Understanding the linkages between spatio-temporal urban land system changes and land surface temperature in Srinagar City, India, using image archives from Google Earth Engine.

Land-use and land-cover (LULC) is an important component for sustainable natural resource management, and there are considerable impacts of the rapid anthropogenic LULC changes on environment, ecosystem services, and land surface processes. One of the significant adverse implications of the rapidly changing urban LULC is the increase in the Land Surface Temperature (LST) resulting in the urban heat island effect. In this study, we used a time series of Landsat satellite images from 1992 to 2020 in the Srinagar city of the Kashmir valley, North-western Himalaya, India to understand the linkages between LULC dynamics and LST, derived from the archived images using the Google Earth Engine (GEE). Furthermore, the relationship between LST, urban heat island (UHI), and biophysical indices, i.e., Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), was also analysed. LULC change detection analysis from 1992 to 2020 revealed that the built-up area has increased significantly from 12% in 1992 to 40% in 2020, while the extent of water bodies has decreased from 6% in 1992 to 4% in 2020. The area under plantations has decreased from 26% in 1992 to 17% in 2020, and forests have decreased from 4 to 2% during the same period. Urban sprawl of Srinagar city has resulted in the depletion of natural land covers, modification of natural drainage, and loss of green and blue spaces over the past four decades. The study revealed that the maximum LST in the city has increased by 11°C between 1992 and 2020. During the same period of time, the minimum LST in the city has increased by 5°C, indicating the impact of urbanization on the city environment, which is reflected by the observed changes in various environmental indices. UHI impact in the city is quite evident with the maximum LST at the city centre having increased from 13.03°C in 1992 to 22.01°C in 2020. The findings shall serve as a vital source of knowledge for urban planners and decision-makers in developing sustainable urban environmental management strategies for Srinagar city.

Bias-corrected climate change projections over the Upper Indus Basin using a multi-model ensemble.

The study projects climate over the Upper Indus Basin (UIB), covering geographic areas in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China, under the two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), viz., RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 by the late twenty-first century using the best-fit climate model validated against the climate observations from eight meteorological stations. GFDL CM3 performed better than the other five evaluated climate models in simulating the climate of the UIB. The model bias was significantly reduced by the Aerts and Droogers statistical downscaling method, and the projections overall revealed a significant increase in temperature and a slight increase in precipitation across the UIB comprising of Jhelum, Chenab, and Indus sub-basins. According to RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, the temperature and precipitation in the Jhelum are projected to increase by 3 °C and 5.2 °C and 0.8% and 3.4% respectively by the late twenty-first century. The temperature and precipitation in the Chenab are projected to increase by 3.5 °C and 4.8 °C and 8% and 8.2% respectively by the late twenty-first century under the two scenarios. The temperature and precipitation in the Indus are projected to increase by 4.8 °C and 6.5 °C and 2.6% and 8.7% respectively by the late twenty-first century under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The late twenty-first century projected climate would have significant impacts on various ecosystem services and products, irrigation and socio-hydrological regimes, and various dependent livelihoods. It is therefore hoped that the high-resolution climate projections would be useful for impact assessment studies to inform policymaking for climate action in the UIB.

A time and motion study in pediatric ER of the Secondary Hospital in Al Jouf Region, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: In the hospital setting, long waiting times and the lengthy formal process have increased the inefficiency and mismanagement resulting in the missing chance of saving the patients' life. Our aim was to assess the time wastage of every patient coming from reception to the actual emergency unit, to analyze the factor associated with the time lapse that occurs during every visit, and to see the effect of training on the services provided in the Pediatric emergency room. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An intervention study was carried out in the following secondary care hospital in the Al Jouf region, Saudi Arabia: Esawiyah Hospital, Haditha Hospital, King Faisal Hospital, and Gurayat General Hospital among 400 study participants for 12 months. The study was carried out in 2 phases: pre-training, a period of training for hospital staff, and post-training data collection. Templates were generated on an MS Excel sheet and analysis of data was done using SPSS software. Percentages and proportions were calculated for descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Male and female patients were in the ratio of nearly 1:1. Training has significantly reduced the time to doctor consultation (U = 188, p < 0.001), and the time difference pre- and post-training from triage to consultation in a pediatric emergency is not significant (U = 16,769, p = 0.01). There is a strongly significant association (p < 0.001) between Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) implementation in triage. The practice of giving intravenous (IV) antibiotics in the emergency room has reduced significantly (p < 0.001) post-training. CONCLUSIONS: Training has a significant impact on the services provided in the pediatric emergency room.

