Neurodegenerative disorders are primarily characterized by neuron loss. The most common neurodegenerative disorders include Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Although there are several medicines ...currently approved for managing neurodegenerative disorders, a large majority of them only help with associated symptoms. This lack of pathogenesis-targeting therapies is primarily due to the restrictive effects of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which keeps close to 99% of all "foreign substances" out of the brain. Since their discovery, nanoparticles have been successfully used for targeted delivery into many organs, including the brain. This review briefly describes the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and their current management approaches. We then highlight the major challenges of brain-drug delivery, followed by the role of nanotherapeutics for the diagnosis and treatment of various neurological disorders.
Background:
Recognizing the need for good quality, scientific and reliable information for strengthening mental health policies and programmes, the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) of India was ...implemented by National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, in the year 2015–2016.
Aim:
To estimate the prevalence, socio-demographic correlates and treatment gap of mental morbidity in a representative population of India.
Methods:
NMHS was conducted across 12 Indian states where trained field investigators completed 34,802 interviews using tablet-assisted personal interviews. Eligible study subjects (18+ years) in households were selected by a multi-stage, stratified, random cluster sampling technique. Mental morbidity was assessed using MINI 6. Three-tier data monitoring system was adopted for quality assurance. Weighted and specific prevalence estimates were derived (current and lifetime) for different mental disorders. Mental morbidity was defined as those disorders as per the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision Diagnostic Criteria for Research (ICD-10 DCR). Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine risk for mental morbidity by different socio-demographic factors. Survey was approved by central and state-level institutional ethical committees.
Results:
The weighted lifetime prevalence of ‘any mental morbidity’ was estimated at 13.67% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 13.61, 13.73) and current prevalence was 10.56% (95% CI = 10.51, 10.61). Mental and behavioural problems due to psychoactive substance use (F10–F19; 22.44%), mood disorders (F30–F39; 5.61%) and neurotic and stress-related disorders (F40–F48; 3.70%) were the most commonly prevalent mental morbidity in India. The overall prevalence was estimated to be higher among males, middle-aged individuals, in urban-metros, among less educated and in households with lower income. Treatment gap for overall mental morbidity was 84.5%.
Conclusion:
NMHS is the largest reported survey of mental morbidity in India. Survey estimated that nearly 150 million individuals suffer from one or the other mental morbidity in India. This information is to be used for planning, delivery and evaluating mental health programming in the country.
During the last era in India, the use of chemical fertilizer has increased tremendously. The excessive use of these chemicals leads to the degradation of soil quality, health, as well as nutritional ...status. These are also causing a degradation of human health. This experiment was conducted during Mrig Bahar (July to December) during two consecutive years (2019-2020)in a randomized block design with three replications in which six-year-old 42 pomegranate plants were tested with 14 treatments of different organic manures. Findings showed that in the various treatments, the organic combination T13-Jeevamrut 16.08 L plant-1 + Vermicompost 24.79 kg plant-1 had a significant effect on the nutritional status (available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium) and microbial population (fungi, bacterial, and actinomycetes count). In addition, T13-Jeevamrut 16.08 L plant-1 + Vermicompost 24.79 kg plant-1 found a significant effect on fruit yield characteristics like fruit plant-1 (122.00), fruit yield (17.38 kg plant-1), fruit weight (192.50 g) and fruit quality characteristics such as fruit juice percent (52.92%), and total sugar (11.92%).
•We irradiated the La2Zr2O7 pyrochlore using 1 MeV Xe4+ ions at ~ 88 K and 300 K.•Damage increases with ion fluence at both temperatures and is significantly higher at ~88 K compared to ...300 K.•Lattice strain increases with enhanced fluence which bolsters the structural disorder phenomenon.•The variation in damage/amorphization and lattice strain is directly related to the change in the irradiation temperature and ion fluence.
Evaluation of loss of crystallinity (damage/amorphization) of irradiated La2Zr2O7 (1 MeV Xe4+ with fluence of 1 × 1013, 5 × 1013, and 1 × 1014 ions/cm2) at two different temperatures, i.e., ~88 K and 300 K. Display omitted
State of the art applications (nuclear waste host, scintillators, piezoelectric, SOFCs, etc.) of isometric pyrochlore, A2B2O7, are very sensitive to the structural assessment upon ion irradiation. In the present study, La2Zr2O7 is irradiated using 1 MeV Xe4+ ions with fluence of 1 × 1013, 5 × 1013, and 1 × 1014 ions/cm2 at ~ 88 K and 300 K. The impact of irradiation temperature and ion fluence on the structural properties of the La2Zr2O7 are investigated using the GIXRD, Raman spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The GIXRD and Raman results indicate that the degradation of the crystallinity (i.e., damage/amorphization) are significantly higher with enhanced fluence at ~ 88 K than that of 300 K. The induced lattice strain also increases with an increase of ion fluence and it is more pronounced at ~88 K. The HR-TEM results of the La2Zr2O7 samples exhibit that degradation of the atomic ordering are more pronounced at ~ 88 K. The prominent induced strain and degradation of crystallinity (i.e., damage/amorphization) at ~ 88 K appear to be ion fluence and irradiation temperature-dependent. This study is enlightening the effect of the ion fluence and irradiation temperature on the degradation of crystallinity (i.e., damage/amorphization).
