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IntroductionHeavy work in scorching temperatures can cause dehydration and heat stress, which can lead to a number of heat-related diseases. Heavy work in intense heat without rest or hydration is the main cause. The “Water, Rest, Shade” (WRS) intervention program for outdoor workers in hot weather reduces heat stress.MethodsThis study follows a quasi-experimental design involving 250 outdoor workers from both agriculture and brick kilns. To assess the environmental heat exposure levels, Quest Temp 3 M WBGT Monitor will be used. Tympanic temperature, Heart rate (HR), Sweat rate (SwR), and Urine specific gravity (USG) to assess the physiological responses to heat exposure using standard protocols. Blood samples will be collected to measure serum creatinine and calculate Glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and urine samples to measure pH, leucocytes, proteinuria, and hematuria. Then administer a validated and modified HOTHAPS questionnaire to capture the perception data. After the baseline assessments, Categorize the workers into two groups based on the selection criteria and the participants’ willingness. Then provide a week-long WRS intervention to the intervention group (IG). The non-intervention group will collect the same data without any intervention to assess the efficacy of the intervention by comparing both groups and measuring outcome indicators.Expected outcomeThe study will generate much-needed information to raise awareness of the importance of heat stress prevention for outdoor workers.ConclusionThis study will demonstrate the effectiveness of an intervention, provide much-needed strategies for reducing heat stress, assess both health impacts and implementation quality, and design comprehensive workplace and labor laws aim to minimise risks to millions of unorganised outdoor workers health.

Dry storage canisters of used nuclear fuels are fabricated using SUS 304L stainless steel. Chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) is one of the major failure modes of dry storage canisters. The cracked canisters can be repaired by friction stir welding (FSW), a low-heat input ‘solid-phase’ welding process. It is important to evaluate the ClSCC resistance of the friction stir welded material. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) studies were carried out on mill-annealed base materials and friction stir welded 304L stainless U-bend specimens in 3.5% NaCl + 5 N H2SO4 solution at room temperature and boiling MgCl2 solution at 155 °C. The engineering stress on the outer fiber of the FSW U-bend specimen was ~60% higher than that of the base metal (BM). In spite of the higher stress level of the FSW, both materials (FSW and BM) showed almost similar SCC failure times in the two different test solutions. The SCC occurred in the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) of the FSW specimens in the 3.5% NaCl + 5 N H2SO4 solution at room temperature, while the stirred zone (SZ) was relatively crack-free. The failure occurred at the stirred zone when tested in the boiling MgCl2 solution. Hydrogen reduction was the cathodic reaction in the boiling MgCl2 solution, which promoted hydrogen-assisted cracking of the heavily deformed stirred zone. The emergence of the slip step followed by passive film rupture and dissolution of the slip step could be the SCC events in the 3.5% NaCl + 5 N H2SO4 solution at room temperature. However, the slip step height was not sufficient to cause passivity breakdown in the fine-grained SZ. Therefore, the SCC occurred in the partially recrystallized softer TMAZ. Overall, the friction-stirred 304L showed higher tolerance to ClSCC than the 304L base metal.

As the construction industry is moving towards sustainable infrastructure, the need for green construction materials has gained importance in current scenario. Geopolymer concrete is considered to be an alternate to conventional concrete with cement as cement production is considered to emit more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This work has still raised the sustainable part of the geopolymer concrete by using steel sludge generated from automobile industry as partial replacement for fine aggregate. The experimental results were designed using fractional factorial design. The results were analysed for statistical integrity with ANOVA. It has been observed that the maximum compressive strength achieved with steel sludge up to 30% replacement is 48 Mpa with flexural strength of 5.16 Mpa and split tensile strength of 4.6 Mpa. Optimisation was done to find the proportion that gives maximum strength and it was ascertained with experimental validation. XRD and SEM analysis were carried out for studying the microstructure and reaction products formed in the process.

