Mccarthydrake4864

The current global health crisis is unprecedented in modern times. It has killed numerous people, caused great suffering, and turned many people's lives upside down. This study seeks to investigate the role of some pollutants and the meteorological parameters in the transmission of the virus (SARS-CoV-2). The number of infections identified in Saudi Arabia, a country with a hot climate, was studied for a period between March 9, 2020 and November 19, 2020, which was characterized by a single wave with a peak of 4,919 cases on June 17, 2020. find more Based on count data models, we observed that air pollution and meteorological parameters considerably influenced the daily evolution of infections in most affected cities of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah, and Makkah) where the prevalence of the disease was relatively high during summer 2020. Our study suggests that air pollution could be a significant risk factor for respiratory infections and virus transmission. On the other hand, meteorological factors and high concentration of air pollutants should be taken into account by public decision-makers in Saudi Arabia when seeking to limit COVID-19 transmission.Children's toys may contain substances that children can be exposed to via multiple pathways. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of metals in children's plastic toys using X-ray florescence. Fifty-six children's plastic toys were purchased from several wholesale markets, supermarkets, and retail stores in the UAE, and fifty-four out of them were labeled "Made in China." X-ray fluorescence analysis was conducted on 442 samples from 56 toys to investigate the elemental composition of the toy material. The elements detected with higher frequencies were Ti (100%), Cl (78.6%), Zn (67.9%), Si (66.1%), Iron (48.2%), and Cu (16.1%). Chromium and nickel were detected only in one toy with low concentrations, while Pb was not detected in any of the toys analyzed. In conclusion, the analyzed plastic toys contain metals and the presence of these metals in some cases may pose a health risk to children. Chlorine presence in more than three quarters of toys may indicate that the toys were made of PVC. The study revealed the presence of titanium and silicon in toys. However, more research is needed to verify their role in toys and to identify associated health risks. The study did not reveal toxic elements such as Pb, Cd, and As.This study examines the influence of tourism, economic growth, and electricity consumption on carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in the presence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) model for a panel of four countries of North Africa, namely, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt, over the period 1980-2014. Since we find the existence of cross-sectional dependence, we apply the unit root tests of CIPS and CADF, the Westerlund cointegration test as well as the dynamic seemingly unrelated regression (DSUR), and the Dumitrescu-Hurlin Granger causality test. The empirical results show that electricity consumption has a positive effect on CO2 emissions. In contrast, tourism has a negative relationship with CO2 emissions, implying improvement in the quality of the environment. The conclusions confirm the hypothesis of the environmental Kuznets curve for the countries in our sample. In addition, the causality test indicates the following results (i) a one-way causality from real income, electricity consumption, and tourism to carbon emissions. (ii) A one-way causality running from electricity consumption to real income and tourist arrivals. (iii) A two-way causality between real income and tourism development. Based on these empirical results, several policy recommendations are proposed for the four countries of North Africa.To access the sources of air pollutants is crucial to control atmospheric pollution in urban areas, minimizing human exposure. Particulate matter is a pollutant of great concern making its chemical and morpho-structural characterization of enormous importance. The present work aims at the characterization of atmospheric PM10 and PM2.5. Data of the aerosol mass concentration was correlated by multivariate analysis with water-soluble ion fraction composition accessed by ion chromatography (IC), as well as with meteorological information and air mass backward trajectories. The gravimetric analysis presented average values 3 to 4 times higher than the guide values recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). A morpho-structural analysis by SEM/FEG coupled to EDS was also carried out identifying the coarse fraction elements from minerals and from soil resuspension organic spherical particles that originated from combustion processes as well as Ti, associated with long-distance transportation. In the fine fraction, Zn with origin probably in tires and vehicle brakes was found. These origins were confirmed by the air masses' backward trajectories obtained by the HYSPLIT model (NOAA). This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex composition of the particulate material in the atmosphere of Araraquara City, resulting from the combination of local and long-distance sources, and serves as a basis for the comparison with future studies related to the air quality at this and other regions in Brazil and in the world.This study explored the associations among emotional regulation in mothers and fathers and preschool children's physical and relational aggression using a Hong Kong Chinese sample. This study also explored whether child gender would moderate the association between parental emotional regulation strategies and children's physical and relational aggression. Participants were 168 children aged 4-6 years. Parents reported on their own emotional regulation approaches and kindergarten class teachers rated children's aggression 6 months later. Path analyses showed that higher levels of reappraisal and lower levels of suppression by mothers was associated with higher levels of child relational aggression. There were no significant associations among fathers' emotional regulation and children's aggression. Results from multi-group analysis showed that there were no significant moderation of the associations by child gender. Results highlight the importance of mothers' emotional regulation in child aggression and suggest that the maladaptive consequences of emotional suppression are culturally relative.