Seasonal and gender impacts on fecal exposure trends in an urban slum

Seasonal and gender impacts have not been well considered in fecal exposure assessment, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This study examined the seasonal and gender impacts on fecal exposure trends in children through daily living activities in an urban slum in Bangladesh. We determined Escherichia coli concentrations in seven types of environmental samples (n=232) and the activity data of children via diary recording, questionnaires, and interview surveys. Daily and monthly exposures were stochastically estimated for drinking, eating, pond bathing, well bathing, and hand-to-mouth contact. Of the five pathways, pond bathing and drinking contributed a large part of the daily and monthly exposure. Significant seasonal differences were observed in daily exposures for bathing, which were higher in the rainy season (2.59×102 CFU/day for boys and 6.19×10−1 CFU/day for girls) than in the dry season (1.69×102; 4.30×10−2), because of longer pond bathing time and more contaminated bathing water in the rainy season. In contrast, eating had significantly higher exposure in the dry season (3.71×10; 3.22×10) than the rainy season (1.50×10; 1.24×10) due to the higher dish contamination. Significantly higher daily exposure was observed in the bathing for boys than girls, as boys spent longer time for bathing at a heavily contaminated pond.

Predicting the gender of individuals with tinnitus based on daily life data of the TrackYourTinnitus mHealth platform

Tinnitus is an auditory phantom perception in the absence of an external sound stimulation. People with tinnitus often report severe constraints in their daily life. Interestingly, indications exist on gender differences between women and men both in the symptom profile as well as in the response to specific tinnitus treatments. In this paper, data of the TrackYourTinnitus platform (TYT) were analyzed to investigate whether the gender of users can be predicted. In general, the TYT mobile Health crowdsensing platform was developed to demystify the daily and momentary variations of tinnitus symptoms over time. The goal of the presented investigation is a better understanding of gender-related differences in the symptom profiles of users from TYT. Based on two questionnaires of TYT, four machine learning based classifiers were trained and analyzed. With respect to the provided daily answers, the gender of TYT users can be predicted with an accuracy of 81.7%. In this context, worries, difficulties in concentration, and irritability towards the family are the three most important characteristics for predicting the gender. Note that in contrast to existing studies on TYT, daily answers to the worst symptom question were firstly investigated in more detail. It was found that results of this question significantly contribute to the prediction of the gender of TYT users. Overall, our findings indicate gender-related differences in tinnitus and tinnitus-related symptoms. Based on evidence that gender impacts the development of tinnitus, the gathered insights can be considered relevant and justify further investigations in this direction.

Archivists at Work: Stress and Mood Effects in a Gendered Profession

ABSTRACT Although much has been written about both the gendering of the archival profession and how gender impacts work in society, empirical data are insufficient to document how they combine to specifically influence archivists and archival work. This study examines gender differences as a factor in individual and work-site characteristics of archivists. Six central questions are used to explore the role of gender in the intensity or stressfulness of work, organizational climate where archival work is done, administrative support for archivists, and mood. Methodology, results, and suggestions for future research are presented.

Osteoarthritis Induces Gender Related Changes in the Knee Range of Motion

In time, osteoarthritis (OA) generates the misalignment of the affected joint structures. However, due to the nature of bipedal gait, OA in the lower limb can also cause pathological gait patterns, which can generate instability and falls, with great consequence, especially in the aged population. With goniometry used to evaluate the range of motion of joints (ROM), we wanted to evaluate how gender impacts gait dynamics in OA patients. For this study we have compared 106 OA patients (male=32, female=74) to age matched controls. All participants had their right leg as dominant. Video recording of normal gait was analysed with a digital goniometry tool phone application, and the knee’s ROM was measured in midstance and midswing of the gait. During midstance, significant extension and flexion of the knee excursion have been observed in both males and females. During midswing, knee OA presents more differences, whereas subjects with hip and knee OA present changes on the dominant knee. Midstance changes suggest that the knee’s joint degenerative changes can be linked to hip OA secondary changes. Midswing changes in lower limb OA suggest a connection to the activities of daily life. Gender differences generated by OA must furthermore be studied in both lower limbs so that the best therapeutic approach can be chosen.

Examining the Gender Dynamics of Green Grabbing and Ejido Privatization in Zacatecas, Mexico

The ejido is the most important form of collectively owned property in Mexico; approximately half of the country's territory belongs to ejidatarios of whom women make up roughly 20%. Recent legal reforms aimed at privatizing the ejido are forcing ejidatarios/as to sell or rent their lands to corporations seeking to invest in oil, mining, and energy production. This paper examines the gender impacts of land privatization for renewable energy generation in two ejidos of Zacatecas, Mexico: El Orito and Benito Juárez. The first agreed to rent their lands to a private company while the other did not. Results show that land rentals benefitted a handful of ejidatarios, while the people affected the most include male stone miners, ejidatarias who were excluded from decision-making, and women who obtain food and fuel from ejido common lands. Benito Juárez served as a good point of comparison because its common lands were not privatized, and people continue to use them in traditional ways. However, people in Benito Juárez also hold different bundles of rights to common lands based on gender, economic status and age. The paper calls for a gender and intersectional approach to continue examining the differentiated impacts of ejido privatization in Mexico.

What impact does maths anxiety have on university students?

Background Maths anxiety is defined as a feeling of tension and apprehension that interferes with maths performance ability, the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations. Our aim was to identify the facilitators and barriers of maths anxiety in university students. Method A scoping review methodology was used in this study. A search of databases including: Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Scopus, PsycInfo, Medline, Education Resources Information Centre, Google Scholar and grey literature. Articles were included if they addressed the maths anxiety concept, identified barriers and facilitators of maths anxiety, had a study population comprised of university students and were in Arabic or English languages. Results and discussion After duplicate removal and applying the inclusion criteria, 10 articles were included in this study. Maths anxiety is an issue that effects many disciplines across multiple countries and sectors. The following themes emerged from the included papers: gender, self-awareness, numerical ability, and learning difficulty. The pattern in which gender impacts maths anxiety differs across countries and disciplines. There was a significant positive relationship between students’ maths self-efficacy and maths performance and between maths self-efficacy, drug calculation self-efficacy and drug calculation performance. Conclusion Maths anxiety is an issue that effects many disciplines across multiple countries and sectors. Developing anxiety toward maths might be affected by gender; females are more prone to maths anxiety than males. Maths confidence, maths values and self-efficacy are related to self-awareness. Improving these concepts could end up with overcoming maths anxiety and improving performance.

Gender Differences in Resilience Among Older Taiwanese Adults

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether gender impacts potential associations between social relationships, sociodemographic, health and behavioural factors with resilience among older Taiwanese adults. Methods High and low resilience of older adults was determined based on the median value of the Friborg’s Resilience Scale. An independent sample t-test, χ2, and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine predictors for resilience which were then stratified by gender. Results Older women were less likely to be resilient than older men. Marital status, age, financial stress, and satisfaction with one's living environment were only significant in women. Traditional gender roles in the wider Taiwanese context can be attributed to these differences. Conclusions The relationships between gender, sociodemographics, health, and social and behavioural factors with resilience provide unique insights into how culture shapes trends in data.