Inconel 718 (UNS N07718) is a nickel-base superalloy containing iron that is used at cryogenic temperatures (arctic pipe components) and at high temperatures (gas turbines). This alloy is also used in off-shore oil drilling due to its high overall strength and resistance to corrosion. Inconel 718 components are created by a selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing route and result in isotropic fine-grained microstructures with metastable phases (such as Laves phases) that are not usually present in conventional manufacturing processes. In this work, SLM Inconel 718 alloy specimens were investigated in four different conditions: (1) As-manufactured (AS-AM), (2) Additively manufactured and hot isostatically pressed (AM-HIP), (3) As-manufactured and heat-treated (solution annealing followed by two-step aging), and 4) AM-HIP and heat-treated. Localized corrosion behavior was evaluated at room temperature in a 3.5% NaCl solution at three different pH conditions (pH 1.25, 6.25, and 12.25). Electrochemical tests, including linear polarization, cyclic polarization, potentiostatic conditioning, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Mott–Schottky analyses, were used to compare the corrosion behaviors of the SLM specimens with that of the conventionally wrought IN718 samples. The results showed that the additively manufactured specimens showed better corrosion resistance than the wrought material in the acidic chloride solution, and the AM-HIP specimens exhibited superior corrosion resistance to the as-manufactured ones. Hot isostatic pressing resulted in the visible elimination of the dendritic structure, indicating compositional homogeneity as well as a significant decrease in porosity. In addition, the deleterious secondary phases, such as Laves and δ phases, were not observed in the microstructure of the HIPed samples. The AM-HIP material showed the highest corrosion resistance in all the pH conditions. The two-step aging treatment, in general, resulted in the deterioration of corrosion resistance, which could be attributed to the formation of γ′ and γ″ precipitates that increased the cathodic reaction catalytic activities. In the additively manufactured samples, the presence of the Laves phase was more detrimental to corrosion resistance than any other phases and MC carbide and grain boundary δ phase increased the susceptibility to corrosion in wrought materials.

Abstract Estimating the state of health (SOH) of batteries powering electronic devices in real-time while in use is a necessity. The applicability of most of the existing methods is limited to the datasets that are used to train the models. In this work, we propose a generic method for SOH estimation with much wider applicability. The key problem is the identification of the right feature set which is derived from measurable voltage signals. In this work, relative rise in voltage drop across cell resistance with aging has been used as the feature. A base artificial neural network (ANN) model has been used to map the generic relation between voltage and SOH. The base ANN model has been trained using limited battery data. Blind testing has been done on long cycle in-house data and publicly available datasets. In-house data included both laboratory and on-device data generated using various charge profiles. Transfer learning has been used for public datasets as those batteries have different physical dimensions and cell chemistry. The mean absolute error in SOH estimation is well within 2% for all test cases. The model is robust across scenarios such as cell variability, charge profile difference, and limited variation in temperature.

