Determinants of depression in Indian tribal adults: Evidence from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India Wave-I survey.

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: The tribal populations are vulnerable to mental health issues owing to various reasons. However, limited research has been conducted to assess depression and related determinants among tribal adults aged ≥45 yr (45 years and older). The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic and health determinants of depressive symptoms among the scheduled tribe (ST) population aged ≥45 yr in India. METHODS: The present study analyzed the Wave I data of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India conducted between April 2017 to December 2018. The outcome variables in the present study were self-reported depressive symptoms. Two internationally recognised tools, the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) and Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (CIDI-SF), were used to obtain the data, however, only the CES-D data are utilized in this study. The present study focused on 12,215 ST individuals aged ≥45 yr from whom information about depressive symptoms was collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Nearly 25 per cent ST population aged 45 yr or older experienced depressive symptoms. The likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms among the ST population aged ≥45 yr was negatively associated with 10 or more years of education and living with children and others and positively associated with experiencing multiple morbidity conditions. INTERPRETATION CONCLUSIONS: Given the substantial burden of depression among the adult ST population, the present study lays emphasis on raising the awareness about depressive symptoms and strengthen the availability of mental health services among the ST community through intensive campaigns and engagement of ST individuals along with other key stakeholders. Higher education, living with spouse and children and a physically active lifestyle can play a crucial role in limiting depressive symptoms among the tribal adults (≥45 yr). It is paramount to regularly screen depressive symptoms and conduct more microlevel studies to evaluate socioeconomic and health determinants of depressive symptoms among ST communities living in different geographic regions.

Suicidal ideation and attempt among school going adolescents in Bhutan - a secondary analysis of a global school-based student health survey in Bhutan 2016.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) worldwide. The economic, emotional and human cost of suicidal behaviour to individuals, families, communities and society makes it a serious public health issue. We aim to determine the prevalence and factors associated with self-reported suicidal behaviour (suicidal ideation and attempt) among school going adolescents (13-17 years). METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a nationally representative data for Bhutan namely Global School Based Student Health Survey in 2016 which reports on various dimensions of adolescent health including suicidal behaviour. The survey employed a multistage sampling method to recruit participants aged 13-17 years (n = 5809) from 50 schools (25 each in rural and urban area). The survey used an anonymous self-administered pre-tested 84-item questionnaire. Weighted analysis was done. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and adjusted Odds Ratios (aORs) have been presented with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: A total of 667 (11.6%) adolescents reported considering a suicide attempt whereas 656 (11.3%) reported attempting suicide in the past 12 months. Among those reporting suicidal ideation, 388 (58.6%) reported attempting a suicide and 274 (41.4%) had ideation alone, whereas, 247 (38.9%) reported attempting a suicide without previous ideation. Female sex, food insecurity, physical attack, sexual violence, bullying, feeling of loneliness, low parental engagement, reported worry about lack of sleep, urge to use drugs/alcohol, smokeless tobacco use, drug abuse and parental smoking were the factors associated with suicidal attempt. All these factors except smokeless tobacco use and parental smoking were associated with suicidal ideation. Having helpful/close friends was found to be protective against suicide ideation. CONCLUSION: Suicidal behaviour among school going adolescents in Bhutan is high and alarming, especially among girls. Bullying, sexual violence, feeling of loneliness and drug abuse were some of the key risk factors identified. It is important to identify these risk factors early and effectively tackle them in order to prevent suicides. It requires a multi-faceted intervention with the support of the children, community, teachers and parents.

Youth tobacco use in South-East Asia: Implications for tobacco epidemic and options for its control in the region.

Nearly half of all male population and two in every five females in the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR) consume some form of tobacco. Preventing initiation among adolescents is critical for overall tobacco control. We assessed the trends in youth tobacco use and policies in SEAR. Data are used from school-based youth (Global Youth Tobacco Survey and global school student-based health survey) and adult (Global Adult Tobacco Survey, STEPS) tobacco surveys and the WHO Framework of Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) implementation database. More than 10% of 13-15-year-old adolescent students reported tobacco use in 8 out of 11 countries. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco exceeded that of cigarettes except in Indonesia, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. No consistent declining trends in tobacco use were observed in any of the countries with 3 or more data points. More than half of all daily smokers aged 20-34 years initiated "daily" smoking before 20 years of age. 19% (Bangladesh) to 55% (Timor-Leste) of 13-17-year old students tried their first cigarette before their 14th birthday. Majority of adolescent students in most of the SEAR countries reported purchasing their cigarettes from store/shop/vendor and as single sticks, with few exceptions and purchased them as "single" cigarette. There is a limited change in affordability of cigarettes in SEAR over time. Tobacco use remains high among youth in SEAR. Efforts should be strengthened to fully implement/enforce recommended policy measures (legal minimum age, fiscal measures to reduce tobacco affordability; prohibiting sale of single cigarettes, etc.) and to explore new measures (e.g., tobacco-free generation).

