658 research outputs found
Cooperation, Trust and Social Capital in Southeast Asian Urban Slums
We conduct experiments in urban slums to measure trust and cooperation and to see how behavior varies with demographic factors and associational measures of social capital. Overall, we find high contribution rates among Thai and Vietnamese participants in a voluntary contribution game, and we see that many participants are willing to signal their disapproval of free riding despite it being costly to do so. At the individual level, we find that behavior varies with many demographic factors and with many associational factors. However, these correlations often differ significantly between our two locations, indicating the role of culture, defined broadly.Cooperation, trust, social disapproval, Thailand, Vietnam
Autonomous System for Monitoring the Integrity of Composite Fan Housings
A low-cost and reliable system assesses the integrity of composite fan-containment structures. The system utilizes a network of miniature sensors integrated with the structure to scan the entire structural area for any impact events and resulting structural damage, and to monitor degradation due to usage. This system can be used to monitor all types of composite structures on aircraft and spacecraft, as well as automatically monitor in real time the location and extent of damage in the containment structures. This diagnostic information is passed to prognostic modeling that is being developed to utilize the information and provide input on the residual strength of the structure, and maintain a history of structural degradation during usage. The structural health-monitoring system would consist of three major components: (1) sensors and a sensor network, which is permanently bonded onto the structure being monitored; (2) integrated hardware; and (3) software to monitor in-situ the health condition of in-service structures
Drug utilization study of anti-diabetic drugs in patients attending medicine outpatient department at a tertiary care hospital in Western Maharashtra
Background: Studies on antidiabetic drug utilization are important for the optimization of drug therapy and rational prescription of drugs. The aim of the present study was to understand the trends in prescription pattern of oral anti-diabetic drugs among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients attending medicine outpatient department of tertiary care hospital of Western Maharashtra.
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at Medicine OPD of Government Medical College and Hospital, Miraj. All adult patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with T2DM and willing to give informed consent to participate in the study, were enrolled. The study was approved by Institutional Ethics Committee. The data was computed using MS excel and results were expressed as counts and percentages.
Results: Out of 72 T2DM patients enrolled, male population (58.33%) had higher prevalence than females (41.67%). Biguanides (63.16%) were the most commonly prescribed class of oral antidiabetic drugs followed by sulfonylureas (35.09%). Metformin (63.16%) was the most commonly prescribed oral antidiabetic drug followed by glimepiride (30.70%). Combination of oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) were prescribed in 52.78% and 47.22% patients were prescribed single drug. ‘Metformin and glimepiride’ was the most commonly prescribed combination.
Conclusions: In a chronic disease like diabetes mellitus, constant follow up for successful management is a must. It also demands active participation by the patients. Continuing education for the clinicians to keep themselves abreast of the latest development will also contribute in the effective management of diabetes mellitus and rational prescription of antidiabetic drugs
STUDY OF ACCESSORY SUPRAORBITAL FORAMEN IN NORTH INDIAN HUMAN SKULL
Objective: This research was aimed at telling the anatomical characteristics of the accessory supraorbital foramen (ASOF) in relation to the main supraorbital foramen (SOF), which is necessary in clinical situations that require regional surgical procedures.
Methods: A total dedicated to the presence and location of 72 dry Indian adults of unknown age and sex were investigated. In each skull, the ASOF location was measured on both sides with a Vernier caliper metal case, with the SOF as the reference point. The total number of accessory foramen was also noted.
Results: Accessory infraorbital foramens (IOFs) were seen only in 4.16% in our study and all seen were single in number. Half of those accessory foramen were present on medial and rest half were present on superomedial position as compared to the main IOF. Half among present accessory foramens were located at a distance of <2 mm and half were located at a distance of more than 2 mm. The mean location of accessory IOF was at 7.07 mm from main IOF.
