Marijuana use and suicidal behaviours among school-going adolescents in Africa:assessments of prevalence and risk factors from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey

Background Marijuana use among adolescents,including high school students,has been consistently reported to be associated with a high incidence of suicidal behaviours.Little empirical research has been conducted on the propensity impact of marijuana use on suicidal behaviours in Africa.Aims To assess factors associated with marijuana use and further quantify marijuana use as an associated factor of suicidal behaviours,including repeated attempted suicide,suicidal ideation and suicide planning,among high school students in Africa.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 32802 school-going adolescents using the Global School-Based Student Health Survey data from 10 African countries grouped into West Africa,North Africa,South-East Africa,South Africa and East Africa subregions.Marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide were the main outcome variables.We employed double selection least absolute shrinkage and selection operator poisson regression model to assess risk factors associated with marijuana use and dominance analysis to establish ranked important and common risk factors.Inverse probability weighting poisson regression adjustment was applied to assess impact.Results The prevalence of marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide were 3.7%(95%CI:3.1 to 4.3)and 6.6%(95%CI:5.9 to 7.4),respectively.The most important risk factor for marijuana use generally across the countries and specifically in three subregions was alcohol consumption,which constituted approximately 40%of the impact.The average treatment effect on the treated(ATT)indicated that marijuana use significantly increased the risk of suicidal ideation,suicide planning and repeated attempted suicide by 12%(ATT=0.12(95%CI:0.02 to 0.22)),18%(ATT=0.18(95%CI:0.13 to 0.22))and 31%(ATT=0.31(95%CI:0.20 to 0.41)),respectively.Conclusions Marijuana use was significantly associated with suicidal behaviours(suicidal ideation,planning and repeated attempted suicide)among the students.To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.5(to strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse),school-based-based psychosocial interventions should be streamlined to adequately assess and manage marijuana use.Targeting the most dominant risk factors in this population could translate into the reduction of suicidal behaviours in countries within Africa.

The Research on Maintaining and Increasing the Value of Social Security funds Based on the theory of Sustainable Development

The Social security system is a necessary part of market economic system, the social security fund is the basis of running a country social security system. However, the fund of social security of our country has many problems, such as investment channel phase contrast is still relatively narrow, the portfolio is not reasonable enough, external capital market is not perfect and so on.so the social security fund in our country is difficult to achieve effective and value. This article will start from the concept of sustainable development, and hope to find out the existing problems in the process of maintaining and increasing the value of social security funds through combing the basic elements of social security funds.

Biopsychosocial impact of discrimination on cancer risk and outcome: A conceptual review

Discrimination,a major social factor influencing health,can influence both the risk and course of cancer.The medical and psychological mechanisms through which discrimination can impact the onset and spread of cancer are explored in depth in this conceptual evaluation.In addition to investigating the ethical aspects of discrimination in cancer research,it also studies the effects of bias on cancer detection and therapy.In addition,this review provides suggestions for reducing the effect of discrimination on cancer risk and outcomes.Discrimination,in particular,can trigger the growth and spread of cancer via various pathways,including stress,inflammation,and changes in epigenetic patterns.It can also affect the immune system,making the body more vulnerable to the proliferation of cancerous cells.Discrimination can result in hindrances or delays in the process of cancer screening and treatment,and it can influence the quality of care for individuals suffering from cancer.This can contribute to the presence of disparities in terms of cancer vulnerability,occurrence,mortality,and survival rates among different demographic groups.Various measures can be implemented to mitigate the impact of discrimination on cancer vulnerability and outcomes.These measures address the underlying causes of discrimination,ensure that all individuals have access to exceptional cancer care,promote the acquisition of cultural proficiency and anti-bias training by healthcare providers,and develop and implement interventions to reduce discrimination’s impact on cancer vulnerability,screening,and treatment.

