Changes In Behavior Patterns Research Articles

Behavioral Sciences in the Optimization of Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the main chronic diseases worldwide, with a significant impact on public health. Behavioral changes are an important step in disease prevention and management, so the way in which individuals adapt their lifestyle to new circumstances will undoubtedly be a predictor of the success of the treatments instituted, contributing to a reduction in the morbidity and mortality that may be associated with them. It is essential to prepare and educate all diabetic patients on the importance of changing behavioral patterns in relation to the disease, with health professionals assuming an extremely important role in this area, both from a pharmacological and non-pharmacological point of view, and also ensuring the monitoring of the progress of these measures. Diabetes is a chronic disease that requires a high self-management capacity on the part of patients in order to achieve success in treating the disease, and non-adherence to therapy or non-compliance with the previously defined plan, together with an erratic lifestyle, will contribute to failure in controlling the disease. The lower adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment in diabetes is mainly correlated to socio-economic aspects, lower health literacy, the side effects associated with the use of antidiabetic therapy or even the concomitant use of several drugs. This article consists of a narrative review that aims to synthesize the findings published in the literature, retrieved by searching databases, manuals, previously published scientific articles and official texts, following the methodology of the Scale for Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA). We aim to address the importance of behavioral sciences in the treatment of diabetes, in order to assess behavior factors and barriers for behavior changes that have an impact on the therapeutic and non-therapeutic optimization in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus control.

Covid-19 is driving fear and greed in consumer behaviour and purchase pattern

PurposeThis research aims to study the recent changes in consumer behaviour and purchase pattern during the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 pandemic has forced consumers to stockpile, which has its own consequences. The article proposes the importance of “minimalism in consumption” to avoid greed in consumer behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThe data are collected from consumers across India using an online survey during the first lockdown from March 2020 to May 2020. A simple random sampling technique is used for data collection, and the collected data are analysed using SPSS version 26.FindingsThe study states that there will be a shift in the purchase pattern of the consumers if lockdowns are imposed in the future or during any other crisis. However, at present, consumers have developed a stockpiling mentality fearing the unavailability of essentials.Research limitations/implicationsPandemic has stimulated a drastic change in consumer behaviour, which is a situational effect. Each crisis affects consumer behaviour in a different way. In this research, we have considered only fear, greed and anxiety in the light of Covid-19. On the other hand, the research intends to draw realistic conclusions based on consumers' experiences during the lockdown.Practical implicationsThe study proposes solutions that will help marketers frame exclusive strategies for a future crisis. Analysing the change in consumer behaviour and the shift in purchase patterns will emphasize the importance of market research to know consumer expectations during a crisis situation in order to cater to their new demands.Social implicationsConsumers who stockpile should realize the unavailability of goods to other consumers who are in need. They also have to understand the importance of “minimalism in consumption” during a crisis.Originality/valueThe data are collected during the most taxing crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic. Data are collected at the peak time of the first wave of Covid-19 in India, during a major shift in consumers' behaviour and purchase pattern. The article brings to the larger consciousness and also preaches a life lesson to all consumers to execute their responsibilities in consumption without over-demands and expectations.

Physical Activity, Screen Time, Sedentary and Sleeping Habits of Polish Preschoolers during the COVID-19 Pandemic and WHO's Recommendations: An Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to a significant decrease in physical activity, an increase in sedentary behavior, and thus also such things as screen time or a change in health behavior patterns. The survey aimed to compare levels of physical activity, screen time, hours spent sitting and sleeping time among Polish children aged 3–5 years of age before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We identified 3000 respondents under five years of age, at Polish kindergartens. The questionnaire consists of 62 questions according to the recommendations of health behavior in school-aged children. The questionnaire was completed by the parents of these children. Results: Only 30.77% of children complied with WHO criteria before the pandemic. During the pandemic, the percentage of children meeting the recommendations for physical activity decreased even more. Children spent much more time in a sitting position before the restrictions. The children slept as recommended 10–13 h a day, and the pandemic caused an increase in sleep duration of 10–18%. Most children had a limited time allowed for the use of electronic devices already before the pandemic, but during the pandemic the results negatively decreased by 71.54%. Conclusions: The results clearly indicate decreased physical activity and increased screen time. It is also crucial to develop recommendations for prevention management strategies of sedentary lifestyles in the youngest group.

