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Snakebite envenoming represents a significant public health challenge, particularly in regions where venomous snakes are prevalent. Globally, it has been estimated that every year 81,000–1,38,000 people die due to venomous snakebites along with enormous morbidity and physical disability to the survivors. Almost 70% of estimated global snakebite deaths are from South Asia Region. However, more than half of the global burden due to snakebite is alone from India with an estimated annual average of about 58,000 deaths. Thus, this is a significant public health problem for a developing country like India compared to the other Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Considering the problem of snakebites in developing and tropical countries, which contributes almost 95% of the total snakebites of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) has re-designated snakebite as a priority Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) in 2017. However, there is a little more than a 5-year window left for reducing mortality and morbidity due to snakebite envenoming by 50%, in aligning with the WHO 2030 target. Thus, for achieving this target within the span of half a decade, for this decades-old problem, there is an urgent need to recognize the fundamental challenges for addressing the unmet needs and recognizing the opportunities.

Snakebite envenoming represents a significant public health challenge, particularly in regions, where venomous snakes are endemic. The One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, offers a promising framework for addressing the complex dynamics of snakebite envenoming. This review provides a comprehensive epidemiological analysis on the role of One Health in snakebite prevention, control and research efforts. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives, we examined the aspects on environmental, social, and economic factors influencing snakebite incidence, as well as the interactions between humans, snakes, and domestic animals. We also highlighted innovative strategies for integrating One Health principles into snakebite surveillance, education, and treatment initiatives. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying key research gaps, this paper aims to inform the strategic efforts to mitigate the burden of snakebite envenoming within a holistic and collaborative framework.

Snakebite, a neglected tropical disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in India, despite which reliable nationwide data are limited. To address this, we carried out a survey in 25 districts across 11 states, covering a 60 million population. The community-based study was led by frontline health workers who tracked cases and deaths, while field teams collected details on the bite, the type of snake, treatment received, and costs. Data were gathered continuously for a one-year period. Here we show that 7,094 snakebite cases were recorded, with a mortality rate of 0.33 per 100,000 population. Nearly half of the reported deaths occurred outside hospital settings. Bites were most common in males (64.1%), adults aged 30–39 years (20.9%), and during the monsoon season (62.1%). Most victims (86.4%) sought hospital care, 60.2% received anti-snake venom, and 17.2% experienced side effects to the anti-venom. Treatment placed a heavy financial burden on families; average out-of-pocket expenditure was INR 6,500, with higher costs in private hospitals (INR 27,400) compared to public facilities (INR 3,900). And 47.5% of the victims belonged to households below the poverty line. These findings show that faster access to hospitals, improved anti-venoms, and health insurance are urgently needed to prevent avoidable deaths. Snakebite envenoming is a significant public health problem in India, particularly in rural tropical and subtropical regions. Here, the authors report findings from a community-based cross-sectional study in India on the incidence, clinical outcomes, and costs associated with snake bites.

Over the past three decades, massive bleaching events of zoox-anthellate corals have been documented across the range of global distribution. Although the phenomenon is correlated with relatively small increases in sea-surface temperature and enhanced light intensity, the underlying physiological mechanism remains unknown. In this article we demonstrate that thylakoid membrane lipid composition is a key determinate of thermal-stress sensitivity in symbiotic algae of cnidarians. Analyses of thylakoid membranes reveal that the critical threshold temperature separating thermally tolerant from sensitive species of zooxanthellae is determined by the saturation of the lipids. The lipid composition is potentially diagnostic of the differential nature of thermally induced bleaching found in scleractinian corals. Measurements of variable chlorophyll fluorescence kinetic transients indicate that thermally damaged membranes are energetically uncoupled but remain capable of splitting water. Consequently, a fraction of the photosynthetically produced oxygen is reduced by photosystem I through the Mehler reaction to form reactive oxygen species, which rapidly accumulate at high irradiance levels and trigger death and expulsion of the endosymbiotic algae. Differential sensitivity to thermal stress among the various species of Symbiodinium seems to be distributed across all clades. A clocked molecular phylogenetic analysis suggests that the evolutionary history of symbiotic algae in cnidarians selected for a reduced tolerance to elevated temperatures in the latter portion of the Cenozoic.