Occupational,environmental and psychosocial factors impacting reproductive health of women working in manufacturing sector in India:a systematic review

Background:Women working in manufacturing are exposed to harmful chemicals and gases;environmental and psychosocial factors such as stress,anxiety,and burnout severely affect their reproductive health.Like physiological factors,psychosocial factors equality disrupts women’s reproductive health who are working in such aversive circumstances.Method:The current study is a systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis checklist.The primary sources of articles were central databases such as SCOPUS,Web of Science,PubMed,and others.Cambridge Quality Checklist was used to measure the quality of the review articles.Result:A total of 14 articles were found eligible for the review;5 studies were on occupational health in general,3 studies addressed menstrual distress,3 studies on pregnancy,and 3 on menopausal issues.Pandemic experiences increase the health risk with the rise in food and financial insecurity among manufacturing workers.Conclusion:Psychosocial factors such as stress,anxiety,loneliness,discrimination,and depression are associated with a risk to reproductive health.The uncertainty caused by the pandemic was a major stressor for the manufacturing workers in India.The findings would represent significant challenges and factors affecting women’s reproductive health.Proper interventions and measures could be taken to regulate health risks.

Spatio-temporal variation and relationship between agricultural efficiency and irrigation intensity in a semi-arid region of India

A surging population in Karnataka State,a semi-arid region in India,poses a threat to both food security and livelihood sustainability,necessitating a concentrated effort to bolster agricultural efficiency and achieve United Naton’s Sustainable Development Goal 2(zero hunger).Therefore,in order to address the pressing issue of food scarcity in Karnataka,this study meticulously examined the spatio-temporal variation of agricultural efficiency and irrigation intensity in Karnataka,uncovering its significant dependence of agricultural efficiency on irrigation intensity.Specifically,this study used a one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)to ascertain significant differences in the means of agricultural efficiency and irrigation intensity during 2004-2005 and 2018-2019.This study showed that the maximum improvement in agricultural efficiency index was recorded in Belgaum(40.24),Gulbarga(24.77),and Yadgir districts(22.92)between 2004-2005 and 2018-2019,which indicated the progressing trend and better scope for agriculture extension.On the contrary,some districts expressed threat(a decline of above 20.00 of agricultural efficiency index)and needed special care for the improvement of agricultural efficiency in four northern districts(Bagalkot,Bidar,Raichur,and Bijapur),three southern districts(Chitradurga,Chikballapur and Hassan),and two southern districts(Koppal and Gadag)in Karnataka.During 2004-2005,irrigation intensity varied from 3.19%to 56.39%,with the lowest irrigation intensity in Kodagu District and the highest irrigation intensity in Shimoga District.During 2018-2019,irrigation intensity changed from 0.77%to 72.77%,with the lowest irrigation intensity in Kodagu District and the highest in Dakshin Kannad District.Moreover,the research scrutinized the complex relationship between agricultural efficiency and irrigation intensity,with the correlation coefficient increased from 0.162 during 2004-2005 to 0.255 during 2018-2019.It implies that in both periods,a low positive correlation existed between these two variables.Over time,several factors(high-yield seeds and chemical fertilizers)other than irrigation intensity gradually became essential for agricultural efficiency.This research offers a wealth of valuable insights for regional planners and policy-makers contending with comparable challenges in various regions of India and other developing countries.

Redefining gaming addictive behavior:influence of media,psychological dimensions and clinical implications

This review critically examines gaming addiction within the contexts of media psychology and addiction theory.It outlines a continuum of gaming behavior,from casual play to addiction,characterized by loss of control,prioritizing gaming over other activities,and negative life consequences.The inclusion of gaming disorder in International Classification of Disease 11 and its provisional status in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder 5 highlight growing clinical and societal recognition.The review explores neural correlates of gaming addiction,such as activation in reward-related brain regions,drawing parallels with substance addiction.It highlights how media and marketing promote gaming behaviors potentially leading to addiction,raising ethical concerns about game design and advertising.The review systematically analyzes the negative physical,mental,social,and occupational impacts of gaming addiction.It advocates for a balanced approach emphasizing awareness,therapeutic interventions,and responsible media practices,while also proposing areas for future research and policy development to mitigate the risks of excessive gaming.

