COVID 19 and Psychological Impact across Lifespan

COVID-19 the present pandemic like all pandemics puts a strain on both the individual and the community. Human beings are social animals; they need interactions with other human beings in order to maintain good mental health, the present pandemic put a restriction on interactions between people in the form of social distancing, wearing of masks, use of sanitizers and soap and water, which are essential to control the spread of the corona virus but the flip side, it has reduced the family gatherings, going out for restaurants, factors to a great extent that will have impact on psychological health

Sex difference effects of acute starvation on excitatory and inhibitory synapses on dopamine neurons

Background: The aim of this study is to assess the influence of acute fasting on synaptic properties in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) with regards to the sex-dependent differences by use of male and female mice. The study aimed to unravel the intricate interplay between fasting, synaptic plasticity, and behavioural changes to enhance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Methods: This study carried out at a tertiary care centre, employed a 16-hour overnight fasting protocol in female rodents and male rodents to examine the effects on physiological parameters, feeding behaviour, and neuronal attributes in the VTA. Various assays, including measurements of blood glucose, ketones, corticosterone (CORT) levels, locomotor activity, and electrophysiological recordings of synaptic currents, were conducted to assess the physiological and synaptic responses to acute fasting. Results: The study found that acute fasting induced significant metabolic changes, including body mass decrease by about 10%. Altered food-seeking behaviour was evident, with male mice exhibiting a pronounced increase. Moreover, neuronal attributes in the midbrain or VTA showed gender-dependent responses: males displayed substantial 20% increase in the frequency of mEPSC onto the dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain post fasting, while females exhibited a 13% elevation in CORT levels, accompanied by a transient period of depression at stimulatory synapses onto dopaminergic neurons which was mediated by endocannabinoids. Notably, no significant changes were observed at restraining synapses in rodents of both genders. These findings highlight the nuanced influence of short-term fasting/starvation on the VTA's synaptic plasticity, emphasizing sex-specific responses and providing valuable insights into potential mechanisms influencing gender differences in neuropsychiatric conditions. Conclusions: The study reveals that acute fasting induces sex-specific synaptic changes in the VTA, shedding light on the intricate relationship between metabolism, food-seeking behaviour, and neural plasticity. These findings emphasize the importance of considering gender-specific responses in studies exploring the neurobiological effects of fasting and their relevance to mental health

ACUTE TOXICITY STUDIES OF AQUEOUS SEED EXTRACT OF VIGNA UNGUICULATA IN ALBINO RATS

Objective: Increased usage of traditional folklore medicines by the public has led to scientific evaluation of safety of the herbs thereby providing the physicians the data required to employ them in the management of ailments. Seeds of Vigna unguiculata are commonly consumed as vegetables and as a culinary dish in most parts of Asian sub-continent. The present study was carried out to screen phytochemical constituents, evaluate acute toxic effects and determine LD50 of aqueous seed extract of Vigna unguiculata.Methods: Phytochemical screening was carried out as described by Kokate. Acute oral toxicity study was carried out based on OECD guideline 423 and a limit test at a dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight was carried out in female wistar rats. The extract was orally administered in animals at a single dose of 2000mg/kg body weight. Signs of toxicity and mortality were noted after 1, 4 and 24h of administration of the extract for 14 days.Results: Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids and proteins. No mortality and no significant changes were observed in physical observations, behavioral observations, autonomic effects, sensory responses, reflexes, respiratory effects and somatomotor activity in animals which reveal the safety of the extract at dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight.Conclusion: Conclusively, the results suggest that the aqueous extract is not acutely toxic to the rats and LD50 was found to be higher than 2000 mg/kg

Finite element modelling and dynamic characteristic analysis of the human CTL-Spine

Persistent exposure to whole body vibrations is the fundamental cause for lower back pain and disc degeneration. With an increasing amount of population exposed to whole body vibrations, a significant number of people experience fatal spine diseases. Substantial research is carried out to reduce the risk of spinal injuries. The dynamic characteristics of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar (CTL) region are studied extensively as individual sections of the spine. Few studies have focused on the CTL spine as an assembly of the three segments. In the present work, an authentic three dimensional geometrical model of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine is developed in mimics considering its natural curvature and the intervertebral discs are modeled in Design modeler. The natural frequency and mode shapes of the CTL spine are extracted using free vibration modal analysis considering 4.5 kg point mass on C1 vertebra and distributed mass of 40 kg on the CTL spine in Ansys Workbench. Six natural frequencies and their corresponding vibration modes are obtained from the finite element model. The results of this study aims to provide a reliable model for further biomechanical analysis and ergonomics