A robust multiple-objective decision-making paradigm based on the water\u2013energy\u2013food security nexus under changing climate uncertainties

From the perspective of the water–energy–food (WEF) security nexus, sustainable water-related infrastructure may hinge on multi-dimensional decision-making, which is subject to some level of uncertainties imposed by internal or external sources such as climate change. It is important to note that the impact of this phenomenon is not solely limited to the changing behavior patterns of hydro-climatic variables since it can also affect the other pillars of the WEF nexus both directly and indirectly. Failing to address these issues can be costly, especially for those projects with long-lasting economic lifetimes such as hydropower systems. Ideally, a robust plan can tolerate these projected changes in climatic behavior and their associated impacts on other sectors, while maintaining an acceptable performance concerning environmental, socio-economic, and technical factors. This study, thus, aims to develop a robust multiple-objective decision-support framework to address these concerns. In principle, while this framework is sensitive to the uncertainties associated with the climate change projections, it can account for the intricacies that are commonly associated with the WEF security network. To demonstrate the applicability of this new framework, the Karkheh River basin in Iran was selected as a case study due to its critical role in ensuring water, energy, and food security of the region. In addition to the status quo, a series of climate change projections (i.e., RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5) were integrated into the proposed decision support framework as well. Resultantly, the mega decision matrix for this problem was composed of 56 evaluation criteria and 27 feasible alternatives. A TOPSIS/Entropy method was used to select the most robust renovation plan for a hydropower system in the basin by creating a robust and objective weighting mechanism to quantify the role of each sector in the decision-making process. Accordingly, in this case, the energy, food, and environment sectors are objectively more involved in the decision-making process. The results revealed that the role of the social aspect is practically negligible. The results also unveiled that while increasing the power plant capacity or the plant factor would be, seemingly, in favor of the energy sector, if all relevant factors are to be considered, the overall performance of the system might resultantly become sub-optimal, jeopardizing the security of other aspects of the water–energy–food nexus.

Assessing the Role of Sampling Uncertainty When Predicting Behavioral Responses of Tagged Cetaceans Exposed to Naval Sonar

Concerns over cetacean mortality events coincident with maritime warfare exercises have motivated efforts to characterize the effects of anthropogenic noise on free-ranging whales and dolphins. By monitoring the movement, diving, and acoustic behaviors of individual whales before, during, and after sound exposure, behavioral response studies (BRSs) have supported significant progress in our understanding of the sensitivity of various cetacean species to high-powered naval sonar signals. However, differences in the designs and sampling capabilities of animal-borne tags typically used in BRS experiments prompt questions about the influence of data resolution in quantitative assessments of noise impacts. We conducted simulations to examine how uncertainty in the acoustic dose either measured on high-resolution multi-sensor biologging tags or modeled from position-transmitting satellite telemetry tags may affect predictions of behavioral responses in Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) exposed to low- and mid-frequency active sonar. We considered an array of scenarios representative of real-world BRSs and used posterior estimates of dose-response functions obtained under an established Bayesian hierarchical modeling framework to explore the consequences of different tag choices for management decision-making. Our results indicate that (1) the zone of impact from a sonar source is under-estimated in most test conditions, (2) substantial reductions in the uncertainty surrounding dose-response relationships are possible at higher sample sizes, and (3) this largely holds true irrespective of tag choice under the scenarios considered, unless positional fixes from satellite tags are consistently poor. Strategic monitoring approaches that combine both archival biologging and satellite biotelemetry are essential for characterizing complex patterns of behavioral change in cetaceans exposed to increasing levels of acoustic disturbance. We suggest ways in which BRS protocols can be optimized to curtail the effects of uncertainty.

Smart City: A Question of Social Sustainability in Urban Spaces? Assessing The Impacts of ICT on Changing Urban Behavioral Patterns in Urban Spaces of Madinaty, Egypt.

