447 research outputs found
Effectiveness of Weekly Supplementation of Iron to Control Anaemia Among Adolescent Girls of Nashik, Maharashtra, India
A national nutritional anaemia-control programme in India, focusing on supplementation of iron to pregnant women after the first trimester of pregnancy, failed to make an impact. It is prudent to recommend the correction of iron stores before the woman becomes pregnant. ‘Efficacy’ of weekly supplementation of iron has been proved to improve iron stores in adolescence in many studies abroad and in India. The objective was to study the ‘effectiveness’ of a weekly iron-supplementation regimen among urban-slum, rural, and tribal girls of Nashik district, Maharashtra, India. A baseline and the mid-term assessments were done using the cluster-sampling techniques. In each stratum, 30 clusters were identified. Twelve and 10 adolescent girls from each cluster were identified in the baseline and mid-term surveys respectively. The haemoglobin estimation was done using the HemoCue system. Data were analyzed using the Epi Info software (version 6.04). The overall prevalence of anaemia came down significantly to 54.3% from 65.3%. The decline was statistically significant (p<0.001) in tribal girls (48.6% from 68.9%) and among rural girls (51.6% from 62.8%). But the decline was not statistically significant among urban slum girls. Similarly, a significant rise in the mean haemoglobin levels was seen among tribal and rural girls. However, it did not increase significantly among urban slum girls. The programme had performed poorly in urban-slum areas, as the mean number of tablets consumed in urban-slum areas was only 5.6±3.3, as against 6.7±2.6 tablets in tribal girls and 7.2±2.2 tablets in rural girls. Considering the biological and operational feasibility and the effectiveness of the intervention, weekly supplementation of iron to adolescent girls should be universally started to correct the iron stores of a woman before she becomes pregnant
Effectiveness of Weekly Supplementation of Iron to Control Anaemia Among Adolescent Girls of Nashik, Maharashtra, India
A national nutritional anaemia-control programme in India, focusing on
supplementation of iron to pregnant women after the first trimester of
pregnancy, failed to make an impact. It is prudent to recommend the
correction of iron stores before the woman becomes pregnant.
\u2018Efficacy\u2019 of weekly supplementation of iron has been
proved to improve iron stores in adolescence in many studies abroad and
in India. The objective was to study the \u2018effectiveness\u2019 of
a weekly iron-supplementation regimen among urban-slum, rural, and
tribal girls of Nashik district, Maharashtra, India. A baseline and the
mid-term assessments were done using the cluster-sampling techniques.
In each stratum, 30 clusters were identified. Twelve and 10 adolescent
girls from each cluster were identified in the baseline and mid-term
surveys respectively. The haemoglobin estimation was done using the
HemoCue system. Data were analyzed using the Epi Info software (version
6.04). The overall prevalence of anaemia came down significantly to
54.3% from 65.3%. The decline was statistically significant
(p<0.001) in tribal girls (48.6% from 68.9%) and among rural girls
(51.6% from 62.8%). But the decline was not statistically significant
among urban slum girls. Similarly, a significant rise in the mean
haemoglobin levels was seen among tribal and rural girls. However, it
did not increase significantly among urban slum girls. The programme
had performed poorly in urban-slum areas, as the mean number of tablets
consumed in urban-slum areas was only 5.6\ub13.3, as against
6.7\ub12.6 tablets in tribal girls and 7.2\ub12.2 tablets in rural
girls. Considering the biological and operational feasibility and the
effectiveness of the intervention, weekly supplementation of iron to
adolescent girls should be universally started to correct the iron
stores of a woman before she becomes pregnant
Transport and the Order Parameter of Superconducting UPt3
We calculate the ultrasonic absorption and the thermal conductivity in the
superconducting state of UPt as functions of temperature and direction of
propagation and polarization. Two leading candidates for the superconducting
order parameter are considered: the and representations. Both
can fit the data except for the ultrasonic absorption in the phase. To do
that, it is necessary to suppose that the system has only a single domain, and
that must be chosen as the most favorable one. However, the theory
requires fine-tuning of parameters to fit the low temperature thermal
conductivity. Thus, transport data favor the theory. Measurements of
the thermal conductivity as a function of pressure at low temperature could
help to further distinguish the two theories.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Antiferromagnetic Domains and Superconductivity in UPt3
We explore the response of an unconventional superconductor to spatially
inhomogeneous antiferromagnetism (SIAFM). Symmetry allows the superconducting
order parameter in the E-representation models for UPt3 to couple directly to
the AFM order parameter. The Ginzburg-Landau equations for coupled
superconductivity and SIAFM are solved numerically for two possible SIAFM
configurations: (I) abutting antiferromagnetic domains of uniform size, and
(II) quenched random disorder of `nanodomains' in a uniform AFM background. We
discuss the contributions to the free energy, specific heat, and order
parameter for these models. Neither model provides a satisfactory account of
