Tag: nevin manimala

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

Ind Psychiatry J. 2023 Jan-Jun;32(1):43-47. doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_65_22. Epub 2023 Jan 4.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Uncertain situation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to fear, stigma, and discrimination across all strata of society in varying proportions. Stigmatization increases the suffering of people or those who are at risk of getting the disease and make it harder for public health authorities to control the disease.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present study is a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey conducted over a period of four weeks in the month of July 2021 in a food industry in rural region of western Maharashtra among COVID-19 positive patients. A total of 152 participants were included in the study. The data was analyzed using SPSS software (version 20). Descriptive statistics were used which included frequencies and percentages.

RESULTS: 64.5% of the participants were males and 35.5% were females. Approx. 85% of the participants were in age group 15-58 years. 100% of them reported to have faced fear on being tested COVID-19 positive. However, only approx. 2-5% individuals hid their illness from family and friends and 7.9% of them were afraid of getting hospitalized.

CONCLUSION: It was found that fear was prevalent among all survivors but stigma was found to be minimal which is likely due to widespread awareness through media, IEC campaigns, and active involvement of administration in implementing policies.

PMID:37274591 | PMC:PMC10236673 | DOI:10.4103/ipj.ipj_65_22

Ind Psychiatry J. 2023 Jan-Jun;32(1):176-186. doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_190_22. Epub 2023 Apr 14.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Music therapy has been in use for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since the 1940s. However, there is limited scientific evidence on its use in the Indian context.

AIM: The present study aims to explore musical preferences of children with ASD and their caregivers’ acceptability of music as a form of intervention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study of 120 subjects diagnosed with ASD as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 identified by convenience sampling. A semi-structured interview schedule consisting of 25 objective response questions with multiple choices and 11 open-ended questions (pertaining to music and the use of music) was used to explore caregivers’/parents’ thoughts and beliefs. The responses to open-ended questions were collected in narrative mode. A descriptive approach of content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. The data are presented using descriptive statistics. Institutional Ethics Committee’s approval was obtained for conducting the study.

RESULTS: Most of the children liked (89.2%, n = 107) music and responded (88.3%, n = 106) actively (listen intently/hum or sing or dance along) to music. Most subjects preferred rhythm (65%, n = 78) over melody (15%, n = 18). While 98.3% (n = 118) of the parents were willing to try music therapy for their child, 61% of them (n = 72) asked follow-up questions like – “Is there available data on it?” (n = 12; 10.2%) and “Will it be worth investing our time and efforts on it?” (n = 60; 50.8%).

CONCLUSION: Most of the children including those with auditory sensitivity like music and prefer rhythm over melody. Caregivers possess a positive attitude toward the use of music therapy. However, most of them wish to clarify the scientific basis of the same.

PMID:37274590 | PMC:PMC10236685 | DOI:10.4103/ipj.ipj_190_22

Ind Psychiatry J. 2023 Jan-Jun;32(1):93-99. doi: 10.4103/ipj.ipj_16_22. Epub 2022 Sep 14.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Depression causes significant morbidity, disability and mortality, along with socioeconomic losses. Patients with depression who don’t remit even with the second trial of anti-depressants need optimization, combination or augmentation strategies. Pharmacological strategies sometimes have unacceptable adverse effects.

AIM: The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with that of pharmacological augmentation strategies in unipolar non-psychotic treatment-resistant depression.

METHOD: This is a randomized controlled trial.

SUBJECTS: Cases of unipolar, non-psychotic, treatment-resistant depression between ages 20 and 60 years were taken.

PERIOD OF STUDY: The study period was from November 2016 to May 2018.

RANDOMIZATION: Cases diagnosed as per ICD-10 criteria by a qualified psychiatrist. Cases of treatment-resistant depression (100) were divided into two arms by using a random number generator: rTMS arm and treatment as usual (TAU) arm.

INTERVENTION: HF-rTMS to left DLPFC (rTMS group) and pharmacological augmentation with lithium, serotonin-dopamine antagonist, buspirone or thyroxine.

RESULTS: In the rTMS arm, 44 patients and in TAU arm 41 completed the study. After 4 weeks of treatment augmentation, rTMS and TAU groups showed response rates of 52% and 46%, respectively. The difference between the two groups in terms of number of responders at the end of 4 weeks is not statistically significant. Additionally, factors associated with good response to rTMS were absence of a family history of psychiatric illness, no concomitant psychoactive substance use, being first episode of depression and mild-moderate severity of illness.

CONCLUSION: The study did not find rTMS augmentation to be significantly better than standard pharmacological augmentation therapies.

PMID:37274586 | PMC:PMC10236667 | DOI:10.4103/ipj.ipj_16_22