Immittance Spectroscopy of Smart Components and Novel Devices

AC small-signal immittance spectroscopy is employed as a viable tool to demonstrate electrical characterization, performance improvement, and quality assurance issues of smart materials-based components and novel devices. The variation in the ac response, complemented via dc measurements within a range of tolerating temperature, delineates competing phenomena occurring in the microstructures of these engineering material systems. The results are presented in a generic manner with possible explanations on the mechanisms for two selected Debye-like (nearly ideal) and non-Debye (non-ideal) low-capacitance resistors. This spectroscopic approach allows systematic development of a representative equivalent circuit, considered to be the characteristic of the devices and components, for specific applications

An institutional study of cesarean delivery on maternal request

Background: Cesarean delivery on maternal request refers to a primary cesarean delivery performed because the mother requests this method of delivery in the absence of a standard medical/obstetrical indication for avoiding vaginal birth. The aim of the study was to find out the reasons behind, and the incidence of women preferring Cesarean section in the absence of obstetric and medical indications.Methods: This was a prospective study among women who came for delivery at Princess Esra Hospital, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, over a period of one year from 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2016. All women who underwent Cesarean delivery for maternal request were included in this study.Results: The total number of deliveries during the study period of one year was 2574. There were 1346 (52.29%) vaginal deliveries and 1228 (47.7%) cesarean deliveries. Among 1228 Cesarean deliveries, 87 (7.08%) had maternal request as their indication. Majority of them were in the age group of more than 35 years. Multigravidae opted for Cesarean delivery more than primigravidae (59 multigravidae vs 28 primigravidae). Among the various reasons for women requesting delivery cesarean were tocophobia, refusal of trial of labor after Cesarean section (TOLAC), concurrent sterilization, prolonged infertility and treatment conception, afraid of neonatal outcome (previous adverse neonatal outcome) and astrological concerns.Conclusions: Many of the women opted for Cesarean delivery in our study for preventable reasons like painless labor and concurrent sterilization which would have been easily avoided by prior counseling starting from antenatal period and by providing labor analgesia. Patient education and personal involvement of the treating obstetrician in counseling the patient and emotional support during labor can reduce Cesarean delivery for maternal request

Rare case of heterotopic pregnancy: a case report

Heterotopic pregnancy refers to condition where two pregnancies are present simultaneously at different implantation sites mostly manifested as intrauterine and ectopic pregnancies. First heterotopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization was reported in 1972. Mostly it is a sporadic condition. The most common ectopic site is the fallopian tube, both in spontaneous and assisted reproductive technology (ART) heterotopic pregnancies. Almost 60-70% of heterotopic cases result in live childbirth with outcomes similar to that of singleton pregnancies. Spontaneous heterotopic pregnancy is a rare and potentially dangerous condition in which intrauterine (IU) and extrauterine pregnancies occur at the same time. It can be a life-threatening condition and can be missed, with the diagnosis being overlooked. A high suspicion is needed in women with risk factors for an ectopic pregnancy and in low-risk women with an intrauterine gestation who have free fluid with or without an adnexal mass or in those presenting acute abdominal pain and shock. The ectopic component is usually treated surgically and the intrauterine one is expected to continue normally

Cultural and age differences in beliefs about depression: British Bangladeshis vs. British Whites

This study examines beliefs about depression as a function of ethnic background (British Bangladeshis vs. British Whites) and age. A total of 364 participants completed a 65-item questionnaire, containing general questions regarding depression and anti-depressive behaviour; the causes of depression, and treatments for depression. The hypotheses were broadly supported; there were significant interactions between ethnicity and age, which generally revealed an increasingly negative attitude towards depression with increasing age amongst British Bangladeshis. Older British Bangladeshis believed depression was an illness that brought a sense of shame and loss of dignity to the individual and his or her family, and they also favoured a lay referral system for sufferers. They also had more superstitious beliefs about depression than both younger British Bangladeshis and British Whites. A pattern of increasing negativity with increasing age was not evident amongst the British Whites, but older individuals in both groups tended to believe that depression was not helped by psychological intervention. The attitudes towards depression in the young was similar (and generally positive) in both ethnic groups. These findings highlight the necessity to provide more culturally sensitive and accessible services for migrant communities - particularly amongst older individuals. © 2014 © 2014 Taylor & Francis

