Global estimate of burnout among the public health workforce: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Burnout is an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress. We conducted this review to estimate the pooled global prevalence of burnout among the public health workforce. METHODS: We conducted this review as per the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We included only cross-sectional studies reporting outcome estimates among the study population. We included articles published before December 2023. We used a search strategy to systematically select the articles from PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar. We assessed the quality of the studies using an adapted version of NIH's study tool assessment for cross-sectional and observational cohort studies. We estimated the pooled proportion using the random-effects model. RESULTS: We included eight studies in our review, covering a sample size of 215,787. The pooled proportion of burnout was 39% (95% CI: 25-53%; p-value: < 0.001). We also identified high heterogeneity among the included studies in our review (I2: 99.67%; p-value: < 0.001). Seven out of the eight studies were of good quality. The pooled proportion of the studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic was 42% (95% CI: 17-66%), whereas for the studies conducted during the non-pandemic period, it was 35% (95% CI: 10-60%). CONCLUSION: In our review, more than one-third of public health workers suffer from burnout, which adversely affects individuals' mental and physical health. Burnout among the public health workforce requires attention to improve the well-being of this group. Multisite studies using standardized definitions are needed for appropriate comparisons and a better understanding of variations in burnout in various subgroups based on sociodemographic characteristics and type of work responsibilities. We must design and implement workplace interventions to cope with burnout and increase well-being. LIMITATIONS: Due to the limited research on burnout among public health workers, we could not perform a subgroup analysis on various factors that could have contributed to burnout.

Community Control of Hypertension and Diabetes (CoCo-HD) program in the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu: a study protocol for a type 3 hybrid trial.

INTRODUCTION: India grapples with a formidable health challenge, with an estimated 315 million adults afflicted with hypertension and 100 million living with diabetes mellitus. Alarming statistics reveal rates for poor treatment and control of hypertension and diabetes. In response to these pressing needs, the Community Control of Hypertension and Diabetes (CoCo-HD) program aims to implement structured lifestyle interventions at scale in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. AIMS: This research is designed to evaluate the implementation outcomes of peer support programs and community mobilisation strategies in overcoming barriers and maximising enablers for effective diabetes and hypertension prevention and control. Furthermore, it will identify contextual factors that influence intervention scalability and it will also evaluate the program's value and return on investment through economic evaluation. METHODS: The CoCo-HD program is underpinned by a longstanding collaborative effort, engaging stakeholders to co-design comprehensive solutions that will be scalable in the two states. This entails equipping community health workers with tailored training and fostering community engagement, with a primary focus on leveraging peer supportat scale in these communities. The evaluation will undertake a hybrid type III trial in, Kerala and Tamil Nadu states, guided by the Institute for Health Improvement framework. The evaluation framework is underpinned by the application of three frameworks, RE-AIM, Normalisation Process Theory, and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Evaluation metrics include clinical outcomes: diabetes and hypertension control rates, as well as behavioural, physical, and biochemical measurements and treatment adherence. DISCUSSION: The anticipated outcomes of this study hold immense promise, offering important learnings into effective scaling up of lifestyle interventions for hypertension and diabetes control in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). By identifying effective implementation strategies and contextual determinants, this research has the potential to lead to important changes in healthcare delivery systems. CONCLUSIONS: The project will provide valuable evidence for the scaling-up of structured lifestyle interventions within the healthcare systems of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, thus facilitating their future adaptation to diverse settings in India and other LMICs.

Effectiveness of multiple combined lifestyle interventions in reducing blood pressure among patients with prehypertension and hypertension: a network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Different combinations of lifestyle interventions have been studied with varying results on hypertension control. Hence, this review was done to compare multiple combined lifestyle intervention in reducing blood pressure (BP) among patients with prehypertension or hypertension. METHODS: We conducted systematic search in the following databases: MEDLINE, PubMed Central, CENTRAL, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar from 1964 until November 2020. Estimates of comparative intervention effect from network meta-analyses (random-effects model) were represented as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: In total, 14 studies with 2451 participants were included. Almost all the studies had high risk of bias. Healthy diet (HD) and physical activity (PA) combination showed highest mean reduction in systolic BP (-9.88 mmHg) and diastolic BP (-6.28 mmHg) followed by HD + PA + smoking cessation + alcohol restriction combination (systolic BP = -6.58 mmHg, diastolic BP = -4.09 mmHg) compared with usual care. HD and PA combination had the highest probability of being the best intervention (82.8% for SBP and 81.7% for DBP). CONCLUSION: We found that HD and PA are the most important combination of lifestyle modifications for prehypertensive and hypertensive patients. Hence, a coordinated approach is required from the clinicians by integrating beneficial effect of these modifications through education, counselling and support.

