Clinico-epidemiological and genomic profile of first Zika Virus outbreak in India at Jaipur city of Rajasthan state.

BACKGROUND: First Zika virus (ZIKV) positive case from North India was detected on routine surveillance of Dengue-Like Illness in an 85-year old female. Objective of the study was to conduct an investigation for epidemiological, clinical and genomic analysis of first ZIKV outbreak in Rajasthan, North India and enhance routine ZIKV surveillance. METHOD: Outbreak investigation was performed in 3 Km radius of the index case among patient contacts, febrile cases, and pregnant women. Routine surveillance was enhanced to include samples from various districts of Rajasthan. Presence of ZIKV in serum and urine samples was detected by real time PCR test and CDC trioplex kit. Few ZIKV positive samples were sequenced using the next-generation sequencing method for genomic analysis. RESULT: On outbreak investigation 153/2043 (7.48%) cases were found positive: 1/153 (0.65%) among contacts, 90/153 (58.8%) in fever cases, 62/153(40.5%) in pregnant females. In routine surveillance, 6/4722 (0.12%) serum samples were ZIKV positive.Majority of patients had mild signs and symptoms, no case of microcephaly and Guillain- Barre Syndrome was seen, 25 (40.3%) pregnant females delivered healthy babies, four (6.4%) reported abortion and three (4.8%) had intrauterine death, one (1.6%) child had colorectal malformation and died after few days of birth. ZIKV was found to belong to Asian lineage, mutation related to enhanced neuro-virulence and transmission in animal models was not found. CONCLUSION: ZIKV was endogenous to India belonging to Asian Lineage. Disease profile of the ZIKV was asymptomatic to mild. No major anomaly was observed in infants born to ZIKV positive mothers; however, long term follow up of these children is required. There is need to scale up surveillance in the virology lab network of India for early detection and control. SUMMARY LINE: Zika virus infection was endogenous due to Asian Lineage with mild disease, no case of microcephaly or Guillain- Barre Syndrome was seen but children need to be followed for anomalies and surveillance of ZIKV needs to be enhanced in the country.

Role of W-site substitution on mechanical and electronic properties of cubic tungsten carbide.

In order to understand the role of W-site substitution on properties of cubic tungsten carbide ([Formula: see text]-WC), we have investigated the structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of WXC2 (X = Si, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Hf, Ta, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Th, U) using first principles calculations based on density functional theory, within generalized gradient approximation. The structural optimization has carried out for all these compounds using force as well as stress minimization. The optimized structural parameters for experimentally known compounds are in good agreement with the available x-ray diffraction measurements and structural parameters for nineteen WXC2 compounds are newly predicted. The W-site substitution of the above-listed elements into [Formula: see text]-WC reduces the symmetry of the primitive lattice to tetragonal structure. The heat of formation ([Formula: see text]) and the mechanical stability studies are carried out to investigate the stability of these systems. The single-crystal elastic constants c ij , elastic moduli of the polycrystalline aggregates, anisotropy in elastic constants and related properties of the WXC2 materials have calculated and discussed in detail. The hardness of the above materials is predicted using two different criteria, based on the softest elastic mode as well as the Pugh's modulus ratio. There is a correlation in the hardness predicted from these two approaches except in the case of [Formula: see text]-WC. The chemical bonding interaction between the constituents is analysed using the density of states, crystal orbital Hamiltonian population, and charge density for selected systems. All these compounds are predicted to be metal and our calculations suggest that W-site substitutions do not improve the hardness of [Formula: see text]-WC. However, from the heat of formation studies, we have identified five new stable compounds such as CrWC2, NbWC2, ScWC2, YWC2, and UWC2 with reasonably good hardness and those need experimental verifications.

Potential hydrogen storage materials from metal decorated 2D-C2N: an ab initio study.

