Sociocultural Framework for Psychiatric Case Formulation.

ABSTRACT: A Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) field trial in India, widely reported racist violence in the United States, and casteist and religious communal conflicts in India highlighted inattention to structural issues affecting mental health problems in the Outline for Cultural Formulation (OCF) and the CFI in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition). Consequently, we revised the OCF as a sociocultural formulation (SCF) to better consider structures of society and culture. We studied and compared clinicians' ratings of SCF case formulations from a constructed assessment instrument (SCF Interview [SCFI]) and the CFI. Socio-cultural formulations from SCFI interviews were rated higher for details of societal structural impact, and overall interrater agreement was better. CFI interviews were rated higher for clinical rapport. Revision of the CFI should enhance consideration of structural issues and incorporate them in SCFs that better integrate assessment process and case formulation content. The need to acknowledge structural sources of mental health problems is clear, and our study indicates how a sociocultural framework may be used for that.

Over-representation analysis of angiogenic factors in immunosuppressive mechanisms in neoplasms and neurological conditions during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies emphasized the necessity to identify key (human) biological processes and pathways targeted by the Coronaviridae family of viruses, especially Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) caused up to 33-55 % death rates in COVID-19 patients with malignant neoplasms and Alzheimer's disease. Given this scenario, we identified biological processes and pathways involved in various diseases which are most likely affected by COVID-19. METHODS: The COVID-19 DisGeNET data set (v4.0) contains the associations between various diseases and human genes known to interact with viruses from Coronaviridae family and were obtained from the IntAct Coronavirus data set annotated with DisGeNET data. We constructed the disease-gene network to identify genes that are involved in various comorbid diseased states. Communities from the disease-gene network were identified using Louvain method and functional enrichment through over-representation analysis methodology was used to discover significant biological processes and pathways shared between COVID-19 and other diseases. RESULT: The COVID-19 DisGeNET data set (v4.0) comprised of 828 human genes and 10,473 diseases (including various phenotypes) that together constituted nodes in the disease-gene network. Each of the 70,210 edges connects a human gene with an associated disease. The top 10 genes linked to most number of diseases were VEGFA, BCL2, CTNNB1, ALB, COX2, AGT, HLA-A, HMOX1, FGF2 and COMT. The most vulnerable group of patients thus discovered had comorbid conditions such as carcinomas, malignant neoplasms and Alzheimer's disease. Finally, we identified 15 potentially useful biological processes and pathways for improved therapies. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the key mediator of angiogenesis in cancer. It is widely distributed in the brain and plays a crucial role in brain inflammation regulating the level of angiopoietins. With a degree of 1899, VEGFA was associated with maximum number of diseases in the disease-gene network. Previous studies have indicated that increased levels of VEGFA in the blood results in dyspnea, Pulmonary Edema (PE), Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). In case of COVID-19 patients with neoplasms and other neurological symptoms, our results indicate VEGFA as a therapeutic target for inflammation suppression. As VEGFs are known to disproportionately affect cancer patients, improving endothelial permeability and vasodilation with anti-VEGF therapy could lead to suppression of inflammation and also improve oxygenation. As an outcome of our study, we make case for clinical investigations towards anti-VEGF therapies for such comorbid conditions affected by COVID-19 for better therapeutic outcomes.

Community detection in Epstein-Barr virus associated carcinomas and role of tyrosine kinase in etiological mechanisms for oncogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) affects more than 90% of global population. The role of the virus in causing infectious mononucleosis (IM) affecting B-cells and epithelial cells and in the development of EBV associated cancers is well documented. Investigating the associated interactions can pave way for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for EBV associated lymphoproliferative (Burkitt's Lymphoma and Hodgkin's Lymphoma) and non-lymphoproliferative diseases (Gastric cancer and Nasopharyngeal cancer). METHODS: Based on the DisGeNET (v7.0) data set, we constructed a disease-gene network to identify genes that are involved in various carcinomas, viz. Gastric cancer (GC), Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL). We identified communities in the disease-gene network and performed functional enrichment using over-representation analysis to detect significant biological processes/pathways and the interactions between them. RESULT: We identified the modular communities to explore the relation of this common causative pathogen (EBV) with different carcinomas such as GC, NPC, HL and BL. Through network analysis we identified the top 10 genes linked with EBV associated carcinomas as CASP10, BRAF, NFKBIA, IFNA2, GSTP1, CSF3, GATA3, UBR5, AXIN2 and POLE. Further, the tyrosine-protein kinase (ABL1) gene was significantly over-represented in 3 out of 9 critical biological processes, viz. in regulatory pathways in cancer, the TP53 network and the Imatinib and chronic myeloid leukemia biological processes. Consequently, the EBV pathogen appears to target critical pathways involved in cellular growth arrest/apoptosis. We make our case for BCR-ABL1 tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKI) for further clinical investigations in the inhibition of BCR-mediated EBV activation in carcinomas for better prognostic and therapeutic outcomes.