Wendy Y Cheng,1 Sujata P Sarda,2 Nikita Mody-Patel,2 Sangeeta Krishnan,2 Mihran Yenikomshian,1 Colin Kunzweiler,1 Jensen Duy Vu,1 Hoi Ching Cheung,1 Mei Sheng Duh1 1Analysis Group, Inc., Boston, MA, USA; 2Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Waltham, MA, USACorrespondence: Wendy Y Cheng, Analysis Group, Inc., 111 Huntington Ave, 14th Floor, Boston, MA, 02199, USA, Tel +1 617 425 8219, Fax +1 617 425 8000, Email Wendy.Cheng@analysisgroup.comPurpose: Current pharmacologic management of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) consists of C5 inhibitors, eculizumab and ravulizumab; however, because patients experience incomplete symptom control, off-label doses may be utilized. We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal cohort study of provider-based claims data to assess the real-world eculizumab dosing patterns in PNH patients.Patients and Methods: Patients were ≥ 12 years, received ≥ 2 eculizumab infusions between January 1, 2015 and September 30, 2019, and had ≥ 3 months of continuous clinical activity prior to index. The index date was the first claim for eculizumab. Patients with ≥ 1 diagnosis of another indication for eculizumab were excluded. Treatment patterns including the proportion with high, label-recommended, and low dosages during induction (first 28 days) and maintenance (beginning day 29) phases were described. The proportion and time-to-first dose escalation, defined as an increase in dose or frequency of infusion, were assessed among a subset of patients (ie, escalation analysis cohort).Results: A total of 707 patients were examined. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) starting dose was 862mg (412mg) and was higher than label-recommended 600mg for 64% of the patients. Mean (SD) dose per infusion was 859mg (391mg) during the induction phase; average dose was higher than label-recommended 600mg for 68%. Mean (SD) dose per infusion during the maintenance phase was 1005mg (335mg); average dose was higher than label-recommended 900mg for 43%. Dose escalation occurred in 40/121 escalation analysis cohort patients. Median time-to-first dose escalation was ∼ 12 months.Conclusion: Results suggest that deviations from label-recommended dosing patterns were common. Future budget impact assessments of eculizumab should account for real-world dosing patterns to comprehensively assess costs and benefits.Keywords: complement inhibitors, dose escalation, dosing patterns, eculizumab, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria

Precise spatial patterning of cell fate during morphogenesis requires accurate inference of cellular position. In making such inferences from morphogen profiles, cells must contend with inherent stochasticity in morphogen production, transport, sensing and signalling. Motivated by the multitude of signalling mechanisms in various developmental contexts, we show how cells may utilise multiple tiers of processing (compartmentalisation) and parallel branches (multiple receptor types), together with feedback control, to bring about fidelity in morphogenetic decoding of their positions within a developing tissue. By simultaneously deploying specific and nonspecific receptors, cells achieve a more accurate and robust inference. We explore these ideas in the patterning of Drosophila melanogaster wing imaginal disc by Wingless morphogen signalling, where multiple endocytic pathways participate in decoding the morphogen gradient. The geometry of the inference landscape in the high dimensional space of parameters provides a measure for robustness and delineates stiff and sloppy directions. This distributed information processing at the scale of the cell highlights how local cell autonomous control facilitates global tissue scale design.

Abstract Adiabatic complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) circuits have been proposed as a low‐power option for CMOS systems‐on‐a‐chip (SoCs) but have not gained popularity due to practical difficulties in scaling to millions of gates. The architecture of a pipeline of stages with slow‐transitioning clock phases demands the generation and distribution of clock phases precisely and efficiently. This power must be more than offset by the power saved by using adiabatic circuits. The problems in adiabatic logic circuits are described, and solutions are proposed to address them. Three published topologies are considered, namely positive‐feedback adiabatic logic (PFAL), two‐level adiabatic logic (2‐LAL) and clocked adiabatic logic in 40 nm CMOS technology at 100 MHz. New circuit ideas for complete level restore in PFAL and avoidance of floating nodes in 2‐LAL are presented. The problem with 2‐LAL multi‐input gates is published and solved for the first time here using a modified PFAL. The conclusion is that a 3X power savings in PFAL is about the best that can be achieved in an SoC context—a low return given the required investments in area and complexity. This should motivate the future discovery of more efficient solutions.

Belal Abousaida,1,* Danushka Seneviratne,1,* Bradford S Hoppe,1 Stephen J Ko,1 Aroumougame Asaithamby,2 Francis A Cucinotta,3 Jessica M Kirwan,4 Kabir Mody,5 Beau Toskich,6 Jonathan B Ashman,7 Christopher L Hallemeier,8 Sunil Krishnan1 1Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA; 2Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA; 3School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA; 4Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; 5Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA; 6Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA; 7Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA; 8Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Sunil KrishnanDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USATel +1 713-202-8063Email krishnan.sunil@mayo.eduAbstract: Localized hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is unresectable and non-transplantable can be treated by several liver-directed therapies. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is an increasingly accepted and widely utilized treatment modality in this setting. Accelerated charged particles such as proton beam therapy (PBT) and carbon ion radiation therapy (CIRT) offer technological advancements over conventional photon radiotherapy. In this review, we summarize the distinct advantages of CIRT use for HCC treatment, focusing on physical and biological attributes, and outline dosimetric and treatment planning caveats. Based on these considerations, we posit that HCC may be among the best indications for use of CIRT, as it allows for maximizing tumoricidal doses to the target volume while minimizing the dose to the organs at risk.Keywords: carbon ion therapy, hepatocellular carcinoma, hypofractionation

