• Energy Research
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SARS-CoV-2, a serious threat to sustainable development prospects, is spreading within countries at varying speeds, among other things depending on their population density, behavioural responses, cultural factors, personal hygiene practices and habits. This has led to significant variation in countries’ policy responses aimed at stemming the proliferation of the virus. Using crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis, we conducted a comparative study at the European level to study the performance of different combinations of COVID-19 containment measures along with the response speeds. A set of configurations for two different scenarios (above- and below-median death rates) helps to illustrate how specific containment measures in each examined European country are related to the number of deaths. The main observation arising from the analysis is that the speed of response along with the decision to suspend international flights might determine the epidemic outbreak’s impact on fatality. The results also imply that several different combinations of containment measures are associated with death rates across Europe. The outcome of this analysis can assist in identifying which set of containment measures in the event of an epidemic outbreak is beneficial/detrimental.

This study investigated bio-based plastic cushioning materials foamed through water phase-change characteristics using the natural by-product wheat bran. Experiments were carried out while increasing the wheat bran content from 20% to 70% in a blended composite material of polypropylene (PP) and wheat bran (WB). From the experimental results, we were able to prepare a bio-based plastic cushion that contained a high amount of natural materials, with a bran content of over 50%. This indicates the possibility of meeting the criteria for biodegradable plastics, as well as bio-based plastics. In this study, by inducing a foaming ratio of 95% or more, a volume-expansion ratio from 16 times to over 62 times was achieved. In addition, the optimal mixing condition for inducing a high-expansion foam was when the mixing ratio of PP and WB was 50/50, and the water content of the foaming agent was 25 parts per hundred resin. Finally, dynamic cushioning characteristics of PP50/WB50 composite foam prepared in this study and Polystyrene (PS) bead based commercial products were compared. The composite foam of this study showed comparable values, confirming commercialization possibility.

Empirical evidence is scanty on the nexus between caregivers’ nutrition knowledge, market accessibility, and preschool children’s dietary diversity in remote communities of Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria. To fill this gap, this study evaluated the effects of caregivers’ nutrition knowledge and access to food market on dietary diversity of preschool children. We used cross-sectional data from four hundred households selected from twenty remote communities in Southeast Nigeria. The study adopted instrumental variable regression to estimate the impacts of nutrition knowledge and food market access on preschool children’s dietary diversity. The findings show that in remote communities, caregivers’ nutrition knowledge and households’ closeness to the market improved preschool children’s dietary diversity. The study demonstrates the potential of improving preschool children’s nutrition outcomes through enhancing access to food market and the nutrition knowledge of the caregivers.

Cannabis consumption has become the center of much debate globally. The positive public perception of the medicinal benefits of cannabis and the rise of recreational usage of cannabis necessitate dramatic changes in cannabis reform policy. As a consequence, there is an increase in cannabis legalization around the globe, although it is still facing many rejections. It is crucial to understand the factors affecting public acceptance of cannabis use to support the contextualization and success of cannabis legalization. This review aims to address consumer cultural, social and psychological factors regarding the legal use of cannabis. Based on this review, cultures influence the endorsement or rejection of cannabis use depending on political views, religious sentiments and affiliated subcultures (adult, youth and adolescent subcultures). Regarding the social factors, socioeconomic status, measured by income, education level and occupation, is a key determinant of cannabis use. The beliefs opposing cannabis legalization are due to the negative stigma surrounding cannabis use. Nevertheless, growing awareness about the pharmaceutical and therapeutic effects of cannabis has led to an increase in positive attitudes towards cannabis legalization. Thus, dissemination of cannabis use benefits reaffirmed by scientific evidence could be a strategic way to alleviate the public’s negative feedback on cannabis legalization.

In the framework that interdisciplinary projects could be a potential tool to improve learning processes in higher education, a teaching innovation experience was carried out. This study presents the didactic experience carried out between two first-year subjects of the Degree in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. The experience consisted of designing and implementing a practice activity from an interdisciplinary approach and with the support of technological tools, such as the use of platforms, recordings and sports technique analysis software. The main aim of the present study was to assess such an experience according to students’ perception. The instrument used to assess such an interdisciplinary experience was a questionnaire of 17 items. The sample comprised 79 students who attended both subjects simultaneously. The reliability of the instrument is ensured according to Cronbach’s alpha (a = 0.903). The results of this study, as interdisciplinarity and organizational aspects, were highly assessed. The analysis of the survey also indicates that this interdisciplinary practice activity helped subjects to achieve a more meaningful level of both integrated and specific knowledge.

Sport activity can be a moderator of change in the level of cognitive and executive functions. This research sample consisted of 71 men aged 22.66 ± 1.91 years. This group was split into two subgroups: nonathletes (n = 26) and athletes (n = 45). The athletes included open skill sport athletes (n = 21) and closed skill sport athletes (n = 24). We used a standardized S-test to detect the level of cognitive functions, a standardized EPQ-R questionnaire to find out the degree of neuroticism and a standardized IVE questionnaire to measure the level of impulsivity. For data processing, we used the Kruskal–Wallis test following the Mann–Whitney test. To calculate the effect of size differences we used the coefficients η2 and r. Our research showed a higher level of cognitive function of athletes compared to nonathletes. More detailed data analysis showed that open skill sport disciplines are influential. There is also a negative relationship between the level of cognitive function and the degree of impulsivity and neuroticism. It seems that sport activity, specifically open skill sport disciplines, has the potential to increase the cognitive functions of young adult men. Personality traits—neuroticism and impulsivity—have a negative relationship with the level of cognitive functions of young men.

Information Technology (IT) plays a vital role in promoting sustainability and enabling independent living. People with cognitive disabilities face numerous challenges in their daily lives, such as social interactions, learning new things, and improving specific abilities. A variety of therapies and treatments have been introduced to help address these challenges. Recently, computer-assisted therapeutic procedures, treatment procedures, and assistive systems have emerged as beneficial tools to improve the lives of people with cognitive disabilities. Advances in technology have made it possible to develop effective applications specifically designed for this group of individuals. The objective of this paper is to identify potential applications of these developed solutions for people with cognitive disabilities, evaluate their effectiveness, strengths, and limitations, and understand their contribution in addressing various difficulties due to cognitive impairments. To achieve this goal, we reviewed 23 studies that demonstrate several applications developed for people with cognitive disabilities to address their unique issues. Our investigation indicates that the developed applications hold promise, although a few issues with cost-effectiveness, device transparency, and specific disability dependency may limit their effectiveness. Hence, this paper aims to shed light on these innovative applications, their implications, and their role in aiding users in tackling their specific challenges.