“Building from bottom” a success story

Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) is a local government committed to provide basic infrastructure facilities including entertainment facilities to the people of the city. RMC is very well known for managing the city by using private sector participation as well as introduction of innovative mechanisms in management to serve people efficiently. City has prepared different plans for improving services and to nullify the gap between services and demands. The sole responsibility of Solid Waste Management (SWM) in the city lies with the Soild Wate Management department of Rajkot Muncipal Corporation (RMC)

Method and Apparatus for Separating Particles by Dielectrophoresis

Particle separation apparatus separate particles and particle populations using dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces generated by one or more pairs of electrically coupled electrodes separated by a gap. Particles suspended in a fluid are separated by DEP forces generated by the at least one electrode pair at the gap as they travel over a separation zone comprising the electrode pair. Selected particles are deflected relative to the flow of incoming particles by DEP forces that are affected by controlling applied potential, gap width, and the angle linear gaps with respect to fluid flow. The gap between an electrode pair may be a single, linear gap of constant gap, a single linear gap having variable width, or a be in the form of two or more linear gaps having constant or variable gap width having different angles with respect to one another and to the flow

Terahertz Detectors (THzDs): Bridging the Gap for Energy Harvesting

It is indispensable to integrate electronics with environment for better lives. Huge amount of solar energy, dark energy, and unused microwave energy is untapped till now due to insufficient availability of high frequency THz detectors. The difference between THz wave detection and THz electric field detection must be clear. THz wave detection connects the detection of explosives, drugs, astronomy, metals, and imaging applications, etc. On the other hand, THz electric field detection involves the conversion of electromagnetic (EM) radiations to usable DC power. The optimum choice of detectors for energy harvesting is a highly diverse area. The latter part is concentrated on the nonlinear behavior of the incoming radiations and has been highlighted also. In this chapter, metal‐insulator‐metal (MIM) diode detectors have been explored to become a best choice for high frequency detectors

A facile approach to fabricate graphene based piezoresistive strain sensor on paper substrate

Sensors, FETs and chemi resistors are few of the devices which show potential in the area of flexible electronics for health monitoring applications. In the present work, piezoresistive strain sensors based on graphite and graphene on cellulose paper substrate has been reported. Graphite sensor has been fabricated by rubbing pencil on paper and graphene sensor by directly coating graphene ink using paint brush. The resistance of the fabricated sensor increases with outwards bending and vice-versa, further the piezoresistive effect has also been evaluated by applying variable longitudinal stress. A comparative study of gauge factor (GF) depending upon different type of strains has been presented and it has been observed that the GF of graphene piezoresistive strain sensor decreases with increase in number of layers, the GF for graphene sensor is higher as compared to graphite sensor. Fabricated piezoresistive strain sensors may find applications as human body motion detection, gait analysis etc

A genomic glimpse of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Plasmodium </it>parasites are causative agents of malaria which affects >500 million people and claims ~2 million lives annually. The completion of <it>Plasmodium </it>genome sequencing and availability of PlasmoDB database has provided a platform for systematic study of parasite genome. Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (<it>aaRS</it>s) are pivotal enzymes for protein translation and other vital cellular processes. We report an extensive analysis of the <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>genome to identify and classify <it>aaRSs </it>in this organism.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using various computational and bioinformatics tools, we have identified 37 <it>aaRS</it>s in <it>P. falciparum</it>. Our key observations are: (i) fraction of proteome dedicated to <it>aaRS</it>s in <it>P. falciparum </it>is very high compared to many other organisms; (ii) 23 out of 37 <it>Pf-aaRS </it>sequences contain signal peptides possibly directing them to different cellular organelles; (iii) expression profiles of <it>Pf-aaRSs </it>vary considerably at various life cycle stages of the parasite; (iv) several <it>PfaaRSs </it>posses very unusual domain architectures; (v) phylogenetic analyses reveal evolutionary relatedness of several parasite <it>aaRS</it>s to bacterial and plants <it>aaRSs</it>; (vi) three dimensional structural modelling has provided insights which could be exploited in inhibitor discovery against parasite <it>aaRSs</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have identified 37 <it>Pf-aaRSs </it>based on our bioinformatics analysis. Our data reveal several unique attributes in this protein family. We have annotated all 37 <it>Pf-aaRSs </it>based on predicted localization, phylogenetics, domain architectures and their overall protein expression profiles. The sets of distinct features elaborated in this work will provide a platform for experimental dissection of this family of enzymes, possibly for the discovery of novel drugs against malaria.</p

Association of Her-2 Expression and Clinicopathological Parameters in Colorectal Carcinoma in Indian Population

