Deterioration of Retro-Reflective Sheet Under Outdoor Weathering and Weather-O-Meter

ABSTRACTMore than one million road signs are installed over thousands of kilometers of highways in India. It is a matter of great concern that there is no strategy to assess their deterioration in terms of quality of retro reflective sheets under natural outdoor weathering and artificial accelerated weathering. The work reported in this paper is focused on how fast the deterioration of reflective sheets of different colors is occurring under natural weathering conditions in India. The deterioration is simulated with artificial weathering under Xenon-Arc chamber with known parameters of weather prevailing in India. This study will help in evaluating the performance of retro-reflective sheets in hours in weather-o-meter to same level of deterioration in the field in terms of days. Data for co-efficient of retro-reflectivity was collected for White, Yellow, Red, Orange, Green, and Blue Type III reflective sheets over a period of seven years in natural weather conditions of Delhi.The best-fit curves technique was adopted to predict the life of retro reflective sheets of different colors in terms of days/months to reach its minimum allowable level. The higher values of R2 for all colors indicate that there is a strong relationship between deterioration and age of reflective sheets in terms exposure in months/days, similarly the R2 values were also found high when the exposure was made in weather-o-meter for few hours. It means that weather conditions in weather-o-meter are exactly being stimulated with prevailing weather conditions in Delhi. The study concludes that over a period of seven years the deterioration of blue color sheet is maximum and deterioration of green color sheet is minimum. This conclusion is also evident from physical parameters such as appearance of signs installed in India. The signs with blue base normally need early replacement in comparison to the signs made out of green sheet for National Highways. The parameters, which were set in weather-o-meter, need the exposure of different hours for different colors of sheets for achieving minimum allowable level of reflectivity as per ASTM standard. The tentative results indicate that reduction of retro reflectivity after 124 months outdoors could be achieved in 90 hours exposure in weather-o-meter. The deterioration varies from color to color and the exposure hours are different for different colours of sheets. This is due to difference in the properties of the pigments used in reflective sheets

Mask Use pattern, Public Perception and Barriers to Effective Mask Usage-A battle far from over

Background & Objective: Proper mask wearing reduces the transmissibility and risk of Covid-19 infection still compliance to mask use is low. This study was conducted to observe the mask usage pattern, perception and barriers to effective mask usage (EMU). Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted in collaboration with district police administration to observe mask usage pattern in various crowded places. Methods and Material: Participants from general public (n=6995) in 10 preselected areas of city were observed and then interviewed about their perceptions about EMU. Indirect observation of EMU was also done by screening CCTV footage, followed by another set of observation at same places after conducting a health education campaign. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and analyzed using SPSS. P value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: EMU was seen in nearly 62% participants. Younger age, native population, education above matric, persons driving two & four wheelers, had significantly higher compliance. During CCTV observation, EMU was 57.5%, and was highest near public places, roads and intersections while lowest near bus stand and religious places. Some improvement in compliance was seen after health education at these places. Breathing difficulty, no use of wearing mask and feeling uncomfortable were the most common reasons given by participants for non-compliance.Conclusions: EMU was lower in elderly, migrants, less educated, unemployed, daily wage workers, so these groups should be especially sensitized about preventive measures. There is need for extensive public education to bring out behavioral change regarding proper mask wearing to control this pandemic and prevent further waves

Developing Standard Treatment Workflows—way to universal healthcare in India

Primary healthcare caters to nearly 70% of the population in India and provides treatment for approximately 80–90% of common conditions. To achieve universal health coverage (UHC), the Indian healthcare system is gearing up by initiating several schemes such as National Health Protection Scheme, Ayushman Bharat, Nutrition Supplementation Schemes, and Inderdhanush Schemes. The healthcare delivery system is facing challenges such as irrational use of medicines, over- and under-diagnosis, high out-of-pocket expenditure, lack of targeted attention to preventive and promotive health services, and poor referral mechanisms. Healthcare providers are unable to keep pace with the volume of growing new scientific evidence and rising healthcare costs as the literature is not published at the same pace. In addition, there is a lack of common standard treatment guidelines, workflows, and reference manuals from the Government of India. Indian Council of Medical Research in collaboration with the National Health Authority, Govt. of India, and the WHO India country office has developed Standard Treatment Workflows (STWs) with the objective to be utilized at various levels of healthcare starting from primary to tertiary level care. A systematic approach was adopted to formulate the STWs. An advisory committee was constituted for planning and oversight of the process. Specialty experts' group for each specialty comprised of clinicians working at government and private medical colleges and hospitals. The expert groups prioritized the topics through extensive literature searches and meeting with different stakeholders. Then, the contents of each STW were finalized in the form of single-pager infographics. These STWs were further reviewed by an editorial committee before publication. Presently, 125 STWs pertaining to 23 specialties have been developed. It needs to be ensured that STWs are implemented effectively at all levels and ensure quality healthcare at an affordable cost as part of UHC

