bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Reflection on Preparing PGCE English Pre-Service Teachers for Effective Teaching Practices
Authors: Merisi Peter Oluwaseun , Msani Sindisiwe , Mba Favour
Published: October 2023

This paper argued that Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students in South Africa, as well as other nations of the globe, deserve more attention than their undergraduate counterparts in terms of the training and support they receive at the teacher education programmes. The paper is a reflection journal of a PGCE English grammar lesson, and the observation revealed that the PGCE students had certain knowledge expectations before they enrolled in the teaching profession. It further indicated that such expectation was a function of their prior learning experiences and current experiences of learning in the teacher education programme. The findings from the observation revealed the knowledge gap in their training which the students themselves deem a powerful force in the formation of their professional identity as teachers in training. It is therefore argued in this paper that such a gap, if not well addressed, may leave educationists in a situation where they continue to produce graduate teachers who are not just ill-prepared but who also lack confidence in themselves as well as the institutions that trained them. The paper thus has two implications for practice: implications for PGCE curriculum development and implications for a reflexive pedagogy in PGCE classes in the teacher education programmes in South Africa and globally.

Keywords: PGCE Pre-service Teachers, Teacher Education, Curriculation, Pedagogic Practices, Reflexive Pedagogy
The Iron Yield of Core-collapse Supernovae
Authors: Rodríguez Ósmar , Maoz Dan , Nakar Ehud
Published: October 2023

We present a systematic analysis of 191 stripped-envelope supernovae (SE SNe), aimed at computing their 56Ni masses from the luminosity in their radioactive tails (

M

Ni

tail

) and/or in their maximum light, and the mean 56Ni and iron yields of SE SNe and core-collapse SNe. Our sample consists of SNe IIb, Ib, and Ic from the literature and from the Zwicky Transient Facility Bright Transient Survey. To calculate luminosities from optical photometry, we compute bolometric corrections using 49 SE SNe with optical and near-IR photometry, and develop corrections to account for the unobserved UV and IR flux. We find that the equation of Khatami & Kasen for radioactive 56Ni-powered transients with a single free parameter does not fit the observed peak time–luminosity relation of SE SNe. Instead, we find a correlation between

M

Ni

tail

, peak time, peak luminosity, and decline rate, which allows for measuring individual 56Ni masses to a precision of 14%. Applying this method to the whole sample, we find, for SNe IIb, Ib, and Ic, mean 56Ni masses of 0.066 ± 0.006, 0.082 ± 0.009, and 0.132 ± 0.011 M
⊙, respectively. After accounting for their relative rates, for SE SNe as a whole, we compute mean 56Ni and iron yields of 0.090 ± 0.005 and 0.097 ± 0.007 M
⊙, respectively. Combining these results with the recent Type II SN mean 56Ni mass derived by Rodríguez et al., core-collapse SNe, as a whole, have mean 56Ni and iron yields of 0.055 ± 0.006 and 0.058 ± 0.007 M
⊙, respectively. We also find that radioactive 56Ni-powered models typically underestimate the peak luminosity of SE SNe by 60%–70%, suggesting the presence of an additional power source contributing to the luminosity at peak.
Implications of Narrow Spectra of Fast Radio Bursts
Authors: Yang Yuan-Pei
Published: October 2023

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients with extremely high brightness temperatures at cosmological distances, and the physical origin and the radiation mechanism of FRBs are still unknown. The observed spectral bandwidth of some FRBs appeared narrow compared with their peak frequencies, which could be used to constrain the radiation mechanism and the astrophysical environment of FRBs. In this work, we investigate some of the possible physical origins of the narrow spectra from the perspectives of intrinsic radiation mechanisms, coherent processes, radiative transfers, and interference processes. We find that: (1) If the observed narrow spectra of FRBs are attributed to the intrinsic radiation mechanism by a single charged particle, the particle’s deflection angle should be much smaller than the radiation beaming angle. (2) Coherent process can cause narrow spectra. For the bunching mechanism, the narrow spectra might arise from the radiating bunches with a quasiperiodic distribution. For the maser mechanism, the negative absorption process can naturally cause a narrow spectrum. (3) Most absorption and scattering processes seem not to significantly change the observed spectra based on the current observation of some FRB repeaters. (4) Scintillation and plasma lensing in the FRB source environment can modulate the spectra, leading to the narrow spectra and the burst-to-burst variation of spectra. A planet-like object can generate the spectral modulation via gravitational lensing at the gigahertz band, but the observed burst-to-burst variation of the spectra does not support this scenario.
A Method to Measure Photometries of Moderately Saturated UVOT Sources
Authors: Zhou Hao , Jin Zhi-Ping , Covino Stefano , Fan Yi-Zhong , Wei Da-Ming
Published: October 2023

