334 research outputs found

    BHALLA-CLEENEWERCK JOURNAL EFFICIENCY FACTOR, BC-JEF©-A NOVEL AUTHOR-CENTRIC METRIC FOR JOURNAL EFFICIENCY

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    According to English definition, “efficiency” is the state or the quality of being able to accomplish something with the least waste of time and effort. Concerning the Journals, “efficiency” signifies providing the submitting authors with a peer-review decision with a least loss of time and academic value. The “efficiency”, on the journal’s part, also means least delays in academic returns that submitting authors deserve from their own work. The “efficiency”, on the journal’s part, also implies least delays in making available the access to possible benefits to the patients or public from the author’s work. In other words, efficiency is a measurable ability of the journals, whether paid or unpaid, to do their “duties well”, “efficiently”, “successfully”, and “without waste and avoidable loss” to the submitting authors. It is our vision to make the entire publication process coherent and convenient. At the same time, it is also our vision to guard the rights of submitting authors in having a time-bound, convenient, and efficient service with high customer service values from their service providers, i.e. the journals, whether paid or unpaid. For this, we introduce “Bhalla-Cleenewerck Journal Efficiency Factor (BC-JEF©)”, named in short as JEF©, as a parameter for assessing the functional efficiency of the journals. We introduce JEF©, an innovative non-profit measure to ensure the “greater good” of all concerned. For the journals, JEF© would help them recognize their duties and obligations for providing an efficient publication service to the authors. Also, JEF© would facilitate the journals in making their publication process more fulfilling and coherent, particularly for the authors, based on whom they thrive. JEF© would also help the journals in their healthy commercial competition. For the authors, JEF© would help them make an informed choice while submitting their work to a journal. For other agencies, JEF© provides them with an alternative metric to track parameters that are not being covered by any of the current existing journal metrics. Full text fully formatted PDF text version and Speech Abstract©: academia and Egnyte and [email protected] information: The Intergovernmental Research and Policy Journal (IRPJ) is a unique interdisciplinary peer-reviewed and open access Journal. It operates under the authority of the only global and treaty-based intergovernmental university in the world (EUCLID), with other intergovernmental organizations in mind. Currently, there are more than 17,000 universities globally, but less than 15 are multilateral institutions, EUCLID, as IRPJ's sponsor, is the only global and multi-disciplinary UN-registered treaty-based institution. IRPJ authors can be assured that their research will be widely visible on account of the trusted Internet visibility of its ".int" domain which virtually guarantees first page results on matching keywords (.int domains are only assigned by IANA to vetted treaty-based organizations and are recognized as trusted authorities by search engines). In addition to its ".int" domain, IRPJ is published under an approved ISSN for intergovernmental organizations ("international publisher") status (also used by United Nations, World Bank, European Space Agency, etc.). IRPJ offers: United Nations Treaty reference on your published article (PDF) "Efficiency" driven and "author-focused" workflow Operates the very unique author-centric metric of "Journal Efficiency Factor" Minimal processing fee with the possibility of waiver Dedicated editors to work with graduate and doctoral students Continuous publication i.e., publication of articles immediately upon acceptance The expected time frame from submission to publication is up to 40 calendar days Broad thematic categories Every published article will receive a DOI from Crossref and is archived by CLOCKSS. Submit manuscript: [email protected] EICs: Prof. Charalee GRAYDON, JD; Prof. Devender BHALLA, HDR Full text fully formatted PDF text version and Speech Abstract©: academia and Egnyte and [email protected] All copyrights remain with the author(s) and IRPJ. Cite as: Bhalla, D; Cleenewerck, L. Bhalla-Cleenewerck Journal Efficiency Factor (BC-JEF©)-A novel author centric metric for Journal efficiency. Intergovernmental Res Pol J (UN treaty). Vol. 2020, Issue e20, DOI: https://doi.org/10.36964/irpj2355, Article ID: 201, pages 1-5