experiment, but results from the two models differ significantly. Our results
demonstrate that the response of an E_{2u} superconductor to SIAFM is strongly
dependent on the spatial dependence of AFM order; no conclusion can be drawn
regarding the compatibility of E_{2u} superconductivity with UPt3 that is
independent of assumptions on the spatial dependence of AFMComment: 12 pages, 13 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Floating tablets of hydralazine hydrochloride: optimization and evaluation
Hydralazine hydrochloride has a half-life of 2 to 4 hours with an oral bioavailability of 26-50%. Since hydralazine has a demethylating effect on various suppressor genes, it can be used in various types of cancer to support chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to optimize and evaluate floating tablets of hydralazine hydrochloride designed to prolong the gastric residence time and to provide controlled release of the drug for 14 h. The floating tablets of hydralazine hydrochloride were prepared by the wet granulation method. Semi-synthetic polymers of hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC K100M) and ethyl cellulose were used as the release retarding agents. A 2² factorial design was applied to systematically optimize the drug release profile. The concentrations of HPMC K100M and ethyl cellulose were optimized to provide controlled release of hydralazine for 14h. Non-Fickian diffusion release transport was confirmed as the release mechanism for the optimized formulation and the predicted values agreed well with the experimental values. Drug excipient compatibility studies were investigated by FTIR, DSC and XRD. These data indicate that there were no chemical interactions between the drug and the polymer. In vivo X-ray imaging showed floating tablet performance in rabbits
Staffing and Training Aspects of Hospital Management: Some Issues for Research
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68624/2/10.1177_107755878904600205.pd
Burden and risk factors for Pseudomonas aeruginosa community-acquired pneumonia:a Multinational Point Prevalence Study of Hospitalised Patients
Pseudornonas aeruginosa is a challenging bacterium to treat due to its intrinsic resistance to the antibiotics used most frequently in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Data about the global burden and risk factors associated with P. aeruginosa-CAP are limited. We assessed the multinational burden and specific risk factors associated with P. aeruginosa-CAP.
We enrolled 3193 patients in 54 countries with confirmed diagnosis of CAP who underwent microbiological testing at admission. Prevalence was calculated according to the identification of P. aeruginosa. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa-CAP.
The prevalence of P. aeruginosa and antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa-CAP was 4.2% and 2.0%, respectively. The rate of P. aeruginosa CAP in patients with prior infection/colonisation due to P. aeruginosa and at least one of the three independently associated chronic lung diseases (i.e. tracheostomy, bronchiectasis and/or very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) was 67%. In contrast, the rate of P. aeruginosa-CAP was 2% in patients without prior P. aeruginosa infection/colonisation and none of the selected chronic lung diseases. The multinational prevalence of P. aeruginosa-CAP is low.
The risk factors identified in this study may guide healthcare professionals in deciding empirical antibiotic coverage for CAP patients
Comprehensive analysis of epigenetic clocks reveals associations between disproportionate biological ageing and hippocampal volume
The concept of age acceleration, the difference between biological age and chronological age, is of growing interest, particularly with respect to age-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Whilst studies have reported associations with AD risk and related phenotypes, there remains a lack of consensus on these associations. Here we aimed to comprehensively investigate the relationship between five recognised measures of age acceleration, based on DNA methylation patterns (DNAm age), and cross-sectional and longitudinal cognition and AD-related neuroimaging phenotypes (volumetric MRI and Amyloid-β PET) in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Significant associations were observed between age acceleration using the Hannum epigenetic clock and cross-sectional hippocampal volume in AIBL and replicated in ADNI. In AIBL, several other findings were observed cross-sectionally, including a significant association between hippocampal volume and the Hannum and Phenoage epigenetic clocks. Further, significant associations were also observed between hippocampal volume and the Zhang and Phenoage epigenetic clocks within Amyloid-β positive individuals. However, these were not validated within the ADNI cohort. No associations between age acceleration and other Alzheimer’s disease-related phenotypes, including measures of cognition or brain Amyloid-β burden, were observed, and there was no association with longitudinal change in any phenotype. This study presents a link between age acceleration, as determined using DNA methylation, and hippocampal volume that was statistically significant across two highly characterised cohorts. The results presented in this study contribute to a growing literature that supports the role of epigenetic modifications in ageing and AD-related phenotypes
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