Social costs and benefits of micro irrigation system adoption in canal commands: a study from IGNP command area of Bikaner in Rajasthan

Irrigation systemsDrip irrigationSprinkler irrigationCrop productionWater productivityLivestockCost benefit analysis

Treatment of HBeAg-Positive Hepatitis B with Peginterferon and Lamivudine: Author's reply

published_or_final_versio

Science of malaria elimination: using knowledge of bottlenecks and enablers from the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project in Central India for eliminating malaria in the Asia Pacific region

Malaria poses a major public health challenge in the Asia Pacific. Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project was conducted as a public-private partnership initiative in Mandla between State government, ICMR, and FDEC India. The project employed controls for efficient operational and management decisions. IEC campaigns found crucial in schools and communities. Capacity building of local workers emphasized for better diagnosis and treatment. SOCH mobile app launched for complete digitalization. Better supervision for Indoor Residual Sprays and optimized Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets distribution. Significant malaria cases reduction in Mandla. Insights from MEDP crucial for malaria elimination strategies in other endemic regions of the Asia Pacific

Hypothermia for moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy in low-income and middle-income countries (HELIX): a randomised controlled trial in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh

Background: Although therapeutic hypothermia reduces death or disability after neonatal encephalopathy in high-income countries, its safety and efficacy in low-income and middle-income countries is unclear. We aimed to examine whether therapeutic hypothermia alongside optimal supportive intensive care reduces death or moderate or severe disability after neonatal encephalopathy in south Asia. Methods: We did a multicountry open-label, randomised controlled trial in seven tertiary neonatal intensive care units in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. We enrolled infants born at or after 36 weeks of gestation with moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy and a need for continued resuscitation at 5 min of age or an Apgar score of less than 6 at 5 min of age (for babies born in a hospital), or both, or an absence of crying by 5 min of age (for babies born at home). Using a web-based randomisation system, we allocated infants into a group receiving whole body hypothermia (33·5°C) for 72 h using a servo-controlled cooling device, or to usual care (control group), within 6 h of birth. All recruiting sites had facilities for invasive ventilation, cardiovascular support, and access to 3 Tesla MRI scanners and spectroscopy. Masking of the intervention was not possible, but those involved in the magnetic resonance biomarker analysis and neurodevelopmental outcome assessments were masked to the allocation. The primary outcome was a combined endpoint of death or moderate or severe disability at 18–22 months, assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (third edition) and a detailed neurological examination. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02387385. Findings: We screened 2296 infants between Aug 15, 2015, and Feb 15, 2019, of whom 576 infants were eligible for inclusion. After exclusions, we recruited 408 eligible infants and we assigned 202 to the hypothermia group and 206 to the control group. Primary outcome data were available for 195 (97%) of the 202 infants in the hypothermia group and 199 (97%) of the 206 control group infants. 98 (50%) infants in the hypothermia group and 94 (47%) infants in the control group died or had a moderate or severe disability (risk ratio 1·06; 95% CI 0·87–1·30; p=0·55). 84 infants (42%) in the hypothermia group and 63 (31%; p=0·022) infants in the control group died, of whom 72 (36%) and 49 (24%; p=0·0087) died during neonatal hospitalisation. Five serious adverse events were reported: three in the hypothermia group (one hospital readmission relating to pneumonia, one septic arthritis, and one suspected venous thrombosis), and two in the control group (one related to desaturations during MRI and other because of endotracheal tube displacement during transport for MRI). No adverse events were considered causally related to the study intervention. Interpretation: Therapeutic hypothermia did not reduce the combined outcome of death or disability at 18 months after neonatal encephalopathy in low-income and middle-income countries, but significantly increased death alone. Therapeutic hypothermia should not be offered as treatment for neonatal encephalopathy in low-income and middle-income countries, even when tertiary neonatal intensive care facilities are available. Funding: National Institute for Health Research, Garfield Weston Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Translations: For the Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Singhalese, Tamil, Marathi and Bangla translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section

Pre-treatment of Malaysian agricultural wastes toward biofuel production

Various renewable energy technologies are under considerable interest due to the projected depletion of our primary sources of energy and global warming associated with their utilizations. One of the alternatives under focus is renewable fuels produced from agricultural wastes. Malaysia, being one of the largest producers of palm oil, generates abundant agricultural wastes such as fibers, shells, fronds, and trunks with the potential to be converted to biofuels. However, prior to conversion of these materials to useful products, pre-treatment of biomass is essential as it influences the energy utilization in the conversion process and feedstock quality. This chapter focuses on pre-treatment technology of palm-based agriculture waste prior to conversion to solid, liquid, and gas fuel. Pre-treatment methods can be classified into physical, thermal, biological, and chemicals or any combination of these methods. Selecting the most suitable pre-treatment method could be very challenging due to complexities of biomass properties. Physical treatment involves grinding and sieving of biomass into various particle sizes whereas thermal treatment consists of pyrolysis and torrefaction processes. Additionally biological and chemical treatment using enzymes and chemicals to derive lignin from biomass are also discussed