Volitionally regulated breathing with prolonged expiration influences food craving and impulsivity.

Introduction Previously an intervention involving volitional slow breathing reduced trait food craving with protective effects on cardiac vagal activity (CVA). Breathing with a low inspiration-to-expiration ratio (i/e) also increases CVA. High CVA was separately associated with low unregulated eating and lesser impulsivity. Hence the present study assessed breathing with a low i/e for effects on state food craving, hunger and satiety, state impulsivity, and heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy obese persons. Methods Forty obese persons were randomized to two groups. The intervention group (mean age ± SD, 41.15 ± 12.63, M: F, 10:10) practiced metronome-regulated breathing with low i/e at 12 breaths per minute (expiration 72% of total breath duration) (bpm) and attained expiration 55.8% of total breath duration, while the active control group (mean age ± SD, 44.45 ± 11.06, M: F, 13:07) sat motionless and directed their gaze and awareness to the stationary metronome without modifying their breath consciously. The HRV was recorded before, during and after breathing intervention (or control) (standard limb lead I, acquisition at 2000 Hz, with a LF filter = 0.5 Hz and HF filter = 50 Hz. Time-domain and frequency-domain HRV parameters were obtained with Kubios software. State food craving, hunger and satiety were recorded before and after the intervention/control. Results The intervention group decreased total state food craving scores and the sub-domains (i.e., desire to eat, positive reinforcement, lack of control and hunger), increased current satisfaction with food, decreased total state impulsivity (repeated measures ANOVA, p < 0.05 in all cases), increased HF-HRV and RMSSD (linear mixed model analyses with age and gender as fixed factors; p<0.05 in all cases) during the intervention compared to the preceding baseline. The intervention group also showed an increase in positive mood and a decrease in aroused and negative mood states. Conclusion Changes in state food craving and impulsivity could be related to an increase in HRV or to changes in subjective relaxation and positive mood or to both.

Muscle strength and body composition in obese adults following nine months of yoga or nutrition advice: A comparative controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Muscle strength is impaired in obese persons due to low physical activity, obesity-related modifications in muscle morphology and as a consequence of calorie regulation (where applicable). Previously decreased BMI and increased hand grip strength was reported following a short duration yoga intervention in obese adults. METHODS: The present comparative controlled study was conducted on two hundred and ninety seven obese adults (BMI ≥25 Kg/M2) aged between 20 and 59 years, to determine the effects of nine months of yoga or nutrition advice on muscle strength and body composition. Participants were assessed for bilateral hand grip strength, leg and back strength, and body composition at baseline, after 3 months, 6 months and 9 months of yoga or nutrition advice. BMI-adjusted bilateral hand grip strength and leg and back strength were calculated. RESULTS: In the linear mixed model analyses, there was a significant interaction effect of Time X Groups for (i) right hand grip strength (F3,668.465 = 9.297, p < 0.001), (ii) left hand grip strength (F3,673.408 = 14.469, p < 0.001), (iii) BMI-adjusted right hand grip strength (F3,650.542 = 9.954, p < 0.001) and (iv) BMI-adjusted left hand grip strength (F3,655.518 = 13.853, p < 0.001). Bonferroni corrected post-hoc analyses (padj < 0.05; in all cases) showed a significant increase in (i) bilateral hand grip strength and (ii) BMI-adjusted right and left hand grip strength in the yoga group while a decrease in (i) bilateral hand grip strength and (ii) BMI-adjusted right and left hand grip strength in the nutrition advice group. CONCLUSION: Yoga practice appears to protect and increase upper limb muscle strength in obese adults.

Traditional Nostril Yoga Breathing Practices and Oxygen Consumption: A Randomized, Cross-over Study.

