Breathing is as spontaneous as your heartbeat, but if you live in a polluted environment, every breath could be harmful to your health. Pollution in any form or from any source may cause a significant risk to human life. Environmental laws related to air, land, and water are used to regulate the release of hazardous and toxic chemicals throughout the globe. The US Environmental Protection Agency started developing the toxic release inventory (TRI) after the Bhopal accident at the Union Carbide plant in India. This study examines the reduction in emission levels and associated health risks due to the release of contaminants in the US using TRI data. The health risk is calculated using the Risk- Screening Environmental Indicator (RSEI) introduced by USEPA. The RSEI score value determines the dose of exposure of toxic chemicals to the human population. The risk values are presented for cancer as well as for non-cancer health effects. The trend in risk over time is compared qualitatively to the deaths and death rates due to air pollution. This study shows that the health risk associated with industrial pollution is constantly declining over time in the US. One of the reasons for the reduction of the pollutant levels and associated risk is the introduction of pollution prevention programs by the USEPA involving source reduction, energy recovery, and waste reduction. The pollution prevention activities undertaken by the USEPA to minimize the risk are mentioned in this study. A correlation analysis was conducted to identify the significant relationship between the different types of RSEI scores and deaths from ambient air pollution due to particulate matter for the data from 2007 to 2017. The results indicate that deaths from outdoor particulate matter pollution are significantly correlated with RSEI Scores associated with modeled media than the total RSEI scores. The implementation of pollution prevention activities can be one of the most possible reasons as it has a direct impact on controlling the releases from industries. Thus, it can be said that the health and well-being of the entire US population have benefitted from the reduction of industrial pollutant levels as evidenced by environmental risk and death rates.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in restrictive measures like home-confinement in many countries. In Spain, outdoor leisure activities were banned for nearly two months and then, going out became gradually allowed. Previous studies reported that physical activity (PA) levels decreased due to the confinement in several countries where restrictions were applied. However, it is not known whether the effects of the confinement remained after finishing it. The aim of this study was to analyse the changes in physical activity in Spanish university students before, during and after the confinement by COVID-19. We also analysed enjoyment with physical activity and the tools used. An online questionnaire, which included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form and information regarding PA preferences was designed and distributed during (April 16^th-May 2^nd) and after (July 15^th-August 31^st) the confinement. 2,524 participants filled in both surveys. Levels of moderate-to-vigorous PA were higher after than during the confinement (p<0.01). However, it did not reach pre-confinement levels (p<0.0001). Time spent on strength and high intensity interval training decreased after regarding pre-confinement levels (p<0.0001, both). Participants enjoyed more doing PA after than before and during the confinement. Social networks, equipment for aerobic and strength exercise were tools less used after than during confinement (p<0.0001, p<0.0001, p<0.0001; respectively). However, their use remained higher than before (p<0.0001, p<0.0001, p<0.0001; respectively); while gyms were less used (p<0.0001) after the confinement. These data demonstrate that COVID-19 pandemic and its related measures have impacted on PA of university students, with the potential to affect healthy habits that could be maintained throughout life. Considering that currently there are restrictions to practice PA, it is important to promote it among university students to recover and even enhance pre-confinement levels.

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of climate conditions, altitude and population density on daily COVID-19 infections across the following six cities : Casablanca, New York, Madrid, Lombardy-Milan, Paris, Wuhan between the 1st February and 25th April 2020.The results show that for an average wind speed greater than 25 km/h ,the number of daily COVID-19 infections is slightly decreased with a rate of 10 %, while the temperature, humidity altitude factors didn’t show any clear impact on its evolution, furthermore, the population density strongly affects the progression of COVID-19 infections with an approximate rate of 90%. Finally, we have proposed a mathematical model to estimate the evolution of COVID-19 infections over time by taking into consideration simultaneously the wind speed and the population density effects.

Objectives: To examine the effect of remotely-delivered mind-body physical activity on physical function in older adults.

Methods: It was a quasi-experimental trial with a wait-listed control group carried out in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. The intervention, known as the Positive Movement Programme (PMP), incorporates elements of yoga, tai chi, qigong, the Alexander technique for pain relief and elements of mindfulness. Participants were given two one-hour sessions of PMP each week for eight weeks. Each session was delivered using Zoom, with the physical activity component of the programme followed by a period of socialisation. Physical function was evaluated using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). In addition, the individual components of the SPPB, which are balance, gait speed and the Five-times Sit-To-Stand (5STS), were also compared.