The Impact of the“Belt and Road”Initiative on Industrial Structure Upgrading Along the Corridor

The“Belt and Road”initiative functions as a novel impetus for China’s external economic development within the framework of the new normal of economic growth.By leveraging panel data from 30 provinces and regions across China for the period of 2010 to 2020,this research assesses the influence of the“Belt and Road”initiative on the enhancement of the industrial structure along its trajectory.The findings indicate that:the most notable influence on the rationalization and progress of the industrial structure is observed in the eastern region,with the central region following suit,whereas the western region has yet to exhibit a significant transformation.The analysis delves into the role of technological innovation,concluding that the initiative primarily catalyzes optimization and upgrading through the effect of technological advancement.The study advances several pertinent policy recommendations to support and enhance these developments.

Origins and Popularization of Traditional Chinese Therapies in Argentina at the End of 20th Century: the Case of Daniel Alegre

Various resources of the so-called traditional Chinese medicine, such as taijiquan, massage, diets, or acupuncture, have become widely available in the everyday therapeutic culture of contemporary Argentina. While these resources can be found in the first half of the 20th century, it is evident that from the 1960s onward their presence is more evident, with a strong emphasis from the 1980s on. This article aims to describe the reception and popularization of body and therapeutic techniques of traditional Chinese medicine in Argentina in the 1980s through the case of Daniel Alegre, a key figure in the dissemination of Chinese therapeutic techniques. To do so, it focuses on certain key mediators in the popularization of techniques such as taijiquan and Chinese massage: teachers, promoters, and specialized magazines. All these mediators are key artifacts in the processes of massification and dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine in a broader emerging horizon associated with two simultaneous processes, the Chinese cultural transnationalization and the boom of new forms of holistic management of personal well-being.

Marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide among senior high school students in Ghana:Evidence from the WHO Global School-Based Student Health Survey,2012

Background The association between substance use including marijuana use and attempted suicide has been well documented.However,little is known about marijuana use and its association with attempted suicide repetition among young people in low-income and middle-income contexts.Aims This analysis was conducted to assess the factors associated with marijuana use and ascertain marijuana use as a determinant of repeated attempted suicide among senior high school(SHS)students in Ghana.Methods Data from the 2012 Global School-Based Student Health Survey in Ghana was used for this study.Modified Poisson,Logistic and Probit models weighted with Mahalanobis distance matching within propensity calliper were employed separately to determine the hypothetical association between marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide.All analysis was performed using Stata 16 and p<0.05 was deemed statistically significant.Results The prevalence estimates of marijuana use and repeated attempted suicide among SHS students in Ghana were 3.4%(95%Cl:2.3 to 5.1)and 11.5%(95%Cl:9.1 to 14.4),respectively.The prevalence of marijuana use was significantly associated with school grade,smoking exposure,parent smoker,alcohol intake and truancy.Marijuana use was positively associated with repeated attempted suicide among SHS in Ghana correlation=0.23,p<0.001.Repeated attempted suicide among students who use marijuana was approximately threefold and fivefold significant compared with nonmarijuana use students,based on the Poisson(adjusted prevalence ratio:3.02;95%Cl:1.67 to 5.43,p<0.001)and Logistic(adjusted OR:5.06;95%Cl:3.19 to 11.64,p<0.001)estimates respectively.Also,the Probit model showed that marijuana use significantly increased the log count of repeated attempted suicide by 95%(ap:0.95;95%CI:0.49 to 1.41,p<0.001).Conclusion Marijuana use does not only influence the onset of suicidal attempts but also repeated attempted suicide among SHS students in Ghana.Special attention is required for suicide attempters with a history of repeated attempts and current marijuana use among SHS students in Ghana.Early identification of the potential risk and protective factors is recommended to inform school-based interventions.National level structured school-based substance abuse interventions and health promotion programmes would be useful.