Background: Traditional yoga texts describe "cross nostril breathing," with inhalation and exhalation through different nostrils. Previous research reported no clear differences in oxygen consumption during uninostril breathing (i.e., inhalation and exhalation through the same nostril), hence not supporting right and left uninostril breathing as activating or relaxing, respectively, with no research on oxygen consumed in "cross nostril breathing." Methods: Oxygen consumed during "cross nostril breathing" was measured in healthy participants (n = 47, males, 26.3 ± 6.4 years). Five sessions (viz., right nostril inspiration yoga breathing [RNIYB], left nostril inspiration yoga breathing [LNIYB], alternate nostril yoga breathing [ANYB], breath awareness (BAW), and quiet rest (QR) were conducted on separate days in random order. Sessions were 33 min in duration with pre, during, and post states. Results: Volume of oxygen consumed (VO2) and carbon dioxide eliminated (VCO2) increased during RNIYB (9.60% in VO2 and 23.52% in VCO2), LNIYB (9.42% in VO2 and 21.20% in VCO2) and ANYB (10.25% in VO2 and 22.72% in VCO2) with no significant change in BAW and QR. Diastolic blood pressure decreased during BAW and QR and after all five sessions (P < 0.05; in all cases). All comparisons were with the respective preceding state. Conclusion: During the three yoga breathing practices, the volume of oxygen consumed increased irrespective of the nostril breathed through, possibly associated with (i) conscious regulation of the breath; (ii) attention directed to the breath, and (iii) "respiration-locked cortical activation." Restriction of the study to males reduces the generalizability of the findings.

Cerebral Hemodynamics and Vagally Mediated HRV Associated with High- and Low-frequency Yoga Breathing: An Exploratory, Randomized, Crossover Study.

Background: Volitionally modifying respiration leads to changes in middle cerebral arterial (MCA) blood flow. The effect of changes in breath rate on MCA blood flow has not been reported. Aims and Objectives: To determine the effect of slow (bumblebee yoga breathing) and fast (high frequency yoga breathing) yoga breathing techniques on MCA blood flow and vagally mediated heart rate variability. Materials and Methods: Thirty participants (mean age ± standard deviation, 27.3 ± 4.2 years) were assessed on 2 separate days practicing either high frequency yoga breathing (HFYB, breath frequency 54.2/min) or slow frequency bumblebee yoga breathing (BBYB, breath frequency 3.8/min) in random order to determine the effects of changes in breath frequency on MCA hemodynamics. Assessments included transcranial Doppler sonography, vagally mediated heart rate variability (VmHRV), and respiration. Results: Both HFYB and BBYB (i) reduced MCA flow velocities, i.e., peak systolic, end diastolic, and mean flow velocities, and (ii) increased MCA pulsatility indices. There was an increase in VmHRV during BBYB based on increased power in high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF). LF reflects VmHRV for slow breath frequencies. In BBYB the average breath rate was 3.8 breaths/min. In contrast, VmHRV decreased during HFYB (based on reduced HF power; repeated measures analysis of variance, P < 0.05, all cases). Conclusion: Hence, irrespective of the differences in breath frequency, both HFYB and BBYB appear to reduce MCA flow velocities and increase the resistance to blood flow bilaterally, although the VmHRV changed in opposite directions. MCA velocity and pulsatility changes are speculated to be associated with low global neural activity during yoga breathing.

Patients' Choices for Yoga Therapy: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional, Convenience-Sampling Survey from India.

