Potholes and traffic signs detection by classifier with vision transformers.

Detecting potholes and traffic signs is crucial for driver assistance systems and autonomous vehicles, emphasizing real-time and accurate recognition. In India, approximately 2500 fatalities occur annually due to accidents linked to hidden potholes and overlooked traffic signs. Existing methods often overlook water-filled and illuminated potholes, as well as those shaded by trees. Additionally, they neglect the perspective and illuminated (nighttime) traffic signs. To address these challenges, this study introduces a novel approach employing a cascade classifier along with a vision transformer. A cascade classifier identifies patterns associated with these elements, and Vision Transformers conducts detailed analysis and classification. The proposed approach undergoes training and evaluation on ICTS, GTSRDB, KAGGLE, and CCSAD datasets. Model performance is assessed using precision, recall, and mean Average Precision (mAP) metrics. Compared to state-of-the-art techniques like YOLOv3, YOLOv4, Faster RCNN, and SSD, the method achieves impressive recognition with a mAP of 97.14% for traffic sign detection and 98.27% for pothole detection.

Light-Activated Adhesion and Debonding of Underwater Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives.

Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) such as sticky notes and labels are a ubiquitous part of modern society. PSAs with a wide range of peel adhesion strength are designed by tailoring the bulk and surface properties of the adhesive. However, designing an adhesive with strong initial adhesion but showing an on-demand decrease in adhesion has been an enduring challenge in the design of PSAs. To address this challenge, we designed alkoxyphenacyl-based polyurethane (APPU) PSAs that show a photoactivated increase and decrease in peel strength. With increasing time of light exposure, the failure mode of our PSAs shifted from cohesive to adhesive failure, providing residue-free removal with up to 83% decrease in peel strength. The APPU-PSAs also adhere to substrates submerged underwater and show a similar photoinduced decrease in adhesion strength.

One Health approach for elimination of human anthrax in a tribal district of Odisha: Study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Anthrax is a major but neglected zoonotic disease of public health concern in India with Odisha contributing a major share to the disease burden. Bacillus anthracis spores can be found naturally in soil and commonly affect both animals and humans around the world. Domestic and wild animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, and deer can become infected when they inhale or ingest spores from contaminated soil, plants, or water. Anthrax can be fatal if patients are not treated promptly with antibiotics. This protocol aims to describe the implementation and evaluation of the 'One Health' intervention model based on the principles of Theory of Change (ToC) to eliminate human anthrax from a tribal district in Odisha, India. METHODS: This study would test the effectiveness of a complex public health intervention package developed using the ToC framework for the elimination of human anthrax in Koraput district by a comparative analysis of baseline and end-line data. We plan to enroll 2640 adults across 14 geographically divided blocks in Koraput district of Odisha for baseline and end-line surveys. After baseline, we would provide capacity building training to stakeholders from the department of health, veterinary, forest, academic and allied health institutions followed by workshops on sensitization and awareness through IEC (Information Education Communication)/BCC (Behavior Change Communication) activities in the community. We would establish a state-level laboratory facility as a robust system for timely diagnosis and management of human anthrax cases. Surveillance network will be strengthened to track the cases in early stage and risk zoning will be done for focused surveillance in endemic areas. Advocacy with district level administration will be done for maximizing the coverage of livestock vaccination in the entire district. Interdepartmental coordination would be established for the effective implementation of the intervention package. CONCLUSION: This would be a first study applying One Health concept for the elimination of human anthrax in India. The findings from this study will offer important insights for policy-making and further replication in other endemic regions of the state and country. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The authors confirm that all ongoing and related trials for this intervention are prospectively registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India [CTRI/2020/05/025325] on 22 May 2020.

Viscosity Attunes the Adhesion of Bioinspired Low Modulus Polyester Adhesive Sealants to Wet Tissues.

Clinically used bio-based tissue sealants bring in the risk of animal-borne infections, non-degradability, allergic reactions, tissue compression, tissue necrosis, and poor wet adhesion. Motivated by these unsatisfactory properties of existing tissue sealants, herein, we designed a library of solvent- and initiator-free hydrophobic mussel-inspired degradable tissue adhesives that can stick and seal the epidermis, pericardium, and Glisson's capsule under physiologically relevant wet conditions. By varying the molar ratio of the functional groups, we obtained polyester adhesive sealants with similar surface energy and varying viscosity. The careful examination of the wetting behavior of these polyester adhesive sealants on tissue surfaces showed that the polyester adhesive sealant with lower viscosity has higher intrinsic work of adhesion, which allowed them to adhere to strongly hydrated surfaces such as pericardium and Glisson's capsule. Because of the lower intrinsic work of adhesion, the polyester adhesive sealant with higher viscosity only adhered to the relatively hydrophobic surface (epidermis). The strong wet adhesion to tissue surfaces, cell-compatibility, hydrolytic degradability, and radical scavenging nature of these polyester adhesive sealants make them potential candidates for wound closure procedures.