For bright transients such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) operates under event mode at early phases, which records incident positions and the arrival time for each photon. The event file is able to be screened into many exposures to study the early light curve of GRBs with a high time resolution, including the rapid brightening of the UV/optical emission in particular. Such a goal, however, is hampered for some extremely bright GRBs by the saturation in UVOT event images. For moderately saturated UVOT sources, in this work we further develop the method proposed in Jin et al. to recover their photometries. The basic idea is to assume a stable point-spread function of UVOT images, for which the counts in the core region (i.e., an aperture of a radius of 5″) and the wing region (i.e., an annulus ranging from 15″–25″) should be constant, and the intrinsic flux can be reliably inferred with data in the ring. We demonstrate that in a given band, a tight correlation does hold among the background-removed count rates in the core and the wing. With the new method, the bright limit of measuring range for UVOT V and B bands increases by ∼1.7 mag, while only by ∼0.7 mag for the U band due to the lack of bright calibration sources. Systematic uncertainties are ∼0.2 mag for the V, B, and U bands.
Carbon-bearing Molecules in a Possible Hycean
Atmosphere
Authors: Madhusudhan Nikku , Sarkar Subhajit , Constantinou Savvas , Holmberg Måns , Piette Anjali A. A. , Moses Julianne I.
Published: October 2023

The search for habitable environments and biomarkers in exoplanetary atmospheres
is the holy grail of exoplanet science. The detection of atmospheric signatures
of habitable Earth-like exoplanets is challenging owing to their small
planet–star size contrast and thin atmospheres with high mean molecular weight.
Recently, a new class of habitable exoplanets, called Hycean worlds, has been
proposed, defined as temperate ocean-covered worlds with H2-rich
atmospheres. Their large sizes and extended atmospheres, compared to rocky
planets of the same mass, make Hycean worlds significantly more accessible to
atmospheric spectroscopy with JWST. Here we report a transmission spectrum of
the candidate Hycean world K2-18 b, observed with the JWST NIRISS and NIRSpec
instruments in the 0.9–5.2 μm range. The spectrum
reveals strong detections of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide
(CO2) at 5σ and 3σ confidence, respectively, with high volume mixing
ratios of ∼1% each in a H2-rich atmosphere. The abundant
CH4 and CO2, along with the nondetection of ammonia
(NH3), are consistent with chemical predictions for an ocean
under a temperate H2-rich atmosphere on K2-18 b. The spectrum also
suggests potential signs of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which has been predicted to
be an observable biomarker in Hycean worlds, motivating considerations of
possible biological activity on the planet. The detection of CH4
resolves the long-standing missing methane problem for temperate exoplanets and
the degeneracy in the atmospheric composition of K2-18 b from previous
observations. We discuss possible implications of the findings, open questions,
and future observations to explore this new regime in the search for life
elsewhere.
CEERS MIRI Imaging: Data Reduction and Quality Assessment
Authors: Yang 杨 G. 光 , Papovich C. , Bagley M. B. , Ferguson H. C. , Finkelstein S. L. , Koekemoer A. M. , Pérez-González P. G. , Arrabal Haro P. , Bisigello L. , Caputi K. I. , Cheng Y. , Costantin L. , Dickinson M. , Fontana A. , Gardner J. P. , Grazian A. , Grogin N. A. , Harish S. , Holwerda B. W. , Iani E. , Kartaltepe J. S. , Kewley L. J. , Kirkpatrick A. , Kocevski D. D. , Kokorev V. , Lotz J. M. , Lucas R. A. , Navarro-Carrera R. , Pentericci L. , Pirzkal N , Ravindranath S. , Rinaldi P. , Shen L. , Somerville R. S. , Trump J. R. , de la Vega A. , Wilkins S. M. , Yung L. Y. Aaron
Published: October 2023

The Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey (CEERS), targeting the Extended Groth Strip extragalactic field, is one of the James Webb Space Telescope Director’s Discretionary Early Release Science programs. To date, all observations have been executed and include NIRCam/MIRI imaging and NIRSpec/NIRCam spectroscopic exposures. Here we discuss the MIRI imaging, which includes eight pointings, four of which provide deep imaging with the bluer bands (F560W and F770W) and four of which provide contiguous wavelength coverage in F1000W, F1280W, F1500W, and F1800W, where two of these also include coverage in F770W and F2100W. We present a summary of the data, data quality, and data reduction. The data reduction is based on the jwst calibration pipeline combined with custom modifications and additional steps designed to enhance the output quality, including improvements in astrometry and the removal of detector artifacts. We estimate the image depth of the reduced mosaics and show that these generally agree with expectations from the Exposure Time Calculator. We compare the MIRI F560W and F770W flux densities for bright sources to measurements from Spitzer/IRAC Ch3 (5.8 μm) and Ch4 (8.0 μm), and we find that they agree with systematic differences of <0.1 mag. For the redder MIRI bands, we assess their quality by studying the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of Galactic stars. The SEDs are consistent with the expected Rayleigh–Jeans law with a deviation of ∼0.03 mag, indicating that the MIRI colors are reliable. We also discuss all publicly released data products (images and source catalogs), which are available on the CEERS website (https://ceers.github.io/).
The Force-freeness of the Solar Photosphere: Revisit with New Approach and Large Data Sets
Authors: Zhang Mei , Zhang Haocheng
Published: October 2023

