Search

Byline: Ratnesh. Sinha, Angelin. Priya, Absar. Ahmad Context: Tuberculosis (TB) and Silicosis are public health problems with high morbidity and mortality. They also exist as comorbidities and are highly prevalent [...]

Socioeconomic scales are vital to public health research to measure associations and impacts on health. BG Prasad classification and the Kuppuswamy scales are two commonly used socio-economic scales for India as they are cost-effective and efficient. While BG Prasad classification is based on per capita family income, Kuppuswamy also measures education and occupation of the family head in addition to monthly family income. Since income is a dynamic entity affected by economic changes such as inflation and cost of consumption, there is a need to update the Prasad and Kuppuswamy classification. This research updates both the classifications as per the latest consumer price index values for January 2024. The research also discussed the steps to update the classifications for future use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an innovative and environmentally friendly biological synthesis approach for producing α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) and the successful synthesis of α-Fe2O3/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites (NCs). This novel synthesis route utilizes freshly extracted albumin, serving as both a reducing agent and a stabilizing agent, rendering it eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable. A combination of characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was employed to predict and confirm the formation of the as-synthesized α-Fe2O3 NPs and α-Fe2O3/rGO NCs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) verified the anisotropic nature of the synthesized nanoparticles. To gain insight into the enhanced capacitance of the α-Fe2O3/rGO NCs, a series of electrochemical tests, namely cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and stability assessments, were conducted in a conventional three-electrode configuration. Furthermore, a two-electrode asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device was fabricated to assess the practical viability of this material. The α-Fe2O3/rGO NCs exhibited a remarkable potential window of 2 V in an aqueous electrolyte, coupled with exceptional cycling stability. Even after undergoing 10 000 cycles, the capacitive retention exceeded 100%, underlining the promising potential of this material for advanced energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a theoretical investigation on the generation of Cerenkov emission of terahertz acoustic phonons in bilayer graphene (BLG) in the presence of a driving dc electric field. We have numerically and analytically studied the Cerenkov phonon emission spectrum, P s p e c t r u m (ω p , θ) , and phonon intensity, P i n t e n s i t y (θ) , dependence on the phonon frequency ω p , drift velocity v d , electron temperature T e , concentration n, and phonon emission angle θ in BLG with and without considering the chirality of the charge carriers. We find that the magnitude of P s p e c t r u m (ω p , θ) increases at larger drift velocities and applied electric fields with the peak of the spectrum shifting toward the higher frequency side. The spectrum magnitude in BLG is found to be much enhanced as compared to conventional 2D semiconductors and transition metal dichalcogenides, which makes it viable for SASER and other practical device applications. The chiral nature of carriers strongly influences the P s p e c t r u m (ω p , θ) behavior and sharpens the spectrum peak but with a decrease in the magnitude. The chirality favors the negative emission spectrum caused by the absorption of acoustic phonons. P s p e c t r u m (ω p , θ) and P i n t e n s i t y (θ) are found to be strongly dependent on temperature but independent of carrier concentration in the equipartition regime. The study is significant from the point of application of BLG as an acousto/optoelectronic device and high-frequency phonon spectrometers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing need for cleaner air is gaining a lot of attention, and therefore, the removal of organosulfur compounds from fuel with a concentration less than 15 ppm is becoming the need of the hour. To fulfill this expectation, we have synthesized an emergent class of magnetic hybrid nanomaterials (Fe3O4/rGO and Ni/Fe3O4/rGO) through a sol–gel-assisted green synthetic technique that shows remarkable adsorptive desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT). The structural feature of the magnetic nanomaterial was identified through various characterization techniques like PXRD, FTIR, Raman, XPS, TGA, BET, SEM, and TEM. The magnetization of Ni/Fe3O4/rGO confirmed that the adsorbents performed well in magnetic separation. Further, doping with various concentrations of Ni enhances its magnetization, thereby making the recovery of nanocomposites easy, eco-friendly, and inexpensive with the help of an external magnet. In contrast to an undoped nanocomposite, Ni-doped Fe3O4/rGO exhibits superior properties. Also, Ni-doped Fe3O4/rGO shows enhanced desulfurization