Suicide numbers during the first 9-15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with pre-existing trends: An interrupted time series analysis in 33 countries.

Background: Predicted increases in suicide were not generally observed in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the picture may be changing and patterns might vary across demographic groups. We aimed to provide a timely, granular picture of the pandemic's impact on suicides globally. Methods: We identified suicide data from official public-sector sources for countries/areas-within-countries, searching websites and academic literature and contacting data custodians and authors as necessary. We sent our first data request on 22nd June 2021 and stopped collecting data on 31st October 2021. We used interrupted time series (ITS) analyses to model the association between the pandemic's emergence and total suicides and suicides by sex-, age- and sex-by-age in each country/area-within-country. We compared the observed and expected numbers of suicides in the pandemic's first nine and first 10-15 months and used meta-regression to explore sources of variation. Findings: We sourced data from 33 countries (24 high-income, six upper-middle-income, three lower-middle-income; 25 with whole-country data, 12 with data for area(s)-within-the-country, four with both). There was no evidence of greater-than-expected numbers of suicides in the majority of countries/areas-within-countries in any analysis; more commonly, there was evidence of lower-than-expected numbers. Certain sex, age and sex-by-age groups stood out as potentially concerning, but these were not consistent across countries/areas-within-countries. In the meta-regression, different patterns were not explained by countries' COVID-19 mortality rate, stringency of public health response, economic support level, or presence of a national suicide prevention strategy. Nor were they explained by countries' income level, although the meta-regression only included data from high-income and upper-middle-income countries, and there were suggestions from the ITS analyses that lower-middle-income countries fared less well. Interpretation: Although there are some countries/areas-within-countries where overall suicide numbers and numbers for certain sex- and age-based groups are greater-than-expected, these countries/areas-within-countries are in the minority. Any upward movement in suicide numbers in any place or group is concerning, and we need to remain alert to and respond to changes as the pandemic and its mental health and economic consequences continue. Funding: None.

Development of the first DNA database and identification portal for identification of Unidentified bodies in India - UMID.

Identifying missing persons and unidentified dead bodies is a well-documented global problem in recent years. To curb this issue, countries such as the USA, UK, and Australia already have well-established DNA databases. Considering the alarming number of unidentified/unclaimed dead bodies reported in India every year, it is evident that the current practices are not sufficient to establish their identities. Forensic medicine professionals are ethically, morally, and dutybound to collect information about missing and unidentified persons and work with the government agencies to determine their identity. Concerning the social and public interest, we have developed the first-ever identification portal and DNA database of unidentified dead bodies autopsied at the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, AIIMS, New Delhi, India. After the investigation officer's informed consent, biological samples from unidentified dead bodies and a detailed phenotypic description, anthropological data and other visual characteristics of the deceased are recorded at the time of autopsy. This information is uploaded on our database which is available for public access, and the genotypic information generated through STR analysis is only available for internal usage.Claimants (biological relatives) may browse through the URL (https://umid-aiims.icmr.org.in/), and if they wish to claim an unidentified dead body, they may approach as per the given guidelines. The DNA profiles generated include a total of 16 STRs (15 autosomal tetranucleotide microsatellite STRs and 1 Sex Chromosome Specific STR). The claimant's STR profile is run through the questioned database to look for a potential match. If positive, the investigating officer of that particular case is informed for further necessary action. Until December 2020, our database consisted the information of 255 individuals and two unidentified cadavers were identified. This project's success can also lead to a pioneering National DNA database of unidentified and missing persons in India.

Next Generation Sequencing Based Forward Genetic Approaches for Identification and Mapping of Causal Mutations in Crop Plants: A Comprehensive Review.

