenanthrene mineralisation following diffuse PAH contamination. Considering the potential of soil as a secondary PAH source, these findings highlight the important role of indigenous microflora in the processing of PAHs in the environment.

Impact of activated carbon on the catabolism of (14)C-phenanthrene in soil.

Activated carbon amendment to contaminated soil has been proposed as an alternative remediation strategy to the management of persistent organic pollutant in soils and sediments. The impact of varying concentrations (0%, 0.01%, 0.1% and 1.0%) of different types of AC on the development of phenanthrene catabolism in soil was investigated. Mineralisation of (14)C-phenanthrene was measured using respirometric assays. The increase in concentration of CB4, AQ5000 or CP1 in soil led to an increase in the length of the lag phases. Statistical analyses showed that the addition of increasing concentrations of AC to the soil significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the extent of (14)C-phenanthrene mineralisation. For example, for CB4-, AQ5000- and CP1-amended soils, the overall extent of (14)C-phenanthrene mineralisation reduced from 43.1% to 3.28%, 36.9% to 0.81% and 39.6% to 0.96%, respectively, after 120 days incubation. This study shows that the properties of AC, such as surface area, pore volume and particle size, are important factors in controlling the kinetics of (14)C-phenanthrene mineralisation in soil.