Results: All participants completed the trial. There was a significant improvement of 4.1 seconds for 5STS for the experimental group when compared to the controls. This equates to a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.03; 95% CI: 0.8, 3.2). No significant differences were observed for balance, gait speed, or for the total SPPB score.

Conclusion: Remotely-delivered mind-body physical activity was able to improve physical function in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future work is needed to determine whether remotely-delivered physical activity could be an alternative to face-to-face sessions for older people with limited mobility who have problems attending classes in person.

Background: COVID-19 is a new and emerging public health concern, caused by SARS-COV-2, a new corona virus. Health professionals are in the frontline in the fight against this pandemic; hence, they have high risk of being infected and they may introduce or amplify outbreaks in their health units. The purpose of this study is to characterize and assess Biomedical Scientists’ risk of COVID-19 exposure and stress appraisals in relation to their contact with infected patients.

Methods: Cross-sectional, survey-based study. A sample of 233 Portuguese Biomedical Scientists (76.4% females) were recruited through social networks and professional associations. Data were collected via a structured on-line questionnaire, which included the WHO’s Risk Assessment and Management of Exposure Survey and the Stress Appraisal Measure.

Results: Participants worked mainly in outpatient settings (45%) and in emergency services (28%). Most participants were senior technicians in radiology (28.5%), clinical analysis (26.3%), cardiopneumology (12.3%) and pharmacy (10, 1%). 22.9% of participants were exposed to COVID-19 through community exposure, while 39% were exposed in a professional context. 89 (50%) directly provided some health care to a confirmed patient with COVID-19. Although 94.9% reported using personal protective equipment (PPE) while providing health care or diagnostic and therapeutic tests to a COVID-19 patient, 83.6% had a high risk for COVID-19 virus infection. According to the biomedical scientist exposure risk categorization to COVID-19, it was found that 83.6% had a high risk and 16.4% a low risk. Concerning stress appraisals, results suggest moderate perceptions of stress and threat, but also moderate perceptions of control over the situation.

Implications: Recommendations for protection rules must reinforce the support by the health care facilities alongside the development of coping skills. Future studies should consider biomedical scientists’ emotional states to ascertain the role of the interaction of control and threat appraisals in mitigating stress.

Introduction: Painful menstruation is a problem affecting a large part of the population of women of childbearing age. It is estimated that up to 90% of them suffer from pain during menstruation, which prevents them from normal functioning and performance of their tasks and lead to increasing frustration and nervousness.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the effectivness of the application of kinesiology taping proposed by its author in relations to the alleviation or complete elimination of pain associated with dysmenorrhea.

Materials and methods: The study involved 30 women who experience the problem of dysmenorrhea. They were divided into two groups of 15 people, one of whom received support using kinesiology taping, while the other did not receive such assistance. For the purposes of the research, an authorial anonymous questionnaire was created, which included a general questionnaire supported by the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire and 3 anonymous orginal questionnaires for each cycle that were recommended to be completed by the respondents after menstruation.

Results: The proposed application of kinesiology taping has positively influenced for the reduction of complaints among women covered by it. Menstrual period was shorter for 9 women (3 without changes, 3 elongation).The application has led to the total elimination of the us of painkillers/anti-inflammatiries and other forms of support in 3 women, and in the case of 8 a small intervention or lackof it was necessary.

Conclusions: The effectiveness and valence of the proposed application has been confirmed, and also the effects on other components of the menstrual cycle were noted.

Background: After the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the impact of temperature became a debatable issue among researchers and policymakers. Extant research has examined the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic and temperature; however, existing research remains inconclusive so far. Hence, the current study aims to synthesize these mixed findings to confirm the relationship between temperature and the COVID-19 outbreak and determine the possible causes of the inconclusive conclusions in prior research.

Methods: For this meta-analysis, we retrieved the empirical studies from Scopus and Web of Science using the keywords "temperature," "coronavirus","SARS-COV-2," and "COVID-19". Following PRISMA guidelines, we have selected 63 studies that have reported the correlation coefficient values between temperature and COVID-19 pandemic. We have applied fixed-effects meta-analysis regression for this study.

Results: Our study fails to find a significant association between COVID-19 pandemic and temperature. We find that healthcare resources, COVID-19 response strategies, and climate zones play a moderating role in the relationship between COVID-19 and temperature.

Conclusion and Implications: Our findings help health practitioners and policymakers in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Current research fails to establish the direct association between temperature and COVID-19; hence our results suggest that instead of relying on meteorological indicators, policymakers need to utilize health care resources better and effectively execute COVID-19 strategies.