The recent advancements in forward genetics have expanded the applications of mutation techniques in advanced genetics and genomics, ahead of direct use in breeding programs. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has enabled easy identification and mapping of causal mutations within a short period and at relatively low cost. Identifying the genetic mutations and genes that underlie phenotypic changes is essential for understanding a wide variety of biological functions. To accelerate the mutation mapping for crop improvement, several high-throughput and novel NGS based forward genetic approaches have been developed and applied in various crops. These techniques are highly efficient in crop plants, as it is relatively easy to grow and screen thousands of individuals. These approaches have improved the resolution in quantitative trait loci (QTL) position/point mutations and assisted in determining the functional causative variations in genes. To be successful in the interpretation of NGS data, bioinformatics computational methods are critical elements in delivering accurate assembly, alignment, and variant detection. Numerous bioinformatics tools/pipelines have been developed for such analysis. This article intends to review the recent advances in NGS based forward genetic approaches to identify and map the causal mutations in the crop genomes. The article also highlights the available bioinformatics tools/pipelines for reducing the complexity of NGS data and delivering the concluding outcomes.

Biochemical findings in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy: Hospital based case-control study.

PURPOSE: A review study on the biochemistry of epilepsy showed that in epileptic patients, serum glucose and cholesterol concentrations are low, sodium is unaffected, potassium increases, glucose is high and mild hypocalcemia. We have conducted a biochemical study on sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) cases in an attempt to establish the characteristic biochemical values to diagnose these deaths. METHODS: This was a hospital based case-control study done at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi for one year. Twenty SUDEP cases and 20 age- and sex-matched controls were included in the study. Femoral blood, cerebrospinal fluid, vitreous humor, and pericardial fluid were biochemically analyzed for sodium, potassium, calcium, glucose, N-acetyl- cysteine activated creatine kinase (CK-NAC) and isoenzyme CK-MB. RESULT: Serum sodium, CK-MB and CK-NAC level was found significantly increased and potassium level was found decreased in SUDEP cases in comparison to non-epileptic deaths. Likewise, in CSF, sodium and CK-NAC was found increased and potassium level was found decreased in SUDEP cases. In vitreous humor, sodium and CK-MB level was found increased and potassium level was found decreased in SUDEP cases in comparison to non-epileptic deaths. In pericardial fluid, sodium, CK-NAC and CK-MB level was found increased and potassium level was found decreased in SUDEP cases in comparison to non-epileptic deaths. CONCLUSION: It concludes that high sodium level and low potassium level could be associated with SUDEP. However, this is a small size study, a larger study is needed to verify the findings. Furthermore, it is difficult to conclude whether these findings are exclusive to SUDEP.

Homicide patterns for the last 20 years in South and South East Delhi, India.

Homicide patterns are a useful indicator of social stress in a community, and they provide law-enforcement authorities with helpful information. This study was undertaken at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, in order to understand the regional pattern of homicide. Data from the last 20 years were analysed. There were a total of 1048 male and 323 female homicide cases. The male/female ratio was about 3:1, and the proportion of total autopsies was approximately 4% for both sexes. The most common age group was 11-40 years old. Female cases were more common during the monsoon season, but male cases did not show any such variation. Blunt-force head injury, stabbing, strangulation and shooting were the most common methods, and the head, neck and chest were the most commonly targeted areas. Defence injuries were seen in 7.9% cases, significantly more often amongst men, most of which were active and in the form of incised wounds. About 17% of cases survived in hospital for up to a month before succumbing to their injuries, with males being in their 50s and 60s and females in younger age groups. Most of these cases suffered a gunshot wound, followed by a head injury and a stab wound.

Double Hanging with Single Ligature: An Unusual Method in Suicide Pact.

A married casual labor couple was found hanging in their makeshift bedroom with each end of a single chunni (a cloth worn around the neck by Indian women) spread across an iron bar below the roof. They left their two children, daughter, and son of 4 and 3 yrs age, respectively, with their grandmother living separately nearby, and went to attend cremation of one of their relatives. They returned late in the evening and found hanging in their bedroom next morning by neighbors.

Five-year study of unidentified/unclaimed and unknown deaths brought for medicolegal autopsy at Premier Hospital in New Delhi, India.