Common variants in CLDN2 and MORC4 genes confer disease susceptibility in patients with chronic pancreatitis

A recent Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) identified association with variants in X-linked CLDN2 and MORC4 and PRSS1-PRSS2 loci with Chronic Pancreatitis (CP) in North American patients of European ancestry. We selected 9 variants from the reported GWAS and replicated the association with CP in Indian patients by genotyping 1807 unrelated Indians of Indo-European ethnicity, including 519 patients with CP and 1288 controls. The etiology of CP was idiopathic in 83.62% and alcoholic in 16.38% of 519 patients. Our study confirmed a significant association of 2 variants in CLDN2 gene (rs4409525—OR 1.71, P = 1.38 x 10-09; rs12008279—OR 1.56, P = 1.53 x 10-04) and 2 variants in MORC4 gene (rs12688220—OR 1.72, P = 9.20 x 10-09; rs6622126—OR 1.75, P = 4.04x10-05) in Indian patients with CP. We also found significant association at PRSS1-PRSS2 locus (OR 0.60; P = 9.92 x 10-06) and SAMD12-TNFRSF11B (OR 0.49, 95% CI [0.31–0.78], P = 0.0027). A variant in the gene MORC4 (rs12688220) showed significant interaction with alcohol (OR for homozygous and heterozygous risk allele -14.62 and 1.51 respectively, P = 0.0068) suggesting gene-environment interaction. A combined analysis of the genes CLDN2 and MORC4 based on an effective risk allele score revealed a higher percentage of individuals homozygous for the risk allele in CP cases with 5.09 fold enhanced risk in individuals with 7 or more effective risk alleles compared with individuals with 3 or less risk alleles (P = 1.88 x 10-14). Genetic variants in CLDN2 and MORC4 genes were associated with CP in Indian patients

Bronchiectasis in India:results from the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC) and Respiratory Research Network of India Registry

BACKGROUND: Bronchiectasis is a common but neglected chronic lung disease. Most epidemiological data are limited to cohorts from Europe and the USA, with few data from low-income and middle-income countries. We therefore aimed to describe the characteristics, severity of disease, microbiology, and treatment of patients with bronchiectasis in India. METHODS: The Indian bronchiectasis registry is a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study. Adult patients ( 6518 years) with CT-confirmed bronchiectasis were enrolled from 31 centres across India. Patients with bronchiectasis due to cystic fibrosis or traction bronchiectasis associated with another respiratory disorder were excluded. Data were collected at baseline (recruitment) with follow-up visits taking place once per year. Comprehensive clinical data were collected through the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration registry platform. Underlying aetiology of bronchiectasis, as well as treatment and risk factors for bronchiectasis were analysed in the Indian bronchiectasis registry. Comparisons of demographics were made with published European and US registries, and quality of care was benchmarked against the 2017 European Respiratory Society guidelines. FINDINGS: From June 1, 2015, to Sept 1, 2017, 2195 patients were enrolled. Marked differences were observed between India, Europe, and the USA. Patients in India were younger (median age 56 years [IQR 41-66] vs the European and US registries; p<0\ub70001]) and more likely to be men (1249 [56\ub79%] of 2195). Previous tuberculosis (780 [35\ub75%] of 2195) was the most frequent underlying cause of bronchiectasis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common organism in sputum culture (301 [13\ub77%]) in India. Risk factors for exacerbations included being of the male sex (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1\ub717, 95% CI 1\ub703-1\ub732; p=0\ub7015), P aeruginosa infection (1\ub729, 1\ub710-1\ub750; p=0\ub7001), a history of pulmonary tuberculosis (1\ub720, 1\ub707-1\ub734; p=0\ub7002), modified Medical Research Council Dyspnoea score (1\ub732, 1\ub725-1\ub739; p<0\ub70001), daily sputum production (1\ub716, 1\ub703-1\ub730; p=0\ub7013), and radiological severity of disease (1\ub703, 1\ub701-1\ub704; p<0\ub70001). Low adherence to guideline-recommended care was observed; only 388 patients were tested for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and 82 patients had been tested for immunoglobulins. INTERPRETATION: Patients with bronchiectasis in India have more severe disease and have distinct characteristics from those reported in other countries. This study provides a benchmark to improve quality of care for patients with bronchiectasis in India. FUNDING: EU/European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations Innovative Medicines Initiative inhaled Antibiotics in Bronchiectasis and Cystic Fibrosis Consortium, European Respiratory Society, and the British Lung Foundation

