Strategies for climate change impacts on irrigated crops in National Capital Region of India

Irrigation has helped in increasing food production and achieving food security in India. However, climate change is expected to affect the crop production in irrigated area particularly in groundwater irrigated areas. This study was undertaken for suggesting strategies to climate change impact on irrigated crops based on projected change in crop water requirement and groundwater availability for irrigation in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Prevailing groundwater recharge in the study area during monsoon was 4.01 MCM (Million cubic meter). The same for various scenarios varied from -15.47 MCM to 5.08 MCM. It was revealed that groundwater recharge would increase if it is estimated based on the climate prediction done using local weather data. The impact of climate change on groundwater availability is evident in scenarios based on INCCA and IPCC predictions where it varied from -2.66 MCM to 1.02 MCM. Contrary to common perceptions, crop water requirement of prevailing cropping system would not increase in future if all the important climatic parameters are considered for its prediction. This may be due to the fact that effect of increase in temperature on crop water requirement may be compensated by decrease in other climatic parameters such wind speed and duration of daily sunshine hours. Results indicated that climate change may not have much impact on sustainability of prevailing cropping system as per the crop water requirement is concerned. Based on water requirement and groundwater availability under various climate change scenarios, appropriate strategies to cope up the climate change impact on irrigated crops have been suggested

Runtime Management of Artificial Intelligence Applications for Smart Eyewears

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications are gaining popularity as they seamlessly integrate into end-user devices, enhancing the quality of life. In recent years, there has been a growing focus on designing Smart EyeWear (SEW) that can optimize user experiences based on specific usage domains. However, SEWs face limitations in computational capacity and battery life. This paper investigates SEW and proposes an algorithm to minimize energy consumption and 5G connection costs while ensuring high Quality-of-Experience. To achieve this, a management software, based on Q-learning, offloads some Deep Neural Network (DNN) computations to the user’s smartphone and/or the cloud, leveraging the possibility to partition the DNNs. Performance evaluation considers variability in 5G and WiFi bandwidth as well as in the cloud latency. Results indicate execution time violations below 14%, demonstrating that the approach is promising for efficient resource allocation and user satisfaction

TB/HIV Co-Infection Care in Conflict-Affected Settings: A Mapping of Health Facilities in the Goma Area, Democratic Republic of Congo

Background : HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) are major contributors to the burden of disease in sub- Saharan Africa. The two diseases have been described as a harmful synergy as they are biologically and epidemiologically linked. Control of TB/HIV co-infection is an integral and most challenging part of both national TB and national HIV control programmes, especially in contexts of instability where health systems are suffering from political and social strife. This study aimed at assessing the provision of HIV/ TB co-infection services in health facilities in the conflict-ridden region of Goma in Democratic Republic of Congo. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of health facilities that provide either HIV or TB services or both was carried out. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data which was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Eighty facilities were identified, of which 64 facilities were publicly owned. TB care was more available than HIV care (in 61% vs. 9% of facilities). Twenty-three facilities (29%) offered services to co-infected patients. TB/HIV co-infection rates among patients were unknown in 82% of the facilities. Only 19 facilities (24%) reported some coordination with and support from concerned diseases’ control programmes. HIV and TB services are largely fragmented, indicating imbalances and poor coordination by disease control programmes. Conclusion: HIV and TB control appear not to be the focus of health interventions in this crisis affected region, despite the high risks of TB and HIV infection in the setting. Comprehensive public health response to this setting calls for reforms that promote joint TB/HIV co-infection control, including improved leadership by the HIV programmes that accuse weaknesses in this conflict-ridden region

Programmatic feasibility of dried blood spots for the virological follow-up of patients on antiretroviral treatment in Nord Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background:As part of its policy to shift monitoring of antiretroviral therapy (ART) to primary health care (PHC) workers, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tested the feasibility of using dried blood spots (DBS) for viral load (VL) quantification and genotypic drug resistance testing in off-site high-throughput laboratories.Methods:DBS samples from adults on ART were collected in 13 decentralized PHC facilities in the Nord-Kivu province and shipped during program quarterly supervision to a reference laboratory 2000 km away, where VL was quantified with a commercial assay (m2000rt, Abbott). A second DBS was sent to a World Health Organization (WHO)-accredited laboratory for repeat VL quantification on a subset of samples with a generic assay (Biocentric) and genotypic drug resistance testing when VL >1000 copies per milliliter.Findings:Constraints arose because of an interruption in national laboratory funding rather than to technical or logistic problems. All samples were assessed by both VL assays to allow ART adjustment. Median DBS turnaround time was 37 days (interquartile range: 9-59). Assays performed unequally with DBS, impacting clinical decisions, quality assurance, and overall cost-effectiveness. Based on m2000rt or generic assay, 31.3% of patients were on virological failure (VF) and 14.8% presented resistance mutations versus 50.3% and 15.4%, respectively.Conclusion:This study confirms that current technologies involving DBS make virological monitoring of ART possible at PHC level, including in challenging environments, provided organizational issues are addressed. Adequate core funding of HIV laboratories and adapted choice of VL assays require urgent attention to control resistance to ART as coverage expands

