Quantum chemical calculations of electron affinities of alkaline earth metal atoms (Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ra).

We performed high-level ab initio quantum chemical calculations, incorporating higher-order excitations, spin-orbit coupling (SOC), and the Gaunt interaction, to calculate the electron affinities (EAs) of alkaline earth (AE) metal atoms (Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ra), which are notably small. The coupled-cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] method is insufficient to accurately calculate the EAs of AE metal atoms. Higher-order excitations proved crucial, with the coupled-cluster singles, doubles, and triples with perturbative quadruples [CCSDT(2)Q] method effectively capturing dynamic electron correlation effects. The contributions of SOC (ΔESOs) to the EAs calculated using the multireference configuration interaction method with the Davidson correction, including SOC, positively enhance the EAs; however, these contributions are overestimated. The Dirac-Hartree-Fock (DHF)-CCSD(T) method addresses this overestimation and provides reasonable values for ΔESO (ΔESO-D). Employing additional sets of diffuse and core-valence correlation basis sets is critical for accurately calculating the EAs of AE metal atoms. The contributions of the Gaunt interaction (ΔEGaunt) to the EAs of AE metal atoms are negligible. Notably, the CCSDT(2)Q with the complete basis set limit + ΔESO-D + ΔEGaunt produced EA values for Ca, Sr, and Ba that closely aligned with experimental data and achieved accuracy exceeding the chemical accuracy. Based on our findings, the accurately proposed EA for Ra is 9.88 kJ/mol.

Multi-location evaluation of field pea in Indian climates: eco-phenological dynamics, crop-environment relationships, and identification of mega-environments.

Characterization of crop-growing environments in relation to crop's genotypic performance is crucial to harness positive genotype-by-environment interactions (GEI) in systematic breeding programs. Given that, the study aimed to delineate the impact of diverse environments on crop phenology and yield traits of dwarf-statured field pea, pinpointing location(s) favoring higher yield and distinctiveness within breeding lines. We tested twelve field pea breeding lines across twenty locations in India, covering Central Zone (CZ), North Western Plain Zone (NWPZ), North Eastern Plain Zone (NEPZ), and Northern Hill Zone (NHZ). Across these locations, maximum and minimum temperatures during flowering (TMAXF, TMINF) and reproductive period (TMAXRP, TMINRP) ranged 18.9-28.3, 3.3-18.0, 15.0-30.8, and 7.9-22.1oC, respectively. Meanwhile, notable variations in phenological and agronomic traits (coefficient of variation) were observed: flowering (31%), days to maturity (21%), reproductive period (18%), grain yield (48%), and 100-seed weight (18%). Combined ANOVA demonstrated an oversized impact of environment (81%) on yield, while genotype and GEI effects were 2% and 14%, respectively. The variables TMINF, TMINRP, and cumulative growing degree-day showed positive correlations with yield, while extended vegetative and maturity durations negatively influenced yield (p < 0.05). Additionally, linear mixed-models and PCA results explained that instability in crop phenology had significant influence on field pea yield. Seed weight was markedly varied within the locations (9.9-20.8 g) and both higher and lower seed weights were associated with lower yields (Optimal = 17.1 g). HA-GGE biplot-based on environment focus-scaling demonstrated three mega-environments and specific locations viz. Kota (CZ), SK Nagar (CZ), Raipur (CZ), Sehore (CZ), and Pantnagar (NWPZ) as the ideal testing-environments with high efficiency in selecting new genotypes with wider adaptability. The study findings highlight distinct impact of environments on crop phenology and agronomic traits of field pea (dwarf-type), hold substantial value in designing efficient field pea (dwarf-type) breeding program at mega-environment scale.

Transforming Pharmaceutical Synthesis with Sein-E-B Nanocomposite Photocatalyst through 1,4-NAD(P)H Cofactor Regeneration and C-N Bond Activation.

