Tag: nevin manimala

Heliyon. 2023 May 23;9(6):e16424. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16424. eCollection 2023 Jun.

ABSTRACT

A seasonal study was conducted to assess the levels, sources, and potential ecological risks of heavy metals (HM) in coastal sediments along the Giresun Coast, located on the southeast coast of the Black Sea. The mean concentrations of HMs as mg/kg were ranked as Fe (27646.37) > Al (27348.55) > Mn (571.87) > Zn (94.16) > Cr (60.64) > Cu (45.66) > Pb (41.37) > Ni (27.29) > Co (14.47) > As (7.36) > Cd (0.20), respectively. At all stations through the year, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni were in “the minimum enrichment” class as evaluated by the enrichment factor (EF). As assessed by the contamination factor (CF), all HM levels except Pb, Fe and Cu were “low” or “moderately polluted” at all stations and seasons. With the exception of Cd levels, all HMs in all seasons and stations pointed out “low ecological risk” according to the ecological risk index (E_rⁱ). According to the sediment quality guidelines, Ni, Cu and Pb were observed to pose a high ecological risk to habitat. The combined risk assessment indices pointed out low to moderate ecological risk. The study concluded that the region is subject to minimum anthropogenic disturbances in the aquatic environment.

PMID:37274673 | PMC:PMC10238681 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16424

Heliyon. 2023 May 19;9(6):e16364. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16364. eCollection 2023 Jun.

ABSTRACT

This study examined student-teachers’ diversity and attitudes toward classroom participation in a Tanzanian university. A mixed research approach was used to answer three research questions: student-teachers’ attitudes toward classroom participation, attitude differences based on their diversity, and the reasons for their attitudes toward classroom participation. The study involved 701 student-teachers in their second and third years of study. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions and were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science and MAXQDA software. Results indicated that student-teachers cooperated with colleagues in groups rather than the whole classroom. The results also indicated diversity in classroom participation by gender, programme, and year of study. Further, it was revealed that student-teachers’ attitudes toward classroom participation were based on prior experiences, cultural aspects, linguistic barriers, lecturer pedagogical practices, and teaching context. It is concluded that the student-teachers’ attitudes toward classroom participation were variably associated with their diversity, and the reasons for the attitudes were mediated internally and externally. Therefore, it is recommended that lectures be conducted by employing apt techniques for fostering active participation to enrich the classroom with student-teachers and lecturers’ voices in knowledge construction and sharing. The techniques should be gender, programme, and year of study sensitive while integrating students-teachers’ internal and external mediating factors to create interactive classroom moments that encourage knowledge creation and sharing among the classroom members.

PMID:37274672 | PMC:PMC10238682 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16364

Heliyon. 2023 May 25;9(6):e16224. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16224. eCollection 2023 Jun.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Menstrual hygiene management practice is the requirements and necessities; such as the use of a sanitary pad or clean and mushy absorbents, sufficient washing of the genital area, proper disposal of the used absorbents, and other special needs for the women during menstruation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess menstrual hygiene management practice and associated factors among prisoners in south Nation Nationalities and Peoples Region, Ethiopia, 2022.

METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 1 to July 30/2022. The total sample size was 605 and a simple random sampling technique was used to select prison institutions and women. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Data were entered using Epi data 4.6 version and analyzed by using SPSS version 26 software. Multicollinearity was checked and the goodness of fit test was done by using the Hosmer Lemeshow model of goodness fit test. Univariate analysis was done and variables with p value less than 0.25 were taken to bivariate logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratio with the 95% confidence interval was considered and statistical significance was at a p-value less than 0.05 in bivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULT: The prevalence of menstrual hygiene management practice was 50.6% (95% CI 47.3-54.4). Age 19-29 years old [AOR: 5.03, 95% CI 1.73-14.62], educational status; not formally educated [AOR: 0.05, 95% CI 0.02-0.13], educational status; primary level [AOR: 0.17, 95% CI 0.07-0.39], previous occupation; student [AOR: 2.56, 95% CI 1.06-6.21], previous occupation; a private employee [AOR: 4.11, 95% CI 1.48-11.42], previous occupation; government employee [AOR: 3.46, 95% CI 1.18-10.14], absence of support from family [AOR: 0.14, 95% CI 0.08-0.24] and absence of work engagement in prison [AOR: 0.44, 95% CI 0.25-0.78] were associated with MHMP.

CONCLUSION: In this study, about five from ten women in prison practice menstrual hygiene management. Age, educational status, previous occupation, support from family, and work engagement in prison were important risk factors for MHMP. Therefore, support from family and engaging the women to work in prison institutions may increase the MHMP in prison institutions.

PMID:37274653 | PMC:PMC10238586 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16224

Heliyon. 2023 May 24;9(6):e16636. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16636. eCollection 2023 Jun.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The mental health issues due to COVID-19, such as intolerance of uncertainty (IOU), anxiety, stress, and depression, have attracted extensive attention from researchers. The challenges for Pakistani university students could be worse than developed countries due to the lack of online courses/programs and online mental health support provided by academic institutions. Therefore, the current study aims to assess the intolerance of uncertainty, depression, anxiety, and stress of Pakistani university students after the second wave of COVID-19 and the relationship among these constructs.

