Long-COVID versus adverse event following COVID vaccination among students and staff of tertiary care teaching hospital

Background: Long COVID is an important public health concern requiring proper defining, quantifying and describing following SARS-CoV infection with differentiation from adverse events due to COVID vaccination. So, this study was planned to analyze adverse effect of COVID19 vaccination or drug for COVID treatment versus consequences of COVID19 infection. Methods: Self-reported data was collected through questionnaire-based survey by voluntary participation of healthcare staff. Percentage of participant developing various events was analyzed by enlisting sign, symptom, co-morbidity and medication history. Association between COVID-19 infection with number of doses of COVID-19 vaccine taken was analyzed by Chi Square Test with p value <0.05. Association between presence of specific sign, symptom after COVID infection or side effect after COVID vaccination was analyzed by Chi-Square Test with p value <0.05.  Results: Overall total 985 (59.58%) participants were analyzed and among them maximum number of participants (60.30%) reported as COVID-19 positive during the third wave with history of diagnosed COVID positive twice (57.87%). Participants with presence of co-morbidity were more likely to develop symptoms (p<0.001). On analysis, fever, body ache, headache, sore throat and fatigue were significantly more likely to develop after COVID infection as compared to after COVID vaccination (p<0.001).  Conclusions: This study by exploratory survey highlights heterogeneity of Long COVID sign or symptom that’s seen predominantly in person with co-morbidity and a few of them were mimicking adverse events after COVID vaccinations

The utilization of antidepressants and benzodiazepines among people with major depression in Canada

Objective: Although clinical guidelines recommend monotherapy with antidepressants (ADs) for major depression, polypharmacy with benzodiazepines (BDZs) remains an issue. Risks associated with such treatments include tolerance and dependence, among others. We assessed the prevalence and determinants of AD and BDZ utilization among Canadians who experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) in the previous 12 months, and determined the association of seeing a psychiatrist on the utilization of ADs and BDZs. Method: Data were drawn from the 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey: Health and Well-Being, a nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 15 years and older. Descriptive statistics quantified utilization, while logistic regression identified factors associated with utilization, such as sociodemographic characteristics or type of physician seen. Sampling weights and bootstrap variance estimations were used for all analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of AD and BDZ utilization was 49.3% of respondents who experienced an MDE in the past 12 months and reported AD use. Key determinants of utilization were younger age and unemployment in the past week (OR 2.6; P < 0.001). Being seen by a psychiatrist increased utilization (OR 2.5; P < 0.001), possibly because psychiatrists were seeing patients with severe depression. Conclusion: A large proportion of people with past-year MDEs utilized ADs and BDZs. It is unclear how much of this is appropriate given that evidence-based clinical guidelines recommend monotherapy with ADs in the treatment of major depression

Calcretes in the Thar desert: genesis, chronology and palaeoenvironment

The calcretes in the Thar desert occur in a variety of settings, including the piedmonts, sheetwash aggraded plains; and this study adds calcretes in regolith and colluvio-alluvial plains to the group of settings in which calcretes occur in the region. Field logs, morphological details and analytical data such as petrographic, cathodoluminescence and geochemical characteristics are described along with a discussion on their implications. Sand dunes and sandy plains dating to &lt;20 ka have weakly developed calcretes. The better-developed calcrete horizons occur in piedmonts, interdunes or in areas that have sufficient groundwater. Deep sections in the region show phases of calcrete development in aeolian sand aggradation at ~150, ~100, ~60 and 27-14 ka. The extensive sheetwash plains have mature calcretes and date to mid-Pleistocene. Our studies indicate that these calcretes represent a hybrid process, where carbonate enrichment of the originally calcareous host occurred due to periodically raised groundwaters, and its differentiation into nodules occurred under subaerial environment i.e., after recession of groundwater. Deep sections also show a stack of discrete calcretes that developed in individual aggradation episodes with hiatuses as indicated by ESR dating results. Nodules display a multiplicity of carbonate precipi tation events and internal reorganization of calcitic groundmass. The process is accompanied by degradation and transformation of unstable minerals, particularly clays and with a neosynthesis of palygorskite. The ancient calcretes are dated from the beginning of the Quaternary to ~600 ka and show more evolved morphologies marked by brecciation, dissolution, laminar growth on brecciated surfaces, pisolites and several generations of re-cementation. Mica/chlorite schists and such other rocks are particularly vulnerable to replacement by carbonate. In an extreme case, replacement of quartzose sandstone was observed also. The presence of stretches of alluvio-colluvial plains in an area presently devoid of drainage bespeaks of occasional high-energy fluvial regime, under a semi-arid climate. The mid-Pleistocene period saw a shift towards more arid climate and this facilitated sheetwash aggradation. Finally, during the late Pleistocene, aggradation of aeolian sands indicated a progressively drier climate. However, this does not find its reflection in stable isotope data. The amount of carbonate in the form of calcretes is substantial. The present studies indicate that aeolian dust or rainwater are minor contributors to the carbonate budget. A more important source was provided by the pre-existing calcretes in the sheetwash aggraded plains and detrital carbonate in the aeolian sediments. The original source of carbonate in the region, however, remains unresolved and will need further investigations. Electron spin resonance protocols for the dating of calcretes were developed as a part of this study and the results accorded well with geological reasoning

