The relationship between hope level and self-management behaviors in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a chain-mediated role of social support and disease perception.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease and one of the fastest- growing global health emergencies of the 21st century. The relationships between hope level, social support, disease perception, and self-management behaviors are still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to create a structural equation model to investigate the underlying mechanisms of self-management behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and provide a theoretical basis for future interventions. METHODS: By using cross-sectional studies and convenience sampling methods. A survey was conducted from June 2023 to April 2024 on 404 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the First and Third Hospitals of Jinzhou Medical University. Data were collected using scales, including the General Information Questionnaire, the Herth Hope Scale, the Social Support Rating Scale, the Brief Disease Perception Questionnaire, and the Diabetes Self-Management Behavior Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, Harman's one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation test, structural equation modeling, and the bootstrap method to verify mediating effects. RESULTS: Correlation analyses showed that all four variables were significantly correlated with each other (p < 0.01). Social support had the strongest correlation with self-management behavior (ß = 0.554, p < 0.01), followed by hope level (ß = 0.543, p < 0.01), and disease perception (ß = -0.505, p < 0.01). The structural equation model indicated a strong overall fit (χ2/df = 3.378, GFI = 0.926, CFI = 0.924, IFI = 0.925, TLI = 0.903, RMSEA = 0.077). CONCLUSION: Overall, the chain mediation of social support and disease perception was significant. In developing targeted intervention strategies, future research should prioritize enhancing hope, optimizing social support, and reducing negative perceptions of disease by patients as key areas of focus. At the same time, strengthening self-management abilities and health behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes should not be neglected.

Assessing the effectiveness of filtration + UV-C radiation for the treatment of simulated ballast water at various holding times.

In recent years, the issue of invasive alien species brought on by ballast water has drawn increasing attention, and advances in ballast water treatment technologies have been made. One of the most popular combined ballast water treatment technologies utilized in ballast water management systems (BWMSs) globally is filtration + UV-C radiation. During the actual voyage of the ship, ballast water is treated by the BWMS and then enters the dark ballast tanks until the ballast water is discharged. Marine organisms are able to complete DNA damage caused by UV radiation in dark ballast tanks. Therefore, the length of holding time affects the effectiveness of the BWMS in treating ballast water. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of filtration + UV-C irradiation treatment at different holding times for the removal or inactivation of phytoplankton and zooplankton populations during simulated ballast water treatment. Results indicate that the holding time after the filtration + UV-C radiation treatment increased the inactivating efficacy, especially for zooplankton in natural seawater. For phytoplanktons in ballast water, the strongest impact on the treatment efficacy was reached with a holding time of 24 h.

Study on the effectiveness of membrane separation + N2 deoxidation process for the treatment of bacteria in ballast water.

Effects of the membrane separation + N2 deoxidation process on the abundance and activity of bacteria were examined under two salinity conditions at Yangshan Port, Shanghai, China. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons demonstrated a decrease in the diversity and activity of bacteria in fresh water and marine water, with a total removal rate of approximately 63 % and 69 %, respectively. Indicator bacteria decreased to 10 CFU·100 mL-1, which met the IMO D-2 standard. A total of 13 potential pathogens were detected after treatment, indicating that there is still a risk of pathogenic bacteria invasion in the discharge water, particularly marine bacteria, and that the D-2 standard may be insufficient as a preventive measure against pathogenic bacteria transfer. The results will provide reference for government supervision, and will also be important for monitoring foreign bacteria and technology development.

A study on treatment efficacy of ballast water treatment system applying filtration + membrane separation + deoxygenation technology during shipboard testing.

The efficacy of a BWMS with filtration + membrane separation + deoxygenation technology in treating ballast water was investigated under marine operational circumstances in five shipboard tests. The shipboard tests were carried out between August 2020 and March 2021 onboard a bulk carrier JIN HAI HUA, which sailed between Mawei, Qinhuangdao and Caofeidian in China throughout spring, summer, and fall season. The discharge results in all five tests met the D-2 standard in IMO BWMS Code, with the shortest holding time of less than three days. The BWMS does not involve application of chemicals or generation of by-products, and is considered to be an appropriate choice for certain types of ships.