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Mary Angelin,1 Padmavathi Gopinath,1 Vijaya Raghavan,1,2 Rangaswamy Thara,2 Faraz Ahmad,3 Arasamabattu Kannan Munirajan,1 Ravi Sudesh4 1Department of Genetics, University of Madras, Dr ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Taramani Campus, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600 113, India; 2Schizophrenia Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600 101, India; 3Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India; 4Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, IndiaCorrespondence: Ravi Sudesh, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, 632014, India, Tel +91-9176028134, Email sudesh.ravi@vit.ac.in; sudesh.genetics@gmail.com Arasamabattu Kannan Munirajan, Department of Genetics, Dr. ALM PG Institute Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Taramani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600 113, India, Tel +91-44-24547064 ; +91-9444460136, Email akmunirajan@gmail.com; akmunirajan@unom.ac.inBackground: Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous chronic psychiatric disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Environmental factors can alter epigenetic marks, which regulate gene expression and cause an array of systemic changes. Several studies have demonstrated the association of epigenetic modulations in schizophrenia, which can influence clinical course, symptoms, and even treatment. Based on this, we have examined the global DNA methylation patterns, namely the 5-methylcytosine (5mC), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5fC); and the global RNA modification N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation status in peripheral blood cells. First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) patients who were diagnosed with Schizophrenia (SCZ) and undergoing treatment were stratified as Treatment-Responsive (TR) and Treatment-Non-Responsive (TNR). Age- and sex-matched healthy subjects served as controls.Results: The methylation pattern of 5mC and 5hmC showed significant increases in patients in comparison to controls. Further, when patients were classified based on their response to treatment, there was a statistically significant increase in methylation patterns in the treatment non-responder group. 5fC and m6A levels did not show any statistical significance across the groups. Further, gender-based stratification did not yield any significant difference for the markers.Conclusion: The study highlights the increased global methylation pattern in SCZ patients and a significant difference between the TR versus TNR groups. Global 5mC and 5hmC epigenetic marks suggest their potential roles in schizophrenia pathology, and also in the treatment response to antipsychotics. Since not many studies were available on the treatment response, further validation and the use of more sensitive techniques to study methylation status could unravel the potential of these epigenetic modifications as biomarkers for SCZ as well as distinguishing the antipsychotic treatment response in patients.Keywords: schizophrenia, global methylation, treatment response, 5mC, 5hmC, m6A

Abstract Background Major population movements, social structure, and caste endogamy have influenced the genetic structure of Indian populations. An understanding of these influences is increasingly important as gene mapping and case-control studies are initiated in South Indian populations. Results We report new data on 155 individuals from four Tamil caste populations of South India and perform comparative analyses with caste populations from the neighboring state of Andhra Pradesh. Genetic differentiation among Tamil castes is low (RST = 0.96% for 45 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) markers), reflecting a largely common origin. Nonetheless, caste- and continent-specific patterns are evident. For 32 lineage-defining Y-chromosome SNPs, Tamil castes show higher affinity to Europeans than to eastern Asians, and genetic distance estimates to the Europeans are ordered by caste rank. For 32 lineage-defining mitochondrial SNPs and hypervariable sequence (HVS) 1, Tamil castes have higher affinity to eastern Asians than to Europeans. For 45 autosomal STRs, upper and middle rank castes show higher affinity to Europeans than do lower rank castes from either Tamil Nadu or Andhra Pradesh. Local between-caste variation (Tamil Nadu RST = 0.96%, Andhra Pradesh RST = 0.77%) exceeds the estimate of variation between these geographically separated groups (RST = 0.12%). Low, but statistically significant, correlations between caste rank distance and genetic distance are demonstrated for Tamil castes using Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal data. Conclusion Genetic data from Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal STRs are in accord with historical accounts of northwest to southeast population movements in India. The influence of ancient and historical population movements and caste social structure can be detected and replicated in South Indian caste populations from two different geographic regions.