with an effective removal efficiency of 73% as compared with a pristine nanocomposite (45%). This is because as the doping concentration of Ni metal was increased, active Lewis acid sites were remarkably increased which were favorably available for the transfer of lone pair electrons on S atoms or π-electrons in the aromatic ring of thiophene to form strong S–Ni bonding or π-complexation. With regard to academic, industrial, and environmental considerations, Ni/Fe3O4/rGO is found to be a promising adsorbent and can be the best replacement for adsorptive desulfurization due to its relatively high adsorption capacity, improved magnetization, and simple magnetic separation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While social media continues to dominate, social media platforms have become powerful health communication tools for older users. However, fulfilling their social media needs can be both detrimental and beneficial to their quality of life (QoL). This study assessed social media needs as they relate to QoL among older adults in Malaysia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study and adopted convenience sampling to recruit participants. The participants were required to self-report their sociodemographic profile, social media use and needs, and QoL. Social media use and needs were assessed using the Social Networking Sites Uses and Needs (SNSUN) scale, and QoL was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Multiple linear regression was performed to identify the predictors of QoL. Results: The findings revealed that the fulfilment of social integrative needs was the strongest predictor of higher QoL in all domains. However, those using social media for their affective needs demonstrated lower psychological health quality. Conclusions: Fulfilling social integrative needs is the key to improving the QoL among older adults. The continuous development of age-friendly applications is essential to keep up with constantly changing social media trends and bridge the gap of social media inequalities. More importantly, it would enable older adults to utilize social media to its fullest potential and enjoy a higher QoL through accessible health communication tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many factors that affect private school students' learning quality. These include monthly expenditure, parents' education, parents' occupations, medium of study, the rural-urban divide, etc. The present study is based on a primary survey in the Raebareli district of Uttar Pradesh. Five blocks out of 19 were surveyed. The present study interviewed 500 private school students in their homes. To investigate the relationship between learning quality of students and monthly expenditure on students, parents' occupation, and parents' education, the study used the Chi-squared test (Bivariate analysis) and Logistic Regression Model. The analysis shows that about 13 per cent of students in class-III could not read a paragraph in English. The analysis also showed that more than 60 per cent of class-VI and class-VIII students could not solve the division problem. The study indicated that the children of such parents who have graduation and a degree above had a learning quality score 3.6 times more than the students whose parents had no education. The study revealed that students whose parents were labourers had half the learning quality as those whose parents were in the service or business sectors. The learning quality of those whose parents spend more than Rs 1000 per month is seven times that of those whose parents spend less than Rs. 500 a month. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meloidogyne javanica, a destructive soil-borne parasite that may infect practically all cultivated plants worldwide. Utilizing efficient bio-safe management techniques, crop damage caused by nematodes that feed on plants is reduced. Therefore, the aim of this study is to biosynthesize extracellular silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) through bioleaching of sand by Fusarium oxysporum and characterizes SiO2-NPs and evaluates their nematicidal potential against M. javanica in vitro. During in vitro experiments, second stage juveniles (J2s) and egg masses of M. javanica were treated with various concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 ppm of SiO2-NPs). All concentrations applied caused J2s mortality and inhibited egg hatching to a varying degree. The SiO2-NPs applied at same concentrations in addition predict preventing J2s from penetrating tomato roots. The characterizations of synthesized SiO2-NPs were done by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDX, TEM-SAED, and UV Visible NIR Spectrometer. XRD technique analyzed amorphous phase of SiO2-NPs exhibiting a broad peak. The FTIR spectrum identified a range of efficient functional groups, capping and stability agents. TEM images of SiO2-NPs showed porous texture and had an average size of 22.5 nm. To our knowledge, this is first account of synthetic SiO2-NPs acting as natural nematicides through bioleaching of sand by F. oxysporum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mining industry has many hazards