Smart city is one of the powerful concepts that have deep impacts on contemporary cities. Planners, developers, and authorities thought that change to smart city using information and communication technologies could enhance the quality of urban life; rather, still their impact on long-term change of social life and consequently on social sustainability in contemporary cities is not fully investigated. Some scholars argued that moving from conventional to smart city will greatly encourage social activities in urban space. In contrast, this research argues that increasing people familiarity with ICT will create new urban behavioral patterns that could build great barrier to urban social sustainability. It aims to take the proper precautions for any expected negative impacts on social sustainability. The research adopts a case study of three parks in Madinaty, Egypt. It aims to find the correlation exists between people familiarity with ICT and changing behavioral patterns. It is concluded that smart cities have great consequences on changing patterns of urban behavior, city spatial structure and urban social sustainability. The research recommends smart design guidelines using social, communicative, and collective activities to mitigate any expected social risks of smartness.

General population perspectives of dementia risk reduction and the implications for intervention: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence.

BackgroundEvidence for the potential prevention of dementia through lifestyle risk factor modification is growing and has prompted examination of implementation approaches. Understanding the general population’s perspectives regarding dementia risk reduction is key to implementation. This may provide useful insights into more effective and efficient ways to help people change relevant beliefs, motivations and behaviour patterns. We conducted a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence to develop an integrated model of general population dementia risk reduction perspectives and the implications for intervention in research and implementation contexts.Methods and findingsWe searched electronic databases, supplemented by lateral search techniques, to identify studies published since 1995 reporting qualitative dementia risk reduction perspectives of the non-expert general population who do not have dementia. Thematic synthesis, incorporating an expert panel discussion, was used to identify overarching themes and develop an integrated model to guide intervention to support individuals to adopt and maintain dementia risk reduction behaviour patterns. Quality of included studies and confidence in review findings were systematically appraised. We included 50 papers, reflecting the views of more than 4,500 individuals. Main themes were: 1) The need for effective education about a complex topic to prevent confusion and facilitate understanding and empowerment; 2) Personally relevant short- and long-term benefits of dementia risk reduction behaviour patterns can generate value and facilitate action; 3) Individuals benefit from trusted, reliable and sensitive support to convert understanding to personal commitment to relevant behaviour change; 4) Choice, control and relevant self-regulatory supports help individuals take-action and direct their own progress; 5) Collaborative and empowering social opportunities can facilitate and propagate dementia risk reduction behaviour change; 6) Individual behaviour patterns occur in social contexts that influence beliefs through heuristic processes and need to be understood. Findings indicate that, for intervention: 1) education is key, but both content and delivery need to be tailored; 2) complementary interventions to support self-regulation mechanisms and social processes will increase education effectiveness; 3) co-design principles should guide intervention design and delivery processes; 4) all interventions need to be supported by context-specific data.ConclusionsThis systematic review and thematic synthesis provides a comprehensive, integrated model of the dementia risk reduction perspectives of the general population and intervention approaches to support behaviour change that can be applied in clinical trial and real-world implementation settings. Findings extend existing knowledge and may assist more effective intervention design and delivery.

Acute Impact of the Coronavirus Disease Outbreak on Behavioral Patterns and Emotional States of Pediatric Psychiatric Patients and Caregivers in Daegu, South Korea.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the changes in interpersonal relationships, behavioral patterns, and emotional states of children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders and their caregivers immediately after the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Daegu, South Korea. MethodsA total of 147 patients and 147 caregivers participated in the Survey for Outing and Time Usage for Child, Adolescent, and Parents and the COVID-19 Visual Analog Scale for Emotion. We classified the patients and their caregivers into the internalizing disorder (ID) and externalizing disorder (ED) groups and compared the changes. ResultsParent–child relationships for adolescent patients and caregivers were interrupted, and friend relationships in all participants were disrupted, while sibling relationships improved in adolescent patients. They experienced negative emotional changes. Time spent outdoor decreased and digital screen time increased for all participants. Friend and parent–child relationships were interrupted in the ED group compared to those in the ID group. ED patients experienced negative changes in emotional states, while ID patients showed no significant changes. ConclusionResults are meaningful as a reference for predicting changes in interpersonal relationships and mental status of pediatric psychiatric patients and for determining healthcare system adaptations to allow mental health support during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The changing pattern of acute spinal referrals during primary and secondary waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