Abstract Background While early intervention in psychosis (EIP) programs have been increasingly implemented across the globe, many initiatives from Africa, Asia and Latin America are not widely known. The aims of the current review are (a) to describe population-based and small-scale, single-site EIP programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America, (b) to examine the variability between programs located in low-and-middle income (LMIC) and high-income countries in similar regions and (c) to outline some of the challenges and provide recommendations to overcome existing obstacles. Methods EIP programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America were identified through experts from the different target regions. We performed a systematic search in Medline, Embase, APA PsycInfo, Web of Science and Scopus up to February 6, 2024. Results Most EIP programs in these continents are small-scale, single-site programs that serve a limited section of the population. Population-based programs with widespread coverage and programs integrated into primary health care are rare. In Africa, EIP programs are virtually absent. Mainland China is one of the only LMICs that has begun to take steps toward developing a population-based EIP program. High-income Asian countries (e.g. Hong Kong and Singapore) have well-developed, comprehensive programs for individuals with early psychosis, while others with similar economies (e.g. South Korea and Japan) do not. In Latin America, Chile is the only country in the process of providing population-based EIP care. Conclusions Financial resources and integration in mental health care, as well as the availability of epidemiological data on psychosis, impact the implementation of EIP programs. Given the major treatment gap of early psychosis in Africa, Latin America and large parts of Asia, publicly funded, locally-led and accessible community-based EIP care provision is urgently needed.

AbstractHemp fibers are becoming increasingly popular as a versatile reinforcement in natural fiber-reinforced composites, which have emerged as a sustainable alternative to traditional materials. With an emphasis on maximizing wear resistance, this study examines the wear properties of potassium permanganate (KMnO4)-treated Hemp fiber powder-reinforced epoxy composite specimens. The experiments on Pin-on-disc were conducted by varying the process parameters, such as time, load and speed to understand the wear damage. This study shed light on the influence of process parameters on the wear mechanism under various circumstances, by analyzing the mass loss of the specimens. The statistical analysis of the obtained results was performed using the Taguchi method at 95% confidence level. The lowest probability value (p values) was obtained for Time (0.018) followed by Speed (0.043). The study predicted that the mass loss was significantly influenced by time and speed. The surface morphology study of the tested specimens, performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) depicted that the mass loss of the specimens during the wear test is a combined effect of the formation of micro-cracks, micro ploughing, delamination and crater. The integration of Taguchi analysis and surface morphology study yield a thorough comprehension of the wear properties of natural fiber-reinforced composites, enabling their optimization for an extensive array of technical uses.

Background: Psychosocial interventions, crucial for recovery in patients with schizophrenia, have often been developed and tested in high income countries. We aimed at developing and validating home-based a booklet based psycho-social intervention with inputs from stakeholders: patients, families, and mental health professionals (MHP) for patients with schizophrenia and related disorders in low resource settings. Methods: We developed a preliminary version of psychosocial intervention booklets based on six themes derived from focus group discussions conducted with patients, families, and MHP. Initially, quantitative assessment of content validity was done by MHP on overall and Content Validity Index of individual items of the specific booklets, followed by in-depth interviews about their views. The booklets were modified based on their inputs. Further, pilot testing of manuals was done on the users - nine pairs of patients and caregivers followed by development of a final version of psycho-social intervention. Results: The percentage content validity of individual modules and overall booklets was ≥78.5% indicating good validity. Most MHP reported that the manuals were relevant and easy to use but were text-heavy, and lengthy. On pilot testing of modified manuals with patients and their family caregivers, majority (77.8%) of them found booklets useful and suggested that there should be separate booklets for both patients and caregivers for providing information and entering separate response for the activities, integrating helpful tips. Language should be simple. Finally, two sets of booklets (“info book” and “workbook”) named ‘Saksham’ (meaning empowered) were created with specific modules (viz., ‘Medicine adherence’, ‘Daily routine’, ‘Eating right’, ‘Physical activity’, ‘Physical health monitoring’, ‘Self-reliance’, and ‘Psychoeducation’) for patients and caregivers each, in two languages (Hindi and English). Conclusion: Booklets with modules for psychosocial interventions for patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers were developed after establishing content validity and pilot testing.