Explaining the natural and anthropogenic factors driving glacier recession in Kashmir Himalaya, India.

Glaciers across the Kashmir Himalayan region are melting at an accelerated pace compared to other regions across the Himalayan arc. This study analyzed the recession patterns of nine glaciers in the Kashmir Himalaya region over 28 years between 1992 and 2020 using satellite images and field measurements. The recession patterns were correlated with debris cover, topographic factors, and ambient black carbon (BC) concentration at glacier sites. HYSPLIT model was used to track the air mass sources at a 7-day time-step from September 1, 2014, to September 28, 2014, over the selected region. All nine glaciers revealed high recession as indicated by changes in the area (average recession: 20.8%) and snout position (~ 14 m a-1). The relative percentage of debris on each glacier varied between ~ 0% (clean glacier) and 43%. Although the investigated glaciers lie in the same climatological regime, their topographical behavior is dissimilar with mean altitude ranging between 4000 and ~ 4700 m asl and the average slope varying from 17 to 24°. All the investigated glaciers are north-facing except G3 (southerly aspect). Our results indicate anomalously high ambient BC concentrations, ranging from 500 to 1364 ng m-3, at the glacier sites, higher than previously studied for glaciers in the Himalayas and neighboring Tibetan Plateau. The backward air-mass trajectory modeling indicated both local and global sources of particulate matter in the study area. A comparative analysis of BC measurements and glacier recession with the studies conducted across high Asia indicated the influence of BC in accelerating the melting of glaciers in the Kashmir region.

Current trends and prospects of multiple sclerosis research in Arab countries

Background: Multiple sclerosis is a complex and intractable neurological disease associated with substantial morbidity, healthcare utilization, management cost, and loss of productivity. There has been an alarming increase in the number of multiple sclerosis cases in Arab countries in recent years, which has spurred an increase in local research. Aims: To analyse the multiple sclerosis research profile in Arab countries. Methods: A total of 781 publications focusing on multiple sclerosis research in Arab countries from 1983 to 2021 were extracted from the Web of Science database and analysed using bibliometric techniques. Results: Publication on multiple sclerosis research increased sharply in the last decade, globally and in the Arab countries. However, Arab countries have only contributed 0.8% of the overall number of publications. Keyword pattern analysis showed that magnetic resonance imaging, optical coherence tomography, expanded disability status, demyelination, and epidemiology were the major themes of multiple sclerosis research in Arab countries. Case–control, cohort, and descriptive studies were the most prevalent study designs. However, there was a notable paucity of meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and clinical trials. Conclusion: Arab countries can improve their regional expertise and add a wealth of knowledge to global multiple sclerosis resources by diversifying their current research initiatives, and tracking recent advances in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of multiple sclerosis.

Towards understanding various influences on mass balance of the Hoksar Glacier in the Upper Indus Basin using observations.

Mass balance is a good indicator of glacier health and sensitivity to climate change. The debris-covered Hoksar Glacier (HG) in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) was studied using direct and geodetic mass balances. During the 5-year period from 2013 to 2018, the glacier's mean in situ mass balance (MB) was - 0.95 ± 0.39 m w.e. a-1. Similarly, the glacier's mean geodetic MB from 2000 to 2012 was - 1.20 ± 0.35 m w.e. a-1. The continuously negative MB observations indicated that the HG is losing mass at a higher rate than several other Himalayan glaciers. The glacier showed increased mass loss with increasing altitude, in contrast to the typical decreasing MB with increasing elevation, due to the existence of thick debris cover in the ablation zone, which thins out regularly towards the accumulation zone. Rising temperatures, depleting snowfall and increasing black carbon concentration in the region, indicators of climatic change, have all contributed to the increased mass loss of the HG. During the lean period, when glacier melt contributes significantly to streamflow, the mass loss of glaciers has had a considerable impact on streamflow. Water availability for food, energy, and other essential economic sectors would be adversely affected, if, glaciers in the region continued to lose mass due to climatic change. However, long-term MB and hydro-meteorological observations are required to gain a better understanding of glacier recession in the region as climate changes in the UIB.