Delhi is the second largest city of the world both in terms of population and area, as well as being the capital of India. Every year, thousands of people from different states throng to the capital in search of a job in order to earn a living. When these people die and their bodies are found without any identifying documentation, it is very difficult for the police to establish their identities. These bodies are labelled as unidentified/unclaimed or unknown, and are sent for usually sent for medicolegal autopsy. Invariably, skeletonised bodies are also recovered, which are also subjected to medicolegal autopsy. Female foeticide is another social problem, and whenever such foetuses are disposed of illegally, they are also grouped under this category and brought for medicolegal autopsy. We undertook a five-year retrospective analysis (for the period 2010-2014) of all such cases brought for medicolegal autopsy at our centre, which caters only for the south and south-east districts of Delhi. A total of 7964 cases were brought for medicolegal autopsy, of which unknown cases accounted for about 16%. About 25-30 foetuses and skeletonised bodies were brought each year that was studied. The manner of death was certified as natural in about 71% of cases, with predominant pathology in the lungs. There was a clear predominance of males over females, with the 31- to 50-year age group accounting for half of all cases. There was an increase in the number of deaths during months of extreme temperatures. The average time between the recovery of a body by the police and the post-mortem was about seven days. These findings raise many questions, including the failure of governmental policies, police investigating agencies and social menace. The creation of a national missing-persons database as well as a DNA databank is needed to aid in the identification of unidentified/unclaimed and unknown bodies.

Fatal corrosive ingestion: A study from South and South-East Delhi, India (2005-2014).

The study presents a retrospective analysis of 64 cases of death resulting from ingestion of corrosive substances. The cases represented approximately 0.4% of all autopsies conducted and 13.6% of all fatal poisonings studied during the 10-year period from January 2005 to December 2014 at the Department of Forensic Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The data was analyzed with regard to age, sex, nature and source of corrosive substance used, survival period, cause and manner of death. Males (64.06%) outnumbered females (35.94%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.78:1. The most common age group involved was 21-30 years (35.94%). Sulfuric acid (68.75%) presented as the most common corrosive substance ingested. Household cleaning substances (39.06%) were identified as a common source of such type of corrosive substance, but the exact source could not be identified in 56.26% of cases. In the majority of cases (46.88%) death was due to perforation peritonitis. Most of the victims (54.69%) succumbed to their injuries within a day of ingestion. In 87.5% of cases, the corrosive substance was consumed for suicidal purposes. A strict regulatory framework is required for the production, distribution, storage and use of corrosive substances. Preventive guidelines and creating awareness among the masses will go a long way towards curbing such unfortunate incidents.

5'-Guanosine monophosphate mediated biocompatible porous hydrogel of ß-FeOOH-viscoelastic behavior, loading, and release capabilities of freeze-dried gel.

The present manuscript reports the characterization, optimization of rheological properties, and loading and release capabilities of 5'-GMP mediated ß-FeOOH hydrogel. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis indicates it to contain mainly the left-handed helix similar to that of Z-DNA. The highest viscosity (>300 cP) corresponds to the sample containing 2.5 × 10(-3) mol dm(-3) of 5'-GMP (SP2H). Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies indicate the freeze-dried (FD) SP2H to be porous in nature, which is also supported by its high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 226 m(2)/g as compared to that of SP3H (75 m(2)/g). Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis and Raman spectroscopy show it to contain ß-FeOOH phase. The FD SP2H exhibits the high swelling ratio (326%) and loading capacity for methylene blue (MB) dye. It displays a controlled and efficient release (>90%) for optimized [MB] (2.5 × 10(-4) mol dm(-3)) in 48 h. The low toxicity of as synthesized FD SP2H nanostructures against MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer cells) up to 100 µg/mL suggests its biocompatible nature. The high porosity, surface area, % swelling, and loading and release performance of the hydrogel indicate its potential for drug delivery and other biological applications.

Synthesis of 5'-GMP-mediated porous hydrogel containing ß-FeOOH nanostructures: optimization of its morphology, optical and magnetic properties.