Evidence of Scaling in Chinese Income Distribution

With income data from Chinese household income projects in 1998-2002, we study the functional form of Chinese income distribution. The fitting results suggest a log-normal distribution plus a power-law tail. This distributional form has changed a lot from its appearance in the early stage of China＇s reform and turns out to be consistent with that of some complete market economies. The uncertainty and diversity of income growth rate aroused by marketing reform are the main causes of current Chinese income distribution.

Dynamics and interactions of blog-based science communication:A case study of blogging activities in China related to 2011 Japanese seismic and nuclear power crisis

Purpose: This paper tries to understand the dynamics of scientific communication systems during crises by investigating as a case study the blogging activities that took place during the period of the 2011 earthquake and related events in Japan. Interactions between bloggers and registered users are studied quantitatively and qualitatively at Sciencenet.cn, an influential science-related blogosphere in China.Design/methodology/approach: The editors of Sciencenet.cn compiled a special issue of science blog articles under the title Analysis of the Japanese Earthquake. We developed a spider program and downloaded from this special issue the metadata about title, content,publishing time, total read count, reply count and recommendation count, and further collected information about bloggers and recommenders. We then sent a short message to the bloggers who wrote articles on these emergencies, asking for their educational and professional background.Findings: We found that knowledge reflected in the blog articles is strongly related to the educational and professional background of bloggers. Knowledge diffusion is facilitated by interactions, such as recommendations, comments and answers. Interactions via comments and recommendations are of an assortative nature: A blog article is more likelyto be commented on and recommended by those bloggers who write on the same or similar topics than by those writing on a different one. Registered users tend to give comments on articles dealing with the topic that they recommend, and vice versa.Interaction in the intersection of two or three topics is more intense than that within one topic. The impact of blog articles is also influenced by other factors, such as the reputation of the blogger and the type of information they contain.Implications and limitations: It is confirmed that studying blogs is a valid approach within informetric studies. Yet, we only studied one triple(earthquake, tsunami, nuclear disaster) event based on data originating from one Chinese blog website. More events should be studied.Originality/value: Informetric studies based on blogs are still relatively few. Using science blogs and combining comments on a triple event with the knowledge background of bloggers in China is even less common. As such this contribution enhances our knowledge on this new form of science communication activity.

The impact of consumer perceived value on repeat purchase intention based on online reviews: by the method of text mining

The progress of IT technology such as social network and mobile payment and the change of social economic environment promote the emergence of sharing economy.As a subversive business model,the sharing economy is growing at an alarming rate all over the world.However,the influencing factors of consumers'continuous participation in the sharing economy are not clear.The paper aims to clarify the relationship between consumer perceived value and repeat purchase intention in the sharing economy.Taking the sharing economy platform(Airbnb)as an example,it proposes a dimension framework of consumer perceived value in peer-to-peer(P2P)accommodation rental service,including functional value,hedonic value,epistemic value and social relationship value.This paper used big data technology to crawl online reviews of P2P accommodation platform.LDA(Latent Dirichlet Allocation)topic model and sentiment analytics method were applied to construct the measurement indicators of perceived value based on online reviews.And repeat purchase intention variables were extracted from online reviews.Then structural equation model was used to examine the effect of perceived value dimensions on it.The paper identified that perceived value has a positive impact on consumers'repurchase intention in P2P accommodation.Also,social relationship value was considered as the most important influencing factor.

