Compilation of ozonesonde observation over Schirmacher oasis east Antarctic from 1999-2007

Hkkjr ekSle foKku foHkkx }kjk Hkkjrh; bysDVªks&dsfedy vkstksulkSans dh enn ls ,aVkdZfVdk ij Hkkjr ds nwljs LVs'ku eS=h ¼70-7 fMxzh n-] 11-7 fMxzh iw-½ ls vkstksu fLFkfr ¼izksQkby½ dk fu;fer eki fd;k tk jgk gSA ok;qeaMy ds mnxz LraHk esa vkstksu ds ?kuRo dh x.kuk iwjs o"kZ esa fy, x, lkIrkfgd vkstksu lkmfUMax ls dh tkrh gSA ok;qeaMyh; vkstksu dh mnxz fLFkfr ¼izksQkby vkSj vkstksu fNnz ¼gksy½ dh fo'ks"krkvksa dk v/;;u djus ds fy, flracj&vDVwcj ekg ds nkSjku cgqr ckj ifjKfIr;k¡ ¼lkmfUMax½ yh xbZ gSaA bl 'kks/k i= esa lrg ls 10 gsDVk ik- ds chp vkstksu vkSj rkieku ds ekfld ,oa okf"kZd vkSlr esa fofo/krk dh x.kuk ,oa fo'ys"k.k o"kZ 1999 ls 2007 dh vof/k esa fy, vkstksulkSans vkjksg.kksa ls fd;k x;k gSA bl v/;;u ls irk pyk gS fd vkstksu fNnz ds laca/k esa xgu vo{k; vDrwcj esa vkSj vYi ijUrq egRoiw.kZ vo{k; flracj ekg esa gqvk gSA vDrwcj esa yxHkx 250 ,oa 20 gs-ik- ds chp lcls lqLi"V vo{k; gqvk gS ftlesa vf/kdre LFkkuh; vkstksu ds Lrj esa 70 gs-ik- vkSj 10 gs- ik- ds Lrjksa ij vkSj flrEcj esa 70 gs- ik- ij fxjkoV ns[kh xbZA fHkUu&fHkUu nkc Lrjksa ds fy, vkstksu dk rkieku ds lkFk lglaca/k ls ubZ tkudkfj;ksa vkSj vkstksu ifjorZu esa foLrkj dk irk pyk gSA iwjs o"kZ esa 300 ls 50 gs- ik- ds chp U;wure okf"kZd vkSlr rkieku -55 fMxzh ls -63 fMxzh lsaVhxzsM rd cnyrk gSA vxLr vkSj flrEcj ds eghuksa esa 70 gs- ik- rFkk 100 gs- ik- Lrjksa ij rkieku dk -80 fMxzh lsaVhxzsM ls de gksuk ,oa vDrwcj ekg esa 70 gs- ik- rFkk 100 gs- ik- Lrjksa ij yxHkx -70 fMxzh lsaVhxzsM ls de gksus dh fLFkfr dks vDrwcj ekg esa vkst+ksu vo{k; ds ladsrd ds :i esa ekuk tk ldrk gSA Regular ozone profile measurement over Antarctica has been made by India Meteorological Department over Indian second station Maitri (70.7° S, 11.7° E) with the help of Indian electro-chemical ozonesonde. Ozone density in the vertical column of the atmosphere is computed with weekly ozone soundings taken throughout the year. During the month of September- October more frequent soundings were taken to study vertical profile of atmospheric ozone and features of ozone hole. The mean monthly and yearly variation of ozone and temperature from surface to 10 hPa has been computed and analyzed from the ozonesonde ascents for the period 1999 to 2007. The study has shown profound depletion in October and lesser but substantial depletion in September, in association with the ozone hole. Depletion is most pronounced between about 250 and 20 hPa in October, with maximum local ozone losses near 70 hPa & 100 hPa levels and in September at 70 hPa. Ozone correlations with temperature for several pressure levels have revealed new insights into the causes and extent of ozone change. Lowest annual mean temperature varies from -55 to -63 °C between 300 to 50 hPa in all the year. The temperature less than -80 °C in months of August & September at 70 hPa & 100 hPa levels and about -70 °C in month of October at 70 hPa & 100 hPa levels can be attributed as an indicator of ozone depletion in months of October

How can the public health impact of vaccination be estimated?