Although it is generally believed that the solar photosphere is not magnetically force-free owing to its high plasma β, the estimations of force-freeness using observed magnetograms have produced disputable results. Some studies confirmed that the photosphere is largely not force-free whereas some authors argued that the photosphere is not far away from being force-free. In a previous paper of ours we demonstrated that, due to the fact that the noise levels of the transverse field in the magnetograms are much larger than those of the vertical field, wrong judgments on the force-freeness could be made: a truly force-free field could be judged as being not-force-free and a truly not-force-free field could be judged as being force-free. Here in this Letter, we propose an approach to overcome this serious problem. By reducing the spatial resolution to lower the noise level, the heavy influence of the measurement noise on the force-freeness judgment can be significantly suppressed. We first use two analytical solutions to show the success and effectiveness of this approach. Then, we apply this new approach to two large data sets of active region magnetograms, obtained with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager/Solar Dynamics Observatory and Spectro-Polarimeter (SP)/Hinode, respectively. Our analysis shows that the photospheric magnetic fields are actually far away from being force-free. Particularly, and most notably, the mean value of F

z
/F

p
(where F

z
is the net Lorentz force in the vertical direction and F

p
the total Lorentz force) is as low as −0.47, with more than 98% of the active regions having ∣F

z
/F

p
∣ > 0.1 when using the SP/Hinode magnetograms of true field strength.
Defining Millisecond Pulsars
Authors: Halder Priyam , Goswami Satyaki , Halder Protyusha , Ghosh Uday , Konar Sushan
Published: October 2023

Millisecond pulsars (MSP) are an important subclass of rotation powered pulsars (RPP), traditionally defined as those with P

s
 < 20–30 ms and B

s
 ≲ 1010 G. We re-examine this definition by applying Gaussian mixture model analysis to identify distinct clusters within the RPP population and find that the MSPs appear to be better demarcated by the condition
P

s

 ≲ 16 ms.
Laevilacunaria (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Southern Ocean: A comprehensive occurrence dataset
Authors: Schmider-Martínez Andreas , Maturana Claudia , Poveda Yarleth , Rosenfeld Sebastián , López-Farrán Zambra , Saucède Thomas , Poulin Elie , González-Wevar Claudio
Published: October 2023

The present dataset is a compilation of georeferenced occurrences of the littorinid genus Laevilacunaria Powell, 1951 (Mollusca, Gastropoda) in the Southern Ocean. Occurrence data were obtained from field expeditions (Antarctic and sub-Antarctic sampling) between 2015 and 2022, together with a review of published literature including records from 1887 to 2022. Three Laevilacunaria species have been recorded from the Southern Ocean: Laevilacunaria bennetti, L. antarctica and L. pumilio.

The present dataset includes 75 occurrences, representing the most exhaustive database of this Antarctic and sub-Antarctic littorinid genus. The publication of this data paper was funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO, contract n°FR/36/AN1/AntaBIS) in the Framework of EU-Lifewatch as a contribution to the SCAR Antarctic biodiversity portal (biodiversity.aq).
Actions collectives en ligne : un acte individuel pensé pour le bien commun ?
Authors: Amand Léa
Published: October 2023

Les recherches sur l’action collective en ligne ont porté sur la possibilité d’une articulation entre objectifs partagés et initiatives individuelles. La nature peu astreignante voire peu consistante de celles-ci conduit parfois certain.es auteur.es à reléguer les questions de rationalité (au sens de M. Olson) et de « calcul » aux théories classiques de l’action collective. Cet article souhaite donc proposer une réflexion sur la manière dont, au sein d’actions collectives en ligne, un acte individuel peut tout à la fois s’avérer peu coûteux et malgré tout reposer sur une réflexion intentionnelle, non pas dans un état d’esprit strictement utilitariste mais orientée vers un but collectivement poursuivi. Deux modes opératoires, reposant sur des actions individuelles désireuses d’être utiles pour un projet commun, ont été extraits de notre analyse : le « porte-parole auto-désigné » et « l’astuce de l’effet cumulatif ».
À la recherche du citoyen « ordinaire », les publics imaginés de l’ouverture des données publiques au niveau municipal
Authors: Millerand Florence , Delias Lucie , Coutant Alexandre , Fortier Marie-Soleil
Published: October 2023

