Sero-prevalence of SARS CoV-2 specific antibody among general population of Tripura, India: A baseline observation

Background: Spectrum of COVID-19 disease ranges from asymptomatic or mild symptomatic to life threatening cases. Population based sero-epidemiological studies are useful for assessing the magnitude of COVID-19 infection in a geographic area and it is helpful for planning control measures. Objectives: To estimate the sero-prevalence of SARS CoV-2 antibody in the general population of Tripura and to study the factors associated with it. Methodology: This community based cross-sectional study was conducted from 15th October to 14th November 2020 among 4800 subjects selected from the whole state of Tripura, India by probability proportionate to size sampling technique using 30 clusters. Electrochemiluminescence (eCLIA) based assay was used to test the serum samples for SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody. Data entry and analysis was performed using SPSS-25 for windows and sero-prevalence was expressed in percentages. Binary logistic regression model was used for predicting sero-positivity by including the significant factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection as found out by univariate analysis. Result: Sero-prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibody was found to be 34% among the general population of Tripura and it varied from 42.4% to 19.7% across different districts. Logistic regression model has identified, urban residency (OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.03-1.42), ethnic community (OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.48-0.64) and literacy (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.13-1.77) as the independent risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 sero-positivity (p<0.05). Conclusion: Approximately one out of three residents of Tripura has already acquired the novel SARS CoV-2 infection. As the threshold required for achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 is not yet known, control measures need to be continued for preventing further spread of disease in the community

Ultrafast Green Single Photon Emission from an InGaN Quantum Dot-in-a-GaN Nanowire at Room Temperature

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for room-temperature visible single-photon emission from InGaN nanowire-quantum-dots (NWQDs) due to its potential in developing quantum computing, sensing, and communication technologies. Despite various approaches explored for growing InGaN quantum dots on top of nanowires (NWs), achieving the emission of a single photon at room temperature with sensible efficiency remains a challenge. This challenge is primarily attributed to difficulties in accomplishing the radial confinement limit and the inherent giant built-in potential of the NWQD. In this report, we have employed a novel Plasma Assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy (PAMBE) growth approach to reduce the diameter of the QD to the excitonic Bohr radius of InGaN, thereby achieving strong lateral confinement. Additionally, we have successfully suppressed the strong built-in potential by reducing the QD diameter. Toward the end of the report, we have demonstrated single-photon emission (${\lambda}$ = 561 nm) at room-temperature from the NWQD and measured the second-order correlation function $g^{2}(0)$ as 0.11, which is notably low compared to other reported findings. Furthermore, the lifetime of carriers in the QD is determined to be 775 ps, inferring a high operational speed of the devices

Role of Consortia on Library and Information Science Education

The way and pace at which information is generated, organized and used is witnessed rapid strides in recent times. Hence, the discipline of LIS meant to manage and provide information service may not be taught effectively and practiced perfectly through a framed curriculum in the formal education steam alone. Driven by the market demands and user needs, the discipline is embracing other disciplines like computers, communication technology, cognition research etc. to continuously monitor and augment their skills to arrive at â pinpointed information from the delugeâ . Manual means of tackling information will not help the user/professional to solve emerging problems in the actual research setup and also the present day researchers expect a faster response to their information needs. Information management and servicing in a highly matured and skill intensive activity and it requires people with different educational backgrounds. Electronic access is increasingly providing a large proportion of current information instead of print and allowing access through a variety of platforms on a twenty-four hour basis. As the traditional custodians of information, librarians need to be aware of the implications of these changes and develop technological and managerial skills that will enable them to make effective use of information to meet their organization and changing needs. However, many librarians lack confidence to learn and master the skills required in adopting the increasingly sophisticated technology. It is vital that they must be kept in touch with modern developments and maintains a proactive approach to work in an ever-changing information world. Professional profiles are changing so rapidly and very radically these days impacting the librarianâ s portfolio, since libraries are becoming knowledge management organizations with librarians as their active agents. Perhaps the most important development of libraries during the current decade has been the move from organizational self-sufficiency to a collaborative survival mode as personified by the growth of library consortia. Information technology is now a level of cooperation that is much broader and deeper than ever befor

Library and Information Science Education in Digital Era

Education for library profession is a revolutionary process. The core of the curricula is the people in relation to the information itself and technology that enable the provision of this information. There is a need to produce library science graduates with sophisticated management and policy and planning skills and the vision to translate core values of today and tomorrowâ s information world. Due to the ongoing developments in information technology sector, the information professionals trained in the latest information handling techniques would also become obsolete after a short time. Hence, the curricula must be reviewed constantly to determine whether the changes are in tune with the present and future job requirements

Impact of Internet on LIS Education & Role of Future Librarians

Internet is the buzzword for today's information community. The www is threatening to replace the traditional library system. The only way to survival of the library professionals is to adapt themselves to the new technologies and become cyber- librarian. The information superhighway has imposed a challenge to the existing information professionals to provide information exhaustively and timely. The librarians should keep themselves upto- date every moment with the new developments and to meet the diversified queries of the new generation users. This paper gives a brief idea about the impact of internet on LIS education and its utility in libraries

Open Courseware initiatives for e-learners in India

Paper presented in IDEA 2008 & later published in Book form "ODL system in transition"Open Courseware is nothing but the repository of the study and learning materials in digital form in the web which is open for every user i.e. Open Access. These repositories envisage to store, index, preserve, distribute and share the digital learning resources with any time access offering interoperability. On the other hand, e-learning covers a myriad set of applications, and processes such as computer based learning, web-based learning, virtual classrooms, etc. What is most significant about the method is that it ensures faster learning at comparatively reduced cost and gives access to more learning resources. In India, a number of institutions are digitizing their course materials and a good number of open courseware have been established e.g. eGyankosh-a National Digital Repository, CEC Learning Object Repository, Indo- German eGurukul on Digital Libraries, NPTEL, NCERT Online Textbooks, UNESCOSALIS e-Learning Portal, etc. This paper presents a scenario of the Open Courseware initiatives in India that can be helpful and necessary to the e-learners.IDE