The need for sunlight chemical renewal and contemporary organic transformation has fostered the advancement of environmentally friendly photocatalytic techniques. For the first time, we report on the novel crafting of a bright future with selenium-infused Eosin-B (Sein-E-B) nanocomposite photocatalysts in this work. The Sein-E-B nanocomposite materials were created using a hydrothermal process for solar chemical regeneration and organic transformation under visible light. The synthesized samples were subjected to UV-DRS-visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, SEM, EDX, EIS and XRD analysis. The energy band gap of the Sein-E-B nanocomposite photocatalyst was measured using UV-DRS, and the result was around 2.06 eV. to investigate the generated Sein-E-B catalytic activity as a nanocomposite for 1,4-NADH/NADPH re-formation and C-N bond activation. This novel photocatalyst offers a promising alternative for the regeneration of solar chemicals and C-N bond creation between pyrrole and aryl halides.

Bioengineering Strategies for Developing Vaccines against Respiratory Viral Diseases.

Respiratory viral pathogens like influenza and coronaviruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have caused outbreaks leading to millions of deaths. Vaccinations are, to date, the best and most economical way to control such outbreaks and have been highly successful for several pathogens. Currently used vaccines for respiratory viral pathogens are primarily live attenuated or inactivated and can risk reversion to virulence or confer inadequate immunity. The recent trend of using potent biomolecules like DNA, RNA, and protein antigenic components to synthesize vaccines for diseases has shown promising results. Still, it remains challenging to translate due to their high susceptibility to degradation during storage and after delivery. Advances in bioengineering technology for vaccine design have made it possible to control the physicochemical properties of the vaccines for rapid synthesis, heightened antigen presentation, safer formulations, and more robust immunogenicity. Bioengineering techniques and materials have been used to synthesize several potent vaccines, approved or in trials, against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and are being explored for influenza, SARS, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) vaccines as well. Here, we review bioengineering strategies such as the use of polymeric particles, liposomes, and virus-like particles in vaccine development against influenza and coronaviruses and the feasibility of adopting these technologies for clinical use.

Evaluation of C4b as an adjunct marker in symptomatic RT-PCR negative Covid-19 cases.

Introduction: Detecting low viral load has been a challenge in this pandemic, which has led to its escalated transmission. Complement activation has been implicated in pathogenesis of Covid-19 infection. Thus, evaluation of complement activation in suspected Covid-19 infection may help to detect infection and limit false negative cases thus limiting transmission of infection. We speculate that measuring C4b, produced from an activated complement system due to the presence of Covid-19 may help in its detection, even when the viral titers are low. Methods: Plasma C4b levels of symptomatic RT-PCR positive patients (cases, n = 40); symptomatic RT-PCR negative patients (n = 35) and asymptomatic RT-PCR negative controls (n = 40) were evaluated. Plasma C5b-9, IL-6, D-dimer and C1-Inhibitor (C1-INH) were also measured in cases and controls. ELISA kits were used for all measurements. Statistical analyses were carried out using Stata, version 12 (Stata Corp., Texas, USA). Results: C4b levels were found to be significantly increased in RT-PCR positive patients as compared to asymptomatic RT-PCR negative controls. RT-PCR negative but symptomatic patients still showed increased C4b levels. The significantly higher levels of C4b in cases with a cut-off value of ≥ 116 ng/ml with optimum sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 52% respectively is indicative of its possible use as an adjunct marker. Increased levels of D-dimer, IL6, along with decreased levels of C1-INH were found in cases compared to controls. Whereas, C5b-9 levels were not significantly raised in cases. Conclusions: The results of our study suggests that plasma C4b may help to detect infection in false negative cases of RT-PCR that escape detection owing to low viral load. However, to confirm it a large-scale study is needed. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12291-022-01033-z.

India Field Epidemiology Training Program Response to COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2021.