IntroductionThe COVID‐19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on health systems globally. This led to changes in patient access to healthcare particularly spinal services. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the volume of patients being referred to and accessing spinal services during both the first and second waves.MethodsAll emergency spinal referrals and related hospital attendances to the emergency department in a busy district general hospital were analysed. The data were evaluated at three time points each covering a 3‐month period. Data collected included patient demographics, duration and nature of symptoms, reason for referral, clinical and MRI findings, length of stay in hospital, any interventions performed and the follow‐up plan.ResultsThere were a total of 316 emergency referrals across the three time periods. The number of referrals fell by 15% between the pre‐COVID‐19 period and the first wave. Comparing the first and second waves, the number of referrals was increased by 58%. Comparing the second wave to the pre‐COVID‐19 period, referrals were 34% greater in the second wave (p < 0.005).ConclusionWe highlight an increase in referrals to our spinal service during the secondary wave, having fallen during the first wave. We hypothesise that the increase in referrals, despite similar restrictions to the first wave, is a result of changing patterns of behaviour due to the fear of contracting COVID during the first wave and difficulty in accessing primary care services in the second wave.

Internalisasi Nilai-nilai Karakter Peserta Didik dalam Pembelajaran Tahsin dan Tahfidzul Qur’an di SMA Darun Nasya Kabupaten Bandung Barat

Al-Qur'an as a holy book has an important role in the hearts of Muslims. A Muslim has an obligation to improve reading (Tahsin) and practice the messages contained. The Tahsin and Tahfidz learning programs which are currently widespread in schools and Islamic boarding schools foster a spirit of learning among the people. In particular, it motivates parents to send their children to schools that have tahfidz programs. with the hope that the Tahsin and Tahfidz programs have a positive influence on the growth and development of students. This study aims to identify how the implementation of the tahsin and tahfidz programs at SMA Darun Nasya with the hope of providing information on the internalization of character values. This type of research is field research with data collection techniques in the form of interviews, observations, and documentation. The results showed that there was a pattern of behavior change in students after participating in the tahsin and tahfidz learning programs.

Children with maladaptive behavior due to low self-esteem Sandplay therapy case study

본 연구는 낮은 자존감으로 부적응 행동을 보이는 만 5세 여아의 모래놀이치료에서 유아의 긍정적인 자아개념 형성과 자존감 발달을 살펴본 것이다. 부모 초기면접, 어린이집 담임교사 상담, 유아 심리검사 결과를 토대로 총 20회기 모래놀이치료, 매 회기 10분 부모상담, 총 5회 교사상담을 8개월간 진행하였다. 모래상자에 표현된 놀이 주제와 흐름에 따라 초기, 중기, 종결단계로 나누어 내용을 분석하였고 그에 따른 유아의 심리적 변화와 자존감 발달 과정에 대해 고찰하였다. 또한 모와 교사 상담을 통해 가정과 어린이집에서의 부적응 행동 양상 변화를 살펴보았다. 연구 결과는 첫째, 유아는 치료자와 모자일체성과 같은 신뢰로운 관계를 형성하고 자유롭게 감정을 표현하였다. 둘째, 모래놀이 주제와 내용이 초기 단계에서는 혐오적이고 혼란스러웠으나 중기 단계에는 창작과 생산작업을 통해 부정적인 감정을 보상받고 긍정적인 모성상을 표현하였으며 종결단계에는 천지개벽과 대변혁 후 마침내 지상낙원으로 변화하면서 유아의 긍정적인 자아개념 형성과 자존감 발달을 보여주었다. 셋째, 모 및 담임교사와의 상담 결과 유아의 사회관계가 긍정적으로 변화되었으며 학습에 자신감을 보이고 문제해결을 위해 노력하는 등 부적응 행동이 사라지게 되었다. 결론적으로 본 사례연구는 모래놀이치료가 유아의 자아개념 형성과 자존감 발달을 돕는데 긍정적인 영향을 주었다는 점에서 의의가 있다.This study examines the formation of positive self-concept and development of self-esteem in the sandplay therapy of a 5-year-old girl who exhibits maladaptive behavior with low self-esteem. Based on the results of the initial parent interview, the daycare center teacher s consultation, and the infant psychological test, a total of 20 sessions of sandplay therapy, 10 minutes of parental counseling each session, and a total of 5 teacher counseling sessions were conducted for 8 months. According to the play theme and flow expressed in the sandbox, the contents were analyzed by dividing it into early, middle, and final stages, and the psychological changes and self-esteem development process of children were considered. In addition, the changes in maladaptive behavior patterns at home and daycare centers were examined through parent-teacher counseling. The results of the study were that first, infants formed a trusting relationship with the therapist and mother and child, and expressed their feelings freely. Second, the theme and content of sand play were disgusting and confusing in the early stage, but in the middle stage, negative emotions were compensated through creation and production work and positive motherhood was expressed. It showed the formation of positive self-concept and development of self-esteem in children. Third, as a result of counseling with the mother and homeroom teacher, the social relationship of children was positively changed, and maladaptive behaviors such as showing confidence in learning and making efforts to solve problems disappeared. In conclusion, this case study is meaningful in that sandplay therapy had a positive effect on helping infants form self-concept and self-esteem.