Prescribed dose versus calculated dose of spinal cord in standard head and neck irradiation assessed by 3-D plan

Background and Purpose: Spinal cord toxicity can be dreaded complication while treating head and neck cancer by conventional radiotherapy. Cord sparing approach is applied by two phase planning in conventional head neck radiotherapy. In spite of cord sparing approach spinal cord still receives considerable scatter dose. Our study aims to do the volumetric analysis of spinal cord dosimetry and to correlate with the clinical findings. Materials and Methods: Treatment planning was done in two phases. First phase treatment fi elds include gross disease- both tumor and involved nodes. in the second phase, treatment field shrinkage was done to cover the gross disease sparing the spinal cord. These fields are termed as off-cord fields. 42 patients with histological proven squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region were analysed with two groups. In Group A, 46 Gy was given in 23 fractions, and then tumor-boost with off-cord fi eld received 24 Gy in 12 fractions. In Group B 50 Gy was prescribed in 25 fractions initially, then off-cord fi eld given 20 Gy in 10 fractions to analyze theoutcome. Planning Computed tomography (CT) scan was done Philips Brilliance 16 slice CT scan machine, and contouring and dose calculation were done at ASHA treatment planning software. Results: Maximum dose and dose at 1 cm3, 2 cm3, and 5 cm3 were calculated. Maximum dose to cord was 52.6 Gy (range 48.1-49.7 Gy) in Group A and 54.3 Gy (range 51.48-52.33 Gy) in Group B initially. Off-cord fi elds received mean dose 8.07 Gy (85.85% of maximum) in Group A and 5.47 Gy (86.84% of maximum) in Group B. At the end of 6 months from the last date of radiotherapy, grade 1 spinal cord toxicity found in two patients in Group A and one patient in Group B respectively (P = 0.55). Both groups received additional dose, which are higher than the prescribed dose, but no patients show significant spinal cord toxicity after 6 month of follow-up. Conclusion: Spinal cord received scatter dose which much higher than the predicted dose in conventional radiotherapy of head neck cancer. Short term follow up failed to establish clinical correlation with volumetric dose of spinal cord. Two phase cord sparing head neck radiation planning if practiced should be used with caution

Dengue epidemiology and pathogenesis: Images of the future viewed through a mirror of the past

Taylor-Robinson, AW ORCiD: 0000-0001-7342-8348Every year, millions of individuals throughout the world are seriously affected by dengue virus. The unavailability of a vaccine and of anti-viral drugs has made this mosquito-borne disease a serious health concern. Not only does dengue cause fatalities but it also has a profoundly negative economic impact. In recent decades, extensive research has been performed on epidemiology, vector biology, life cycle, pathogenesis, vaccine development and prevention. Although dengue research is still not at a stage to suggest definite hopes of a cure, encouraging significant advances have provided remarkable progress in the fight against infection. Recent developments indicate that both anti-viral drug and vaccine research should be pursued, in parallel with vector control programs

Arsenic Exposure Through Drinking Water Increases the rRsk of Liver and Cardiovascular Diseases in the Population of West Bengal, India

Background: Arsenic is a natural drinking water contaminant affecting 26 million people in West Bengal, India. Chronic arsenic exposure causes cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, neuropathies and ocular diseases. The aims of the present study were to assess bioindicators of hepatocellular injury as indicated by the levels of liver enzymes, to determine the auto immune status, as indicated by the amounts of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-dsDNA antibodies in their serum, and to predict cardiovascular risk in the arsenic exposed population. Methods: Effect of chronic arsenic exposure on liver was determined by liver function tests. Autoimmune status was measured by measuring ANA and anti-dsDNA in serum. Inflammatory cytokines associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, IL6, IL8 and MCP-1 were determined. Results: Our results indicated that serum levels of bilirubin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and ANA were increased in the arsenic exposed population. Serum levels of IL6 and IL8 also increased in the arsenic exposed group. Conclusions: Chronic arsenic exposure causes liver injury, increases the serum levels of autoimmune markers and imparts increased cardiovascular risk. Keywords: Arsenic, Antinuclear antibody, Liver function tests, Cytokine

Arsenic exposure through drinking water increases the risk of liver and cardiovascular diseases in the population of West Bengal, India

Abstract Background Arsenic is a natural drinking water contaminant affecting 26 million people in West Bengal, India. Chronic arsenic exposure causes cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, neuropathies and ocular diseases. The aims of the present study were to assess bioindicators of hepatocellular injury as indicated by the levels of liver enzymes, to determine the auto immune status, as indicated by the amounts of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-dsDNA antibodies in their serum, and to predict cardiovascular risk in the arsenic exposed population. Methods Effect of chronic arsenic exposure on liver was determined by liver function tests. Autoimmune status was measured by measuring ANA and anti-dsDNA in serum. Inflammatory cytokines associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk, IL6, IL8 and MCP-1 were determined. Results Our results indicated that serum levels of bilirubin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and ANA were increased in the arsenic exposed population. Serum levels of IL6 and IL8 also increased in the arsenic exposed group. Conclusions Chronic arsenic exposure causes liver injury, increases the serum levels of autoimmune markers and imparts increased cardiovascular risk.</p