Evaluating the addition of radar with optical data for vegetation mapping in a montane region in Sri Lanka

The use of freely-available multi-source imagery for mapping vegetation in montane terrain is important for many developing countries that do not have the funding for high-resolution data capture.Radar images are also now freely available and include Sentinel-1 in dual polarisation,and PALSAR-2.These images can penetrate cloud cover and provide the advantage of acquiring data in a cloudy tropical region.This research evaluated whether the addition of radar with optical and topographic data improves classification accuracy in a montane region in Sri Lanka.Six classification experiments were designed based on different combinations of image data to test whether radar data improved land cover classification accuracy compared with optical data alone.Random forest classifier in the Google Earth Engine has been utilised to classify the tropical montane vegetation.The results indicate that radar or optical data alone cannot obtain satisfactory results.However,when combining radar with optical data the overall accuracy increased by approximately 5%,and by an additional 2%when topography data were added.The highest accuracy(92%)was achieved with multiple imagery,and adding the vegetation indices improved the model slightly by 0.3%.In addition,feature importance analysis showed that radar data makes a significant contribution to the classification.These positive outcomes demonstrate that freely-accessible multi-source remotely-sensed data have impressive capability for vegetation mapping,and support the monitoring and managing of forest ecological resources in tropical montane regions.

Students' sustainability consciousness with the three dimensions of sustainability:Does the locus of control play a role?

The persistent environmental problems and the growing difficulty to achieve sustainable development require a re-evaluation of person’ sustainable knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. To go to where we want to go, we must first assess where we are now. The study investigated the level of sustainability consciousness of students in India, and sustainability consciousness was expressed in sustainability knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. Sustainability consciousness was further examined using the three dimensions, such as environment, society, and economy. By drawing the perception map of students and studying the role of the locus of control, the reasons why sustainability knowledge does not appear in sustainability behaviour were analyzed. Quantitative analysis was conducted for a sample of 205 students from higher educational institutions across central India(Madhya Pradesh) from January to March in 2022. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 26 and Smart Partial Least Square(PLS) 3.0. The research revealed that sustainability attitude impacts sustainability behaviour more than sustainability knowledge. The results showed that respondents’ sustainability knowledge is higher than their sustainability attitude and behaviour. Moreover, it was discovered that economic concerns can lead to sustainability behaviour. In order to study respondents’ behaviour regarding sustainability consciousness, the study divided respondents into two groups according to the locus of control: the internal and external locus of control. It was found that most respondents thought whatever happened around them was beyond their control. Further, the locus of control influenced sustainability behaviour in groups with the internal locus of control. The study helps to explain why sustainability knowledge and attitude cannot translate into sustainability behaviour and provides a basis for achieving sustainable development. The conclusions of this study are crucial for governments, educational institutions, and organizations that empower youth to change their behaviour.

Photo-Corrosion of CdSe Film Electrode by Electrochemical Modulation Reflectance Spectrum

The photo-corrosion of electrodeposited polycrystalline CdSe electrode was inhibited effectively by coating a thin layer of the conductive polyaniline （PAN） film. The relation between the performance and internal band structure of such film-covered PAN/CdSe electrode was studied by the electrochemical modulation reflectance spectrum （EMRS）. EMRS of both CdSe and PAN/CdSe electrodes in K4Fe（CN）6/K3Fe（CN）6 solution exhibited typical France-Keidysh oscillations, by which the values of the energy gap and flat band potential were determined. The EMRS results indicated that the energy band structure of CdSe electrode was not changed after coated with PAN film, so that the photoelectrochemical characteristic of PAN/CdSe electrode was rather similar to that of CdSe electrode.

Civil Society in Traditional China: Governance and Ownership System——Evidence from Construction and Management of Public Facilities in the Qing Dynasty

This paper focuses on the bridge council and free ferry services as the private organizers of public infrastructure construction in the Qing Dynasty, uncovers the legal entity ownership system and governance model with China's native origin, and reveals the attributes and characteristics of ownership by legal entities in China's traditional era. Bridge councils and free ferry services are non-profit and non-government public-interest institutions, whose members were elected by local communities. These councils were responsible for the fundraising, construction, and long-term maintenance and operation of public facilities and infrastructure at the grassroots level. They adopted open and transparent management procedures and could coordinate cross-jurisdictional affairs and mediate disputes. They possessed independent assets such as lands and fund reserves, and such exclusive legal-entity ownership received protection from the government and under the laws. Such form of legal-entity ownership provided the institutional foundation for the development of clans, temples, charitable groups, academies of classical learning, and various associations and societies. These self-organizing groups demonstrate remarkable mobilization and organizational capabilities and institutional creativity of civil society in traditional China. They served as a link between the government and communities and played a unique and active role in maintaining social order at the grassroots level.

