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Psychological Experiences and Perceived Social Support: A Study on Indian Mothers of Children with Type 1 Diabetes
Introduction: Mothers are often the primary caregivers of children in Indian homes. Mothers of children with Type 1 diabetes experience an emotional toll of this challenging responsibility that the lack of social support can exacerbate. Health care for children with Type 1 diabetes in India commonly addresses the medical condition and its associated symptoms, whereas mothers, who bear the primary responsibility of the childrens care, are most often neglected. This study aimed to understand the psychological experiences and perceived social support of Indian mothers whose children are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Methods: This phenomenological research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with mothers using purposive sampling between the ages of 24 and 45 years (n = 13) and analyzed using thematic analysis. The data analysis and collection were done between January 2022 and December 2022. Results: Thematic analysis revealed six main themes of psychological distress, multifold strain, poor Type 1 diabetes mellitus education and stigma, need for social and familial support, caregiver burden, and coping. The findings from this research suggest that such experiences can make it difficult for them to cope with their childs diabetes and have a negative impact on their mental health. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for culture-appropriate interventions to address the social and emotional needs of such mothers. It is essential to educate families and the community as a whole about the needs of both mothers and children with Type 1 diabetes. 2023 Asian Journal of Social Health and Behavior. -
Psychological experiences and travel Adversities: A Mixed-Method study of the regular commuters in traffic congestion
This study investigated the psychological experiences and consequences of travel adversities during traffic congestion using a three-phase sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. Phase 1 explored the travel adversities, psychological experiences, and consequences of a sample of ten (four women and six men) regular commuters of Bangalore's congested roads using semi-structured interviews. In phase 2, a checklist was developed listing the fundamental themes from phase 1 with Likert-type responses ranging from 0 (never) to 5 (always). Phase 3 gathered data in the checklist and tested the statistical validity of the thematic model in a sample of 190 (81 women and 103 men) regular commuters. Attride-Stirling model thematic network was established with 57 fundamental themes categorized and assigned under the organizing themes of travel adversities (n = 6), negative affect (n = 28), fight (n = 7), flight (n = 6), and negative road occurrences (n = 10), in the global theme, psychological experiences and consequences. Structural equation modeling indicated that (1) negative affect significantly predicted fight and flight, (2) fight is a significant predictor of negative road occurrences, and (3) psychological experiences and consequences create a self-perpetuating cycle, with travel adversity triggering negative emotions, which results in fight responses leading to negative road occurrences, further intensifying travel adversity. A mathematical model is established based on this statistical validation, which holds potential applications in real-time traffic algorithms. 2024 -
Psychological health among armed forces doctors during COVID-19 pandemic in India
Background: A pandemic poses a significant challenge to the healthcare staff and infrastructure. We studied the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among armed forces doctors in India during the COVID-19 pandemic and the factors that contribute to these symptoms. Methods: The study was conducted from March 30, 2020, to April 2, 2020, using a self-administered questionnaire questionnaire using the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), which was sent through Google Forms. Responses were received from 769 respondents. Data were analyzed for demographic details and HADS scores using the chi-square test and backward logistic regression. Results: Anxiety and depressive symptoms were seen in 35.2% and 28.2% of the doctors, respectively. In doctors with anxiety symptoms, significant associations were observed with age (2035 years, 39.4%, P = 0.01), gender (females, 44.6%, P < 0.001), duration of service (010 years, 38%, P = 0.03), and clinical versus non-clinical specialties (non-clinical, 41.3%, P < 0.001) as opposed to marital status, education level, and current department of work. In doctors with depressive symptoms, significant associations were observed with age (P = 0.04), clinical versus non-clinical specialties (P < 0.001), duration of service (010 years, 30.1%, P = 0.03), and doctoral degree (P = 0.04) as opposed to gender, marital status, education level, and current working department. Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among armed forces doctors. The main contributing factors are female gender, young age group, non-clinical specialties, and having a doctoral degree. Copyright 2020 Indian Psychiatric Society - South Zonal Branch. -