BACKGROUND: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) is an oncogenic gene and a well-established therapeutic target in several cancers including breast and ovary. AIM: The present study aimed to compare HER-2 expression status with histological grades as well as Clinicopathological parameters including age, bleeding per rectum, pain/burning sensation in defecation and exercise. METHODS: Her-2 status was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: Results of the study shows that 40.96% patients were Her-2 positive for expression and a statistically significant difference (p-value = 0.004) was observed in histological grades where most of the cases were of grade II. We also observed a significant difference in histological grades with gender (p-value = 0.04), as well as in both the age groups ≤ 55 years and &gt; 55 years (p-value = &lt; 0.0001). Patients with the bleeding rectum and pain/burning sensation in defecation had grade II/III tumours (93.4%, 88.7%) respectively. A significant association was observed between bleeding per rectum and pain/burning sensation in defecation. About 95% of patients with pain/burning sensation in defecation had bleeding per rectum. CONCLUSION: To conclude, Her-2 can be a potential prognostic marker in CRC. The role of age, tumour grade and bleeding per rectum/burning sensation in defecation are of significant worth. Thus, CRC cases of high grades can be screened for HER-2/neu positivity so that they can be subjected to mAb-based individualised therapy

CRP Gene Polymorphism and Their Risk Association With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein (CRP) is an inflammatory marker associated with T2DM, obesity, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease. AIM: The present study evaluates the association of CRP +1059 G/C polymorphism of the CRP gene in 100 T2D cases and 100 healthy controls. METHODS: Present study was done by allele specific PCR method to study the CRP gene polymorphism in study subjects. RESULTS: Study found that CRP (+1059 G/C) genotype distribution among case and controls was found to be significant (p=0.001), Higher CRP C allele frequency (0.16) was observed compared to controls (0.04). CRP +1059 GC and CC had 2.72 (1.12-6.61), 20.56 (1.16-362.1) risk for T2D. It has been observed, HTN, Obesity, Smoking and alcoholism was found to be associated with increased risk of T2D, and a significant difference was observed in biochemical parameters. CONCLUSION: Study concluded that CRP gene polymorphism was found to be associated with risk of Type 2 Diabetes and risk was linked with heterozygosity and mutant homozygosity. Hypertension, Obesity, Smoking and alcoholism increases the risk of occurrence of Type 2 Diabetes

Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10&nbsp;years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37&nbsp;years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) includes a comprehensive assessment of incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) for 354 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Previous GBD studies have shown how the decline of mortality rates from 1990 to 2016 has led to an increase in life expectancy, an ageing global population, and an expansion of the non-fatal burden of disease and injury. These studies have also shown how a substantial portion of the world's population experiences non-fatal health loss with considerable heterogeneity among different causes, locations, ages, and sexes. Ongoing objectives of the GBD study include increasing the level of estimation detail, improving analytical strategies, and increasing the amount of high-quality data. Methods: We estimated incidence and prevalence for 354 diseases and injuries and 3484 sequelae. We used an updated and extensive body of literature studies, survey data, surveillance data, inpatient admission records, outpatient visit records, and health insurance claims, and additionally used results from cause of death models to inform estimates using a total of 68 781 data sources. Newly available clinical data from India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, China, Brazil, Norway, and Italy were incorporated, as well as updated claims data from the USA and new claims data from Taiwan (province of China) and Singapore. We used DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool, as the main method of estimation, ensuring consistency between rates of incidence, prevalence, remission, and cause of death for each condition. YLDs were estimated as the product of a prevalence estimate and a disability weight for health states of each mutually exclusive sequela, adjusted for comorbidity. We updated the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a summary development indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Additionally, we calculated differences between male and female YLDs to identify divergent trends across sexes. GBD 2017 complies with the Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting. Findings: Globally, for females, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and haemoglobinopathies and haemolytic anaemias in both 1990 and 2017. For males, the causes with the greatest age-standardised prevalence were oral disorders, headache disorders, and tuberculosis including latent tuberculosis infection in both 1990 and 2017. In terms of YLDs, low back pain, headache disorders, and dietary iron deficiency were the leading Level 3 causes of YLD counts in 1990, whereas low back pain, headache disorders, and depressive disorders were the leading causes in 2017 for both sexes combined. All-cause age-standardised YLD rates decreased by 3·9% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 3·1-4·6) from 1990 to 2017; however, the all-age YLD rate increased by 7·2% (6·0-8·4) while the total sum of global YLDs increased from 562 million (421-723) to 853 million (642-1100). The increases for males and females were similar, with increases in all-age YLD rates of 7·9% (6·6-9·2) for males and 6·5% (5·4-7·7) for females. We found significant differences between males and females in terms of age-standardised prevalence estimates for multiple causes. The causes with the greatest relative differences between sexes in 2017 included substance use disorders (3018 cases [95% UI 2782-3252] per 100 000 in males vs 1400 [1279-1524] per 100 000 in females), transport injuries (3322 [3082-3583] vs 2336 [2154-2535]), and self-harm and interpersonal violence (3265 [2943-3630] vs 5643 [5057-6302]). Interpretation: Global all-cause age-standardised YLD rates have improved only slightly over a period spanning nearly three decades. However, the magnitude of the non-fatal disease burden has expanded globally, with increasing numbers of people who have a wide spectrum of conditions. A subset of conditions has remained globally pervasive since 1990, whereas other conditions have displayed more dynamic trends, with different ages, sexes, and geographies across the globe experiencing varying burdens and trends of health loss. This study emphasises how global improvements in premature mortality for select conditions have led to older populations with complex and potentially expensive diseases, yet also highlights global achievements in certain domains of disease and injury