Insomnia, Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Ideation in a National Representative Sample of Active Canadian Forces Members

Background Past research on the association between insomnia and suicidal ideation (SI) has produced mixed findings. The current study explored the relationship between insomnia, SI, and past-year mental health status among a large Canadian Forces (CF) sample. Method Data was obtained from the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (CFMHS), and included a large representative sample of Canadian Regular Forces personnel (N = 6700). A series of univariate logistic regressions were conducted to test individual associations between past-year mental health status, insomnia, and potential confounds and SI. Mental health status included three groups: 0, 1, or two or more probable diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD) and alcohol abuse/dependence. Stepwise multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between insomnia and SI with mental health status as a moderator. Results 40.8% of respondents reported experiencing insomnia. Both insomnia and number of mental health conditions incrementally increased the risk of SI. However, past-year mental health status was a significant moderator of this relationship, such that for CF personnel with either no (AOR = 1.61, 1.37–1.89) or only one past-year mental health condition (AOR = 1.39, 1.12–1.73), an incremental increase in insomnia was associated with an increased likelihood of SI. However, in personnel with two or more past-year mental health disorders, insomnia was no longer significantly associated with SI (AOR = 1.04, 0.81–1.33). Conclusions Insomnia significantly increased the odds of SI, but only among individuals with no or one mental health condition. Findings highlight the importance of assessing insomnia among CF members in order to further suicide prevention efforts

Characterising variation in wheat traits under hostile soil conditions in India

Intensive crop breeding has increased wheat yields and production in India. Wheat improvement in India typically involves selecting yield and component traits under non-hostile soil conditions at regional scales. The aim of this study is to quantify G*E interactions on yield and component traits to further explore site-specific trait selection for hostile soils. Field experiments were conducted at six sites (pH range 4.5-9.5) in 2013-14 and 2014-15, in three agro-climatic regions of India. At each site, yield and component traits were measured on 36 genotypes, representing elite varieties from a wide genetic background developed for different regions. Mean grain yields ranged from 1.0 to 5.5 t ha⁻¹ at hostile and non-hostile sites, respectively. Site (E) had the largest effect on yield and component traits, however, interactions between genotype and site (G*E) affected most traits to a greater extent than genotype alone. Within each agro-climatic region, yield and component traits correlated positively between hostile and non-hostile sites. However, some genotypes performed better under hostile soils, with site-specific relationships between yield and component traits, which supports the value of ongoing site-specific selection activities

A putative heat-responsive transcription factor (TaHD97) and its targets in wheat (Triticum aestivum) providing thermotolerance

214-223Transcription factors (TFs) are protein, which perform their role at transcriptional level by affecting the expression of various genes associated with metabolic pathways, growth and stress-associated genes (SAGs) at different developmental stages. Here, we identified 38 novel heat-responsive transcription factor genes from wheat cv. HD2985 by mining the de novo transcriptome data derived from heat shock (HS) treated wheat. Based on digital gene expression (DGE), a putative transcript (TaHD97) of ~1.1 kbas amplified and cloned from wheat cv. HD2985. The presence of heat stress transcription factor (HSF) DNA binding domain was observed in the amino acid sequence. Differential expression of TaHD97 was observed in HD2985 (thermotolerant) and HD2329 (thermosensitive) under heat stress. Tissue specific expression analysis showed up-regulation of TaHD97 in leaves, stem and endospermic tissues and down-regulation in root under HS. A positive correlation was established between the expression of TaHD97 and its target gene (HSP17 and HSP90) in wheat under heat stress. HSP17 transcripts were observed more in leaves of HD2985, as compared to HD2329. Thermotolerance related biochemical enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPX and TBARS) were observed higher in wheat cv. HD2985 showing maximum expression of TaHD97 under heat stress. There is a need for the functional validation of the gene TaHD97 in order to use it for the regulation of sHSP (catalytic chaperone) - a novel approach towards augmenting thermotolerance in wheat under heat stress

Identification of wheat cultivars for low nitrogen tolerance using multivariable screening approaches