Psychological impact of olfactory branding: The future of smell marks in India
Scents have been used by business organizations for commercializing their products since historic times. Because of the psychological connect that a consumer immediately makes as he smells something unique, olfactory branding is considered as a very productive and effective marketing tool. Trademark law attempts to protect a brand's identity with the ultimate motive of preventing consumers from deceptively similar goods. Scholars and businesses have been raising their voice in a demand call for smell mark protection under trademark law, arguing that smell is just as important for identifying the origin-point of a product for a consumer as is the brand's logo or name or product shape. While the US courts have been liberal in granting smell mark registrations, EU courts have interpreted the graphical representation requirement under trademark law very strictly. Indian law, though not entirely closed on the prospect of smell mark protection, is inclined toward the EU position. After analyzing the current legal scenario, this article explores the more fundamental question as to the feasibility of smell marks, questioning their justification under the philosophical foundations of trademark law, the subjective associations of consumers with respect to smells, the difficulty in evidence analysis by courts in infringement suits and the apprehension relating to the functionality doctrine. 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. -
Psychological Problems Among Children Three Years After the Earthquake in Nepal
Background: Frequent disasters and weak mental health system pose a risk to psychological health in Nepal. In 2015, a massive earthquake of 7.6 magnitude occurred in Nepal, which caused large scale destruction to human life and property. Limited research in children after disasters in Nepal prevent health professionals from implementing new evidence-based trauma treatments. Aim: The study aimed to identify the long term emotional problems experienced by earthquake-affected children in Nepal. The role of gender, severity of exposure, socioeconomic status and type of family in relation to emotional problems were also examined in the selected group. Methods: A purposive sampling was used to select 454 children (4th and 5th standard) from two highly affected wards in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Information about exposure to the earthquake was collected from children using the Level of Exposure Scale while the parents completed the Nepali version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ/ 4-17). Results: The effect of exposure to the earthquake was identified in the children even after three years. Boys had higher conduct, hyperactivity-inattention and peer problems while girls had high pro-social behaviour. Emotional problems were greater for those belonging to a lower socio-economic status. Among the variables, gender was a better predictor of emotional problems in earthquake-affected children. Conclusions: Emotional problems such as conduct problems, hyperactivity-inattention, peer problems are present in the earthquake-affected children in Kathmandu. Future researchers and clinicians need to monitor the children affected by the earthquake to recognise vulnerable groups and implement appropriate trauma-focused interventions. 2021, Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health. All rights reserved. -
Psychological Safety and Career Success among Employees of Indian Start-ups: Mediating Role of Passion
India is one of the leading countries that have a favorable start-up ecosystem and is home to hundreds of start-ups and unicorns. From fintech and e-commerce to healthcare and agritech, these startups are disrupting traditional industries, leveraging technology to address unique challenges and tap into vast market opportunities. The start-ups' human resources policies are different, and they do not have complex human resources rules and policies to promote new ideas. The start-ups future is unpredictable, and they have a lot of uncertainty. Human assets work in start-ups to get a sense of career success despite the psychological fear about the future as they have a strong passion to succeed. This research seeks to explore the impact of psychological safety on the professional achievement of human resources within Indian startups, with a particular focus on the intermediary role of passion. This study adopts a descriptive approach and utilizes a survey-based research methodology to gather first-hand data from employees working within the realm of Indian startups. The study results convey that psychological safety impacts the overall career success of start-up employees, and it also significantly impacts the objective career success of the employees. Objective career success pertains to tangible accomplishments or results in a person's professional journey, which are usually quantifiable and evident to external observers. Further, it is found that passion mediates psychological safety and objective career success of the start-up employees significantly. 2024, Iquz Galaxy Publisher. All rights reserved. -
Psychological science and COVID-19: An agenda for social action.