to which workers are exposed. Despite that, study on health hazards among mine workers are limited in India. Also, there are negligible studies on ex-miners in India. Thus, the present study tried to explore the current levels of self-reported morbidity among mine workers and ex-mine workers in the Karauli district of Rajasthan, India. Methods: This study was a comparative cross-sectional study conducted in the Karauli district of Rajasthan, India. A total of 218 mine workers, 137 ex-mine workers, and 203 non-mine workers were interviewed. An interview-led questionnaire recording the presence of self-reported health problems and demographic information was administered. Self-reported symptoms were classified according to the categories defined in the operational definitions. Results: Ex-mine workers moved away from mining due to respiratory problems (31%), weakness (24%), and TB (20%). Mine workers and ex-miners have significantly increased prevalence of respiratory-related symptoms and injury at the workplace, vision, and oral health problems than the non-mine workers. The adjusted odds of morbidity conditions such as cough up with blood, shortness of breath, and wheezing were significantly higher among ex-miners than current miners. Conclusion: This study identified respiratory symptoms, injury, vision loss, hearing loss, and poor oral health for both mine and ex-mine workers. The higher self-reported health problems for symptoms like cough up with blood, shortness of breath, and wheezing were found among ex-miners than current mine workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The different ways in which naturally deposited amorphous biosilica in rice husk is bioleached and simultaneously biotransformed into high value crystalline silica nanoparticles are described. The room temperature synthesis of oxide nanomaterials using microorganisms starting from cheap agro-industrial waste materials is a good possibility and might lead to an energy-conserving and economically viable green approach toward the large-scale synthesis of oxide nanomaterials.

Luminescent nanoparticles synthesized via bio-based protocols that generate nanoparticles having different chemical compositions along with other functionalities (size and morphology) have received huge attention. We have focused our research on gold sulfide nanoparticles (Au2S NPs) and have biosynthesized these NPs using the fungus Humicola sp. The nanoparticles were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy, which showed spherical morphology of Au2S. UV–Visible-NIR spectrophotometry, luminescence spectrophotometry, Selected Area Electron Diffraction, Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays, and X-ray diffraction were performed. FTIR confirmed that the fungal metabolites including biomolecules secreted in the reaction medium are primarily responsible for nanoparticle synthesis and stabilization. The fungus reduced the precursor solution (HAuCl4 and Na2SO3) and at the same time capped them with secreted biomolecules. The anti-leishmanial activity of Au2S NPs was determined against L. donovani promastigote (Ag83 strain). Au2S NPs displayed less cytotoxicity towards both normal and cancer (Daudi, ZR-75-1) cell lines. Hemocompatibility was determined via hemolysis assays. This novel fungal-based system demonstrates an economical and environmentally benign process for biosynthesis of Au2S nanoparticles which may find application in bioimaging and labeling studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have explored the determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying these factors may help implement appropriate policies to enhance HRQoL in the elderly. Therefore, we aimed to identify the predictors of physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS) scores of HRQoL in selected six low- and middle-income Asian countries. Methods: We conducted an online survey of older people aged ≥55 years in six countries: Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Palestine, and Sri Lanka. The Stark QoL questionnaire was used to measure the PCS and MCS scores. Univariate and multiple variable analyses after adjusting for confounders were performed to identify the possible predictors of PCS and MCS. Results: A total of 1644 older people (69.1 ± 7.8 years, range 55–97 years, Female: 50.9%) responded to the survey. We documented age, country of residence, marital status, number of male children, current employment status, and health insurance, ability to pay household bills, frequency of family members visits and receiving support during COVID-19 pandemic predicted both PCS and MCS. However, gender, residence, and number of female children were associated with PCS only (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Socio-demographic factors such as age, country of residence, marital status, number of male children, current employment status, health insurance, ability to pay household bills, frequency of family members visiting family members, and receiving support during the COVID-19 pandemic affecting both physical and mental quality of life. These results can guide formulating health care planning policies to enhance QoL during COVID-19 and future pandemics in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mass vaccination campaigns have significantly reduced the COVID-19 burden. However, vaccine hesitancy has posed significant global concerns. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics that influence perceptions of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, acceptability, hesitancy and decision making to take vaccine among general adult populations in a variety of socioeconomic and cultural contexts. Methods: Using a snowball sampling approach, we conducted an online cross-sectional study in 20 countries across four continents from February to May 2021. Results: A total of 10,477 participants were included in the analyses with a mean age of 36±14.3 years. The findings revealed the prevalence of perceptions towards COVID-19 vaccine's effectiveness (78.8%), acceptance (81.8%), hesitancy (47.2%), and drivers of vaccination decision-making (convenience [73.3%], health providers' advice [81.8%], and costs [57.0%]). The county-wise distribution included effectiveness (67.8–95.9%; 67.8% in Egypt to 95.9% in Malaysia), acceptance (64.7–96.0%; 64.7% in Australia to 96.0% in Malaysia), hesitancy (31.5–86.0%; 31.5% in Egypt to 86.0% in Vietnam), convenience (49.7–95.7%; 49.7% in Austria to 95.7% in Malaysia), advice (66.1–97.3%; 66.1% in Austria to 97.3% in Malaysia), and costs (16.0–91.3%; 16.0% in Vietnam to 91.3% in Malaysia). In multivariable regression analysis, several socio-demographic characteristics were identified as associated factors of outcome variables including, i) vaccine effectiveness: younger age, male, urban residence, higher education, and higher income; ii) acceptance: younger age, male, urban residence, higher education, married, and higher income; and iii) hesitancy: male, higher education, employed, unmarried, and lower income. Likewise, the factors associated with vaccination decision-making including i) convenience: younger age, urban residence, higher education, married, and lower income; ii) advice: younger age, urban residence, higher education, unemployed/student, married, and medium income; and iii) costs: younger age, higher education, unemployed/student, and lower income. Conclusions: Most participants believed that vaccination would effectively control and prevent COVID-19, and they would take vaccinations upon availability. Determinant factors found in this study are critical and should be considered as essential elements in developing COVID-19 vaccination campaigns to boost vaccination uptake in the populations. Author summary: This large-scale multi-country study explores perceived COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, acceptability, and hesitancy rates and their related factors among the general adult populations from 20 countries. We found that a considerable proportion of the participants has an intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, more than half still expressed their hesitancy to receive the vaccines. Countries where the majority of respondents responded that they would accept COVID-19 vaccination included Malaysia (96.0%), Bangladesh (93.6%), and Iraq (91.8%). The majority of the participants from Vietnam (86.0%) and Turkey (74.7%) expressed hesitance to receive COVID-19 vaccine. Perceived vaccine effectiveness ranged from 67.8% in Egypt to 95.9% in Malaysia. The participants believed that convenience, health providers' advice, and costs of vaccines are important for people to decide whether to accept COVID-19 vaccines. Country of residence, age, sex, level of education, area of residence, marital status, and family economic status were significantly associated with tendency to undergo COVID-19 vaccination and the perception that COVID-19 vaccine decision-making is influenced by convenience. The findings of this study provide useful guidance for tailored interventions to enhance the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine. Promotional program addressed on detected socioeconomic factors is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communal violence in India has become more frequent due to the unwanted interplay between religion and political manipulation, by which India has been affected many times. Communal violence has also been recognized as a significant social and public health problem, resulting in long-term human and economic costs. The dominant form of communal violence in India has involved the two communities, i.e. Hindus and Muslims. Post-violence studies worldwide have shown a short and long-term higher prevalence of mental health disorders. To the best of our knowledge, no earlier study has investigated the association between communal violence experience and self-rated psychological health in India. Thus, the current study was designed to provide valuable addition to the existing literature on mental stress among riot victims. This paper explores the association between mental health and socio-economic characteristics among riot victims based on a primary survey (N = 300 participants) conducted in two riots-affected districts of Uttar Pradesh in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]