Background Deaths due to vaccine preventable diseases cause a notable proportion of mortality worldwide. To quantify the importance of vaccination, it is necessary to estimate the burden averted through vaccination. The Vaccine Impact Modelling Consortium (VIMC) was established to estimate the health impact of vaccination. Methods We describe the methods implemented by the VIMC to estimate impact by calendar year, birth year and year of vaccination (YoV). The calendar and birth year methods estimate impact in a particular year and over the lifetime of a particular birth cohort, respectively. The YoV method estimates the impact of a particular year’s vaccination activities through the use of impact ratios which have no stratification and stratification by activity type and/or birth cohort. Furthermore, we detail an impact extrapolation (IE) method for use between coverage scenarios. We compare the methods, focusing on YoV for hepatitis B, measles and yellow fever. Results We find that the YoV methods estimate similar impact with routine vaccinations but have greater yearly variation when campaigns occur with the birth cohort stratification. The IE performs well for the YoV methods, providing a time-efficient mechanism for updates to impact estimates. Conclusions These methods provide a robust set of approaches to quantify vaccination impact; however it is vital that the area of impact estimation continues to develop in order to capture the full effect of immunisation.

A Demographic Study of male infertility and Analysis of semen parameters

Infertility and problems of impaired fecundity have been a concern through ages and is also a significant clinical problem today, which affects 8–12% of couples worldwide. Of all infertility cases, approximately 40–50% is due to "male factor" infertility and as many as 2% of all men will exhibit suboptimal sperm parameters. It may be one or a combination of low sperm concentration, poor sperm motility, or abnormal morphology. Aim and objective: Demographic study of male infertility and assessment of abnormalities in semen parameters. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 702 males who came to test for infertility to Saveetha Medical College and hospital to evaluate the parameters of semen and male infertility causes. Methods and Material: The participants were divided into two categories and one group was evaluated through a questionnaire for occupation, personal habits, exposure, family history, and the other category was evaluated on lab findings of various parameters to check the yearly variation in parameters of semen. Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics. Results: On the evaluation of parameters of semen in combination with a questionnaire to 44 patients, it shows that alcoholics and smokers have low semen volume, increase in liquefaction time and increase in viscosity is most commonly seen in youngsters like students and IT professional. Conclusion: In our study low semen volume, delayed liquefaction time and increase in viscosity is most commonly seen in youngsters like students and IT professional with a history of alcohol and smoking and stress

Influence of Seasonal and Yearly Variation on Phenolic Profiles, Caffeine, and Antioxidant Activities of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) from Azores

This study compares the antioxidant properties (RSADPPH–DPPH radical scavenging activity, FRAP–ferric reducing activity power, and FIC–ferrous ion-chelating activity), the total phenolics (TP), total flavonoids (TF), and catechin profiles, as well as the caffeine content of Azorean Camellia sinensis green tea collected in seasons of two different years. The RSADPPH showed some variation between 2019 and 2020, and presented, in general, better results in 2020 as well as during the summer seasons. The FRAP was also noted to be at its highest in July and August of the two investigated years (6.64 and 6.40 µg/mL in 2019 and 5.85 and 5.46 µg/mL in 2020). According to FIC activity, the August 2019 sample exhibited the highest value (76.18%). The TP varied between 291.14 and 326.93 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g of dried extract (DE) in 2019 and between 300.25 and 320.58 mg GAE/g DE in 2020. Concerning the TF, the values varied between 51.85 and 67.93 mg rutin equivalents (RE)/g DE in 2019 and between 50.27 and 69.57 mg RE/g DE in 2020. Epicatechins derivatives, determined by HPLC, presented higher values in all samples from 2020 compared to 2019, and the same was observed for esterified catechins. The epigallocatechin-3-gallate content was also higher in all samples from 2020 (214.52–240.16 mg/g DE) compared to 2019 (140.91–210.83 mg/g DE). Regarding caffeine content (12.86–20.45 mg/g DE in 2019 and 13.19–29.35 mg/g DE in 2020), the samples from April and June exhibited similar values in both years. In general, green tea samples exhibited better results in 2020 than in 2019, with the exception of FIC activity, while the varied TP and TF contents in certain months reflect the impact of climatic variation on tea quality.

Long-term dynamics of Norovirus transmission in Japan, 2005–2019

Norovirus continues to evolve, adjusting its pathogenesis and transmissibility. In the present study, we systematically collected datasets on Norovirus outbreaks in Japan from 2005 to 2019 and analyzed time-dependent changes in the asymptomatic ratio, the probability of virus detection, and the probability of infection given exposure. Reports of 1,728 outbreaks were published, and feces from all involved individuals, including those with asymptomatic infection, were tested for virus in 434 outbreaks. We found that the outbreak size did not markedly change over this period, but the variance in outbreak size increased during the winter (November–April). Assuming that natural history parameters did not vary over time, the asymptomatic ratio, the probability of virus detection, and the probability of infection given exposure were estimated to be 18.6%, 63.3% and 84.5%, respectively. However, a model with time-varying natural history parameters yielded better goodness-of-fit and suggested that the asymptomatic ratio varied by year. The asymptomatic ratio was as high as 25.8% for outbreaks caused by genotype GII.4 noroviruses. We conclude that Norovirus transmissibility has not changed markedly since 2005, and that yearly variation in the asymptomatic ratio could potentially be explained by the circulating dominant genotype.

