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Videoconferencing-delivered psychological intervention for the treatment of COVID-19 related psychological distress in University students: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in India
Background: The mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been profound. This paper outlines the study protocol for a trial that tests the efficacy of a brief group-based psychological intervention (Coping with COVID; CWC), relative to Supportive Counselling, to reduce distress associated with COVID-19 in a young adult population in Bangalore, India. Methods: A single-blind, parallel, randomized controlled trial will be carried out via video conferencing in a small group format. Following informed consent, adults that screen positive for levels of psychological distress (Kessler 10 (K-10 score ? 20) and have access to a videoconferencing platform will be randomised to an adapted version of CWC (n = 90) or Supportive Counselling (SC) (n = 90). The primary outcome will be reduction in psychological distress including anxiety and depression at 2-months post treatment. Secondary outcomes include worry, positive wellbeing, and stress in relation to COVID-19. Discussion: This treatment trial will assess whether CWC will result in reduced distress relative to Supportive Counselling in a young adult population in Bangalore, India. This study will yield important insights into the role of nonspecific factors versus the interventions components in impacting COVID-19 related distress. Trial registration: This trial was prospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621001064897). Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval has been obtained from the participating institution, CHRIST University in Bangalore. Results of the trial will be submittedfor publication in peer reviewed journals and findings presented at scientific conferences and to key service providers and policy makers. 2022, The Author(s). -
Climate anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: correlates of negative emotional responses to climate change in 32 countries
This study explored the correlates of climate anxiety in a diverse range of national contexts. We analysed cross-sectional data gathered in 32 countries (N = 12,246). Our results show that climate anxiety is positively related to rate of exposure to information about climate change impacts, the amount of attention people pay to climate change information, and perceived descriptive norms about emotional responding to climate change. Climate anxiety was also positively linked to pro-environmental behaviours and negatively linked to mental wellbeing. Notably, climate anxiety had a significant inverse association with mental wellbeing in 31 out of 32 countries. In contrast, it had a significant association with pro-environmental behaviour in 24 countries, and with environmental activism in 12 countries. Our findings highlight contextual boundaries to engagement in environmental action as an antidote to climate anxiety, and the broad international significance of considering negative climate-related emotions as a plausible threat to wellbeing. 2022 The Authors -
Coming out of the desi closet: disclosure of same-sex sexuality in metropolitan-India
Coming out of the closet is a psychosocial process that entails the disclosure of ones non- heteronormative sexual orientation to family, peers, and the wider publica phenomenon that is necessitated by the prevalence of societal heteronormativity. With the recent legal decriminalization of consensual same-sex sexual relationships in India, there is renewed interest in and emergent necessity to expand upon the existing academic discourse on the lives, rights, health and well-being of same-sex attracted individuals in India. The present study accumulates detailed narratives of disclosure of sexual orientation of five male and five female young-adults of same-sex sexuality from ages 18 to 25 in metropolitan cities of India. Thematic narrative analysis is used to gain insight into the factors of being in the closet, those underlying coming out of the closet, and the expectations from and impact of coming out to ones family. Five major themes have emergedthree restraint factors and two propulsion factors influencing sexual identity disclosure. Restraint factors are those that reduce the probability of coming out and these arean incessant pressure to conceal, perceived lack of stability and support, and anticipated disintegration of long-standing familial tradition. Propulsion factors act as catalysts of disclosure and these are target congeniality i.e. approachability of the target of disclosure, and parental validationwhich, when attained, enables the individual to come out more easily to others. The findings have been critically compared and contrasted with the existing body of literature in the domain, which sets the agenda for further inquiry. 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. -
Data journalists perception and practice of transparency and interactivity in Indian newsrooms
