Entrepreneur gains success in scientific prawn and crab culture

This enterpreneur makes lucrative earning from prawn seed collection too. A scientifically trained prawn-culture farmer may supply up to 0.1 million prawn seeds/day/seaso

Tribological property evaluation, optimization and performance of waste sunflower oil based green cutting fluid with silicon dioxide nanoparticles as additive

Mineral oil-based cutting fluids are hazardous and non-biodegradable, and their widespread usage has had a terrible effect on the environment and living things. The creation of a novel, ecologically sustainable cutting fluid technology is essential to avoid the above crisis. Commercial mineral oil alternatives are considered to possess identical lubricating properties as vegetable oils. Most vegetable oils are edible, so waste-cooking sunflower oil (WSO) is selected from this group to serve as the base stock for the green cutting fluid. The green cutting fluid is created using silicon dioxide nanoparticles as an additive and food-grade emulsifiers like Tween 80 and Span 80. According to the experimental findings, 0.05 weight percent silicon dioxide nanoparticles in the green cutting fluid performed better on a pin-on-disc tribometer

Providers' knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis using vignettes:Evidence from rural Bihar, India

BACKGROUND: Almost 25% of all new cases of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide are in India, where drug resistance and low quality of care remain key challenges. METHODS: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study of healthcare providers' knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of TB in rural Bihar, India, from June to September 2012. Using data from vignette-based interviews with 395 most commonly visited healthcare providers in study areas, we scored providers' knowledge and used multivariable regression models to examine their relationship to providers' characteristics. FINDINGS: 80% of 395 providers had no formal medical qualifications. Overall, providers demonstrated low levels of knowledge: 64.9% (95% CI 59.8% to 69.8%) diagnosed correctly, and 21.7% (CI 16.8% to 27.1%) recommended correct treatment. Providers seldom asked diagnostic questions such as fever (31.4%, CI 26.8% to 36.2%) and bloody sputum (11.1%, CI 8.2% to 14.7%), or results from sputum microscopy (20.0%, CI: 16.2% to 24.3%). After controlling for whether providers treat TB, MBBS providers were not significantly different, from unqualified providers or those with alternative medical qualifications, on knowledge score or offering correct treatment. MBBS providers were, however, more likely to recommend referrals relative to complementary medicine and unqualified providers (23.2 and 37.7 percentage points, respectively). INTERPRETATION: Healthcare providers in rural areas in Bihar, India, have low levels of knowledge regarding TB diagnosis and treatment. Our findings highlight the need for policies to improve training, incentives, task shifting and regulation to improve knowledge and performance of existing providers. Further, more research is needed on the incentives providers face and the role of information on quality to help patients select providers who offer higher quality care

Understanding the limits of remote focusing

It has previously been demonstrated in both simulation and experiment that well aligned remote focusing microscopes exhibit residual spherical aberration outside the focal plane. In this work, compensation of the residual spherical aberration is provided by the correction collar on the primary objective, controlled by a high precision stepper motor. A Shack-Hartmann wave front sensor is used to demonstrate the magnitude of the spherical aberration generated by the correction collar matches that predicted by an optical model of the objective lens. The limited impact of spherical aberration compensation on the diffraction limited range of the remote focusing system is described through a consideration of both on-axis and off-axis comatic and astigmatic aberrations, which are an inherent feature of remote focusing microscopes

Cultural and Strategic Factors in South Asian Nuclear Arms Control

Future efforts at arms control are shifting to LDCs. We believe future agreements is could look very different from their cold war predecessors because third world decision making processes are influenced by many unaddressed factors, ranging from culture to historical antagonism, in addition to strategic and technical concerns. Utilizing game theory as well as historical and cultural analysis, we examine likely possibilities for arms control agreements in South Asia as a case study, and then analyze the logic behind these possibilities. Our findings about the cultural mind set and political preferences of leaders and their constituents lead us toward a specific hypothesis about how these factors influence the decision making process, a direction for the future study of other regions