The eyes reflect an internal cognitive state hidden in the population activity of cortical neurons.

Decades of research have shown that global brain states such as arousal can be indexed by measuring the properties of the eyes. The spiking responses of neurons throughout the brain have been associated with the pupil, small fixational saccades, and vigor in eye movements, but it has been difficult to isolate how internal states affect the eyes, and vice versa. While recording from populations of neurons in the visual and prefrontal cortex (PFC), we recently identified a latent dimension of neural activity called "slow drift," which appears to reflect a shift in a global brain state. Here, we asked if slow drift is correlated with the action of the eyes in distinct behavioral tasks. We recorded from visual cortex (V4) while monkeys performed a change detection task, and PFC, while they performed a memory-guided saccade task. In both tasks, slow drift was associated with the size of the pupil and the microsaccade rate, two external indicators of the internal state of the animal. These results show that metrics related to the action of the eyes are associated with a dominant and task-independent mode of neural activity that can be accessed in the population activity of neurons across the cortex.

Aspergillus caespitosus ASEF14, an oleaginous fungus as a potential candidate for biodiesel production using sago processing wastewater (SWW).

BACKGROUND: Oleaginous microorganisms are sustainable alternatives for the production of biodiesel. Among them, oleaginous fungi are known for their rapid growth, short life cycles, no light requirement, easy scalability, and the ability to grow in cheap organic resources. Among all the sources used for biodiesel production, industrial wastewater streams have been least explored. We used oleaginous fungi to decontaminate sago processing wastewater and produce biodiesel. RESULTS: Among the 15 isolates screened for lipid production and starch utilization using the Nile red staining assay and amylase plate screening, three isolates accumulated > 20% (w/w) of their dry cell mass as lipids. The isolate ASEF14 exhibited the highest lipid accumulation (> 40%) and was identified as Aspergillus caespitosus based on the 28S rRNA gene sequencing. The maximum lipid content of 54.4% in synthetic medium (SM) and 37.2% in sago processing wastewater (SWW) was produced by the strain. The Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the fungal oil revealed the presence of functional peaks corresponding to major lipids. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the FTIR data revealed major changes in the fatty acid composition during the transition from the growth phase (Days 1-3) to the lipid accumulation phase (Days 4-7). The fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) analysis of fungal oil from SWW contained 43.82% and 9.62% of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, respectively. The composition and percentage of individual FAME derived from SWW were different from SM, indicating the effect of nutrient and fermentation time. The fuel attributes of the SM- and SWW-grown fungal biodiesel (kinematic viscosity, iodine value, cetane number, cloud and pour point, linolenic acid content, FA > 4 double bonds) met international (ASTM D6751, EN 14214) and national (IS 15607) biodiesel standards. In addition to biodiesel production, the strain removed various contaminants such as total solids (TS), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and cyanide up to 58.6%, 53.0%, 35.2%, 94.5%, 89.3%, 91.3%, 74.0%, 47.0%, and 53.84%, respectively, from SWW. CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that A. caespitosus ASEF14 is a potential candidate with high lipid accumulating ability (37.27%), capable of using SWW as the primary growth medium. The medium and incubation time alter the FAME profile of this fungus. The physical properties of fungal oil were in accordance with the biodiesel standards. Moreover, it decontaminated SWW by reducing several polluting nutrients and toxicants. The fungal biodiesel produced by this cost-effective method could serve as an alternate path to meet global energy demand.

Determinants of HIV status disclosure to children living with HIV in coastal Karnataka, India.

The caregivers of HIV-positive children either delay or avoid disclosure of HIV status to the child due to several reasons. Keeping the child's HIV status a secret puts them at considerable risk of stopping therapy and transmitting HIV to others. Hence this study was conducted to assess the determinants of disclosure of HIV status to infected children in coastal Karnataka. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a District Hospital in Coastal Karnataka from October 2014 to July 2015. One hundred eighty-five caregivers were recruited for the study purposively and interviewed using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire after written informed consent. Of the 185 caregivers interviewed, 78 (42%) caregivers had not disclosed the HIV status to the child. The child being too young was the most common reason for non-disclosure of HIV status. The majority of the caregivers intended to disclose the HIV status fully to the child after the child attained ten years of age. Nearly two-thirds of the caregivers wanted to disclose it themselves in their own homes. The significant determinants of disclosure of HIV status were the age of the child, and person involved in childcare, and the venue of the disclosure.