    A EMOTION-FOCUSSED TREATMENT FOR DECREASING CONJUGAL STRESS- A RANDOMIZED REPRESENTATIVE SINGLE-SITE CONTROLLED STUDY

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    Objective: Marital life is closely related to physical, social, and mental well-being. The aim of this study was to determine the reduction in chronic marital life stress among exposed subjects through the emotion re-focus approach. Methods: The individuals meeting our inclusion criteria were screened with the help of Stockholm Marital Stress Scale. The cognitive assessment was also made with the help of an Abbreviated Mental Test. The subjects were assigned a random number in a double-blind and independent manner, and half of them were provided eight therapeutic sessions lasting 90 minutes for eight weeks. The remaining ones were provided identical service after the entire data collection. All analyses were carried-out in 99.0% confidence interval, 0.01% type-I error and 1.0% type-II error. Results: A total of 138 subjects with marital life stress were allocated to both testing and control group. Both groups did not differ in social, statistical, and clinical variables. The between-group mean stress score did not differ statistically at baseline (p=0.1), but did differ at the culmination (p<0.001). For control group, the mean stress score changed from 2.8, 99%CI 2.7-2.9 to 2.7, 99%CI 2.6-2.8, p=0.1 between pre-post assessment. For testing group, the mean stress score changed from 2.9, 99%CI 2.8-3.0 to 2.4, 99%CI 2.3-2.5, p<0.001 (diff=17.2%, ES=1.40, R2=0.32) between pre-post assessment. The within-group improvement in stress score among subjects from their own baseline was 0-3.8% among control group and 1.9-30.6% in testing group. The sample power was 99.1%. Conclusions: Within our strengths and limitations, we may conclude that emotion re-focus may help to overcome chronic conjugal life distress with 0.1% false positive error. Full text fully formatted PDF text version and Speech Abstract©: academia and Egnyte and [email protected] information: The Intergovernmental Research and Policy Journal (IRPJ) is a unique interdisciplinary peer-reviewed and open access Journal. It operates under the authority of the only global and treaty-based intergovernmental university in the world (EUCLID), with other intergovernmental organizations in mind. Currently, there are more than 17,000 universities globally, but less than 15 are multilateral institutions, EUCLID, as IRPJ's sponsor, is the only global and multi-disciplinary UN-registered treaty-based institution. IRPJ authors can be assured that their research will be widely visible on account of the trusted Internet visibility of its ".int" domain which virtually guarantees first page results on matching keywords (.int domains are only assigned by IANA to vetted treaty-based organizations and are recognized as trusted authorities by search engines). In addition to its ".int" domain, IRPJ is published under an approved ISSN for intergovernmental organizations ("international publisher") status (also used by United Nations, World Bank, European Space Agency, etc.). IRPJ offers: 1. United Nations Treaty reference on your published article (PDF) 2. "Efficiency" driven and "author-focused" workflow 3. Operates the very unique author-centric metric of "Journal Efficiency Factor" 4. Minimal processing fee with the possibility of waiver 5. Dedicated editors to work with graduate and doctoral students 6. Continuous publication i.e., publication of articles immediately upon acceptance 7. The expected time frame from submission to publication is up to 40 calendar days 8. Broad thematic categories 9. Every published article will receive a DOI from Crossref and is archived by CLOCKSS. Submit manuscript: [email protected] EICs: Prof. Charalee GRAYDON, JD; Prof. Devender BHALLA, HD

    Long-term inhibition of ODC1 in APP/PS1 mice rescues amyloid pathology and switches astrocytes from a reactive to active state

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    Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the loss of memory due to aggregation of misphosphorylated tau and amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in the brain, elevated release of inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and reactive oxygen species from astrocytes, and subsequent neurodegeneration. Recently, it was found that enzyme Ornithine Decarboxylase 1 (ODC1) acts as a bridge between the astrocytic urea cycle and the putrescine-to-GABA conversion pathway in the brain of AD mouse models as well as human patients. In this study, we show that the long-term knockdown of astrocytic Odc1 in APP/PS1 animals was sufficient to completely clear Aβ plaques in the hippocampus while simultaneously switching the astrocytes from a detrimental reactive state to a regenerative active state, characterized by proBDNF expression. Our experiments also reveal an effect of astrocytic ODC1 inhibition on the expression of genes involved in synapse pruning and organization, histone modification, apoptotic signaling and protein processing. These genes are previously known to be associated with astrocytic activation and together create a neuroregeneration-supportive environment in the brain. By inhibiting ODC1 for a long period of 3 months in AD mice, we demonstrate that the beneficial amyloid-clearing process of astrocytes can be completely segregated from the systemically harmful astrocytic response to insult. Our study reports an almost complete clearance of Aβ plaques by controlling an endogenous degradation process, which also modifies the astrocytic state to create a regeneration-supportive environment in the brain. These findings present the potential of modulating astrocytic clearance of Aβ as a powerful therapeutic strategy against AD. © 2024, The Author(s).11Ysciescopu

    Positional cloning identifies a candidate gene for mental retardation and epilespsy / by Kavita Bhalla.

