Anisotropy dissipation in brane-world inflation

We examine the behavior of an anisotropic brane-world in the presence of inflationary scalar fields. We show that, contrary to naive expectations, a large anisotropy does not adversely affect inflation. On the contrary, a large initial anisotropy introduces more damping into the scalar field equation of motion, resulting in greater inflation. The rapid decay of anisotropy in the brane-world significantly increases the class of initial conditions from which the observed universe could have originated. This generalizes a similar result in general relativity. A unique feature of Bianchi I brane-world cosmology appears to be that for scalar fields with a large kinetic term the initial expansion of the universe is quasi-isotropic. The universe grows more anisotropic during an intermediate transient regime until anisotropy finally disappears during inflationary expansion.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures; minor typo corrected in Eq. (16); matches version to appear in Phy Rev

Usability, acceptability, and feasibility of the World Health Organization Labour Care Guide: A mixed-methods, multicountry evaluation.

Introduction The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Labour Care Guide (LCG) is a “next-generation” partograph based on WHO’s latest intrapartum care recommendations. It aims to optimize clinical care provided to women and their experience of care. We evaluated the LCG’s usability, feasibility, and acceptability among maternity care practitioners in clinical settings. Methods Mixed-methods evaluation with doctors, midwives, and nurses in 12 health facilities across Argentina, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Purposively sampled and trained practitioners applied the LCG in low-risk women during labor and rated experiences, satisfaction, and usability. Practitioners were invited to focus group discussions (FGDs) to share experiences and perceptions of the LCG, which were subjected to framework analysis. Results One hundred and thirty-six practitioners applied the LCG in managing labor and birth of 1,226 low-risk women. The majority of women had a spontaneous vaginal birth (91.6%); two cases of intrapartum stillbirths (1.63 per 1000 births) occurred. Practitioner satisfaction with the LCG was high, and median usability score was 67.5%. Practitioners described the LCG as supporting precise and meticulous monitoring during labor, encouraging critical thinking in labor management, and improving the provision of woman-centered care. Conclusions The LCG is feasible and acceptable to use across different clinical settings and can promote woman-centered care, though some design improvements would benefit usability. Implementing the LCG needs to be accompanied by training and supportive supervision, and strategies to promote an enabling environment (including updated policies on supportive care interventions, and ensuring essential equipment is available)

Juvenile abundance and post-larval incursion of mud crabs (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Scylla </i>spp.) in Chilika lagoon

834-840was carried out on the juvenile abundance and post-larval incursion of two species of Scylla into the lagoon for period of two years from August, 2005-July, 2007.<span style="color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic"> Occurrence of juvenile, <span style="color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">S. serrata<span style="color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold; mso-bidi-font-style:italic"> were throughout the year, while in <span style="color:black; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">S. tranquebarica<span style="color:black; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">, juveniles were not encountered during December-February. December-May register higher median CPUE values with peak in March for S. serrata. In <span style="color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">S. tranquebarica<span style="color:black;mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">, the peak juvenile abundance period was restricted to June-September with peak in July. The CPUE values for juveniles indicted that the recruitment was intense for S. serrata during post-winter (January-April) and for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">S. tranquebarica during monsoon (June-September). The crab seeds were available throughout the year which gave a clear evidence for the year round recruitment with the peak during the months of November-March for Scylla species from the Bay of Bengal to the Chilika lagoon. During the study period, the megalopa and first crab instar recruitment per net-hour collection was significantly higher during spring tides than neap tide phase (p&lt; 0.05) and also higher incursion was observed in the night hours than day hours (p&lt; 0.05).<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-style: italic"> Significantly higher night collections of mud crab juveniles (mixed population of both species) from net box traps (khandas) were obtained during new moon phases (t=3.88; d.f.=11; P&lt; 0.01). </span

Not Available

Not AvailableSkin diseases among farmers is usually under reported and it is ignored by farmers as most of them consider it as "part of their job". Skin being the most exposed organ while farming, the farmers are predisposed to skin diseases among other health hazards. Objective: This study aims at finding out the prevalence of skin disease and associated risk factors among farmers. Methodology: Multistage cluster random sampling using PPS (Probability Proportional to Size) was used to select farmers in a coastal block of Odisha. A total of 200 farmers were selected for the study. Complete dermatological examination was conducted in a well lit area. Results: The prevalence of skin diseases was found to be 63% among farmers in rural settings. The common skin diseases reported among pesticide handlers were hyperkeratosis, paronychia, fungal infections, nail dystrophy, dermatitis, melasma, freckles, PLE and others. Lower socioeconomic status, illiteracy, longer exposure to pesticides, non usage of PPE were found to be risk factors for skin diseases among farmers. Conclusion: Health education among the farmers along with appropriate PPE should be encouraged to prevent skin diseases in this group of population. An integrated approach and further research is required to find out a casual association between different risk factors and skin diseases among farmers.Not Availabl