Multifractal Conductance Fluctuations in High-Mobility Graphene in the Integer Quantum Hall Regime.

We present the first experimental evidence for the multifractality of a transport property at a topological phase transition. In particular, we show that conductance fluctuations display multifractality at the integer quantum Hall plateau-to-plateau transitions in high-mobility mesoscopic graphene devices. The multifractality gets rapidly suppressed as the chemical potential moves away from these critical points. Our combination of experimental study and multifractal analysis provides a novel method for probing the criticality of wave functions at phase transitions in mesoscopic systems, and quantum criticality in several condensed-matter systems.

COVID-19 Severity and Mortality Among Chronic Liver Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Pre-existing comorbid conditions in COVID-19 patients are risk factors for developing severe disease and death. We aimed to determine the association of chronic liver disease (CLD), a comorbid condition, with severity of disease and death among COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We searched for studies reporting COVID-19 outcomes among CLD and non-CLD patients in databases including Medline, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library from inception of the pandemic until February 2022. Risk of bias assessment was conducted by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for assessing the quality of nonrandomized studies in meta-analyses. We conducted a meta-analysis with a random-effects model and reported pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs. RESULTS: We included 40 studies with 908,032 participants. Most studies were conducted in China and the US. COVID-19 patients with CLD had significantly higher odds of having a severe form of COVID-19 (pooled OR = 2.44; 95% CI, 1.89-3.16) and death (pooled OR = 2.35; 95% CI, 1.85-3.00) when compared with COVID-19 patients without CLD. CONCLUSION: The presence of CLD is significantly related to adverse clinical outcomes among COVID-19 patients in terms of severity and mortality. Clinicians should develop a comprehensive intervention plan to manage these high-risk patients and reduce COVID-19-related deaths.

Progressive Perineal Urethroplasty for Pelvic Fracture Urethral Distraction Defect in Prepubertal Children: The Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Urethroplasty in pediatric patients is a challenging task. In this study, we have tried to assess the complexity and evaluate the outcome of progressive perineal anastomotic urethroplasty in prepubertal children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective data of all the prepubertal children who underwent progressive perineal urethroplasty between March 2009 and April 2014 were analyzed. Patients were evaluated with history, examination, essential laboratory investigations, retrograde urethrogram, and voiding cystourethrogram. Before subjecting the patients for definitive surgery, antegrade and retrograde endoscopic assessment was done. The surgery was performed by the transperineal route with the help of ×2.5 magnification. Patients were followed up with uroflowmetry for every 3 months in the 1st year and for every 6 months in the subsequent years. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 7.3 (range 5-11) years. Mean urethral distraction defect was 1.7 (range 1-2.5) cm. All the patients were successfully managed by the perineal approach. Crural separation was performed in all the patients while additional inferior pubectomy was required in six patients. Mean operating time was 298 (range 180-400) min. Mean blood loss was 174 (range 100-500) ml. One patient had the left calf hematoma in the immediate postoperative period. Seven out of nine (77.7%) patients had successful urethroplasty. Two patients had failed urethroplasty who were successfully managed by redo-urethroplasty. Transient incontinence was observed in one patient. Erectile function could not be assessed in these patients. CONCLUSION: This study shows the feasibility of progressive perineal urethroplasty by the perineal route in prepubertal children. An endoscopic assessment should be performed before the definitive surgery. Use of loupe helps in performing better anastomosis and hence yielding a better result.

Retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy for benign nonfunctioning kidneys: Training and outcome.

INTRODUCTION: Between the two techniques of laparoscopic nephrectomy, retroperitoneoscopy has certain distinct advantages over transperitoneal access but may be a more difficult technique to learn. We present our experience of training novices in retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy with a good outcome, making it a standard of care for nephrectomy at our institute. METHODS: The aim of this study was to report the initial experience, learning curve, and outcome of retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy by novices under a mentored approach. The series included four novice urologists. The data from the initial forty retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomies performed by each of them were reviewed. RESULTS: Retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomies were successfully completed by novices in 88.1% (141/160) of the patients. Nine cases (5.6%) required the mentor's help because of nonprogression, and ten cases (6%) required conversion to open nephrectomy. The median operative time of all surgeons decreased with increased surgical experience. There was some intersurgeon variation in the learning curve ranging from 10 to 30 cases, but all surgeons showed a significant reduction in operative time across consecutive sets of ten cases. Seven cases required mentor help in the initial series (7/80) and only two in later half of cases (2/80). All minor complications were also significantly less in the later series. CONCLUSIONS: The present series represents the effectiveness of training in retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy of novices by a responsible team and with the standard protocol and surgical steps. Through effective mentoring, the steep learning curve associated with retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy has been overcome, making it standard of care for nephrectomy at our institute.