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). A set of thirty-six wheat cultivars were grown for two consecutive years under low and high nitrogen conditions. The interactions of cultivars with different environmental factors were shown to be highly significant for most of the studied traits, suggesting the presence of wider genetic variability which may be utilized for the genetic improvement of desired trait(s). Three cultivars, i.e., RAJ 4037, DBW 39 and GW 322, were selected based on three selection indices, i.e., tolerance index (TOL), stress susceptibility index (SSI), and yield stability index (YSI), while two cultivars, HD 2967 and MACS 6478, were selected based on all four selection indices which were common in both of the study years. According to Kendall’s concordance coefficient, the consistency of geometric mean productivity (GMP) was found to be highest (0.778), followed by YSI (0.556), SSI (0.472), and TOL (0.200). Due to the high consistency of GMP followed by YSI and SSI, the three selection indices could be utilized as a selection tool in the identification of high-yielding genotypes under low nitrogen conditions. The GMP and YSI selection indices had a positive and significant correlation with grain yield, whereas TOL and SSI exhibited a significant but negative correlation with grain yield under both high and low nitrogen conditions in both years. The common tolerant genotypes identified through different selection indices could be utilized as potential donors in active breeding programs to incorporate the low nitrogen tolerant genes to develop high-yielding wheat varieties for low nitrogen conditions. The study also helps in understanding the physiological basis of tolerance in high-yielding wheat genotypes under low nitrogen conditions

Natural resource enhancement through silvipastoral establishment in western Himalayan region

Livestock rearing is an integral part of rural livelihood in the Himalayan region. In spite of abundance of pasture resources, total biomass is insufficient to meet the forage demand. Indiscriminate grazing has caused an alarming decline in the carrying capacity of grazing lands and has caused severe land degradation. This study was carried out with the objective of increasing biomass potential, improving livestock productivity and to arrest environmental degradation. The study was conducted at Ghanetta and Dagoh (Kangra) and Jogindernagar (Mandi) districts in Himachal Pradesh through silvipastoral intervention in conjunction with soil and water conservation measures. Grasslands of the study area were of alluvial–loamy soil with shallow depths. Soil organic matter was 0.72 (Ghanetta), 0.76 (Dagoh) and 0.80% (Jogindernagar). Organic carbon content in the subsurface (15–45 cm) layer was only 30 to 39% of the surface layer (0–15 cm). Chrysopogon (20%) was found the most dominant species, followed by Heteropogon (13%). Average herbage production was 5.613 DM tonne/ha (Ghanetta), 5.458 DM tonne/ha (Dagoh) and 5.233 DM tonne/ha (Jogindernagar). Leaf biomass of different fodder trees ranged from 0.23–0.60 DM tonne/ha (Ghanetta), 0.16–0.51 DM tonne/ha (Dagoh) and 0.21–0.59 DM tonne/ha (Jogindernagar). Maximum biomass of 9.17 DM tonne/ha was obtained at Ghanetta followed by 8.26 DM tonne/ha and 8.23 DM tonne/ha at Dagoh and Jogindernagar, respectively, showing substantial improvement in total biomass potential with silvipastoral intervention in conjunction with soil and water conservation measures

Impact of participatory silvipastoral intervention and soil conservation measures for forage resource enhancement in western Himalaya

Livestock rearing is an important component of rural economy in mid-hills of Himalaya. Inspite of abundant available feed resources, total available biomass is insufficient to sustain the livestock population. Fodder trees particularly in hill ecosystem play an important role in supplementing the fodder requirement especially during the lean period. Information gathered and analysis concludes that Grewia optiva is the most important fodder tree in terms of dominance, palatability and increase in milk yield followed by Artocarpus chaplasha, Morus alba, Bauhinia variegata, Albizia lebbeck and Terminalia alata in Kangra and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh. The crude protein content was found highest in Grewia optiva (19.38%) followed by Albizia lebbeck (18.85%), Dendrocalamus hamiltonii (18.01%) and minimum in case of Quercus incana (9.27%). During scarcity of fodder Ficus religiosa is the only fodder tree fed throughout the year. The established silvipasture produced leaf biomass of 2.77 to 6.77 DM kg/tree (Ghanetta), 2.12 to 5.96 DM kg/tree (Jogindernagar) and 2.25 to 6.93 DM kg/tree (Dagoh). Fodder trees planted under silvipastoral system produced average biomass of 1.83 DM tonnes/ha (Ghanetta), 1.49 DM tonnes/ha (Jogindernagar) and 1.66 DM tonnes/ha (Dagoh). Rainfall events of more than 50 mm, though quite less in number (25/165, 24/192 and 17/149), contributed 47.7, 82.3 and 81.7% to the total runoff at Ghanetta, Jogindernagar and Dagoh, respectively. Among the resource conservation measures trenching in combination with vegetative barrier allowed only 8.2% of rain as runoff compared to 41.5% under control (no measure). The silvipasture systems coupled with contour staggered trenches and / or vegetative barrier can effectively arrest the environmental degradation