This paper highlights the temperature sensing behavior of the 4-Cmax clustery disordered structures. The disordered structure can be obtained by grouping the higher refractive index layers to the maximum of 4 cluster sizes, randomly distributing these groups among the layers with the lower index of refraction. The sensor has been realized using silicon (Si) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) materials. The silicon refractive index is highly dependent on the temperature; whereas the silicon dioxide has enough temperature stability. The transmission spectra of the 1D photonic structure is numerically calculated using the transfer matrix method. The thermo-optic responses of the desired sensors were measured within the temperature range of 25 to 200 °C. It is worth noting that the 4-Cmax clustery structures can sense the temperature in both the magnitude and wavelength of the transmittance peaks. Hence, the performance of the sensor can be improved by combining the sensitivity of both scalar quantities. The maximum sensitivity at the best operating temperature range (100-125 °C) was found to be 1.3824 × 10− 4 nm/°C2. The proposed sensor shows linearity of about 0.999 R2 value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After the Tsunami struck Tamilnadu in India in 2004, a spate of psychosocial training programmes were held by a host of agencies, both government and non-government. Aim: This study is an empirical approach to the assessment of the psychosocial training programmes held after tsunami. The nature and quality of training received by the community level workers (CLWs) and the interventions carried out by them are described. Methods: CLWs were interviewed using a questionnaire to assess details about training and interventions carried out by them. Qualitative information was also gathered both from CLWs and the community. A comparison was made between CLWs of government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and those belonging to self-help groups. Results: While most CLWs seemed to have benefited greatly from the training programmes, they had several suggestions to make about refining its quality. Multiple programmes, not well coordinated, resulted in a lot of overlap. The community was generally happy with the interventions provided and felt that they were necessary for about six months at least. One-to-one interventions are preferred to group activities, except in the case of children. Conclusions: Psychosocial support (PSS) training programmes after a disaster situation will need to be coordinated by a nodal agency. Too many players on the field with their own agenda do not benefit the community and can well be a waste of resources. Key words: tsunami south India, psychosocial intervention, training programmes, assessment

Background to the debate: Schizophrenia affects an estimated 25 million people in low-and middle-income countries, with an average lifetime risk of about 1 %. The illness is associated with excess [...]

Background: Socio-cultural explanatory factors for mental health problems determine help seeking behaviors. The study aimed to understand the reasons mentally ill patients and their families in India choose to seek help from a religious site. Materials and methods: Persons with mental illness and their families were interviewed at religious sites using a guideline questionnaire. Issues such as significant life events, explanations for perceived abnormal behavior and reasons for choosing a specific religious site for 'treatment' were explored. Discussion: Seeking religious help for mental disorders is often a first step in the management of mental disorders as a result of cultural explanations for the illness. This behavior also has social sanctions. Key words: chronic mental illness, religious sites, qualitative study, ritualistic practices

This is a qualitative study of 76 women with schizophrenia whose marriages had broken. The sample was drawn from three different centres. Using qualitative methods of exploration, information regarding their illness, the marriage and its separation and the various consequences of this event was gathered. Many of them had not separated legally and were not receiving any maintenance from their husbands. Their concerns centred around their future, the fact they would be a burden to their ageing parents and in some cases about their children. Stigma attached to separation was as poignant as that of being mentally ill, if not more. However, a striking aspect was that even after several years of separation, these women still harboured a lot of hope that they would be able to reunite with their husbands. Key words: broken marriages, schizophrenia, sequelae, women

Women with schizophrenia and broken marriages in India are disabled and stigmatised not only by the illness, but by the social attitudes to marital separation and divorce. We interviewed caregivers of 75 such women attending mental health facilities in Chennai in an attempt to understand their perceptions, attitudes and concerns about the future of their wards. Burden on the families was assessed using the Burden Assessment Schedule developed by us. Most families expressed intense distress and were especially concerned about the long-term future and security of these women. Care of the children of these women was an additional problem, in the face of total lack of any financial support from the husbands. The various sociocultural factors modulating the scene are also discussed. Key words: broken marriage, burden of families, children, schizophrenia, women