À partir de l’étude du Portail des données ouvertes de la Ville de Montréal (Canada), cet article rend compte des publics de l’open data municipal à trois niveaux : les publics imaginés dans les discours, les publics configurés par le dispositif numérique, et les publics construits à travers les stratégies d’acteurs. Nous montrons comment la figure du citoyen « ordinaire » est travaillée discursivement et pratiquement, et comment les (non) usages du portail constituent des indices des attentes des publics effectifs qui, réinterprétés par les acteurs, contribuent à faire évoluer les publics et leurs représentations. Au-delà du constat de la non-équivalence entre les publics idéaux et les publics empiriques, l’étude encourage à prêter attention aux stratégies d’adaptation variées qui en résultent.
Les dénouements des situations révolutionnaires
Authors: Hassabo Chaymaa , Hmed Choukri
Published: October 2023

La littérature en science politique consacrée aux révolutions et celle qui s’intéresse aux transitions politiques séparent le plus souvent l’analyse des situations révolutionnaires de celle de leurs dénouements. Fondé sur des enquêtes de terrain multisituées, en Égypte et en Tunisie, pendant les premières années qui ont suivi l’éclatement du « printemps arabe » (2010-2014), l’article remet en cause cette division du travail intellectuel et propose un nouveau programme de recherche. Celui-ci prend justement pour objet l’analyse des interactions entre les acteurs des mobilisations et ceux qui sont au cœur des transformations institutionnelles. Il montre d’une part que le transfert du pouvoir d’État, inhérent aux processus de changement de régime, est hautement dépendant de la nature et de la forme de ces interactions. Il redéfinit d’autre part le contenu des dénouements révolutionnaires, en analysant plus finement le rôle des élections ainsi que le processus constituant pendant la conjoncture critique.
Comment les mères rêvent-elles à leur bébé ?
Authors: Denat Patricia
Published: October 2023

Ce bébé à venir, si désiré soit-il, il faudra l’apprivoiser, le faire sien pour mieux le laisser partir, tout lui donner sans rien attendre en retour. Il est nôtre avant d’être lui parmi les autres, et sa vie se déclinera de nos rimes et de celles du monde. Cette jeune femme, elle est maman bien avant la naissance, et même bien avant la conception, future mère dans sa famille, sa culture, future maman dans ses rêves, ses désirs, ses convictions, et maman de celui-là à nul autre pareil. C’est l’apprentissage de toute une vie qu’elle entame dans cette aventure-là, mais avec la certitude que, quoi qu’il arrive, cet amour partagé avec cet être sera unique et n’appartiendra qu’à eux.
Scoring Methods in Script Concordance Tests: An Exploratory Psychometric Study
Authors: Deschênes Marie-France , Maheu-Cadotte Marc-André , Fontaine Guillaume , Dionne Éric
Published: October 2023

Background:

Despite the increasingly popular role of script concordance test (SCT) scoring methods in the evaluation of clinical reasoning, studies examining these methods in nursing are relatively scarce. This study explored the psychometric properties of five SCT scoring methods.

Method:

An SCT was administered to 12 experts and 43 learners. Scores were calculated using five methods and descriptive statistics. Differences in scores were assessed with the Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for the different methods.

Results:

The median scores of both experts and learners differed substantially according to the scoring method used. Learners' scores were statistically different from experts' scores (
p
< .01) for each method. Spearman coefficients (range, 0.44 to 0.95) were positive for the different methods.

Conclusion:

Further research is needed to refine the influence of SCT scoring methods for use in certifying assessment of clinical reasoning in nursing.

[
J Nurs Educ
. 2023;62(10):549–555.]
The Effects of Low-Fidelity Simulation on Students' Perceived Abilities to Build Therapeutic Relationships
Authors: Bee Rachel Elizabeth , Watkins Julia , Barnes Ruth
Published: October 2023

Background:

The combination of nursing student anxiety toward patients with mental health conditions, along with their unpreparedness for exercising active listening, empathy, and self-awareness in clinical situations, creates a barrier to achieving therapeutic nurse– patient relationships.

Method:

A quantitative quasiexperimental study with a one-group pretest-posttest design was used to determine whether a low-fidelity communication simulation laboratory would decrease nursing students' perceived anxiety levels toward mental health patients and increase students' perceived empathy, self-awareness, and active listening levels.

Results:

After completing the communication simulation laboratory, students' anxiety decreased significantly (
p
< .001) and active listening increased significantly (
p
< .001); empathy and self-awareness levels were relatively unchanged.

Conclusion:

Using a communication simulation laboratory effectively decreased nursing students' perceived anxiety levels toward patients and improved their perceived active listening skills. The findings of the study support the use of low-fidelity simulations to prepare students for psychiatric nursing clinical practice.