Comparison of knowledge, attitude and concern about HIV/AIDS patients among dental students: A cross sectional survey.

HIV/AIDS has taken a pandemic form affecting 40 million people around the world. The present study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, and concerns of dental students towards HIV/AIDS infected individuals. A cross sectional study was conducted among 224 subjects, among them 112 final year (FY) students and 112 interns. Subjects were selected from 10 dental colleges in Bangalore city, India. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The mean knowledge score of FY students and interns was 73.66+5.9 and 80.4+7.2 respectively; the mean attitude score was 71.25+1.707 and 87.75+1.8 and the mean concern score was 92+2.645 and 97.75+3.171 respectively. Differences in the mean score were significant. Dental interns had slightly higher knowledge, attitude, and concern than the FY students. There is a need to add HIV/AIDS patient's infection control measures in the dental curriculum.

Distinct Sources of Variability Affect Eye Movement Preparation.

The sequence of events leading to an eye movement to a target begins the moment visual information has reached the brain, well in advance of the eye movement itself. The process by which visual information is encoded and used to generate a motor plan has been the focus of substantial interest partly because of the rapid and reproducible nature of saccadic eye movements, and the key role that they play in primate behavior. Signals related to eye movements are present in much of the primate brain, yet most neurophysiological studies of the transition from vision to eye movements have measured the activity of one neuron at a time. Less is known about how the coordinated action of populations of neurons contribute to the initiation of eye movements. One cortical area of particular interest in this process is the frontal eye fields, a region of prefrontal cortex that has descending projections to oculomotor control centers. We recorded from populations of frontal eye field neurons in macaque monkeys engaged in a memory-guided saccade task. We found a variety of neurons with visually evoked responses, saccade-aligned responses, and mixtures of both. We took advantage of the simultaneous nature of the recordings to measure variability in individual neurons and pairs of neurons from trial-to-trial, as well as the moment-to-moment population activity structure. We found that these measures were related to saccadic reaction times, suggesting that the population-level organization of frontal eye field activity is important for the transition from perception to movement.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The transition from perception to action involves coordination among neurons across the brain. In the case of eye movements, visual and motor signals coexist in individual neurons as well as in neighboring neurons. We used a task designed to compartmentalize the visual and motor aspects of this transition and studied populations of neurons in the frontal eye fields, a key cortical area containing neurons that are implicated in the transition from vision to eye movements. We found that the time required for subjects to produce an eye movement could be predicted from the statistics of the neuronal response of populations of frontal eye field neurons, suggesting that these neurons coordinate their activity to optimize the transition from perception to action.

A neural network for online spike classification that improves decoding accuracy.

Separating neural signals from noise can improve brain-computer interface performance and stability. However, most algorithms for separating neural action potentials from noise are not suitable for use in real time and have shown mixed effects on decoding performance. With the goal of removing noise that impedes online decoding, we sought to automate the intuition of human spike-sorters to operate in real time with an easily tunable parameter governing the stringency with which spike waveforms are classified. We trained an artificial neural network with one hidden layer on neural waveforms that were hand-labeled as either spikes or noise. The network output was a likelihood metric for each waveform it classified, and we tuned the network's stringency by varying the minimum likelihood value for a waveform to be considered a spike. Using the network's labels to exclude noise waveforms, we decoded remembered target location during a memory-guided saccade task from electrode arrays implanted in prefrontal cortex of rhesus macaque monkeys. The network classified waveforms in real time, and its classifications were qualitatively similar to those of a human spike-sorter. Compared with decoding with threshold crossings, in most sessions we improved decoding performance by removing waveforms with low spike likelihood values. Furthermore, decoding with our network's classifications became more beneficial as time since array implantation increased. Our classifier serves as a feasible preprocessing step, with little risk of harm, that could be applied to both off-line neural data analyses and online decoding.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Although there are many spike-sorting methods that isolate well-defined single units, these methods typically involve human intervention and have inconsistent effects on decoding. We used human classified neural waveforms as training data to create an artificial neural network that could be tuned to separate spikes from noise that impaired decoding. We found that this network operated in real time and was suitable for both off-line data processing and online decoding.