Evaluation of midazolam-ketamine with dexmedetomidine and fentanyl for injectable anaesthesia in dogs

dexmedetomidine and fentanyl for injectable anaesthesia in dogs. Vet. arhiv 83, 509

Prosudba učinka midazolam-ketamina s deksmedetomidinom i fentanilom za injekcijsku anesteziju u pasa.

A prospective randomized blinded study was conducted on 12 clinically healthy adult dogs of both sexes (mean weight of 18.34 ± 0.78 kg) divided into three groups (n = 4). The animals received 0.4 mg/kg midazolam and 10 μg/kg dexmedetomidine (group A), 0.4 mg/kg midazolam and 20 μg/kg dexmedetomidine (group B) and 0.4 mg/kg midazolam + 20 μg/kg dexmedetomidine + 4 μg/kg fentanyl (group C) intramuscularly, using separate syringes. Ten minutes later Ketamine was administered intravenously in all the groups. A significantly (P<0.05) shorter weak time (onset of sedation) and down time (onset of recumbency) were recorded in animals in group C as compared to the animals of groups A and B. Muscle relaxation was excellent in group C. The pedal reflex was abolished up to 30 min in groups A and B and up to 60 min in group C. Intubation was only possible in groups B and C. The anaesthetic induction dose of ketamine was minimal in group C. Standing recovery time was shortest in the animals of group C. Respiratory rate (RR) decreased significantly (P<0.05) throughout the observation period, but rectal temperature (RT) decreased significantly (P<0.05) towards the end of the observation period in all the groups. Heart rate decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the animals of group B. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was maintained within the physiological range in all the groups. It was concluded that dexmedetomidine (10 μg/kg)-midazolam-ketamine can produce anaesthesia for about 20 min in dogs. Increasing the dose of dexmedetomidine did not enhance the duration of anaesthesia, but the further addition of fentanyl not only reduced the induction dose of ketamine but also increased the duration of anaesthesia up to 50 min. Dexmedetomidine-midazolam-fentanyl-ketamine can be used for prolonged duration of injectable anaesthesia in dogs.Poduzeto je prospektivno istraživanje na 12 slučajno odabranih klinički zdravih pasa i kuja (prosječne tjelesne mase 18,34 ± 0,78 kg) podijeljenih u tri skupine (n = 4). Životinjama skupine A bio je intramuskularno primijenjen midazolam u dozi od 0,4 mg/kg i deksmedetomidin u dozi od 10 μg/kg. Životinjama skupine B bio je i/m primijenjen midazolam u dozi od 0,4 mg/kg i deksmedetomidin 20 μg/kg, a životinje skupine C primile su i/m 0,4 mg/kg midazolama, 20 μg/kg deksmedetomidina i 4 μg/kg fentanila. Deset minuta nakon toga svim je životinjama intravenski bio ubrizgan ketamin. Značajno (P<0,05) kraće vrijeme smirivanja (nastup sedacije) i vrijeme lijeganja ustanovljeno je u životinja skupine C u usporedbi sa skupinama A i B. Opuštanje mišićja bilo je izvrsno u skupini C. Nožni refleks nestao je nakon 30 minuta u skupinama A i B, a nakon 60 minuta u skupini C. Intubacija je bila moguća samo u životinja skupine B i C. Doza ketamina potrebna za početak anestezije bila je najmanja u životinja skupine C. Vrijeme potrebno za ponovno ustajanje bilo je najkraće u životinja skupine C. Frekvencija disanja značajno se smanjila (P<0,05) u čitavom razdoblju promatranja, dok se rektalna temperatura u svih životinja značajno smanjila (P<0,05) na kraju razdoblja promatranja. Frekvencija bila znatno se smanjila (P<0,05) u životinja skupine B. Srednji arterijski tlak bio je u fiziološkim granicama u svih životinja. Može se zaključiti da kombinacija deksmedetomidin (10 μg/kg)-midazolam-ketamin može u pasa dovesti do anestezije za oko 20 minuta. Povećanje doze deksmedetomidina nije povećalo trajanje anestezije. Ipak, daljnja primjena fentanila ne samo da je smanjila početnu dozu ketamina već je povećala trajanje anestezije na 50 minuta. Deksmedetomidin-midazolam-fentanil-ketamin mogu se rabiti za produženo trajanje injekcijske anestezije u pasa