The India Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) has played a critical role in India's response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. During March 2020-June 2021, a total of 123 FETP officers from across 3 training hubs were deployed in support of India's efforts to combat COVID-19. FETP officers have successfully mitigated the effect of COVID-19 on persons in India by conducting cluster outbreak investigations, performing surveillance system evaluations, and developing infection prevention and control tools and guidelines. This report discusses the successes of select COVID-19 pandemic response activities undertaken by current India FETP officers and proposes a pathway to augmenting India's pandemic preparedness and response efforts through expansion of this network and a strengthened frontline public health workforce.

Neuroprotective effect of quercetin against rotenone-induced neuroinflammation and alterations in mice behavior.

Various studies suggested that neuroinflammation leads to the development of several neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and Huntington's disease (HD). Rotenone is an organic pesticide and potent inhibitor of complex I of electron transport chain widely used to develop the PD model. Numerous studies reported rotenone toxicity in the dopaminergic system but very few studies are available on rotenone-induced glial cell activation and subsequent neurodegeneration and alterations in various types of behavior. Therefore, the present study was designed to explore the effect of rotenone on neuroinflammation and its deleterious effect on the behavior of mice, and also how these effects can be protected through quercetin. Quercetin, a natural flavonoid having strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is found in vegetables and fruits. The finding of the study indicated that rotenone 5 mg/kg body weight for 60 days through oral gavage leads to the release of inflammatory markers in blood serum, astrocytes activation in substantia nigra and hippocampus, and subsequently decreased density of dopaminergic fibers in the striatum. Rotenone also altered the memory of the mice as indicated by decreased spontaneous alteration in Y-maze and T-maze tests and reduction in exploration time in novel object recognition, increased immobility time in the forced swim test and reduced muscular strength. Co-treatment of quercetin 30 mg/kg/day through oral gavage for 60 days along with rotenone significantly reversed all these adverse effects, suggesting that quercetin could reduce neuroinflammation, and improve memory, and cognitive function.

Beam steered graphene-based Yagi-Uda array antenna with a transverse magnetic to hybrid mode conversion approach.

This work presents the existence of the mode conversion technique in a graphene-based Yagi-Uda array antenna. It comprises four arrays whose strands are placed on a silicon dioxide substrate, and are eventually connected with the graphene ring. All four driven elements of the Yagi-Uda array antenna are excited through the 50Ω silver nanostrip feedline. The proposed antenna offers mode conversion due to variation of the chemical potential of graphene. It controls conversion of the TM32δ to HEM21δ mode of the antenna. This is attributed to the change in the biasing voltage of graphene. This in turn shifts the radiation pattern from the end-fire to the broadside direction, which effectively confirms the beam reconfigurability. This antenna provides a high directivity of 12.21 dBi at 4.55 THz center frequency. The proposed antenna is designed and analyzed by using CST Microwave Studio, which is based on the finite difference time domain scheme. The beam steered graphene-based antenna has been utilized for several terahertz communication systems.

Non-permitted food colorants induced neurotoxicity in cerebellum of rat brain.

Food colorants are important food additives that not only enhance the appearance of food but also appetite. These can be obtained from natural and synthetic sources, but synthetic sources are more popular, efficient, and potential. Non-permitted food colorants (NPFCs) are banned, but their injudicious use in developing countries associated with various adverse health effects. They have potentially toxic effects on the body organs like the brain, liver, kidney, spleen, gut, etc. In view of their toxicity pattern, the present study aims to investigate the effect of three NPFCs (MY: Metanil yellow; MG: Malachite green; SIII: Sudan III) on oxidative stress, mitochondrial complexes, neurochemicals, and histological changes in the cerebellum of rats. Rats treated with MY (430 mg/kg), MG (13.75 mg/kg), SIII (250 mg/kg), and their mixtures (YGR) (MY 143.33 + MG 4.52 + SIII 83.33 mg/kg) p.o. for 60 days showed a significant increase in lipid peroxidation and decreased level of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity as compared to controls. An increase in the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and a significant decrease in the activity of monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) and mitochondrial complex I and II was also observed in NPFCs treated rats as compared to controls. Further, the histological study also revealed the loss of Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum of the rat brain. The results of the present study indicate that NPFCs exposure to rats enhances oxidative stress and alters the activity of neurochemicals and mitochondrial complexes which could further lead to neuronal loss and behavioral dysfunctions.

