ACCUMULATIVE REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY AMONG BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING EMPLOYEES: A SURVEY STUDY

  Objective: Computer overuse syndrome or repetitive strain injury is the most common problem among the people in all age groups. Several studies have found the adverse effect of using computers for a long duration. In the modern tech-savvy world, usage of computers is something unavoidable. The objective of this survey study is to find out the accumulative repetitive strain injury among the business process outsourcing employees.Methods: This study was conducted in different business process outsourcings in Noida, and a convenient sampling method was used to collect data through Neck Pain Disability Index (NPDI) and disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire. The study comprised of total 230 subjects.Results: The mean and standard deviation (SD) of NPDI score was found to be 32.12 and 11.26, respectively, whereas the mean and SD for DASH score was 24.34 and 7.44, respectively. The Chi-square value for NPDI and DASH was found to be 263.043 and 139.461. The study shows that upper extremity pain is a common problem in employees working in the IT sector. The employees showed high rates of computer use–associated with upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and symptom-related functional limitation.Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest a need to begin to evaluate interventions and to reduce the risks of developing computer overuse syndrome such as developing upper extremity symptoms, disability, and disorders among employees working in the IT sector who use computers for more than 40 hrs/week. Intervention to reduce symptoms should include effective training in work rest patterns, good-working postures coupled with availability of appropriate equipment

COMPARISON BETWEEN MODIFIED OSWESTRY LOW BACK PAIN DISABILITY QUESTIONNAIRE AND ABERDEEN LOW BACK PAIN SCALE TAKING LOW BACK-SPECIFIC VERSION OF THE SF-36 PHYSICAL FUNCTIONING SCALE AS A GOLD STANDARD IN PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the modified Oswestry low back pain (LBP) disability questionnaire with Aberdeen LBP scale (ABPS) and to find out which scale is better for functional assessment in LBP patients.Methods: A total of 100 randomly selected patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited for the study. Modified Oswestry LBP disability questionnaire and ABPS were compared with a gold standard that is a low back-specific Version of the SF-36 Physical Functioning Scale. Statistical comparison was done using one-way ANOVA to find out which scale is better for assessing functional disability in LBP patients.Results: On analyzing the results using one-way ANOVA both the scales, i.e., modified Oswestry disability questionnaire and ABPS showed significant values indicating that both are equally reliable and effective tools and either can be used as outcome measurement tool in patients suffering from LBP.Conclusion: The present study concludes that the modified Oswestry disability questionnaire and Aberdeen low back scale both are equally reliable and effective outcome measurement tools for the assessment of patients suffering from LBP

Effects of the Nearest-Neighbour Coulomb Interactions on the Ground State of the Periodic Anderson Model

The magnetic and non-magnetic ground states of the periodic Anderson model with Coulomb interaction between $f$-electrons on the nearest-neighbour(NN) sites are investigated using a variational method, which gives exact calculation of the expectation values in the limit of infinite dimensions. It is shown that for a critical value of NN Coulomb interactions the magnetic ground state of the periodic Anderson model in the Kondo regime is unstable. Factors in terms of the physical processes responsible for instability of the magnetic ground state are also discussed. Our study indicates the importance of the NN Coulomb interactions for correlated two band models.Comment: RevTeX, 6 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Role of defects in transport through a quantum dot single electron transistor

The effect of a single dotlike defect on the transport through a quantum dot single electron transistor weakly coupled to external leads is studied. It is found that the conductance profile is changed significantly by the quantum mechanical tunneling between the dot and the defect and the interactions between them, both of which are dependent on the distance between the dot and the defect, as also by the morphology of the defect. In particular, we find that even a very small strength of interdot interaction has a major influence on the transport and must be taken into account in device fabrication