Unveiling Anti-malarial, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant Efficiency and Molecular Docking Study of Synthesized Transition Metal Complexes Derived From Heterocyclic Schiff Base Ligands.

Malaria, a persistent and ancient adversary, continues to impact vast regions worldwide, afflicting millions and severely affecting human health and well-being. Recently, despite significant progress in combating this parasitic disease, malaria remains a major global health concern, especially in areas with limited resources and vulnerable populations. Consequently, identifying and developing effective agents to combat malaria and its associated dysfunctions is essential therefore the two new Schiff base ligands incorporated Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions were synthesized and thoroughly characterized. The synthesized compounds were assessed for in vitro anti-malarial and antimicrobial efficacy, compounds (9, 10) demonstrated highest potential with IC50=1.08±0.09 to 1.18±0.04 µM against P. falciparum and MIC=0.0058 µmol/mL against C. albicans and E. coli, respectively. The complexes (5, 6) were effectively reduce mitigate oxidative stress with lowest IC50 value of 2.69±0.12 to 2.87±0.09 µM. Moreover, the biological findings were reinforced by a molecular docking investigation involving the potential compounds (2, 7-10) against dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and sterol 14-alpha demethylase proteins which exposed complex's excellent biological response than their parent ligands. ADMET profiling was used to confirm the compounds' oral drug-like features. This research offers promising prospects for future multi-functional drug innovations targeting malaria, pathogenic infections, and oxidative stress.

Recent Advancements in Organotin(IV) Complexes as Potent Cytotoxic Agents.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cases have escalated by approximately 12% since 1900 and the incidence rate has increased faster for females than males. The discovery of cisplatin in 1965 paved the way for metal-based compounds as cancer therapeutics. Unfortunately, cisplatin and other platinum-based medicines cause severe side effects. Therefore, non-platinum metal complexes have been developed as alternate cancer drugs. Among non-platinum metal complexes, organotins are the most effective candidates in oncology due to their wide range of anticancer activities with relatively minimal toxicities towards healthy cells, better excretion from the body, and fewer side effects than platinum drugs. METHODS: Using DOI searching, advances made by organotin(IV) complexes coordinated with Sn-O, Sn-N and Sn-S as chemotherapeutic agents since 2018 are summarized in this article. Their chemical structure and in vitro antiproliferative activity in terms of IC50/EC50/LD50 are cumulated. RESULTS: As reflected in this perspective, organotin(IV) complexes are found to induce high cell death via apoptosis, and also several complexes demonstrated anticancer activity even higher than standard drugs. CONCLUSION: Undoubtedly, the organotin(IV) complexes could bring hope to morbidity and mortality of human beings caused by fast-spreading cancer worldwide and can play an important role in drug discovery.

Priority actions for the non-communicable disease crisis.

The UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in September, 2011, is an unprecedented opportunity to create a sustained global movement against premature death and preventable morbidity and disability from NCDs, mainly heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory disease. The increasing global crisis in NCDs is a barrier to development goals including poverty reduction, health equity, economic stability, and human security. The Lancet NCD Action Group and the NCD Alliance propose five overarching priority actions for the response to the crisis--leadership, prevention, treatment, international cooperation, and monitoring and accountability--and the delivery of five priority interventions--tobacco control, salt reduction, improved diets and physical activity, reduction in hazardous alcohol intake, and essential drugs and technologies. The priority interventions were chosen for their health effects, cost-effectiveness, low costs of implementation, and political and financial feasibility. The most urgent and immediate priority is tobacco control. We propose as a goal for 2040, a world essentially free from tobacco where less than 5% of people use tobacco. Implementation of the priority interventions, at an estimated global commitment of about US$9 billion per year, will bring enormous benefits to social and economic development and to the health sector. If widely adopted, these interventions will achieve the global goal of reducing NCD death rates by 2% per year, averting tens of millions of premature deaths in this decade.

