Infant feeding practices and postnatal depression of South Asian women living in the United Kingdom

The work reported in this thesis deals with the infant feeding practices and postnatal depression of South Asian women living in the United Kingdom. It is made up of two independent studies - the first one is conducted on the Bangladeshi women living in Loughborough with particular emphasis on infant feeding while the second one is conducted on essentially the Bangladeshi and the Pakistani women living in the Sure Start Westgate area of Newcastle Upon Tyne with particular interest in maternal mental health. The methodology of the work involves questionnaire surveys on women in Loughborough and Newcastle (n=28 and n=86 respectively). In addition to these, qualitative data were collected during home visits and focus group discussions for mothers. Both of these groups are relatively disadvantaged in terms of mcome, employment and education with the Newcastle group being slightly worse off. Findings from the study highlight the complexity of infant feeding practices for this group of women. Although some specific observations such as delayed initiation of breastfeeding, earlier (than recommended) introduction of solid food or the presence of smokers in a household etc. may possibly be explained by lack of education and poorer knowledge of English, but the impact of socio-cultural and religious influences, which are found to be very dominant, is not so obvious. An interesting, and previously unreported, significant association has been found between infant feeding methods and depression indicators. Contrary to popular beliefs, gender of the child is not a significant matter in general, but shows some association with the feeding method. Belief in supernatural forces and incidence of traditional practices are associated with ethnicity and the mothers' place of birth. In terms of health service and community support there are areas of concern, such as: low attendance at antenatal classes; communication problems due to language and lack of articulation and the attitude of both health professionals and mothers in respect of understanding of each other's culture. The study highlights the importance of educating the whole community, instead of only the mothers, to raise awareness of better infant feeding, to lead a healthier lifestyle and to prevent misconceptions. Both the mothers and health professionals share the joint responsibility of improving the scenario of service delivery and uptake

Measurement of NO2 indoor and outdoor concentrations in selected public schools of Lahore using passive sampler

Higher levels of NO2 are a danger to human health especially for children. A seven day study was carried to find out the ambient concentrations of NO2in 27 schools of Lahore with the help of passive samplers. In each school three sites were selected, viz: laboratory, corridor and outdoors. After 7 days exposure the tubes were subjected to spectrophotometric analysis. Results showed that the maximum values measured in laboratory, outdoor and corridors were 376µg/m3 , 222µg/m3 and 77µg/m3 . Minimum values for laboratory, outdoor and corridors were 10µg/m3 , 20µg/m3 and 8µg/m3 . Factors affecting these values were laboratory activities and proximity to main roads. These values were significantly higher than the standard values defined by EPA. Therefore children in schools were at risk of developing health complications

Bubbles in the Heart: A Case of Venous Air Thromboembolism

AbstractIntroductionVenous air embolism (VAE) due to central venous catheter (CVC) placement is a rare but preventable complication which is potentially fatal. We describe a case highlighting unique patient characteristics which increase the risk of developing VAE.Case descriptionA sixty-year-old gentleman was admitted to the hospital with dyspnea and altered mental status. His comorbidities include cancer of the neck and tongue, currently in remission, and schizophrenia. On presentation, he was found to be in acute respiratory failure, due to pneumonia, and required mechanical ventilation. Following extubation, his CVC was removed from the right internal jugular vein. While ambulating around the unit, he experienced a coughing fit and dizziness. He rapidly developed cardiopulmonary collapse requiring re-intubation and vasopressor support. Chest x-ray demonstrated a radiolucent column along the lateral aspect of the right neck. Due to concern for VAE, an echocardiogram was performed, revealing multiple air-bubbles in the right and left chambers of the heart.DiscussionOur patient was predisposed to developing VAE due to the extensive radiation induced skin changes, from his cancer treatment, on the neck and upper thorax. This resulted in loss of underlying subcutaneous tissue and decreased skin pliability. He had a large, open puncture wound at the catheter site on his neck, probably resulting in air entry. Anxiety and agitation, due to schizophrenia, made it difficult to maintain our patient in a supine or Trendelenburg position following CVC removal. This case highlights the importance of recognizing patient factors that may increase the risk of VAE

Identifikasi Keragaman Genetik Gen Reseptor Hormon Pertumbuhan (GHR|Alu I) Pada Sapi Bali

Growth hormone receptor (GHR) is one factor affecting animal growth. GHR is required by growth hormone (GH) to carry out its effects on target tissues. The objective of the study was to estimate genetic diversity of the GHR|AluI gene in Bali, limousin, simmental and pesisir cattle. Genotyping was performed on 248 animals, including 162 Bali, 21 limousin, 17 simmental and 48 pesisir. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) had been found in exon 10, coding for the cytoplasmic domain of GHR, which was located at position 81 bp (A/G) induced amino acid substitutions Ser/Gly. Genotype frequencies of Bali cattle AA (0.988), GG (0.006) and AG (0.006) were evidenced for the GHR AluI monomorphism, but mostly different from limousin GG (0.667), AA (0.238) and AG (0.095), simmental AG (0.529), GG (0.471) and AA (0.000), pesisir AA (0.604), GG (0.375) and AG (0.021) were the evidence of polymorphism. Homozigosity (monomorphism) in Bali cattle might be affected by adaptability in extreme environmental conditions such as poor nutrition and improper management practices. It also could be affected by natural selection and phenotype plasticity phenomena

