Maximally Recoverable Codes with Hierarchical Locality

Maximally recoverable codes are a class of codes which recover from all potentially recoverable erasure patterns given the locality constraints of the code. In earlier works, these codes have been studied in the context of codes with locality. The notion of locality has been extended to hierarchical locality, which allows for locality to gradually increase in levels with the increase in the number of erasures. We consider the locality constraints imposed by codes with two-level hierarchical locality and define maximally recoverable codes with data-local and local hierarchical locality. We derive certain properties related to their punctured codes and minimum distance. We give a procedure to construct hierarchical data-local MRCs from hierarchical local MRCs. We provide a construction of hierarchical local MRCs for all parameters. For the case of one global parity, we provide a different construction of hierarchical local MRC over a lower field size.Comment: 6 pages, accepted to National Conference of Communications (NCC) 201

Interhalogens as Oxidimetric Titrants: Part VI* - Oxidimetric Determinations with Bromine Monochloride

115-11

Neurodevelopmental assessment of neonates with congenital hypothyroidism in a tertiary care center

Background: Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in early neurodevelopment so that untreated severe congenital hypothyroidism (CH) results in neurological and psychiatric deficits, including intellectual disability, spasticity, and disturbances of gait and coordination. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the neuromotor and neurocognitive development of babies at 12 months of age who are diagnosed to have CH and initiated on thyroxine treatment at birth. Furthermore, to estimate the occurrence of CH among babies delivered in our hospital through thyroid screening. Study Design: This was a descriptive study. Setting: The study was conducted in Sree Gokulam Medical College Hospital and Research Foundation, a tertiary care center, located in Trivandrum, Kerala. Participants: All babies delivered in the hospital during the study period and neonatal screening was done for CH. Methods: Cord blood was collected as the direct flow of blood from cord, labeled and sent to laboratory from delivery room for analysis (by chemiluminescent assay) of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Babies with cord blood TSH level ≥20 uIU/ml were repeated at 72 h of age for venous TSH and FT4 level. Venous TSH level ≥20 uIU/ml with low FT4 (below normal range for age) was considered as abnormal and initiated on treatment before discharge from the hospital. These babies were followed till 12 months of age for neurodevelopmental assessment. Results: The occurrence of CH among babies delivered in our hospital was 0.6 in 100 live births. Neurodevelopmental assessment of babies with CH on follow-up has shown normal neuromotor and neurocognition at 12 months of age with early detection and prompt initiation of L-thyroxine at a higher dose range within 5 days of age. Conclusion: In our study, early detection and initiation of treatment in infants with CH have shown normal neuromotor and neurocognitive development at 12 months of age

Optimizing use of empirical antibiotics in late preterm neonates at risk of early-onset sepsis

Background: In sick neonates, we are posed to treat suspected or proven infection. However, the vast majority of newborn babies who are given antibiotics do not have any infection. Objective: The objective of this study was to optimize the use of empirical antibiotic therapy in late preterms who are asymptomatic with maternal risk and symptomatic neonates without maternal risk for early-onset sepsis (EOS) and to estimate the rate of risk increase in onset of symptoms in neonates exposed to maternal risk factor for EOS. Methods: In this descriptive study, late preterm neonates (34+0–36+6 weeks) who are asymptomatic at birth with and without maternal risk factor for EOS at birth were subjected to clinical assessment of sensorium, temperature, oxygenation status, perfusion, and skin color, starting after 1 h of initial stabilization till discharge from hospital. Sepsis screen (C-reactive protein and absolute neutrophil count) was obtained at 24 h and 48 h of age from these asymptomatic late preterms. Results: A total of 135 late preterm neonates (34+0–36+6 weeks) recruited during the study period were included for analysis. The presence of maternal risk factor for EOS has shown no statistical significance in relation to the presence of symptoms at birth odds ratio 0.66, 95% confident interval (0.24–1.8) p=0.42. Conclusion: In our study, as maternal risk factor for sepsis has shown no statistical significance in relation to the presence of symptoms at birth, antibiotic use can be restricted to only those babies who have clinical worsening over 24–48 h of observation and/or along with supportive evidence of positive sepsis screen and/or blood culture, irrespective of the presence or absence of maternal risk for EOS