This report summarizes what is known about the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes ways for psychology organizations to engage in addressing pandemic-related challenges. A stress and coping framework is used to describe key factors that account for mental health difficulties resulting from the stress of pandemics including the pandemic course, political leadership and public response, cumulative stressors, risk and protective factors, and coping strategies. Psychology organizations could do much to provide help particularly to vulnerable healthcare and frontline workers, the elderly, and the socially isolated. They could offer clinical services and design prevention programs, train non-professional community workers to provide mental health first aid, assist NGOs and political leaders, and translate basic research on psychological factors that influence acceptance of public health measures. The pandemic occurs at a time of advanced connectivity that provides an opportunity for (a) scientific information exchange, (b) alleviation of distress of social isolation, but also (c) infodemic, unprecedented spread of hoaxes and online incitements to non-compliance with preventative measures. Psychologys role is not limited to addressing mental health needs but also includes promoting adjustment to changes in the economy, education and employment, and developing effective communication strategies that encourage acceptance of public health measures. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) 2021 Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice -
Psychometric Properties of the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire Among Couples in India
The aim of the present study was to translate the Interpersonal Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (IERQ) into the Tamil language and examine its psychometric properties in the Indian cultural context. Data were collected from a dyadic sample of 340 married heterosexual couples (N = 680) currently residing in India. The mean age of husbands was 39.57 (SD = 6.10; 26 ? range ? 58), and the wives was 35.33 (SD = 5.72; 23 ? range ? 54). Descriptive results indicated that husbands and wives reported similar levels of interpersonal emotion regulation. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a 20-item model with four factorsenhancing positive affect, perspective-taking, soothing and social modeling, similar to the original version, fits the data well. Furthermore, the multiple-group analysis indicated robust measurement invariance across gender (husbands vs. wives), family type ( joint vs. nuclear) and marriage type (arranged vs. love), indicating that the Tamil version of the IERQ operates similarly across these groups. Besides, the Tamil version of the IERQ showed good convergent and discriminant validity with measures of dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction. Implications for research and couples therapy in the Indian cultural context are discussed. 2022, PsychOpen. All rights reserved. -
Psychometric Properties of the Moral Injury Symptom Scale Among Indian Healthcare Professionals
The spread of the novel coronavirus has led to a rise in morally conflicting situations for healthcare professionals. Doctors and nurses who were serving as frontline workers, require special attention to alleviate the long-lasting impact of the potentially morally injurious events. The current study aims to validate the Moral Injury Symptom Scale-Healthcare Professionals (MISS-HP) among Indian healthcare workers. The 10-item MISS was administered to 150 doctors and 150 nurses using the purposive sampling method. Firstly, reliability was assessed using internal consistency measure. Secondly, item discrimination index was assessed by calculating the point biserial correlation for each item. Cronbach alpha indicated high internal consistency (0.77). The point biserial correlation value for each item indicated good discrimination. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to replicate the factor structure. CFA results suggested a good fit to the data. In conclusion, MISS-HP is a reliable and valid tool to assess moral injury among Indian healthcare professionals in India. 2023 Hibino et al. -
Psychoneuroimmunological Perspective of Animal - Assisted Therapy
Animal-assisted therapy is a new and upcoming form of therapy that has shown multifarious benefits to participants. It is a goal-oriented therapeutic process with the incorporation of a qualified therapy animal in the therapeutic activities and conversations. This paper explores these benefits from a psychoneuroimmunological lens, wherein the interplay of and impact on an individual's psychological, neurological and immune systems are discussed. Positive physical interaction with therapy animals reduces undesirable symptoms and ailments such as stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, aggressive tendencies, harmful behaviours, cardiovascular issues and unhealthy tendencies amongst others. It further promotes a healthier lifestyle, promoting quality of life, better heart health, cognitive functioning and overall well-being. The biological basis of these benefits is discussed. 2024 Oriental Scientific Publishing Company. All rights reserved. -
Psychosocial correlates of resilience among older adults in Mexico