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality and life expectancy, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

BACKGROUND: Assessments of age-specific mortality and life expectancy have been done by the UN Population Division, Department of Economics and Social Affairs (UNPOP), the United States Census Bureau, WHO, and as part of previous iterations of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD). Previous iterations of the GBD used population estimates from UNPOP, which were not derived in a way that was internally consistent with the estimates of the numbers of deaths in the GBD. The present iteration of the GBD, GBD 2017, improves on previous assessments and provides timely estimates of the mortality experience of populations globally. METHODS: The GBD uses all available data to produce estimates of mortality rates between 1950 and 2017 for 23 age groups, both sexes, and 918 locations, including 195 countries and territories and subnational locations for 16 countries. Data used include vital registration systems, sample registration systems, household surveys (complete birth histories, summary birth histories, sibling histories), censuses (summary birth histories, household deaths), and Demographic Surveillance Sites. In total, this analysis used 8259 data sources. Estimates of the probability of death between birth and the age of 5 years and between ages 15 and 60 years are generated and then input into a model life table system to produce complete life tables for all locations and years. Fatal discontinuities and mortality due to HIV/AIDS are analysed separately and then incorporated into the estimation. We analyse the relationship between age-specific mortality and development status using the Socio-demographic Index, a composite measure based on fertility under the age of 25 years, education, and income. There are four main methodological improvements in GBD 2017 compared with GBD 2016: 622 additional data sources have been incorporated; new estimates of population, generated by the GBD study, are used; statistical methods used in different components of the analysis have been further standardised and improved; and the analysis has been extended backwards in time by two decades to start in 1950. FINDINGS: Globally, 18·7% (95% uncertainty interval 18·4–19·0) of deaths were registered in 1950 and that proportion has been steadily increasing since, with 58·8% (58·2–59·3) of all deaths being registered in 2015. At the global level, between 1950 and 2017, life expectancy increased from 48·1 years (46·5–49·6) to 70·5 years (70·1–70·8) for men and from 52·9 years (51·7–54·0) to 75·6 years (75·3–75·9) for women. Despite this overall progress, there remains substantial variation in life expectancy at birth in 2017, which ranges from 49·1 years (46·5–51·7) for men in the Central African Republic to 87·6 years (86·9–88·1) among women in Singapore. The greatest progress across age groups was for children younger than 5 years; under-5 mortality dropped from 216·0 deaths (196·3–238·1) per 1000 livebirths in 1950 to 38·9 deaths (35·6–42·83) per 1000 livebirths in 2017, with huge reductions across countries. Nevertheless, there were still 5·4 million (5·2–5·6) deaths among children younger than 5 years in the world in 2017. Progress has been less pronounced and more variable for adults, especially for adult males, who had stagnant or increasing mortality rates in several countries. The gap between male and female life expectancy between 1950 and 2017, while relatively stable at the global level, shows distinctive patterns across super-regions and has consistently been the largest in central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia, and smallest in south Asia. Performance was also variable across countries and time in observed mortality rates compared with those expected on the basis of development. INTERPRETATION: This analysis of age-sex-specific mortality shows that there are remarkably complex patterns in population mortality across countries. The findings of this study highlight global successes, such as the large decline in under-5 mortality, which reflects significant local, national, and global commitment and investment over several decades. However, they also bring attention to mortality patterns that are a cause for concern, particularly among adult men and, to a lesser extent, women, whose mortality rates have stagnated in many countries over the time period of this study, and in some cases are increasing