Two dimensional nitrogenated holey graphene (2D-C2N) is often considered as an ideal material for hydrogen storage applications owing to its lower mass density and high surface-to-volume ratio. As the interaction between H2 and pristine 2D-C2N is very weak with an adsorption energy of only 0.10 eV per H2, it is important to improve it through appropriate materials design. Using density functional theory calculations, we investigated the hydrogen storage properties of metal (M = Mg, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) decorated 2D-C2N. From this study, we found that M binding energy on 2D-C2N is greater than the cohesive energy of the respective bulk metals, indicating that the metal is strongly bonded with the 2D-C2N, which rules out the metal clustering issue. In particular, 2D-C2N with Mg decoration leads to 6.79 wt% hydrogen storage capacity with a desirable adsorption energy which is above the Department of Energy's target. The electronic structure analyses show that the Mg decoration leads to a semiconductor-to-metallic transition in 2D-C2N. Our chemical bonding analyses through partial density of states, charge density, electron localization function, charge transfer, and Bader effective charge confirm the presence of an iono-covalent character for Mg decorated 2D-C2N. This indicates that the H2 molecules are adsorbed by a polarization mechanism. Overall, our results suggest that Mg decorated 2D-C2N is a promising candidate for potential hydrogen storage applications.

Cluster containment strategy: addressing Zika virus outbreak in Rajasthan, India.

India is at risk of Zika virus transmission due to high prevalence of its vector Aedes aegypti. Rajasthan, a state in the north-west region of India, has also high prevalence of Aedes mosquito. First laboratory confirmed case of Zika virus disease in Rajasthan was reported on 21 September 2018 in Jaipur. The Government of Rajasthan quickly implemented a containment strategy to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread of this disease. Strategy included active human and mosquito surveillance, laboratory testing and sequencing of the virus, integrated vector control measures, intersectoral coordination, risk communication and social mobilisation, all in a predefined geographic area around the epicentre. Timely action with appropriate coordination at all levels with multiple stakeholders contained the outbreak successfully. In all, 159 confirmed cases were reported from in and around the 3 km containment zone in Shastri Nagar area of Jaipur City and routine surveillance. Following this, a specially developed laboratory-based surveillance strategy was put in place to ensure that the disease does not spread beyond the containment zone. No fresh case was reported subsequently within or beyond the containment zone.

Metamagnetism stabilized giant magnetoelectric coupling in ferroelectric xBaTiO3-(1 - x)BiCoO3 solid solution.

In order to establish the correlation between the magnetoelectric coupling and magnetic instability, we have studied the structural, magnetic, and ferroelectric properties of BaTiO3 modified BiCoO3i.e. xBaTiO3-(1 - x)BiCoO3 as a function of BaTiO3 concentration (x) and volume from a series of general-gradient-corrected (GGA), GGA plus onsite Coulomb repulsion (U), full potential, spin-density-functional band-structure calculations within the framework of density functional theory along with synchrotron X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurement studies. G-type antiferromagnetic ordering was found to be energetically favorable among all the considered magnetic configurations for x < 0.45 and higher concentrations stabilize with nonmagnetic (NM) states. We observe metamagnetic spin state transitions associated with paraelectric to ferroelectric transitions as a function of volume and x using synchrotron diffraction and computational studies, indicating a strong magnetoelectric coupling. Specifically for x = 0.33 composition, a pressure induced high spin (HS) to low spin (LS) transition occurs when the volume is compressed below 2.5%. Our orbital-projected density of states show a HS state for Co3+ in the ferroelectric ground state for x < 0.45 and the corresponding paraelectric phase is stable in the NM state due to the stabilization of LS state as evident from our fixed-spin-moment calculations and magnetic measurements. The nature of chemical bonding has been studied using partial density of states, electron localization function, and Born effective charge analysis. High values of spontaneous ferroelectric polarizations are predicted for lower x values which inversely vary with x because of the reduction of tetragonality (c/a) with increase in x which indicates the presence of both spin-lattice and ferroelectricity-lattice coupling. Our partial polarization analysis shows that not only the lone pair at Bi sites but also the d0-ness of Ti4+ ions contribute to the net polarization. Moreover, we find that the HS-LS transition point and magnetoelectric coupling strength can be varied by x.