Coping with the economic burden of Diabetes, TB and co-prevalence - Evidence from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Background: The increasing number of patients co-affected with Diabetes and TB may place individuals with low socio-economic status at particular risk of persistent poverty. Kyrgyz health sector reforms aim at reducing this burden, with the provision of essential health services free at the point of use through a State-Guaranteed Benefit Package (SGBP). However, despite a declining trend in out-of-pocket expenditure, there is still a considerable funding gap in the SGBP. Using data from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, this study aims to explore how households cope with the economic burden of Diabetes, TB and co-prevalence. Methods: This study uses cross-sectional data collected in 2010 from Diabetes and TB patients in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Quantitative questionnaires were administered to 309 individuals capturing information on patients' socioeconomic status and a range of coping strategies. Coarsened exact matching (CEM) is used to generate socio-economically balanced patient groups. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression are used for data analysis. Results: TB patients are much younger than Diabetes and co-affected patients. Old age affects not only the health of the patients, but also the patient's socio-economic context. TB patients are more likely to be employed and to have higher incomes while Diabetes patients are more likely to be retired. Co-affected patients, despite being in the same age group as Diabetes patients, are less likely to receive pensions but often earn income in informal arrangements. Out-of-pocket (OOP) payments are higher for Diabetes care than for TB care. Diabetes patients cope with the economic burden by using social welfare support. TB patients are most often in a position to draw on income or savings. Co-affected patients are less likely to receive social welfare support than Diabetes patients. Catastrophic health spending is more likely in Diabetes and co-affected patients than in TB patients. Conclusions: This study shows that while OOP are moderate for TB affected patients, there are severe consequences for Diabetes affected patients. As a result of the underfunding of the SGBP, Diabetes and co-affected patients are challenged by OOP. Especially those who belong to lower socio-economic groups are challenged in coping with the economic burden

Novel optical technologies for ultrashort pulsed laser surgery

Colorectal cancer is the fourth-most prominent cause of cancer related fatalities across the globe. Conventional electrocautery techniques used in the resection of colon tissue cause a relatively high degree of collateral damage to the healthy tissues bordering the target sites. Ultrafast infrared lasers offer significantly improved localisation in the ablation of such biological tissues arising from a plasma-mediated ablation mechanism. This improved localisation is two-fold, with lateral confinement and precise depth control being advantageous in minimising thermal necrosis and avoiding bowel perforation respectively. Various laser scanning strategies and optical elements have been investigated, with the intent to exploit the inherent advantages offered from applying photonics to these procedures. Evaluation of the corresponding ablation characteristics was carried out using three-dimensional optical profilometry and histological analysis. If adopted in operating theatres, surgeons could benefit from more control when carrying out resection of neoplasia in the mucosal or submucosal layers of colon tissue, compared to previous electrocautery methods.</p

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction polypill implementation strategy in India: A convergent parallel mixed methods study

INTRODUCTION: A polypill-based implementation strategy has been proposed to increase rates of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. This has the potential to improve mortality and morbidity in India and undertreated populations globally. METHODS: We conducted a convergent parallel mixed methods study integrating quantitative data from stakeholder surveys using modified implementation science outcome measures and qualitative data from key informant in-depth interviews. Our objective was to explore physician, nurse, pharmacist, and patient perspectives on a HFrEF polypill implementation strategy in India from January 2021 to April 2021. Quantitative and qualitative data were integrated to develop an Implementation Research Logic Model. RESULTS: Among 69 respondents to the stakeholder survey, there was moderate acceptability (mean [SD] 3.8 [1.0]), appropriateness (3.6 [1.0]), and feasibility (3.7 [1.0]) of HFrEF polypill implementation strategy. Participants in the key-informant in-depth interviews (n = 20) highlighted numerous relative advantages of the HFrEF polypill innovation including potential to simplify medication regimens and improve patient adherence. Key relative disadvantages elucidated, include concerns about side effects and interruption of multiple GDMT medications due to polypill discontinuation for side effects or hospitalizations. Based on this data, the proposed implementation strategies in the Implementation Research Logic Model include 1) HFrEF polypills, 2) HFrEF polypill initiation, titration, and maintenance protocols, and 3) HFrEF polypill laboratory monitoring protocols for safety which we postulate will lead to desired clinical and implementation outcomes through multiple mechanisms including increased medication adherence to a single pill. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that a HFrEF polypill-based implementation strategy is considered acceptable, feasible, and appropriate among healthcare providers in India. We identified contextually relevant determinants, strategies, mechanism, and outcomes outlined in an Implementation Research Logic Model to inform future research to improve heart failure care in South Asia