Women health and microbiota:Different aspects of well-being

In this editorial,we comment on the article by Marano et al recently published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology 2023;29(45):5945-5952.We focus on the role of gut microbiota(GM)in women’s health,highlighting the need to thoroughly comprehend the sex differences in microbiota.Together,the host and GM support the host’s health.The microbiota components consist of viruses,bacteria,fungi,and archaea.This complex is an essential part of the host and is involved in neu-rological development,metabolic control,immune system dynamics,and host dynamic homeostasis.It has been shown that differences in the GM of males and females can contribute to chronic diseases,such as gastrointestinal,metabolic,neurological,cardiovascular,and respiratory illnesses.These differences can also result in some sex-specific changes in immunity.Every day,research on GM reveals new and more expansive frontiers,offering a wealth of innovative oppor-tunities for preventive and precision medicine.

Relationship Between Individuals’Epidemic Risk Perception Within Living Space and Subjective Well-Being:Empirical Evidence from China after the First Wave of COVID-19

It is common to observe the epidemic risk perception(ERP)and a decline in subjective well-being(SWB)in the context of public health events,such as Corona Virus Disease 2019(COVID-19).However,there have been few studies exploring the impact of individuals’ERP within living space on their SWB,especially from a geographical and daily activity perspective after the resumption of work and other activities following a wave of the pandemic.In this paper,we conducted a study with 789 participants in urban China,measuring their ERP within living space and examining its influence on their SWB using path analysis.The results indicated that individuals’ERP within their living space had a significant negative effect on their SWB.The density of certain types of facilities within their living space,such as bus stops,subway stations,restaurants,fast food shops,convenience shops,hospitals,and public toilets,had a significantly negative impact on their SWB,mediated by their ERP within living space.Additionally,participation in out-of-home work and other activities not only increased individuals’ERP within living space,but also strengthened its negative effect on their SWB.

Self-Compassion Moderates the Effect of Contingent Self-Esteem on Well-Being:Evidence from Cross-Sectional Survey and Experiment

Contingent self-esteem captures the fragile nature of self-esteem and is often regarded as suboptimal to psychological functioning.Self-compassion is another important self-related concept assumed to promote mental health and well-being.However,research on the relation of self-compassion to contingent self-esteem is lacking.Two studies were conducted to explore the role of selfcompassion,either as a personal characteristic or an induced mindset,in influencing the effects of contingent self-esteem on well-being.Study 1 recruited 256 Chinese college students(30.4%male,mean age=21.72 years)who filled out measures of contingent self-esteem,self-compassion,and well-being.The results found that self-compassion moderated the effect of contingent self-esteem on well-being.In Study 2,a sample of 90 Chinese college students(34%male,mean age=18.39 years)were randomly assigned to either a control or self-compassion group.They completed baseline trait measures of contingent self-esteem,self-compassion,and self-esteem.Then,they were led to have a 12-min break(control group)or listen to a 12-min self-compassion audio(self-compassion group),followed by a social stress task and outcome measures.The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the brief self-compassion training and its moderating role in influencing the effects of contingent self-esteem on negative affects after the social stress task.This research provides implications that to equip with a self-compassionate mindset could lower the risk of the impairment of well-being associated with elements of contingent selfesteem,which involves a fragile sense of self-worth.It may also provide insights into the development of an“optimal selfesteem”and the improvement of well-being.

The Effects of Childhood Trauma on College Students’Depressive Symptoms:The Mediation Role of Subjective Well-Being and the Moderation Role of Resilience

Background:The enduring and detrimental impact of childhood trauma on later health and well-being is now well established.However,research on the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms,along with the potential risk and protective factors,is insufficient in the context of Chinese college student population.Methods:Data on childhood trauma,depressive symptoms,resilience,and subjective well-being were collected through surveys conducted with 367 Chinese university students.The data collected in this study were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS 3.5.Results:The results revealed that subjective well-being mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and depressive symptoms among college students,with direct and indirect effects accounting for 59.46%and 40.54%of the total effect,respectively.The pathway process between subjective well-being and depressive symptoms was moderated by resilience,whereby an increase in resilience levels corresponded to a gradual escalation in the predictive power of subjective well-being on depressive symptoms.Conclusion:The study indicates that childhood trauma significantly and positively predicts depressive symptoms among college students,and it can also directly predict depressive symptoms through the mediating effect of subjective well-being.Elevating levels of psychological resilience and subjective well-being among college students can mitigate depression and promote psychological well-being.From the perspective of positive psychology,the present study provides a new perspective for the prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms among college students.

Disparities in the impact of economic well-being on self-esteem in adulthood:Race and ethnicity

BACKGROUND Most studies have defined economic well-being as socioeconomic status,with little attention given to whether other indicators influence self-esteem.Little is known about racial/ethnic disparities in the relationship between economic wellbeing and self-esteem during adulthood.AIM To explore the impact of economic well-being on self-esteem in adulthood and differences in the association across race/ethnicity.METHODS The current study used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979.The final sample consisted of 2267 African Americans,1425 Hispanics,and 3678 non-Hispanic Whites.Ordinary linear regression analyses and logistic regression analyses were conducted.RESULTS African Americans and Hispanics were more likely to be in poverty in comparison with non-Hispanic Whites.More African Americans were unemployed than Whites.Those who received fringe benefits,were more satisfied with jobs,and were employed were more likely to have higher levels of self-esteem.Poverty was negatively associated with self-esteem.Interaction effects were found between African Americans and job satisfaction predicting self-esteem.CONCLUSION The role of employers is important in cultivating employees’self-esteem.Satisfactory outcomes or feelings of happiness from the workplace may be more important to non-Hispanic Whites compared to African Americans and Hispanics.

Research on the Tourists'Sense of Wel-Being and Its Spillover Effect

The high-quality development of tourism aims to improve tourists'sense of well-being and fulfillment.The improvement of tourists'sense of well-being will not only enable tourists to obtain positive emotional experiences but is also an important way to improve their quality of life.However,the existing research has not yet reached a clear conclusion on how tourists'sense of well-being is formed,whether tourists'sense of well-being will spill over(i.e.,knowledge sharing)after tourists obtain it,and whether the destination familiarity brought by the spillover of sense of well-being(i.e.,knowledge sharing)will affect other tourists.Therefore,based on the experience marketing theory and the embodiment theory,this paper empirically examines the formation and spillover effect of tourists'sense of well-being through structural equation modeling(SEM).The research shows that:(a)Subject presence has a positive effect on tourists'sense of well-being,which further promotes knowledge sharing and realizes the spillover of tourists'sense of well-being,and tourists'sense of well-being plays a mediating role between subject presence and knowledge sharing;(b)Destination familiarity resulting from the spillover of sense of wellbeing(i.e.,knowledge sharing)plays a negative moderating role in the positive impact of subject presence on tourists'sense of well-being.This paper not only expands the boundaries of research on tourists'sense of well-being and embodiment theory to some extent but also provides theoretical support and countermeasures for the high-quality development of China's tourism and even service industry.

Exploring well-being disparities between urban and rural areas:A case study in the Stavropol Territory,Russia

Rural areas are crucial for a country’s sustainable economy.New strategies are needed to develop rural areas to improve the well-being of rural population and generate new job opportunities.This is especially important in countries where agricultural production accounts for a significant share of the gross product,such as Russia.In this study,we identified the key indicators of satisfaction and differences between rural and urban citizens based on their social,economic,and environmental backgrounds,and determined whether there are well-being disparities between rural and urban areas in the Stavropol Territory,Russia.We collected primary data through a survey based on the European Social Survey framework to investigate the potential differences between rural and urban areas.By computing the regional well-being index using principal component analysis,we found that there was no statistically significant difference in well-being between rural and urban areas.Results of key indicators showed that rural residents felt psychologically more comfortable and safer,assessed their family relationships better,and adhered more to traditions and customs.However,urban residents showed better economic and social conditions(e.g.,infrastructures,medical care,education,and Internet access).The results of this study imply that we can better understand the local needs,advantages,and unique qualities,thereby gaining insight into the effectiveness of government programs.Policy-makers and local authorities can consider targeted interventions based on the findings of this study and strive to enhance the well-being of both urban and rural residents.

Researching the Impact of the Quality of Village Governance on Farmers’Well-Being:From the Perspectives of Income and Occupational Differentiation

The goal of village governance is to improve the well-being of farmers,so this study aims to measure the impact the quality of village governance on the well-being of farmers.It also examines the heterogeneity of this impact across different farmer groups from the perspectives of income levels and occupational differentiation.To this end,this study developed an indicator system based on survey data collected from 1,442 farmers in the Sichuan,Shaanxi,and Gansu provinces,as well as the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.Multiple linear regression models were then used to analyze this data,and the findings revealed that improvements in the quality of village governance significantly increased the well-being of farmers.Specifically,primary-level empowerment and capacity building were shown to contribute the most to the enhancement of the farmers’well-being,followed by social inclusion,and social cohesion was found to have only a minimal effect.In terms of income levels,improving the quality of village governance benefited middle-income farmers the most,followed by low-income farmers,and it had the least effect on high-income farmers.In terms of occupations,full-time farmers gained the most from improvements in the quality of village governance,followed by off-farm farmers,with part-time farmers benefiting the least.Based on these findings,this study suggests that policymakers should improve the quality of village governance to enhance the well-being of farmers,focusing on the impact that level of income and occupational differentiation have on village governance.

Association between Mental Health Literacy and Workplace Well-Being of Chinese Grassroots Civil Servants:The Chain Mediating Effects of Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy and Resilience

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health literacy(MHL)and workplace well-being(WWB)of Chinese grassroots civil servants,with regulatory emotional self-efficacy(RESE)and resilience as mediating variables.A questionnaire survey was conducted among Chinese grassroots civil servants,with a valid sample size of 2673 after excluding missing values and conducting relevant data processing.The PROCESS was used to examine the relationship between MHL,RESE,resilience,and WWB.The study found that MHL among grassroots civil servants was positively and significantly correlated with WWB(r=0.73,p<0.01).RESE partially mediated the relationship between MHL and WWB(β=0.25,95%CI[0.22,0.28]).Resilience partially mediated the relationship between MHL and WWB(β=0.22,95%CI[0.19,0.26]).MHL had a positive effect on WWB through the chain mediating effect of RESE and resilience(β=0.05,95%CI[0.03,0.07]).There is a close relationship between MHL and WWB,where Chinese grassroots civil servants with higher levels of MHL can develop stronger RESE and resilience,leading to higher WWB.The results of this study remind organizational institutions of Chinese grassroots civil servants that enhancing MHL,RESE,and resilience is an important pathway to promoting their WWB.

The pain of inequality:Income gap and carbon intensity of well-being

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations sets out 17 sustainable development goals(SDGs)that call for global action to end poverty,protect the planet,and improve the lives and futures of all people,including reducing inequality and taking climate action.The academic and policy issues corresponding to these two goals are income distribution and low-carbon development respectively.This paper makes a connection between the two and examines the impact of income gap on carbon intensity of well-being(CIWB)based on panel data of 40 countries around the world,which has important theoretical significance and empirical reference value.The main conclusions are as follows:(1)During the sample period,the carbon intensity of well-being of 36 in the 40 countries showed a downward trend,indicating that the pressure brought by the increase of unit well-being level on carbon emission space was gradually decreasing.The biggest drop in carbon intensity of well-being is in Estonia.(2)According to the average value of the past years,the income gaps are large in Colombia,Costa Rica,Paraguay,Ecuador and Peru,and the five countries with the smallest income gap are Ukraine,Slovenia,Belarus,the Czech Republic and Kyrgyzstan Republic.(3)The regression results of the econometric model with carbon intensity of well-being as the dependent variable,income gap as the independent variable,and urbanization rate,energy consumption structure and export trade as the control variables show that the increase of income gap will increase carbon intensity of well-being,and the increase of urbanization rate,renewable energy consumption and export dependence will reduce carbon intensity of well-being.Finally,according to the research conclusions,the policy implications for China's future high-quality development are extracted.

A Review of Western and Eastern Traditional Views of Well-Being

This paper reviews traditional understanding of well-being from both Western and Eastern cultural perspectives. First, two distinct Western traditions in defining well-being are compared, namely hedonic and eudaemonic approaches. The hedonic approach defines happiness as the maximization of pleasure, while the eudaemonic approach regards happiness as the fulfillment of a person’s natural needs and overall flourishing. Second, the views of well-being in lens of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in the East are reviewed. The common and different understandings of well-being between Western and Eastern traditions are discussed as followed. Finally, two well-known operationalized definitions of well-being, that is subjective well-being and psychological well-being, proposed in the roots of Western traditions are elucidated.