The present manuscript reports 5'-GMP-mediated ß-FeOOH nanostructures with varied morphologies ranging from nanorods to porous structures via the formation of spherical nanoparticles (NPs). For the optimized 5'-GMP-mediated ß-FeOOH nanostructures (containing 2.5 × 10-3 mol dm-3 of 5'-GMP), the freshly prepared colloidal solution contained nanochains consisting of spherical NPs with an average diameter of 8 nm as measured by TEM, which upon aging produced porous hydrogels. Similar morphological changes were also evidenced by AFM. The change in morphology is controlled by the concentration of 5'-GMP, pH and the period of aging, which is clearly demonstrated by the ζ-potential measurements. Changing interactions in the hydrogel are clearly indicated by IR spectroscopy, where the functionalities of 5'-GMP (C[double bond, length as m-dash]O, -NH2, -C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-, imidazole, pyrimidine, -C-O- of the sugar, PO3 2-, sugar ring and P-O-5'-sugar) interact with ß-FeOOH. Specific interactions of ß-FeOOH through the N and P of 5'-GMP are also supported by XPS studies. These nanostructures exhibit superparamagnetism at room temperature, exhibiting a magnetization of 3.2 emu g-1, which upon the formation of the hydrogel is increased to 4.8 emu g-1. The superparamagnetic behavior is retained by these nanostructures in the hydrogel up to <50 K. The observed morphology and stability of the 5'-GMP-ß-FeOOH nanohybrid at about pH 7.0, the low toxicity of ß-FeOOH and the biocompatiblity of 5'-GMP suggests the potential of these nanostructures for biomedical applications.

Effect of effluent recycling and shock loading on the biodegradation of complex phenolic mixture in hybrid UASB reactors.

This study describes the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of synthetic coal wastewater using four identical 13.5L (effective volume) bench scale hybrid up flow anaerobic sludge blanket (HUASB) reactors (R1, R2, R3 and R4) under mesophilic (27+/-5 degrees C) conditions. Synthetic coal wastewater with an average chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 2240 mg/L and phenolics concentration of 752 mg/L was used as substrate. Effluent recirculation was employed at four different effluent to feed recirculation ratios (R/F) of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 for 100 days to study the effect of recirculation on the performance of the reactors. Phenolics and COD removal was found to improve with increase in effluent recirculation. An effluent to feed recycle ratio of 1.0 resulted in maximum removal of phenolics and COD. Phenolics and COD removal improved from 88% and 92% to 95% each, respectively. The concentration of volatile fatty acids in the effluent was lower than the influent when effluent to feed recirculation was employed. Effect of shock loading on the reactors revealed that phenolics shock load up to 2.5 times increase in the normal input phenolics concentration in the form of continuous shock load for 4days did not affect the reactors performance irreversibly.

Effect of hydraulic retention time on the biodegradation of complex phenolic mixture from simulated coal wastewater in hybrid UASB reactors.

This study describes the feasibility of anaerobic treatment of complex phenolics mixture from a simulated synthetic coal wastewater using four identical 13.5L (effective volume) bench scale hybrid up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (HUASB) (combining UASB+anaerobic filter) reactors at four different hydraulic retention times (HRT) under mesophilic (27+/-5 degrees C) conditions. Synthetic coal wastewater with an average chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 2240 mg/L and phenolics concentration of 752 mg/L was used as substrate. The phenolics contained phenol (490 mg/L); m-, o-, p-cresols (123.0, 58.6, 42 mg/L); 2,4-, 2,5-, 3,4- and 3,5-dimethyl phenols (6.3, 6.3, 4.4 and 21.3 mg/L) as major phenolic compounds. The study demonstrated that at optimum HRT, 24h, and phenolic loading rate of 0.75 g COD/(m(3)-d), the phenolics and COD removal efficiency of the reactors were 96% and 86%, respectively. Bio-kinetic models were applied to data obtained from experimental studies in hybrid UASB reactor. Grau second-order multi-component substrate removal model was best fitted to the hybrid UASB reactor. The second-order substrate removal rate constant (k(2(s))) was found as 1.72 h(-1) for the hybrid reactor treating complex phenolic mixture. Morphological examination of the sludge revealed rod-type Methanothrix-like, cells to be dominant on the surface.