Dynamic shifts of visual and saccadic signals in prefrontal cortical regions 8Ar and FEF.

Active vision is a fundamental process by which primates gather information about the external world. Multiple brain regions have been studied in the context of simple active vision tasks in which a visual target's appearance is temporally separated from saccade execution. Most neurons have tight spatial registration between visual and saccadic signals, and in areas such as prefrontal cortex (PFC), some neurons show persistent delay activity that links visual and motor epochs and has been proposed as a basis for spatial working memory. Many PFC neurons also show rich dynamics, which have been attributed to alternative working memory codes and the representation of other task variables. Our study investigated the transition between processing a visual stimulus and generating an eye movement in populations of PFC neurons in macaque monkeys performing a memory guided saccade task. We found that neurons in two subregions of PFC, the frontal eye fields (FEF) and area 8Ar, differed in their dynamics and spatial response profiles. These dynamics could be attributed largely to shifts in the spatial profile of visual and motor responses in individual neurons. This led to visual and motor codes for particular spatial locations that were instantiated by different mixtures of neurons, which could be important in PFC's flexible role in multiple sensory, cognitive, and motor tasks.NEW & NOTEWORTHY A central question in neuroscience is how the brain transitions from sensory representations to motor outputs. The prefrontal cortex contains neurons that have long been implicated as important in this transition and in working memory. We found evidence for rich and diverse tuning in these neurons, which was often spatially misaligned between visual and saccadic responses. This feature may play an important role in flexible working memory capabilities.

Depression, Anxiety, and Psychological Distress among Healthcare Providers during the Outbreak of the Life-threatening Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

"The concept of total wellness recognizes that our every thought, word, and behavior affect our greater health and well-being. And we, in turn, are affected not only emotionally but also physically and spiritually."-Greg Anderson.

Age-related Oral Changes and Their Impact on Oral Health-related Quality of Life among Frail Elderly Population: A Review.

BACKGROUND: In the present-day world, the aging elderly across the world are living longer. Most people are expected to live well into their sixties and even beyond. The increasing life expectancy of the aging population could be due to increased availability of healthcare facilities and improved quality care provided by them. Alongside increasing life expectancy, the individual's quality of life and also his/her oral health-related quality of life (OHR-QoL) are expected to improve so that they can enjoy their aging life. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review article is to highlight aging-related oral health changes and their impact on the individual's quality of life. REVIEW RESULTS: Age-related oral changes are seen in the tooth structure making the enamel more brittle resulting in severe attrition. Autoimmune diseases like Sjogren's syndrome are followed by decrease in the salivary gland function and the reason is unknown, and medications like antihypertensive and analgesics are associated with the decrease in salivary flow, which increases the patient's risk of developing dental caries, and also make the oral tissues more prone to mucosal infections. Edentulism has also been directly related to masticatory problems and nutritional problems. The studies reported on OHR-QoL of these frail elderly populations have shown lower scores. CONCLUSION: It is important for health professionals, especially those dealing with these frail elderly populations, to have a better understanding of their dental needs and also understand the physiologic changes undergone by them. The health professionals should understand and comprehend the oral health challenges these vulnerable people face. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Healthcare providers should conduct periodic oral examinations along with general examination and should avoid prescribing medications that have xerostomia as a side effect. The elderly individuals should be encouraged to keep their mouth moist using water or artificial saliva and maintain good oral and denture hygiene.

Hand eczema in nurses, nursing auxiliaries and cleaners-A cross-sectional study from a tertiary hospital in western India.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers have a high risk of developing hand eczema. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and severity of dermatologist-determined hand eczema among healthcare workers, carry out patch testing, and correlate the findings with impairment in quality of life (QoL) and demographic and vocational factors. METHODS: Seven hundred and ten healthcare workers (279 nurses, 246 cleaners, and 185 nursing auxiliaries) were screened for the presence of hand eczema. Severity of eczema was calculated with the Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI), and QoL was measured with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Individuals with hand eczema were also patch tested. RESULTS: The point and 1-year prevalences of hand eczema were 7.2% and 18.9%, respectively. Hand eczema was significantly associated with atopic dermatitis. The mean HECSI score was 9.39; it was significantly higher in patients with atopic dermatitis and those with recurrent hand eczema. The mean DLQI score was 5.37. Cleaning staff had significantly greater impairment in QoL. HECSI and DLQI scores were positively correlated. Patch testing showed that thiuram mix, antibiotics and cleansers as sensitizers were over-represented in healthcare workers as compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: Hand eczema was particularly common in hospital cleaners and staff with atopic dermatitis. Further studies are needed to address the burden of occupational hand eczema and develop guidelines for its management at a national level.