[
J Nurs Educ
. 2023;62(10):575–579.]
The Effect of Strategic Leadership on the Integration and Success of Organizational Change
Authors: Belias Dimitrios , Rossidis Ioannis , Mantas Chris , Ntalakos Angelos , Trihas Nikolaos , Bakogiannis Dimitrios
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this chapter is to examine the effect that strategic leadership has on the integration and the successful implementation of a change plan. Overall, it was found that strategic leadership had a significant and positive relationship with change integration, as well as the successful implementation of a change plan for an organization. Α strategic plan which will focus on having the change management process as a primary focus, not a secondary function, is expected to bring positive results such as the commitment of the employees and their high levels of satisfaction, which will result in the integration of the changes and furthermore on the success. Originality/value in a time where changes are constant, it is necessary to examine in depth and understand the drives of change but also how change can work. In this case, the examined relationships have not been widely examined.
The Contribution of Change Management to the Integration of E-Governance Systems
Authors: Rossidis Ioannis , Mihiotis Athanasios , Ntalakos Angelos
Published: October 2023

Contemporary socio-economic perceptions increasingly recognize the requirement for effective administrative changes. At this level, technological changes and especially the intention to implement digital reforms represent a distinct challenge for modern administrations in order to become capable of responding to the prevailing demands for a digital administrative environment. The integration of e-governance systems is a crucial goal for all developed countries aiming to increase the level of effectiveness and efficiency of administrative systems. The integration of a change, however, is a particularly demanding process that requires specialized know-how, found in the contemporary field of change management. The need to utilize change management in the integration of ε-governance is nowadays more evident than ever. Under the aforementioned approaches, the study will focus on examining the approaches of integrating information and communication technologies in the public sector from the perspective of change management.
Religious Pilgrimage in the Global South From Christianity to African Spirituality in South Africa
Authors: Henama Unathi Sonwabile , Mkhize-Simelane Bianca , Mathole Lebogang Matholwane , Phori Madiseng Messiah , Mokoena Lehlohonolo Gibson
Published: October 2023

The growth of tourism in South Africa after the end of apartheid can be associated with the growth of various forms of special interest tourism such as religious tourism. Religious pilgrimages produce positive spin offs for many destinations in South Africa that may not be regarded as traditional tourism destinations. Religious tourism is very robust in South Africa due to the existence of major African Initiated Churches (AICs) such as the Zion Christian Church, located in Moria City, outside Limpopo Province. There are, however, major religious tourism trips motivated by African Spirituality to destinations such as Isinuka in the Eastern Cape Province. The presence of the religious tourists in these small towns are closely related to low-density tourism in rural hinterlands leading to the geographic spread of tourists. The investigated pilgrimage events in the Global South give the reader a tapestry from mega pilgrimage events such as those undertaken by the Zion and Shembe Church and smaller scale pilgrimage occurring at Isinuka and Robben Island's Kramat.
Analyzing Destination Attractiveness Through Importance-Performance Analysis
Authors: Singh Kuldeep , Sharma Reena , Singh Sujay Vikram
Published: October 2023

As destination attractiveness influences tourists' behavioural intentions and acts as a significant predictor in competitive advantage of destinations, the studies have focused on this aspect with various new approaches and methodologies, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) being one of them. The research contributes in identifying six essential factors (accommodation, quality of amenities, infrastructural facilities, safety and security, host culture and community, and transport networks) that influence destination attractiveness of Kedarnath Temple, Kedarnath and Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath. This study aims to address the application of IPA scheme as a consistent and easy to use tool to support policymakers and destination management organisations in the context of the main area in intercession to develop the perceived attractiveness of a destination and its services. It supports the purview of degrowth policies to support the local infrastructure, local communities, and focus on the sustainable development of these places.
Divine Destinations
Authors: Vijayabanu C. , Rajakarthikeyan G. , Kavipriya J.
Published: October 2023

India is the first country that flourished in civilization. The country concentrates more on its spiritual tradition and practices, which have been in contact with all the world's major religions. The core of spiritual tourism is to develop internal feelings through worship and attain self-actualization irrespective of caste, creed, and economic status or logical realization through spirituality. The chapter discusses pilgrimage tourism and its impact on socio-economic development. It provides major revenue generation in the overall tourist industry and one of the vast employment-generating industries. India is emerging as a global leader in tourism by introducing many schemes to encourage the Ministry of External Affairs to develop Indian tourism. The chapter will facilitate the learning and rich knowledge source in the global pilgrimage tourism and hospitality discipline. It also provides insights to economists, academicians, researchers, practitioners, and other learned audiences.
A Bibliometric Study on “Pilgrimage” and “Tourism”
Authors: Miryala Ramesh Kumar , Gade Jayaprakashnaryana
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this chapter is to study the research published in the field of pilgrimage tourism and indexed in the Scopus collection. The entire data of research publications with keywords “tourism” and “pilgrimage” in their title and abstract are collected. A total of 1027 documents are found published in 499 sources with a total citation of 15956. Out of these documents published, 965 are originally published in English and the next largest number of articles published is in Spanish and French with an equal number of 15 articles. The article titled “The Anthropology of Tourism” published in Annals of Tourism Research (1983) was the most cited article (452) and International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage (2017) is the journal with the greatest number of documents published and Annals of Tourism Research is the journal with the highest number of citations (4190) in this field. This study will be useful to the researchers and policy makers to understand the research in the field for effective decision-making and further research.
Pilgrimage Tourism in a Pilgrim Centre in Assam
Authors: Deb Rajdeep , Kumar Pankaj , Ramasamy Rajesh
Published: October 2023

