Longitudinal associations between ambient PM exposure and lipid levels in two Indian cities.

Background: Exposure to ambient PM is known to affect lipid metabolism through systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Evidence from developing countries, such as India with high levels of ambient PM and distinct lipid profiles, is sparse.

Methods: Longitudinal nonlinear mixed-effects analysis was conducted on >10,000 participants of Centre for cArdiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (CARRS) cohort in Chennai and Delhi, India.

Solar and geomagnetic activity reduces pulmonary function and enhances particulate pollution effects.

Background: Increased solar and geomagnetic activity (SGA) may alter sympathetic nervous system activity, reduce antioxidant activity, and modulate physiochemical processes that contribute to atmospheric aerosols, all which may reduce pulmonary function.

Objectives: Investigate associations between forced expiratory volume at 1 s (FEV) and forced vital capacity (FVC) with SGA, and assess whether SGA enhances adverse effects of particulate pollution, black carbon (BC) and particulate matter ≤2.5 μm in diameter (PM).

Prevalence and determinants of hookah use among college-going women of Delhi.

Background: As governments across the world implement tobacco-control measures, the tobacco industry responds by coming up with new products such as hookah, which are more appealing and affordable for young people-especially women-their primary target group. We assessed the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use among undergraduate women students of the University of Delhi with special emphasis on hookah use.

Methods: Using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire, we conducted a survey among the undergraduate women students of four colleges of the University of Delhi during March 2016.

Structural, magnetic and magneto-optical studies of Mn/Al bilayer thin films on GaAs substrates.

Ferromagnetism and magnetic anisotropy in Mn-Al thin films can be of great interest due to their applications in spintronic components and as rare-earth free magnets. Temperature-dependent uniaxial anisotropy has been observed in ferromagnetic MnAl thin films, which is attributed to the modification of the tetragonal lattice distortion with the change in annealing temperature, confirmed by VSM, MOKE and XRD results; the annealing time did not affect the magnetic anisotropy. A simple evaporation technique was used to deposit the Mn/Al bilayer thin films (thickness ∼ 64 nm) on GaAs substrates.