High-dose versus low-dose botulinum toxin in anal fissure disease.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on the optimal dosage of botulinum toxin (BT) as a sphincter sparing alternative to lateral internal sphincterotomy for chronic anal fissure. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term efficacy of high-dose BT as well as the presence of incontinence following the treatment of chronic anal fissure at a single institution. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was performed at a single institution over a 6-year period (2009-2014). Patients given high-dose (80-100 IU) BT were compared to low-dose (20-40 IU) case controls. Clinical notes were reviewed, and follow-up was carried out via a telephone questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-eight patients were treated with BT injections within the study period (103 high dose; 55 low dose). The mean length of follow-up was 25 months (range 4-52 months). Classic posterior fissures with high anal tone were more prevalent in the low-dose group (40 vs 47%, p = 0.3). Patient satisfaction was higher in the high-dose group (90 vs 78%, p = 0.05). Long-term recurrence (6 months after the last treatment) was also lower (23 vs 53%, p = 0.0001) on multivariate analysis. No long-term incontinence was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In this series, the recurrence rate post-BT injection was significantly lower in the high-dose group. There was no long-term incontinence. Further studies are needed to confirm our results.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Water Splitting in a C2 N Monolayer by C-Site Isoelectronic Substitution.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors have shown great promise as efficient photocatalysts for water splitting. Tailoring the band gap and band edge positions are the most crucial steps to further improve the photocatalytic activity of 2D materials. Here, we report an improved photocatalytic water splitting activity in a C2 N monolayer by isoelectronic substitutions at the C-site, based on density functional calculations. Our optical calculations show that the isoelectronic substitutions significantly reduce the band gap of the C2 N monolayer and thus strongly enhance the absorption of visible light, which is consistent with the observed redshift in the optical absorption spectra. Based on the HSE06 functional, the calculated band edge positions of C2-x Six N and C2-x Gex N monolayers are even more favorable than the pristine C2 N monolayer for the overall photocatalytic activity. On the other hand, for the C2-x Snx N monolayer, the conduction band minima is more positive than the oxygen reduction potential and, hence, Sn substitution in C2 N is unfavorable for the water decomposition reaction. In addition, the isoelectronic substitutions improve the separation of e- -h+ pairs, which, in turn, suppress the recombination rate, thereby leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity in this material. Our results imply that Si-, and Ge-substituted C2 N monolayers will be a promising visible-light photocatalysts for water splitting.

Genomic evidence of hybridization between two independent invasions of European green crab (Carcinus maenas) in the Northwest Atlantic.

Invasive species have been associated with significant negative impacts in their introduced range often outcompeting native species, yet the long-term evolutionary dynamics of biological invasions are not well understood. Hybridization, either among waves of invasion or between native and introduced populations, could alter the ecological and evolutionary impacts of invasions yet has rarely been studied in marine invasive species. The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) invaded eastern North America twice from northern and southern locations in its native range. Here we examine the frequency of hybridization among these two distinct invasions at locations from New Jersey, USA to Newfoundland, Canada using restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq), microsatellite loci and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences. We used Bayesian clustering and hybrid assignment analyses to investigate hybridization between the northern and southern populations. Of the samples analyzed, six locations contained at least one hybrid individual, while two locations were characterized by extensive hybridization, with 95% of individuals collected from Placentia Bay, Newfoundland being hybrids (mostly F2) and 90% of individuals from Kejimkujik, Nova Scotia being classified as hybrids, mostly backcrosses to the northern ecotype. The presence of both F2 hybrids and backcrossed individuals suggests that these hybrids are viable and introgression is occurring between invasions. Our results provide insight into the demographic and evolutionary consequences of hybridization between independent invasions, and will inform the management of green crabs in eastern North America.

Theoretical and experimental investigation on structural, electronic and magnetic properties of layered Mn5O8.

We have investigated the crystal, electronic, and magnetic structures of Mn5O8 by means of state-of-the-art density functional theory calculations and neutron powder diffraction (NPD) measurements. This compound stabilizes in the monoclinic structure with space group C2/m where the Mn ions are in the distorted octahedral and trigonal prismatic coordinations with oxygen atoms. The calculated structural parameters based on total energy calculations are found to be in excellent agreement with low temperature NPD measurements when we accounted for the correct magnetic structure and Coulomb correlation effect in the computation. Using fully relativistic generalized-gradient approximation with Hubbard U (GGA+U) we found that the magnetic ordering in Mn5O8 is A-type antiferromagnetic and the direction of the easy axis is [1 0 0] in agreement with susceptibility and NPD measurements. However, the calculation without the inclusion of Hubbard U leads to ferrimagnetic half metal as a ground state contradictory to experimental findings, indicating the presence of a strong Coulomb correlation effect in this material. The GGA calculation without the Coulomb correction effect itself is sufficient to reproduce the experimentally observed magnetic moments in various Mn sites. We found that Mn in this material exhibits mixed valence behavior with 2+ and 4+ oxidation states reflecting different magnetic moments in the Mn sites. We explored the electronic band characteristics using total, site-, and orbital-projected density of states which emphasized the mixed-valent nature of Mn. A dominant Mn 3d character of the density of states at Fermi energy is the origin for the metallic behavior of Mn5O8. The bond strength analysis based on the crystal orbital Hamiltonian population between constituents indicates strong anisotropy in the bonding behavior which results from the layered nature of its crystal structure. Our bonding analysis shows that there is a noticeable covalent bond between Mn 3d-O 2p states which stabilizes the observed low symmetric structure. Our experimental findings and theoretical predictions suggest that Mn5O8 can be classified as a strongly correlated mixed valent antiferromagnetic metal.