Data journalism research recorded exponential growth during the last decade. However, the extant literature lacks comparative perspectives from the Asian region as it has been focused on select geographies (mainly Europe and the US). In this backdrop, the present study examined data journalism practices in the Indian media industry by conducting intensive interviews with 11 data journalists to investigate their perception of transparency and interactivity which are two of the core aspects of data journalism practice. Further, a content analysis of data stories published by two Indian news organizations for two years was conducted to assess the status of transparency and interactivity options in these stories. The findings showed that Indian data journalists acknowledge the importance of transparency and interactivity, but exhibit a cautious approach in using them. There is general apathy in practicing transparency among journalists in legacy organizations, drawing a stark contrast with their counterparts in digitally-native organizations. 2022 Asian Media Information and Communication Centre. -
Phenolic composition and antioxidant potential of Cosmostigma cordatum
Cosmostigma cordatum (Poir.) M.R. Almeida, a plant belonging to the family Apocynaceae, has not been explored for its phytochemistry and antioxidant properties. Dried samples of leaves were used to estimate the proximate and mineral composition. Distilled water, methanol, and ethanol extracts were analyzed for the quantification of phenolic compounds and antioxidant potential. EC50 values were determined to estimate the antioxidant potential. Leaves of C. cordatum were found to be a good source of proximate contents and minerals. The total phenols, flavonoids, minerals, and antioxidant activity were determined from methanolic, ethanolic, and aqueous extracts of leaves. Extracts showed a higher concentration of phenols (2.29 0.06 mg GAE g-1) in methanolic extracts and these extracts had higher antioxidant activity when compared to ethanol and aqueous extracts. The flavonoid content was higher in ethanolic extracts (51.94 0.89 mg QE g-1) than in other extracts. In addition, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis of the hexane extract of leaves identified (E,E)-7,11,15-trimethyl-3-methylene-hexadeca-1,6,10,14-tetraene, 1H-cycloprop[e]azulene, decahydro-1,1,7-trimethyl-4-methylene-, n-hexadecanoic acid, 1-naphthalenepropanol,.alpha-ethenyldecahydro-2-hydroxy-.alpha.2,5,5,8a-pentamethyl [1R[1.alpha.(R*).beta.4a.beta.8a.alpha.]]-,cis-3,14-clerodadien-13-ol, squalene and octacosane. Our results suggest that the leaves can become a potential source of food supplements, nutraceuticals, and photo-therapeutics. 2022, Indian journals. All rights reserved. -
Financial Inclusion and Human Development in Indian States: Evidence from the Post-Liberalisation Periods
This article examines the existing synergy between financial inclusion and human development in Indian states during the post-liberalisation periods (19932015). Using both principal component analysis and panel data regression models, first, the impact of financial inclusion on human development is measured. Second, the reverse causality from human development to financial inclusion is estimated to know whether human development should be a pre-condition for ensuring greater financial inclusiveness in Indian states. It is found that financial inclusion has a positive and statistically significant impact on human development, along with other control variables such as social sector expenditure, per capita state gross domestic product and capital receipt. However, the lack of urbanisation (measured by the percentage of rural population) has a negative and significant impact on the process of human development in Indian states. On the other hand, since human development has also a significant reverse causal connection with financial inclusion, it is argued that ensuring financial inclusion through urbanisation measures would not only improve the level of human development in Indian states, but it would also sustain the process of inclusive development in itself due to the existing feedback loop with the later. 2022 Institute for Human Development. -
NAVIGATING FOR PEACE IN THE CONUNDRUMS OF RELIGION AND LAW
It is a critical question whether unrestricted freedom of religion is detrimental to the development of peace. Recently the religious dictate of wearing a hijab has come in conflict with the prescription of uniforms at educational institutions. This led to large-scale violence and unrest in society. It raised concerns about the scope of the right to freedom of expression, protection of religious expression, the overarching requirement of a need for public order, and reasonable accommodation of diversity in society. This research explores these issues in the context of educational institutions by critically analysing the laws and operative principles and the role of law and religion in promoting social cohesion and integrity. It addresses the counterarguments of reasonable accommodation and argues that the concept of reasonable accommodation fails to address deep-rooted structural inequalities, and in an education setup prescription of uniforms is justified as it portrays higher values of equality, development, and peace. 2022 Journal of Dharma: Dharmaram Journal of Religions and Philosophies (DVK, Bangalore),. -
On equitable near-proper coloring of some derived graph classes
An equitable near-proper coloring of a graph G is a defective coloring in which the number of vertices in any two color classes differ by at most one and the bad edges obtained is minimized by restricting the number of color classes that can have adjacency among their own elements. This paper investigates the equitable near-proper coloring of some derived graph classes like Mycielski graphs, splitting graphs and shadow graphs. Jose S., Naduvath S., 2022. -
In silico molecular docking study of Andrographis paniculata phytochemicals against TNF-? as a potent anti-rheumatoid drug
Tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?) is a proinflammatory cytokine which plays a crucial role in controlling inflammatory responses. The pathway of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) leading to TNF-alpha is activated by macrophages and quite often by natural killer cells and lymphocytes. In the inflammatory phase, it is believed to be the main mediator and to be anchored with the progression of different diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, and Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The major goal of this study is to use in silico docking studies to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of a bioactive molecule from the medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata. The three-dimensional structures of different phytochemicals of A. paniculata were obtained from PubChem database, and the receptor protein was derived from PDB database. Docking analysis was executed using AutoDock vina, and the binding energies were compared. Bisandrographolide A and Andrographidine C revealed the highest score of ?8.6 Kcal/mol, followed by, Neoandrographolide (?8.5 Kcal/mol). ADME and toxicity parameters were evaluated for these high scoring ligands and results showed that Andrographidine C could be a potent drug, whereas Neoandrographolide and Bisandrographolide A can be modified in invitro and can lead to a promising drug. Further, the top scorer (Andrographidine C) and control drug (Leflunomide) were subjected to 100 ns MD Simulation. The protein complex with Andrographidine C had more stable confirmation with lower RMSD (0.28 nm) and higher binding energy (?133.927 +/? 13.866 kJ/mol). In conclusion, Andrographidine C may be a potent surrogate to the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) & Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that has fewer or minor adverse effects and can aid in RA management. 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Epidemic Prediction using Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models on COVID-19 Data
A catastrophic epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus, commonly recognised as COVID-19, introduced a worldwide vulnerability to human community. All nations around the world are making enormous effort to tackle the outbreak towards this deadly virus through various aspects such as technology, economy, relevant data, protective gear, lives-risk medications and all other instruments. The artificial intelligence-based researchers apply knowledge, experience and skill set on national level data to create computational and statistical models for investigating such a pandemic condition. In order to make a contribution to this worldwide human community, this paper recommends using machine-learning and deep-learning models to understand its daily accelerating actions together with predicting the future reachability of COVID-19 across nations by using the real-time information from the Johns Hopkins dashboard. In this work, a novel Exponential Smoothing Long-Short-Term Memory Networks Model (ESLSTM) learning model is proposed to predict the virus spread in the near future. The results are evaluated using RMSE and R-Squared values. 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Carbon dots derived from frankincense soot for ratiometric and colorimetric detection of lead (II)
We report a simple one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of carbon dots from frankincense soot. Carbon dots prepared from frankincense (FI-CDs) have narrow size distribution with an average size of 1.80 nm. FI-CDs emit intense blue fluorescence without additional surface functionalization or modification. A negative surface charge was observed for FI-CDs, indicating the abundance of epoxy, carboxylic acid, and hydroxyl functionalities that accounts for their stability. A theoretical investigation of the FI-CDs attached to oxygen-rich functional groups is incorporated in this study. The characteristics of FI-CDs signify arm-chair orientation, which is confirmed by comparing the indirect bandgap of FI-CDs with the bandgap obtained from Tauc plots. Also, we demonstrate that the FI-CDs are promising fluoroprobes for the ratiometric detection of Pb2+ ions (detection limit of 0.12 ?M). The addition of Pb2+ to FI-CD solution quenched the fluorescence intensity, which is observable under illumination by UV light LED chips. We demonstrate a smartphone-assisted quantification of the fluorescence intensity change providing an efficient strategy for the colorimetric sensing of Pb2+ in real-life samples. 2022 IOP Publishing Ltd. -
Zero Waste Package Free Shops in India: The Green Road Ahead
Package-free stores or zero waste stores are emerging as an innovative sustainable concept these days.This paper attempts to analyze the modus operandi of package free stores in India, their main features and the challenges that they face.Data was collected from five package-free shops in India among which one store has multiple branches across the nation.As of today, these stores cover almost the entire population.The findings suggest that these stores promote sustainable consumption among the people and also meet three important sustainable development goals (SDGs).They uplift the local economy and contribute to the economic prosperity of local residents and businesses by supporting local and regional farmers.It provides toxic-free products contributing to a healthy society by renouncing plastic completely.It protects the environment thereby increasing the growth of the local economy.Since the movement towards sustainable economic practices is inadequate, proactive steps should be taken to adopt innovative practices. 2022 Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved. -
