Information and Communication Technologies of Micro, Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises in Kerala for Customer Engagement during COVID-19

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore about various ICT in tourism industry of Kerala, to examine the possibility of ICT systems for the maximum utilization in tourism industry of Kerala during COVID-19 pandemic and provide suggestions accordingly. Theoretical Framework: To execute this study many related research works were reviewed. Information and Communication Technologies plays a vital role for tourism enterprises to enable proper information exchange with potential customers. This study is an attempt to explore the usage of Information and Communication Technologies by Micro, Small and Medium tourism enterprises of Kerala during COVID-19 pandemic. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research work is descriptive study. A total of 72 Micro, Small and Medium tourism enterprises owners/managers were interviewed and this data were used for further analysis. 83 tourism customers were also interviewed. The analysis highlights that customer prefer the usage of Information and Communication Technologies for information exchange with tourism operators. Finding(s): The study reveals that even if the number of tourists reduced during COVID-19 pandemic, most of the customers prefer ICT enabled technologies to facilitate information exchange. Majority of the customers opined that the tourism booking websites must facilitate hassle free booking facility. Research, Practical and Social Implications: This research work will be helpful for tourism entrepreneurs to plan the proper usage of Information and Communication technologies in business. This will be useful for customers and society as a whole. Policy makers and government bodies can plan and facilitate proper ICT related training to the needy. Originality/Value: This research work is an original work of the respective authors of this research paper. This research work will add value to the tourism industry. Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic Potential of Music-Based Interventions on the Stress Response and Neuroinflammatory Biomarkers in COVID-19: A Review

COVID-19 continues to strain healthcare systems around the globe. Research has shown a relationship between COVID-19 and an inflammatory response, including neuropathological outcomes. Additionally, studies have shown positive effects of engagement with music on inflammatory responses;music may have potential, as a method, to reduce inflammation triggered by COVID-19. This review compiles exhaustive research from multiple disciplines to account for this possibility. The authors utilized a meta-narrative approach to complete this review. The search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, OneSearch, Primo, Google Scholar, Clinicaltrials.gov, and the bibliographies of relevant articles. In total, 84 articles were included for full-text review, discussion, and analysis. Articles pertaining to music and acoustics encompassed a date range from 1964–2020. Articles referencing COVID-19 spanned the years 2019–2021. This work focused on associations between engagement with music, stress response, blood-brain barrier integrity, inflammation, COVID-19, and neuropathology in preclinical and clinical models. Detailed analysis revealed that engagement with music has the potential to reduce the harmful effects of COVID-19, particularly in the inflammation and blood clotting pathways associated with a range of pathophysiological and neuropathological issues. Further work is warranted to standardize and validate existing methods associating positive effects of engagement with music on the negative effects of COVID-19. © The Author(s) 2023.

Establishing Minimally Invasive Colorectal Unit at a Tertiary Care Indian Centre in Covid-19 Second Wave

Aim: Minimally invasive cancer surgery is the becoming the standard of care in colorectal oncology. With the growing interest in the use of tailored approach to improve the outcomes, colorectal oncology demands sub-specialised care. Method(s): This is a description of establishment of a dedicated colo-rectal oncology unit at a newly built tertiary care centre in the country, Tata Memorial Centre (Varanasi) with special emphasis on the introduction of laparoscopy for standard and extended colo-rectal surgery. Result(s): Over a period of 4 months, from February 2021 to May 2021, 35 colo-rectal surgeries have been done with 5 emergency cases and the remaining in elective setting. Operative procedures included -10 colectomies, 5 stoma/ostomy creations, 7 rectal resections in standard TME plane, 2 total pelvic exenterations, 11 extended rectal resections. 22 of these 35 surgeries (62.8%) were done using laparoscopic approach. Laparoscopy has been used across all procedures, specifically 5 colectomies, 7 standard TME rectal surgeries, 5 extended rectal resections and 1 total pelvic exenteration. Clavein dindo Grade 3 or higher morbidity was seen in 5.7% cases. Joint clinic session dedicated to colorectal oncology is conducted to provide a tailor-made individualized care to appropriate patients. Conclusion(s): Use of minimally invasive approach in colorectal oncology along with a sub specialized unit is the need of the hour to improve the outcomes in this cohort of patients.

Retinopathy and Systemic Disease Morbidity in Severe COVID-19.

PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of retinopathy and its association with systemic morbidity and laboratory indices of coagulation and inflammatory dysfunction in severe COVID-19. DESIGN: Retrospective, observational cohort study. METHODS: Adult patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 who underwent ophthalmic examination from April to July 2020 were reviewed. Retinopathy was defined as one of the following: 1) Retinal hemorrhage; 2) Cotton wool spots; 3) Retinal vascular occlusion. We analyzed medical comorbidities, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores, clinical outcomes, and laboratory values for their association with retinopathy. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients with severe COVID-19 were reviewed, the majority of whom were female (n = 23, 62%), Black (n = 26, 69%), and admitted to the intensive care unit (n = 35, 95%). Fourteen patients had retinopathy (38%) with retinal hemorrhage in 7 (19%), cotton wool spots in 8 (22%), and a branch retinal artery occlusion in 1 (3%) patient. Patients with retinopathy had higher SOFA scores than those without retinopathy (8.0 vs. 5.3, p = .03), higher rates of respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and shock requiring vasopressors (p < .01). Peak D-dimer levels were 28,971 ng/mL in patients with retinopathy compared to 12,575 ng/mL in those without retinopathy (p = .03). Peak CRP was higher in patients with cotton wool spots versus those without cotton wool spots (354 mg/dL vs. 268 mg/dL, p = .03). Multivariate logistic regression modeling showed an increased risk of retinopathy with higher peak D-dimers (aOR 1.32, 95% CI 1.01-1.73, p = .04) and male sex (aOR 9.6, 95% CI 1.2-75.5, p = .04). CONCLUSION: Retinopathy in severe COVID-19 was associated with greater systemic disease morbidity involving multiple organs. Given its association with coagulopathy and inflammation, retinopathy may offer insight into disease pathogenesis in patients with severe COVID-19.

Impact of covid-19 on an academic pain fellowship program

While the COVID-19 pandemic still rages on in the United States, leaving in its wake hundreds of thousands of infected patients, families shattered by the untimely death of their loved ones, an economy in free fall that hit all-time highs barely a few months ago, and a fearful citizenry unsure of what the future holds, the effect it has had on residency and fellowship training programs across the country may appear inconsequential to the general populace. However, if you are a graduating trainee confronted with this unusual set of circumstances, fear of the virus is not the only thing that is foremost in your mind. We discuss the unique challenges our pain fellowship program continues to deal with during this pandemic and particularly its impact on our fellows. It is entirely likely these concerns are mirrored in academic programs all over the United States.