Protocols for Improvement of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Utilizing Biotechnological Tools.

Black pepper, Piper nigrum L., the "King of spices" is the most widely used spice growing in the South-Western region of India. The humid tropical evergreen forest bordering the Malabar Coast (Western Ghats is one of the hot spot areas of plant bio-diversity on earth) is its center of origin and diversity. However, the crop faces constraints like rampant fungal and viral diseases, lack of disease free planting material, hence biotechnological tools can be utilized to address these problems and strides have been made successfully. The standardization of micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, in vitro conservation, protoplast isolation, and genetic transformation protocols are described here. The protocols could be utilized to achieve similar goals in the related species of Piper too.

Protocols for In Vitro Propagation, Conservation, Synthetic Seed Production, Microrhizome Production, and Molecular Profiling in Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.).

Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial but cultivated as annual, belonging to the family Zingiberaceae. It is a native of India and South East Asia. The tuberous rhizomes or underground stems of turmeric are used from antiquity as condiments, a dye and as an aromatic stimulant in several medicines. Turmeric is an important crop in India and it is used as a spice, food preservative, coloring agent, cosmetic as well as for its medicinal properties. Propagation is done vegetatively with rhizome bits as seed materials. It is plagued by rhizome rot diseases most of which are mainly spread through infected seed rhizomes. Micropropagation will help in production of disease-free seed. Sexual reproduction is rare in turmeric, making recombinant breeding very difficult. In vitro technology can thus become the preferred choice and it can be utilized for multiplication, conservation of genetic resources, generating variability, gene transfer, molecular tagging, and their utility in crop improvement.

Protocols for In Vitro Propagation, Conservation, Synthetic Seed Production, Embryo Rescue, Microrhizome Production, Molecular Profiling, and Genetic Transformation in Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.).

Ginger is a rhizomatous plant that belongs to the family Zingiberaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial but cultivated as annual, with crop duration of 7-10 months. Ginger is native to India and Tropical South Asia. The tuberous rhizomes or underground stems of ginger are used as condiment, an aromatic stimulant, and food preservative as well as in traditional medicine. Ginger is propagated vegetatively with rhizome bits as seed material. Cultivation of ginger is plagued by rhizome rot diseases, most of which are mainly spread through infected seed rhizomes. Micropropagation will help in production of disease-free planting material. Sexual reproduction is absent in ginger, making recombinant breeding very impossible. In vitro technology can thus become the preferred choice as it can be utilized for multiplication, conservation of genetic resources, generating variability, gene transfer, molecular tagging, and their utility in crop improvement of these crops.

Medical physics aspects of cancer care in the Asia Pacific region: 2014 survey results.

It was the aim of this work to assess and track the workload, working conditions and professional recognition of radiation oncology medical physicists (ROMPs) in the Asia Pacific region over time. In this third survey since 2008, a structured questionnaire was mailed in 2014 to 22 senior medical physicists representing 23 countries. As in previous surveys the questionnaire covered seven themes: 1 education, training and professional certification, 2 staffing, 3 typical tasks, 4 professional organisations, 5 resources, 6 research and teaching, and 7 job satisfaction. The response rate of 100% is a result of performing a survey through a network, which allows easy follow-up. The replies cover 4841 ROMPs in 23 countries. Compared to 2008, the number of medical physicists in many countries has doubled. However, the number of experienced ROMPs compared to the overall workforce is still small, especially in low and middle income countries. The increase in staff is matched by a similar increase in the number of treatment units over the years. Furthermore, the number of countries using complex techniques (IMRT, IGRT) or installing high end equipment (tomotherapy, robotic linear accelerators) is increasing. Overall, ROMPs still feel generally overworked and the professional recognition, while varying widely, appears to be improving only slightly. Radiation oncology medical physics practice has not changed significantly over the last 6 years in the Asia Pacific Region even if the number of physicists and the number and complexity of treatment techniques and technologies have increased dramatically.

Observation of direct magneto-dielectric behaviour in Lu3Fe5O12-δ above room-temperature.

The coupling of dielectric and magnetic order is highly nontrivial and seldom observed in rare-earth iron garnets. Careful investigations on polycrystalline Lu3Fe5O12-δ, prepared by the solid state route, establish a direct correlation between the magnetic and dielectric order parameters. A dielectric anomaly at the magnetic ordering temperature supports this correlation. The dielectric permittivity at various magnetic fields is measured using an indigenously developed connector setup. Lu3Fe5O12-δ exhibits a magneto-dielectric coupling of ∼6% at room temperature, which is significant in the case of a single-phase magneto-dielectric material at low fields. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction pattern, bond valence sum method, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicate two different oxidation states of Fe. Complete structural optimizations performed using the density functional theory establish a ferrimagnetic ground state and provide structural parameters in agreement with experimental values. Electronic structure analysis shows that Lu3Fe5O12 exhibits insulating behavior both in ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic configurations. The capability of Lu3Fe5O12-δ to exhibit room temperature magneto-dielectric response is a key factor in designing and fabricating various electronic devices and sensors.

The extent of inflammation is a predictor for pouch-related complications in ileal pouches in patients with ulcerative or indeterminate colitis.

AIM: Limited data are available on the relationship between the histological features of the resected specimens in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) or indeterminate colitis (IC) and the outcome of restorative proctocolectomy. The aim of our study was to determine if the histological features of the resected specimen in patients with UC and IC can predict ileal-pouch-related outcome. METHOD: A review of all patients who had a restorative proctocolectomy created following completion proctectomy or proctocolectomy for UC and IC was performed. RESULTS: Between 1992 and 2011, 142 patients (132 with UC and 10 with IC) were reviewed. After a median follow-up of 36 (3-149) months, 51 (35.9%) developed a pouch-related complication. Forty-two (29.7%) developed pouchitis while three (2.1%) developed a pouch-cutaneous fistula. Four (2.8%) had pouch failure, while stricture of the anastomosis was seen in three (2.1%) patients. The presence of extension of the inflammation into the muscularis propria of the resected specimen was associated with an increased risk of pouch-related complications (P = 0.01). The presence of submucosal oedema was also a significant risk factor (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The extension of inflammation into the muscularis propria appears to predict pouch-related complications following restorative proctocolectomy for UC or IC.

Definitive surgical closure of enterocutaneous fistula: outcome and factors predictive of increased postoperative morbidity.

AIM: Enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) presents a complex management problem with significant mortality and morbidity. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of patients undergoing surgical cure for ECF and to predict factors that might relate to increased postoperative morbidity. METHOD: Medical records of all patients who underwent definitive surgery for cure of an ECF within our colorectal surgery unit between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. RESULTS: Forty-one patients (18 male) were identified, in whom 44 definitive procedures were performed. The median age was 54 (17-81) years. The median postoperative length of stay in hospital was 14 (2-213) days. Half (50%) of the ECFs occurred as a postoperative complication followed by spontaneous fistulation in Crohn's disease (36%). The interval to definitive surgery was influenced by the aetiology of the fistula. The median time to surgery after formation of postoperative fistula was 240 days (7.9 months). There was no 30-day postoperative mortality. There were two (4.5%) recurrences at 3 months. Thirty-eight (86%) patients suffered postoperative morbidity as defined by the Clavien-Dindo classification. High-grade morbidity occurred in 32% of patients. On univariate analysis, factors identified as being significantly associated with high-grade morbidity included a fistula output of > 500 ml/day (P = 0.004) in patients with postoperative ECF, malnutrition at presentation (P = 0.04) and a serum albumin value of < 30 g/l (P = 0.02) in patients with spontaneous ECF due to Crohn's disease. CONCLUSION: The majority of persistent complex ECFs can be cured surgically with low mortality and recurrence in a multidisciplinary setting. Postoperative morbidity, however, remains a significant burden.

Exploring the structure-activity relations of N-carbethoxyphthalimide by combining FTIR, FT-Raman and NMR spectroscopy with DFT electronic structure method.