Pilgrimage tourism is one of the key subjects for driving the tourist footfall in pilgrim sites and is more of a destination-oriented theme. However, there are several elements that pose serious challenges to this phenomenon. Hence, there is an urgent need for undertaking a study to comprehend and examine the challenges of pilgrimage tourism and to offer suggestions to neutralize the challenges and issues associated with it. The current study was undertaken with two objectives: firstly, to identify the challenges of pilgrimage tourism in Kamakhya Temple – a pilgrim centre in Assam; and secondly, to present feasible suggestions to overcome the challenges of pilgrimage tourism in Kamakhya Temple in Assam. To fulfil the objectives, the study adopted secondary data for analysis along with anecdotal evidence to derive key insights about the objectives. Moreover, an extensive literature review was done by analyzing the journal articles and various published reports within the reach of the researcher.
Determinants of Sustainability of the Micro-Finance Sector in India
Authors: Kaur Sodi Jasbir , Bharucha Jehangir
Published: October 2023

India takes pride in the largest microfinance programme in the world. This paper aims to fill a void by exploiting data from third party agencies to study the efficiency parameters influencing financial health of MFIs (microfinance institutions). The authors use the “goodness of fit” test to find out the important factors determining the performance capabilities of microfinance institutions. Performance parameters OER (operating efficiency ratio), OSS (operational self sufficiency), ROE (return on equity), and ROA (return on assets) are tested with financial and social performance indicators to understand if any correlation exists. The study finds that the only significant factor affecting sustainability of MFIs is OER in India. OSS, ROE, and ROA had no significant impact on sustainability of these MFIs during the study period. Understanding the viability of microfinance and the factors that affect it can guide the design of policies that ensure benefits for the poor.
Managing excessive screen time in children and adolescents
Authors: Rohanachandra Yasodha Maheshi
Published: October 2023

No abstract available
Comparison among three different follow-up models for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients: focus on the physiotherapist’s role
Authors: Simonelli Carla , Vitacca Michele , Salvi Beatrice , Saleri Manuela , Paneroni Mara
Published: October 2023

In obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) subjects different follow-up modalities have been proposed to improve adherence to the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. This retrospective study compares three different health professional approaches dedicated to caring OSAS patients in three consecutive follow-up periods of 15 months each. The three different follow-up models are: i) physician-oriented follow-up (P-F); ii) physiotherapist-oriented follow-up (PT-F); and iii) tele-titration plus PT-oriented follow-up (TT-PT-F). Health personal visits and actions delivered, patients' adherence, CPAP efficacy, and problems under CPAP use were considered for comparison. Data from 122 OSAS patients with a new prescription of CPAP were analyzed: 39 (32.0%) in the P-F, 38 (31.1%) in the PT-F, and 45 (36.9%) in the TT-PT-F period. We found a reduction over time (from 40.9% in P-F to 8.2% in TT-PT-F, p<0.001) in patients missing the 1-year follow-up visit. The PT-F and TT-PT-F lead to a reduction in physician visits in comparison to P-F (5.2% and 8.9% vs 100%, p<0.001) with no differences in time to the first follow-up visit, CPAP efficacy, and patients’ adherence among the three periods. More device-related problems were found in the PT-F (57.8%), compared with the PF (25.6%) period (p<0.001); the most common troubles were mask problems evaluated in 26.2% of cases. In conclusion, different follow-up models offer similar efficacy and short-term adherence for CPAP leading to a significant reduction in physician visits under the PT-F with or without tele-titration, being mask problems as the most commonly treated. Further analysis should be useful to define the best cost-efficacy follow-up intervention.
2023 Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diabetes
Authors: Moon Min Kyong
Published: October 2023

The Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Korean Diabetes Association updated the previous clinical practice guidelines for Korean adults with diabetes and prediabetes and published the eighth edition in May 2023. We performed a comprehensive systematic review of recent clinical trials and evidence suitable for the Korean population that could be applicable to real-world practice. These guidelines were developed to enable all healthcare providers including physicians, diabetes experts, and certified diabetes educators nationwide to best care for individuals with diabetes in a clinical practice setting. The recommendations for screening, medical nutrition therapy, pharmacologic therapy for adults with type 2 diabetes, and obesity, hypertension, and lipid management were revised and updated. The use of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices was recommended for adults with type 1 diabetes and adults with type 2 diabetes treated with multiple insulin injections, and additional CGM metrics were added to the blood glucose control target.
Trends and Effects in Evidence-Based Psycho-Social Interventions for Patients with Diabetes
Authors: Lim Jung-won
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this study is to explore psycho-social interventions for patients with diabetes and to suggest the effects of such interventions based on findings from systematic review and meta-analysis. To date, many types of psycho-social interventions for patients with diabetes have been conducted, indicating that self-management, self-efficacy, glucose control, diabetes distress, and quality of life can be improved after psycho-social interventions. As the most frequently used psycho-social interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, behavior change techniques, motivational interviewing, and self-care interventions have been introduced and their effectiveness on psycho-social outcomes and disease control have been indicated. Recent studies have conducted technology-based psycho-social interventions for patients with diabetes, focusing on glucose control. Future studies are required to conduct multidisciplinary interventions based on a multilateral and integrated approach to continuously manage and monitor disease.
Mishaps during composite restoration: Acute allergic angioedema and contact dermatitis
Authors: Sankhyan Vanshish , Makkar Sameer , Negi Shabnam , Kaplish Ajitesh
Published: October 2023