Congenital heart defects in children with Gastro-intestinal malformations

Background. Congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are common birth defects detected in the neonatal period and usually present with signs of GI obstruction which at times can be life threatening. Anorectal malformations are among the more frequent congenital anomalies. The co-occurrence of congenital heart defect (CHD) along with GI malformation can significantly affect the natural history of either defect. Purpose - to study the prevalence of GI malformations in children with CHD and study the risk factors. Materials and methods. A total 100 patients of GI malformations were enrolled out of which 66 (66%) were males and 34 (34%) were females. All patients with any GI malformations (anorectal malformation, tracheoesophageal fistulae, anterior abdominal wall defects) presenting to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Paediatric Cardiac unit, Pediatric and Pediatric surgery outpatient department (OPD) as well as In-patient department (IPD) between October 2019 to October 2021 were included in study. A detailed history and examination was done followed by echocardiography and the prevalence of CHD among GI malformation was observed and risk factors were studied. Results. Most common GI anomaly was anorectal malformation (71%) followed by tracheoesophageal fistula (17%), CHD was seen in 14 children. Most common heart defect was ventricular septal defect (VSD) (43%) followed by patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (36%) and atrial septal defect (ASD) (14%). Among cases with anorectal malformation, CHDs was seen in 10% and the most common defect was VSD (43%). Forty one percent of cases with tracheoesophageal fistula had CHDs with PDA (57%) being the most common underlying defect. Functional heart defects were present in 28 children of GI malformations. Conclusions. The coexistence and severity of CHD in patients with GI malformation can have prognostic implications. Thus, early cardiac evaluation should be performed in every case of GI malformation, preferably with echocardiography. This is likely to help in the risk stratification as well as management of such children. The study was performed in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Study is approved by Ethical Committee of the Institution. Informed consent of patients was obtained for the study. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors

Prospective study on quality of newborn care

Background: Quality of services provided by health care provider, the closest health functionary to the community has impact on neonatal mortality. Aims: Study on quality of newborn care in rural areas.  Settings and Design: This is a prospective study in the field practice areas of J.N. Medical College and areas under primary health centre of public health care system in Wardha district.  Methods and Material: Modified quality check list on the basis of PHC MAP module guidelines for assessing the quality of service-module 6-user’s guide was prepared. Face to face interview with 205 (group-A/104 nos + group-B/101 nos) mother of newborn was method to collected information in three postnatal visits.  Statistical analysis: Quality (verbal response) of each service was quantified as acceptable, average and worst.  Quality of both the groups was compared by calculating P-value after utilizing Z-test.  Results: Over all acceptable quality of medical history was 30.03%, physical examination was 21.73%, preventive service was 91.17% and counseling was 24.83%. Significant difference between two groups were found on history taking for (cry, breathing and body movement of baby), recording weight and counseling regarding exclusive breast feeding for first 6 month of life. Worst quality in this study were observed in history for anything applying to eyes, umbilical cord stump and complication of baby for which appropriate management was taken. Except for weight recording and examination of head and fontanels all other variables under physical examination were not acceptable. Counseling regarding high risk condition of baby was only 13.66%. Conclusion: Existing newborn services except immunization is inadequate and needs to be strengthened especially physical examination and counseling services

Can ID Repetitive Elements Serve as Cis-acting Dendritic Targeting Elements? An In Vivo Study