The complete vibrational assignment and analysis of N-carbethoxyphthalimide were carried out using the experimental FTIR and FT-Raman data in the range 4000-450 and 4000-100 cm(-1), respectively along with quantum chemical studies of the compound using DFT-B3LYP gradient calculations employing the 6-31G**, 6-311++G** and cc-pVDZ basis sets. The 1H (400 MHz; CDCl3) and 13C (100 MHz;CDCl3) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were also recorded. Due to the partial ionic nature of the carbonyl group, the carbon atoms C1 and C3 in NCEP show downfield effect and the corresponding observed chemical shift of both are observed at 163.76 ppm and the carbon atom C16 in the carbethoxy group also give signal in the downfield at 148.45 ppm. The active sites are determined by molecular electrostatic potential. The possible electronic transitions are determined by HOMO and LUMO orbital shapes and their energies. The structure-chemical reactivity relations of the compound were determined through chemical potential, global hardness, global softness, electronegativity, electrophilicity and local reactivity descriptors by conceptual DFT methods.

Structure-activity relations of 2-(methylthio)benzimidazole by FTIR, FT-Raman, NMR, DFT and conceptual DFT methods.

The vibrational fundamental modes of 2-(methylthio)benzimidazole (2MTBI) have been analysed by combining FTIR, FT-Raman and quantum chemical calculations. The structural parameters of the compound are determined from the optimised geometry by B3LYP with 6-31G(∗∗), 6-311++G(∗∗) and cc-pVTZ basis sets and giving energies, harmonic vibrational frequencies, depolarisation ratios, IR intensities and Raman activities. (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra have been analysed and (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shifts are calculated using the gauge independent atomic orbital (GIAO) method. The structure-activity relationship of the compound is also investigated by conceptual DFT methods. The chemical reactivity and site selectivity of the molecule has been determined with the help of global and local reactivity descriptors.

Double-stranded RNA induces molecular and inflammatory signatures that are directly relevant to COPD.

Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) is a synthetic analogue of double-stranded (ds)RNA, a molecular pattern associated with viral infections, that is used to exacerbate inflammation in lung injury models. Despite its frequent use, there are no detailed studies of the responses elicited by a single topical administration of poly I:C to the lungs of mice. Our data provides the first demonstration that the molecular responses in the airways induced by poly I:C correlate to those observed in the lungs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. These expression data also revealed three distinct phases of response to poly I:C, consistent with the changing inflammatory cell infiltrate in the airways. Poly I:C induced increased numbers of neutrophils and natural killer cells in the airways, which were blocked by CXCR2 and CCR5 antagonists, respectively. Using gene set variation analysis on representative clinical data sets, gene sets defined by poly I:C-induced differentially expressed genes were enriched in the molecular profiles of COPD but not idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients. Collectively, these data represent a new approach for validating the clinical relevance of preclinical animal models and demonstrate that a dual CXCR2/CCR5 antagonist may be an effective treatment for COPD patients.

Medical physics aspects of cancer care in the Asia Pacific region: 2011 survey results.

BACKGROUND: Medical physicists are essential members of the radiation oncology team. Given the increasing complexity of radiotherapy delivery, it is important to ensure adequate training and staffing. The aim of the present study was to update a similar survey from 2008 and assess the situation of medical physicists in the large and diverse Asia Pacific region. METHODS: Between March and July 2011, a survey on profession and practice of radiation oncology medical physicists (ROMPs) in the Asia Pacific region was performed. The survey was sent to senior physicists in 22 countries. Replies were received from countries that collectively represent more than half of the world's population. The survey questions explored five areas: education, staffing, work patterns including research and teaching, resources available, and job satisfaction. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Compared to a data from a similar survey conducted three years ago, the number of medical physicists in participating countries increased by 29% on average. This increase is similar to the increase in the number of linear accelerators, showing that previously identified staff shortages have yet to be substantially addressed. This is also highlighted by the fact that most ROMPs are expected to work overtime often and without adequate compensation. While job satisfaction has stayed similar compared to the previous survey, expectations for education and training have increased somewhat. This is in line with a trend towards certification of ROMPs. CONCLUSION: As organisations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) start to recognise medical physics as a profession, it is evident that despite some encouraging signs there is still a lot of work required towards establishing an adequately trained and resourced medical physics workforce in the Asia Pacific region.