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Asima Bajwa,1 Gitanjali Khurana,2 Donald Kimpel,2 Ashvini K Reddy1 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; 2Division of Clinical Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA Objective: The proportion of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who manifest retinal involvement increases many fold in patients with active systemic disease. The objective of this report is to stress upon the significance of comprehensive ophthalmic assessment of all SLE patients to prevent and manage blinding ocular manifestations of the disease. Methods: Retrospective case review. Results: Incidental retinal vascular complications seen in patients undergoing baseline hydroxychloroquine screening. Conclusion: The purpose of comprehensive ophthalmic screening in SLE patients is twofold. It will aid in the diagnosis and treatment of blinding ocular complications of the disease and monitor hydroxychloroquine macular toxicity. Keywords: systemic lupus erythematosus, hydroxychloroquine, retinal vein occlusion, retinal artery occlusion

The article focuses on speech delivered by U.S. President Donald Trump in Asia using the term "Indo-Pacific" instead of "Asia-Pacific," which has been used most often by previous American administrations. Topics discussed include rationale behind the term "Indo-Pacific" arose from economic and security developments; China's economic rise led to enhanced military power and assertiveness; and China's Belt and Road Initiative expected to contribute to economic integration of Indian Ocean region.

Introduction: Clonidine is used with local anaesthetics to improve analgesia. However, the improvement conferred when clonidine is used together with ropivacaine is controversial. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the improvement in analgesia when clonidine is used together with ropivacaine for supraclavicular brachial plexus block.Methods: This was a prospective, randomised, double-blind controlled study. A total of 75 patients who were scheduled to undergo supraclavicular block were randomly assigned into three groups (i.e. clonidine, lignocaine and control groups) of 25. Patients in all three groups received 20 mL of 0.75% ropivacaine. In addition to that, patients in the clonidine group received 1 mL of clonidine (150 μg) plus 9 mL of saline, patients in the lignocaine group received 10 mL of 2% lignocaine with adrenaline (1:200,000), and patients in the control group received 10 mL of saline. The characteristics of anaesthesia and analgesia for these three groups were assessed.Results: The addition of 2% lignocaine with adrenaline to ropivacaine led to earlier onset of the sensory block (by 4.88 mins), but no increase in the duration of analgesia when compared to analgesia using ropivacaine alone. The addition of clonidine to ropivacaine led to earlier onset of sensory and motor blocks (by 2.88 mins and 3.28 mins, respectively), as well as an increased duration of sensory and motor blocks (by 222.64 mins and 192.92 mins, respectively) when compared to analgesia using ropivacaine alone. The total duration of analgesia was increased by 208.24 mins with clonidine when compared to analgesia using ropivacaine alone. There were no significant differences in sedation score and no side effects in all three groups.Conclusion: When compared to the use of ropivacaine alone, the addition of 150 μg clonidine to ropivacaine for brachial plexus block achieved earlier analgesic onset and improved duration of analgesia, without unwanted side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RFID is an automatic identification method consisting of several components such as tags, tag readers, edge servers, middleware, and application software. There are four main frequency bands for RFID tags commonly in use. They are categorized by their radio frequency: low frequency tags (125 or 134.2 kHz), high frequency tags (13.56 MHz), UHF tags (868 to 956 MHz), and microwave tags (2.45 GHz or 5.8 GHz). RFID tags can be either active, semi-passive (i.e. semi-active) or passive. In the field of Textile and Apparel the RFID is used in manufacturing, inventory control, warehousing, distribution, logistics, automatic object tracking, supply chain management etc. In the present paper, the studies of one of the most promising technological innovations in Information Technology i.e., Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex and amorphous threats confront India's security environment in its maritime East. India has very high stakes in the Bay of Bengal and its adjoining seas. The confluence of vital sea lines makes this region one of great strategic relevance to other powers as well. This translates into both challenges and opportunities for India. The Andaman & Nicobar archipelago had long been perceived as India's key vulnerability due to its remote location and a history of some of its islands 'slipping away' from the Indian dominion. Such wariness may be unfounded in the present times. Appropriate measures have been taken to strengthen its defence. The island chain can now play a greater role towards securing India's vital interests in the East beyond merely protecting itself. To achieve this, India needs to adopt a two-fold approach — first, augment its intrinsic capabilities, and second, actively engage its maritime neighbours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proliferation of WMDs is a grave threat to mankind, be it their flow to ‘irresponsible states’ or to terrorists. Charged by its perception of vulnerability, the US has initiated the Proliferation Security Initiative; seeking involvement of ‘key’ states for interdiction of ‘suspect ships’ at sea. In its present form, PSI is contrary to the principle of ‘Freedom of the Seas’. Further, its operational efficacy is doubtful and it has an escalatory potential. However, bilateral arrangements as an extension of PSI may lawfully supplement global non‐proliferation efforts. A ‘larger’ comprehensive solution lies in greater UN involvement and segregation of the threats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Vancomycin is a bactericidal antibiotic. It is commonly used to treat Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infections. It is also used locally with Polymethyl methacrylate to treat chronic bone infections. Locally placed beads deliver high concentration of antibiotics locally with few adverse effects as compared to parenteral therapy. There are two complications mentioned on intravenous infusion of vancomycin namely anaphylactic reaction and red man syndrome; but there is no known literature on complications arising from vancomycin impregnated cement beads. We report a case of red man syndrome following usage of vancomycin impregnated cement beads which is not reported in any available orthopaedic literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background This study documented elevated rates of emergency room (ER) visits for acute upper and lower respiratory infections and asthma-related conditions in the children of Quito, Ecuador associated with the eruption of Guagua Pichincha in April of 2000. Methods We abstracted 5169 (43% females) ER records with primary respiratory conditions treated from January 1 – December 27, 2000 and examined the change in pediatric ER visits for respiratory conditions before, during, and after exposure events of April, 2000. We applied a Poisson regression model adapted to time series of cases for three non-overlapping disease categories: acute upper respiratory infection (AURI), acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI), and asthma-related conditions in boys and girls for three age groups: 0–4, 5–9, and 10–15 years. Results At the main pediatric medical facility, the Baca Ortiz Pediatric Hospital, the rate of emergency room (ER) visits due to respiratory conditions substantially increased in the three weeks after eruption (RR = 2.22, 95%CI = [1.95, 2.52] and RR = 1.72 95%CI = [1.49, 1.97] for lower and upper respiratory tract infections respectively. The largest impact of eruptions on respiratory distress was observed in children younger than 5 years (RR = 2.21, 95%CI = [1.79, 2.73] and RR = 2.16 95%CI = [1.67, 2.76] in boys and girls respectively). The rate of asthma and asthma-related diagnosis doubled during the period of volcano fumarolic activity (RR = 1.97, 95%CI = [1.19, 3.24]). Overall, 28 days of volcanic activity and ash releases resulted in 345 (95%CI = [241, 460]) additional ER visits due to respiratory conditions. Conclusion The study has demonstrated strong relationship between ash exposure and respiratory effects in children.