Changes in the anxiety-like and fearful behavior of shrimp following daily threatening experiences.

Behavioral variation in animals is often influenced by experience. Previous studies have found that daily threatening experiences can enhance fear- and anxiety-like behaviors in some vertebrates. However, it is unclear whether the change in fear/anxiety behavior occurs in invertebrates. The present study investigated whether fear/anxiety behavior could be affected by a net-chasing treatment in two shrimp species (Neocaridina denticulata ssp. and Palaemon pacificus). The net-chasing treatment was repeated for 8days to simulate daily predator experiences, and behavioral tests (open-field, shelter-seeking, and escape-response tests) were conducted on the day following the last day of treatment. Net-chased N. denticulata ssp. displayed a tendency to remain near a wall compared with the control in the open-field test, whereas net-chased P. pacificus shrimps demonstrated greater escape behavior compared with the control in the escape-response test. These results suggest that fear/anxiety behavior for both shrimp species can be affected by the net-chasing treatment, although the pattern of behavioral change differed between the two species. The findings suggest that daily threatening experiences change the behavior of shrimp and cause them to select a regular avoidance strategy when they encounter risks and unknown situations.

The Association of Environmental Factors and COVID19 on Acute Pediatric Asthma-Related Healthcare Utilization in New York City: A Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Asthma is a multifactorial disease with well-established environmental triggers that contribute to asthma exacerbations, often requiring acute medical attention. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare utilization patterns for both preventive and acute services were altered. We aim to identify how the rates of pediatric emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for asthma were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in a hospital setting in New York City (NYC). METHODS: A time series analysis for pediatric asthma-related ED visits and hospitalizations will be analyzed from 3/1/2015 to 2/28/21. Using this data we will develop a statistical inference system to identify healthcare utilization patterns for asthma exacerbations attributable to various environmental triggers (I.e., air pollutants, pollens, infectious agents). RESULTS:Pediatric asthma-related ED visits and hospitalizations decreased by 78% and 75%, respectively, during the first year of the pandemic (3/1/20-2/28/21). During the initial 12 weeks following NYC’s PAUSE order (March 22nd, 2020) a 92% reduction in admissions was observed, relative to the same time period the previous year. We plan to use environmental exposure data to make projections of the number of ED visits and hospitalizations that would have been expected during the 1st year of the outbreak and will then compare this projected data to the observed asthma-related encounters. This counterfactual simulation will provide us insight into the difference between expected and observed asthma-related acute healthcare utilization during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS:It is important to develop an inference system to provide insight on how changes in behavioral patterns and environment exposures affect asthma-related health care utilization, in order to plan current and future public health interventions in a timely manner. KEYWORDS: Asthma, COVID-19, Children's environmental health, Policy research, Environmental justice

Early-Life Stress Reprograms Stress-Coping Abilities in Male and Female Juvenile Rats.