Optical-optical double resonance, laser induced fluorescence, and revision of the signs of the spin-spin constants of the boron carbide (BC) free radical.

The cold boron carbide free radical (BC X (4)Σ(-)) has been produced in a pulsed discharge free jet expansion using a precursor mixture of trimethylborane in high pressure argon. High resolution laser induced fluorescence spectra have been obtained for the B (4)Σ(-)-X (4)Σ(-) and E (4)Π-X (4)Σ(-) band systems of both (11)BC and (10)BC. An optical-optical double resonance (OODR) scheme was implemented to study the finer details of both band systems. This involved pumping a single rotational level of the B state with one laser and then recording the various allowed transitions from the intermediate B state to the final E state with a second laser by monitoring the subsequent E-X ultraviolet fluorescence. In this fashion, we were able to prove unambiguously that, contrary to previous studies, the spin-spin constant λ is negative in the ground state and positive in the B (4)Σ(-) excited state. It has been shown that λ″ < 0 is in fact expected based on a semiempirical second order perturbation theory calculation of the magnitude of the spin-spin constant. The OODR spectra have also been used to validate our assignments of the complex and badly overlapped E (4)Π-X (4)Σ(-) 0-0 and 1-0 bands of (11)BC. The E-X 0-0 band of (10)BC was found to be severely perturbed. The ground state main electron configuration is …3σ(2)4σ(2)5σ(1)1π(2)2π(0) and the derived bond lengths show that there is a 0.03 Å contraction in the B state, due to the promotion of an electron from the 4σ antibonding orbital to the 5σ bonding orbital. In contrast, the bond length elongates by 0.15 Å in the E state, a result of promoting an electron from the 5σ bonding orbital to the 2π antibonding orbitals.

An experimental and theoretical study of the electronic spectrum of the HBCl free radical.

Following our previous discovery of the spectra of the HBX (X = F, Cl, and Br) free radicals [S.-G. He, F. X. Sunahori, and D. J. Clouthier, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 10814 (2005)], the Ã(2)A(″)Π-X̃(2)A(') band systems of the HBCl and DBCl free radicals have been studied in detail. The radicals have been prepared in a pulsed electric discharge jet using a precursor mixture of BCl3 and H2 or D2 in high pressure argon. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and single vibronic level emission spectra have been recorded to map out the ground and excited state vibrational energy levels. The band system involves a linear-bent transition between the two Renner-Teller components of what would be a (2)Π electronic state at linearity. We have used high level ab initio theory to calculate the ground and excited state potential energy surfaces and have determined the vibronic energy levels variationally. The theory results were used to assign the LIF spectra which involve transitions from the ground state zero-point level to high vibrational levels of the excited state. The correspondence between theory and experiment, including the transition frequencies, upper state band symmetries, and H, B, and Cl isotope shifts, was used to validate the assignments.

An outbreak of H1N1 Influenza A among the students and staff of school X, Kozhikode, January 2020.

Background: An outbreak of fever and cough was notified to public health authorities by the management of school X among their students, Kozhikode district, Kerala, on Jan 1, 2020. We conducted an outbreak investigation to confirm the diagnosis, describe the case patients by time, place, and person, and propose appropriate recommendations. Materials and Methods: We defined a probable case of influenza as any student or staff of school X, Kozhikode district with a fever and cough between Dec 30, 2019, and Jan 14, 2020. We conducted an active case search and contact tracing in the school. We described the cases by date of symptom onset using an Epicurve, plotted cases by their classroom, and calculated the attack rate by age, and gender. Results: We identified 270 cases of influenza; among them, 264 (98%) were students, and 6 (2%) were the staff. The overall attack rate was 36%. The attack rate was higher among the students (39%) than the staff (12%, 6/49, P < 0.0003). The attack rate was higher among students of class 10E (90%, 37/41) and class 10A (80%, 33/41), where the index case had contact with the students during the symptomatic phase. Conclusion: An outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) occurred among students and staff, predominantly affecting the 10th division. School and health authorities implemented several interventions to limit the outbreak, including training students on personal hygiene. We recommended conducting surveillance of influenza, maintaining adequate spacing of benches, self-hygiene practices, and classroom ventilation.