The DarcyForechhiemer multilayer model of Casson nanofluid squeezed by Newtonian nanofluid under asymmetric slip conditions
Sandwiched model of non-Newtonian and Newtonian fluid flow in the presence of a magnetic field is analyzed in this paper. Porous medium is considered in all three regions, and the system is modeled by using the DarcyForchheimer model. Furthermore, the homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions are analyzed using quartic catalysis. An asymmetric slip condition (i.e., the slip effect is present in the right and the left wall) for velocity and temperature jump (i.e., jump condition is considered in the right wall, whereas temperature is assumed to be constant in the left wall) is examined in the boundaries of the channel. Additionally, the base fluids are considered to be immiscible which causes the fluids to form an interfacial layer between each other thereby resulting in the formation of three regions in the channel. The mathematical model is explained in the form of governing equations and is solved by the RKF method. The results are explained in the form of graphs, and the physical quantities of interest like skin friction and Nusselt number are interpreted in detail with the help of tabulated numerical values. It is observed from the analysis that in the single-layer model, the viscosity of the fluid decreases the fluid motion, but in the case of the multilayer model, the velocity is improved by the increasing viscosity ratio. Correspondingly, the presence of a magnetic field reduces the temperature. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to SocietItaliana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. -
A Fractional Atmospheric Circulation System under the Influence of a Sliding Mode Controller
The earths surface is heated by the large-scale movement of air known as atmospheric circulation, which works in conjunction with ocean circulation. More than (Formula presented.) variables are involved in the complexity of the weather system. In this work, we analyze the dynamical behavior and chaos control of an atmospheric circulation model known as the Hadley circulation model, in the frame of Caputo and CaputoFabrizio fractional derivatives. The fundamental novelty of this paper is the application of the Caputo derivative with equal dimensionality to models that includes memory. A sliding mode controller (SMC) is developed to control chaos in this fractional-order atmospheric circulation system with uncertain dynamics. The proposed controller is applied to both commensurate and non-commensurate fractional-order systems. To demonstrate the intricacy of the models, we plot some graphs of various fractional orders with appropriate parameter values. We have observed the influence of thermal forcing on the dynamics of the system. The outcome of the analytical exercises is validated using numerical simulations. 2022 by the authors. -
Study of transient nature of classical Be stars using multi-epoch optical spectroscopy
Variability is a commonly observed property of classical Be stars (CBe) stars. In extreme cases, complete disappearance of the H? emission line occurs, indicating a disc-less state in CBe stars. The disc-loss and reappearing phases can be identified by studying the H? line profiles of CBe stars on a regular basis. In this paper, we present the study of a set of selected nine bright CBe stars, in the wavelength range of 62006700 to better understand their disc transient nature through continuous monitoring of their H? line profile variations for five consecutive years (20152019). Based on our observations, we suggest that four of the program stars (HD 4180, HD 142926, HD 164447 and HD 171780) are possibly undergoing disc-loss episodes, whereas one other star (HD 23302) might be passing through disc formation phase. The remaining four stars (HD 237056, HD 33357, HD 38708 and HD 60855) have shown signs of hosting a stable disc in recent epochs. Through visual inspection of the overall variation observed in the H? EW for these stars, we classified them into groups of growing, stable and dissipating discs, respectively. Moreover, our comparative analysis using the BeSS database points out that the star HD 60855 has passed through a disc-less episode in 2008, with its disc formation happening probably over a timescale of only two months, between January and March 2008. 2022, Indian Academy of Sciences. -
Exploring the Digital Revolution in Education in India during the COVID-19 Pandemic
One important response to COVID-19 was the intensification of the use of digital media to deliver education. However, the results are paradoxical, since the digital revolution did not lead to improvement of the social quality of teachers working circumstances. We ana-lyze internal or subjective oriented constitutional and external or objective orientated conditional factors related to teachers that determine the adaptation of digitalization, taking a social quality perspective. Through a case study in the most advanced educational hub of IndiaDelhiwe find that the digital revolution helped India to address the first-order problems in digital transformation, namely concerning objective infrastructural facilities. The second-order problems, particularly changing the subjective belief structures of teachers related to the integration of technologies, appear to remain a challenge. As India has recently adopted a new education policy (2020), the findings of our study have significant relevance to improving the accessibility and utilization of digital technology in educational spaces. The Author(s). -
Wireless Network Security Using Load Balanced Mobile Sink Technique