Systematic archiving and access to health research data: rationale, current status and way forward.

Systematically archiving data from health research and large-scale surveys and ensuring access to databases offer economic benefits and can improve the accountability, efficiency and quality of scientific research. Recently, interest in data archiving and sharing has grown and, in developed countries, research funders and institutions are increasingly adopting data-sharing policies. In developing countries, however, there is a lack of awareness of the benefits of data archiving and little discussion of policy. Many databases, even those of large-scale surveys, are not preserved systematically and access for secondary use is limited, which reduces the return on research investment. Several obstacles exist: organizational responsibility is unclear; infrastructure and personnel with appropriate data management and analysis skills are scarce; and researchers may be reluctant to share.This article considers recent progress in data sharing and the strategies and models used to encourage and facilitate it, with a focus on the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region. A case study from the Philippines demonstrates the benefits of data sharing by comparing the number and type of publications associated with two large-scale surveys with different approaches to sharing.Advocacy and leadership are needed at both national and regional levels to increase awareness. A step-by-step approach may be the most effective: initially large national databases could be made available to develop the methods and skills needed and to foster a data-sharing culture. Duplication of costs and effort could be avoided by collaboration between countries. In developing countries, interventions are required to build capacity in data management and analysis.

A qualitative study of governance of evolving response to non-communicable diseases in low-and middle- income countries: current status, risks and options.

BACKGROUND: Segmented service delivery with consequent inefficiencies in health systems was one of the main concerns raised during scaling up of disease-specific programs in the last two decades. The organized response to NCD is in infancy in most LMICs with little evidence on how the response is evolving in terms of institutional arrangements and policy development processes. METHODS: Drawing on qualitative review of policy and program documents from five LMICs and data from global key-informant surveys conducted in 2004 and 2010, we examine current status of governance of response to NCDs at national level along three dimensions- institutional arrangements for stewardship and program management and implementation; policies/plans; and multisectoral coordination and partnerships. RESULTS: Several positive trends were noted in the organization and governance of response to NCDs: shift from specific NCD-based programs to integrated NCD programs, increasing inclusion of NCDs in sector-wide health plans, and establishment of high-level multisectoral coordination mechanisms.Several areas of concern were identified. The evolving NCD-specific institutional structures are being treated as 'program management and implementation' entities rather than as lead 'technical advisory' bodies, with unclear division of roles and responsibilities between NCD-specific and sector-wide structures. NCD-specific and sector-wide plans are poorly aligned and lack prioritization, costing, and appropriate targets. Finally, the effectiveness of existing multisectoral coordination mechanisms remains questionable. CONCLUSIONS: The 'technical functions' and 'implementation and management functions' should be clearly separated between NCD-specific units and sector-wide institutional structures to avoid duplicative segmented service delivery systems. Institutional capacity building efforts for NCDs should target both NCD-specific units (for building technical and analytical capacity) and sector-wide organizational units (for building program management and implementation capacity) in MOH.The sector-wide health plans should reflect NCDs in proportion to their public health importance. NCD specific plans should be developed in close consultation with sector-wide health- and non-health stakeholders. These plans should expand on the directions provided by sector-wide health plans specifying strategically prioritized, fully costed activities, and realistic quantifiable targets for NCD control linked with sector-wide expenditure framework. Multisectoral coordination mechanisms need to be strengthened with optimal decision-making powers and resource commitment and monitoring of their outputs.