There is a tremendousglobal increase in the older adultspopulation. Mental health in older age is as important in as it is for other age categories. Majority of older adults show healthy states, vitality, good humor and enthusiasm in performing various activities, interest in continuing to contribute to their family and society despite the difficulties of this stage of life due to large part to resilience they have. The aim of the study was to establish social and psychosocial factors associated with resilience.A cross-sectional and correlation study was conducted on older adults who were hospitalized in a public General Hospital of Mexico in 2013. Resilience, gender, occupation, family environment, self-esteem, presence of critical life events, and the presence of significant persons were assessed. 186 older adults participated. Higher levels of resilience were found in males and employed people. Participants with a functional family and high self-esteem had the highest levels of resilience. Besides, 15% of the variance of the total resilience score was explained by family environment, and 27% was explained by self-esteem (p<0.05).Although all participants were older adults, individual characteristics such as gender, occupation and self-esteem; besides family environment, were found to be associated to the levels of resilience in this population. Specific programs- -enhancing these factorsare needed to improve resilience. 2019 Oriental Scientific Publishing Company. All rights reserved. -
Pt nanoflower-poly(aniline) electrode material with the synchronized concept of energy storage in supercapacitor
Electrochemically deposited porous film of poly(aniline) (PANI) on stainless steel (SS) current collector is employed as the support for electrodeposition of platinum (Pt). PANI facilitates the formation of Pt nanoflowers with an enhanced electrochemically active surface area compared with sub-micron size Pt particles deposited on the bare SS electrode. Hence, a new concept Pt nanoflower-PANI electrode materials with synchronization between redox mode in PANI and double-layer mode of charge storage in Pt nanoflower is discussed. Remarkably, Pt is distributed like a nano-flower on the surface of PANI and prevents PANI from stripping during the charge-discharge process, thereby minimizing the issue of stripping in conducting polymer-based electrodes. Owing to the highly porous surface morphology of Pt nanoflowers as observed in SEM, the Pt-PANI/SS electrode shows excellent electrochemical performance than PANI/SS electrode towards supercapacitor application. The electrode materials are characterized using X-ray and X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS), which shows dual amorphous and crystalline properties. Dielectric studies of Pt-PANI/SS electrodes were carried out to understand electrode/electrolyte interface behavior. In the fabricated supercapacitor, the cyclic voltammetry studies showed quasi-rectangular shape characteristics at slower scan rates with a specific capacitance of 926 Fg?1. Charge-discharge studies showed good cyclic stability and coulombic efficiency. 2022 Elsevier B.V. -
Pt nanoflower-poly(aniline) electrode material with the synchronized concept of energy storage in supercapacitor /
Applied Surface Science, Vol.589, ISSN No: 0169-4332.
Electrochemically deposited porous film of poly(aniline) (PANI) on stainless steel (SS) current collector is employed as the support for electrodeposition of platinum (Pt). PANI facilitates the formation of Pt nanoflowers with an enhanced electrochemically active surface area compared with sub-micron size Pt particles deposited on the bare SS electrode. Hence, a new concept Pt nanoflower-PANI electrode materials with synchronization between redox mode in PANI and double-layer mode of charge storage in Pt nanoflower is discussed. Remarkably, Pt is distributed like a nano-flower on the surface of PANI and prevents PANI from stripping during the charge-discharge process, thereby minimizing the issue of stripping in conducting polymer-based electrodes. -
Pt Nanospheres Decorated Graphene-?-CD Modified Pencil Graphite Electrode for the Electrochemical Determination of Vitamin B6
An electrochemical sensor for Vitamin B6 determination has been prepared by the electrochemical deposition of Pt nanospheres on graphene-?-CD coated Pencil Graphite Electrode (PGE). Cyclic voltammetric (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) studies were employed to explore the electrochemical properties of the modified electrode. The physicochemical properties of the modified electrodes were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and optical profilometric studies. The experimental conditions such as effect of scan rate, concentration and pH were optimized. The linear dynamic range for the determination of Vitamin B6 was found to be 5nM to 205nM. The low level of detection limit (1.2nM) implies the high sensitivity of the process. The suggested method was effectively employed for the electrocatalytic evaluation of Vitamin B6 in different juice samples. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.] 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Pt nanospheres decorated graphene-β-CD modified pencil graphite electrode for the electrochemical determination of vitamin B6 /
Topics in Catalysis, Vol.65, pp.1-11, ISSN No: 1572-9028.