Study on Machine Learning and Deep Learning Methods for Cancer Detection

Cancer causes death of about million people every year. Cancer is the frequently recognized and is the major reason of death in men and women. Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth which will spread to other parts of the body. Colonography makes use of low dose radiation Computed tomography (CT) scanning to get an internal view of the cancer tumors making use of special x-ray machine to view tumors. Radiologists examine these images to find tumor like structure using computer tools. As CT Colonography image contain noise such as lungs, small intestine, instruments during image capturing. Cancer occurrence can be detected mainly using shape feature; eliminating shapes similar to tumor is challenging. Hence, to tackle above issues, image processing techniques are used by applying deep learning algorithm- Convolution Neural Network (CNN) and the results are compared with classical machine learning algorithm. The analysis is done with classical machine learning algorithms - Random Forest algorithm (RF) and k-nearest neighbour algorithm (KNN) by extracting texture feature - Local binary pattern (LBP) and shape feature - Histogram oriented gradient (HOG) for comparison

Preparation of DRI from Waste Iron Ore and Coal fines

In 2011 the world crude steel production reached 1527 million tons (MT) and showed a growth of 6.8% over 2010. China remained the world‘s largest crude steel producer in 2011 (695.5 MT) followed by Japan (107.6 MT) and the USA (86.2 MT). India occupied the 4th position (72.2 MT) for the second consecutive year. The WSA has projected that apparent steel use will increase by 6.5% to 1,398 MT in 2011, following growth of 15.1% in 2010. In 2012, it has been projected that the same will grow further by 5.4%. Such growth will be largely driven by China and India with China‘s apparent steel use in 2011 and 2012 expected to increase by 7.5% and 6% respectively. For India, growth in apparent steel use is expected to be subdued at 4.3% in 2011 but expected to go up by 7.9% in 2012. Per capita finished steel consumption is estimated to be 206 kg for world whereas 427 kg for China

Conversion of Sponge Iron From Low Grade Iron ore And Mill Scale Through Simulating Tunnel Kiln Condition

The present investigation deals with the feasibility study of the process development for production of Directly Reduced Iron (DRI) using waste/low grade iron ore (slime), mill scale and waste/less reactive coal (partly oxidized coal i.e. Jhama coal). In order to get most green and dry strength for safe handling and transportation, the pellets of iron ore slime and the pellets of mill scale were made in disc pelletizer with optimum moisture. Dried iron ore slime pellets reduced the bed of Jhama coal fines at different temperature and sintering time. Detailed investigation for the reduction kinetics of slime pellets with Jhama coal has been carried out to explore the feasibility of slime pellets reduction. Based on reduction kinetics, process criterion for reduction of pellets with Jhama coal is optimized to produce highly metallic DRI. The Reduction of dried pellets was carried out without in duration/firing higher temperature as compared to the conventional DRI process yielding high energy efficient and cost-effective process. An optimized work flow sheet and innovative process has been developed for production of high quality DRI utilizing waste iron ore slime and less reactive coal (Jhama coal). The DRI produced from this process have high metallization (<92%) suitable for blast furnace and electrical for iron and steel making

Biotransformation of flower waste composting: Optimization of waste combinations using response surface methodology

Flower waste (FW) is disposed off in the rivers or mixed with solid waste for landfilling that pollutes the environment and causes harmful effects on human health and aquatic life. It is rich in nutrient content and easily converted into the compost. Therefore, the objective of the present research was to optimize the combinations of flower waste and cow dung during agitated pile composting using response surface methodology. Thirteen different agitated piles were used for composting using the central composite design. The optimum combination from central composite design was 65 kg floral waste, 25 kg cattle dung and 10 kg sawdust having 7.10 pH, 3.31 mS cm−1 electrical conductivity, 32.98% total organic carbon and 14 Carbon to Nitrogen ratio during the end phase of the composting period. The nutrient concentrations into the final compost were within the acceptable limit and also found to be beneficial for the growth of plants