In conventional healthcare, patients' preferences for their treatment are determined, though this practice has not been reported for yoga therapy. The present convenience sampling exploratory survey attempted to determine whether those seeking yoga therapy would report preferences for the way yoga therapy is implemented, the therapist's knowledge, and related aspects of yoga therapy. Responses from 426 people attending a yoga therapy institution in India were analyzed. Based on the chi-square test (p < 0.05) and Cramer's V (> 0.10), most people wished to receive yoga therapy in a group of others with a similar disease (42.25%), in a yoga institution (83.57%), and as in-person sessions (48.83%). Patients preferred yoga therapists to know about the principles of yoga (40.38%), to be well-informed generally (61.97%), and to be able to give suggestions for emotional well-being. For the majority of participants (59.4%), the reason for selecting yoga therapy was "a belief in yoga as therapy" (rather than as an add-on therapy or as a last resort). Patients' expectations of yoga therapy were positive, namely a cure of disease (79.34%) and improvement after 1 year (95.8%). Most patients (91.6%) wanted their conventional medicine practitioner to know that they were receiving yoga therapy. Although limited by the study design, survey design, and participant details available, overall results suggest that patients (1) reported specific preferences (for the implementation of yoga therapy and for yoga therapists' knowledge), (2) had expectations of yoga therapy, and (3) most often were interested in their conventional care physicians being informed about the yoga therapy they received.

Yoga Practice and Choices of Foods, Physical Activity, and Leisure: A Convenience Sampling Survey from India.

Background: Previous surveys from countries other than India reported positive health behaviors in yoga practitioners. The present study aimed to determine with respect to yoga practitioners in India: (i) percentages of yoga practitioners who consumed specific foods, had additional physical activity and leisure activity, (ii) the association between these choices and their yoga practice, and (iii) the association of yoga with adding or avoiding specific foods and with meal timings in a day. Materials and Methods: This convenience hybrid-mode sampling survey was conducted on 551 yoga-experienced persons. Results: (1) Yoga practitioner respondents ate fruits and vegetables regularly (62.1%), did not consume animal source products (69.2%), alcohol (98.0%), or tobacco (98.4%), had a regular physical activity other than yoga (77.5%) and leisure activities (92.2%). (2) More than 150 min/week of yoga practice and experience of yoga exceeding 60 months was (a) significantly associated with (i) regular consumption of fruits and vegetables, (ii) lower consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, animal source foods, tobacco, and alcohol (P < 0.05, Chi-square test) and (b) not associated with physical activity or leisure activities (P > 0.05, Chi-square test). (3) Yoga practitioners excluded sugar-sweetened beverages, animal-source foods and fast foods from their diet, whereas they added fruits, vegetables, and plant-based juices to their diet, with earlier first and last meals for the day. Conclusion: In India, yoga practitioner respondents' choices for foods, physical activity, and leisure conform to accepted positive health behaviors. The exclusion of animal-source foods emphasizes the need for well-planned and fortified diets among vegan yoga practitioners.

Use of Yoga in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of a Patient Based Survey.

No Abstract available.

Tribological Behavior of Bioinspired Surfaces.

Energy losses due to various tribological phenomena pose a significant challenge to sustainable development. These energy losses also contribute toward increased emissions of greenhouse gases. Various attempts have been made to reduce energy consumption through the use of various surface engineering solutions. The bioinspired surfaces can provide a sustainable solution to address these tribological challenges by minimizing friction and wear. The current study majorly focuses on the recent advancements in the tribological behavior of bioinspired surfaces and bio-inspired materials. The miniaturization of technological devices has increased the need to understand micro- and nano-scale tribological behavior, which could significantly reduce energy wastage and material degradation. Integrating advanced research methods is crucial in developing new aspects of structures and characteristics of biological materials. Depending upon the interaction of the species with the surrounding, the present study is divided into segments depicting the tribological behavior of the biological surfaces inspired by animals and plants. The mimicking of bio-inspired surfaces resulted in significant noise, friction, and drag reduction, promoting the development of anti-wear and anti-adhesion surfaces. Along with the reduction in friction through the bioinspired surface, a few studies providing evidence for the enhancement in the frictional properties were also depicted.

P300 Following Four Voluntarily Regulated Yoga Breathing Practices and Breath Awareness.

