Manipal University

About: Manipal University is a education organization based out in Manipal, Karnataka, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 9525 authors who have published 11207 publications receiving 110687 citations.

Epidemiology of injuries from fire, heat and hot substances: global, regional and national morbidity and mortality estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study.

Abstract: Background: Past research has shown how fires, heat and hot substances are important causes of health loss globally. Detailed estimates of the morbidity and mortality from these injuries could help drive preventative measures and improved access to care. Methods: We used the Global Burden of Disease 2017 framework to produce three main results. First, we produced results on incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, deaths, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life years from 1990 to 2017 for 195 countries and territories. Second, we analysed these results to measure mortality-to-incidence ratios by location. Third, we reported the measures above in terms of the cause of fire, heat and hot substances and the types of bodily injuries that result. Results: Globally, there were 8 991 468 (7 481 218 to 10 740 897) new fire, heat and hot substance injuries in 2017 with 120 632 (101 630 to 129 383) deaths. At the global level, the age-standardised mortality caused by fire, heat and hot substances significantly declined from 1990 to 2017, but regionally there was variability in age-standardised incidence with some regions experiencing an increase (eg, Southern Latin America) and others experiencing a significant decrease (eg, High-income North America). Conclusions: The incidence and mortality of injuries that result from fire, heat and hot substances affect every region of the world but are most concentrated in middle and lower income areas. More resources should be invested in measuring these injuries as well as in improving infrastructure, advancing safety measures and ensuring access to care.

Characterization of natural cellulosic fiber from bark of Albizia amara

Abstract: The present investigation aimed to understand the physicochemical properties of new natural fiber extracted from Albizia amara (AA) bark. The chemical composition and structural, thermal, and tensi...

Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the coastal sand dunes of the west coast of India

Abstract: We exa mined the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi associated with the dominant strand plant species, Ipomoea pes-caprae of the coastal sand dunes of west coast of India. The study reports the impact of rhizosphere edaphic features and disturbance on the species richness and diversity of AM fungi in 10 geographical locations consisting of moderately disturbed dunes (MDD) and severely disturbed dunes (SDD) during wet and dry seasons. The vegetation cover, AM fungal colonization, species richness and diversity were greater in MDD than in SDD, irrespective of seasons. The AM species richness and spore density of both MDD and SDD were strongly correlated with rhizosphere nitrogen. Among the nine rhizosphere edaphic features, the nitrogen and phosphate showed significant difference between MDD and SDD. Pooled data indicate that Glomus mosseae was most dominant, followed by Glomus dimorphicum, Gigaspora gigantea, Acaulospora taiwania, Glomus fasciculatum and Glomus sp. 27SS. Eleven species scored above 10% frequency on MDD, and it was only three species on SDD. G. mosseae, G. dimorphicum and G. g igantea were most common in both MDD and SDD. The changes in AM fungal community on these sand dunes are in r esponse to distu rbance rather than the reflection on temporal patterns of variation.

Spintronic devices: a promising alternative to CMOS devices

Abstract: The field of spintronics has attracted tremendous attention recently owing to its ability to offer a solution for the present-day problem of increased power dissipation in electronic circuits while scaling down the technology. Spintronic-based structures utilize electron’s spin degree of freedom, which makes it unique with zero standby leakage, low power consumption, infinite endurance, a good read and write performance, nonvolatile nature, and easy 3D integration capability with the present-day electronic circuits based on CMOS technology. All these advantages have catapulted the aggressive research activities to employ spintronic devices in memory units and also revamped the concept of processing-in-memory architecture for the future. This review article explores the essential milestones in the evolutionary field of spintronics. It includes various physical phenomena such as the giant magnetoresistance effect, tunnel magnetoresistance effect, spin-transfer torque, spin Hall effect, voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effect, and current-induced domain wall/skyrmions motion. Further, various spintronic devices such as spin valves, magnetic tunnel junctions, domain wall-based race track memory, all spin logic devices, and recently buzzing skyrmions and hybrid magnetic/silicon-based devices are discussed. A detailed description of various switching mechanisms to write the information in these spintronic devices is also reviewed. An overview of hybrid magnetic /silicon-based devices that have the capability to be used for processing-in-memory (logic-in-memory) architecture in the immediate future is described in the end. In this article, we have attempted to introduce a brief history, current status, and future prospectus of the spintronics field for a novice.

Evaluation of Myofibroblasts by Expression of Alpha Smooth Muscle Actin: A Marker in Fibrosis, Dysplasia and Carcinoma

Abstract: Objective: Evaluation of Myofibroblasts by studying expression of Alpha smooth muscle actin: A marker of Fibrosis, Dysplasia and Carcinoma. Background: Myofibroblasts are cells that have contractile properties and are involved in inflammation, wound healing, fibrosis and oncogenesis in most of the organs and tissues. They are involved in healing and granulation tissue formation which occur after tissue injuries, also produce inflammatory mediators, growth factors and help in extracellular matrix reorganization by secretion of proteins like collagen, fibronectin, etc. Because of their component, Alpha smooth muscle actin ([alpha]-SMA), they are involved in the contraction of extracellular matrix and aid in tissue contraction. The myofibroblasts disappear by apoptosis after completion of repair, but their persistence causes a dysfunction in the repair mechanism, leading to excessive contraction and extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion and thus, fibrosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of myofibroblasts in cases of Oral Submucous fibrosis (OSMF), which consisted of very early, early and moderately advanced OSMF, OSMF with dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), by detecting (alpha)-SMA, which is a specific marker for myofibroblasts. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of three groups which comprised of 41 cases of OSMF, 10 cases of OSMF with dysplasia and 11 cases of OSCC. All the cases were subjected to immunohistochemistry by using (alpha)-SMA antibody for detection of myofibroblasts. Results: The presence of myofibroblasts was significantly higher in oral squamous cell carcinomas as compared to that in OSMF with dysplasia and OSMF. A statistical significance was also noted between the staining index and age of the individuals and the staining index and duration of the habit. Conclusion: Myofibroblasts play a role in fibrosis, as was seen in OSMF. Activated myofibroblasts secrete proteolytic enzymes and cause matrix degradation, which is instrumental in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Further studies in which the myofibroblasts are targetted, may help in providing therapeutic regimens in fibrosis, dysplasia and cancer.