Brian De,1,* Sweet Ping Ng,1,2,* Amy Y Liu,1 Santiago Avila,1 Randa Tao,3 Emma B Holliday,1 Zachary Brownlee,4 Ahmed Kaseb,5 Sunyoung Lee,3 Kanwal Raghav,5 Jean-Nicolas Vauthey,6 Bruce D Minsky,1 Joseph M Herman,1 Prajnan Das,1 Grace L Smith,1 Cullen M Taniguchi,1 Sunil Krishnan,7 Christopher H Crane,8 Clemens Grassberger,9 Theodore S Hong,9 Steven H Lin,1 Albert C Koong,1 Radhe Mohan,1 Eugene J Koay1 1Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; 3Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Utah, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; 4Department of Radiation Oncology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; 5Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; 6Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; 7Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA; 8Department of Radiation Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA; 9Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Eugene J KoayMD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Oncology, 1400 Pressler St. Unit 1422, Houston, TX, 77030, USATel + 1 713-563-2381Fax +1 713-563-2331Email EKoay@mdanderson.orgBackground: The immune system plays a crucial role in cancer surveillance. Previous studies have shown that lymphopenia associated with radiotherapy (RT) portends a poor prognosis. We sought to differentiate the effects of proton and photon RT on changes in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Patients and Methods: Patients with HCC treated with definitive RT from 2006 to 2016 were studied. Serial ALCs were graded according to CTCAE v4.0. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Univariable and multivariable Cox-proportional hazards analyses were used to identify predictors of OS. A cohort analysis matched for treatment volume was performed to investigate differences in ALC dynamics between photon and proton therapy.Results: Of 143 patients identified, the median age was 66 (range, 19– 90) years. The treatment modality was photon in 103 (72%) and proton in 40 (28%). Median follow-up was 17 months (95% confidence interval, 13– 25 months). The median time to ALC nadir after initiation of RT was 17 days with a median relative decrease of 67%. Those who received proton RT had a higher median ALC nadir (0.41 vs 0.32 k/μL, p=0.002) and longer median OS (33 vs 13 months, p=0.002) than those who received photon RT. Matched cohort analyses revealed a larger low-dose liver volume in the photon group, which correlated with lower ALC. On multivariable Cox analysis, Grade 3 or higher lymphopenia prior to or after RT, portal venous tumor thrombus, larger planning target volumes, Child-Pugh (CP) Class B, and increased CP score after RT were associated with a higher risk of death, whereas the use of proton therapy was associated with lower risk.Conclusion: Grade 3 or higher lymphopenia may be associated with poorer outcomes in patients receiving RT for HCC. Protons may mitigate lymphopenia compared with photons, potentially due to reduced dose exposure of sites of lymphopoiesis.Keywords: lymphocyte count, circulating lymphocytes, splenic dose, liver dose, overall survival

Environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) behavior of two Mg-rare earth (RE) alloys such as Mg–Zn–Gd–Nd–Zr (EV31A) and Mg–Y–Nd (WE43C) alloys was investigated by using U-bend specimens. Open circuit potentials (OCP) of the U-bend specimens were monitored during the EAC tests in 0.1 M NaOH solution with different chloride concentrations at room temperature. EV31A (as-received, and peak aged) and WE43C (peak aged) specimens failed by SCC in 80 ppm chloride containing 0.1 M NaOH solution at OCP. When the EAC initiation occurred, the OCP decreased continuously. Irregular fluctuations of the OCP were observed in the absence of EAC. The OCP versus time profile could be used for monitoring EAC failure of the Mg–RE alloy components in real life service. Applied potentials did not cause cracking of the EV31A alloy in 80 ppm Cl− containing 0.1 M NaOH. Accelerated cracking was observed on the WE43C alloy in peak-aged condition under the applied potentials in the transpassive region when compared to that of OCP condition. Overaging decreased the susceptibility to cracking.