Face mask use in the city of Chennai, India: Results from three serial cross-sectional surveys, 2021.

INTRODUCTION: The Government of Tamil Nadu, India, mandated wearing face masks in public places to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. We established face mask surveillance and estimated the prevalence of appropriate mask use (covering the nose, mouth, and chin) in the slums and non-slums of Chennai at different time points in 2021. METHODS: We conducted three serial cross-sectional surveys in the outdoors and indoors of Chennai in March, July, and October 2021. We observed the mask wearing among 3200 individuals in the outdoors and 1280 in the indoors. We divided the outdoor and indoor locations into slums and non-slums. In October 2021, we also surveyed 150 individuals from each of the 11 shopping malls in the city. We calculated the proportions and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for the appropriate mask use in the outdoor, indoor, and malls by age, gender, region, and setting (slum and non-slum). RESULTS: We observed 3200 individuals in the outdoor and 1280 individuals in the indoor setting, each from a slum and non-slum, during the three rounds of the study. In outdoor and indoors, males comprised three-fourths and middle-aged individuals were half the study population. Mask compliance changed significantly with time (p-value <0.001). Males consistently demonstrated better compliance in all rounds. The south region had the highest mask compliance in slums indoors and outdoors in rounds 4 and 5. Young adults had the highest mask compliance in both outdoor slums and non-slums in all rounds. Overall mask compliance in shopping malls was 57% (95% CI: 48-65). CONCLUSION: The mask compliance in Chennai outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic was less than 50%, with variations across time points by gender, age groups, and geographical locations. We must develop more effective communication strategies for older age groups and crowded indoor settings.

Norovirus outbreaks due to contaminated drinking water and probable person-to-person transmission, Kerala, India, 2021.

BACKGROUND: In July 2021, the Alappuzha district in Kerala, India, reported an unexpected number of acute gastroenteritis (772) cases (Outbreak A). On October 10, 2021, a university in Wayanad, Kerala, reported 25 acute gastroenteritis cases (Outbreak B). We described both the outbreaks and determined the agent, source and risk factors. METHODS: We defined a suspected case as the occurrence of vomiting or at least three episodes of loose stools within 24 h and a confirmed case as those with stool samples/rectal swabs positive for norovirus. We did a matched case-control study in Outbreak A and a retrospective cohort study in Outbreak B. We calculated the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) in outbreak A, relative risk (aRR) in outbreak B and population attributable fraction (PAF). We tested stool and water samples for bacteria and viruses. RESULTS: We identified Group II norovirus in stool samples in both outbreaks and 4/5 water samples in Outbreak A. Suspected norovirus infection was associated with drinking inadequately boiled water from the municipal water supply in outbreak A [aOR: 4.5; 95 % C.I: 1.2-15.8; PAF: 0.23] and well water in hostels in outbreak B [aRR: 2.2; 95 % C.I: 1.2-3.9; PAF: 0.15]. In Outbreak A, groundwater from tube wells was mixed in the municipal water supply overhead tanks without chlorination. CONCLUSION: The gastroenteritis outbreaks were caused by Group II norovirus due to the consumption of inadequately boiled contaminated groundwater (outbreak A) and well water (outbreak B). We recommended superchlorination of overhead tanks and wells and boiled water for drinking.

The association between body mass index, abdominal fatness, and weight change and the risk of adult asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Obesity has been associated with increased risk of adult asthma, however, not all studies have found a clear association between overweight and the incidence of asthma, and data on other adiposity measures have been limited. Hence, we aimed to summarize evidence on association between adiposity and adult asthma. Relevant studies were retrieved through searches conducted in PubMed, and EMBASE up to March 2021. A total of sixteen studies (63,952 cases and 1,161,169 participants) were included in the quantitative synthesis. The summary RR was 1.32 (95% CI 1.21-1.44, I2 = 94.6%, pheterogeneity < 0.0001, n = 13) per 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI, 1.26 (95% CI 1.09-1.46, I2 = 88.6%, pheterogeneity < 0.0001, n = 5) per 10 cm increase in waist circumference and 1.33 (95% CI 1.22-1.44, I2 = 62.3%, pheterogeneity= 0.05, n = 4) per 10 kg increase in weight gain. Although the test for nonlinearity was significant for BMI (pnonlinearity < 0.00001), weight change (pnonlinearity = 0.002), and waist circumference (pnonlinearity = 0.02), there was a clear dose-response relationship between higher levels of adiposity and asthma risk. The magnitude of the associations and the consistency of the results across studies and adiposity measures provide strong evidence that overweight and obesity, waist circumference and weight gain increases asthma risk. These findings support policies to curb the global epidemic of overweight and obesity.