Materials that show superior light-emitting and catalytic properties are in high demand among the scientific community owing to their applications in the areas of optoelectronics and (opto)electrocatalysis. In this work, we have synthesized sub-10-nm Pr 2 Sn 2 O 7 (PSO) and Pr 2 Sn 2 O 7 :Bi 3+ (PSOB) nanoparticles (NPs) and investigated their optical and electrochemical properties. On ultraviolet irradiation, PSO NPs display blue emission because of the presence of oxygen vacancies. Interestingly, PSOB NPs have higher blue emission intensity than undoped PSO NPs owing to the increase in oxygen vacancy defect density induced by Bi 3+ doping. Moreover, PSOB NPs display higher efficiency in terms of current density than PSO NPs as a catalyst toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The kinetic OER models of PSO and PSOB NPs are quite different as displayed by their different Tafel slopes. Interestingly and as another advantage, the PSOB sample is more conducting with low impedance value than the PSO counterpart. With all these advantages due to high oxygen vacancies induced by Bi 3+ doping, PSOB NPs have a great potential to be used as blue phosphors, charge storage devices, and capacitors.

Background An innovative medical student elective combined student-directed, faculty-supported online learning with COVID-19 response field placements. This study evaluated students’ experience in the course, the curriculum content and format, and its short-term impact on students’ knowledge and attitudes around COVID-19. Methods Students responded to discussion board prompts throughout the course and submitted pre−/post-course reflections. Pre−/post-course questionnaires assessed pandemic knowledge and attitudes using 4-point Likert scales. Authors collected aggregate data on enrollment, discussion posts, field placements, and scholarly work resulting from course activities. After the elective, authors conducted a focus group with a convenience sample of 6 participants. Institutional elective evaluation data was included in analysis. Authors analyzed questionnaire data with summary statistics and paired t-tests comparing knowledge and attitudes before and after the elective. Reflection pieces, discussion posts, and focus group data were analyzed using content analysis with a phenomenological approach. Results Twenty-seven students enrolled. Each student posted an average of 2.4 original discussion posts and 3.1 responses. Mean knowledge score increased from 43.8 to 60.8% ( p  <  0.001) between pre- and post-course questionnaires. Knowledge self-assessment also increased (2.4 vs. 3.5 on Likert scale, p  <  0.0001), and students reported increased engagement in the pandemic response (2.7 vs. 3.6, p  <  0.0001). Students reported increased fluency in discussing the pandemic and increased appreciation for the field of public health. There was no difference in students’ level of anxiety about the pandemic after course participation (3.0 vs. 3.1, p  = 0.53). Twelve students (44.4%) completed the institutional evaluation. All rated the course “very good” or “excellent.” Students favorably reviewed the field placements, suggested readings, self-directed research, and learning from peers. They suggested more clearly defined expectations and improved balance between volunteer and educational hours. Conclusions The elective was well-received by students, achieved stated objectives, and garnered public attention. Course leadership should monitor students’ time commitment closely in service-learning settings to ensure appropriate balance of service and education. Student engagement in a disaster response is insufficient to address anxiety related to the disaster; future course iterations should include a focus on self-care during times of crisis. This educational innovation could serve as a model for medical schools globally.

Abstract Background: COVID-19 has affected the whole world. Apart from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on physical health, there has been a significant impact on the mental health of the individuals. To address these mental health concerns, our institute had started a 24/7 national telephonic helpline to enable distressed individuals to reach out and seek help or assistance. Aims: In this article, the authors described the details of 126 tier-2 call backs and the types of psychiatric disorders that were catered to, between March 29, 2020 and May 31, 2020. Methodology: Descriptive analysis was done. Results: The concerns were characterized into five groups: exacerbation of preexisting mental and physical illness (30.9%); known case of mental or physical illness (19%); COVID related mental health concerns (22.2%); administrative or logistic issues (7.1%); new-onset mental health-related concerns or illnesses (15.9%). Majority of the calls (44.4%) were addressed by the second-tier mental health professionals (MHPs) (psychiatrists). Thirty-one percent were referred to the local medical or psychiatric services; 9.5% to the 3rd tier MHPs; 9% were connected to the treating psychiatrist or neurologist in the hospital; and 1.6% were referred to emergency services in the hospital. Conclusions: Using teleservices to address such a huge mental health crisis can be a way ahead to tackle this parallel menace brought about by COVID-19. However, the effectiveness of these helplines needs to be assessed and monitored at frequent intervals.