Dietary protein intake and prostate cancer risk in adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis to summarize available findings on the associations between dietary protein intake and prostate cancer risk as well as the dose-response associations of total, animal, plant, and dairy protein intake with prostate cancer risk. METHODS: This study followed the 2020 PRISMA guideline. We conducted a systematic search in the online databases of PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar to detect eligible prospective studies published to October 2021 that assessed total, animal, plant, and dairy protein intake in relation to prostate cancer risk. RESULTS: Overall, 12 articles containing prospective studies with a total sample size of 388,062 individuals and 30,165 cases of prostate cancer were included. The overall relative risks (RRs) of prostate cancer, comparing the highest and lowest intakes of total, animal, plant, and dairy protein intake, were 0.99 (95% CI: 92-1.07, I2 =12.8%), 0.99 (95% CI: 95-1.04, I2 =0), 1.01 (95% CI: 96-1.06, I2 =0), and 1.08 (95% CI: 1.00-1.16, I2 =38.1%), respectively, indicating a significant positive association for dairy protein intake (P = 0.04) and non-significant associations for other protein types. However, this positive association was seen among men who consumed ≥ 30 gr/day of dairy protein, such that a 20 g/d increase in dairy protein intake (equal to 2.5 cups milk or yogurt) was associated with a 10% higher risk of prostate cancer (Pooled RR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02-1.20, I2 = 42.5%). Such dose-response association was not seen for total, animal, and plant protein intake. CONCLUSION: Overall, dairy protein intake may increase the risk of prostate cancer in men who consumed > 30 gr/day of dairy protein. Larger, well-designed studies are still required to further evaluation of this association.

Characteristics, source apportionment and long-range transport of black carbon at a high-altitude urban centre in the Kashmir valley, North-western Himalaya.

Six years of data (2012-2017) at an urban site-Srinagar in the Northwest Himalaya were used to investigate temporal variability, meteorological influences, source apportionment and potential source regions of BC. The daily BC concentration varies from 0.56 to 40.16 µg/m3 with an inter-annual variation of 4.20-7.04 µg/m3 and is higher than majority of the Himalayan urban locations. High mean annual BC concentration (6.06 µg/m3) is attributed to the high BC observations during winter (8.60 µg/m3) and autumn (8.31 µg/m3) with a major contribution from Nov (13.88 µg/m3) to Dec (13.4 µg/m3). A considerable inter-month and inter-seasonal BC variability was observed owing to the large changes in synoptic meteorology. Low BC concentrations were observed in spring and summer (3.14 µg/m3 and 3.21 µg/m3), corresponding to high minimum temperatures (6.6 °C and 15.7 °C), wind speed (2.4 and 1.6 m/s), ventilation coefficient (2262 and 2616 m2/s), precipitation (316.7 mm and 173.3 mm) and low relative humidity (68% and 62%). However, during late autumn and winter, frequent temperature inversions, shallow PBL (173-1042 m), stagnant and dry weather conditions cause BC to accumulate in the valley. Through the observation period, two predominant diurnal BC peaks were observed at ⁓9:00 h (7.75 µg/m3) and ⁓21:00 h (6.67 µg/m3). Morning peak concentration in autumn (11.28 µg/m3) is ⁓2-2.5 times greater than spring (4.32 µg/m3) and summer (5.23 µg/m3), owing to the emission source peaks and diurnal boundary layer height. Diurnal BC concentration during autumn and winter is 65% and 60% higher than spring and summer respectively. During autumn and winter, biomass burning contributes approximately 50% of the BC concentration compared to only 10% during the summer. Air masses transport considerable BC from the Middle East and northern portions of South Asia, especially the Indo-Gangetic Plains, to Srinagar, with serious consequences for climate, human health, and the environment.

Anthropogenic climate change drives melting of glaciers in the Himalaya.

The Himalayan glaciers provide water to a large population in south Asia for a variety of purposes and ecosystem services. As a result, regional monitoring of glacier melting and identification of the drivers are important for understanding and predicting future cryospheric melting trends. Using multi-date satellite images from 2000 to 2020, we investigated the shrinkage, snout retreat, thickness changes, mass loss and velocity changes of 77 glaciers in the Drass basin, western Himalaya, India. During this period, the total glacier cover has shrunk by 5.31 ± 0.33 km2. The snout retreat ranged from 30 to 430 m (mean 155 ± 9.58 m). Debris cover had a significant impact on glacier melting, with clean glaciers losing ~ 5% more than debris-covered glaciers (~ 2%). The average thickness change and mass loss of glacier have been - 1.27 ± 0.37 and - 1.08 ± 0.31 m w.e.a-1, respectively. Because of the continuous melting and the consequent mass loss, average glacier velocity has reduced from 21.35 ± 3.3 m a-1 in 2000 to 16.68 ± 1.9 m a-1 by 2020. During the observation period, the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs), black carbon (BC) and other pollutants from vehicular traffic near the glaciers increased significantly. Increasing temperatures, caused by a significant increase in GHGs, black carbon and other pollutants in the atmosphere, are driving glacier melting in the study area. If the current trend continues in the future, the Himalayan glaciers may disappear entirely, having a significant impact on regional water supplies, hydrological processes, ecosystem services and transboundary water sharing.

Mammary epithelial cell transcriptome reveals potential roles of lncRNAs in regulating milk synthesis pathways in Jersey and Kashmiri cattle.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are now proven as essential regulatory elements, playing diverse roles in many biological processes including mammary gland development. However, little is known about their roles in the bovine lactation process. RESULTS: To identify and characterize the roles of lncRNAs in bovine lactation, high throughput RNA sequencing data from Jersey (high milk yield producer), and Kashmiri cattle (low milk yield producer) were utilized. Transcriptome data from three Kashmiri and three Jersey cattle throughout their lactation stages were utilized for differential expression analysis. At each stage (early, mid and late) three samples were taken from each breed. A total of 45 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified between the three stages of lactation. The differentially expressed lncRNAs were found co-expressed with genes involved in the milk synthesis processes such as GPAM, LPL, and ABCG2 indicating their potential regulatory effects on milk quality genes. KEGG pathways analysis of potential cis and trans target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs indicated that 27 and 48 pathways were significantly enriched between the three stages of lactation in Kashmiri and Jersey respectively, including mTOR signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling, and RAP1 signaling pathways. These pathways are known to play key roles in lactation biology and mammary gland development. CONCLUSIONS: Expression profiles of lncRNAs across different lactation stages in Jersey and Kashmiri cattle provide a valuable resource for the study of the regulatory mechanisms involved in the lactation process as well as facilitate understanding of the role of lncRNAs in bovine lactation biology.

Job satisfaction as a mediator between structural empowerment and intent-to-leave: A study of critical care nurses.

BACKGROUND: Nurse turnover is an issue that impacts a hospital's financial resources and the quality of patient care. There is a need to discover what actions can be taken to improve nurse retention. OBJECTIVE: Nurses' job satisfaction has been shown to improve organizational outcomes, such as nurses' retention. The objective of this study is to examines the relationship between intent to leave, job satisfaction and structural empowerment (SE), providing a theoretical basis for further research. METHODS: A convenience sample of 83 critical care nurses, recruited from two Facebook groups and the AACN website. The nurses completed a survey that used three tools; Conditions of Work Effectiveness II (CWEQ II), Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), and Turnover Intention (TIS-6) to address 4 hypotheses to determine the relationship of the three constructs. RESULTS: Findings indicated that SE was not significantly related to intent-to-leave; SE was positively related to job satisfaction (ß=0.760, p<0.01) , and job satisfaction was negatively related to Intent-to-leave (ß=-0.610, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The research provided a theoretical framework for further research on SE and its importance in improving job satisfaction and reducing turnover in critical nurse.

Atypical Orthognathic Surgical Protocol for Facial Feminisation as an Adjunct to Gender Affirmation Therapy: a Case Report.

Gender Affirmation Surgery/Therapy (GAS/GAT) constitutes an array of surgical and hormonal therapy performed on patients presenting with a diagnosis of 'Gender Dysphoria'. Facial Feminisation Surgery is a part of the overall gender reassignment process. It is a broad term used to describe the surgical alteration, generally performed on a male-to-female transsexual individual, in which, a masculine facial appearance is changed to a more feminine form. An 18-year-old transgender male undergoing GAT reported to our centre in Mumbai, India with a complaint of masculine face with forwardly placed teeth in the upper arch and thick-set backwardly placed lower jaw and lip. Patient was taken up for ortho-surgical management to establish a feminine facial form and a stable functional occlusion. Mandibular advancement using the bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy, which is an uncommon protocol in GAT cases was found to be a viable option in the successful management of such a clinical scenario.

Enabling Selectively Tunable Mechanical Properties of Graphene Oxide/Silk Fibroin/Cellulose Nanocrystal Bionanofilms.

Enhancing and manipulating the mechanical properties of graphene oxide (GO)-based structures are challenging because the GO assembly is easily delaminated. We develop nacre-like bionanofilms whose in-plane mechanical properties can be manipulated through water vapor annealing without influencing their mechanical properties in the thickness direction. These bionanofilms are prepared from GO, silk fibroin (SF), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) via a spin-assisted layer-by-layer assembly. The postannealing mechanical properties of the films are determined with atomic force microscopy (AFM) bending and nanoindentation, and it is confirmed that the mechanical properties of the bionanofilms are altered only in the in-plane direction. While AFM bending shows Young's moduli of 26.9, 36.3, 24.3, and 41.4 GPa for 15, 15 annealed, 30, and 30 annealed GO/SF/CNC trilayers, nanoindentation shows reduced moduli of 19.5 ± 2.6 and 19.5 ± 2.5 GPa before and after annealing, respectively. The unaltered mechanical properties of the bionanofilms along the thickness direction after annealing can be attributed to the CNC frame in the SF matrix acting as a support against stress in the thickness direction, while annealing reorganizes the bionanofilm structure. The tunability of the bionanofilms' mechanical properties in only one direction through structure manipulation can lead to various applications, such as e-skin, wearable sensors, and human-machine interaction devices.

SNPs in Mammary Gland Epithelial Cells Unraveling Potential Difference in Milk Production Between Jersey and Kashmiri Cattle Using RNA Sequencing.

Deep RNA sequencing experiment was employed to detect putative single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in mammary epithelial cells between two diverse cattle breeds (Jersey and Kashmiri) to understand the variations in the coding regions that reflect differences in milk production traits. The low milk-producing Kashmiri cattle are being replaced by crossbreeding practices with Jersey cattle with the aim of improving milk production. However, crossbred animals are prone to infections and various other diseases resulting in unsustainable milk production. In this study, we tend to identify high-impact SNPs from Jersey and Kashmiri cows (utilizing RNA-Seq data) to delineate key pathways mediating milk production traits in both breeds. A total of 607 (442 SNPs and 169 INDELs) and 684 (464 SNPs and 220 INDELs) high-impact variants were found specific to Jersey and Kashmir cattle, respectively. Based on our results, we conclude that in Jersey cattle, genes with high-impact SNPs were enriched in nucleotide excision repair pathway, ABC transporter, and metabolic pathways like glycerolipid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and amino acid synthesis (glycine, serine, and threonine). Whereas, in Kashmiri cattle, the most enriched pathways include endocytosis pathway, innate immunity pathway, antigen processing pathway, insulin resistance pathway, and signaling pathways like TGF beta and AMPK which could be a possible defense mechanism against mammary gland infections. A varied set of SNPs in both breeds, suggests a clear differentiation at the genomic level; further analysis of high-impact SNPs are required to delineate their effect on these pathways.

Particulate pollution over an urban Himalayan site: Temporal variability, impact of meteorology and potential source regions.

Five-year (2013-2017) particulate matter (PM) data observed at an urban site, Srinagar, Kashmir Himalaya, India was used to examine the temporal variability, meteorological impacts and potential source regions of PM. The daily mean PM10 and PM2.5 concentration was 135 ± 112 µg/m3 and 87 ± 93 µg/m3 respectively with significant intra- and inter-daily variation. The annual PM10 and PM2.5 concentration was 2.0-3.2 and 1.7-2.8 times higher than the annual Indian National Ambient Air Quality Standards (PM10 = 60 µg/m3 and PM2.5 = 40 µg/m3). PM concentration shows a bimodal diurnal pattern with morning and evening peaks, which coincide with the increased anthropogenic activity and shallow planetary boundary layer (PBL). The combined effect of the low temperature, low wind speed, shallow and stable PBL and geomorphic setup of Kashmir valley leads to the accumulation of particulate pollution during autumn and winter and the converse meteorological conditions leads to dispersion, dilution and deposition during spring and summer. High precipitation rate (>15 mm/day) removes the coarse particles (PM10) more efficiently than fine particles (PM2.5), while as the moderate to high humid conditions (55-95%) leads to the accumulation and growth of more PM. It was observed that ~80% of the air masses arriving at the site during spring, autumn and winter are westerlies. Source contribution analysis revealed that highly potential source regions of PM at the site are neighboring Pakistan, Afghanistan, parts of Iran and Trans-Gangetic Plains, which could contribute high concentration of the PM10 (>250 µg/m3) and PM2.5 (>150 µg/m3) during autumn and winter. The high PM load observed at the site during autumn and winter, with major contribution from the anthropogenic source emissions like biomass and coal burning, fossil fuel combustion and suspension of road dust, is aggravated by the geomorphic and meteorological setup of the Kashmir valley.

The satellite observed glacier mass changes over the Upper Indus Basin during 2000-2012.

Decadal glacier thickness changes over the Upper Indus Basin in the Jammu and Kashmir Himalaya were estimated using the TanDEM-X and SRTM-C Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) from 2000 to 2012. In the study area 12,243 glaciers having 19,727 ± 1,054 km2 area have thinned on an average of - 0.35 ± 0.33 m a-1 during the observation period. The highest thinning of - 1.69 ± 0.60 m a-1 was observed in the Pir Panjal while as the marginal thinning of - 0.11 ± 0.32 m a-1 was observed for the glaciers in the Karakoram. The observed glacier thickness changes indicated a strong influence of the topographic parameters. Higher thickness reduction was observed on the glaciers situated at lower altitudes (- 1.40 ± 0.53 m a-1) and with shallower slopes (- 1.52 ± 0.40 m a-1). Significantly higher negative thickness changes were observed from the glaciers situated on the southern slopes (- 0.55 ± 0.37 m a-1). The thickness loss was higher on the debris-covered glaciers (- 0.50 ± 0.38 m a-1) than on the clean glaciers (- 0.32 ± 0.33 m a-1). The cumulative glacier mass loss of - 70.32 ± 66.69 Gt was observed during the observation period, which, if continued, would significantly affect the sustainability of water resources in the basin.

Satellite-observed glacier recession in the Kashmir Himalaya, India, from 1980 to 2018.

The study, first of its kind in the Kashmir Valley, uses a time series of satellite data (1980-2018) to determine the glacier health, which is critical for sustaining the perenniality of the rivers originating from the area. The role of topography, morphology and climate on the observed glacier recession was investigated. In total, 147 glaciers were mapped from 1980 image; ~ 72% of the glaciers have area ≤ 3 km2 and a majority of them (123) are having size < 1 km2. The glaciers have reduced from 101.73 ± 16.79 km2 in 1980 to 72.41 ± 4.7 km2 in 2018 showing a recession of 29.32 ± 12.09 km2 during the period (28.82%). The observed glacier loss is higher (0.77 ± 0.31 km2 a-1) compared with the other Himalayan regions. The results indicated that there is strong influence of altitude, aspect, slope and climate on glacier recession. The glaciers with area ≤ 1 km2 have receded significantly more (41.20 ± 6.20%) than the larger glaciers > 3 km2 in area (15.97 ± 5.13%). The glaciers situated between 4200 and 4400 m altitudes have receded more (~ 55 ± 5.01%) than those situated at altitudes > 4800 m (~ 19 ± 6.9%). Furthermore, the glaciers with steep slope (> 25) have witnessed lower recession (0.25 ± 0.15 km2 a-1) compared to the glaciers with gentle slope (0.51 ± 0.22 km2 a-1). The south-facing glaciers showed higher recession (~ 38%) compared with the north-facing glaciers (~ 27%). The findings suggest that the increase in temperature and decline in winter solid precipitation have resulted in the glacier recession with the consequent depletion of the streamflows, which, if continued in the future, would adversely affect the economy in the region.