Regional Frequency Analysis of Significant Wave Heights Based onL-moments

L-moments are defined as linear combinations of probability-weighted moments, They are, virtually unbiased for small samples, and perform well in parameter estimation, choice of the distribution type and regional analysis. The traditional methods of determining the design wave heights for planning marine structures use data only from the site of interest. Regional frequency analysis gives a new approach to estimate quantile by use of the homogeneous neighborhood informatian. A regional frequency analysis based on L-moments with a case study of the California coast is presented. The significant wave height data for the California coast is offered by NDBC. A 6-site region without 46023 is considered to be a homogeneous region, whose optimal regional distribution is Pearson Ⅲ. The test is conducted by a simulation process. The regional quantile is compared with the at-site quantile, and it is shown that efficient neighborhood information can be used via regional frequency analysis to give a reasonable estimation of the site without enough historical data.

Social interactions in periodic urban markets and their contributions to sustainable livelihoods:Evidence from Ghana

Periodic markets are an important aspect of local economies,providing a platform for farmers(producers),wholesalers,retailers,and consumers to interact face-to-face and exchange goods and services.These markets have been increasing in urban areas in Africa,Asia,and South America because of urbanization.The increase of periodic urban markets(PUMs)in urban areas is observed as an index of modernization,reflecting a response to transition process.However,there are limited studies on how social interactions in PUMs contribute to sustainable livelihoods.This study investigated the types of social interactions occurring in PUMs in Ghana,the benefits of social interactions for participants of PUMs,and how social interactions contribute to sustainable livelihoods.This research interviewed 162 participants,comprising 27 farmers(farmers were regarded as producers in this study),61 retailers,47 wholesalers from 9 selected PUMs across Ghana,and 27 officers from government institutions and non-governmental market associations to obtain their opinions.We analyzed the interview data using the NVivo software.The results showed that there are seven kinds of social interactions in PUMs,including(i)producer-wholesaler relationship,(ii)producer-consumer relationship,(iii)wholesaler-retailer relationship,(iv)retailer-consumer relationship,(v)trader-driver relationship,(vi)trader-institution relationship,and(vii)trader-international buyer relationship.We found that these social interactions in PUMs enhance sustainable livelihoods by supporting human,social,financial,natural,and physical assets of traders(traders refer to producers,wholesalers,and retailers in this study).Therefore,we concluded that the development of policies to improve PUMs could strengthen social interactions,enabling the achievement of sustainable livelihoods in developing countries.

Bayesian analysis of time‑varying interactions between stock returns and foreign equity flows

This study discusses the trading behavior of foreign investors with respect to economic uncertainty in the South Korean stock market from a time-varying perspective.We employ a news-based measure of economic uncertainty along with the model of time-varying parameter vector autoregression with stochastic volatility.The empirical analysis reveals several new findings about foreign investors’trading behaviors.First,we find evidence that positive feedback trading often appears during periods of high economic uncertainty,whereas negative feedback trading is exclusively observable during periods of low economic uncertainty.Second,the foreign investors’feedback trading appears mostly to be well-timed and often leads the time-varying economic uncertainty except in periods of global crises.Third,lagged negative(positive)response of net flows to economic uncertainty is found to be coupled with lagged positive(negative)feedback trading.Fourth,the study documents an asymmetric response of foreign investors with regard to negative and positive shocks of economic uncertainty.Specifically,we find that they instantly turn to positive feedback trading after a negative contemporaneous response of net flows to shocks of economic uncertainty.In contrast,they move slowly toward negative feedback trading after a positive response of net flows to uncertainty shocks.