Yearly changes in the composition of gut microbiota in the elderly, and the effect of lactobacilli intake on these changes

The onset and worsening of some diseases are related to the variation and instability of gut microbiota. However, studies examining the personal variation of gut microbiota in detail are limited. Here, we evaluated the yearly variation of individual gut microbiota in 218 Japanese subjects aged 66–91 years, using Jensen-Shannon distance (JSD) metrics. Approximately 9% of the subjects showed a substantial change, as their formerly predominant bacterial families were replaced over the year. These subjects consumed fermented milk products less frequently than their peers. The relationship between the intake frequencies of fermented milk products containing Lactocaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota (LcS) and JSD values was also investigated. The intra-individual JSD of subjects ingesting LcS products ≥ 3 days/week over the past 10 years was statistically lower than the < 3 days/week group (P = 0.045). Focusing on subjects with substantial gut microbiota changes, only 1.7% of the subjects were included in the LcS intake ≥ 3 days/week group whereas 11.3% were found in the < 3 days/week group (P = 0.029). These results suggest that about one-tenth of the elderly Japanese could experience a substantial change in their gut microbiota during a 1-year period, and that the habitual intake of probiotics may stabilize their gut microbiota.

Low Temperature Tolerance of Apple Shoots Following Exposure to Warm Temperatures in Late Winter

The goal of this research was to evaluate resistance of apple rootstocks to late winter deacclimation during a 2-day exposure to warm temperatures in Maine. We measured the cold temperature tolerance of xylem, phloem, and cambium from 0 to −40 °C in 1- and 2-year-old shoot pieces from apple rootstock cultivars and advanced selections ‘M.9 T337’ (M.9), ‘M.7 EMLA’ (M.7), ‘Budagovsky 9’ (B.9), ‘Geneva® 41’ (G.41), ‘Geneva 30’ (G.30), ‘Geneva 935’ (G.935), ‘Geneva 814’ (G.814), G.4013, G.5257, and Vineland 6 (V.6) after a 2-day exposure to warm (22 °C) or cold (2 to 4 °C) temperatures. Injury was measured on a 0 to 10 rating scale based on percentage of discolored cross-sectional xylem and phloem, and cambial length and circumference with brown discoloration, with 0 indicating no browning and 10 indicating browning in the entire tissue. Injury was also measured as intensity of browning on a scale of 0 (no browning) to 5 (dark brown to black). The weighted averages of the two ratings were used to calculate an index of browning. Genotypic variation occurred in the degree of deacclimation, which ranged from none to as much as 15 °C loss in hardiness. Two genotypes, ‘G.41’ and ‘M.9’, showed little change in hardiness in both years they were tested. Two genotypes, G.4013 and ‘G.814’, lost substantial hardiness in both years and may be vulnerable to late winter freeze-thaw events, but were among the hardiest before deacclimation. ‘G.935’ and G.5257 showed a small loss of hardiness, whereas ‘B.9’ lost hardiness in the cambium, but not the xylem, and V.6 lost hardiness after warm exposure, but showed almost no injury at temperatures as cold as −35 °C. The loss of hardiness of these four genotypes that were tested in only one year should be verified with additional testing because of the potential for yearly variation.

Parenting Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Longitudinal Examination of the Role of Child and Parent Factors

Because parents of children with cerebral palsy encounter many challenges, the quality of their parenting varies substantially across time. To understand how and why their parenting behaviors change across time, we examined the contributions of child behavior and parents’ psychological needs to explanations of yearly variation in responsive, autonomy-supportive, and psychologically controlling parenting. We also explored whether parents’ motivation to take care of their child explained why some parents engage in better-quality parenting than others. Parents ( N = 117) of children with cerebral palsy ( Mage = 10.98 years) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study. Multilevel analyses indicated that yearly variations in parents’ need satisfaction and frustration related to yearly fluctuations in, respectively, autonomy-supportive and psychologically controlling parenting. Child behaviors had few unique effects on parenting. Parents’ autonomous motivation was associated with better overall quality of parenting. We discuss implications for practice and directions for future research.