Pertumbuhan dan Produksi Paprika pada Berbagai Intensitas Radiasi Surya di Dataran Rendah, Batam(growth And Production Of Sweet Pepper Cultivated Under Different Solar Radiation Intensity At Lowland Region Of Batam)

An experiment has been conducted in Batam Island to study the response of sweet pepper which cultivated at lowland of 20 m asl, during November 2001 to May 2002. Five varieties have been used namely, Bangkok, Gold Flame, New Zealand, Spartacus and Tropica. Plants cultivated using hydroponic system under plastic house with ultra violet protection. The radiation of 100% (control) and it reduce of 25% and 50% used as treatment in order to determine the microclimate favourable for growing pepper in lowland. The results shown that reducing radiation intensity has influenced significantly on vegetatif growth, except leaf area index. The plants were grown under 100% and 25% radiation intensity performed taller with more branches compare to the plants under 50%. Variety of Spartacus has grew tallest than others. Stem diameter of control plants performed bigger than other plants, while reducing radiation intensity has no effect significantly to leaf area index. Experiment also revealed that reducing radiation intensity has significant effect on number and weight of peppers per plant, and thickness of flesh, compare to control. In general, Gold flame has produced best quality than others varieties although it has less number of fruits compare to Tropica

COMPARATIVE GROWTH AND YIELD EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT HIGH YIELDING WHEAT VARIETIES UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS OF ATTOCK.

The experiment was conducted at the farmer’s field Attock during the year 2015-16. Six wheat Varieties i.e Aas 2011, Bars 2009, Narc 2009, Chakwal 50 and Pakistan 13 were evaluated for yield performance. Results revealed that all the varieties differ significantly in yield parameters.  The varieties Narc 2009 and Pakistan 13 were best performer with 36.34mds/acre and 36.14mds/acre yield respectively and are recommended for cultivation in rainfed conditions of Attock District

Turning Natural Fiber Reinforced Cement Composite as Innovative Alternative Sustainable Construction Material: A Review Paper

In recent years, a great deal of interest in concrete leads to the most frequently used sustainable construction material. Using of natural fiber as fiber reinforcement effectively improved strength, ductility and durability requirements of high performance cement composites. Regretly, natural fibers are dumped as agricultural waste (e.g. coconut, bamboo, wood or chips, bast fiber, leaf fiber, seed and fruit fibers, etc), so can be easily available low cost. The applications of natural fiber for sustainable construction material design can be done as filler or masonry composites, reinforcement, thermal conductivity, cementations/binder, etc. Previous and current researchers focusing the natural fiber to improve the properties of lightweight composites still required a lot of investigations to make it improved. However, the present work consists of the availability of natural fiber waste substance, sustainable construction materials are evaluated for their physico-mechanical properties of sustainable construction materials, method of production and environmental impact of several materials. No doubt, the application of natural fiber provides a solution to conservation of natural resource and energy

Overview of Health Impacts Due to Haze Pollution in Johor, Malaysia

Haze pollution is one of the major environmental issues caused by aerosols, having brought about a history of heavy smog pollution events like the London smog in 1952 and the Los Angeles smog in the 1960s. However, in Malaysia, haze events are attributed to forest and peat fires in Kalimantan and Southern Sumatra, Indonesia. The burned biomass basically contains concentrated particulate matters that are hazardous to health among susceptible population groups. Based on the extensive literature review conducted, the small number of available local studies on the health effects of air pollution in Malaysia conducted so far focused on air pollution sciences. In this paper, a comprehensive overview of studies done on the impacts of haze on health conditions among populations in Malaysia is presented. The result shows that the number of upper respiratory tract infection cases was directly proportional to the particulate matter concentration and Air Pollution Index value in Johor in the years 2014 and 2015. Particulate matteris the major contributor in the formation of heavy hazes and is more likely to initiate detrimental health effects compared to other inhalable particles due to their size, large area, and strong activity, making them more likely to carry harmful substances causing a higher number of infected patients with upper respiratory tract infections

Exposure to NO2 in occupational built environments in urban centre in Lahore

Increased economic growth, urbanisation and substantial rise in automobile vehicles has contributed towards the elevated levels of air pollution in major cities in Pakistan. Aone week study was conducted by using passive samplers to assess NO2 concentration in occupational built environments at two most congested and populated sites of Lahore. Both sites were locatedon the busy roads of Lahore. At Site-I the highest concentration was in outdoors followed by corridor and indoor. While at Site II all the sampling location wereindoors and level were comparable to that of outdoor levelsat Site I. The results suggest the likely contribution of ambient sources in exposure to indoor NO2 in educational and other occupational built environments in urban centres

Pengaruh Variasi Lama Simpan Dan Frekuensi Ekstraksi Terhadap Kandungan Gula Ekstrak Buah Labu Kuning (Cucurbita Moschata)

The purpose of this research was to determine the optimal condition for the storage duration of pumpkins and fre- quency of extraction in order to produce extract which has maximal sugar content and minimal volume. This research was done on post harvest pumpkins which were stored for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 weeks. Pumpkins were peeled, crushed and pressed using hydraulic hand press for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 times of extractions. The extract were analysed for chemical proper- ties i.e. total sugar content, reducing sugar content, pH, and physical properties i.e. turbidity, and colour. The result showed that the extract of pumpkins which had maximal total sugar content but with low volume could be produced on pumpkins which stored for 8-12 weeks, and extracted twice