Identification and validation of molecular markers linked to the leaf rust resistance gene Lr19 in wheat.

A leaf rust resistance gene Lr19 on the chromosome 7DL of wheat derived from Agropyron elongatum was tagged with random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and microsatellite markers. The F(2) population of 340 plants derived from a cross between the leaf rust resistant near-isogenic line (NIL) of Thatcher (Tc + Lr19) and leaf rust susceptible line Agra Local that segregated for dominant monogenic leaf rust resistance was utilized for generating the mapping population. The molecular markers were mapped in the F(2) derived F(3) homozygous population of 140 seedlings. Sixteen RAPD markers were identified as linked to the alien gene Lr19 among which eight were in a coupling phase linkage. Twelve RAPD markers co-segregated with Lr19 locus. Nine microsatellite markers located on the long arm of chromosome 7D were also mapped as linked to the gene Lr19, including 7 markers which co-segregated with Lr19 locus, thus generating a saturated region carrying 25 molecular markers linked to the gene Lr19 within 10.2 +/- 0.062 cM on either side of the locus. Two RAPD markers S265(512) and S253(737) which flanked the locus Lr19 were converted to sequence characterized amplified region markers SCS265(512) and SCS253(736), respectively. The marker SCS265(512) was linked with Lr19 in a coupling phase and the marker SCS253(736) was linked in a repulsion phase, which when used together mimicked one co-dominant marker capable of distinguishing the heterozygous resistant seedlings from the homozygous resistant. The molecular markers were validated on NILs mostly in Thatcher background isogenic for 44 different Lr genes belonging to both native and alien origin. The validation for polymorphism in common leaf rust susceptible cultivars also confirmed the utility of these tightly linked markers to the gene Lr19 in marker-assisted selection.

Development and validation of molecular markers linked to an Aegilops umbellulata-derived leaf-rust-resistance gene, Lr9, for marker-assisted selection in bread wheat.

An Aegilops umbellulata-derived leaf-rust-resistance gene, Lr9, was tagged with 3 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, which mapped within 1.8 cM of gene Lr9 located on chromosome 6BL of wheat. The markers were identified in an F2 population segregating for leaf-rust resistance, which was generated from a cross between 2 near-isogenic lines that differed in the alien gene Lr9 in a widely adopted agronomic background of cultivar 'HD 2329'. Disease phenotyping was done in controlled environmental conditions by inoculating the population with the most virulent pathotype, 121 R63-1 of Puccinia triticina. One RAPD marker, S5550, located at a distance of 0.8+/-0.008 cM from the Lr9 locus, was converted to sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker SCS5550. The SCAR marker was validated for its specificity to gene Lr9 against 44 of the 50 known Lr genes and 10 wheat cultivars possessing the gene Lr9. Marker SCS5550 was used with another SCAR marker, SCS73719, previously identified as being linked to gene Lr24 on a segregating F2 population to select for genes Lr9 and Lr24, respectively, demonstrating the utility of the 2 markers in marker-assisted gene pyramiding for leaf-rust resistance in wheat.

Batch kinetic modeling of arsenic removal from water by mixed oxide coated sand (mocs).

A new granular media developed by coating of iron and manganese on quartz sand surface proved to be effective for arsenic (III) removal from water. The media has shown alkali resistance. The kinetic and thermodynamic studies data were tested using pseudo-second- order, intraparticle diffusion and Elovich equation models. The rate constants, equilibrium sorption capacity and normalized standard deviations were calculated for all the three models. It was shown that all three models almost accurately predict the sorption capacity with respect to time for whole range of data points. However, sorption kinetic data were better correlated using Elovich equation model based on normalized standard deviation. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm equations could be used to describe the partitioning behavior of system at different pH and media size. The results of thermodynamic studies show that the As(III) adsorption on Mixed Oxide Coated Sand (MOCS) was endothermic in nature. Kinetic and isothermal studies data have also been used to obtain thermodynamic parameters of the process.