Nebulized Salbutamol with or without Magnesium Sulphate in the Management of Acute Asthma in Children in India: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: There is inconclusive evidence on the role of nebulized magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) in the management of acute asthma in paediatric population. OBJECTIVES: Whether the use of nebulized salbutamol with or without MgSO4 in the management of acute asthma results in clinically significant improvement in lung function in Indian children? The primary outcome measure was to assess improvements in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), heart rate, respiratory rate and SpO2. METHODS: This was a single centre; prospective double-blind randomized control trial conducted in paediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care centre. Ninety children of 6-14 years with acute exacerbations of bronchial asthma were enrolled to receive either inhaled magnesium sulphate (95 mg) with salbutamol (5 mg) or inhaled salbutamol (5 mg) alone. All patients got three nebulizations done during the first hour at 20 min intervals, two nebulizations during the second hour at 30 min intervals, hourly for the next 2 h and then at 24 and 48 h. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients were finally analysed as per protocol analysis. The trial showed that PEFR increased gradually in both groups over the study duration, but it was statistically not significant. Heart rate decreased significantly in both groups over the study duration. Respiratory rate decreased significantly between the groups at 24 and 48 h only. SpO2 improved too in both groups but was not significant statistically. CONCLUSION: The addition of nebulized MgSO4 to salbutamol does not seem to result in improvement in lung function in the management of acute asthma in Indian children.

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on CD4 Count in HIV-Infected Children and Adolescents in North India: A Non-Randomized Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: HIV infection is still a serious public health issue globally. Suboptimal vitamin D status is highly prevalent in HIV-infected children and adolescents throughout the world. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the outcome of vitamin D supplementation on CD4 count in HIV-infected children and adolescents with suboptimal vitamin D status. METHODS: Vitamin D level of HIV-infected children and adolescents were measured at enrolment. Suboptimal vitamin D level was defined as 25(OH)D < 30 ng/ml. Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were defined as 21-29 and <20 ng/ml, respectively. Children with suboptimal vitamin D levels were supplemented with vitamin D. RESULTS: This was a single-centre, non-randomized comparative study enrolling 50 eligible participants. There were 20 patients who were vitamin D sufficient, 7 were vitamin D insufficient and 23 were found to be vitamin D deficient at enrolment. However, after supplementation, the status of sufficient remained same and 7 insufficient become sufficient, whereas in 23 deficient, 18 (78.3%) become sufficient and 5 (21.7%) become insufficient and this change was found statistically significant among the groups (χ2 = 6.52, p = 0.038). There was a significant improvement of CD4 count from baseline to 4 months in deficient group on vitamin D supplementation (p value < 0.001; 1.2-fold rise). No significant change was seen in vitamin D insufficient (p value = 0.791) and sufficient groups (p value = 0.168). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D should be supplemented in HIV-infected children on ART with low CD4 counts.