Passivation kinetics of two Mg-RE alloys, such as Mg-Nd-Gd-Zn-Zr (EV31A), and Mg-Y-Nd-Gd-Zr (WE43C) were investigated in two different heat treated conditions (solution treated and overaged) in 0.01 - 1.0 M NaOH solutions under potentiostatic conditions. Negative reaction order was observed in dilute NaOH which transitioned to positive values as the passivation time increased and in the 1 M NaOH as well. The passive layers showed platelet morphology and the size of the platelets decreased with increase in the NaOH concentration. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics was not improved on the passive layer covered surface of the Mg-RE alloys in contrast to the improvements reported on the hydroxide covered pure magnesium. The electrochemical impedance increased with increase in the NaOH concentration in the solution treated condition of both Mg-RE alloys, whereas the overaged EV31A alloy showed a reverse trend. The passive layer of EV31A showed almost 100% higher charge carrier density than the film formed on the WE43C in the overaged condition. A better passivation behavior was observed in the solution treated condition than that in the overaged condition which could be attributed to the uniform distribution of the RE elements in the solution treated specimens. The WE43C alloy revealed better corrosion resistance in the alkaline solution than the EV31A alloy. Keywords: Magnesium rare earth alloy, Passivation, Alkaline solution, Hydrogen evolution

Mg–Y–Nd alloy (WE43C or Elektron 43) is a heat treatable magnesium wrought alloy that can be used up to 250 °C for aerospace application. This alloy has excellent mechanical properties (UTS: up to 345 MPa at room temperature) and improved corrosion resistance. Electrochemical passivation studies were conducted on this alloy under different heat treatment conditions in 0.1 M NaOH solution with the addition of chloride from 0 to 1000 ppm. The passive potential range typically extended to more than 1.5 VAg/AgCl. The transpassive potential was not dependent on the heat treatment condition of the alloy when the chloride concentration increased up to 500 ppm. However, pitting protection potential varied with the heat treatment condition when the chloride addition was 500 ppm or more. The specimen surface was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy to understand the passivation behavior of this alloy. The passivated surface of the WE43C specimens indicated that the surface layer consisted of MgO, Mg(OH)2, and rare earth oxide phases, and the heat treatment conditions did not significantly affect the composition of the surface film. Keywords: Elektron 43, Magnesium alloy, Corrosion, Passivation, Chloride

Roberto Furlan,1 Sangeeta Krishnan,2 Jeffrey Vietri3 1Advanced Methods, Kantar Health, Epsom, Surrey, UK; 2Global Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Biogen, MA, USA; 3Health Outcomes, Kantar Health, Milan, Italy Introduction: New longer-acting factor products will potentially allow for less frequent infusion in prophylactic treatment of hemophilia. However, the role of administration frequency relative to other treatment attributes in determining preferences for prophylactic hemophilia treatment regimens is not well understood. Aim: To identify the relative importance of frequency of administration, efficacy, and other treatment characteristics among candidates for prophylactic treatment for hemophilia A and B. Method: An Internet survey was conducted among hemophilia patients and the parents of pediatric hemophilia patients in Australia, Canada, and the US. A monadic conjoint task was included in the survey, which varied frequency of administration (three, two, or one time per week for hemophilia A; twice weekly, weekly, or biweekly for hemophilia B), efficacy (no bleeding or breakthrough bleeding once every 4 months, 6 months, or 12 months), diluent volume (3 mL vs 2.5 mL for hemophilia A; 5 mL vs 3 mL for hemophilia B), vials per infusion (2 vs 1), reconstitution device (assembly required vs not), and manufacturer (established in hemophilia vs not). Respondents were asked their likelihood to switch from their current regimen to the presented treatment. Respondents were told to assume that other aspects of treatment, such as risk of inhibitor development, cost, and method of distribution, would remain the same. Results: A total of 89 patients and/or parents of children with hemophilia A participated; another 32 were included in the exercise for hemophilia B. Relative importance was 47%, 24%, and 18% for frequency of administration, efficacy, and manufacturer, respectively, in hemophilia A; analogous values were 48%, 26%, and 21% in hemophilia B. The remaining attributes had little impact on preferences. Conclusion: Patients who are candidates for prophylaxis and their caregivers indicate a preference for reduced frequency of administration and high efficacy, but preferences were more sensitive to administration frequency than small changes in annual bleeding rate. Keywords: prophylaxis, conjoint analysis, treatment preferences, breakthrough bleeds, frequency of administration