Folate Receptor-Targeted Polymeric Micellar Nanocarriers for Delivery of Orlistat as a Repurposed Drug against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a recalcitrant malignancy with no available targeted therapy. Off-target effects and poor bioavailability of the FDA-approved antiobesity drug orlistat hinder its clinical translation as a repurposed new drug against TNBC. Here, we demonstrate a newly engineered drug formulation for packaging orlistat tailored to TNBC treatment. We synthesized TNBC-specific folate receptor-targeted micellar nanoparticles (NP) carrying orlistat, which improved the solubility (70-80 µg/mL) of this water-insoluble drug. The targeted NPs also improved the delivery and bioavailability of orlistat to MDA-MB-231 cells in culture and to tumor xenografts in a nude mouse model. We prepared HEA-EHA copolymer micellar NPs by copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethylacrylate (HEA) and 2-ethylhexylacrylate (EHA), and functionalized them with folic acid and an imaging dye. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of TNBC cells indicated a dose-dependent increase in apoptotic populations in cells treated with free orlistat, orlistat NPs, and folate-receptor-targeted Fol-HEA-EHA-orlistat NPs in which Fol-HEA-EHA-orlistat NPs showed significantly higher cytotoxicity than free orlistat. In vitro analysis data demonstrated significant apoptosis at nanomolar concentrations in cells activated through caspase-3 and PARP inhibition. In vivo analysis demonstrated significant antitumor effects in living mice after targeted treatment of tumors, and confirmed by fluorescence imaging. Moreover, folate receptor-targeted Fol-DyLight747-orlistat NP-treated mice exhibited significantly higher reduction in tumor volume compared to control group. Taken together, these results indicate that orlistat packaged in HEA-b-EHA micellar NPs is a highly promising new drug formulation for TNBC therapy. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(2); 221-31. ©2015 AACR.

Awareness, perception and practice of stakeholders in India regarding Village Health and Nutrition Day.

BACKGROUND: Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND) is a community-based health service package delivered on a fixed day approach. Services like early registration of pregnancy, regular antenatal care and postnatal care, growth monitoring and referral of sick children, discussion of health topics to generate awareness, and convergence between health and ICDS, are delivered every month at VHND at the Anganwadi Center. This study explores the awareness, perception and practice of service providers, and beneficiaries, regarding VHND. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Odisha during December 2009-November 2010. Personal interviews were conducted at the VHND sessions with 111 beneficiaries and 45 service providers using a semi-structured schedule to know their awareness, perception and practice regarding VHND sessions. Data analysis was done and reported as simple percentages. RESULTS: Most of the health worker females and anganwadi workers considered health awareness as a key component of VHND. 52% of HWFs and 41% of AWWs had misconception about additional roles and responsibilities. 34% of beneficiaries had knowledge regarding fixed day approach of VHND, while 24% did not have knowledge regarding any of its purpose. Only 8% of referral cases had complete knowledge on the reason of referral. There was significant difference in between awareness and practice among the blocks. CONCLUSION: Service providers' orientation should be improved. Behavior change communication activities should also be increased by the state. Referral cases should be properly counseled. The community believed that such a program should continue with better package and quality of services.

Snakebite mortality in India: a nationally representative mortality survey.

BACKGROUND: India has long been thought to have more snakebites than any other country. However, inadequate hospital-based reporting has resulted in estimates of total annual snakebite mortality ranging widely from about 1,300 to 50,000. We calculated direct estimates of snakebite mortality from a national mortality survey. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a nationally representative study of 123,000 deaths from 6,671 randomly selected areas in 2001-03. Full-time, non-medical field workers interviewed living respondents about all deaths. The underlying causes were independently coded by two of 130 trained physicians. Discrepancies were resolved by anonymous reconciliation or, failing that, by adjudication. A total of 562 deaths (0.47% of total deaths) were assigned to snakebites. Snakebite deaths occurred mostly in rural areas (97%), were more common in males (59%) than females (41%), and peaked at ages 15-29 years (25%) and during the monsoon months of June to September. This proportion represents about 45,900 annual snakebite deaths nationally (99% CI 40,900 to 50,900) or an annual age-standardised rate of 4.1/100,000 (99% CI 3.6-4.5), with higher rates in rural areas (5.4/100,000; 99% CI 4.8-6.0), and with the highest state rate in Andhra Pradesh (6.2). Annual snakebite deaths were greatest in the states of Uttar Pradesh (8,700), Andhra Pradesh (5,200), and Bihar (4,500). CONCLUSIONS: Snakebite remains an underestimated cause of accidental death in modern India. Because a large proportion of global totals of snakebites arise from India, global snakebite totals might also be underestimated. Community education, appropriate training of medical staff and better distribution of antivenom, especially to the 13 states with the highest prevalence, could reduce snakebite deaths in India.

