584 research outputs found
Kinesiophobia, self-efficacy and pain-related disability in patients with non-specific low back pain
Psychological factors like kinesiophobia and self-efficacy have been shown to be associated with pain and disability perception in patients with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). The association among extent of kinesiophobia, self efficacy, pain intensity and disability in patients presenting with NSLBP and the predictor of disability among pain intensity, self-efficacy and kinesiophobia in these patients were investigated in this study.The research design was an analytical cross sectional survey involving 275 consecutively selected individuals diagnosed with NSLBP at a tertiary hospital in southwestern Nigeria. The main outcome measures used were: Quadruple Visual Analogue Scale (QVAS), Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Revised Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (RODQ) and Self-Efficacy in Rehabilitation Scale (SER).The mean age of the participants was 51.62±13.4 years. The extent of kinesiophobia and measure of selfefficacy were high and above average as seen in 71.7% and 94.3% of the participants respectively. The mean scores on TSK, RODQ, SER and pain intensity were 39.45±5.91, 36.98±15.97, 98.68±21.4 and 7.35±1.94 respectively. Participants with high scores on TSK had significantly high scores on RODQ and low scores on SER. There was a significant positive association between extent of kinesiophobia, disability and selfefficacy (p<0.05). Self-efficacy, pain intensity and kinesiophobia significantly predicted extent of disability (p<0.05).Patients with NSLBP exhibited fear of re-injury (kinesiophobia). Patients with high level of kinesiophobia had increased pain intensity and reduced self-efficacy. High levels of kinesiophobia accompanied by increased pain intensity and decreased self-efficacy were significant predictors of pain related disability in patients with NSLBP.Keywords: Non-specific low back pain, self-efficacy, kinesiophobia, perceived disabilit
Shrimp by-catch species from industrial shrimp trawl fisheries in Lagos, Nigeria coastal waters
A fisheries-dependent surveys was conducted to identify and quantify the species composition of shrimp by-catch and its effect on fishery sustainability. Samples were bought monthly, from October 2009 to June 2010 from landings site, at Apapa-Liverpool market Lagos. 25 fish species belonging to 18 families targeted in other inshore fisheries constituted the by-catch species. The percent of weight compositions of some economically important by-catch species were: Pseudotolithus senegalensis (5.76%),Ilisha africana (14.65%), Pentanemus quinquarius (2.94%), Pteriscion peli (6.60%), Galeoides decadactylus (3.17%), Cynoglossus senegalens is (6.76%) and Chloroscombrus chysurus (10.81%). About 80% of the shrimp by-catch species were juvenile fin fish. However, continuous harvest without appropriate mitigating measures poses a threat to sustainability of coastal capture fisheries. Recommendations are proffered in order to conserve the resources for sustainable development
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Efficacy of condensed tannins against larval Hymenolepis diminuta (Cestoda) in vitro and in the intermediate host Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera) in vivo
Natural anti-parasitic compounds in plants such as condensed tannins (CT) have anthelmintic properties against a range of gastrointestinal nematodes, but for other helminths such effects are unexplored. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of CT from three different plant extracts in a model system employing the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, in its intermediate host, Tenebrio molitor. An in vitro study examined infectivity of H. diminuta cysticercoids (excystation success) isolated from infected beetles exposed to different concentrations of CT extracts from pine bark (PB) (Pinus sps), hazelnut pericarp (HN) (Corylus avellana) or white clover flowers (WC) (Trifolium repens), in comparison with the anthelmintic drug praziquantel (positive control). In the in vitro study, praziquantel and CT from all three plant extracts had dose-dependent inhibitory effects on cysticercoid excystation. The HN extract was most effective at inhibiting excystation, followed by PB and WC. An in vivo study was carried out on infected beetles (measured as cysticercoid establishment) fed different doses of PB, HN and praziquantel. There was a highly significant inhibitory effect of HN on cysticercoid development (p = 0.0002). Overall, CT showed a promising anti-cestodal effect against the metacestode stage of H. diminuta
Dissipative Dynamics of a Josephson Junction In the Bose-Gases
The dissipative dynamics of a Josephson junction in the Bose-gases is
considered within the framework of the model of a tunneling Hamiltonian. The
effective action which describes the dynamics of the phase difference across
the junction is derived using functional integration method. The dynamic
equation obtained for the phase difference across the junction is analyzed for
the finite temperatures in the low frequency limit involving the radiation