Context cue-dependent saccadic adaptation in rhesus macaques cannot be elicited using color.

When the head does not move, rapid movements of the eyes called saccades are used to redirect the line of sight. Saccades are defined by a series of metrical and kinematic (evolution of a movement as a function of time) relationships. For example, the amplitude of a saccade made from one visual target to another is roughly 90% of the distance between the initial fixation point (T0) and the peripheral target (T1). However, this stereotypical relationship between saccade amplitude and initial retinal error (T1-T0) may be altered, either increased or decreased, by surreptitiously displacing a visual target during an ongoing saccade. This form of motor learning (called saccadic adaptation) has been described in both humans and monkeys. Recent experiments in humans and monkeys have suggested that internal (proprioceptive) and external (target shape, color, and/or motion) cues may be used to produce context-dependent adaptation. We tested the hypothesis that an external contextual cue (target color) could be used to evoke differential gain (actual saccade/initial retinal error) states in rhesus monkeys. We did not observe differential gain states correlated with target color regardless of whether targets were displaced along the same vector as the primary saccade or perpendicular to it. Furthermore, this observation held true regardless of whether adaptation trials using various colors and intrasaccade target displacements were randomly intermixed or presented in short or long blocks of trials. These results are consistent with hypotheses that state that color cannot be used as a contextual cue and are interpreted in light of previous studies of saccadic adaptation in both humans and monkeys.

MD simulations indicate Omicron P132H of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is a potential allosteric mutant involved in modulating the dynamics of catalytic site entry loop.

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease Mpro, essential for viral replication is an important drug target. It plays a critical role in processing viral polyproteins necessary for viral replication assembly. One of the predominant SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutations of Omicron variant is Pro132His. Structurally, this mutation site is located ∼22 Å away from the catalytic site. The solved crystal structure of this mutant in complex with inhibitors as well as its reported catalytic efficiency did not show any difference with respect to the wild type. Thus, the mutation was concluded to be non-allosteric. Based on microsecond long MD simulation of the Pro132His mutant and wild type, we show that Pro132His mutation affects the conformational equilibrium with more population of conformational substates having open catalytic site, modulated by the dynamics of the catalytic site entry loop, implying the allosteric nature of this mutation. The structural analysis indicates that rearrangement of hydrogen bonds between His132 and adjacent residues enhances the dynamics of the linker, which in turn is augmented by the inherent dynamic flexibility of the catalytic pocket entry site due to the presence of charged residues. The altered dynamics leading to loss of secondary structures corroborate well with the reported compromised thermal stability.

Performance of Artificial Intelligence Models Designed for Automated Estimation of Age Using Dento-Maxillofacial Radiographs-A Systematic Review.

Automatic age estimation has garnered significant interest among researchers because of its potential practical uses. The current systematic review was undertaken to critically appraise developments and performance of AI models designed for automated estimation using dento-maxillofacial radiographic images. In order to ensure consistency in their approach, the researchers followed the diagnostic test accuracy guidelines outlined in PRISMA-DTA for this systematic review. They conducted an electronic search across various databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the Saudi Digital Library to identify relevant articles published between the years 2000 and 2024. A total of 26 articles that satisfied the inclusion criteria were subjected to a risk of bias assessment using QUADAS-2, which revealed a flawless risk of bias in both arms for the patient-selection domain. Additionally, the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. AI technology has primarily been utilized for automated age estimation through tooth development stages, tooth and bone parameters, bone age measurements, and pulp-tooth ratio. The AI models employed in the studies achieved a remarkably high precision of 99.05% and accuracy of 99.98% in the age estimation for models using tooth development stages and bone age measurements, respectively. The application of AI as an additional diagnostic tool within the realm of age estimation demonstrates significant promise.

Association of Electronic Cigarette Usage with the Subsequent Initiation of Combustible Cigarette Smoking among Dental Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Longitudinal Study.