Status of iodized salt coverage in urban slums of cuttack city, orissa.

BACKGROUND: For sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), it is necessary to consume adequately iodized salt on a regular basis and optimal iodine nutrition can be achieved through universal salt iodization. OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent of use of adequately iodized salt in the urban slums of Cuttack. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a stratified random multi-stage cluster sampling design, a cross-sectional study involving 336 households and 33 retail shops selected randomly from 11 slums of Cuttack was conducted in 2005. A predesigned pretested schedule was used to obtain relevant information and salt iodine was estimated qualitatively by using a spot testing kit and quantitatively using the iodometric titration method. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Proportion, Chi-square test. RESULTS: Only 60.1% of the households in urban slums of Cuttack were using adequately iodized salt i.e., the iodine level in the salt was >/=15 ppm. Iodine deficiency was significantly marked in sample salts collected from katcha houses as compared with salts collected from pucca houses. Households with low financial status were using noniodized/inadequately-iodized salt. Both crystalline and refined salts were sold at all retail shops. Crystalline salts collected from all retailers had an iodine content < 15 ppm and refined salts collected from one retailer had iodine content < 15 ppm. About 48.5% of salt samples collected from retail shops were adequately iodized. CONCLUSION: In the urban slums of Cuttack, retailers were selling crystalline salts, which were inadequately iodized- this would be a setback in the progress towards eliminating IDD.

Heart rate recovery as a predictor of mortality with or without revascularization.

Increased heart rate during graded exercise is related to increased sympathetic activity and withdrawal of vagal tone. Return of heart rate towards baseline immediately after exercise is usually due to resurgence of vagal tone. As it is an established fact that cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in part has direct relation with parasympathetic dysfunction, it is natural that reduced heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise, a parameter of parasympathetic dysfunction, could be a predictor of morbidity and mortality. Accordingly 390 TMT positive patients were analysed for HRR as per standard guidelines and followed up for 5 years. While 244(62.6%) showed a normal HRR, 146(37.4%) showed an abnormal HRR. Abnormal HRR was more common in the elderly, in patients with higher resting heart rate, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, current smoking and prior established coronary artery disease (CAD). There were a total of 36 deaths (9.23%) during the 5 year follow-up period. There was mortality advantage in patients who were subjected to revascularization procedure in general (7.5% deaths in revascularised arm vs 10.4% in conservative arm). Analysis reveals persistence of such benefit in patients having normal HRR (2.85% deaths in revascularised arm vs 7.25% in conservative arm). However, mortality benefit was not observed among both groups of patients with abnormal HRR(16.6% deaths in revascularised vs 15.2% in conservatively managed7rpar;. Secondary end points like recurrent angina, arrhythmia, acute myocardial infarction, hospitalization for cardiovascular cause and heart failure were observed in significantly more number of cases with abnormal HRR in comparison to normal. We therefore conclude the abnormal HRR after TMT is an adverse prognostic indicator in patients with symptomatic CAD on long term follow-up.

An open randomized comparative study of oral itraconazole pulse and terbinafine pulse in the treatment of onychomycosis.

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is a recalcitrant disease of the nails caused by dermatophytes, yeasts, and molds. AIMS: To compare the clinical efficacy of oral itraconazole pulse therapy and oral terbinafine pulse therapy in onychomycosis. METHODS: A randomized single-blind clinical comparative study was undertaken on 120 patients of onychomycosis during the period March 1999-February 2002. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive oral itraconazole 100 mg, two capsules twice daily for seven days a month and the other group of sixty patients received oral terbinafine 250 mg, one tablet twice daily for seven days every month. Four such monthly pulses were administered for each drug. The patients were evaluated at 4-weekly intervals till sixteen weeks and then at 24, 36 and 48 weeks. RESULTS: We observed a clinical cure rate of 82% and mycological cure rate of 90% in the group of patients treated with itraconazole while the group with terbinafine showed clinical and mycological cure rates of 79% and 87% respectively. This difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Both oral itraconazole and terbinafine are effective in the treatment of onychomycosis when administered in the pulse dosage form. Terbinafine is more cost effective while itraconazole has a broader spectrum of antimycotic activity.