METHODS: A convenience cross-sectional sampling method was used to collect data from university students in Pakistan between January 2021 and April 2022 via a structured online questionnaire. The Descriptive analysis focused on frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation (SD) were calculated on IOU-12 and DASS-21. Covariance for the research model and confirmatory factor analyses fit indices for the IOU-12 and DASS-21 were analyzed by AMOS statistical packages.

RESULTS: As expected, anxiety, depression, and stress persist among Pakistani university students. On average, they report mild to moderate mental health problems regarding anxiety, depression, stress, and intolerance of uncertainty. Our results indicate a strong positive relationship among the three emotional distress components – anxiety, depression, and stress. However, our results suggest no significant relationship between IOU and the three subcomponents of emotional distress (anxiety, depression, and stress).

LIMITATIONS: First, the cross-sectional survey design means we cannot conclude on the causal relations. Second, the self-report questionnaire embeds subjectivity issues. Last, the generalizability of the sample to the whole student population in Pakistan is limited, considering the sampling method.

CONCLUSION: This study expanded the current knowledge in the psychological health domain (intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety, depression, and stress) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In practice, higher education institutions should further mitigate university students’ mental health issues. For researchers, our findings inspire future studies to delve into the relationship between IOU and mental health issues due to COVID-19 since our findings display contrary evidence for various reasons.

PMID:37274650 | PMC:PMC10238721 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16636

Heliyon. 2023 May 25;9(6):e16667. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16667. eCollection 2023 Jun.

ABSTRACT

Business Ecosystems are made up of a group of companies that cooperate with each other to innovate in a product. This research had the purpose of assessing the scientific activity and thus be able to extract the topics explored by the authors involved, geographical gaps of scientific production and research topics for future studies. In the methodological design, the statistical software VOSviewer and RStudio were used, with which the documentation obtained from Scopus was analyzed and reflected in tables and figures. The results yielded: a) the 7 topics most worked on by researchers on the variable in question, b) a notable geographical scientific gap in Africa, and c) 5 topics of research that can be explored for future scientific papers. In short, this research was performed with high citation documents, therefore, authors are recommended to carry out research in collaboration with authors located in the geographical scientific gap or vice versa but based on the 5 topics of future research, in the niche topics and a declining topic.

PMID:37274643 | PMC:PMC10238731 | DOI:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16667

Toxicol Rep. 2023 May 23;10:659-668. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.05.006. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are used extensively in consumer products and biomedical research basically due to ease of production and low cost. However, insufficient literature is reported regarding the toxicity and biocompatibility of SiNPs. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of amorphous SiNPs on survival, growth, behavioral alterations, hematology and serum biochemistry of mice at four concentrations (control, 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg/day) of an oral supplementation for a period of 3 months. Signs of toxicity (lethargy, nausea, coma, tremors, vomiting and diarrhea, etc.) were noted at 9:00 am and 9:00 pm (twice a day) and the body weight of each of these mice was measured every week. The data were subjected to mean, standard deviation (S.D). Moreover, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Dunnett’s test were applied for analysis of statistical significance between groups by using SPSS software, version 20. All the mice survived with minor alterations in behavior and no significant weight changes were observed during the stipulated time period. Complete blood count (CBC) analysis indicated non-significant (P ≥ 0.05) systemic dysfunctions of organ systems. However, there was elevation in the level of AST and ALT in the analysis of serum biochemistry, while the values of all other examined parameters were not-significant (P ≥ 0.05). The study concluded that orally administered large silica nanoparticles up to the dose level of 150 mg/kg/day are nontoxic for the in vivo use in mice.

PMID:37274627 | PMC:PMC10238806 | DOI:10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.05.006

ZFA (Stuttgart). 2022;98(12):416-421. doi: 10.53180/zfa.2022.0416-0421. Epub 2022 Dec 1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Since 2019, the competence center for specialist training in family medicine Bavaria (KWAB) offers an individual mentoring program to accompany specialist training in family medicine. The mentors are confidants for matters of specialist training, private practice, career development and compatibility of work and family life. The training takes place after registration via an online portal.

METHODS: The evaluation was conducted 24 months after the start of KWAB mentoring (06/30/2021-08/01/2021). All active participants were interviewed via online survey. In each case, separate questionnaires were developed, which inquire on the one hand about the content-related aspects of the mentoring, such as topics discussed, and on the other hand about the individual mentoring relationship, such as the interpersonal relationship. The mentees received 39 questions (34 closed, 5 open) and the mentors received 26 questions (21 closed, 5 open), which were subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: N = 30 mentors and N = 72 mentees were invited to participate in the evaluation (25 (83 %) mentors and 32 (44 %) mentees participated). More than half of the participants met each other at least twice. The main methods of communication were telephone, face-to-face meetings, and email contacts. The individual time commitment in each case was judged to be appropriate. According to the mentors, the mentees showed interest in the content of the program and demonstrated availability and commitment. All respondents indicated a high level of satisfaction with one-on-one mentoring and would recommend it to others.

