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We quantify the effect of market disruptions due to COVID-19 on the lives of householdsin rural areas of Liberia and Malawi, utilizing panel data from phone surveys that were implemented as part of a randomized cash transfer experiment. The surveys began collection several months before the pandemic and have continued throughout it. The household survey included a consistent set of internationally accepted and validated questions on food security (the householddietary diversity score, the household hunger scale, and the food consumption score). In both countries, market activity was severely disrupted and we observe large declines in income among market vendors, but we find no evidence of declines in food security for households in the short run. Even though we observe no adverse effects of the lockdowns on food securityamong the control group, cash transfers improved dietary quality and quantity over the low levels observed at baseline.

There is a dearth of psychological interventions for self-harm that have been tested and found acceptable by youth in low- and middle income countries. ĀTMAN (Sanskrit word meaning "self" or "self-existent essence") is one such contextually adapted psychological intervention developed in India. It has three key elements; problem-solving, emotion regulation, and social network strengthening skills. We delivered ATMAN in a series of young people who self-harm to optimize the content, structure and delivery mechanisms, and to assess their experiences of therapy and engagement. ATMAN was delivered sequentially by a psychiatrist and non-specialist counselor in 16 participants between 14 to 24 years who presented to a tertiary level public hospital in Mumbai with self-harm. Quantitative measurement tools included Beck's Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSI), the Patient Health Questionnaire −9 (PHQ-9), Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation, and session feedback form. Qualitative tools included PSYCHLOPS and exit interviews. Eight female and four male participants completed therapy with a mean of five sessions and an average duration of 50 min. There were no differences in module wise feedback ratings of the psychiatrist and counselor. There were significant differences in the pre- and post-therapy scores on BSI (mean difference (confidence interval)) (−16.8 (−20.2, −13.3)) and PHQ-9 (−10.8 (−14.5, −7.04)). Various content modifications were undertaken during this phase. ATMAN was acceptable to youth in India who self-harm. Modifications introduced during pilot trial phase make ATMAN better suited to the needs of the youth. ATMAN has the potential to be delivered by non- specialist counselors and to be integrated at all levels of health care settings including primary health care to reduce the burden of suicide in young people. However, an extended randomized controlled trial of ATMAN treatment with multiple counselors will help in identifying key competencies that should be developed during training and supervision, and various quality assurance measures that can be undertaken for effective implementation of ATMAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equal-square graph of finite group G is a simple finite undirected graph with vertex set G, in which two distinct vertices a, b are adjacent if and only if a² = b². In this research paper we have studied various structural properties such as connectivity, vertex degree, girth, clique number, independent number, chromatic number and matching number of Equal-square graph of finite groups. We have also calculated Laplacian polynomial and domination number of Equal-square graph of various finite groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test whether the provision of multiple labeled savings accounts affects savings and downstream outcomes in an experiment with 761 microentrepreneurs in urban Malawi. Treatment respondents received one or multiple savings accounts, in the form of lockboxes or mobile money. We find that while providing additional boxes increased savings by 40%, technical issues marred the efficacy of a second mobile money account. Data from novel high-frequency surveys suggest that both types of accounts had impacts on downstream outcomes, including farming decisions and credit extended to customers. We do not detect differential downstream effects by the number or modality of accounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]