Attention was influenced by yoga breathing in previously published research. Each yoga breathing practice uniquely modifies specific breath characteristics. Differences in the study designs, assessment methods and interventions resulted in difficulty in comparing effects between yoga breathing practices. This study aimed (i) to compare four yoga breathing practices on attention using an auditory oddball task and (ii) to determine cardiac autonomic activity associated with attention using heart rate variability. P300 event related potential was recorded simultaneously with heart rate variability before and after 18-minute periods each of (i) high frequency yoga breathing (with increased breath frequency), (ii) bellows yoga breathing (with increased depth of respiration), (iii) alternate nostril yoga breathing (with alternate nostril patency), (iv) bumblebee yoga breathing (with prolonged exhale), (v) breath awareness (with attention to the breath) and (vi) quiet seated rest as control in 38 yoga experienced males (average age ± SD; 24.08 ± 4.01 years). The six sessions were on separate, randomly allocated days. The P300 peak amplitude recorded at Pz was significantly increased after four yoga breathing practices (Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc tests, repeated measures ANOVA). No significant changes were noted in heart rate variability following yoga breathing or control sessions. These findings suggest that the four yoga breathing practices increase the attentional neural resources engaged for this auditory oddball task, irrespective of the characteristic of breath uniquely regulated in the four yoga breathing practices.

Heartfulness Cleaning and Meditation: Short-Term Effects on Attention and Affect.

Heartfulness meditation (HM) trains the practitioner's attention as they progress towards reaching a super-conscious state. The process is supported by guided "Heartfulness cleaning," which helps clear the mind. This study aimed to examine the short-term effects of HM on affect and cognition and determine whether performing Heartfulness cleaning beforehand influenced the meditation outcome. Forty-eight experienced meditators (age range: 19-71 years and a male-to-female ratio: 27:21) were randomly assigned to 3 sessions: (i) HM, (ii) Heartfulness meditation preceded by cleaning, and (iii) quiet rest as a control. Mood state and emotional well-being were assessed before and after each intervention using established scales such as the Brief Mood Introspection Scale, Global Vigor and Affect Scale, Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Digit Letter Substitution Test. After engaging in both HM and Heartfulness cleaning meditation (HCM) practices, there was a noticeable increase in feelings of pleasantness (7.3%, 7.0%, respectively) and positivity (7.5%, 7.8%, respectively), accompanied by a decrease in negative affect (14.4%, 16.5%, respectively). Additionally, HM and HCM increased in the net and total scores on a substitution test designed to measure associative learning. In contrast, there were no changes observed after 30 minutes of non-meditation. In summary, the findings of this study provide support for the positive impact of Heartfulness meditation and Heartfulness cleaning meditation on emotions, as well as their ability to enhance performance in tasks involving complex attention and associative learning. It should be noted that preceding Heartfulness meditation with 5 minutes of Heartfulness cleaning did not significantly alter the overall outcome of the meditation practice.

Breath Phase Durations, Affect, and Attention: A Pilot Randomized Crossover Trial.

Objectives: Previously, yoga volitional breathing with low inspiration to expiration ratios (i/e) (as in bhramari pranayama) improved cognition and reduced state anxiety. This study compared the effects of low, high and equal i/e ratio breathing on affect and attention. Material and Methods: Affect, vigor and attention were assessed in forty healthy participants (group mean age± SD; 22.58±3.83; M:F= 2.33:1) while breathing with three different i/e regulated by a visual metronome on separate days viz., (i) low i/e (28:72), (ii) equal i/e (50:50), (iii) high i/e (72:28) compared to control, without conscious breath modification. Assessments were: (i) brief mood introspection scale (BMIS), (ii) global vigor and affect scale (GVAS), (iii) Spielberger's state trait anxiety inventory-state (STAI-S) and a six letter cancellation test to assess sustained attention. Data were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc tests. Results: Pleasant feelings increased after low and equal i/e. Low i/e also increased positive feelings whereas equal i/e decreased scores in the cancellation test for sustained attention. All three breathing practices and the control session decreased state anxiety and increased vigor. High i/e breathing alone did not decrease negative feelings. For all the breath ratios the breath frequency cue was set at twelve breaths per minute. Conclusion: In summary, varying breath phase ratios influenced positive and pleasant feelings but did not influence state anxiety or vigor. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the findings would be improved with concurrent physiological assessments.