Conclusion: Knowledge of the anatomical characteristics of ASOF can have major effects on surgical and local anesthetic preparation blockage of the super orbital nerves. Additional guidance for surgeons may be provided with information on the foramens obtained from this study. The surgeons should note this during the nerve block as damage to either branch will lead to sensory impairment and incomplete blocking of the nerve
Knowledge, attitude, and perception of adolescents regarding reproductive health and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in Rajasthan
Background: The studies are required to better understand the needs of adolescents and to help policy makers to develop appropriateneed-based adolescent reproductive health programs. Objectives: The objective was to assess the awareness among adolescentsregarding various reproductive health issues and to assess their attitude and perceptions regarding reproductive health and humanimmunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Design: Community-based cross-sectional descriptivestudy. Participants: 423 adolescents of 11-19 years age group in two rural (219 students) and two urban (204 students) schools.Methodology: The survey used was a 4-part, 52-item self-administered questionnaire eliciting information on knowledge regardingreproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Result: Awareness of all reproductive health matters was suboptimum. Awareness was more inurban adolescents than in rural and in late teens than earlier teens. Overall, majority were aware of legal age of marriage (79%), twochild family norm (90%), and birth spacing, disadvantages of early marriage, disfavor female feticide, and felt need for sex education(91%). Condoms were the most commonly known method of contraception among boys (80.15%) and oral pills among girls (60.24%).AIDS was the most well-known sexually transmitted disease (93.38%). Conclusion: Lacunae in awareness of all reproductive healthmatters suggests that young people’s sexual and reproductive health issues need to be further addressed and explored in order to promotesafer and responsible sexual behavior
Critical role of electron-phonon interactions in determining the relative stability of Boron Nitride polymorphs
Despite several first principles studies, the relative stability of BN
polymorphs remains controversial. The stable polymorph varies between the cubic
(c-BN) and hexagonal (h-BN) depending on the van der Waals (vdW) dispersion
approximation used. These studies are unable to explain the main experimental
results, c-BN is stable, the relative stability order and the large energy
difference between h-BN and c-BN (greater than 150 meV/formula unit). In this
study, we introduce contributions from electron-phonon interactions (EPI) to
the total energy of BN polymorphs. This clearly establishes c-BN is the stable
polymorph irrespective of the vdW approximation. Only by including EPI
contributions do the ab initio results match, for the first time, the main
experimental results mentioned above. The EPI contribution to the total energy
is strongly sensitive to chemical bonding (approximately twice in -bonded
layered over -bonded polymorphs) and to crystal structure. The crucial
role of EPI contributions is seen in -bonded layered BN polymorphs where
it is greater than the vdW contribution. Given that h-BN is a prototype layered
material, in bulk or 2D form, our results have a broader relevance, that is,
including EPI correction, along with vdW approximation, is vital for the study
of energetics in layered materials.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 3 table
Theoretical issues in the accurate computation of the electron-phonon interaction contribution to the total energy
The total energy is the most fundamental quantity in ab initio studies. To
include electron-phonon interaction (EPI) contribution to the total energy, we
have recast Allen's equation, for the case of semiconductors and insulators.
This equivalent expression can be computed using available software, leading to
more accurate total energy. We calculate the total energies and their
differences for carbon-diamond and carbon-hexagonal polytypes. For ab initio
investigations on crystalline materials, the accepted norm is to compute
important quantities only for the primitive unit cell because per-atom
quantities are independent of unit cell size. Our results, unexpectedly, show
that the per-atom total energy (EPI included) depends on the unit cell size and
violates the unit cell independence. For example, it differs for carbon-diamond
by 1 eV/atom between the primitive cell and supercells. We observe that
reliable energy differences between polytypes are obtained when, instead of
primitive cells, supercells with identical number of atoms are used. A crucial
inference of general validity is that any equation which contains a partial
Fan-Migdal self-energy term violates the unit cell independence. Further
theoretical studies are needed to establish if the total energy (EPI included)
is an exception or can be reconciled with the unit cell independence.Comment: submitted for publication. 6 pages, 1 figure, 2 table
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