Fracture prognosis and characterization efforts require knowledge of crack tip position and the Stress Intensity Factors (SIFs) acting in the vicinity of the crack. Here, we present an efficient numerical approach to infer both of these characteristics under a consistent theoretical framework from noisy, unstructured displacement data. The novel approach utilizes the separability of the asymptotic linear elastic fracture mechanics fields to expedite the search for crack tip position and is particularly useful for noisy displacement data. The manuscript begins with an assessment of the importance of accurately locating crack tip position when quantifying the SIFs from displacement data. Next, the proposed separability approach for quickly inferring crack tip position is introduced. Comparing to the widely used displacement correlation approach, the performance of the separability approach is assessed. Cases involving both noisy data and systematic deviation from the asymptotic linear elastic fracture mechanics model are considered, e.g. inelastic material behavior and finite geometries. An open source python implementation of the proposed approach is available for use by those doing field and laboratory work involving digital image correlation and simulations, e.g. finite element, discrete element, molecular dynamics and peridynamics, where the crack tip position is not explicitly defined.

Seasonal epidemics of influenza viruses are responsible for a significant global public health burden. Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent infection; however, due to the persistence of antigenic drift, vaccines must be updated annually. The selection of vaccine strains occurs months in advance of the influenza season to allow adequate time for production in eggs. RNA vaccines offer the potential to accelerate production and improve efficacy of influenza vaccines. We leveraged the nucleoside-modified RNA (modRNA) platform technology and lipid nanoparticle formulation process of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2; Comirnaty®) to create modRNA vaccines encoding hemagglutinin (HA) (modRNA-HA) for seasonal human influenza strains and evaluated their preclinical immunogenicity and toxicity. In mice, a monovalent modRNA vaccine encoding an H1 HA demonstrated robust antibody responses, HA-specific Th1-type CD4 + T cell responses, and HA-specific CD8 + T cell responses. In rhesus and cynomolgus macaques, the vaccine exhibited durable functional antibody responses and HA-specific IFN-γ + CD4 + T cell responses. Immunization of mice with monovalent, trivalent, and quadrivalent modRNA-HA vaccines generated functional antibody responses targeting the seasonal influenza virus(es) encoded in the vaccines that were greater than, or similar to, those of a licensed quadrivalent influenza vaccine. Monovalent and quadrivalent modRNA-HA vaccines were well-tolerated by Wistar Han rats, with no evidence of systemic toxicity. These nonclinical immunogenicity and safety data support further evaluation of the modRNA-HA vaccines in clinical studies.

Materials that show superior light-emitting and catalytic properties are in high demand among the scientific community owing to their applications in the areas of optoelectronics and (opto)electrocatalysis. In this work, we have synthesized sub-10-nm Pr 2 Sn 2 O 7 (PSO) and Pr 2 Sn 2 O 7 :Bi 3+ (PSOB) nanoparticles (NPs) and investigated their optical and electrochemical properties. On ultraviolet irradiation, PSO NPs display blue emission because of the presence of oxygen vacancies. Interestingly, PSOB NPs have higher blue emission intensity than undoped PSO NPs owing to the increase in oxygen vacancy defect density induced by Bi 3+ doping. Moreover, PSOB NPs display higher efficiency in terms of current density than PSO NPs as a catalyst toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The kinetic OER models of PSO and PSOB NPs are quite different as displayed by their different Tafel slopes. Interestingly and as another advantage, the PSOB sample is more conducting with low impedance value than the PSO counterpart. With all these advantages due to high oxygen vacancies induced by Bi 3+ doping, PSOB NPs have a great potential to be used as blue phosphors, charge storage devices, and capacitors.