Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Performance of Laser-Welded NiTi Shape Memory Alloy in Simulated Body Fluid.

Laser-welding is a promising technique for welding NiTi shape memory alloys with acceptable tensile strength and comparable corrosion performance for biomedical applications. The microstructural characteristics and localized corrosion behavior of NiTi alloys in a simulated body fluid (SBF) environment are evaluated. A microstructural examination indicated the presence of fine and equiaxed grains with a B2 austenite phase in the base metal (BM), while the weld metal (WM) had a coarse dendritic microstructure with intermetallic precipitates including TiNi and NiTi.

The Unprecedented Role of 3D Printing Technology in Fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly spread to over 180 countries and abruptly disrupted production rates and supply chains worldwide. Since then, 3D printing, also recognized as additive manufacturing (AM) and known to be a novel technique that uses layer-by-layer deposition of material to produce intricate 3D geometry, has been engaged in reducing the distress caused by the outbreak. During the early stages of this pandemic, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE), including facemasks, shields, respirators, and other medical gear, were significantly answered by remotely 3D printing them.

An assessment of the Standardized Assessment of Personality as a screening instrument for the International Personality Disorder Examination: a comparison of informant and patient assessment for personality disorder.

Background: The International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) has been developed as a standardized interview for personality disorders. While it has good psychometric properties, its length makes it difficult to use in the community in population research, particularly outside psychiatric settings. The informant-based Standard Assessment of Personality (SAP), which has been in use since 1981, could serve as a valid screen to detect likely personality disordered individuals who would then receive a definitive diagnosis by IPDE.

Awareness of diagnosis and psychiatric morbidity among cancer patients--a study from South India.

Awareness regarding cancer diagnosis and its relationship to psychiatric morbidity was studied in 294 newly admitted cancer patients at an oncology center in South India. Fifty-four percent of patients were aware that they had cancer and were able to discuss their diagnosis; 46% of patients reported nonawareness of diagnosis. Discriminant function analysis revealed that oral cancers and relatives' awareness of the cancer was more prevalent in the group aware of diagnosis.

Psychological well-being among cancer patients receiving radiotherapy--a prospective study.

The impact of cancer on the psychological well-being of newly diagnosed cancer patients before and during the course of radiotherapy was assessed in 70 consecutive cancer patients. Most of the patients were over 40 years of age, women, illiterate and from a lower socioeconomic group. During the course of treatment there was a decrease in the well-being scores on some dimensions such as perceived family and primary group support.

Risperidone in Indian patients with schizophrenia.

Conventional antipsychotic agents are not effective against negative symptoms of schizophrenia and are also noted for their extrapyramidal side effects. Risperidone is a noval antipsychotic agent whose dual antagonism of dopamine and serotonin receptors is believed to underlie its efficacy against negative symptoms and the low incidence of extrapyramidal side effects. An open, non-comparative study of seven weeks duration was performed to evaluate risperidone in the treatment of schizophrenia in Indian patients.

Neurobiological characterization of bipolar affective disorders : a focus on tardive dyskinesia and soft neurological signs in relation to serum dopamine Beta hydroxylase activity.

In this study, the prognostic determinants were investigated involving bipolar patients classified into two groups-one with favourable course and outcome, and the other with clearly unfavourable prognosis, based on certain recommended criteria, with intermediate prognosis were excluded. As compared to the poor prognosis group, the good prognosis group had lower social dysfunctions, lower ratings on psychopathotogy fewer indicators of neurodysfunction in form of neurological soft signs (NSS) and tardive dyskinesia (TD). The poor prognosis group was characterized by: (i) older age at onset; (ii) more manic than depressive episodes (5:1) and (HI) lower levels of serum dopamine-β-hydroxylase activity (DBH).

Subjective wellbeing among police personnel.

To study whether high job stress has 'spill over effect' on other dimensions of life, subjective well being inventory (SWBI) and GHQ were administered to 201 policeman selected randomly from Bangalore city, India. Policemen scored significantly high in all dimensions expect in social support when compared to urban middle class men working in factories. The police who scored low in GHQ had significantly higher scores in all dimensions of SWBI except in social contact.

Viral antibodies in blood in obsessive compulsive disorder.

IgG viral antibodies for herpes simplex virus -1, varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, measles and mumps were studied in 76 subjects with obsessive compulsive disorder and compared with a control population. There was a significantly higher titre for some of the antibodies, most specifically for herpes simplex virus type 1 and mumps. This suggests a possible role for these viral infections in the pathogenesis of obsessive compulsive disorder.

Cerebrospinal fluid viral antibodies in obsessive-compulsive disorder in an Indian population.