Implementation of the Uttarakhand Tobacco Free Initiative in Schools, India, 2016.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: A process evaluation, the Uttarakhand Tobacco Free Initiative (UTFI), was conducted in 49 public high schools and colleges in the state of Uttarakhand, India, to measure program implementation, provide feedback to school administrators, and identify barriers to tobacco control. INTERVENTION APPROACH: UTFI aims to 1) raise awareness and provide education and tools for teachers and school administrators about the dangers of tobacco use and secondhand smoke, 2) encourage participation in student-led activities to promote tobacco-free initiatives, and 3) enforce tobacco-free school policies in the state of Uttarakhand. EVALUATION METHODS: We used the CDC evaluation framework to document key components and lessons learned from the UTFI. We distributed questionnaires to 71 teachers and principals in December 2016, to assess awareness of school activities and policies related to the initiative. Descriptive statistics were computed for quantitative data, and a thematic content analysis was used for qualitative data. RESULTS: Of the 71 participants, 66 (92.9%) were aware of tobacco use policies in schools, and 63 (88.7%) agreed policies were enforced. Sixty-six participants (93.0%) said that they taught tobacco prevention-related topics, and 41 of 70 respondents (58.6%) reported that a student-led group helped to enforce tobacco-free policies in their schools. Of 69 respondents, almost all (n = 66) reported satisfaction with UTFI implementation. Challenges identified were related to tobacco products being readily accessible near school premises, lack of tobacco prevention materials, and tobacco use by school staff. IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH: Successes of UTFI were documented by measuring different components of the process, including implementation of program activities and teacher and principal satisfaction. Results might help enhance key processes for the initiative and highlight some barriers to implementation, such as enforcing tobacco control policy off school premises. Continued efforts are needed to prevent tobacco use among young people.

Defective cell proliferation is an attribute of overexpressed Notch1 receptor and impaired autophagy in Fanconi Anemia.

Fanconi Anemia (FA) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome caused by mutation in FA pathway proteins, involved in Interstrand Cross Link (ICL) repair. FA cells exhibit in vitro proliferation arrest due to accumulated DNA damage, hence understanding the rescue mechanism that renders proliferation advantage is required. Gene expression profiling performed in FA patients Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) revealed a wide array of dysregulated biological processes. Functional enrichment and gene clustering analysis showed crippled autophagy process and escalated Notch signalling pathway in FA clinical samples and cell lines. Notch pathway mediators overexpression were reverted in FANCA mutant cells when treated with Rapamycin, an autophagy inducer. Additionally, Rapamycin stabilized cell viability after treatment with the DNA damaging agent, MitomycinC (MMC) and enhanced cell proliferation genes expression in FANCA mutant cells. Inherently FANCA mutant cells express impaired autophagy; thus activation of autophagy channelizes Notch signalling cascade and sustains cell viability.

Population genetic data of 22 autosomal STR loci for the Scheduled Caste population of Rajasthan India.

AIM: To study the genetic structure of the Scheduled Caste population of Rajasthan and its relationship with Indian and global populations using expanded 20 CODIS STR loci (autosomal) markers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Blood samples of 226 healthy, unrelated adult individuals of the Scheduled Caste population of the Indian state of Rajasthan were taken from the routine casework of authors after obtaining written informed consent. Autosomal STR markers included in PowerPlex® Fusion 5 C and GlobalFiler™ PCR amplification kits were used to explore the genetic diversity of the studied population. Amplicons were separated using Genetic Analyser 3500XL as per the recommended protocol. RESULTS: Observed heterozygosity for the studied population ranged from 0.681(CSF1PO) to 0.881 (D1S1656).Combined Discrimination Power and Combined Exclusion Power were observed as 1 and 0.9999999852, respectively. The highest Discrimination Power was observed for the locus D1S1656. In the population comparison test, Nei's Da distance-based Neighbor-Joining (NJ) dendrogram revealed two significant clusters of geographically close Indian and East Asian populations along with a few small groups of outlier populations. CONCLUSION: The matching probability for 20 STR markers was observed as 7.02 × 10-24 and paternity index as 5.55 × 107. These values play a key role in forensic applications.The studied population showed a higher genetic affinity with geographically closer populations than the distant ones. This caste-based population data is expected to play an important role in forensic DNA applications and genetic studies.

Foodborne Disease outbreak associated with eating Gaajar Halwa at a Wedding - Palghar District, Maharashtra, India, 2018.