Prenatal stress (PS) is a major risk factor for the development of emotional disorders in adulthood that may be mediated by an altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to stress. Although the early onset of stress-related disorders is recognized as a major public health problem, to date, there are relatively few studies that have examined the incidence of early-life stressors in younger individuals. In this study, we assessed PS impact on the stress-coping response of juvenile offspring in behavioral tests and in the induced molecular changes in the hippocampus. Furthermore, we assessed if pregnancy stress could be driving changes in patterns of maternal behavior during early lactation. We found that PS modified stress-coping abilities of both sex offspring. In the hippocampus, PS increased the expression of bdnf-IV and crfr1 and induced sex difference changes on glucocorticoids and BDNF mRNA receptor levels. PS changed the hippocampal epigenetic landscape mainly in male offspring. Stress during pregnancy enhanced pup-directed behavior of stressed dams. Our study indicates that exposure to PS, in addition to enhanced maternal behavior, induces dynamic neurobehavioral variations at juvenile ages of the offspring that should be considered adaptive or maladaptive, depending on the characteristics of the confronting environment. Our present results highlight the importance to further explore risk factors that appear early in life that will be important to allow timely prevention strategies to later vulnerability to stress-related disorders.

Regional specific features of the consumer sector of the economy

Subject. This article discusses the development of meat food market in Russia. Objectives. The article aims to define trends in the development of the meat industry, forecast the meat food consumption in Russia, and analyze the effect of various factors on the meat food consumption level. Methods. For the study, we used a statistical analysis. Results. The article presents the forecast of meat food consumption until 2023 and describes the dependence of meat consumption on a number of factors. Conclusions. Changes in consumer behavior patterns are affecting the meat food market. The direct relationship between the real incomes of the population and the level of consumption has a significant impact on the demand for meat products.

Symptom Monitoring and Detection of Early Warning Signs in Bipolar Episodes Via App - Views of Patients and Relatives on e-Health Need

The onset and early warning signs of episodes of bipolar disorder are often realized late by those affected. The earlier an incipient episode is treated, the more prognostically favorable the course will be. Symptom monitoring via smartphone application (app) could be an innovative way to recognize and react to early warning signs more swiftly. The aim of this study was to find out whether patients and their relatives consider technical support through an app to be useful and practical in the early warning sign detection and treatment. In the present study, 51 patients with bipolar disorder and 28 relatives were interviewed. We gathered information on whether participants were able to perceive early warning signs in form of behavioral changes sufficiently and in a timely fashion and also whether they would use an app as treatment support tool. Although 94.1% of the surveyed patients and 78.6% of their relatives felt that they were well informed about the disease, 13.7% and 35.7%, respectively were not fully satisfied with the current treatment options. Early warning signs of every depressive development were noticed by 25.5% of the patients (relatives 10.7%). Every (hypo)manic development was only noticed by 11.8% of the patients (relatives 7.1%); 88.2% of the patients and 85.7% of the relatives noticed the same symptoms recurrently at the beginning of a depression and 70.6% and 67.9%, respectively, at the beginning of a (hypo)manic episode (in particular changes in physical activity, communication behavior and the sleep-wake rhythm). 84.3% of the patients and 89.3% of the relatives stated that they considered technical support that draws attention to mood and activity changes as useful and that they would use such an app for the treatment. The current options for perceiving early warning signs of a depressive or (hypo)manic episode in bipolar disorder are clinically inadequate. Those affected and their relatives desire innovative, technical support. Early detection of symptoms, which often manifest themselves in changes in behavior or activity patterns, is essentiell for managing the course of bipolar disorder. In the future, smartphone apps could be used for clinical treatment and research through objective, continuous and.

​Ecotoxicology and Its Impact on Ecosystem: A Review

Ecotoxicology is a relatively new science that helps to protect the existing ecosystem from toxic environmental pollutants. The scientists are working towards prediction, observation, monitoring, risk assessment and prevention from these toxicants and their harmful effects on population, community and ecosystem. It is a multidisciplinary field, which integrates toxicology, chemistry and ecology. Presently the human interventions and chemical production without proper disposal are one of the most responsible factors for presence of harmful pollutants in the biosphere. The toxic chemical may cause detrimental effects like change in behavior pattern of population, reduced growth, physiological and molecular changes and developmental changes ultimately may change the whole exposed ecosystem. Although, ecotoxicologists are facing a lot of problems to predict the effect of a chemical on an individual living population, they are doing a great job to protect our ecosystem.