Sidharth Kharbanda,1 Anand Ramakrishna,2 Shyam Krishnan31Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, 3Department of Physiotherapy, Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Mangaluru, Karnataka, IndiaIntroduction: COPD presents with an array of extra-pulmonary symptoms of which skeletal muscle dysfunction, particularly of the quadriceps, is well recognized. This contributes to impaired quality of life and increased health care utilization. Work on the quadriceps originated from the observation that a good proportion of COPD patients stop exercise due to the feeling of leg fatigue rather than breathlessness. This study was carried out with the aim of finding the prevalence of quadriceps weakness in a population set and correlate it with severity of COPD.Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 75 subjects suffering from COPD aged 45 years or above. COPD severity in the subjects was graded based on the GOLD staging system. A digital hand held dynamometer (HHD) was used to measure quadriceps muscle strength. Descriptive statistics were done, and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and ANOVA analysis was used for expressing the results.Results: Ninety two percent of subjects were suffering from quadriceps muscle weakness. Quadriceps weakness was present in significantly high proportions even in those suffering from mild disease and belonging to a younger age group. The mean quadriceps muscle force value decreased with disease severity and this relation was found to be significant (P

Smita Joshi,1 Vinay Kulkarni,2 Trupti Darak,2 Uma Mahajan,1 Yogesh Srivastava,3 Sanjay Gupta,3 Sumitra Krishnan,1 Mahesh Mandolkar,2 Alok Chandra Bharti31Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute (HCJMRI), Jehangir Hospital Premises, Pune, Maharashtra, India; 2Prayas Health Group, Amrita Clinic, Pune, India; 3Institute for Cytology and Preventive Oncology, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, IndiaObjective: Female sex workers (FSWs) are at an increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as well as human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and thus have an increased risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer. We evaluated the feasibility of “screen and treat approach” for cervical cancer prevention and the performance of different screening tests among FSWs.Methods: Women were screened using cytology, VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid), and VILI (visual inspection with Lugol’s iodine) and underwent colposcopy, biopsy, and immediate treatment using cold coagulation, if indicated, at the same visit.Results: We screened 300 FSWs of whom 200 (66.67%) were HIV uninfected and 100 (33.34%) were HIV infected. The overall prevalence of CIN 2–3 lesions was 4.7%. But all women with CIN 2–3 lesions were HIV infected, and thus the prevalence of CIN 2–3 lesions in HIV-infected FSWs was 14/100 (14%, 95% confidence interval: 7.2–20.8). All of them screened positive by all three screening tests. Cold coagulation was well tolerated, with no appreciable side effects.Conclusion: Cervical cancer prevention by “screen and treat” approach using VIA, followed by ablative treatment, in this high-risk group of women is feasible and can be implemented through various targeted intervention programs. Keywords: cytology, VIA, VILI, CIN, cold coagulation, cervical cancer, HPV, FSWs