CONCLUSIONS: Mentors and mentees in family medicine residency reported a great benefit from the one-on-one mentoring offered and a will to continue their mentoring relationships even after the project period.

PMID:37274626 | PMC:PMC10225250 | DOI:10.53180/zfa.2022.0416-0421

CABI Agric Biosci. 2023;4(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s43170-023-00157-3. Epub 2023 Jun 1.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The African continent is known for high entrepreneurial activity, especially in the agricultural sector. Despite this, the continent’s economic development is below expectations, due to numerous factors constraining the growth and sustainability of agricultural SMEs. These constraints have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to understand the pathways through which the pandemic affected agri-SMEs, with specific focus on assessing the differentiated effects arising from the size of the agri-SME and the gender of the owner-manager.

METHODS: Data was collected from over 100 agri-SMEs, ranging in size from sole proprietorships with one employee to agri-SMEs employing up to 100 people, in six African countries. Mixed methods were used to analyse the data with changes in business operations arising from changing market access, regimented health and safety guidelines and constrained labour supply assessed using visualisations and descriptive statistics. Logistic regression modelling was employed to determine the set of variables contributing to agri-SME business downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS: All surveyed agri-SMEs were negatively affected by COVID-19-associated restrictions with the size of the firm and gender of the owner-managers resulting in differentiated impacts. The smallest agri-SMEs, mainly owner-managed by women, were more likely to experience disruptions in marketing their goods and maintaining their labour supply. Larger agri-SMEs made changes to their business operations to comply with government guidelines during the pandemic and made investments to manage their labour supply, thus sustaining their business operations. In addition, logistic regression modelling results show that financing prior to the pandemic, engaging in primary agricultural production, and being further from urban centres significantly influenced the likelihood of a firm incurring business losses.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings necessitate engendered multi-faceted agri-SME support packages that are tailored for smaller-sized agri-SMEs. Any such support package should include support for agri-SMEs to develop sustainable marketing strategies and help them secure flexible financing that considers payment deferrals and debt moratorium during bona fide market shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

PMID:37274615 | PMC:PMC10233515 | DOI:10.1186/s43170-023-00157-3

Synthese. 2023;201(6):200. doi: 10.1007/s11229-023-04178-3. Epub 2023 Jun 2.

ABSTRACT

The omnipresence of the same basic equations, function forms, algorithms, and quantitative methods is one of the most spectacular characteristics of contemporary modeling practice. Recently, the emergence of the discussion of templates and template transfer has addressed this striking cross-disciplinary reach of certain mathematical forms and computational algorithms. In this paper, we develop a notion of a model template, consisting of its mathematical structure, ontology, prototypical properties and behaviors, focal conceptualizations, and the paradigmatic questions it addresses. We apply this notion to three widely disseminated and powerful model templates: the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model of spin glasses, scale-free networks, and the Kuramoto model of synchronization. We argue that what appears to be an interdisciplinary model transfer between different domains turns out, from a broader perspective, to be the application of transdisciplinary model templates across a multitude of domains. We also point out a further feature of template-based modeling that so far has not been discussed: template entanglement. Such entanglement enhances and makes manifest the conceptual side of model templates.

PMID:37274612 | PMC:PMC10238306 | DOI:10.1007/s11229-023-04178-3

Front Sociol. 2023 May 19;8:1139258. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1139258. eCollection 2023.

ABSTRACT

This review summarizes the economic impacts of the pandemic on ethnic minorities, focusing on the city of Manchester. It utilizes multiple reporting sources to explore various dimensions of the economic shock in the UK, linking this to studies of pre-COVID-19 economic and ethnic composition in Manchester and in the combined authority area of Greater Manchester. We then make inferences about the pandemic’s short-term impact specific to the city region. Greater Manchester has seen some of the highest rates of COVID-19 and as a result faced particularly stringent “lockdown” regulations. Manchester is the sixth most deprived Local Authority in England, according to 2019 English Indices of Multiple Deprivation. As a consequence, many neighborhoods in the city were always going to be less resilient to the economic shock caused by the pandemic compared with other, less-deprived, areas. Particular challenges for Manchester include the high rates of poor health, low-paid work, low qualifications, poor housing conditions and overcrowding. Ethnic minority groups also faced disparities long before the onset of the pandemic. Within the UK, ethnic minorities were found to be most disadvantaged in terms of employment and housing-particularly in large urban areas containing traditional settlement areas for ethnic minorities. Further, all Black, Asian, and Minority ethnic (BAME) groups in Greater Manchester were less likely to be employed pre-pandemic compared with White people. For example, people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi ethnic backgrounds, especially women, have the lowest levels of employment in Greater Manchester. Finally, unprecedented cuts to public spending as a result of austerity have also disproportionately affected women of an ethnic minority background alongside disabled people, the young and those with no or low-level qualifications. This environment has created and sustained a multiplicative disadvantage for Manchester’s ethnic minority residents through the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PMID:37274606 | PMC:PMC10237338 | DOI:10.3389/fsoc.2023.1139258