User Migration in Online Social Networks: A Case Study on Reddit During a Period of Community Unrest

Platforms like Reddit have attracted large and vibrant communities, but the individuals in those communities are free to migrate to other platforms at any time. History has borne this out with the mass migration from Slashdot to Digg. The underlying motivations of individuals who migrate between platforms, and the conditions that favor migration online are not well-understood. We examine Reddit during a period of community unrest affecting millions of users in the summer of 2015, and analyze large-scale changes in user behavior and migration patterns to Reddit-like alternative platforms. Using self-reported statements from user comments, surveys, and a computational analysis of the activity of users with accounts on multiple platforms, we identify the primary motivations driving user migration. While a notable number of Reddit users left for other platforms, we found that an important pull factor that enabled Reddit to retain users was its long tail of niche content. Other platforms may reach critical mass to support popular or “mainstream” topics, but Reddit’s large userbase provides a key advantage in supporting niche topics.

Burnout among Adolescent Population during Covid-19 Lockdown in Sialkot Pakistan

Background: To analyze the change in behavioral patterns, its impact, and peer pressure caused by COVID-19 lockdown among the adolescent population. Methods: It was an observational study with sample size of 443 participants. The study was conducted after ethical approval. Data were collected from different academic institutions in Sialkot, Pakistan using Burnout rating scale. The target population was adolescents of age 13-19 years. Regression analysis was done to find predictor factors mobile use and lockdown on the dependent variable Burnout score. The correlation was applied among mobile phone use, lockdown, and burnout score. IBM software SPSS version 21 was used to analyze data. Results: Among 443 participants, 305 were female and 138 were male making 68.8% and 31.2% respectively. 57.1% of participants were doing well, 24.8% became candidates for burnout. In 13.3% of candidates, the burnout made changes, and for only 4.7% action should be taken for their health. The correlation coefficient among burnout and using mobile was 0.194 that is highly significant showing a direct positive association between these two variables. The correlation coefficient (R) has a value of -0.222 between burnout and lockdown also showing significance. Conclusion: Behavioral changes in adolescents concerning burnout due to COVID-19 lockdown was more exaggerated than the actual burnout rate. Behavioral outcome due to COVID-19 lockdown was not that much destructive for adolescent mental health, but only if combined with the other negative traits of the individual. The protocol of the study was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov wide Identifier: NCT04697030

Distinct progression patterns across Parkinson disease clinical subtypes.

ObjectiveTo examine specific symptom progression patterns and possible disease staging in Parkinson disease clinical subtypes.MethodsWe recently identified Parkinson disease clinical subtypes based on comprehensive behavioral evaluations, “Motor Only,” “Psychiatric & Motor,” and “Cognitive & Motor,” which differed in dementia and mortality rates. Parkinson disease participants (“Motor Only”: n = 61, “Psychiatric & Motor”: n = 17, “Cognitive & Motor”: n = 70) and controls (n = 55) completed longitudinal, comprehensive motor, cognitive, and psychiatric evaluations (average follow‐up = 4.6 years). Hierarchical linear modeling examined group differences in symptom progression. A three‐way interaction among time, group, and symptom duration (or baseline age, separately) was incorporated to examine disease stages.ResultsAll three subtypes increased in motor dysfunction compared to controls. The “Motor Only” subtype did not show significant cognitive or psychiatric changes compared to the other two subtypes. The “Cognitive & Motor” subtype’s cognitive dysfunction at baseline further declined compared to the other two subtypes, while also increasing in psychiatric symptoms. The “Psychiatric & Motor” subtype’s elevated psychiatric symptoms at baseline remained steady or improved over time, with mild, steady decline in cognition. The pattern of behavioral changes and analyses for disease staging yielded no evidence for sequential disease stages.InterpretationParkinson disease clinical subtypes progress in clear, temporally distinct patterns from one another, particularly in cognitive and psychiatric features. This highlights the importance of comprehensive clinical examinations as the order of symptom presentation impacts clinical prognosis.