Unexpected results and negligence can lead to mishaps in the dental operatory. With the trend of using tooth-colored restorations, mishaps have also increased, which are sometimes ignored due to a lack of knowledge. Although resin-based restorative materials are considered safe, their constituents can leach out and cause allergies in patients as well as dental professionals. Safe-handling of these resin-based materials is critical due to increased risk of occupational health hazards. Most of the allergies caused by resins are related to monomers based on methacrylic acid, which is found in almost all types of dentin bonding agents. Also, it is estimated that 5%–10% of all allergic contact dermatitis reports in dental professionals are due to contact with methacrylate. On the contrary, 37% phosphoric acid in etchant results in necrosis and ulcerative lesions due to vascular nature of the oral cavity. The purpose of this article is to help dentists to become aware of allergies/mishaps that can occur due to bonding agents and phosphoric acid, thereby leading to prevention and their early management.
Self-medication practice among medical students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Pawar Lavanya , Srikanth  , SC Somashekara
Published: October 2023

Background: The rise in trends of self-medication, particularly among medical students without being aware of its consequences, especially during the COVID pandemic, has raised a major concern. Self-medication may lead to unintended consequences, such as adverse events, unnecessary expenses, delay in attending professional evaluation, masking of symptoms, and drug interactions. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence, practice, and pattern of self-medication during the COVID-19 pandemic among medical students. Materials and Methods: In October 2022, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted using a validated, pretested questionnaire. Information regarding the demographic details, symptoms that led to self-medication, various drugs used, source of drug information, drug used/drug groups used, and reasons for self-medication during COVID-19 were all described in terms of frequency and percentage. Results: In the present study, 80% of the students practiced self-medication. Fever and headache were the most common symptoms for which self-medication was taken. Paracetamol and azithromycin were the most common drugs used for self-medication. Forty-four percent of the students used medical formulas from the previous consultation as the source of drug information, and 16% from the Internet. About 85% of students obtained the drug from a pharmacy. Thirty-two percent of the students self-medicated because they had symptoms of COVID-19 and 29% as a preventive measure. Conclusion: Self-medication was widely practiced by medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to educate medical students through various measures about the rational use of self-medication.
A review of new drugs approved by the food and drug administration in 2022
Authors: Swaminathan Arjun , Vijayakumar AE , Nikhithaa P
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT

Introduction:

The drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022, for the first time for any indication or under any brand, were studied under the contexts of indications, mechanism of action, and side effects. Primary care practitioners with considering patients as a composite whole will benefit by acquainting themselves with these drugs and their indications and adverse effects.

Observations:

The drugs were approved in all, 11 for the management of neoplasia, and 5 each for hematological, neurological, and dermatological conditions. 11 of the approved drugs are monoclonal antibodies and six are small molecule inhibitors.

Conclusion:

Although the FDA’s expedited approval program allows rapid market availability of drugs for difficult to treat conditions, a quarter of the globe does not have access to essential medicines, primarily due to cost. In light of this, approval agencies must reorient approval processes to improve accessibility.
Mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study at IGIMS, Patna
Authors: Yasmeen Tajwar , Prasad Nidhi , Kumar Vikash , Sinha Setu , Kumar Shishir , Kumar Sanjay
Published: October 2023

Introduction:

During the second wave of COVID-19, the incidence of mucormycosis has increased more rapidly. The most common causes attributed to the rise of mucormycosis in COVID-19 are uncontrolled diabetes, the excessive use of corticosteroids, and long-term stays in the intensive care unit, organ or bone marrow transplantation, etc.

Objective:

To determine the sociodemographic and associated risk factors, pattern of disease, treatment of mucormycosis and outcome of individual at time of discharge and after three months and six months of follow-up.

Methodology:

This cross-sectional study included all treated mucormycosis cases with prior COVID-19 infection. Data collected from medical records using purposive sampling. Survivors followed up at 3 and 6 months after discharge.