Individual-based primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Cambodia and Mongolia: early identification and management of hypertension and diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: To assess the coverage of individual-based primary prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Cambodia and Mongolia: specifically the early identification of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, major proximate physiological CVD risk factors, and management with pharmaceutical and lifestyle advice interventions. METHODS: Analysis of data collected in national cross-sectional STEPS surveys in 2009 (Mongolia) and 2010 (Cambodia) involving participants aged 25-64 years: 5433 in Cambodia and 4539 in Mongolia. RESULTS: Mongolia has higher prevalence of CVD risk factors than Cambodia--hypertension (36.5% versus 12.3%), diabetes (6.3% versus 3.1%), hypercholesterolemia (8.5% versus 3.2%), and overweight (52.5% versus 15.5%). The difference in tobacco smoking was less notable (32.1% versus 29.4%).Coverage with prior testing for blood glucose in the priority age group 35-64 years remains limited (16.5% in Cambodia and 21.7% in Mongolia). Coverage is higher for hypertension. A large burden of both hypertension and diabetes remains unidentified at current strategies for early identification: only 45.4% (Cambodia) to 65.8% (Mongolia) of all hypertensives and 22.8% (Mongolia) to 50.3% (Cambodia) of all diabetics in the age group 35-64 years had been previously diagnosed. Approximately half of all hypertensives and of all diabetics in both countries were untreated. 7.2% and 12.2% of total hypertensive population and 5.9% and 16.1% of total diabetic population in Cambodia and Mongolia, respectively, were untreated despite being previously diagnosed.Only 24.1% and 28.6% of all hypertensives and 15.9% and 23.9% of all diabetics in Mongolia and Cambodia, respectively were adequately controlled. Estimates suggest deficits in delivery of important advice for lifestyle interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Multifaceted strategies are required to improve early identification, initiation of treatment and improving quality of treatment for common CVD risk factors. Periodic population-based surveys including questions on medical and treatment history and the context of testing and treatment can facilitate monitoring of individual-based prevention strategies.

Rapid assessment of Hib disease burden in Vietnam.

BACKGROUND: Several countries have applied the Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) rapid assessment tool (RAT) to estimate the burden of Hib disease where resources for hospital- or population-based surveillance are limited. In Vietnam, we used the Hib RAT to estimate the burden of Hib pneumonia and meningitis prior to Hib vaccine introduction. METHODS: Laboratory, hospitalization and mortality data were collected for the period January 2004 through December 2005 from five representative hospitals. Based on the WHO Hib RAT protocol, standardized MS Excel spreadsheets were completed to generate meningitis and pneumonia case and death figures. RESULTS: We found 35 to 77 Hib meningitis deaths and 441 to 957 Hib pneumonia deaths among children < 5 years of age annually in Vietnam. Overall, the incidence of Hib meningitis was estimated at 18/100,000 (95% confidence interval, CI, 15.1-21.6). The estimated Hib meningitis incidence in children < 5 years age was higher in Ho Chi Minh City (22.5/100,000 [95% CI, 18.4-27.5]) compared to Hanoi (9.8/100,000 [95% CI, 6.5-14.8]). The Hib RAT suggests that there are a total of 883 to 1,915 cases of Hib meningitis and 4,414 to 9,574 cases of Hib pneumonia per year in Vietnam. CONCLUSIONS: In Hanoi, the estimated incidence of Hib meningitis for children < 5 years of age was similar to that described in previous population-based studies of Hib meningitis conducted from 1999 through 2002. Results from the Hib RAT suggest that there is a substantial, yet unmeasured, disease burden associated with Hib pneumonia in Vietnamese children.

A new hybrid force/position control approach for time-varying constrained reconfigurable manipulators.

In this manuscript, a new hybrid force/position control approach has been proposed for time-varying constrained reconfigurable manipulators. In order to design the controller, firstly a reduced-order dynamic model of time-varying constrained manipulator system is presented. The uncertainties in the dynamical model of the system are inevitable; therefore the model-based control approach is inadequate to handle these systems. Therefore, inspired by this consideration, whatsoever partial information is available about the dynamics of the system, have been used for controller design purpose. The model-dependent control scheme is integrated with the neural network-based model-free control scheme. Radial basis function neural network is used for the estimation of the unknown dynamics of the system. Next, to overcome the aftereffects of the friction terms and neural network reconstruction error, an adaptive compensator is added to the part of the controller. For the stability analysis of the presented control scheme, the Lyapunov theorem and Barbalat's lemma are utilized. The designed control scheme guarantees that tracking errors of the joints and the force tracking error remain inside the desired levels and the joint tracking errors converge to zero asymptotically. Finally, comparative computer simulations show the superiority and the applicability of the developed control method applied over a 2-DOF time-varying constrained reconfigurable manipulator.

Integration of Dual Stress Transcriptomes and Major QTLs from a Pair of Genotypes Contrasting for Drought and Chronic Nitrogen Starvation Identifies Key Stress Responsive Genes in Rice.

We report here the genome-wide changes resulting from low N (N-W+), low water (N+W-)) and dual stresses (N-W-) in root and shoot tissues of two rice genotypes, namely, IR 64 (IR64) and Nagina 22 (N22), and their association with the QTLs for nitrogen use efficiency. For all the root parameters, except for root length under N-W+, N22 performed better than IR64. Chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid content were higher in IR64 under N+W+ treatment and N-W+ and N+W- stresses; however, under dual stress, N22 had higher chlorophyll b content. While nitrite reductase, glutamate synthase (GS) and citrate synthase assays showed better specific activity in IR64, glutamate dehydrogenase showed better specific activity in N22 under dual stress (N-W-); the other N and C assimilating enzymes showed similar but low specific activities in both the genotypes. A total of 8926 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified compared to optimal (N+W+) condition from across all treatments. While 1174, 698 and 903 DEGs in IR64 roots and 1197, 187 and 781 in N22 roots were identified, nearly double the number of DEGs were found in the shoot tissues; 3357, 1006 and 4005 in IR64 and 4004, 990 and 2143 in N22, under N-W+, N+W- and N-W- treatments, respectively. IR64 and N22 showed differential expression in 15 and 11 N-transporter genes respectively, under one or more stress treatments, out of which four showed differential expression also in N+W- condition. The negative regulators of N- stress, e.g., NIGT1, OsACTPK1 and OsBT were downregulated in IR64 while in N22, OsBT was not downregulated. Overall, N22 performed better under dual stress conditions owing to its better root architecture, chlorophyll and porphyrin synthesis and oxidative stress management. We identified 12 QTLs for seed and straw N content using 253 recombinant inbred lines derived from IR64 and N22 and a 5K SNP array. The QTL hotspot region on chromosome 6 comprised of 61 genes, of which, five were DEGs encoding for UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, serine threonine kinase, anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase, and nitrate induced proteins. The DEGs, QTLs and candidate genes reported in this study can serve as a major resource for both rice improvement and functional biology.

Hepatitis B control by 2012 in the WHO Western Pacific Region: rationale and implications.

In 2005, the WHO Western Pacific Region adopted the hepatitis B control goal of reducing the hepatitis B surface antigen seroprevalence in children at least 5 years of age to less than 2% by 2012. Universal infant immunization with three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, including a timely birth dose, is the key recommended strategy. Measuring seroprevalence in children at least 5 years of age takes into account the period when the risk of acquiring a chronic infection is highest and provides an indicator that can be monitored in the short term, within 5 years of vaccine introduction, and which correlates strongly with the long-term consequences of hepatitis B. A time-bound supranational hepatitis B control goal was chosen to create a sense of political urgency for strengthening routine immunization services and improving access to delivery care as well as providing resources for hepatitis B vaccination. Consequently, the programme strategies selected are not stand-alone but also contribute to strengthening health systems. Independent certification of achievement of the control goal, hitherto used mainly for eradication goals, is planned for all countries. Early assessment showed that adopting the regional goal led to greater political commitment, with reduced inequalities in hepatitis B vaccination between and within countries. Previous declining trends in routine immunization coverage also show signs of reversal and there is major progress in providing timely birth doses. A similar approach may be relevant to countries in Africa and South Asia, that have a high hepatitis B disease burden faltering routine immunization and poor access to skilled delivery care.

The rationale for integrated childhood meningoencephalitis surveillance: a case study from Cambodia.

PROBLEM: Recent progress in vaccine availability and affordability has raised prospects for reducing death and disability from neurological infections in children. In many Asian countries, however, the epidemiology and public health burden of neurological diseases such as Japanese encephalitis and bacterial meningitis are poorly understood. APPROACH: A sentinel surveillance system for Japanese encephalitis was developed and embedded within the routine meningoencephalitis syndromic surveillance system in Cambodia in 2006. The sentinel surveillance system was designed so surveillance and laboratory testing for other etiologies of neurological infection could be incorporated. LOCAL SETTING: The Communicable Disease Control department of the Ministry of Health in Cambodia worked with partners to establish the sentinel surveillance system. RELEVANT CHANGES: The sentinel surveillance system has provided important information on the disease burden of Japanese encephalitis in Cambodia and is now providing a platform for expansion to incorporate laboratory testing for other vaccine-preventable neurological infections in children. LESSONS LEARNED: Sentinel surveillance systems, when linked to syndromic reporting systems, can characterize the epidemiology of meningoencephalitis and identify the proportion of hospital-based neurological infection in children that is vaccine preventable. Integrated systems enable consistency in data collection, analysis and information dissemination, and they enhance the capacity of public health managers to provide more credible and integrated information to policy-makers. This will assist decision-making about the potential role of immunization in reducing the incidence of childhood neurological infections.

Evidence and rationale for the World Health Organization recommended standards for Japanese encephalitis surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the most important form of viral encephalitis in Asia. Surveillance for the disease in many countries has been limited. To improve collection of accurate surveillance data in order to increase understanding of the full impact of JE and monitor control programs, World Health Organization (WHO) Recommended Standards for JE Surveillance have been developed. To aid acceptance of the Standards, we describe the process of development, provide the supporting evidence, and explain the rationale for the recommendations made in the document. METHODS: A JE Core Working Group was formed in 2002 and worked on development of JE surveillance standards. A series of questions on specific topics was initially developed. A literature review was undertaken and the findings were discussed and documented. The group then prepared a draft document, with emphasis placed on the feasibility of implementation in Asian countries. A field test version of the Standards was published by WHO in January 2006. Feedback was then sought from countries that piloted the Standards and from public health professionals in forums and individual meetings to modify the Standards accordingly. RESULTS: After revisions, a final version of the JE surveillance standards was published in August 2008. The supporting information is presented here together with explanations of the rationale and levels of evidence for specific recommendations. CONCLUSION: Provision of the supporting evidence and rationale should help to facilitate successful implementation of the JE surveillance standards in JE-endemic countries which will in turn enable better understanding of disease burden and the impact of control programs.

A critical review of addressing cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases through a primary health care approach in the South-East Asia Region.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDS) are responsible for almost two-thirds of all deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Among the NCDs, reduction of CVD mortality, which accounts for almost half of all NCD mortality, must be considered as a priority. The eleven countries in the Region have committed to achieve the universal health and NCD health service access targets; its achievements will depend on the ability and the comprehensiveness of the primary health care systems to deliver the services. While most countries have made a solid beginning to integrate services for basic management of the four major NCD (CVDs, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancers) into primary health care services, a rapid consolidation and expansion should be undertaken along with the steps to improve access to essential medicines and diagnostics. Strengthening primary health care services in the Region has become ever more urgent to address the evolving NCD health care needs of populations and achieve the 25 by 25 NCD global voluntary targets and 2030 United Nation's sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Prevalence and Correlates of Interpersonal Violence Among In-School Adolescents in Sri Lanka: Results From the 2016 Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey.

Interpersonal violence among adolescents is an issue of global public health concern, leading to adverse physical and psychological outcomes among children and young people under the age of 18 years. This article discusses the prevalence of interpersonal violence and identifies their associated factors among school-going adolescents of ages 13 to 17 years using the data from the Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey conducted in 2016. Of the 3262 students who participated, 35.1% (95% confidence interval = 31.0% to 39.5%) were physically attacked and 44.2% (95% confidence interval = 39.2% to 49.4%) were in a fight with peers, one or more times during the 12 months prior to the survey. Being bullied by peers, male sex, 13 to 15 years age group, smoking and alcohol use, considering or attempting suicide, missing classes without permission, and parents not being aware of students' activities were associated with violence. The study highlights the need for violence prevention programs to address the risk factors among school-going adolescents.

Homeologue Specific Gene Expression Analysis of Two Vital Carbon Metabolizing Enzymes-Citrate Synthase and NADP-Isocitrate Dehydrogenase-from Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Under Nitrogen Stress : Homeologue Specific gene expression of CS and NADP-ICDH.

Citrate synthase (CS) and NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP-ICDH) have been considered as candidate enzymes to provide carbon skeletons for nitrogen assimilation, i.e., production of 2-oxoglutarate required by the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase cycle. The CS and NADP-ICDH cDNAs were encoded for polypeptides of 402 and 480 amino acids with an estimated molecular weight of 53.01 and 45 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.08 and 5.98, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of these proteins in wheat across kingdoms confirmed the close relationship with Aegilops tauschii and Hordeum vulgare. Further, their amino acid sequences were demonstrated to have some conserved motifs such as Mg2+ or Mn2 binding site, catalytic sites, NADP binding sites, and active sites. In-silico-identified genomic sequences for the three homeologues A, B, and Dof CS and NADP-ICDH were found to be located on long arm of chromosomes 5 and 3, and sequence analysis also revealed that the three homeologues consisted of 13 and 15 exons, respectively. The total expression analysis indicated that both genes are ubiquitously expressed in shoot and root tissues under chronic as well as transient nitrogen stress. However, they are differentially and contrastingly expressed but almost in a coordinated manner in both the tissues. Under chronic as well as transient stress, both the genes in shoot tissue showed downregulation, lowest at 6 h of transient stress. However, in the root tissue, trend was found opposite except with exceptions. Moreover, all the three homeologues of both the genes were transcribed differentially, and the ratio of the individual homeologues transcripts to total homeologues transcripts also varied with the tissue, i.e., shoots or roots, as well as with nitrogen stress treatments. Thus, cDNA as well as genomic sequence information, apparent expression at different time point of nitrogen stress, and coordination between these enzymes would be ultimately linked to nitrate assimilation and nitrogen use efficiency in wheat.

Neuroprotective effect of solanesol against 3-nitropropionic acid-induced Huntington's disease-like behavioral, biochemical, and cellular alterations: Restoration of coenzyme-Q10-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the solanesol (SNL)-mediated coenzyme-Q10 restoration to ameliorate 3-nitropropionic (3-NP)-induced behavioral, biochemical, and histological changes which resemble Huntington's disease (HD)-like symptoms in men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various behavioral and biochemical parameters were carried out to evaluate the activity of SNL on 3-NP-treated rats. To determine the therapeutic significance of SNL on HD, different behavioral tests such as memory task, locomotor activity, grip strength, and beam cross and some biochemical test along with histopathological findings were done. RESULTS: Chronic 3-NP, 10 mg/kg i.p., caused physical and mental abnormalities in animals, including memory impairment, weak grip strength, abnormal posture, and cognitive deficit. Biochemical analysis of brain homogenate in 3-NP-treated rats showed altered mitochondrial complexes, oxidative stress, and elevated lipid biomarkers. Neurohistological alterations of hippocampus, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex of 3-NP-treated rats exhibit severe neuronal space, irregular damaged cells, and dense pyknotic nuclei-associated marked focal diffused gliosis. SNL administered for 15 days significantly improved motor performance and cognitive behavior task and restored the histopathological changes. Further, SNL treatment significantly improved mitochondrial complexes such as coenzyme-Q10 enzyme activity and attenuated inflammatory and oxidative damage of rat brain. CONCLUSION: In the present research work, SNL (5, 10, and 15 mg/kg p.o.) provided notable neuroprotective effect, which was confirmed by behavioral paradigms and biochemical test. It restored the behavioral and biochemical alteration caused by 3-NP and confirmed the strong neuroprotective mechanism of SNL in 3-NP-intoxicated memory and cognitive abnormalities.

Transcriptome Analysis of Two Rice Varieties Contrasting for Nitrogen Use Efficiency under Chronic N Starvation Reveals Differences in Chloroplast and Starch Metabolism-Related Genes.

The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crop plants is limited and enhancing it in rice, a major cereal crop, would be beneficial for farmers and the environment alike. Here we report the genome-wide transcriptome analysis of two rice genotypes, IR 64 (IR64) and Nagina 22 (N22) under optimal (+N) and chronic starvation (-N) of nitrogen (N) from 15-day-old root and shoot tissues. The two genotypes were found to be contrasting in their response to -N; IR64 root architecture and root dry weight remained almost equivalent to that under +N conditions, while N22 showed high foraging ability but a substantial reduction in biomass under -N. Similarly, the photosynthetic pigments showed a drastic reduction in N22 under low N, while IR64 was more resilient. Nitrate reductase showed significantly low specific activity under -N in both genotypes. Glutamate synthase (GOGAT) and citrate synthase CS activity were highly reduced in N22 but not in IR64. Transcriptome analysis of these genotypes revealed nearly double the number of genes to be differentially expressed (DEGs) in roots (1016) compared to shoots (571). The response of the two genotypes to N starvation was distinctly different reflecting their morphological/biochemical response with just two and eight common DEGs in the root and shoot tissues. There were a total of 385 nitrogen-responsive DEGs (106 in shoots and 279 in roots) between the two genotypes. Fifty-two of the 89 DEGs identified as specific to N22 root tissues were also found to be differentially expressed between the two genotypes under -N. Most of these DEGs belonged to starch and chloroplast metabolism, followed by membrane and signaling proteins. Physical mapping of DEGs revealed 95 DEGs in roots and 76 in shoots to be present in quantitative trait loci (QTL) known for NUE.