An electrochemical sensor for Vitamin B6 determination has been prepared by the electrochemical deposition of Pt nanospheres on graphene-β-CD coated Pencil Graphite Electrode (PGE). Cyclic voltammetric (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) studies were employed to explore the electrochemical properties of the modified electrode. The physicochemical properties of the modified electrodes were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and optical profilometric studies. -
Public debt - economic growth nexus in emerging and developing economies: Exploring nonlinearity
This paper explores the nonlinear dynamics between public debt and economic growth by estimating the threshold level of debt for thirty-nine emerging and developing economies. The study found a considerable variation amongst the debt thresholds in these countries, ranging between 24 and 132 per cent. We observed the evidence for an inverted U-shape relationship either partially or fully only in six countries. On the contrary, our study found that expanding debt even beyond the threshold promotes economic growth in some countries, while debt hinders growth even at low debt levels in a few countries. 2022 Elsevier Inc. -
Publication stress amongst scholars and faculties: a concern of mental health
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the seemingly entrenched culture of publish or perish on academics and lecturers mental health in academia. From an autoethnographic perspective, personal experiences of stress, anxiety and burnout are articulated and considered in terms of broader system issues within academia. Design/methodology/approach: Using personal reflections on publication pressure and combining that with the broader existing literature on mental health in academia, this paper, like the ones mentioned above, has been written with autoethnography as the research mode. Autoethnography is a research method that allows for profoundly exploring personal experiences but frames them in a broader academic context, thereby allowing for a qualitative analysis of academics mental health challenges. Findings: The pressure to publish in high-impact journals puts a person under a level of mental health stress that includes feeling anxious, feeling like an impostor and suffering from burnout. Therefore, this very unfitting competitive environment requires institutional support and strategies to mitigate the stress associated with publication. Originality/value: This paper offers an autoethnographic view of the mental health difficulties in academia, providing a firsthand account of the emotional toll of academic publishing. This paper fleshes out the burgeoning discourse surrounding mental health within higher education by connecting personal experiences with systemic issues, pointing to changes in culture and structure. 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Pure and suggestive impulse buying in mobile shopping app: shopping pattern of young consumers
Purpose: This study differentiates pure impulse buying behaviour from suggestive impulse buying behaviour in using mobile shopping applications (apps). This study aims to assess the moderating effects of instant discount and cashback promotional offers along with the mediating effects of impulse buying intention (IBI) and user satisfaction (US), using the app stimuli (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, layout, atmosphere, privacy and security). Design/methodology/approach: The study was done in three stages: analysis of variance, followed by structural equation modelling (SEM) and paired t-tests. Findings: The results showed that instant discounts and cashback offers are different from each other for the mediating variable IBI. The SEM results for pure impulse buying showed that, except for layout, the remaining variables have a positive relationship with IBI. For suggestive impulse buying, effort expectancy and layout were significantly related to both the mediating variables. Finally, pure and suggestive impulse buying behaviour showed significant differences. Originality/value: Previous studies have looked into impulse buying in its generic sense and not through the types of impulse buying they were measuring. As impulse buying behaviour is a predominant theme for discussion today, marketing professionals and researchers must comprehend the impact of app stimuli in the context of select types of impulse buying behaviour. 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited. -
Pure red luminescence and concentration-dependent tunable emission color from europium-doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles
Nano-sized Eu3+-doped ZnS particles were prepared by chemical precipitation method using polyethylene glycol as capping agent. The structural and morphological studies of ZnS:Eu3+ nanoparticles were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD results show that ZnS:Eu3+ nanoparticles have a cubic structure for all Eu3+ concentrations. Dependence of doping concentration on the photoluminescence (PL) of ZnS:Eu3+ nanophosphor was studied for excitations at 395nm and 465nm. At 395-nm excitation, emission colors of ZnS:Eu3+ nanophosphor lie in blue, green, yellow, and red regions of chromaticity diagram for different doping concentrations. But for all doping concentrations we got red emission when the excitation wavelength was 465nm and the color purity was 92% for 0.03M doped sample. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. -
Purification and Biochemical Characterization of Beta-Hexosaminidase B from Freshwater CnidarianHydra vulgaris Ind-Pune
Beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase (Hex) is a vital lysosomal hydrolase found in all living organisms, playing a crucial role in cellular homeostasis. Dysfunctions in this enzyme are implicated in severe pathological conditions such as Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases in humans. In this paper, we report the purification and biochemical characterization of hexosaminidase from the soluble extracts obtained from the polyps of Hydra vulgaris Ind Pune. The Hydra Hex was purified by two-step sequential chromatography (hydrophobic interaction and gel filtration). Our results suggested that the enzyme isoform purified from Hydra is HexB, most likely to be a homodimer with a subunit mass of 65 kD. The pH optimum was in the range of 5.0 to 6.0 and the temperature optimum in the range of 50 C to 60 C. pH stability and temperature stability were found to be 5.0 and 40C respectively. The homology modelling studies corroborated the homodimeric nature of Hydra HexB, and indicated its structural resemblance to human HexB. This study offers new insights into the biochemical characteristics of Hydra HexB, providing a foundational framework for extensive investigations on this and other lysosomal hydrolases in Hydra. In a broader context, our results significantly contribute to establishing Hydra as a potential model organism to study the lysosomal biogenesis pathway. (2024), (Association of Carbohydrate Chemists and Technologists). All Rights Reserved.