Motivators, Preferences, and Aspirations of University Students about Studying Yoga: A Survey from India.

Introduction: University students' motivators and preferences for yoga as their course of study can influence their future as yoga instructors and therapists. Materials and Methods: Six hundred and thirty-six students of both genders (251:385, male: female) from four North Indian universities offering graduate and postgraduate courses in yoga were the respondents to a convenience sampling survey about their preferences and motivators. Results: The three most common reasons why students chose to study yoga were (i) "I can help many people through knowledge of yoga" (32.2%), (ii) "I will become a better person by studying yoga" (21.9%), and (iii) "I find yoga interesting" (18.9%). After completion of the course, most students wished (i) "to study another course in yoga" (28.8%), (ii) "to work in yoga and education in a university" (17.5%), and (iii) "to work in yoga and research" (14.3%). Students appreciated positive effects which they attributed to yoga (e.g. good health, feeling peaceful, and positive behavior changes). Conclusion: Students did not like regulations such as early wakening and dietary restrictions. The available information about the scope, benefits, safety considerations, and requirements of yoga can help student aspirants make an informed choice about their future careers. Students of yoga can be further motivated by evidence informed interactive sessions.

Advancements in the Additive Manufacturing of Magnesium and Aluminum Alloys through Laser-Based Approach.

Complex structures can now be manufactured easily utilizing AM technologies to meet the pre-requisite objectives such as reduced part numbers, greater functionality, and lightweight, among others. Polymers, metals, and ceramics are the few materials that can be used in AM technology, but metallic materials (Magnesium and Aluminum) are attracting more attention from the research and industrial point of view. Understanding the role processing parameters of laser-based additive manufacturing is critical to maximize the usage of material in forming the product geometry. LPBF (Laser powder-based fusion) method is regarded as a potent and effective additive manufacturing technique for creating intricate 3D forms/parts with high levels of precision and reproducibility together with acceptable metallurgical characteristics. While dealing with LBPF, some degree of porosity is acceptable because it is unavoidable; hot ripping and cracking must be avoided, though. The necessary manufacturing of pre-alloyed powder and ductility remains to be the primary concern while dealing with a laser-based additive manufacturing approach. The presence of the Al-Si eutectic phase in AlSi10Mg and AlSi12 alloy attributing to excellent castability and low shrinkage, attaining the most attention in the laser-based approach. Related studies with these alloys along with precipitation hardening and heat treatment processing were discussed. The Pure Mg, Mg-Al alloy, Mg-RE alloy, and Mg-Zn alloy along with the mechanical characteristics, electrochemical durability, and biocompatibility of Mg-based material have been elaborated in the work-study. The review article also summarizes the processing parameters of the additive manufacturing powder-based approach relating to different Mg-based alloys. For future aspects, the optimization of processing parameters, composition of the alloy, and quality of powder material used will significantly improve the ductility of additively manufactured Mg alloy by the LPBF approach. Other than that, the recycling of Mg-alloy powder hasn't been investigated yet. Meanwhile, the post-processing approach, including a homogeneous coating on the porous scaffolds, will mark the suitability in terms of future advancements in Mg and Al-based alloys.

Smartphone Excessive Use, Sleep, and Beliefs about Well-being in University Students who Practice Yoga Compared with Those with No Experience of Yoga.

Background: Addictive behavior can be effectively managed with yoga. This study compared smartphone use, self-rated sleep, and beliefs about well-being in university students who practiced yoga regularly with those who did not. Materials and Methods: One hundred and forty-two university students (average age ± standard deviation: 20.2 ± 2.2; male: female = 1:1) who practiced yoga (90 min a day, 6 days a week, and 29.7 months) were compared for smartphone excessive use, self-rated sleep, and beliefs about well-being, with an equal number of comparable age- and gender-distributed university students who did not practice yoga. Results: The yoga group had lower scores on the short version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale with fewer nocturnal episodes of checking their smartphone. The nonyoga group reported longer nocturnal sleep time compared to the yoga group, whereas there was no significant difference in the beliefs about well-being scores between the two groups. Conclusions: University students who practice yoga may be less likely to use a smartphone excessively as well as have uninterrupted sleep than students who do not practice yoga.

Perceptions about the Benefits and Negative Outcomes of Yoga Practice by Yoga-Naïve Persons: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Background and Objective: Understanding the way nonexercisers view the benefits and barriers to physical exercise helps promote physical exercise. This study reports perceived benefits and negative outcomes of yoga perceived by yoga-naïve persons. Methods: The 2550 yoga-naïve respondents of both sexes (m:f = 2162:388; group mean age ± SD 23.5 ± 12.6 years) participated in a convenience sampling in-person survey conducted to determine the perceived benefits and negative outcomes of yoga. Results: Among 2550 respondents, 97.4% believed yoga practice had benefits. The three most common perceived benefits of yoga were improvement in (i) physical health (39.8%), (ii) cognitive functions (32.8%), and (iii) mental health (20.4%). Among the respondents, 1.4% believed that yoga had negative outcomes. The three most common perceived negative outcomes were (i) apprehension that wrong methods may be harmful (0.24%), (ii) apprehension that excessive practice may harm (0.24%), and (iii) laziness (0.12%). Conclusion: The most common perceived benefit of yoga practice was "improvement in physical health," with "apprehension that wrong or excessive practice could be harmful" as the most common perceived negative outcomes of yoga.

Yoga instructors' reported benefits and disadvantages associated with functioning online: A convenience sampling survey.

BACKGROUND: Among numerous changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most yoga classes have repositioned online. However benefits, difficulties and satisfaction of teaching yoga online remain to be studied. With this background the present survey aimed to determine: (i) benefits, disadvantages and satisfaction of teaching yoga online and (ii) their association with characteristics related to (a) socio-demographic, (b) online yoga teaching experience and (c) yoga practice. METHODS: Three hundred and five yoga instructors were invited to take part in the online survey. Of these, 181 (m:f = 98:83) responded to the survey satisfactorily and were included. RESULTS: The three most common benefits of teaching yoga online were: (i) a sense of safety from risk of COVID-19 (93.92%), (ii) cost saving (82.87%) and (iii) wider access to trainees within India (77.90%). The three most common disadvantages were: (i) technical difficulties (74.03%), (ii) missing in-person contact (63.90%) and (iii) concern that online instructions can lead to injury (59.16%). Around 66.30% respondents were satisfied with the monitoring of trainees during online yoga classes while 70.16% respondents were satisfied with the level of attention they could pay to the topic they were teaching during online yoga class. The benefits and disadvantages of teaching yoga online varied with the characteristics of yoga instructors (p < 0.05, χ2 test). CONCLUSIONS: The benefits and disadvantages of teaching yoga online are of relevance during and beyond the pandemic. Characteristics related to (i) socio-demographics, (ii) online yoga teaching and (iii) yoga practice influence reported benefits and disadvantages of teaching yoga online.