Immunoglobulin G viral antibodies for herpes simplex virus type 1, varicella zoster virus, cytomegalovirus, measles, and mumps were studied in 76 subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder and compared with a control population. There was a significantly higher titer for herpes simplex virus type 1 antibodies. Sera: cerebrospinal fluid ratios were suggestive of intrathecal synthesis.

Therapy with amineptine, a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, in patients with major depression.

The original tricyclic antidepressant drugs are consistently underused in major depression because of side effects, delayed onset of action, and potential for overdose. In an open study of 6 weeks' duration, we studied the efficacy and acceptability of amineptine, a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, at fixed dose of 200 mg per day in 50 patients with major depression.Intention-to-treat analysis showed a patient response rate of 64% (95% CI 77-50) in HDRS, 62% (95% CI 75-48) in MADRS, 46% (95% CI 59-32) in ZUNG scale, 52% (95% CI 66-38) in Social Activity scale, and 26% ("95% CI 38-14) in CGI-severity of illness after 7 days treatment.

Stigma, depression, and somatization in South India.

Objective: The relationships of stigma to both depression and somatization were studied in psychiatric patients in South India to test the hypothesis that stigma is positively related to depressive symptoms and negatively related to somatoform symptoms.

Method: Illness experience, symptom prominence, and indicators of stigma for 80 psychiatric outpatients were addressed with the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue. Stigma scores and ratings of symptom prominence were derived.

Erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase = a potential marker for alcohol dependence.

The present study explored the utility of erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) as a peripheral marker in alcoholism. The ALDH levels in aocoholics, their first degree nonalcholic relative and controls were compared. ALDH was found to be significantly lower in alcoholics (3.

Mental health delivery system in general hospitals attached to medical colleges.

The psychiatric patient care facilities and services of fifty seven general hospitals attached to medical colleges in India were studied based on data pertaining to 1988. The average bed strength was 25 beds while the average length of stay was 21 days. Functional psychotics formed 62% of the discharged patients.

Cultural dimensions of psychiatric diagnosis. A comparison of DSM-III-R and illness explanatory models in south India.

Background: Cross-cultural research to examine the cultural validity of diagnostic categories and underlying concepts requires methods that integrate epidemiological and anthropological frameworks.

Method: The Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) were used to study 80 psychiatric out-patients with depressive neurosis at a clinic in south India.

Results: Summary kappa values of 0.

Family pathology and anorexia in the Indian context.

Frequent associations have been found between family interaction and anorectic behaviour. Family theorists have viewed anorexia as a manifestation of a dysfunctional family system. We report three families of cases of anorexia (one male and two female) where the symptom was a reflection of family pathology and was being maintained by it.

P300 amplitudes vary inversely with continuum of risk in first degree male relatives of alcoholics.

First degree relatives of alcoholics show significantly reduced P300 amplitudes. This phenomenon is though to be a vulnerability marker of alcoholism. Relatives of alcoholics with higher family loading and early onset alcoholism are at greater risk for developing alcoholism.

The International Personality Disorder Examination. The World Health Organization/Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration international pilot study of personality disorders.

Background: One of the aims of the World Health Organization/Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration joint program on psychiatric diagnosis and classification is the development and standardization of diagnostic assessment instruments for use in clinical research worldwide. The International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) is a semistructured clinical interview compatible with the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and the DMS-III-R classification systems. This is the first report of the results of a field trial to investigate the feasibility of using the IPDE to assess personality disorders worldwide.

Interhemispheric electroencephalographic coherence as a biological marker in alcoholism.

Electroencephalographic coherence scores in 21 teetotaler first-degree relatives of alcoholics, 27 subjects with alcohol dependence and 21 healthy subjects without a family history of alcohol abuse were compared. The relatives had significantly higher coherence scores in the frontal and parietal leads than the alcoholics and in the frontal and centroparietal leads than in the healthy subjects. This might represent a trait marker of resilience in subjects at high risk for the development of alcoholism.

Multiple endocrine responses to clonidine in obsessive compulsive dissorder.

Seventy two subjects with OCD were compared with 18 normal healthy volunteers on multiple neuroendocrine responses to clonidine. Significant heterogeneity in OCD was observed in responses of growth hormone. There was also significant disturbances in Cortisol and ACTH release.

Diazepam- and chlordiazepoxide-mediated increases in erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase activity and its possible implications.

Erythrocyte ALDH activity was assayed in alcoholic (n = 70) and nonalcoholic (n = 40) subjects. In general, alcoholics without any prior medications (n = 57) were found to have a decreased ALDH activity (mean +/- SD: 3.38 +/- 1.

CSF amine metabolites in depression.

The amine metabolites, namely homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxy indoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of depressives (n = 30) and controls (n = 30). Depressed patients had significantly lower HVA levels than controls. No significant differences were noted between the two groups in 5-HIAA levels.