Social Science Research Landscape in South Asia: A Comparative Assessment of Research Output Published during 1996-2013

Abstract - The paper analyses composition and dynamics of social sciences research output in five South Asia countries as reflected in publications indexed in Scopus international bibliographical database and as summarised in Scimago database. The study which covers publications and citations data for the years 1996-2013 reveals that social sciences research in South Asia appears to be growing exponentially, doubling in publication size every six years. Within the confines of South Asia region, there is a great social science research divide between nations that publish papers in bulk and those that publish very little. India alone published prolific share (84%) within South Asia region compared to 6.4% by Pakistan and 3.2% by Bangladesh. In the global context also, there exists social science research divide. South Asia region barely published less than 1.6% share in 18 years 1996-2013, compared to rest of the world share that published 98.427%. South Asia is strong in quantity but not in quality in social sciences research. Relative citation index of South Asia has been below the world average. South Asia share of internationally collaborated papers is low (14.15%). India’s share of internationally collaborative papers has been the least across all fields of social sciences. It is a pointer for investigation why India should rank at bottom in South Asia countries ranking on international collaboration despite its prolific share (84%) in the region in social Sciences research

Minimization of dislocation creation and interface stresses during the thermal oxidation of silicon

This dissertation considers dislocation creation in single crystal silicon slices due to thermal oxidation. The presence of thermally induced dislocations has been found to influence the capacitance vs. bias voltage characteristic of a MOS (metal-oxide-silicon) capacitor using a thermally grown silicon dioxide layer as the dielectric. MOS capacitors fabricated on a dislocated region of silicon exhibit low frequency characteristic when measurements are made at high frequency (1 KH2.). A stress model has been developed to calculate the average stress associated with the bending of silicon slices when the oxide from one side is etched off. The coefficient of linear thermal expansion for silicon dioxide grown in steam and wet O₂ ambients is also calculated. Based upon the experimental information obtained, optimum conditions for thermal oxidation of single crystal silicon slices that result in minimum dislocation density and low interface stresses are proposed and discussed. Thermal oxidation in a wet O₂ ambient has been found very suitable. It is shown that slow cooling after thermal oxidation results in a 30 percent reduction in the average interface stresses normally generated when fast cooling is used

Minimization of dislocation creation and interface stresses during the thermal oxidation of silicon

This dissertation considers dislocation creation in single crystal silicon slices due to thermal oxidation. The presence of thermally induced dislocations has been found to influence the capacitance vs. bias voltage characteristic of a MOS (metal-oxide-silicon) capacitor using a thermally grown silicon dioxide layer as the dielectric. MOS capacitors fabricated on a dislocated region of silicon exhibit low frequency characteristic when measurements are made at high frequency (1 KH2.). A stress model has been developed to calculate the average stress associated with the bending of silicon slices when the oxide from one side is etched off. The coefficient of linear thermal expansion for silicon dioxide grown in steam and wet O₂ ambients is also calculated. Based upon the experimental information obtained, optimum conditions for thermal oxidation of single crystal silicon slices that result in minimum dislocation density and low interface stresses are proposed and discussed. Thermal oxidation in a wet O₂ ambient has been found very suitable. It is shown that slow cooling after thermal oxidation results in a 30 percent reduction in the average interface stresses normally generated when fast cooling is used

Library 2.0: A Bibliometric Assessment of Global Literature during 2004-14

The present study looks at the composition and growth of world publications output on Library 2.0. The total world output on Library 2.0 during 2004-14 cumulated to 186 papers; and the world output witnessed 6.67% quinquennial growth from 2004-2009 to 2010-14, There were 1183 citations to 186 papers since their publication. In all 65.31% publications received 1 to 30+ citations per paper during 2004-14. Top 10 most productive countries, (out of forty) contributed 80.1% publication share and 94.77% citation share. Social sciences accounted for the highest publications share (79.57%), followed by computer science (46.77%), business, management & accounting, arts & humanities, engineering and medicine and decision science (less than 5% share each) during 2004-14. Top 31 most productive organizations (out of 163) and top 34 most productive authors (out of 180) contributed 39.78% and 39.25% publications share respectively and their citations share was 40.41% and 32.97% respectively during 2004-14. Amongst 186 global publications on Library 2.0, 151 had appeared in 74 journals during 2004-14. Among the 30 highly cited publications (citations per paper from 10 to 139), the largest number (14) came from the USA, 6 from the U.K., 3 from Spain, 2 each from India and China , and 1 each from Finland, Slovenia, Swaziland, Australia, Germany, Norway and Pakistan. These 30 highly cited publications involved 65 authors, 41 organizations and were published in 23 journals