Volitional Yoga Breathing Influences Attention and Anxiety: An Exploratory Randomized Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies assessed yoga breathing practices individually. This exploratory, randomized crossover study assessed attention and anxiety following four yoga breathing practices, breath awareness, and quiet seated rest. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight male volunteers between 20 and 37 years (group mean age ± SD; 24.08 ± 4.01 years) were assessed in six sessions in random order (www.randomizer.org) on separate days. The sessions were: (i) alternate nostril yoga breathing, (ii) bellows yoga breathing, (iii) bumblebee yoga breathing, (iv) high-frequency yoga breathing, (v) breath awareness, and (vi) quiet seated rest. The sessions were for 18 min each. Six letter cancellation test (SLCT) and Spielberger's State Trait Anxiety Inventory-state (STAI-s) were administered pre and post each session. Data analysis used general linear mixed model analysis, with fixed effect of states (pre and post) and sessions. RESULTS: A significant main effect of states was observed on total attempted (F1,407 = 5.374, p = 0.021) and net attempted scores (F1,407 = 6.178, p = 0.013) of the SLCT, with a significant increase in scores following high-frequency yoga breathing (padj = 0.031 for total attempted scores; padj = 0.029 for net attempted scores). Also, a significant main effect of states on STAI-s scores was observed (F1,407 = 33.979, p < 0.001), with a significant decrease in scores following alternate nostril yoga breathing (padj = 0.001), bellows yoga breathing (padj = 0.008), bumblebee yoga breathing (padj = 0.002), and high-frequency yoga breathing (padj = 0.042) compared to the corresponding pre state. There was a significant main effect of sessions (F5,407 = 3.043, p = 0.010) on STAI-s scores, with scores post alternate nostril yoga breathing significantly lower than post breath awareness (padj = 0.037). CONCLUSION: Following high-frequency yoga breathing sustained attention was better than before while state anxiety decreased in post-pre comparisons of alternate nostril yoga breathing, bellows yoga breathing, bumblebee yoga breathing, and high-frequency yoga breathing. The differences between breathing practices may be due to differences in degree of volitional regulation of breathing and in the breath patterns modified volitionally. The generalizability of the findings was limited by including an all male, yoga experienced sample. Future research should include participants of both genders and could include different levels of yoga experience, with assessments including objective measures of attention and anxiety.

Influence of Indium as a Promoter on the Stability and Selectivity of the Nanocrystalline Cu/CeO2 Catalyst for CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol.

Stable catalyst development for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol is a challenge in catalysis. In this study, indium (In)-promoted Cu nanoparticles supported on nanocrystalline CeO2 catalysts were prepared and explored for methanol production from CO2. In-promoted Cu catalysts with ∼1 wt % In loading showed a methanol production rate of 0.016 mol gCu-1 h-1 with 95% methanol selectivity and no loss of activity for 100 h. It is found that the addition of indium remarkably increases Cu dispersion and decreases Cu particle size. In addition led to an increased metal-support interaction, which stabilizes Cu particles against sintering during the reaction, leading to high stability and activity. In addition, density functional theory calculations suggested that the reaction is proceeding via reverse water gas shift (RWGS) mechanism where the presence of In stabilized intermediate species and lowered CO2 activation energy barriers.

Benefits and adverse effects associated with yoga practice: A cross-sectional survey from India.

OBJECTIVE: Benefits and adverse effects of yoga were reported in surveys from different countries. The present study aimed to (i) determine the benefits and adverse effects of yoga in yoga experienced persons in India and (ii) correlate these effects of yoga with factors related to the individual and their yoga practice. DESIGN AND SETTING: This convenience sampling in-person survey reports benefits and adverse effects of yoga in 3135 yoga experienced persons. RESULTS: The benefits of yoga were reported by 94.5 percent of the respondents. The three most common benefits were improvement in: (i) physical fitness, (ii) mental state and (iii) cognitive functions. An adverse effect of yoga was reported by 1.9 percent of the respondents. The three most common adverse effects reported were: (i) soreness and pain, (ii) muscle injuries and (iii) fatigue. The following factors showed a significant association (in all cases p < 0.05 Chi square test; Cramer's V > 0.10) with reported benefits of yoga: (i) experience of yoga in months, (ii) time spent practicing yoga in a week, (iii) number of yoga techniques practiced, and (iv) whether awareness was maintained during the yoga practice or not. CONCLUSION: Benefits of yoga practice to physical health were the most common, with soreness and pain the most common adverse effect of yoga. Yoga practice related factors influence the benefits of yoga.