The working environment before COVID19 pandemic was influenced by the concepts of flexibility and sharing resources. Coworking is one of this type of new working styles by offering flexibility, a space for sharing resources and a community. A place where, individual workers such as entrepreneurs, freelancers and microbusinesses did not feel alone and could find support. Urban workspaces appeared in the wake of the Great Recession of 2007-2009. The financial crisis left empty commercial offices in U.S. cities due to downsizing, bankruptcy and foreclosure, increasing the number of workers who needed a more flexible workspace. Subsequently, the emphasis shifted to the practice of new business activities with the construction of the "new economy". In addition to that, there is a growing tendency to collaborate towards the consumption of goods and services over the Internet. This virtual space allows the establishment of business models that do not require the purchase of expensive and technically complex goods or services thanks to the concept of shared use. In fact, with the current pandemic several companies changed their onsite business activities to work from home to maintain social distancing and avoid contagions, in other words, they continue their business in a safer environment. Nevertheless, worldwide reports show the difficulties to work at home and achieve a work-family and personal life balance. In addition, lack of social interaction and sedentary work patterns have also resulted in physical health-related problems, including an increasement of stress levels. Thus, the role of coworking spaces is under analysis. It could be considered a savior to face the new normal and contribute to a safer occupational environment. In this research, an in-depth analysis of the role of those working places to face crisis situations will be done based on the revision of the literature, measurements taken by working places and perceptions of workers. Some recommendations to businesses and workers will be provided.

Introduction:. Regardless of whether a child is born by force of nature or by caesarean section, childbirth is a huge effort for the female body. We are talking about physical effort and pain, but also mental. A big dose of hormones that floods the female body makes itself felt within a few to several hours after childbirth. Sadness, loneliness, anxiety, fear are frequent emotions accompanying a woman after childbirth. In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, all visits to hospitals, including gynecology and maternity units, are prohibited. The woman has to rely on herself and on the help of the medical staff. The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of depression and anxiety disorders in postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Material and methods: The study group consisted of 130 women, 54 of whom gave birth during the pandemic (41.5%, the study group). The age of the respondents ranged between 23-40 years. 80% of women had higher higher education. Their level of anxiety before and after childbirth was assessed using the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD7) scale and the level of depression using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). In addition, asked o complications after childbirth, the severity of pain or the presence of mental disorders in the patient and in her family. The results were statistically processed in the Statistica 13 package.

Results: The analysis showed that nearly half of the respondents had problems with lactation after childbirth (50.8%) and pain that made impossible to take care of the baby (46.15%; Me = 7). Additionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was impossible to visit hospitals (46.2%), which was particularly difficult for women after cesarean section (58.5%). Most often it was the first (52.3%) or second (40%) delivery. In the case of anxiety, statistically significant differences before and after childbirth were obtained only in women who had 1 child at home (p = 0.033), in women who experienced severe pain after delivery (p = 0.037) or had problems with lactation (p = 0.004). A more serious situation appeared in the case of depression symptoms, where statistically significant differences were found in almost every analyzed aspect. The most important ones include delivery during the pandemic (p <0.001), no visitation after delivery (p <0.001), lack of staff assistance (p <0.001), delivery by CC (p <0.001), pain (p <0.001) and problems with postpartum lactation (p <0.001).

Conclusions: Childbirth is an enormous effort for a woman, both physically and mentally. At this particular time, a woman should be cared for and supported by medical staff and loved ones. Long-term depressive symptoms after childbirth may turn into permanent depression, which adversely affects the relationship between the mother and the child, as well as the child's development and recovery of the mother's strength and health before delivery.

After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the third coronavirus posing serious threats to human society in this century and is the causative agent of COVID-19 disease. With 67,367,046 confirmed cases and 1,545,331 deaths worldwide, this disease has become a global emergency. Mortality rates are higher among the elderly population with comorbidities such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and hypertension obesity. Increased oxidative stress/cytokine storm also is one of the main causes of COVID-19 associated complications. Carnosine is a well-established anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, antihypertensive, antineoplastic, antichelating, and neuroprotective agent which is helpful in maintaining the body’s pH balance. It is a naturally occurring dipeptide and is present in human skeletal muscles, cardiac muscles and brain. The compound reduces the concentration of oxygen-free-radicals, chelates heavy metals such as iron, zinc and copper, as well as inhibiting protein glycation and the generation of protein carbonyls. The Carnosine/non-hydrolysed isopeptide of Carnosine/N-acetylcarnosine, which is available without prescription, merits further consideration as a low-cost prophylaxis approach to COVID-19 and the associated complication of this disease. This is especially relevant to low-resource regions of the world which may be the last to achieve population-based herd immunity through vaccination.