Consequence of Meteorological Parameters on the Transmission of Covid-19

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was first detected in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The characteristics of the spread of COVID-19 infection from one person to another have led to an increasing number of infected cases and caused tremendous pressure around the world. The rapid spread of COVID-19 infection has made it a pandemic. In India, as of mid-May 2020, there were approximately 75,048 confirmed cases and 2,440 deaths due to COVID-19 alone. In order to break the COVID-19 chain, the Indian government decided to implement a lockdown, which was first implemented on March 23, 2020. The significant benefits of the lockdown have led to a reduction in air pollutants in cities around the world. The significant benefits of the lockdown have led to a reduction in air pollutants in cities around the world. The importance of particulate matter, temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) to the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its correlation with the total number of cases (TC), active cases (AC), recovered cases (RC) and death cases (DC) Reference DEL will be discussed in detail in this chapter

Recent Progress of Electrocatalysts and Photocatalysts Bearing First Row Transition Metal for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER)

The design and modification of metal–organic complexes for hydrogen (H2) gas production by water splitting have been intensively investigated over the recent decades. In most reported mechanistic pathways, metal hydride species are considered as crucial intermediates for H2 formation where the metal present at the active site plays an imperative role in the transfer of electron and proton. In the last few decades, much consideration has been done on the development of non-precious metal–organic catalysts that use solar energy to split water into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) as alternative fossil fuels. This review discussed the design, fabrication, and evaluation of the catalysts for electrocatalytic and photocatalytic hydrogen production. Mechanistic approach is addressed here in order to understand the fundamental design principle and structural properties relationship of electrocatalysts and photocatalysts. Finally, we discuss some challenges and opportunities of research in the near future in this promising area

Aeropalynology of Parthenium hysterophorus L. in Relation to Meteorological Parameters from Srinagar Valley of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand

Parthenium hysterophorus (congress grass) is a harmful weed and its pollen grains are important allergens. Due to its minute size and allergenic activity, this particular type of pollen is selected for the study. The aeropalynological survey was conducted for the year 2019 at Chauras Campus, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand. It is located on the right bank of the Alaknanda river (30°13’35.81”N & 78°48’11.05”E; 560 m amsl). A Rotarod sampler was used for air sampling. The maximum pollen count was observed in July. To evaluate the correlation matrix in R software, correlations (Pearson’s and Spearsman’s) between pollen count and meteorological parameters have been calculated. Back trajectory analysis has also been done using NOAA HYSPLIT MODEL

The prevalence of hypertension among young adults in a rural population of North India

Background: Most of the studies on hypertension provided the data on older age group. Most of the times, younger population remains unaddressed as they are assumed to be at a lower risk of developing the disease. So, the study on prevalence of hypertension among younger age group and their socio-demographic variables provides the guide for requirements of any intervention. Objective of present study is to estimate the prevalence of Hypertension among young adults in a rural population of central India.Methods: We collected data on socio-demographic characteristics and hypertension status from 1061 subjects aged 18–40 years. Relevant clinical parameters were collected (blood pressure recordings and anthropometric measurements).Results: Hypertension was detected in 188 of the 1061 subjects (17.7%). Prevalence among men was higher (18.8% compared to 15.2% among women). A total of 40.2% of the subjects was found to have pre-hypertension. Higher prevalence of hypertension was seen among those with a history of smoking.Conclusions: Most of the young adults with raised blood pressure were previously undiagnosed. A large number of subjects had prehypertension. Their early identification facilitates early, active management of blood pressure and formulation of preventive strategies thereby decreasing morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases and hypertension.

Nanocavity-mediated Purcell enhancement of Er in TiO2_2 thin films grown via atomic layer deposition

The use of trivalent erbium (Er$^{3+}$), typically embedded as an atomic defect in the solid-state, has widespread adoption as a dopant in telecommunications devices and shows promise as a spin-based quantum memory for quantum communication. In particular, its natural telecom C-band optical transition and spin-photon interface makes it an ideal candidate for integration into existing optical fiber networks without the need for quantum frequency conversion. However, successful scaling requires a host material with few intrinsic nuclear spins, compatibility with semiconductor foundry processes, and straightforward integration with silicon photonics. Here, we present Er-doped titanium dioxide (TiO$_2$) thin film growth on silicon substrates using a foundry-scalable atomic layer deposition process with a wide range of doping control over the Er concentration. Even though the as-grown films are amorphous, after oxygen annealing they exhibit relatively large crystalline grains, and the embedded Er ions exhibit the characteristic optical emission spectrum from anatase TiO$_2$. Critically, this growth and annealing process maintains the low surface roughness required for nanophotonic integration. Finally, we interface Er ensembles with high quality factor Si nanophotonic cavities via evanescent coupling and demonstrate a large Purcell enhancement (300) of their optical lifetime. Our findings demonstrate a low-temperature, non-destructive, and substrate-independent process for integrating Er-doped materials with silicon photonics. At high doping densities this platform can enable integrated photonic components such as on-chip amplifiers and lasers, while dilute concentrations can realize single ion quantum memories.Comment: 5 figure

International Health Security: A Summative Assessment by ACAIM Consensus Group

International health security (IHS) encompasses any natural or anthropogenic occurrence that can threaten the safety of human health and well-being. The American College of Academic International Medicine IHS Consensus Group (ACAIM-CG) developed a summative assessment highlighting the main issues that can impact IHS including emerging infectious diseases; chronic health conditions; bioterrorism; planetary changes (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, wildfires, and climate change); nuclear incidents; information and cyber health; industrialization; globalization; pharmaceutical production; and communication platforms (social media). These concerns can directly and indirectly impact IHS both in the long and short term. When considering IHS, we aim to emphasize the utility of applying a predefined framework to effectively approach health security threats. This framework comprises of prevention, detection, assessment, reporting, response, addressing needs, and the perpetual repetition of the above cycle (inclusive of appropriate mitigation measures). It is hoped that this collective work will provide a foundation for further research within the redefined, expanded scope of IHS

Comparison of the Metabolic Effects of Ritonavir-Boosted Darunavir or Atazanavir Versus Raltegravir, and the Impact of Ritonavir Plasma Exposure: ACTG 5257

Background. Metabolic effects following combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) vary by regimen type. Changes in metabolic effects were assessed following cART in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) A5257 study, and correlated with plasma ritonavir trough concentrations (C24)