Extensibility of External Magnetic Potential at High Latitudes - Antarctica

We investigated the external magnetic potential due to solar forcing, with nine years of data during 2001-2009, coveringthe deep solar minimum (2006-2009), at two stations: one is in the polar cap -Vostok (78º27'S, 106º52’E; mag. lat 83oS) andanother is in the subauroral region - Maitri (70º45'S, 11º43'E: mag. lat 67oS) in Antarctica. The significance of the work isassociated with space weather prediction and its impact on planet Earth. We used Advance Composition Explorer (ACE)satellite data for the aforesaid period for a thorough understanding of influences due to solar wind origin and to compare theparameter observed in these regions. We used the spherical cap harmonic analysis (SCHA) function as a tool. The inferenceindicates that at Vostok the magnitude is enhanced throughout and depicts a broad ambient external magnetic potential. Itseems to be essentially the intensification of the region 1 currents whereas at Maitri intense electric fields are producedduring geomagnetic perturbations which drive a system of disturbed time Region 2 currents over the quiet time currents.During this scenario in Maitri there are noticeable peaks or enhancements in the magnetic potential that can be observedmainly during geomagnetic disturbances. Hence the regression relation developed for external magnetic potentialcalculation, in terms of solar wind parameters agrees well with polar cap region and the area is relatively less exploredearlier, the present investigation can be expected to add knowledge about that regime

Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

SummaryBackground Azithromycin has been proposed as a treatment for COVID-19 on the basis of its immunomodulatoryactions. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of azithromycin in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19.Methods In this randomised, controlled, open-label, adaptive platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19Therapy [RECOVERY]), several possible treatments were compared with usual care in patients admitted to hospitalwith COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 176 hospitals in the UK. Eligible and consenting patients wererandomly allocated to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus azithromycin 500 mg once perday by mouth or intravenously for 10 days or until discharge (or allocation to one of the other RECOVERY treatmentgroups). Patients were assigned via web-based simple (unstratified) randomisation with allocation concealment andwere twice as likely to be randomly assigned to usual care than to any of the active treatment groups. Participants andlocal study staff were not masked to the allocated treatment, but all others involved in the trial were masked to theoutcome data during the trial. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality, assessed in the intention-to-treatpopulation. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936.Findings Between April 7 and Nov 27, 2020, of 16 442 patients enrolled in the RECOVERY trial, 9433 (57%) wereeligible and 7763 were included in the assessment of azithromycin. The mean age of these study participants was65·3 years (SD 15·7) and approximately a third were women (2944 [38%] of 7763). 2582 patients were randomlyallocated to receive azithromycin and 5181 patients were randomly allocated to usual care alone. Overall,561 (22%) patients allocated to azithromycin and 1162 (22%) patients allocated to usual care died within 28 days(rate ratio 0·97, 95% CI 0·87–1·07; p=0·50). No significant difference was seen in duration of hospital stay (median10 days [IQR 5 to >28] vs 11 days [5 to >28]) or the proportion of patients discharged from hospital alive within 28 days(rate ratio 1·04, 95% CI 0·98–1·10; p=0·19). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, nosignificant difference was seen in the proportion meeting the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilationor death (risk ratio 0·95, 95% CI 0·87–1·03; p=0·24).Interpretation In patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, azithromycin did not improve survival or otherprespecified clinical outcomes. Azithromycin use in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 should be restrictedto patients in whom there is a clear antimicrobial indication

Extensibility of External Magnetic Potential at High Latitudes - Antarctica

19-26We investigated the external magnetic potential due to solar forcing, with nine years of data during 2001-2009, covering the deep solar minimum (2006-2009), at two stations: one is in the polar cap -Vostok (78º27'S, 106º52’E; mag. lat 83S) and another is in the subauroral region - Maitri (70º45'S, 11º43'E: mag. lat 670S) in Antarctica. The significance of the work is associated with space weather prediction and its impact on planet Earth. We used Advance Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite data for the aforesaid period for a thorough understanding of influences due to solar wind origin and to compare the parameter observed in these regions. We used the spherical cap harmonic analysis (SCHA) function as a tool. The inference indicates that at Vostok the magnitude is enhanced throughout and depicts a broad ambient external magnetic potential. It seems to be essentially the intensification of the region 1 currents whereas at Maitri intense electric fields are produced during geomagnetic perturbations which drive a system of disturbed time Region 2 currents over the quiet time currents. During this scenario in Maitri there are noticeable peaks or enhancements in the magnetic potential that can be observed mainly during geomagnetic disturbances. Hence the regression relation developed for external magnetic potential calculation, in terms of solar wind parameters agrees well with polar cap region and the area is relatively less explored earlier, the present investigation can be expected to add knowledge about that regime

Impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC)’s multidimensional approach on rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units in 22 hospitals of 14 cities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

To analyze the impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) Multidimensional Approach (IMA) and use of INICC Surveillance Online System (ISOS) on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates in Saudi Arabia from September 2013 to February 2017. A multicenter, prospective, before–after surveillance study on 14,961 patients in 37 intensive care units (ICUs) of 22 hospitals. During baseline, we performed outcome surveillance of VAP applying the definitions of the CDC/NHSN. During intervention, we implemented the IMA and the ISOS, which included: (1) a bundle of infection prevention practice interventions, (2) education, (3) outcome surveillance, (4) process surveillance, (5) feedback on VAP rates and consequences and (6) performance feedback of process surveillance. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed using generalized linear mixed models to estimate the effect of intervention. The baseline rate of 7.84 VAPs per 1000 mechanical-ventilator (MV)-days―with 20,927 MV-days and 164 VAPs―, was reduced to 4.74 VAPs per 1000 MV-days―with 118,929 MV-days and 771 VAPs―, accounting for a 39% rate reduction (IDR 0.61; 95% CI 0.5–0.7; P 0.001). Implementing the IMA was associated with significant reductions in VAP rates in ICUs of Saudi Arabia

Broadening the model of science - Recognizing different types of contributions

Resources for Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (2016) Meeting - Diversity & Alternative Contribution