Results:

In our study, we analyzed 161 mucormycosis cases identified through positive RTPCR/Rapid Antigen reports. Among them, 72% were males and 28% were females. Diabetes mellitus was present in 71.4% and hypertension in 29.8% of patients. The case-fatality rate was 6.8% at discharge, increasing to 18.6% after 3 months and 28% after 6 months of follow-up. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 15. This analysis helped us draw meaningful conclusions from the data, highlighting the impact of comorbidities and time on mucormycosis outcomes.

Conclusion:

Post-COVID mucormycosis in India was primarily observed in patients with uncontrolled diabetes, immunodeficiency due to other comorbidities, and dysfunctional immune systems.
India’s Union Budget 2023—Healthcare allocation leaves much to be desired
Authors: Mehta Vini , Thomas Varsha , Mathur Ankita
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT

Healthcare is an imperative sector for India, considering the huge population in the country and the sub-par health facilities available to a majority of the country’s people. In this scenario, and given the havoc wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to India’s lack of optimal healthcare infrastructure, a large part of the healthcare industry expected that India’s Union Budget 2023 would provide significant outlays for the sector. However, with the budgetary outlay for healthcare coming in at the 10th position from the top, this hope was severely dashed, leading to questions about the country’s interest in providing healthcare facilities to its people. This article discusses the various facets of the Union Budget, and the lack of focus on healthcare, while also delineating the reasons why budgetary focus on healthcare is imperative for a developing country like India. It has also brought forth potential solutions, such as a public–private partnership in healthcare, which could ensure increased access to healthcare, improved quality of healthcare, reduced costs, and enhanced innovation and research.
Tribal gaps in Malaria in relation to KAP in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Sowmya Sudha Kothapalle , Amarnath Reddy Muthukuru Chadive , Sravana Kumar Gutta , Gandikota Sai Nithesh , Babu Goru Krishna
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT

Objectives:

To assess the level of GAPS in knowledge, attitudes and practices among tribal people regarding malaria disease. To assess the interassociation among knowledge, attitude and practices of scores.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was performed in tribal areas of East Godavari District for a period of one year during 2013. Sample size was calculated as 1136. Multistage Random sampling method was used to identify the 4 PHC’s in 4 directions of tribal areas and sample was equally distributed. In that study subjects were selected by using a simple Random method. Data were collected by using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire and results were displayed.

Setting:

Tribal area of east Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh State, India

Participants:

Study subjects were selected by simple random method

Results:

Knowledge–practice gap for source of mosquito breeding 5.99%, for the prevention of mosquito breeding sources and for the implementation of minor engineering measures it is 10.51%. For bush cutting, the knowledge practice gap is -20.07%. For potted plants, the knowledge practice gap is -8.45%. For broken pots, it is 68.93%. IRS is performed outside the house not inside the house. The KAP-GAP for screening is nil. Covering oneself with a blanket to prevent man–mosquito contact is 6.96%.

Conclusions:

In our study, we found Know-do gap or KAP-GAP in all aspects of prevention of mosquito breeding places and personal protective measures. Regarding the interassociation among knowledge, attitudes and practices, they were associated with each other with significant difference.
Phacoemulsification under Peribulbar Anesthesia: To Patch or Not
Authors: Singh Archana , Vannadil Harikrishnan , Goenka Ranjit , Bhatta Sunandan
Published: October 2023

Introduction:

Anesthesia for cataract surgeries is undertaken in various forms. In cases under peribulbar anesthesia, there exists a practice of patching the eye for varying duration. This study has been conducted to look into the difference in the outcome and comfort of the patient with respect to the use of eye patch in an objective way.

Materials and Methods:

This is a prospective randomized observational study with controls conducted at an Ophthalmology Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital. All patients undergoing uneventful phacoemulsification with posterior chamber intraocular lens implant surgery for age-related cataracts meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study.

Results:

Two hundred and seven patients were included and randomly allotted to the patch and no-patch group. The mean pain score for the no-patch group was 2.930 (standard deviation [SD] =1.4231), while the same for the patch group was 2.879 (SD = 1.3438). The symptom of watering in patch group was significantly lower than the no-patch group with a P = 0.013 by Pearson’s Chi-square test. The mean postoperative day (POD) 1 DVA among the cases was found to be 0.440 LogMAR (SD = 0.3114) and the same for controls was 0.715 LogMAR (SD = 0.2858). On the 2nd POD, the DVA of the cases improved to 0.162 LogMAR (SD = 0.1819) while that of controls were 0.419 LogMAR (SD = 0.2758). However, the visual acuity of both groups was comparable at the end of the 7th POD. The patients without patch demonstrated significantly better visual acuity on the 1st POD. This group of patients also had statistically significant reduction in the conjunctival congestion, aqueous flare, aqueous cells, and corneal edema. The beneficial outcome on the 1st POD is likely due to the early use of topical drugs which is facilitated by the absence of eye patch. However, the final outcome seems independent of the use of patching.

Conclusion:

Using an eye patch for the patient undergoing a routine phacoemulsification surgery under peribulbar block does not seem to have any additional benefit.