Assessing the land use dynamics and thermal environment using geospatial techniques in the industrial city of Chotanagpur Plateau Region, India.

The phenomenon of urban heat island (UHI) is characterized by industrial, economic development, unplanned and unregulated land use as well as a rapid increase in urban population, resulting a warmer inner core in contrast to the surrounding natural environment, thus requiring immediate attention for a sustainable urban environment. This study examined the land use/land cover (LULC) change, pattern of spectral indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI; Normalized Difference Water Index, NDWI; Normalized Difference Built-up Index, NDBI and Normalized Difference Bareness Index, NDBaI), retrieval of land surface temperature (LST) and Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) as well as identification of UHI from 2000 to 2022. The relationship among LST and LULC spectral indices was estimated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The Landsat-5 (TM) and Landsat-8 (OLI/TIRS) satellite data have been used, and all tasks were completed through various geospatial tools like ArcGIS 10.8, Google Earth Engine (GEE), Erdas Imagine 2014 and R-Programming. The result of this study depicts over the period that built-up area and water bodies increased by 119.78 and 35.70%, respectively. On the contrary, fallow and barren decreased by 55.33 and 32.31% respectively over the period. The mean and maximum LST increased by 3.61 °C and 2.62 °C, and the study reveals that a high concentration of UTFVI and UHI in industrial areas, coal mining sites and their surroundings, but the core urban area has observed low LST and intensity of UHI than the peripheral areas due to maintained vegetation cover and water bodies. An inverse relationship has been found among LST, NDVI and NDWI, while adverse relationships were observed among LST, NDBI and NDBaI throughout the period. Sustainable environment planning is needful for the urban area, as well as the periphery region and plantation is one of the controlling measures of LST and UHI increment. This work provides the scientific base for the study of the thermal environment which can be one of the variables for planning of Asansol City and likewise other cities of the country as well as the world.

Evaluating perspective and quality of life of glaucoma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in India: Results of a telephone survey.

Purpose: The past few years have been difficult in the lives of most glaucoma patients in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim was to find out patients' perspective and disruption of their quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic by conducting a telephone survey among glaucoma patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving the glaucoma patients of a tertiary eye care hospital in India. Patients who had completed at least five years of follow-up before 2020 were randomized by a random number generator. A validated (forward-backward translation and completed pilot analysis) set of 14 questionnaires was administered to the patients, the latter of whom were telephonically interviewed by one of the investigators in February 2022. The entire data was audio-recorded. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used. Results: Out of 1141 patients with >5 years of follow-up, 103 were selected by randomization. A large group of 46 patients (44.6%) admitted to glaucoma affecting their daily activities. Only 12 (11.6%) admitted to being irregular with their drops. Thirty-four (33%) patients felt that their glaucoma was deteriorating and 31 (30.1%) had fear of blindness. Ninety-five patients (92.7%) felt that they were safe under the care of the treating doctor. There were 46 (44.6%) out of 103 patients who did not turn up for follow-up for six months or more. Lockdown (36.2%) and travel-expenses (27.6%) were the two most common reasons for the loss to follow-up visits. Conclusion: Nearly half of the long-term glaucoma patients were lost to follow-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Glaucoma affecting daily lives and fear of losing vision turned out to be significant observations in the telephone survey. This fear seemed to be ameliorated by the majority still feeling safe by being in touch with their doctor for continued care even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visual function tests for glaucoma practice - What is relevant?

Glaucoma represents one of the most important ocular diseases causing irreversible ganglion cell death. It is one of the most common causes of visual impairment and morbidity in the elderly population. There are various tests for measuring visual function in glaucoma. While visual field remains the undisputed method for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring disease progression, other tests have been studied for their utility in glaucoma practice. This review discusses some of the commonly used tests of visual function that can be routinely used in clinics for glaucoma management. Among the various modalities of testing visual function in glaucoma, this review highlights the tests that are most clinically relevant.

Spaeth/Richman Contrast Sensitivity in Staging Glaucoma.

