Validation of the simulations by the High-resolution Operational Ocean Forecast and reanalysis System (HOOFS) for the Bay of Bengal

In this report, we present a detailed comparison and validation of the simulations from high-resolution (1/480) ocean circulation model for the Bay of Bengal (BBHOOFS) using Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) with the available ocean observations and the simulations by the relatively lower resolution (1/120) basinscale general circulation model setup (IO-HOOFS), which is resently used to provide ocean forecasts for the Bay of Bengal. Comparison of vertical profiles of currents, temperature, Sea Level Anomaly (SLA) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) for both model setups are carried for the period of 2013-2014. Comparison of the circulation features in the shelf and slope regions off the east coast of India simulated by the model with the ADCP observations shows that simulations by the BB-HOOFS are superior in terms of its ability to capture the features and variability in different space and time scales. In addition, simulations of currents by BB-HOOFS show high correlation and low RMSE values in the northern part of the shelf and slope off the east coast of India compared to south. Comparison of temperature simulations by the two model setups with observation shows that the simulations of BB-HOOFS is better, with high correlation and low RMSE values especially in the thermocline regions, compared to IO-HOOFS. However, comparison of SST and SLA simulated by BB-HOOFS with the satellite based observations is not showing any significant improvement compared to the imulations by IO-HOOFS

Perceived responsibility for mechanical ventilation and weaning decisions in intensive care units in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: Optimizing patient outcomes and reducing complications require constant monitoring and effective collaboration among critical care professionals. The aim of the present study was to describe the perceptions of physician directors, respiratory therapist managers and nurse managers regarding the key roles, responsibilities and clinical decision-making related to mechanical ventilation and weaning in adult Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A multi-centre, cross-sectional self-administered survey was sent to physician directors, respiratory therapist managers and nurse managers of 39 adult ICUs at governmental tertiary referral hospitals in 13 administrative regions of the KSA. The participants were advised to discuss the survey with the frontline bedside staff to gather feedback from the physicians, respiratory therapists and nurses themselves on key mechanical ventilation and weaning decisions in their units. We performed T-test and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests to test the physicians, respiratory therapists, and nurses’ autonomy and influence scores, collaborative or single decisions among the professionals. Moreover, logistic regressions were performed to examine organizational variables associated with collaborative decision-making. Results: The response rate was 67% (14/21) from physician directors, 84% (22/26) from respiratory therapist managers and 37% (11/30) from nurse managers. Physician directors and respiratory therapist managers agreed to collaborate significantly in most of the key decisions with limited nurses’ involvement (P<0.01). We also found that physician directors were perceived to have greater autonomy and influence in ventilation and waning decision-making with a mean of 8.29 (SD±1.49), and 8.50 (SD±1.40), respectively. Conclusion: The key decision-making was implemented mainly by physicians and respiratory therapists in collaboration. Nurses had limited involvement. Physician directors perceived higher autonomy and influence in ventilatory and weaning decision-making than respiratory therapist managers and nurse managers. A critical care unit’s capacity to deliver effective and safe patient care may be improved by increasing nurses’ participation and acknowledging the role of respiratory therapists in clinical decision-making regarding mechanical ventilation and weaning

The role of non-invasive ventilation in weaning and decannulating critically ill patients with tracheostomy: A narrative review of the literature

Abstract Introduction Invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) is associated with several complications. Placement of a long-term airway (tracheostomy) is also associated with short and long-term risks for patients. Nevertheless, tracheostomies are placed to help reduce the duration of IMV, facilitate weaning and eventually undergo successful decannulation. Methods We performed a narrative review by searching PubMed, Embase and Medline databases to identify relevant citations using the search terms (with synonyms and closely related words) "non-invasive ventilation", "tracheostomy" and "weaning". We identified 13 publications comprising retrospective or prospective studies in which non-invasive ventilation (NIV) was one of the strategies used during weaning from IMV and/or tracheostomy decannulation. Results In some studies, patients with tracheostomies represented a subgroup of patients on IMV. Most of the studies involved patients with underlying cardiopulmonary comorbidities and conditions, and primarily involved specialized weaning centres. Not all studies provided data on decannulation, although those which did, report high success rates for weaning and decannulation when using NIV as an adjunct to weaning patient off ventilatory support. However, a significant percentage of patients still needed home NIV after discharge. Conclusions The review supports a potential role for NIV in weaning patients with a tracheostomy either off the ventilator and/or with its decannulation. Additional research is needed to develop weaning protocols and better characterize the role of NIV during weaning

Dynamics of Vibrio cholerae in a Typical Tropical Lake and Estuarine System: Potential of Remote Sensing for Risk Mapping

Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium responsible for the disease cholera, is a naturally-occurring bacterium, commonly found in many natural tropical water bodies. In the context of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets on health (Goal 3), water quality (Goal 6), life under water (Goal 14), and clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), which aim to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, we investigated the environmental reservoirs of V. cholerae in Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in Kerala (India), where cholera is endemic. The response of environmental reservoirs of V. cholerae to variability in essential climate variables may play a pivotal role in determining the quality of natural water resources, and whether they might be safe for human consumption or not. The hydrodynamics of Vembanad Lake, and the man-made barrier that divides the lake, resulted in spatial and temporal variability in salinity (1–32 psu) and temperature (23 to 36 °C). The higher ends of this salinity and temperature ranges fall outside the preferred growth conditions for V. cholerae reported in the literature. The bacteria were associated with filtered water as well as with phyto- and zooplankton in the lake. Their association with benthic organisms and sediments was poor to nil. The prevalence of high laminarinase and chitinase enzyme expression (more than 50 µgmL−1 min−1) among V. cholerae could underlie their high association with phyto- and zooplankton. Furthermore, the diversity in the phytoplankton community in the lake, with dominance of genera such as Skeletonema sp., Microcystis sp., Aulacoseira sp., and Anabaena sp., which changed with location and season, and associated changes in the zooplankton community, could also have affected the dynamics of the bacteria in the lake. The probability of presence or absence of V. cholerae could be expressed as a function of chlorophyll concentration in the water, which suggests that risk maps for the entire lake can be generated using satellite-derived chlorophyll data. In situ observations and satellite-based extrapolations suggest that the risks from environmental V. cholerae in the lake can be quite high (with probability in the range of 0.5 to 1) everywhere in the lake, but higher values are encountered more frequently in the southern part of the lake. Remote sensing has an important role to play in meeting SDG goals related to health, water quality and life under water, as demonstrated in this example related to cholera

Perspectives, practices, and challenges of online teaching during COVID-19 pandemic: A multinational survey

The result of the movement restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic was an impromptu and abrupt switch from in-person to online teaching. Most focus has been on the perception and experience of students during the process. The aim of this international survey is to assess staffs' perspectives and challenges of online teaching during the COVID-19 lockdown. Cross-sectional research using a validated online survey was carried out in seven countries (Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Indonesia, India, the United Kingdom, and Egypt) between the months of December 2021 and August 2022, to explore the status of online teaching among faculty members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Variables and response are presented as percentages while logistic regression was used to assess the factors that predict levels of satisfaction and the challenges associated with online instruction. A total of 721 response were received from mainly male (53%) staffs. Most respondents are from Brazil (59%), hold a Doctorate degree (70%) and have over 10 years of working experience (62%). Although, 67% and 79% have relevant tools and received training for online teaching respectively, 44% report that online teaching required more preparation time than face-to-face. Although 41% of respondents were uncertain about the outcome of online teaching, 49% were satisfied with the process. Also, poor internet bandwidth (51%), inability to track students' engagement (18%) and Lack of technical skills (11.5%) were the three main observed limitations. Having little or no prior experience of online teaching before the COVID-19 pandemic [OR, 1.58 (95% CI, 1.35–1.85)], and not supporting the move to online teaching mode [OR, 0.56 (95% CI,0.48–0.64)] were two main factors independently linked with dissatisfaction with online teaching. While staffs who support the move to online teaching were twice likely to report no barriers [OR, 2.15 (95% CI, 1.61–2.86)]. Although, relevant tools and training were provided to support the move to online teaching during COVID-19 lockdown, barriers such as poor internet bandwidth, inability to track students’ engagement and lack of technical skills were main limitations observed internationally by teaching staffs. Addressing these barriers should be the focus of higher education institution in preparation for future disruptions to traditional teaching modes

Search for new particles in events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb(-1), collected in 2017-2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb(-1), collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on simplified models of dark matter, on first-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to quarks and neutrinos, and on models with large extra dimensions. Several of the new limits, specifically for spin-1 dark matter mediators, pseudoscalar mediators, colored mediators, and leptoquarks, are the most restrictive to date.Peer reviewe

Combined searches for the production of supersymmetric top quark partners in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A combination of searches for top squark pair production using proton-proton collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV at the CERN LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb(-1) collected by the CMS experiment, is presented. Signatures with at least 2 jets and large missing transverse momentum are categorized into events with 0, 1, or 2 leptons. New results for regions of parameter space where the kinematical properties of top squark pair production and top quark pair production are very similar are presented. Depending on themodel, the combined result excludes a top squarkmass up to 1325 GeV for amassless neutralino, and a neutralinomass up to 700 GeV for a top squarkmass of 1150 GeV. Top squarks with masses from 145 to 295 GeV, for neutralino masses from 0 to 100 GeV, with a mass difference between the top squark and the neutralino in a window of 30 GeV around the mass of the top quark, are excluded for the first time with CMS data. The results of theses searches are also interpreted in an alternative signal model of dark matter production via a spin-0 mediator in association with a top quark pair. Upper limits are set on the cross section for mediator particle masses of up to 420 GeV

Probing effective field theory operators in the associated production of top quarks with a Z boson in multilepton final states at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for top squark production in fully hadronic final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A search for production of the supersymmetric partners of the top quark, top squarks, is presented. The search is based on proton-proton collision events containing multiple jets, no leptons, and large transverse momentum imbalance. The data were collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 137 fb(-1). The targeted signal production scenarios are direct and gluino-mediated top squark production, including scenarios in which the top squark and neutralino masses are nearly degenerate. The search utilizes novel algorithms based on deep neural networks that identify hadronically decaying top quarks and W bosons, which are expected in many of the targeted signal models. No statistically significant excess of events is observed relative to the expectation from the standard model, and limits on the top squark production cross section are obtained in the context of simplified supersymmetric models for various production and decay modes. Exclusion limits as high as 1310 GeVare established at the 95% confidence level on the mass of the top squark for direct top squark production models, and as high as 2260 GeV on the mass of the gluino for gluino-mediated top squark production models. These results represent a significant improvement over the results of previous searches for supersymmetry by CMS in the same final state.Peer reviewe