Background & objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a major public health emergency affecting the healthcare services all over the world. It is essential to analyze the epidemiological and ...clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 in different parts of our country. This study highlights clinical experience in managing patients with COVID-19 at a tertiary care centre in northern India.
Methods: Clinical characteristics and outcomes of consecutive adults patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital at Chandigarh, India, from April 1 to May 25, 2020 were studied. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on throat and/or nasopharyngeal swabs. All patients were managed according to the institute's consensus protocol and in accordance with Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines.
Results: During the study period, 114 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were admitted. The history of contact with COVID-19-affected individuals was available in 75 (65.8%) patients. The median age of the patients was 33.5 yr (13-79 yr), and there were 66 (58%) males. Of the total enrolled patients,
48 (42%) were symptomatic. The common presenting complaints were fever (37, 77%), cough (26, 54%) and shortness of breath (10, 20.8%). Nineteen (17%) patients had hypoxia (SpO2<94%) at presentation and 36 (31%) had tachypnoea (RR >24). Thirty four (29.8%) patients had an accompanying comorbid illness. Age more than 60 yr and presence of diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with severe COVID-19 disease. Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) was needed in 18 patients (52%), with three (2.6%) patients requiring assisted ventilation. Mortality of 2.6 per cent (3 patients) was observed.
Interpretation & conclusions: Majority of the patients with COVID-19 infection presenting to our hospital were young and asymptomatic. Fever was noted only in three-fourth of the patients and respiratory symptoms in half of them. Patients with comorbidities were more vulnerable to complications. Triaged classification of patients and protocol-based treatment resulted in good outcomes and low case fatality.
Fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) exemplify exotic phases of low-disorder two-dimensional (2D) electron systems when electron-electron interaction dominates over the thermal and kinetic ...energies. Particularly intriguing among the FQHSs are those observed at even-denominator Landau level filling factors, as their quasiparticles are generally believed to obey non-Abelian statistics and be of potential use in topological quantum computing. Such states, however, are very rare and fragile, and are typically observed in the excited Landau level of 2D electron systems with the lowest amount of disorder. Here we report the observation of a new and unexpected even-denominator FQHS at filling factor ν = 3/4 in a GaAs 2D hole system with an exceptionally high quality (mobility). Furthermore, our magnetotransport measurements reveal a strong minimum in the longitudinal resistance at ν = 3/4, accompanied by a developing Hall plateau centered at (h/e2)/(3/4). This even-denominator FQHS is very unusual as it is observed in the lowest Landau level and in a 2D hole system. While its origin is unclear, it is likely a non-Abelian state, emerging from the residual interaction between composite fermions.
A comparative study on the effects of gamma and 90 MeV carbon ion irradiations on structural and electrical properties of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) based nanocomposite polymer electrolyte were ...investigated. The nanocomposite polymer electrolyte matrices have been prepared by the solution casting technique. The XRD and FTIR analyses showed that the structure of polymer electrolytes becomes amorphous due to the incorporation of nanofillers and under both types of irradiations. The frequency dependence electrical properties were investigated using impedance spectroscopy in the range of 20 Hz to 1 MHz at room temperature. The ionic conductivity showed a strong dependency on the concentration of nanofillers and irradiation doses. The reduction in surface roughness of polymeric films after irradiations is revealed from AFM studies. The high electrical conductivity after irradiations suggests that this polymeric material has the potential for battery application.
•PVA-H3PO4–SiO2 polymeric film was synthesized via solution casting method.•Prepared films were irradiated by 90 MeV C5+ ion beam and gamma rays.•Dose dependent structural degradation observed after irradiations.•Effect of SHI irradiation on electrical response is significant higher than gamma irradiation.