Clinical profile and neuroimaging of neonates with influenza encephalopathy

Background: Pediatric influenza is found primarily in children under 5 years of age, and it is very difficult to distinguish the illness caused by influenza, a virus infection based on the signs alone. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the clinical profile and neuroimaging of neonates admitted with seizures followed by encephalopathy. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted among neonates admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit, with neurological manifestations such as poor feeding, lethargy followed by seizures and poor sensorium in the 1st week of life. During the study period, 14 neonates were included with similar neurological manifestations. Results: Our study neonates had poor feeding and lethargy (57.1%) before the onset of seizures. The mean day of the onset of seizure was day 4, and the mean duration of encephalopathy lasted for 63 h. We could detect influenza A in cerebrospinal fluid-polymerase chain reaction only in two neonates and H1N1 influenza in one neonate, but all our study neonates had consistent findings on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain suggestive of viral infection probably influenza A as its circulation in the community is considered common. The mean day of discharge from the hospital was 11.5 days. At discharge, all neonates were on breastfeeds and had no focal neurological deficit. Conclusions: The possibility of influenza A-related encephalopathy should be considered as a differential diagnosis if a neonate presents with poor feeding, lethargy followed by seizures and encephalopathy in the 1st week of life and their brain MR

Coconut-growing soils of Kerala: 1. Characteristics and classification

Coconut plantations are the major land use systems in Kerala state. The tropical hot humid climate and soils of the state are considered suitable for the palm, with the exception of highlands occurring 600 m above MSL. However, the productivity of coconut is abysmally low in the state with an average productivity of around 40 nuts per year per palm. To find out whether the highly weathered and leached low activity clay soils developed in tropical hot humid climate is responsible for the low yield, an assessment of soil qualities in the coconut-growing soils of the state was made. Six distinct regions of coconut cultivation in the state were identified and delineated based on the variability of agro-climate and soils, viz., Central and Eastern Palakkad, Northern Kerala, Central Kerala, Southern Kerala, Onattukara sandy plains and coastal sandy plains. Soil profiles were studied at representative sites in each region. Investigated morphological features and sampled horizon-wise for the analysis of physical and chemical properties of the soil. Coconut-growing soils of Kerala state are in general deep and well drained, clayey or sandy having good structure permitting rapid transmission of water. The soils of Palakkad, Southern Kerala and Coastal Sandy Plains have near neutral reaction whereas the extensive areas of laterite soils of Northern and Central Kerala and sandy soils of Onattukara were strongly acid and had high levels of KCl extractable aluminium. The acid soils also analysed for low levels of basic cations, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Soils from all regions except Palakkad have low CEC. Surface and sub-soils base status were extremely low for soils of Northern and Central Kerala and Onattukara sandy plain. The soils of Central and Eastern Palakkad were classified as Typic Haplustalfs, Northern Kerala as Plinthic Humults, Central Kerala as Typic Plinthustults, Southern Kerala as Rhodic Kandiustults and the soils of sandy plains as Ustipsamments, according to soil taxonomy

The barriers and enablers to education among scheduled caste and scheduled tribe adolescent girls in northern Karnataka, South India: A qualitative study

This qualitative study explored the barriers and enablers to scheduled caste/scheduled tribe (SC/ST) adolescent girls entering into, and completing secondary education in northern Karnataka, South India. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 adolescent girls, their respective parent/guardian (n = 22) and 11 teachers, recruited purposively from 11 villages within two districts in northern Karnataka. Multiple barriers were identified to disadvantaged caste adolescent girls’ entry into and retention in education in this setting, and these operated at the individual, family, community and school levels. In addition, some enablers to education were also described. The study highlights the importance of involving multiple stakeholders to overcome the barriers to education for SC/ST girls, and of working to change beliefs and expectations around gender norms as well as improving the quality of education in this setting

Representation of family in cinema

Abstract not available

Frail bodies, fighting spirit: Images of the elderly in Malayalam cinema

This paper is an attempt to look at aspects of representation of the elderly in Malayalam cinema, which is one of the significant regional language cinemas of India. The representation of the elderly in cinema has not attracted much academic and media attention. This is evident in the lack of entries relating to the subject on the World Wide Web and associated academic databases. By contrast, 'women in cinema', and 'youth in cinema' produce a considerable number of entries when the topic is investigated. Moreover, the concerns of the elderly have rarely found representation in cinema. There are exceptions, such as Bruce Beresford's Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Lindsay Anderson's The Whales of August (1987), Ron Howard's Cocoon (1985), and the unforgettable elderly characters in Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries (1957), for example. However, the majority of popular films emphasises youth and caters to younger members of the population. Perhaps it is because the audience is mostly young and marketability is the primary consideration among film makers that the wrinkled, grave and sober face of the elderly is at best tactfully neglected or at worst made to look insignificant