Raman spectroscopy system for real-time diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer tissue.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a significant healthcare problem worldwide. Current diagnosis and treatment methods are limited by a lack of precise in vivo tissue analysis methods. Real-time cancer identification and grading could dramatically improve current protocols. Here, we report the testing of a thin optical probe using Raman spectroscopy (RS) and classification methods to detect and grade PCa accurately in real-time. We present the first clinical trial on fresh ex vivo biopsy cores from an 84 patient cohort. Findings from 2395 spectra measured on 599 biopsy cores show high accuracy for diagnosing and grading PCa. We can detect clinically significant PCa from benign and clinically insignificant PCa with 90% sensitivity and 80.2% specificity. We also demonstrate the ability to differentiate cancer grades with 90% sensitivity and specificity ≥82.8%. This work demonstrates the utility of RS for real-time PCa detection and grading during routine transrectal biopsy appointments.

Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors of severe COVID-19 infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops after a person has experienced a traumatic event which can be highly accounted for amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of PTSD among the severe cases of COVID-19. METHODS: We included the observational studies done to estimate the burden of PTSD among severe COVID-19 patients. Data was extracted manually using structured data extraction form and analyzed in STATA version 14.2. A random-effects model was applied, and the final pooled data was reported as proportion with a 95% confidence interval. Multivariable meta-regression analysis was carried out, and a forest plot was utilized to represent the study-specific and pooled estimates for overall and subgroup analysis. RESULTS: We included 13 articles with 1,093 participants in our analysis. The pooled prevalence was estimated to be 16% (95%CI: 9% to 23%). We found a substantial heterogeneity between the studies that reported the outcome (I2=87.9%, p<0.001). In subgroup analysis, the difference in prevalence estimate between the regions was statistically significant. LIMITATIONS: We found significant between-study variability for the outcome. In addition, our review was found to have substantial publication bias. We also found that the lower quality of the majority of the studies being included in our review. INTERPRETATION: Our study states that the risk of PTSD is higher following severe COVID-19 infection. Understanding this burden will help us in diverting the resources and adapting necessary interventions to control the situation.

Bone Bruise Patterns in Ligamentous Injuries of the Knee With Focus on Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

Introduction After sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, the bone bruises seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could reveal plenty of information regarding the loading mechanisms causing injury to the ACL. The current study was conducted to evaluate the common distribution patterns of bone bruises following an ACL injury and understand the loading mechanisms. Methods The knee MRI sequences of the patients operated arthroscopically for an injured ACL between August 2016 to August 2018 were selected for the study. The distribution pattern of the bone bruises was determined using the sagittal and coronal sections of MRI. The pattern of distribution of the bone bruises was categorized and analyzed by two independent observers.  Results Twenty-two patients were found to have bone bruises diagnosed in the MRI scans. The mean age of the patients was 27.8 ± 8.7 years. The pattern of a bone bruises in only the lateral femoral and tibial compartments was the most typical pattern observed in this study. The study pattern has a significant anterior distribution of bone bruises on the outer (lateral) compartment of both the femur and tibia as compared to the inner (medial) compartment (p< .05 and p > .05, respectively). The inter-rater reliability between the two observers by Cronbach's Alpha was 93.2%. Conclusion Having the appropriate information regarding the pattern distribution of bone bruises and the concomitant injuries associated with it furthers our knowledge and helps us understand the loading mechanisms of ACL tears. A combination of coup forces acting on the lateral compartment and the contrecoup varus force on the medial compartment of the knee during the primary pivot-shift injury suggests an an involvement of multiplanar loading patterns at the point of sustaining ACL tear.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice towards face mask use among residents of Greater Chennai Corporation, India, March 2021.