Appropriateness of admission and days of stay in pediatric hospital in Ancona, Italy

Background: In Italy, hospital admission costs account for nearly 42% of total health expenditure; in the Marche region, this share exceeds 50%. High costs of hospitalization, however, can be partly explained by inappropriate use. The aim of this research was to assess the risk factors associated with inappropriate hospital admissions and stay for acute pediatric patients. Methods: Clinical records of children from 30 days to 14 years of age admitted to the wards of orthopedics, pediatrics, pediatric isolation, pediatric surgery and pediatric oncohematology at Salesi Pediatric Hospital of Ancona throughout 2004 were reviewed. The Italian Pediatric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (PRUO) was used as a tool for assessing inappropriateness of admission and days of stay. Results: Overall 21.7% (95% CI = 16.1%–22.4%) of hospital admissions and 30.3% (95% CI = 26.0%–34.9%) of days of stay were judged to be inappropriate. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that inappropriate admission was significantly associated with type of admission, discharge ward and place of residence. Inappropriateness of stay was significantly higher if admission was to a medical ward and if admission itself was judged inappropriate. Conclusions: In a socioeconomic context in which reducing waste is necessary, ineffective health care interventions are no longer tolerable. As a tool capable of integrating each patient’s specific features with those of the health care process, the pediatric PRUO could be a valid tool in the hands of managers for monitoring the appropriateness of admission and stay

Perceptions, attitudes, and willingness of healthcare and frontline workers to participate in an Ebola vaccine trial in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the knowledge, perception and attitudes towards Ebola vaccines is an important factor in ensuring future use of these vaccines. A qualitative methods study embedded in an Ebola vaccine immunogenicity and safety trial (NCT04028349) was conducted to explore the knowledge and perceptions of healthcare (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs), about Ebola vaccines and their willingness to participate or recommend participation in Uganda. METHOD: We carried out focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews before and after vaccination, with 70 HCWs and FLWs who consented to participate in the trial, and in the qualitative component, from August to September 2019. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Respondents showed good knowledge about Ebola and the vaccines in general, and had wide access to information through several channels, including the study team. On prevention, particular attention was given to effective communication within health facilities. Misconceptions were mainly around route of transmission, animal origin and types of vaccines. Previous fears were based on rumours circulating in the community, mainly about the presence of the virus in the vaccine, side effects and intention to harm (e.g. by "the whites"), ultimately insisting on transparency, trust and involvement of local leaders. Acceptability of participation was motivated by the need to protect self and others, and the willingness to advance research. Majority were willing to recommend participation to their community. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, information sharing leads to a better understanding and acceptance of vaccine trials and a positive vaccination experience can be a deciding factor in the acceptance of others. Particular attention should be paid to involving the community in addressing misconceptions and fears, while ensuring that participants have access to vaccination sites in terms of transport, and that they are properly accommodated at the study site including staying for a reasonable period of time

Population dynamics and genetic connectivity in recent chimpanzee history

The European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 864203) (to T.M.-B.). BFU2017-86471-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE) (to T.M.-B.). “Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu”, funded by the AEI (CEX2018-000792-M) (to T.M.-B.). Howard Hughes International Early Career (to T.M.-B.). NIH 1R01HG010898-01A1 (to T.M.-B.). Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca and CERCA Program del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya (GRC 2017 SGR 880) (to T.M.-B.). UCL’s Wellcome Trust ISSF3 award 204841/Z/16/Z (to A.M.A. and J.M.S.). Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR-1040) (to M. Llorente). Wellcome Trust Investigator Award 202802/Z/16/Z (to D.A.H.). The Pan African Program: The Cultured Chimpanzee (PanAf) is generously funded by the Max Planck Society, the Max Planck Society Innovation Fund, and the Heinz L. Krekeler Foundation.Knowledge on the population history of endangered species is critical for conservation, but whole-genome data on chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) is geographically sparse. Here, we produced the first non-invasive geolocalized catalog of genomic diversity by capturing chromosome 21 from 828 non-invasive samples collected at 48 sampling sites across Africa. The four recognized subspecies show clear genetic differentiation correlating with known barriers, while previously undescribed genetic exchange suggests that these have been permeable on a local scale. We obtained a detailed reconstruction of population stratification and fine-scale patterns of isolation, migration, and connectivity, including a comprehensive picture of admixture with bonobos (Pan paniscus). Unlike humans, chimpanzees did not experience extended episodes of long-distance migrations, which might have limited cultural transmission. Finally, based on local rare variation, we implement a fine-grained geolocalization approach demonstrating improved precision in determining the origin of confiscated chimpanzees.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe