Harnessing the sun for an evergreen revolution: a study of solar-powered irrigation in Bihar,India

In 2012, the government of Bihar revived 34 non-functioning public tubewells using solar panels. The performance of 16 of these wells over 12 months was tracked and analyzed using data from tubewell operators and 240 farmers. Access to affordable irrigation from solar pumps led to a 9–10% increase in productivity of rice and wheat. Furthermore, in a severe drought, farmers could grow paddy in the entire area irrigated by solar pumps, when nearly 40% of other land was left fallow. Solar pumps can help increase crop productivity, reduce the cost of irrigation, and make agriculture more resilient to climate change.     

Effect of recombinant erythropoietin on hospital admissions, readmissions, length of stay, and costs of dialysis patients

To examine the effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) on hospital utilization, hospital costs, and Medicare reimbursements for hospital care, a longitudinal, matched cohort study was conducted using Medicare claims data of 23,806 Medicare-eligible, dialysis patients who received rHuEPO, did not have a transplant, and were alive for 18 mo or longer and 22,720 controls matched on age, sex, race, cause of ESRD, and dialysis modality. The relative odds (rHuEPO versus control) of admission for all causes and for specific causes over 9 mo, adjusted for admission in the prior 9 mo and the per patient change in total admissions, inpatient days, hospital costs, and Medicare hospital payments between the prior 9-mo period and the subsequent 9-mo period was examined. The adjusted relative odds (95% confidence interval) of admission (rHuEPO versus control) was: higher and statistically significant for all causes, 1.08 (1.03 to 1.14); seizure, 1.52 (1.28 to 1.75); vascular access revision, 1.11 (1.06 to 1.17), and heart failure, 1.17 (1.09 to 1.26); higher but not statistically significant for angina, 1.09 (0.99 to 1.20) and stroke, 1.08 (0.86 to 1.31); and lower but not statistically significant for myocardial infarction, 0.91 (0.72 to 1.10); peripheral vascular disease, 0.81 (0.60 to 1.02); anemia, 0.86 (0.56 to 1.17); and depression, 0.89 (0.37 to 1.40). The mean change per 1,000 patients in admissions was less by 38 (P = 0.03) because of fewer readmissions, and in days was 1,309 less (P < 0.001), for patients treated with rHuEPO versus controls. The mean change per patient in hospital costs was $371 less and was statistically significant (P = 0.03) and in Medicare hospital payments was $132 less but was not statistically significant (P = 0.43) for patients treated with rHuEPO versus controls. rHuEPO was associated with an increase in the probability of hospital admission (particularly admissions potentially related to adverse effects) but a decrease in readmissions, overall admissions, hospital days, and cost to hospitals in this cohort of patients surviving for 18 mo. Although not realized short term, Medicare savings from potential rHuEPO-related reductions in hospital care may be long term through future adjustments in diagnosis-related group-based hospital payment.     

Utility of catalytic models in the estimation of incidence and prevalence of malaria in a hyperendemic situation

Simple catalytic models were used for estimating the true incidence of malaria in hyperendemic villages of Koraput District in Orissa State where Plasmodium falciparum is predominant. The hill top villages recorded a slide positive rate of 45.68. The daily rate of inoculation among infants was estimated to be 0.00781. The inoculation rate was so high that the recovery from one infection was compensated by the subsequent infection and hence the prevalence continued to increase with age. The model adequately represents the observed data for infants but could not be used for estimating the true prevalence in the adult population without incorporating other factors like immunity and superinfection.     

Intermediate-grade lymphomas treated with cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin- vincristine-prednisone-bleomycin alternated with cyclophosphamide-methotrexate-etoposide-dexamethasone. Application of prognostic models to data analysis

BACKGROUND: Numerous treatment strategies have been tried with the aim of improving results for patients with intermediate-grade lymphomas (IGL) over those achieved with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and bleomycin (CHOP-Bleo), and numerous prognostic models have been developed to identify and separate risk groups. This study reports on a new protocol for Ann Arbor Stages II-IV IGL that consists of CHOP-Bleo alternated with a new regimen of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, etoposide, and dexamethasone (CMED) and radiation therapy and demonstrates the usefulness of prognostic models for identifying risk groups and comparing treatment programs. METHODS: One hundred seventy patients with Ann Arbor Stages II-IV IGL were treated with alternating cycles of CHOP-Bleo and CMED for a total of 12 cycles. Involved field radiation therapy was interspersed with courses of chemotherapy for patients with Stage II and Stage III disease. Results were analyzed and compared with those of the authors' previous study of CHOP-Bleo and radiation therapy using the Ann Arbor staging system, their earlier prognostic model, and the recently published International Index. RESULTS: A complete remission occurred in 78% of the patients. The overall 5-year survival rate was 67%. Survival was better for patients with Ann Arbor Stage II disease (80%) than for those with Stage III or Stage IV (67% and 58%, respectively). High tumor burden, above-normal levels of serum lactic dehydrogenase, serum beta 2-microglobulin, and Ann Arbor Stage IV disease were adverse factors. The International Index and the authors' earlier prognostic model separated four prognostic groups. CHOP-Bleo/CMED was generally well tolerated. Neutropenic fever was the major complication that occurred in 25 patients during treatment. Six of these patients died of sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that CHOP-Bleo/CMED is a well-tolerated regimen that produced better results than those reported for a former study that used CHOP-Bleo alone. Further, results for CHOP-Bleo/CMED compared favorably with those of other second- and third-generation regimens. The study also validated the usefulness of prognostic models and, in particular, the new International Index for identifying risk groups.     

Magnetic separation studies on ferruginous chromite fine to enhance Cr:Fe ratio

The Cr:Fe ratio (chromium-to-iron mass ratio) of chromite affects the production of chrome-based ferroalloys. Although the lit-erature contains numerous reports related to the magnetic separation of di...     

Lung mechanics in sitting and horizontal body positions

We measured lung compliance, pulmonary flow-resistance, and expiratory reserve volume (ERV) in ten healthy young adults in sitting, supine, and lateral positions. Average lung compliance was 0.21 in sitting, 0.19 in lateral and 0.16 L.cm H2O-1 in supine positions. The change was significant (p less than 0.01) between sitting and supine position. Flow-resistance increased from 1.78 in sitting to 2.5 cm H2O.L-1.s (p less than 0.001) in lateral positions, and did not increase further in the supine posture in spite of a 35 percent decrease in ERV (p less than 0.001). Since it is known that lower airways resistance increases with decreasing lung volume, the lack of change in flow-resistance when shifting from lateral to supine posture suggests that upper airways flow-resistance (larynx and oropharynx) is greater in the lateral decubitus than in the supine positions. The decrease of lung compliance in horizontal postures probably reflects increased pulmonary blood volume and small airways closure.