Potential link between compromised air quality and transmission of the novel corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) in affected areas

The emergence of a novel human corona virus disease (COVID-19) has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. One of the mechanisms of airborne transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) amid humans is through direct ejection of droplets via sneezing, coughing and vocalizing. Nevertheless, there are ample evidences of the persistence of infectious viruses on inanimate surfaces for several hours to a few days. Through a critical review of the current literature and a preliminary analysis of the link between SARS-CoV-2 transmission and air pollution in the affected regions, we offer a perspective that polluted environment could enhance the transmission rate of such deadly viruses under moderate-to-high humidity conditions. The aqueous atmospheric aerosols offer a conducive surface for adsorption/absorption of organic molecules and viruses onto them, facilitating a pathway for higher rate of transmission under favourable environmental conditions. This mechanism partially explains the role of polluted air besides the exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases in the rapid transmission of the virus amongst the public. Hence, it is stressed that more ambitious policies towards a cleaner environment are required globally to nip in the bud what could be the seeds of a fatal outbreak such as COVID-19

Broad and potent cross clade neutralizing antibodies with multiple specificities in the plasma of HIV-1 subtype C infected individuals.

Broadly Cross clade Neutralizing (BCN) antibodies are recognized as potential therapeutic tools and leads for the design of a vaccine that can protect human beings against various clades of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In the present study, we screened plasma of 88 HIV-1 infected ART naïve individuals for their neutralization potential using a standard panel of 18 pseudoviruses belonging to different subtypes and different levels of neutralization. We identified 12 samples with good breadth of neutralization (neutralized >90% of the viruses). Four of these samples neutralized even the difficult-to-neutralize tier-3 pseudoviruses with great potency (GMT > 600). Analysis of neutralization specificities indicated that four samples had antibodies with multiple epitope binding specificities, viz. CD4-binding site (CD4BS), glycans in the V1/V2 and V3 regions and membrane proximal external region (MPER). Our findings indicate the strong possibility of identifying highly potent bNAbs with known or novel specificities from HIV-1 subtype C infected individuals from India that can be exploited as therapeutic tools or lead molecules for the identification of potential epitopes for design of a protective HIV-1 vaccine

Growth, structural and mechanical analysis of a single crystal of L-prolinium tartrate: a promising material for nonlinear optical applications

A single crystal of L-prolinium tartrate (LPT), which is an organic non linear optical material, was successfully synthesized and grown using a slow evaporation solution growth technique (SEST). The crystal structure and lattice parameters of the crystal were confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and it was found that it belongs to the monoclinic crystal system with beta = 100.380 and a noncentrosymmetric space group. The presence of strain in the grown ingot was calculated from powder X-ray diffraction measurements. The crystalline perfection was examined by high resolution X-ray diffractometry, which revealed that the crystal contained structural grain boundaries. The optical behavior of the grown specimen was analyzed by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and its time resolved PL decay was calculated. The grown crystal adopted a step wise growth pattern with parallel striations, which was confirmed from the etching technique. Its ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were also assessed. Its third order non linearity was assessed using an open aperture Z-scan technique. The thermal parameters of the LPT single crystal were calculated using a photopyroelectric technique. The mechanical strength of the single crystal at the micro level was observed by nanoindentation using the Oliver-Pharr method

Exacerbation of Fatality Rates Induced by Poor Air Quality Due to Open-Air Mass Funeral Pyre Cremation during the Second Wave of COVID-19

This study investigates the air pollution-induced mortality rate during the second wave of COVID-19, which claimed several thousand lives in the capital city of India, New Delhi, even during a lockdown period. Delhi is a hotspot of unhealthy air quality. During the second wave of COVID-19 in 2021, surface ozone levels were observed to be higher, which had a direct impact on lung function, thereby making people more susceptible to COVID-19. The correlation coefficient between surface ozone concentration and mortality has been observed to be 0.74 at a 95% confidence level. This work focuses on the plausible impact and feedback of poor air quality induced by the burning of open-air funeral pyres due to the increased COVID-19 mortality rate in New Delhi, estimated by using an epidemiological model (AirQ+) of the World Health Organization. The mortality rate estimated quantitatively with the aid of AirQ+ is 1.27 excess deaths per 100,000 population due to surface ozone from pyre burning. The findings suggest transformational system goals before the resurgence of a subsequent wave

An in-depth study into the growth aspects and characteristic properties of ethyl 4-amino benzoate: a potential candidate for electrooptical applications

In the present work we report the growth of a bulk size ethyl 4-amino benzoate crystal, a potential candidate for electro-optical applications, using an indigenously developed single zone transparent resistive furnace because of observed difficulties involved in its growth via a solution growth technique. The structure of the grown crystal was examined using single crystal X-ray diffraction and it was found that it crystallized in an orthorhombic crystal system with the non-centrosymmetric space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). The lattice parameters of the title material were further analysed using powder X-ray diffraction and they were found to be in agreement with the single crystal X-ray diffraction results. The strain in the lattice of the grown crystal was evaluated using the Hall-Williamson relation. The quality of the grown crystal was examined using a high resolution X-ray diffraction technique. Surface defects on the grown crystal were analysed using an etching technique. The transparency of the grown crystal was assessed using UV-vis spectroscopy and it was observed that the crystal possesses reasonably good transmittance over the visible spectrum. The optical band gap was also evaluated using Tauc's plot. Furthermore, the laser damage threshold value was calculated using a Nd: YAG laser. Moreover, the thermal parameters and mechanical properties of the grown crystal were evaluated using photopyroelectric and nanoindentation techniques and it was observed that the crystal possesses quite fair thermal stability, however, the mechanical strength was low. With reduction in defects as observed it could be a potential candidate for non-linear optical applications

Genetic Association Study Of Exfoliation Syndrome Identifies A Protective Rare Variant At Loxl1 And Five New Susceptibility Loci

Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is the most common known risk factor for secondary glaucoma and a major cause of blindness worldwide. Variants in two genes, LOXL1 and CACNA1A, have previously been associated with XFS. To further elucidate the genetic basis of XFS, we collected a global sample of XFS cases to refine the association at LOXL1, which previously showed inconsistent results across populations, and to identify new variants associated with XFS. We identified a rare protective allele at LOXL1 (p.Phe407, odds ratio (OR) = 25, P = 2.9 x 10(-14)) through deep resequencing of XFS cases and controls from nine countries. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of XFS cases and controls from 24 countries followed by replication in 18 countries identified seven genome-wide significant loci (P < 5 x 10(-8)). We identified association signals at 13q12 (POMP), 11q23.3 (TMEM136), 6p21 (AGPAT1), 3p24 (RBMS3) and 5q23 (near SEMA6A). These findings provide biological insights into the pathology of XFS and highlight a potential role for naturally occurring rare LOXL1 variants in disease biology.Wo