Dendritic localization of mRNA/RNA involves interaction of cis-elements and trans-factors. Small, non-protein coding dendritic BC1 RNA is thought to regulate translation in dendritic microdomains. Following microinjections into cultured cells, BC1 RNA fused to larger mRNAs appeared to impart transport competence to these chimeras, and its 5′ ID region was proposed as the cis-acting dendritic targeting element. As these ID elements move around rodent genomes and, if transcribed, form a long RNA stem-loop, they might, thereby, lead to new localizations for targeted gene products. To test their targeting ability in vivo we created transgenic mice expressing various ID elements fused to the 3′ UTR of reporter mRNA for Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein. In vivo, neither ID elements nor the BC1 RNA coding region were capable of transporting EGFP RNA to dendrites, although the 3′ UTR of α-CaMKII mRNA, an established cis-acting element did produce positive results. Other mRNAs containing naturally inserted ID elements are also not found in neuronal dendrites. We conclude that the 5′ ID domain from BC1 RNA is not a sufficient dendritic targeting element for mRNAs in vivo

Melt processing and properties of linear low density polyethylene-graphene nanoplatelet composites

Composites of Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) and Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) were processed using a twin screw extruder under different extrusion conditions. The effects of screw speed, feeder speed and GNP content on the electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of composites were investigated. The inclusion of GNPs in the matrix improved the thermal stability and conductivity by 2.7% and 43%, respectively. The electrical conductivity improved from 10-11 to 10-5 S/m at 150 rpm due to the high thermal stability of the GNPs and the formation of phonon and charge carrier networks in the polymer matrix. Higher extruder speeds result in a better distribution of the GNPs in the matrix and a significant increase in thermal stability and thermal conductivity. However, this effect is not significant for the electrical conductivity and tensile strength. The addition of GNPs increased the viscosity of the polymer, which will lead to higher processing power requirements. Increasing the extruder speed led to a reduction in viscosity, which is due to thermal degradation and/or chain scission. Thus, while high speeds result in better dispersions, the speed needs to be optimized to prevent detrimental impacts on the properties.</p

Changes in loneliness prevalence and its associated factors among Bangladeshi older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aims Worldwide, loneliness is one of the most common psychological phenomena among older adults, adversely affecting their physical and mental health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess changes in the prevalence of loneliness in the two timeframes (first and second waves of COVID-19 in Bangladesh) and identify its correlates in pooled data. Methods This repeated cross-sectional study was conducted on two successive occasions (October 2020 and September 2021), overlapping with the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. The survey was conducted remotely through telephone interviews among 2077 (1032 in the 2020-survey and 1045 in the 2021-survey) older Bangladeshi adults aged 60 years and above. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness scale. The binary logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with loneliness in pooled data. Results We found a decline in the loneliness prevalence among the participants in two survey rounds (51.5% in 2021 versus 45.7% in 2020; P = 0.008), corresponding to 33% lower odds in the 2021-survey (AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.54-0.84). Still, nearly half of the participants were found to be lonely in the latest survey. We also found that, compared to their respective counterparts, the odds of loneliness were significantly higher among the participants without a partner (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.20-2.08), with a monthly family income less than 5000 BDT (AOR 2.34, 95% CI 1.58-3.47), who lived alone (AOR 2.17, 95% CI 1.34-3.51), with poor memory or concentration (AOR 1.58, 95% CI 1.23-2.03), and suffering from non-communicable chronic conditions (AOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.23-1.95). Various COVID-19-related characteristics, such as concern about COVID-19 (AOR 1.28, 95% CI 0.94-1.73), overwhelm by COVID-19 (AOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.14-2.06), difficulty earning (AOR 2.00, 95% CI 1.54-2.59), and receiving routine medical care during COVID-19 (AOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.61-2.68), and perception that the participants required additional care during the pandemic (AOR 2.93, 95% CI 2.27-3.79) were also associated with significantly higher odds of loneliness. However, the odds of loneliness were significantly lower among the participants with formal schooling (AOR 0.71, 95% CI 0.57-0.89) and with a family of more than four members (AOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60-0.96). Conclusions The current study found a decreased prevalence of loneliness among Bangladeshi older adults during the ongoing pandemic. However, the prevalence is still very high. The findings suggest the need for mental health interventions that may include improving social interactions increasing opportunities for meaningful social connections with family and community members and providing psychosocial support to the vulnerable population including older adults during the pandemic. It also suggests that policymakers and public health practitioners should emphasise providing mental health services at the peripheral level where the majority of older adults reside