COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS PATIENTS

ABSTRAC

Work stress, work-family conflict, and psychological distress among resort employees: a JD-R model and spillover theory perspectives

The hospitality industry is well-known for its challenging and high-pressure work settings. In this context, employees commonly face a multitude of stressors originating from their roles and job responsibilities, which can significantly impact their psychological wellbeing. Hence, based on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and the spillover theory, this study aims to empirically explore the direct and indirect effect of work stress (assessed by role overload, ambiguity, and conflict) on psychological distress among frontline employees in 3- and 4-star Egyptian resorts while considering the mediating influence of work-family conflict (WFC). Four hypotheses were put to the test through the application of the PLS-SEM 4.0 version (4.0.9.9). Based on the findings from 563 frontline employees who participated in this research, the study supports the four hypotheses affirming that work-related stressors significantly contributed to employees' psychological distress. Further, the findings highlighted that these stressors significantly spill over into employees' family lives, generating conflicts between work and family roles. In addition, the results emphasized the significance of WFC as a contributing factor to employees' psychological distress. Finally, the study concluded that WFC partially mediates the link between work stress and employees' psychological distress. Based on these findings, some theoretical and practical implications for hospitality scholars, resort management, and policymakers were suggested to enhance the employees' wellbeing and mitigate psychological distress in this vital sector

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

The Kumaraswamy Power Function Distribution

In this paper, Kumaraswamy Power function distribution (Kw-PFD) will be obtained. We give some properties for this distribution. The rth traditional moments, TL-moments, L-moments are derived. The maximum likelihood estimation of the unknown parameters is discussed. Real data are used to determine whether the Kw-PFD is better than PFD or not

Burnout among female academic staff at universities in Khartoum State

Introduction: Burnout is referred to as the disease of modern life. The current study was undertaken to observe Burnout among female academic staff at universities in Khartoum State. Materials and methods: The sampling frame for the study comprised of 1523 full-time female academic staff working at both public and private universities at Khartoum State. Personal Information Form and Maslach Burnout inventory (MBI) were used for data collection. Results: Burnout is not high among married female academic staff, but it is high among the divorced and widow female academic staff affecting the depersonalization dimension. Absenteeism among female academic staff correlated positively with the burnout dimensions. Physiological and psychological health symptoms among female academic staff correlated positively with all the burnout dimensions. Conclusion: We recommend further detailed studies in this area for better understanding of burn out in the staff and to offer better stress management techniques

Generalized Transmuted Power Function Distribution

In this paper, we introduce a new distribution called Generalized Transmuted Power Function Distribution (GTPFD). Some statistical properties are deduced. Finally, a real data application about the survival times (in days) of 72 guinea pigs infected with virulent tubercle bacilli is used to illustrate. These real data show that the GTPFD can be considered as a good life time distribution comparing with other models

Occupational stress in female academic staff working in private and public universities

The present study was aimed to compare occupational stress between female academic staff working in private and public universities. The sampling frame for the study comprised 1523 full-time female academic staff working at both public and private universities at Khartoum State. Gumaa Said Yousif (2004) was used to measure occupational stress. There is no significant difference in occupational stress between female academic staff who works in private or public university. There is a significant difference between female academic staff working in public and private universities. It has been concluded that female academic staff working in private universities are vulnerable to burnout in the emotional exhaustion dimension