terms. The asymmetric case of the Bose-gases with the different order
parameters is calculated as well
Compensation between meridional flow components of the Atlantic MOC at 26°N
From ten years of observations of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) at 26° N (2004–2014), we revisit the question of flow compensation between components of the circulation. Contrasting with early results from the observations, transport variations of the Florida Current (FC) and upper mid-ocean (UMO) transports (top 1000 m east of the Bahamas) are now found to compensate on sub-annual timescales. The observed compensation between the FC and UMO transports is associated with horizontal circulation and means that this part of the correlated variability does not project onto the MOC. A deep baroclinic response to wind-forcing (Ekman transport) is also found in the lower North Atlantic Deep Water (LNADW; 3000–5000 m) transport. In contrast, co-variability between Ekman and the LNADW transports does contribute to overturning. On longer timescales, the southward UMO transport has continued to strengthen, resulting in a continued decline of the MOC. Most of this interannual variability of the MOC can be traced to changes in isopycnal displacements on the western boundary, within the top 1000 m and below 2000 m. Substantial trends are observed in isopycnal displacements in the deep ocean, underscoring the importance of deep boundary measurements to capture the variability of the Atlantic MOC
LEAP2 changes with body mass and food intake in humans and mice
Acyl-ghrelin administration increases food intake, body weight, and blood glucose. In contrast, mice lacking ghrelin or ghrelin receptors (GHSRs) exhibit life-threatening
hypoglycemia during starvation-like conditions but do not consistently exhibit overt metabolic phenotypes when given ad libitum food access. These results, and findings of
ghrelin resistance in obese states, imply nutritional state-dependence of ghrelin’s metabolic actions. Here, we hypothesized that LEAP2 (liver enriched antimicrobial
peptide-2), a recently-characterized endogenous GHSR antagonist, blunts ghrelin action during obese states and post-prandially. To test this hypothesis, we determined
changes in plasma LEAP2 and acyl-ghrelin due to fasting, eating, obesity, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), oral glucose administration,
and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) using humans and/or mice. Our results suggest that plasma LEAP2 is regulated by metabolic status: its levels increase with body mass
and blood glucose, and decrease with fasting, RYGB, and in post-prandial states following VSG. These changes were mostly opposite to those of acyl-ghrelin. Furthermore, using electrophysiology, we showed that LEAP2 both hyperpolarizes and prevents acyl-ghrelin from activating arcuate NPY neurons. We predict that the plasma LEAP2:acyl-ghrelin molar ratio may be a key determinant modulating acyl-ghrelin
activity in response to body mass, feeding status, and blood glucose
Long lifetime components in the decay of excited super-heavy nuclei
For nuclear reactions in which super-heavy nuclei can be formed, the essential difference between the fusion process followed by fission and non-equilibrium processes leading to fission-like fragments is there action time. Quite probable non-equilibrium
Barrier effects on the collective excitations of split Bose-Einstein condensates
We investigate the collective excitations of a single-species Bose gas at T=0
in a harmonic trap where the confinement undergoes some splitting along one
spatial direction. We mostly consider onedimensional potentials consisting of
two harmonic wells separated a distance 2 z_0, since they essentially contain
all the barrier effects that one may visualize in the 3D situation. We find,
within a hydrodynamic approximation, that regardless the dimensionality of the
system, pairs of levels in the excitation spectrum, corresponding to
neighbouring even and odd excitations, merge together as one increases the
barrier height up to the current value of the chemical potential. The
excitation spectra computed in the hydrodynamical or Thomas-Fermi limit are
compared with the results of exactly solving the time-dependent
Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We analyze as well the characteristics of the
spatial pattern of excitations of threedimensional boson systems according to
the amount of splitting of the condensate.Comment: RevTeX, 12 pages, 13 ps figure
Cohort profile : the Kilifi vaccine monitoring study
The Kilifi Vaccine Monitoring Study (KiVMS) is a long-term continuous cohort study set up to investigate effectiveness, impact, coverage, safety and indirect vaccine effects by recruiting birth cohorts and, where applicable, cohorts of older and adults. It is based in the area covered by the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System, Kilifi, Kenya, and currently has records of 33 962 children in the birth cohort database. A major strength of KiVMS is its unique integration of a vaccine registry, a morbidity surveillance system and the largest health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) in Africa
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