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    Includes errata attached to inside front cover and first leaf.Includes a list of publications co-authored by the author during the preparation of this thesis.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 269-285).ix, 285 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm."The work presented in this thesis provides the basis for further work to determine if A2BP1 is involved in sporadic autosomal mental retardation and/or epilepsy. Such studies are currently underway in the Department of Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, WCH, Adelaide. Identification of the gene related to mental retardation and/or epilepsy will further help in better understanding of the molecular basis of neuronal mechanisms underlying these disorders."Thesis (Ph.D.)--Adelaide University, Dept. of Paediatrics, 200

    Tamara Bhalla’s Reading Together, Reading Apart: Identity, Belonging, and South Asian American Community

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    Tamara Bhalla is the author of Reading Together, Reading Apart: Identity, Belonging, and South Asian American Community (2016) which unravels the practice of reading as a community and how this can determine identity formation. Bhalla studies the sense of identity and belonging of the South Asian diaspora in the United States and describes the needs of the South Asian American community to align with a constructed idea of otherness that is authentic. For this, the author uses the NetSAP book club as an example of a reading group that shares class and race patterns and uses the body of literature to forge and discuss South Asian American identity

    The Conundrum of &lsquo;Long-COVID-19ʹ: A Narrative Review

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    Mandeep Garg,1 Muniraju Maralakunte,1 Suruchi Garg,2 Sahajal Dhooria,3 Inderpaul Sehgal,3 Ashu Seith Bhalla,4 Rajesh Vijayvergiya,5 Sandeep Grover,6 Vikas Bhatia,1 Priya Jagia,7 Ashish Bhalla,8 Vikas Suri,8 Manoj Goyal,9 Ritesh Agarwal,3 Goverdhan Dutt Puri,10 Manavjit Singh Sandhu1 1Department of Radiodiagnosis &amp; Imaging, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India; 2Department of Dermatology, Aura Skin Institute, Chandigarh, India; 3Department of Pulmonary Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India; 4Department of Radiodiagnosis, AIIMS, New Delhi, India; 5Department of Cardiology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India; 6Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India; 7Department of Cardiovascular Imaging &amp; Endovascular Interventions, AIIMS, New Delhi, India; 8Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India; 9Department of Neurology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India; 10Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, PGIMER, Chandigarh, IndiaCorrespondence: Mandeep GargDepartment of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, PGIMER, Sector-12, Chandigarh, IndiaTel +91 9914209390Email [email protected]: COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic with many challenges that are now extending to its intriguing long-term sequel. &lsquo;Long-COVID-19ʹ is a term given to the lingering or protracted illness that patients of COVID-19 continue to experience even in their post-recovery phase. It is also being called &lsquo;post-acute COVID-19ʹ, &lsquo;ongoing symptomatic COVID-19ʹ, &lsquo;chronic COVID-19ʹ, &lsquo;post COVID-19 syndrome&rsquo;, and &lsquo;long-haul COVID-19ʹ. Fatigue, dyspnea, cough, headache, brain fog, anosmia, and dysgeusia are common symptoms seen in Long-COVID-19, but more varied and debilitating injuries involving pulmonary, cardiovascular, cutaneous, musculoskeletal and neuropsychiatric systems are also being reported. With the data on Long-COVID-19 still emerging, the present review aims to highlight its epidemiology, protean clinical manifestations, risk predictors, and management strategies. With the re-emergence of new waves of SARS-CoV-2 infection, Long-COVID-19 is expected to produce another public health crisis on the heels of current pandemic. Thus, it becomes imperative to emphasize this condition and disseminate its awareness to medical professionals, patients, the public, and policymakers alike to prepare and augment health care facilities for continued surveillance of these patients. Further research comprising cataloging of symptoms, longer-ranging observational studies, and clinical trials are necessary to evaluate long-term consequences of COVID-19, and it warrants setting-up of dedicated, post-COVID care, multi-disciplinary clinics, and rehabilitation centers.Keywords: ongoing symptomatic COVID-19, post-COVID-19 syndrome, chronic COVID, Long-COVID-19, post-COVID, Long-COVI