Single-component fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) at even-denominator filling factors may host non-Abelian quasiparticles that are considered to be building blocks of topological quantum ...computers. Such states, however, are rarely observed in the lowest-energy Landau level, namely at filling factors ν<1. Here, we report evidence for an even-denominator FQHS at ν=1/4 in ultra-high-quality two-dimensional hole systems confined to modulation-doped GaAs quantum wells. We observe a deep minimum in the longitudinal resistance at ν=1/4, superimposed on a highly insulating background, suggesting a close competition between the ν=1/4 FQHS and the magnetic-field-induced, pinned Wigner solid states. Our experimental observations are consistent with the very recent theoretical calculations that predict that substantial Landau level mixing, caused by the large hole effective mass, can induce composite fermion pairing and lead to a non-Abelian FQHS at ν=1/4. Our results demonstrate that Landau level mixing can provide a very potent means for tuning the interaction between composite fermions and creating new non-Abelian FQHSs.
This review presents an account of the variations in crustal and upper mantle structure beneath the Indian subcontinent and its environs, with emphasis on passive seismic results supplemented by ...results using controlled seismic sources. Receiver function results from more than 600 seismic stations, and over 10,000km of deep seismic profiles have been exploited to produce maps of average crustal velocities and thickness across the region. The crustal thickness varies from 29km at the southern tip of India to 88km under the Himalayan collision zone, and the patterns of variation show significant deviations from the predictions of global models. The average crustal shear velocity (Vs) is low in the Himalaya–Tibet collision zone compared to Indian shield. Major crustal features are as follows: (a) the Eastern Dharwar Craton has a thinner and simpler crustal structure crust than the Western Dharwar Craton, (b) Himalayan crustal thickness picks clearly follow a trend with elevation, (c) the rift zones of the Godavari graben and Narmada–Son Lineament show deeper depths of crust than their surroundings, and (d) most of the Indian cratonic fragments, Bundelkhand, Bhandara and Singhbhum, show thick crust in comparison to the Eastern Dharwar Craton. Heat flow and crustal thickness estimates do not show any positive correlations for India.
Estimates of the thickness of the lithosphere show large inconsistencies among various techniques not only in terms of thickness but also in the nature of the transition to the asthenosphere (gradual or sharp). The lithosphere beneath India shows signs of attrition and preservation in different regions, with a highly heterogeneous nature, and does not appear to have been thinned on broader scale during India's rapid motion north towards Asia. The mantle transition zone beneath India is predominantly normal with some clear variations in the Himalayan region (early arrivals) and Southwest Deccan Volcanic Province and Southern Granulite Terrain (delayed arrivals). No clear patterns on influence on the mantle transition zone discontinuities can be associated with lithospheric thickness. Over 1000 anisotropic splitting parameters from SKS/SKKS phases and 139 using direct S waves are available from various studies. The shear-wave splitting results clearly show the dominance of absolute-plate-motion related strain of a highly anisotropic Indian lithospheric mantle with delay times between the split S phases close to 1s. There are still many parts of India where there is, at best, limited information on the character of the crust and the mantle beneath. It is to be hoped that further installations of permanent and temporary stations will fill these gaps and improve understanding of the geodynamic environment of the Indian subcontinent.
•Crust and upper mantle variations beneath Indian sub-continent•Crustal thickness, average velocity and Poisson's ratio maps•Comparisons were made with CRUST1.0.•New maps for lithospheric thickness and mantle transition zone
Isometric pyrochlore oxides (A
2
B
2
O
7
) have prodigious structural and physical properties and are used in a variety of applications like electrolytes, sensors, immobilization of radioactive ...nuclides, and so on. Herein, the electronic excitation-induced disorder engineering in the Gd
2
Zr
2
O
7
system on irradiation of 100 MeV I
7+
ions with the function of fluence has been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy techniques were performed to probe the electronic excitation-induced phase transformation. Rietveld’s refinement of the pristine Gd
2
Zr
2
O
7
sample confirmed an ordered pyrochlore phase. XRD studies show that the superstructure reflection disappeared with the enhanced fluence, which indicates pyrochlore to defect fluorite structure phase transformation. Raman spectroscopy results demonstrate that the structural modifications of Gd
2
Zr
2
O
7
samples depend strongly on the ion fluence and degrees of disorder augmented with enhanced ion fluence. Both, the complementary techniques provide the compatible elucidation of structural modifications induced by the swift heavy ions (100 MeV iodine) and demonstrate that no amorphization was observed in the Gd
2
Zr
2
O
7
samples even after irradiation at the highest fluence, and establish the capability of these samples for nuclear applications under hostile environment.
Graphical abstract
Raman spectra recorded on Gd
2
Zr
2
O
7
sample before and after irradiation with 100 MeV I
7+
ions at a fluence of 1.0 × 10
14
ions/cm
2
.
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