India has experienced significant Land-Use and Land-Cover Change (LULCC) over the past few decades. In this context, careful observation and mapping of LULCC using satellite data of high to medium spatial resolution is crucial for understanding the long-term usage patterns of natural resources and facilitating sustainable management to plan, monitor and evaluate development. The present study utilizes the satellite images to generate national level LULC maps at decadal intervals for 1985, 1995 and 2005 using onscreen visual interpretation techniques with minimum mapping unit of 2.5 hectares. These maps follow the classification scheme of the International Geosphere Biosphere Programme (IGBP) to ensure compatibility with other global/regional LULC datasets for comparison and integration. Our LULC maps with more than 90% overall accuracy highlight the changes prominent at regional level, i.e., loss of forest cover in central and northeast India, increase of cropland area in Western India, growth of peri-urban area, and relative increase in plantations. We also found spatial correlation between the cropping area and precipitation, which in turn confirms the monsoon dependent agriculture system in the country. On comparison with the existing global LULC products (GlobCover and MODIS), it can be concluded that our dataset has captured the maximum cumulative patch diversity frequency indicating the detailed representation that can be attributed to the on-screen visual interpretation technique. Comparisons with global LULC products (GlobCover and MODIS) show that our dataset captures maximum landscape diversity, which is partly attributable to the on-screen visual interpretation techniques. We advocate the utility of this database for national and regional studies on land dynamics and climate change research. The database would be updated to 2015 as a continuing effort of this study.

Sepehr Rejai,1 Nicholas D Giardino,2 Sangeetha Krishnan,1,3 Ira S Ockene,4 Melvyn Rubenfire,3 Elizabeth A Jackson1,31Michigan Cardiovascular Research and Reporting Program, 2Department of Psychiatry, 3Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; 4Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA, USAAbstract: We sought to examine factors associated with depressive symptoms among patients with heart disease. Data from 197 patients admitted for coronary artery disease were examined using multivariate predictive models. Women and unmarried patients were more likely to report depressive symptoms. In multivariate models, we observed that depressive symptoms were associated with the level of tangible social (but not emotional) support, bodily pain, and vitality, but not the number of comorbidities, gender, or marital status.Keywords: heart disease, quality of life, depression

Sumithra Krishnan1, Amy Salter2, Thomas Sullivan2, Melanie Gentgall3, Jason White4, Paul Rolan11Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, 2Discipline of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, 3Pain and Anesthesia Research Clinic, Royal Adelaide Hospital, 4Pharmacy School, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaObjective: Chronic opioid therapy may be associated with hyperalgesia. Our objective was to determine if opioid-induced hyperalgesia detection sensitivity is dependent on the stimulus used to detect it.Methods: This open design study compared the detection of hyperalgesia in opioid-dependent subjects (n = 16) and healthy control subjects (n = 16) using the following pain stimuli: cold pain, electrical stimulation, mechanical pressure, and ischemic pain. The opioid-dependent subjects were maintained on either methadone (n = 8) or buprenorphine (n = 8) for at least 3 months. None of the controls was dependent on opioids or other drugs of abuse.Results: The opioid-dependent subjects were markedly more sensitive than controls to the cold pain test. Compared with the control group, the hazard ratio for ceasing the test due to intolerable pain was 7.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.6–23.3) in the buprenorphine group and 4.5 (95% CI 1.7–15.6) in the methadone group, with similar data for the cold pain threshold. Of the remaining tests, there were differences only for the electrical pain threshold between treatment groups, with the geometric mean threshold in the buprenorphine group being 1.5 (95% CI 1.1–1.9)-fold higher (ie, less sensitive) than that of the controls; the geometric mean for the methadone group was 1.3 (95% CI 1.04–1.7)-fold higher than that of the controls. There were no significant differences between buprenorphine and methadone patients in test responses. Women were more sensitive to the cold pain (hazard ratio for tolerance, 3.1 [95% CI 1.4–7.3]) and ischemic tests (hazard ratio for tolerance, 2.7 [95% CI 1.2–6.1]). There were significant correlations between cold and ischemic tolerances (r = 0.50; P = 0.003) and between electrical and mechanical pain tolerances (r = 0.52; P = 0.002).Conclusion: These findings indicate that cold pain is the most suitable of the methods tested to detect opioid-induced hyperalgesia. This is consistent with its sensitivity to detect opioid analgesia.Keywords: opioid-induced hyperalgesia, opioid-dependent subjects, pain models

Priyaveena Puvanakrishnan1, Jaesook Park1, Deyali Chatterjee2, Sunil Krishnan2, James W Tunnell11Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; 2The UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USAAbstract: Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have gained significant interest as nanovectors for combined imaging and photothermal therapy of tumors. Delivered systemically, GNPs preferentially accumulate at the tumor site via the enhanced permeability and retention effect, and when irradiated with near infrared light, produce sufficient heat to treat tumor tissue. The efficacy of this process strongly depends on the targeting ability of the GNPs, which is a function of the particle’s geometric properties (eg, size) and dosing strategy (eg, number and amount of injections). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of GNP type and dosing strategy on in vivo tumor targeting. Specifically, we investigated the in vivo tumor-targeting efficiency of pegylated gold nanoshells (GNSs) and gold nanorods (GNRs) for single and multiple dosing. We used Swiss nu/nu mice with a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model that received intravenous administration for a single and multiple doses of GNS and GNR. We performed neutron activation analysis to quantify the gold present in the tumor and liver. We performed histology to determine if there was acute toxicity as a result of multiple dosing. Neutron activation analysis results showed that the smaller GNRs accumulated in higher concentrations in the tumor compared to the larger GNSs. We observed a significant increase in GNS and GNR accumulation in the liver for higher doses. However, multiple doses increased targeting efficiency with minimal effect beyond three doses of GNPs. These results suggest a significant effect of particle type and multiple doses on increasing particle accumulation and on tumor targeting ability.Keywords: gold nanorods, gold nanoshells, tumor targeting, multiple dosing

Abstract Background Data are the evidentiary basis for scientific hypotheses, analyses and publication, for policy formation and for decision-making. They are essential to the evaluation and testing of results by peer scientists both present and future. There is broad consensus in the scientific and conservation communities that data should be freely, openly available in a sustained, persistent and secure way, and thus standards for 'free' and 'open' access to data have become well developed in recent years. The question of effective access to data remains highly problematic. Discussion Specifically with respect to scientific publishing, the ability to critically evaluate a published scientific hypothesis or scientific report is contingent on the examination, analysis, evaluation - and if feasible - on the re-generation of data on which conclusions are based. It is not coincidental that in the recent 'climategate' controversies, the quality and integrity of data and their analytical treatment were central to the debate. There is recent evidence that even when scientific data are requested for evaluation they may not be available. The history of dissemination of scientific results has been marked by paradigm shifts driven by the emergence of new technologies. In recent decades, the advance of computer-based technology linked to global communications networks has created the potential for broader and more consistent dissemination of scientific information and data. Yet, in this digital era, scientists and conservationists, organizations and institutions have often been slow to make data available. Community studies suggest that the withholding of data can be attributed to a lack of awareness, to a lack of technical capacity, to concerns that data should be withheld for reasons of perceived personal or organizational self interest, or to lack of adequate mechanisms for attribution. Conclusions There is a clear need for institutionalization of a 'data publishing framework' that can address sociocultural, technical-infrastructural, policy, political and legal constraints, as well as addressing issues of sustainability and financial support. To address these aspects of a data publishing framework - a systematic, standard approach to the formal definition and public disclosure of data - in the context of biodiversity data, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, the single inter-governmental body most clearly mandated to undertake such an effort) convened a Data Publishing Framework Task Group. We conceive this data publishing framework as an environment conducive to ensure free and open access to world's biodiversity data. Here, we present the recommendations of that Task Group, which are intended to encourage free and open access to the worlds' biodiversity data.