BACKGROUND: A foodborne disease outbreak among wedding attendees from Makunsar village, Palghar district, Maharashtra state, India, was reported on February 18, 2018. OBJECTIVES: The outbreak investigation was conducted to find out the epidemiology of the outbreak and to identify the etiologic agent and risk factors. METHODS: A case-control study was carried out, where cases (patients), controls, and food handlers were interviewed and leftover foods were collected for culture. A case was defined as a person having vomiting or diarrhea (i.e., ≥3 loose stools within 24 h) who attended the wedding ceremony at Makunsar village, Palghar district, Maharashtra, on February 18, 2018. Attack rate and odds ratio (OR) were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Out of 75 cases, 63% were female. Altogether, forty-two (56%) cases were hospitalized, and later on, all of them were discharged from hospital without any mortality. About 93%, 68%, 43%, and 41% of the cases reported with vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, respectively. The median incubation period was found to be 4 h (range: 2-8 h). Eating gaajar halwa (carrot pudding) was significantly associated with illness (OR: 12.8; 95% CI: 3.5-46). Gaajar halwa is prepared with khoa, a perishable milk product. The gaajar halwa culture yielded no growth. CONCLUSION: The case-patients' clinical presentation and incubation period were consistent with enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus aureus as the probable etiologic agent. The epidemiologic investigation identified the probable etiologic agent and food source in a low-resource community setting. Community food handlers were educated on food preparation hygiene and safe storage measures to prevent future outbreaks.

Measles outbreak among children ≤15 years old, Jaintia Hills District, Meghalaya, India, 2017.

BACKGROUND: Of 1115 measles outbreaks during 2015 in India, 61,255 suspected measles cases were reported. In 2016, a measles outbreak was reported at East and West Jaintia Hills districts in Meghalaya State, India. OBJECTIVES: The outbreak was investigated to describe the epidemiology, estimate vaccination coverage and vaccine effectiveness (VE), determine risk factors for the disease, and recommend control and prevention measures. METHODS: A measles case was defined as new-onset fever with maculopapular rash occurring between May 1, 2016, and January 21, 2017, in a resident of East and West Jaintia Hills. Cases were identified by active and passive surveillance. Serum and urine samples were collected from cases with laboratory diagnosis for confirmation. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to estimate vaccination coverage, VE, and risk factors for the disease. RESULTS: We identified 382 cases (51% female). The attack rate was 24% with three deaths. The case fatality rate was <1%. The median age was 4 years (range: 3 months-12 years). Among children 12-60 months, 128 (56%) received measles-containing-vaccine first-dose (MCV1), 85 (37%) received measles-containing-vaccine second-dose (MCV2), and 80 (35%) received Vitamin A. VE for MCV1 was 78% and for MCV2 94%. Being unvaccinated for MCV1 (relative risk [RR] = 9.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.6-20.5) and MCV2 (RR = 17.4, 95% CI = 4.3-69.4) were both strongly associated with illness. CONCLUSIONS: Poor vaccination coverage led to the measles outbreak in East and West Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalaya. Strengthening the routine immunization systems and improving Vitamin A uptake is essential to prevent further outbreaks.

An outbreak investigation of acute Diarrheal Disease, Nagpur District, Maharashtra, India.

BACKGROUND: Acute diarrheal disease (ADD) accounts for 12 million cases and 1216 deaths annually in India. On July 13, 2016, an ADD outbreak was reported from Sawargaon village from Nagpur district, Maharashtra. OBJECTIVE: The outbreak was investigated to describe the epidemiology and suggest control and preventive measures. METHODS: A case was defined as a person experiencing at least one loose stool in Sawargaon village between July 9, 2016, and July 31, 2016. We searched for cases by enhanced passive surveillance. We collected stool samples for bacterial culture and tested water from multiple water sources for fecal coliforms. We also reviewed sanitary practices and rainfall data. RESULTS: A total of 889 cases were identified, with 51% female, 280 hospitalizations (31%), and two deaths. The median age was 27 years (range 6 months to 90 years). Cases started on July 9, a week after heavy rains. District authorities started chlorination of water sources on July 13 and cases declined soon after. Two of nine stool samples tested positive for Vibrio cholera O1 serogroup. Of the 18 water samples collected, 16 (88%) samples from multiple sources, including wells, hand pumps, and taps, were positive for fecal coliforms. Of 1,885 households in the village, 450 (24%) households had no toilets and open defecation was commonly observed in the nearby river bed. CONCLUSIONS: This ADD outbreak was likely associated with drinking contaminated groundwater, which probably occurred after heavy rainfall in an area of open defecation. We recommended providing chlorinated drinking water, promoting safe sanitation practices, including building more public and private toilets, and enhancing diagnostic laboratory capacity.