Antibody-Secreting Cells To Diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection in Children in Pakistan.

Reliance on microbiologic methods to diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is a suboptimal approach for children due in part to the paucibacillary nature of the disease. A blood-based biomarker assay, such as the mycobacterial-antibody-secreting cell (MASC) assay, could be a major advance for the field of study of pediatric tuberculosis (TB). Children <15 years of age with clinical concern for TB and age-matched children with no concern for TB were enrolled from outpatient clinics in Karachi, Pakistan. MASC, ferritin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) assays were performed, and results were compared among cases and controls, as well as among children with a case definition of "confirmed TB," "probable TB," or "possible TB." MASC responses were significantly higher among children with TB than among controls (0.41 optical density [OD] versus 0.28 OD, respectively, P < 0.001), and the differences were largely driven by the data from children with confirmed TB (P = 0.002). Ferritin and CRP values were significantly higher among those with confirmed TB than among those with the other disease states and controls (P = 0.004 and P = 0.019, respectively). The use of the MASC assay as a blood-based biomarker for TB disease shows some promise among children with microbiologically confirmed disease; however, the performance characteristics for the majority of young children with unconfirmed TB were suboptimal in this cohort.IMPORTANCE Tuberculosis (TB) in children represents a missed opportunity for diagnosis and preventive therapy. The magnitude or burden of disease in children is not fully understood due to our limitations with respect to exploring sensitive diagnostic algorithms. In a setting of TB endemicity in Pakistan, we carried out a proof-of-concept study to evaluate for the first time the performance of B cell analyses by the use of well-defined diagnostic criteria and NIH consensus guidelines as "culture-confirmed," "probable," and "possible" TB groups. In contrast to detection of serum antibody, we focused on mycobacterial-antibody-secreting cell (MASC) detection as a marker of active disease in children with a strong suspicion of TB. Further work exploring a larger panel of inflammatory biomarkers and enrichment of B cells with the objective of increasing the sensitivity of the current MASC assay would lead to the development of a field-friendly assay for timely diagnosis of childhood TB.

Effects of SiO2 content on the nanomechanical properties of CoCrPt-SiO2 granular films.

CoCrPt material is used for perpendicular magnetic recording media due to its high magneto-crystalline anisotropy that brings good thermal stability on the media. The addition of SiO2 between the CoCrPt grains offers benefits including lower noise and better thermal stability. It has been reported that the SiO2 content has strong effects on the media's recording performance such as coercivity, anisotropy and noise. In this work, we focus on studying the effects of the SiO2 content on the nanomechanical properties of the media which are critical for the head-disk interface reliability. Variations of these properties with SiO2 content provide guidelines for optimum designs considering both recording and mechanical interface performance.

Methicillin resistance genes and in vitro biofilm formation among Staphylococcus aureus isolates from bovine mastitis in India.

INTRODUCTION: Biofilms, an assemblage of microbial cells irreversibly associated with a surface and enclosed in a matrix of polysaccharide material pose serious health challenges, resulting in high economic losses. The emergence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections and ability to form biofilms in dairy animals is of emerging concern for livestock and public health owing to their association with serious infections. The present study was undertaken to examine the presence of methicillin resistance genes among the biofilm forming Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from cases of acute and subacute bovine mastitis. A total of 150 mastitic milk samples referred to Veterinary Clinical Complex, Shuhama (Aulesteng) SKUAST-K were screened in present study. The methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates were also screened for in vitro biofilm forming ability. RESULTS: A total of 80 (53.33%) S. aureus isolates were recovered from cases of bovine mastitis of which 20 (25%) were methicillin (mecA) gene positive. Of the 20 mecA positive isolates, 20% were positive for SCCmec I, 35% for SCCmec IV and 45% for SCCmec V subtypes. In vitro antibiotic sensitivity testing of MRSA revealed complete resistance towards methicillin and other pencillin group of antibiotics. CONCLUSION: A significant correlation was observed between in vitro biofilm formation and presence of methicillin resistance gene in S aureus isolates recovered from acute and subacute mastitis. The Staphylococcus aureus isolates positive for methicillin resistance gene (mecA) were either strong or moderate biofilm formers.