Background: Wearing a mask is one of the simplest ways to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Studies reported poor mask compliance in Greater Chennai Corporation, India. Hence, we described the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding mask use among adults (≥18 years) in Greater Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among residents of Greater Chennai Corporation in March 2021. We estimated the sample size to be 203 per strata (slum and non-slum). We used a simple random sampling technique to select 20 locations using a digital map in the slum and non-slum areas. After reaching the location chosen, we selected 10 consecutive households and one adult (≥18 years of age) from each household. We used a validated, semi-structured questionnaire for collecting data regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices for mask use. We estimated proportions and 95% CI for key variables and compared the variables between slums and non-slums. Results: Of 430 participants included in the study, 51.4% were males. The mean (S.D.) age of the participants is 41.1 (14.6) years. The majority (86.7%) of the participants felt that wearing a mask helped in reducing the spread of coronavirus and the knowledge differed (p-value < 0.05) between the slum (81.4%) and non-slum (92.3%). Nearly half (46.5%) of the participants did not like being forced to wear the mask. About 63.9% of the participants reported the practice of mask use while going out which was similar across slums and non-slums. Conclusion: Although the knowledge regarding mask use was good among the public, the attitude was unfavorable. We suggest continuous reinforcement by spreading awareness and educating the community on the appropriate use of the mask.

Surveillance for face mask compliance, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, October-December, 2020.

PURPOSE: Government of Tamil Nadu, India, mandated the face mask wearing in public places as one of the mitigation measures of COVID-19. We established a surveillance system for monitoring the face mask usage. This study aimed to estimate the proportion of the population who wear face masks appropriately (covering nose, mouth, and chin) in the slums and non-slums of Chennai at different time points. METHODS: We conducted cross-sectional surveys among the residents of Chennai at two-time points of October and December 2020. The sample size for outdoor mask compliance for the first and second rounds of the survey was 1800 and 1600, respectively, for each of the two subgroups-slums and non-slums. In the second round, we included 640 individuals each in the slums and non-slums indoor public places and 1650 individuals in eleven shopping malls. We calculated the proportions and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for the mask compliance outdoors and indoors by age, gender, region, and setting (slum and non-slum). RESULTS: We observed 3600 and 3200 individuals in the first and second surveys, respectively, for outdoor mask compliance. In both rounds, the prevalence of appropriate mask use outdoors was significantly lower in the slums (28%-29%) than non-slum areas (36%-35%) of Chennai (p<0.01). Outdoor mask compliance was similar within slum and non-slum subgroups across the two surveys. Lack of mask use was higher in the non-slums in the second round (50%) than in the first round of the survey (43%) (p<0.05). In the indoor settings in the 2nd survey, 10%-11% among 1280 individuals wore masks appropriately. Of the 1650 observed in the malls, 947 (57%) wore masks appropriately. CONCLUSION: Nearly one-third of residents of Chennai, India, correctly wore masks in public places. We recommend periodic surveys, enforcement of mask compliance in public places, and mass media campaigns to promote appropriate mask use.

Visible spectrum of titanium dioxide.

The electronic spectrum in the region 17 500 cm(-1) to 18 850 cm(-1) of a cold molecular beam of TiO(2) has been investigated using laser induced fluorescence (LIF) and mass-resolved resonance enhanced multi-photoionization (REMPI) spectroscopy. Bands at 18 412 cm(-1), 18 470 cm(-1) and 18 655 cm(-1) were recorded at a resolution of 35 MHz, rotationally analyzed, and assigned as the Ã(1)B(2) (0,1,2) ←X[combining tilde](1)A(1) (0,0,0), Ã(1)B(2) (1,0,0) ←X[combining tilde](1)A(1) (0,0,0) and Ã(1)B(2) (1,1,0) ←X[combining tilde](1)A(1) (0,0,0) transitions. The dispersed fluorescence from the Ã(1)B(2) (0,1,2) and Ã(1)B(2) (1,0,0) levels were combined with previous results to produce an improved set of vibrational parameters for the X[combining tilde](1)A(1) state. The optical Stark effect in the Ã(1)B(2) (0,1,2) ←X[combining tilde](1)A(1) (0,0,0) and Ã(1)B(2) (1,0,0) ←X[combining tilde](1)A(1) (0,0,0) bands were recorded and combined with earlier results for Ã(1)B(2) (1,1,0) ←X[combining tilde](1)A(1) (0,0,0) to determine the permanent electric dipole moment for these states. The origin and harmonic vibrational constants for the Ã(1)B(2) state are determined to be: T(000) = 17 593(5) cm(-1), ω(1) = 876(3) cm(-1), ω(2) = 184(1) cm(-1), and ω(3) = 316(2) cm(-1). A normal coordinate analysis was performed and Franck-Condon factors calculated.