    The macroeconomics of the public sector deficit : the case of Morocco

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    This paper tries to uncover the reasons underlying the performance of the Moroccan economy. The author argues that wage moderation and judicious monetary policies were instrumental in restraining inflation. With one brief exception in 1983, monetary authorities remained firmly committed to eschew any inflationary financing of the budget deficit. This strategy could only succeed however because of the wide ranging system of credit and monetary regulations which worked to channel domestic funds toward the Treasury at relatively low costs. The prospects for the continuation of such a strategy are not favourable however. As far as the growth performance is concerned, it appears that it can be attributed to an outstanding export response to the new trade regime on the one hand and a set of favourable supply shocks, including a string of recordagricultural harvests and the collapse of real oil prices, on the other. The paper studies the evolution of the budget and its different components and argues that the reluctance by Morocco's policy makers to monetize existing budget deficits is well explained by the sharply unfavourable trade-offs between higher monetization and inflation existing in Morocco. It analyzes the implications that continuing budgetary disequilibria has on investment and saving decisions and finds that such implications may be substantial, even though they may not work their way exclusively through traditional interest rates channels.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Financial Intermediation

    The Biological Effects of Trauma

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    In this paper, we sought to understand the effects of trauma through a biological lens so that we could better learn how all the different expressions of mental unwellness, as a result of trauma, affect our everyday lives. Previous research has predicted that the symptomatic consequences of trauma can be identified and affected by variables such as platelet serotonin concentrations, substance addiction, and cortisol levels. For our correlational study, we tested the strength of these relationships by examining naturalistic daily changes in their variables over a one-week period. We measured substance addiction by how many alcoholic drinks were consumed each day, inferred cortisol levels by levels of water retention of the wrist each day, serotonin concentrations by rating tiredness each day using a subjective scale, and inferred traumatic symptoms by heart rate each day. Data pooled across participants in our correlational study showed that alcohol intake, but not serotonin or cortisol levels, was significantly correlated with our physiological measurement of trauma levels. Though a minute finding, this information may be able to offer guidance and aid to future psychologists and healthcare providers in both the furthering of their research and in the betterment of treatment plans for those who have undergone trauma. These findings could also motivate councillors and therapists to inaugurate more resources for combatting addiction into their practices.Supervising Instructor & Course Number: Michael Pollock, Psyc 215 (“Biological Psychology”

    Status epilepticus: Our experience in a tertiary care centre in Northwestern India

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    Introduction: Status epilepticus (SE) is a medical emergency. Aim of this study was to examine the etiology and outcome of adult patients in status epilepticus presenting to our center. Patients and Methods: A prospective study was conducted from January 2009 to December 2010. Newly diagnosed patients as well as known case of seizure disorder presenting with status epilepticus were included. Detailed history, clinical examination, baseline investigation, neuroimaging electroencephalogram findings were recorded. Patients were treated using a standard protocol and were followed-up for 2 weeks after discharge. Quantification of precipitating factors was done using proportion, mean and standard deviation. Results: 80 consecutive patients were studied. Mean age was 38.43 ± 16.56 years (range 13 to 78 years). Male to female ratio was 4:1. 57.5% were known cases of seizure disorders. Generalized tonic-clonic seizure was commonest presentation in 91.30%. Majority (97.5%) had convulsive SE. Poor drug compliance was found to be the commonest precipitant (50% patients), followed by central nervous system infection (20% patients. Alcohol intake contributed in 12.5% cases, whereas, precipitating factor couldn′t be traced in 7.5% patients′. In 55% patients, SE was controlled with no recurrence or complication and in 25% there was recurrence after control of SE. 15% patients ended up with persistent sequel (cognitive and psychosomatic dysfunction, neurological deficit etc.) lasting for 2 weeks or more. The mortality was 5%. Conclusion: Poor compliance with drugs (in established cases of seizure disorders) and central nervous systems infections/structural lesions (in new onset cases) were commonest causes of SE in our study group. Conventional first line antiepileptics were able to control seizures in only 55% patients
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