Real-time applications based on Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technologies are quickly increasing due to intelligent surroundings. Among the most significant resources in the WSN are battery power and security. Clustering stra-tegies improve the power factor and secure the WSN environment. It takes more electricity to forward data in a WSN. Though numerous clustering methods have been developed to provide energy consumption, there is indeed a risk of unequal load balancing, resulting in a decrease in the networks lifetime due to network inequalities and less security. These possibilities arise due to the cluster heads limited life span. These cluster heads (CH) are in charge of all activities and control intra-cluster and inter-cluster interactions. The proposed method uses Lifetime centric load balancing mechanisms (LCLBM) and Cluster-based energy optimization using a mobile sink algorithm (CEOMS). LCLBM emphasizes the selection of CH, system architectures, and optimal distribution of CH. In addition, the LCLBM was added with an assistant cluster head (ACH) for load balancing. Power consumption, communications latency, the frequency of failing nodes, high security, and one-way delay are essential variables to consider while evaluating LCLBM. CEOMS will choose a cluster leader based on the influence of the fol-lowing parameters on the energy balance of WSNs. According to simulated find-ings, the suggested LCLBM-CEOMS method increases cluster head selection self-adaptability, improves the networks lifetime, decreases data latency, and bal-ances network capacity. 2023, Tech Science Press. All rights reserved. -
Synthesis, characterizations, and electrochromic studies of WO3 coated CeO2 nanorod thin films for smart window applications
In this work, Cerium oxide nanorods were synthesized on Fluorine doped Tin oxide (FTO) substrate by a hydrothermal technique involving Ce(NO3)36H2O (Cerium Nitrate Hexahydrate) and CH4N2O (Urea). The DC magnetron sputtering was used to deposit a thin layer of WO3 on Cerium Oxide nanorods in the presence of argon gas at room temperature. With the prepared CeO2/WO3 thin films as the working electrode, saturated AgCl2 as the reference electrode, and platinum mesh as the counter electrode, a three-electrode electrochemical cell was developed with 0.5 M H2SO4 solution diluted in deionized (DI) water as the electrolyte. The electrochromic studies displayed a coloration efficiency of 10.14 cm2/C for 0.1 M film. SEM, UVVisible, XRD, and electrochemical analyzer were used to investigate the surface morphology, optical properties, composition, and electrochromic performance of the prepared thin films. A combination of CeO2 nanorods and WO3 coating has been proved to be a potential material for Electro Chromic Devices (ECD), because of its large charge capacity and optical transmission behavior. 2022 Elsevier B.V. -
Experimental investigation of Glass Laminate Aluminium Reinforced Epoxy characteristics influences through low velocity impact test
The fibre being one of the recently implemented advanced materials in distinctive applications is being reinforced with metals to constitute a unique composite laminate. This reinforcement will enhance the sustenance property of the laminate used in automotive sectors. In most automotive sectors, drop weight analysis at varying velocity ranges is performed to evaluate the damage characteristics of the vehicle body. Hence, the present work leads us through the study on influence of low-velocity impact at varying heights over the Glass Laminate Aluminium-Reinforced Epoxy (GLARE) laminate characteristics. Here, the laminate of constant thickness was subjected to drop weight impact. Three distinct thicknesses of (0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 mm) Al-2024 T3 aluminium alloy were used. The results indicate that laminate can sustain up to critical load in terms of impact velocity as 3.13 m/s, and beyond which, it leads to delamination damage at 3.49 m/s. The above results indicate that the maximum absorbed energy by the laminate before catastrophic failure (crack) was noticed to be 14.43 J in the case of sample B. Further, it is noticed that GLARE laminate with 0.3 mm face sheet thickness has best results with reference to both absorbed energy and damage when compared with other thicknesses. 2022 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. -
Brand Value: Nexus with Profitability and Value Relevance Indian Evidence
The paper studied the association between brand value and financial profitability metrics, value relevance, and excess market returns. The study used the dollar value data of BrandZ Top Indian Brands as the proxy for brand value and used 221 firm years for a sample of 72 companies that owned the top brands for 5 years, from 2014 2018. The study deployed the fixed effects model to find the association between profitability, firm value, and brand value and the Fama French four-factor model for the risk-return performance of high-brand value stocks. The findings indicated a strong association between the brand values of firms and profitability and firm value. The portfolio returns of high-brand value companies produced higher risk-adjusted returns over market returns offered by BSE 100 stocks. This is Indias first and most comprehensive study to provide empirical evidence on the nexus between brand value, profitability, and value relevance. The results gave a concrete conclusion that building brand value offers both customer satisfaction as well as shareholder value creation. 2022, Associated Management Consultants Pvt. Ltd.. All rights reserved.