Brief Report: Quantifying Speech Production Coordination from Non- and Minimally-Speaking Individuals.

Purpose: Non-verbal utterances are an important tool of communication for individuals who are non- or minimally-speaking. While these utterances are typically understood by caregivers, they can be challenging to interpret by their larger community. To date, there has been little work done to detect and characterize the vocalizations produced by non- or minimally-speaking individuals.

Malaria outbreak along the India-Bhutan border town of Saralpara, Assam, India.

Background & Objectives: A remarkable progress is being made in the South-East Asia region in reducing the burden of malaria. While all countries are committed to malaria elimination, continued transmission at and across international borders poses a threat to achieving this goal.

Methods: We investigated an outbreak of malaria in the India-Bhutan border area in a district of Assam state, India.

ReCANVo: A database of real-world communicative and affective nonverbal vocalizations.

Nonverbal vocalizations, such as sighs, grunts, and yells, are informative expressions within typical verbal speech. Likewise, individuals who produce 0-10 spoken words or word approximations ("minimally speaking" individuals) convey rich affective and communicative information through nonverbal vocalizations even without verbal speech. Yet, despite their rich content, little to no data exists on the vocal expressions of this population.

Single-cell analysis reveals inflammatory interactions driving macular degeneration.

Due to commonalities in pathophysiology, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents a uniquely accessible model to investigate therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, leading us to examine whether pathways of disease progression are shared across neurodegenerative conditions. Here we use single-nucleus RNA sequencing to profile lesions from 11 postmortem human retinas with age-related macular degeneration and 6 control retinas with no history of retinal disease. We create a machine-learning pipeline based on recent advances in data geometry and topology and identify activated glial populations enriched in the early phase of disease.

Modelling the impact of a smallpox attack in India and influence of disease control measures.

Objectives: To estimate the impact of a smallpox attack in Mumbai, India, examine the impact of case isolation and ring vaccination for epidemic containment and test the health system capacity under different scenarios with available interventions.

Setting: The research is based on Mumbai, India population.

Interventions: We tested 50%, 70%, 90% of case isolation and contacts traced and vaccinated (ring vaccination) in the susceptible, exposed, infected, recovered model and varied the start of intervention between 20, 30 and 40 days after the initial attack.

Understanding AAC Usage and Needs through a Web Survey with Device Users and Families.

Augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC) can help support communication for millions of people who have differences in speech and language abilities. Existing commercial devices do not meet all the diverse needs of some individuals. Interviews and surveys were conducted with individuals who have speech or language challenges (n=4 interviews; n=15 survey respondents), or their loved ones (n=9 interviews, n=49 survey respondents).

Jaundice outbreak likely caused by HEV in Amritsar, Punjab, India, 2013.

Background: Hepatitis-E Virus (HEV) infection is endemic in Punjab, India. On 4th April 2013, public officials of Labour Colony, Amritsar reported > 20 jaundice cases occurring within several days.

Methods: We performed a case-control study to identify the cause and prevent additional cases of jaundice cases in Amritsar, Punjab, India in 2013.

A novel, efficient 3D-printing based manufacturing process for custom ocular prostheses.

Ocular prostheses are part of a substantial global market for ocular implants. However, demand for custom ocular prostheses (COPs) can outpace supply at clinics due to the slow pace of prosthesis manufacturing and limited supply of ocularists, particularly in emerging markets such as India. Existing manufacturing methods for COPs involve multiple stages of casting and molds with limited quality control, resulting in time-intensive trial and error with patients to achieve a comfortable fit.

Epidemiological and behavioural correlates of drug-resistant tuberculosis in a Tertiary Care Centre, Delhi, India.

Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major public health challenge in India. It is associated with poor treatment outcomes, multiple adverse effects to treatment and involves enormous social and economic losses. The objective of the study was to ascertain the epidemiological and behavioural correlates contributing to drug resistance among patients admitted in a tertiary hospital in Delhi with drug-resistant TB (DR-TB).

India epidemic intelligence service: Advocating for a unique mentor-based epidemiology training program.

To strengthen epidemiological capacity in the country, the Government of India in 2012 initiated a unique, competency-based training in epidemiology. Modeled along the United States Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS), this 2-year mentor-driven and practical-oriented program, based on "learning by doing," is being implemented by the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi, in close collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. In its 4 year now, many lessons learned so far are being used to expand the program, without compromising on the technical quality.

Digital Magnifying Glasses for Low-Vision Learners: Bringing Assistive Technologies to the Developing World.

A student squinting to see the board or holding a textbook inches from his or her nose often provides the first indication of a visual impairment. For most, the cause is a refractive error, readily correctible with eyeglasses. However, for an estimated 40-65 million people globally with functional low vision, the fuzzy words pose a lifelong challenge.

Wearable optical-digital assistive device for low vision students.

People with low vision have limited residual vision that can be greatly enhanced through high levels of magnification. Current assistive technologies are tailored for far field or near field magnification but not both. In collaboration with L.

Risk factors for death during a resurgence of influenza-A (H1N1) pdm09 in Punjab State in 2013.

Background: In 2013, high mortality from influenza-A (H1N1) pdm09 (pH1N1) was observed in Punjab, India.

Objectives: To describe cases and deaths of 2013 pH1N1 positives, to evaluate the high case fatality ratio and risk factors for pH1N1-associated mortality among the hospitalized cases in Punjab for 2013.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted and compared those who died from confirmed pH1N1 with those who survived in the hospital between January 1, 2013, and April 30, 2013.