Analysis of the Current Situation and Influencing Factors of Psychological Well-Being of Elderly People in the Community

Objective:To investigate the current psychological well-being of older people in the community and analyze its influencing factors.Methods:A total of 265 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and above in Baoding City,Hebei Province,were selected through convenience sampling from November 2023 to March 2024.They were surveyed using a general information questionnaire and a comprehensive well-being questionnaire,with results analyzed statistically using SPSS 27.0.Results:Six dimensions of the psychological well-being scale for community older adults were identified:life vitality(P50=4.83),health concern(P50=4.6),self-worth(P50=5.6),friendly relationships(P50=5.33),altruistic behavior(P50=5.2),personality growth(P50=4.67),and comprehensive well-being(P50=161).Multivariate regression analysis showed that social isolation(β=-0.021,P<0.001),type of work(β=-0.142,P<0.001),chronic disease history(β=0.004,P<0.001),need for mobility aid(β=0.192,P<0.001),and monthly income(β=0.381,P<0.001)were factors influencing psychological well-being.Conclusion:The psychological well-being of the elderly is slightly above moderate and requires improvement.Enhancing factors such as reducing social isolation,addressing chronic disease history,and improving financial support could improve psychological well-being in older adults.

The Relationship Between Social Isolation and Psychological Well-Being Among Older Adults in the Community

Objective:To investigate the psychological well-being of the elderly in Baoding City,Hebei Province,and analyze its influencing factors,with a focus on exploring the relationship between social isolation and psychological well-being.This study aims to provide a reference for effective interventions that promote the physical and mental health of elderly individuals in the community.Methods:A total of 265 elderly individuals from six communities in Baoding City,Hebei Province were surveyed between November 2023 and March 2024 using the general information questionnaire,the Social Isolation Scale for the Elderly,and the Comprehensive Happiness Questionnaire.Results:The total score of the Social Isolation Scale for the elderly in the community was(14.15±3.73)points,indicating a moderate level of social isolation.The average score of P50 on the Psychological Well-being Scale was 4.88,suggesting that the psychological well-being of the elderly in the community was moderate to high.Multivariate regression analysis showed that the level of social isolation significantly influenced the psychological well-being of the elderly(P<0.05),with social isolation negatively correlated with psychological well-being.Conclusion:Healthcare professionals should pay attention to the social isolation of elderly individuals in the community and develop targeted interventions to improve their psychological well-being and quality of life.

How Sense of Ritual in Tourism Impacts Tourists’Co-Creation of Tourism Experience Values:A Study Based on the Theory of Value Co-Creation

Establishing a sense of ritual within tourism consumption scenarios offers tourists the opportunity for interactive engagement.Drawing upon the value co-creation theory,this study constructed an influence mechanism model to examine tourists'active engagement in the process of co-creating tourism experience values.It employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling(PLS-SEM)to empirically test the proposed hypotheses.The findings demonstrate that the model constructed in the present study exhibits robust reliability,validity,and explanatory power.The perception of the sense of ritual in tourism exerts a significant positive influence on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values,thereby significantly enhancing both the communitas and flow experienced by tourists during their travels.Moreover,such communitas and flow can mediate the influence of the sense of ritual in tourism on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values.This study contributes to advancing the current research on tourists’co-creation of tourism experience values and the sense of ritual in tourism,thereby providing theoretical foundations for cultivating a sense of ritual within tourism consumption scenarios.

Characteristics of Male Family Caregivers in Japan and Their Sense of Care Burden, Capacity to Deal with Stress, and Subjective Sense of Well-Being

This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of Japanese male family caregivers in terms of their sense of care burden, their capacity to deal with stress, and their subjective sense of well-being. A survey consisting of questionnaires and interviews was conducted from March to May 2014 in the subjects’ homes. Subjects were 27 Japanese males (the age range: 54 - 85) who provided home care for their family member. Caregivers who were good at relieving stress or who had a subjective sense of well-being were found to have a low care burden. The types and seriousness of diseases of the care recipients were not related to the caregivers’ sense of burden, capacity to deal with stress, or subjective sense of well-being. Based on the interview results, caregivers were found to have the following characteristics: they were particular about methods of care;they learned how to provide home care by themselves;they used their social intelligence in home care;they always provided home care while keeping the future in mind;and most notably, they considered home care to be their primary occupation. On the whole, male caregivers were found to alleviate the burdens of home care by making use of the nursing-care service systems that enabled them to relieve stress and enjoy their leisure time. Caregivers considered home care to be their occupation and used their past social experiences. The workforce helped them deal with the care recipients’ health conditions or day-to-day changes so that they could overcome the care burden.