The use of electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigarettes", among youths has sparked worries about the possibility of nicotine dependence as a serious public health issue. Dental practitioners play a critical role in helping their patients quit smoking. Dental schools across the globe have policies encouraging their students to help patients quit smoking. Current research, however, indicates that a significant portion of dental students smoke combustible cigarettes and use e-cigarettes. According to studies, using e-cigarettes has resulted in the subsequent initiation of combustible cigarette smoking among its users. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the use of electronic cigarettes and the subsequent initiation of combustible cigarette smoking among dental students who were not attitudinally susceptible to smoking combustible cigarettes. A longitudinal cohort study was conducted among 121 study participants who were never combustible cigarette users and were attitudinally non-susceptible to smoking at baseline. At baseline, 66 (54.6%) study participants were categorized as e-cigarette users who were attitudinally non-susceptible to combustible cigarette smoking, and 55 (45.4%) study participants were categorized as non-users who were attitudinally non-susceptible to combustible cigarette smoking. The initiation of combustible cigarette smoking was assessed at 6- and 12-month intervals. Binomial regression analysis of the outcome at the end of one-year follow-up, when analyzed with independent variables, revealed a significant influence of e-cigarette use on taking up combustible cigarette smoking [Relative Risk: 9.395; 95% CI: 3.03-29.04]. Chi-squared analysis of independent variables revealed e-cigarette use to be significantly associated with fathers' education level (p = 0.00), parental cigarette smoking status (p = 0.00), cigarette smoking among friends (p = 0.00), and family income (p = 0.00). E-cigarette users are more likely to believe it to be healthier (p = 0.00) than combustible smoking. In the present study, e-cigarette usage demonstrated a significant influence on taking up combustible cigarette smoking among its users. Educational institutions should implement stringent policies and regulations to prevent health professionals from using these products.

Knowledge of and Self-Expressed Stigma for COVID-19 Vaccination among Pre-University Students in a College in South India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious infection characterized by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). Safe and effective vaccines are game-changers in the global vision of marking an end to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, vaccine hesitancy due to perceived stigma and misinformation is a grave cause of concern. Objectives: To assess pre-university students' self-expressed stigma regarding COVID-19 vaccination and its association with their knowledge. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was adopted for this research. A structured questionnaire approach was used to gather data from 384 students purposively at the selected pre-university college. The structured questionnaire consisted of three sections that explored the socio-demographic characteristics of the study participants, knowledge of vaccination, and self-expressed stigma, respectively. A total of 384 respondents took part in the study. Results: The study observes a low positive relationship (r = 0.25, P < 0.01) between knowledge and self-expressed stigma toward vaccination. Further, it was observed that participants from rural backgrounds had lower knowledge and self-expressed stigma scores than participants from urban settings. It is pertinent to note that participants with other sources of information had higher knowledge than those who used the internet, friends/peers, or newspapers. Both of the aforementioned findings are statistically significant. Conclusion: The interventions should revive trust in national health authorities, structured awareness campaigns by government agencies, and media coverage about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. In addition, it is also important to support citizens in ensuring that they have access to the right information from authentic sources in times of crisis.

Unveiling the Impact of Electronic Cigarettes (EC) on Health: An Evidence-Based Review of EC as an Alternative to Combustible Cigarettes.

Cigarette smoking has been considered a major public health concern due to its serious impact on health. However, smokers intending to quit may find long-term abstinence challenging. When smoking an electronic cigarette (EC), users can experience a sensation and taste similar to that of smoking a combustible cigarette. Therefore, manufacturers promote these products as a viable substitute for combustible cigarettes. However, several researchers report the serious health impacts experienced by EC users. Therefore, this review aims to examine the health impacts of EC use. Based on the findings of the research papers reported in the literature, the role of EC as a smoking cessation tool is unclear. Several researchers have also reported a significant association between EC usage among non-smokers at baseline and the future initiation of combustible cigarette smoking. EC use significantly impacts user health. The nicotine that is present in EC e-liquids can elevate blood pressure, resulting in blood vessel constriction and an increase in heart rate, ultimately leading the body to an ischemic condition, resulting in myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and increased arterial stiffness. Researchers report a higher likelihood of prediabetes among EC users; its usage was associated with higher OR of having asthma attacks and higher OR of reporting depression and has an impact on birth outcomes among pregnant women. Men using EC are more likely to report erectile dysfunction than non-users. EC also has a significant impact on oral health, which includes periodontal diseases, mucosal lesions, irritation in the mouth and throat, reduced salivary flow, and an increased risk of developing cancer. The physical injury resulting from exploding EC is another health concern. The frequently burned areas included the hands, face, genitalia, and thighs. Marketers promote EC as an alternative to combustible cigarettes and a tool for quitting smoking. However, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved them for smoking cessation. EC can have a serious impact on the health of their users; hence, the findings of this paper have several implications, including the need for regulation of the sales and marketing of these products and educating the users on the impact of these products on their health and safety.