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Background: Viruses have proven to be Earth's most lethal micro-organisms. Following the COVID-19 blowout, thousands of people lost their lives or fell victim to critical illnesses which ultimately disturbed various aspects of healthcare. Mental health issues were one of the major concerns during this difficult time. Most of the studies focussed on the treatment aspect of COVID-19 while few studies focussed on psychological health. Hence, this study assessed major psychological disorders (depression, anxiety and stress) among adults during COVID-19 pandemic in Mehrauli, Delhi. Materials and methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from the month of January 2021 to June 2022 among adults (18-60 years) in Mehrauli, Delhi. A written informed consent was taken from the study subjects. A semi-structured, self-designed interview schedule was used to collect information from the study subjects. DASS-21 questionnaire was used to assess the subjects' psychological disorders. Results: Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the study participants were found to be 31.2%, 32.7% and 19.4%, respectively. A higher prevalence of moderate to extremely severe psychological disorders compared to mild ones was found among participants. Men exhibited a greater prevalence of psychological disorders, notably mild depression, with a clear gender association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In India, rapid urbanization, easy lifestyle, and improvement in healthcare facilities have led to a shift in the disease spectrum from communicable to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Awareness about NCDs and their risk factors has an important role in the prevention and management strategies of these diseases. Adult female mortality and morbidity affect the family healthdrastically;therefore, women's health is critically important to the health of future generations. Materials and Methods The present study is a community-based cross-sectional study conducted in Palam Village of New Delhi.A total of 585 study subjects were interviewed using a self-designed, semi-structured, pre-designed questionnaire regarding awareness of risk factors as well as common non-communicable diseases. Adequate knowledge means knowledge about major behavioral risk factors(tobacco consumption, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, alcohol consumption) and familial predisposition. Qualitative data was expressed in proportions and a chi-square test was applied. Mean and standard deviation were used for quantitative data. Results More than half of the study subjects (54.8%) had inadequate knowledge of the risk factors of common NCDs. As the education level decreases the proportion of study subjects having adequate knowledge about risk factors of common NCDs also decreases and this association was found to be statistically significant (p value<0.05). Conclusion In the present study, all of the research participants heard about diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension. Although awareness regarding risk factors of NCDs was optimal still prevalence of risk factors was still higher in participants of our study, which shows a gap in knowledge and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of the article "Authors' response to 'It's time to develop a national regulation regarding work-related psychosocial hazards'" express gratitude for the interest their publication has generated and acknowledge the need to address this important topic. They are currently in discussions to determine their next steps and will provide a detailed response once those conversations are concluded. The authors include a diverse group of individuals such as Paul A. Schulte, Steven L. Sauter, Sudha P. Pandalai, and others, highlighting a collaborative effort in addressing work-related psychosocial hazards. [Extracted from the article]

In this research work, we synthesized novel zinc aluminate (Zn1−xEuxAl2−yO4Sry) sky bluish phosphors at 500 °C via the combustion route method, and for better crystallinity, we were annealed in condensing envelope with 85% of N2 and 15% of H2 at 1200 °C. The spinel cubic phase, elemental mapping elements, surface morphology, and vibrational properties were observed by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared), and Raman spectroscopic techniques, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra were monitored by λex. = 490 nm (excitation wavelength) and λem. = 392 (emission wavelength). Due to Eu2+ ions at 490 nm, intense photoluminescence spectra have been found. The PL efficiency has been found for synthesized Zn0.95Eu0.05Al1.95O4Sr0.05 (ZAS-5) phosphor at around 93.2%. The high Corelated Color Temperature (~ 25,963 K), low color purity (50%), and low Color Rendering Index (~ 44) value were found for the ZAS-5 sample, that result (temperature) is indicating the prepared phosphor is emitting cold sky bluish light which may be useful for a sleeping light lamp, activation of photosynthesis reaction for crops, and background color for the display screen, because it may be a low dangerous color for human eyes. Antibacterial activity of phosphors indicated that combustion derived synthesized all ZAS samples may behave just like as an eco-material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes Gallup-ShareCare Well-being Index data to investigate the association between work-related well-being, i.e., job satisfaction, and overall subjective well-being among US workers. Subjective well-being is measured by i) daily positive and negative emotional experiences - happiness, smiles, enjoyment, sadness, anger, worry, and stress (hedonic well-being); and ii) current and future life evaluation (evaluative well-being). The study finds significant positive relationships between job satisfaction and subjective well-being both in terms of higher odds of positive hedonic experiences and increased life evaluation scores after controlling for covariates and other nonworkrelated contributors to well-being. Job satisfaction accounted for a 14% increase in current and an 8% increase in future life evaluation scores. The results emphasize that not only the income generated by work but the quality of work is also important for worker well-being. In fact, those without a job had higher well-being than those workers who are dissatisfied at work. This is probably the first study that relates work-related well-being to overall well-being, using a nationally representative sample of US workers. Further, this is one of the few instances where the subjective measure of well-being is used in the occupational safety and health literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study analyzes the tree diversity and regeneration status of species between repeated forest fires and unburned areas of the tropical dry deciduous forest of Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), Madhya Pradesh, Central India. Fire frequency maps were prepared with the help of Landsat 5, 7, and 8 satellite images, and the study area was classified into seven fire frequency classes (B1 to B7) and one control class (B0). Five plots were laid in every fire class including the control. A total of 45 tree species belonging to 33 genera and 20 families were recorded during the study period and of these, 44, 26, and 25 species were recorded in the three-growth stages: trees, saplings, and seedlings, respectively. Of the 7873 individuals recorded, 2667, 1243, and 3963 were seedlings, saplings, and trees, respectively. Our results showed that tree species diversity was higher at moderate fire frequencies than controls, but decreased with increasing fire frequency classes. Regeneration of species was significantly different among all fire frequency classes. Certain fire-tolerant species were increasingly dominant with increasing fire frequency classes. With fires left to continue unabated, the dry deciduous forest of the Central Indian region could have lower tree diversity in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During the past 50 years, there is a substantial rise in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) mortality in developing countries. India is also undergoing demographic transitions. Lifestyle which increases the risk of NCDs in younger age group will lead to increase in NCDs burden further in future generation. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the association between risk factors of common NCDs and sociodemographic factors in young adult women of Palam Village, New Delhi. Settings and Design: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Palam Village, New Delhi. Materials and Methods: A total of 585 study participants were interviewed using a predesigned, semi-structured questionnaire. Waist circumference, blood pressure (BP), and weight were measured using nonstretchable measuring tape, digital BP apparatus, and digital weighing scale, respectively. Qualitative data are expressed in proportions and Chi-square test is applied. Mean and standard deviation are used for quantitative data. Results: As the socioeconomic status improved, the frequency of consuming adequate amount of fruits and vegetables in a day also increased. This association was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The present study reported varied prevalence of different risk factors with various sociodemographic characteristics and there is an urgent need to implement population, individual, and program wide prevention and control interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the Editor: In most of India, anthrax is not common, probably because a large proportion of the population is Hindu and does not eat beef. However, sporadic cases and [...]