Reflections on “Human Rights” and “Sense of Well-being”

Since the conceptual germina- tion of ＂human rights＂ in the modern age, the controversy over it and its connotationshave been constant. Scholars at home and abroad either attempt to interpret the connotation of human rights by em- phasizing the real social foundation of human rights from a political and eco- nomic perspective, or elaborate on the essence of human rights by focusing on traditional values and dignity from the angle of cultural and moral traditions. However, because of differences in sys- tem and culture in different countries,

The Relationship between Mental Health Literacy and Subjective Well-Being of Young and Middle-Aged Residents: Perceived the Mediating Role of Social Support and Its Urban-Rural Differences

This study investigates mental health literacy among young and middle-aged urban and rural residents and the differences in mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being.From January to February 2022,620 participants(320 rural and 300 urban residents)from three provinces of China were selected by con-venience sampling.A general data questionnaire,mental health literacy scale,perceived social support scale and subjective well-being scale were administered.The mental health literacy scores of urban residents were 3.34±0.57 and those of rural residents were 2.73±0.79.The results of multiple regression analysis showed that the mental health literacy scores of rural residents were more significant than those of urban residents in terms of sex and age,while urban residents’mental health literacy scores were more significant than those of rural resi-dents in terms of monthly income.Mental health literacy,perceived social support and subjective well-being of young and middle-aged urban and rural residents were all positively correlated(P<0.01).While the level of mental health literacy is better among urban residents than rural residents,perceived social support plays a partial mediating role between mental health literacy and subjective well-being of both urban and rural residents,and should be the focus of researchers seeking to improve the level of well-being of residents.

A highly sensitive LITES sensor based on a multi-pass cell with dense spot pattern and a novel quartz tuning fork with low frequency

A highly sensitive light-induced thermoelectric spectroscopy(LITES)sensor based on a multi-pass cell(MPC)with dense spot pattern and a novel quartz tuning fork(QTF)with low resonance frequency is reported in this manuscript.An erbi-um-doped fiber amplifier(EDFA)was employed to amplify the output optical power so that the signal level was further enhanced.The optical path length(OPL)and the ratio of optical path length to volume(RLV)of the MPC is 37.7 m and 13.8 cm^(-2),respectively.A commercial QTF and a self-designed trapezoidal-tip QTF with low frequency of 9461.83 Hz were used as the detectors of the sensor,respectively.The target gas selected to test the performance of the system was acetylene(C2H2).When the optical power was constant at 1000 mW,the minimum detection limit(MDL)of the C2H2-LITES sensor can be achieved 48.3 ppb when using the commercial QTF and 24.6 ppb when using the trapezoid-al-tip QTF.An improvement of the detection performance by a factor of 1.96 was achieved after replacing the commer-cial QTF with the trapezoidal-tip QTF.

The Mediating Role of Religious Beliefs in the Relationship between Well-Being and Fear of the Pandemic

Religion is one of the social entities that has had a significant impact on the pandemic.The study’s goals are to investigate the relationship between well-being and fear of COVID-19,as well as to test whether religious beliefs mediate the effect of wellbeing on fear of COVID-19.The sample comprised of 433 participants in Vietnam.Independent Sample t-Test,One-way ANOVA,mediation analysis were used to analyze the data.In the levels of well-being,individuals who engage in religious services daily have higher levels than those hardly and never attend,and people from the age of 18 to 30 have higher levels than individuals from 31 to above 60 years.In addition,people aged from 51 to above 60 have higher levels of religious beliefs than people aged from 18 to 50.Females experience more fear of COVID-19 compared to males.The latter illustrates that religious beliefs mediate the effect of well-being on fear of COVID-19.Social workers and clinicians must prioritize older adults and people with chronic diseases for early mental interventions,and they should be aware of the role of religion in psychological treatment integration.

Exploring the Impact of Crisis and Trauma on the Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being of University Students in Northern Haiti

In recent decades,Haiti has been subject to man-made and natural disasters that have left its citizens vulnerable to a range of shocks.With a weak state unable to protect its populace,Haitians are exposed to some of the highest levels of poverty and violence in the Western Hemisphere.In recent years,Haitians have experienced two crises that this study analyzes:the instability and political violence of“peyi lòk”as well as the global pandemic of COVID-19.This community-based assessment explores the impact of these two crises on the mental health and psychological well-being of 38 Haitian university students in the understudied northern part of the country.Results indicate that both crises had similarities related to their psychological effects on young people,most notably in terms of traumatic experiences related to threats or violence,forced confinement,and large increases in population-wide uncertainty.Additionally,the extreme violence of“peyi lòk”and the widespread unpredictability of COVID-19 and its effects in the early days of the pandemic resulted in high levels of stress and fear.Both crises also resulted in extreme economic hardship for students,with many reporting difficulties accessing basic needs such as food and water.This study highlights how converging population-level crises in“complex emergencies”can heighten trauma and compromise mental health.