Hybrid in vitro diffusion cell for simultaneous evaluation of hair and skin decontamination: temporal distribution of chemical contaminants

Most casualty or personnel decontamination studies have focused on removing contaminants from the skin. However, scalp hair and underlying skin are the most likely areas of contamination following airborne exposure to chemicals. The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions of contaminants with scalp hair and underlying skin using a hybrid in vitro diffusion cell model. The in vitro hybrid test system comprised “curtains” of human hair mounted onto sections of excised porcine skin within a modified diffusion cell. The results demonstrated that hair substantially reduced underlying scalp skin contamination and that hair may provide a limited decontamination effect by removing contaminants from the skin surface. This hybrid test system may have application in the development of improved chemical incident response processes through the evaluation of various hair and skin decontamination strategies.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Development and Evaluation of Automated Slip and Draft Control System for Tractor

254-261A microcontroller-based Automatic Slip Control System (ASCS) and Automatic Draft Control System (ADCS) for 2WD tractors was devised to automatically alter the depth of operation to keep the wheel slip and implement draft within a prespecified range. An electro hydraulic lift link system was devised to control the depth of the implement's operation. The technology continuously checks wheel slip and draft in the field and notifies the hydraulic system, which changes the implement's depth if the wheel slip and draft exceeds the specified range. Experiments were conducted with defined slip ranges of 10–15, 15–20, and 20–25% for ploughing and cultivating activities. Field capacity and drawbar specific fuel consumption were measured as performance criteria. With the ASCS, the slip was found to range from 15–24%, versus the desired range of 15–20%, while with the current draft control system, it was found to range from 12–48% Tractor Draft Control System (TDCS). Fuel consumption was determined to be 20.13, 21.11, and 22.98 l/ha for ploughing operations with TDCS at initial depth settings of 150, 180, and 220 mm, respectively. However, ASCS resulted in a significant increase in fuel efficiency, with an 11.2% reduction in consumption. When compared to the TDCS, it consumed 4 to 14% less fuel during ploughing operations. Field capacity was increased by 3.4–14.5% due to ASCS and ADCS. The measuring efficiency of the devised system was determined to be greater than 99%

Decadal status of Large Pelagic fishery in West Bengal

The marine landings of the state have fluctuated widely over the years with the maximum of 4 lakh tonnes recorded in 2011. Pelagics dominate the marine fishery and contribute around two-third of the marine landings. Major large pelagic resources landed were seerfishes, queenfishes, tunas and cobia. Sporadic landings of barracudas, billfishes and dolphinfish were observed in certain years. Average annual landings of large pelagics during 2010 – 2019 were 6,131 t forming 2.65% of the total state landings. More than half of the landings were contributed by seerfishes, followed by queenfishes. Major gears contributing to the landings were gillnets (60%) and trawl nets (38%). Scomberomorus guttatus formed 95% of the seerfish landings and were landed by both trawl nets and gill nets, whereas Scomberomorus commerson landed only by gillnets. Among queenfishes landed by trawl nets and gill nets, Scomberoides lysan dominated followed by S.tala and S.commersonianu

Status of Large Pelagics fishery in Andhra Pradesh

Large pelagics forms an important fishery along Andhra Pradesh coast, 26 species of large pelagics are caught in the state. This group accounts to an annual average of 9% of total states marine catches (2.5 lakh ton) since a decade and highest contribution of large pelagics to the total states landing was recorded in 2014 (12%). Tunas dominated the large pelagics landings, followed by seerfishes and barracuda. Gillnets are mainly employed to catch tunas, seer fishes, billfishes and queenfishes, trawls for barracudas and hook and line for Dolphinfish. Peak landing occurred during the December - March period. Among the large pelagics, seerfishes fetched the highest price in the market

Large Pelagics fisheries along Odisha coast – An overview

The large pelagics fishery along Odisha coast is supported by resources such as seerfish, queenfish, tuna, barracuda, cobia, needlefish, billfish, dolphinfish and rainbow runner. The annual landings of large pelagics during the period 2007-2019 showed marked fluctuations with a declining trend and average landings of 5711 tonnes. Seerfish contributed 43% of total large pelagic landings followed by queen fish (31%), tuna (14%) and barracuda (7%). Major gears contributing to the landings were long lines (36%), followed by trawl nets (24%), gill nets (22%) and ringseines (11%). The fishery for large pelagics peaks during January to March and October – December periods with lowest landings during the April -June months and coinciding with a monsoon fishing ban period. These fishes which have low demand in local markets due to its large size and high prices are mostly iced immediately after auctioning and sent to distant markets