Purpose: To investigate contrast sensitivity measures in glaucoma eyes with moderate to severe glaucoma. Methods: The study included 50 eyes of 47 pseudophakic patients with moderate or severe glaucoma who were seen at a tertiary center from 2017 to 2020. Assessment of contrast sensitivity using the Spaeth/Richman contrast sensitivity (SPARCS) test and the Pelli-Robson (PR) chart was compared in eyes with mean deviation (MD) < -12 decibels (dB) and > -20 dB (group 1), MD < -20 dB and > -30 dB (group 2), or MD < -30 dB (group 3). Multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the association of visual field MD with SPARCS/PR scores and various clinical variables, including age, diagnosis, and logMar visual acuity. Results: SPARCS total scores and quadrant-wise scores were significantly different in all of the quadrants, whereas central scores and PR contrast sensitivity were similar across groups. The total SPARCS scores predicted the change in MD (ß = 0.5, P < 0.001, R2 = 61.8%) with minimal association of other quadrantic or PR scores. Total SPARCS scores of <45 and <38 predicted severe glaucoma with MD crossing -20 dB (sensitivity, 70.5%; specificity, 80.9%) and -30 dB (sensitivity, 79.3%; specificity, 77.7%), respectively. The logMar visual acuity did not correlate with any contrast sensitivity measure or clinical variables in this study. Conclusions: The total SPARCS score may be used in staging glaucoma severity and to assess visual function in eyes with severe glaucoma. Translational Relevance: The SPARCS test is a useful tool for assessing visual function in advanced glaucoma beyond MD worse than -20 dB or -30 dB.

Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 2A mediated activation of Sonic Hedgehog pathway induces HLA class Ia downregulation in gastric cancer cells.

One of the immune evasion strategies manifested by malignant cells is the downregulation of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA). HLA Class I (HLA- A, -B, -C) present endogenous peptides including viral and tumor antigens to cytotoxic T lymphocytes for immune mediated destruction. We have found the Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) Latent Membrane Protein 2A (LMP2A) to be responsible for this HLA downregulation in gastric cancer cells. Our results further indicate the Sonic Hedgehog pathway; primarily Gli1 to bring about the LMP2A mediated decrease in HLA expression.

Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein-2A alters mitochondrial dynamics promoting cellular migration mediated by Notch signaling pathway.

Recently, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells have been linked with dysregulated mitochondrial dynamics. Mitochondria are essential cellular organelles that undergo continuous dynamic cycles of fission and fusion. It has been proposed that a delicate balance between these two processes is important for many pathophysiological outcomes including cancer. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a gamma herpesvirus that is associated with various lymphoid and epithelial malignancies. The viral latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A) has been shown to increase the invasive ability and induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Our present study reveals that mitochondrial dynamics also plays a critical role in Epstein-Barr virus-associated epithelial cancers. Our data indicate that viral LMP2A causes an elevated mitochondrial fission in gastric and breast cancer cells, which is manifested by elevated fission protein dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). Furthermore, LMP2A-mediated Notch pathway is responsible for this enhanced fission since inhibitors of the pathway decrease the expression of Drp1.

Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small non-coding RNAs induce cancer cell chemoresistance and migration.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encoded small, non-coding, non-polyadenylated RNAs, known as EBERs are the most abundantly expressed viral transcripts in latently EBV infected cells. We found the specific role of EBERs in cell cycle progression, resistance against chemotherapeutic drug and cellular invasion in gastric cancer cells in vitro. Ectopic expression of EBERs upregulates the expression of IL-6 and activate its downstream STAT3, which is significantly involved in downregulating the expression of cell cycle inhibitor genes p21 and p27. Stable expression of EBERs regulates the activation of pFAK and pPAK1 and the expression of anti-metastatic genes RhoGDI and KAI-1 in gastric cancer cells. In addition, administration of neu-IL-6 antibody and dominant negative STAT3ß reduces chemoresistance and inhibits invasion of EBERs-expressing gastric cancer cells. Our results thus revealed a novel role of EBERs in the coordination of IL-6-STAT3 signaling pathway to chemoresistance and cellular migration.