The psychological well-being and prenatal bonding of gestational surrogates

STUDY QUESTION How does the psychological well-being and prenatal bonding of Indian surrogates differ from a comparison group of mothers? SUMMARY ANSWER Surrogates had higher levels of depression during pregnancy and post-birth, displayed lower emotional connection with the unborn baby, and greater care towards the healthy growth of the foetus, than the comparison group of mothers. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN Studies in the West have found that surrogates do not suffer long-term psychological harm. One study has shown that surrogates bond less with the foetus than expectant mothers. STUDY, DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study uses a prospective, longitudinal and cross-sectional design. Surrogates and a matched group of expectant mothers were seen twice, during 4–9 months of pregnancy and 4–6 months after the birth. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Semi-structured interviews and standardized questionnaires were administered to 50 surrogates and 69 expectant mothers during pregnancy and 45 surrogates and 49 expectant mothers post-birth. All gestational surrogates were hosting pregnancies for international intended parents. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Surrogates had higher levels of depression compared to the comparison group of mothers, during pregnancy and post-birth (P < 0.02). Low social support during pregnancy, hiding surrogacy and criticism from others were found to be predictive of higher depression in surrogates post-birth (P < 0.05). Regarding prenatal bonding, surrogates interacted less with and thought less about the foetus but adopted better eating habits and were more likely to avoid unhealthy practices during pregnancy, than expectant mothers (P < 0.05). No associations were found between greater prenatal bonding and greater psychological distress during pregnancy or after relinquishment. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION All surrogates were recruited from one clinic in Mumbai, and thus the representativeness of this sample is not known. Also, the possibility of socially desirable responding from surrogates cannot be ruled out. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS As this is the first study of the psychological well-being of surrogates in low-income countries, the findings have important policy implications. Providing support and counselling to surrogates, especially during pregnancy, may alleviate some of the psychological problems faced by surrogates. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by the Wellcome Trust [097857/Z/11/Z] and Nehru Trust, Cambridge. K.K. is the Medical Director of Corion Fertility Clinic. All other authors have no conflict of interest to declare

Indian egg donors’ characteristics, motivations and feelings towards the recipient and resultant child

This is the first study to examine characteristics, motivations and experiences of Indian egg donors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 egg donors who had donated during the previous 8 months at a fertility clinic in Mumbai. The semi-structured interviews were conducted in Hindi and English. In addition to demographic information, data were collected on donors’ motivations for donating, with whom they had discussed donation, and feelings towards the recipients. The response rate was 66%. All participants were literate and had attended school. Twenty (80%) egg donors had children and five (20%) did not. The most common motivation (19, 76%) for donating was financial need. Egg donors had discussed their donation with their husband or with close family/friends, with almost all mentioning that wider society would disapprove. The majority (20, 80%) had no information about the recipients and 11 (44%) preferred not to. The findings highlight the similarities and differences between egg donors from India and those from other countries and that egg donors are of a more varied demographic background than surrogates in India. Given that India has been a popular destination for fertility treatment, the findings have important implications for regulation and practice within India and internationally

A longitudinal study of the experiences and psychological well-being of Indian surrogates

Study question: What is the psychological well-being of Indian surrogates during and after the surrogacy pregnancy? Summary answer: Surrogates were similar to a matched group of expectant mothers on anxiety and stress. However, they scored higher on depression during and after pregnancy. What is known already: The recent ban on trans-national commercial surrogacy in India has led to urgent policy discussions regarding surrogacy. Whilst previous studies have reported the motivations and experiences of Indian surrogates no studies have systematically examined the psychological well-being of Indian surrogates, especially from a longitudinal perspective. Previous research has shown that Indian surrogates are motivated by financial payment and may face criticism from their family and community due to negative social stigma attached to surrogacy. Indian surrogates often recruited by agencies and mainly live together in a “surrogacy house.” Study design, size, duration: A longitudinal study was conducted comparing surrogates to a matched group of expectant mothers over two time points: (a) during pregnancy (Phase1: 50 surrogates, 70 expectant mothers) and (b) 4–6 months after delivery (Phase 2: 45 surrogates, 49 expectant mothers). The Surrogates were recruited from a fertility clinic in Mumbai and the matched comparison group was recruited from four public hospitals in Mumbai and Delhi. Data collection was completed over 2 years. Participants/materials, setting, methods: Surrogates and expectant mothers were aged between 23 and 36 years. All participants were from a low socio-economic background and had left school before 12–13 years of age. In-depth faceto-face semi-structured interviews and a psychological questionnaire assessing anxiety, stress and depression were administered in Hindi to both groups. Interviews took place in a private setting. Audio recordings of surrogate interviews were later translated and transcribed into English. Main results and the role of chance: Stress and anxiety levels did not significantly differ between the two groups for both phases of the study. For depression, surrogates were found to be significantly more depressed than expectant mothers at phase 1 (p = 0.012) and phase 2 (p = 0.017). Within the surrogacy group, stress and depression did not change during and after pregnancy. However, a non-significant trend was found showing that anxiety decreased after delivery (p = 0.086). No participants reported being coerced into surrogacy, however nearly all kept it a secret from their wider family and community and hence did not face criticism. Surrogates lived at the surrogate house for different durations. During pregnancy, 66% (N = 33/50) reported their experiences of the surrogate house as positive, 24% (N = 12/50) as negative and 10% (N = 5/50) as neutral. After delivery, most surrogates (66%, N = 30/45) reported their experiences of surrogacy to be positive, with the remainder viewing it as neutral (28%) or negative (4%). In addition, most (66%, N = 30/45) reported that they had felt “socially supported and loved” during the surrogacy arrangement by friends in the surrogate hostel, clinic staff or family. Most surrogates did not meet the intending parents (49%, N = 22/45) or the resultant child (75%, N = 34/45). Limitations, reasons for caution: Since the surrogates were recruited from only one clinic, the findings may not be representative of all Indian surrogates. Some were lost to follow-up which may have produced sampling bias. Wider implications of the findings: This is the first study to examine the psychological well-being of surrogates in India. This research is of relevance to current policy discussions in India regarding legislation on surrogacy. Moreover, the findings are of relevance to clinicians, counselors and other professionals involved in surrogacy. Trial registration number: N/A

Supersymmetry : A decade after Higgs discovery

Supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model have been in vogue for over half a century. They have many interesting theoretical properties like calculability, absence of quadratic divergences, and phenomenologically impactful features like gauge coupling unification, dark matter candidates, signatures at present and future colliders, etc. A defining feature of these models is the calculability of Higgs mass in terms of a few parameters. The discovery of a Higgs particle with a mass of around 125 GeV thus has significant implications. The null results for the searches of superpartners at LHC has also put further constraints. Taken together with direct detection limits on WIMP (Weakly Interacting Massive Particle) dark matter, it appears that TeV scale supersymmetry is not realised in Nature and the theoretical expectations have reached a turning point. The present onslaught from the experiments suggests that supersymmetric models need a more complex particle structure, lagrangian and breaking patterns to be a natural solution to the hierarchy problem. We review existing models and discuss their feasibility in the current and future experimental programs.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in Indian Journal of Physic

Deflections of Simple Beams Stressed Above the Elastic Limit with Selected Indeterminate Beam Analysis

Civil Engineerin

Thermal stress analysis in a functionally graded hollow elliptic-cylinder subjected to uniform temperature distribution

In this paper, an analytical method of a thermoelastic problem for a medium with functionally graded material properties is developed in a theoretical manner for the elliptic-cylindrical coordinate system under the assumption that the material properties except for Poisson’s ratio and density are assumed to vary arbitrarily with the exponential law in the radial direction. An attempt has been made to reconsider the fundamental system of equations for functionally graded solids in a two-dimensional state under thermal and mechanical loads. The general solution of displacement formulation is obtained by the introduction of appropriate transformation and carried out the analysis by taking into account the variation of inhomogeneity parameters. Furthermore, the aforementioned problem degenerated into the problem of the circular region by applying limiting conditions, and the results are validated. Numerical computations are carried out for ceramic-metal-based functionally graded material, in which zirconia is selected as ceramic and aluminium as metal and are represented graphically