In-hospital complications after invasive strategy for the management of Non STEMI: women fare as well as men

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To analyze the in-hospital complication rate in women suffering from non-ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared to men.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The files of 479 consecutive patients (133 women and 346 men) suffering from a Non STEMI (Non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) between the January 1^st2006 and March 21^st2009 were retrospectively analyzed with special attention to every single complication occurring during hospital stay. Data were analyzed using nonparametric tests and are reported as median unless otherwise specified. A p value < .05 was considered significant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>As compared to men, women were significantly older (75.8 <it>vs</it>. 65.2 years; p < .005). All cardiovascular risk factors but tobacco and hypertension were similar between the groups: men were noticeably more often smoker (p < .0001) and women more hypertensive (p < .005). No difference was noticed for pre-hospital cardiovascular drug treatment. However women were slightly more severe at entry (more Killip class IV; p = .0023; higher GRACE score for in-hospital death - p = .008 and CRUSADE score for bleeding - p < .0001). All the patients underwent PCI of the infarct-related artery after 24 or 48 hrs post admission without sex-related difference either for timing of PCI or primary success rate. During hospitalization, 130 complications were recorded. Though the event rate was slightly higher in women (30% <it>vs</it>. 26% - p = NS), no single event was significantly gender related. The logistic regression identified age and CRP concentration as the only predictive variables in the whole group. After splitting for genders, these parameters were still predictive of events in men. In women however, CRP was the only one with a borderline p value.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study does not support any gender difference for in-hospital adverse events in patients treated invasively for an acute coronary syndrome without ST-segment elevation and elevated troponin.</p

Baseline characteristics of patients in the reduction of events with darbepoetin alfa in heart failure trial (RED-HF)

&lt;p&gt;Aims: This report describes the baseline characteristics of patients in the Reduction of Events with Darbepoetin alfa in Heart Failure trial (RED-HF) which is testing the hypothesis that anaemia correction with darbepoetin alfa will reduce the composite endpoint of death from any cause or hospital admission for worsening heart failure, and improve other outcomes.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Methods and results: Key demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings, along with baseline treatment, are reported and compared with those of patients in other recent clinical trials in heart failure. Compared with other recent trials, RED-HF enrolled more elderly [mean age 70 (SD 11.4) years], female (41%), and black (9%) patients. RED-HF patients more often had diabetes (46%) and renal impairment (72% had an estimated glomerular filtration rate &#60;60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Patients in RED-HF had heart failure of longer duration [5.3 (5.4) years], worse NYHA class (35% II, 63% III, and 2% IV), and more signs of congestion. Mean EF was 30% (6.8%). RED-HF patients were well treated at randomization, and pharmacological therapy at baseline was broadly similar to that of other recent trials, taking account of study-specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. Median (interquartile range) haemoglobin at baseline was 112 (106–117) g/L.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Conclusion: The anaemic patients enrolled in RED-HF were older, moderately to markedly symptomatic, and had extensive co-morbidity.&lt;/p&gt

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Not AvailableA study was undertaken to develop a draft prediction model for sweep and reversible type tyne in vertisol. Draft requirements of these tillage tools were measured in soil bin at four levels of depth and four levels of speed of operation in three different soil compaction levels at average soil moisture content of 14-16% (db). Experimental design was based on the factorial RBD. An appropriate ANOVA model was selected for analysis of variance using the SAS statistical software package. All the variables under study significantly affected draft (P < 0.001). The draft of tillage tools increased with cone index, depth and speed of operation. The effect of depth was found to be more significant on the draft. Rate of increase of draft with respect to depth was higher as compared to that with respect to speed of operation and cone index for all the tools tested. Draft values predicted by ASABE model were compared with those obtained from soil bin tests at three compaction levels separately. A simple equation similar to the ASABE model incorporating cone index was developed using stepwise regression analyses to model the draft of tillage implements for the range of soil and operating condition tested. The high value of R2 of the model (0.93 and 0.96) for the draft data obtained from soil bin tests indicated that the experimental data fit the regression very well.Not Availabl