Cholera outbreak associated with contaminated water sources in paddy fields, Mandla District, Madhya Pradesh, India.

BACKGROUND: Mandla District in Madhya Pradesh, India, reported a suspected cholera outbreak from Ghughri subdistrict on August 18, 2016. OBJECTIVE: We investigated to determine risk factors and recommend control and prevention measures. METHODS: We defined a case as >3 loose stools in 24 h in a Ghughri resident between July 20 and August 19, 2016. We identified cases by passive surveillance in health facilities and by a house-to-house survey in 28 highly affected villages. We conducted a 1:2 unmatched case-control study, collected stool samples for culture, and tested water sources for fecal contamination. RESULTS: We identified 628 cases (61% female) from 96 villages; the median age was 27 years (range: 1 month-76 years). Illnesses began 7 days after rainfall with 259 (41%) hospitalizations and 14 (2%) deaths in people from remote villages who died before reaching a health facility; 12 (86%) worked in paddy fields. Illness was associated with drinking well water within paddy fields (odds ratio [OR] = 4.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-8.0) and not washing hands with soap after defecation (OR = 6.1, CI = 1.7-21). Of 34 stool cultures, 11 (34%) tested positive for Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa. We observed open defecation in affected villages around paddy fields. Of 16 tested water sources in paddy fields, eight (50%) were protected, but 100% had fecal contamination. CONCLUSION: We recommended education regarding pit latrine sanitation and safe water, especially in paddy fields, provision of oral rehydration solution in remote villages, and chlorine tablets for point-of-use treatment of drinking water.

Anisotropic nonlinear optical response in a graphene oxide-gold nanohybrid.

In this Letter, we report for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the anisotropic optical response in a graphene oxide (GO)-gold (Au) nanohybrid. Polarization-sensitive nonlinear optical absorption measurements revealed that nanohybrids are highly anisotropic, (ß⊥-ß‖)≈28cm/GW, which is more than one order of magnitude higher than that of control GO (2 cm/GW). The first-principle analysis of absorbance at nanohybrid interfaces with varying functional ligand concentrations corroborates with the experimentally observed intrinsic linear anisotropy. Thus, this Letter enables new routes to realize smart and high-performing nonlinear optical systems selectively and directionally such as tunable optical limiters and optical data processing devices.

Genetic portrait study for 23 Y-STR loci in the population of Rajasthan, India.

This study was conducted to come up with data on Y-STR markers for the population of Rajasthan comprising of the western arid region of India. Y-STR analysis is an established tool in forensic DNA casework and ancestry research. We analyzed 23 Y-STRs in randomly selected 310 unrelated individuals living within the geographical area of Rajasthan to establish parameters of forensic interest. Out of 310 haplotypes, 309 unique haplotypes were observed, which revealed a high discrimination capacity with a value of 0.997 for the studied loci. The gene diversity (GD) and haplotype diversity (HD) for the studied 23 Y STRs were found to be 0.664 and 0.666, respectively. In the population of Rajasthan, locus DYS385a/b showed the highest gene diversity with a value of 0.829 among all the studied loci. The studied population showed genetic relatedness with the populations of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Himachal Pradesh.