A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Dry Heat Versus Moist Heat Application on Episiotomy Pain Perception among Postnatal Mothers in Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Government Hospital for Women and Children, Egmore, Chennai

The postnatal period refers to 6 weeks period after childbirth and this period is termed as fourth trimester of pregnancy. It comprises an amazing variety of complex physiologic and psychological adaptations. Protecting a women health as these changes occur is important for preserving the future childbearing function and for ensuring that she is physically well enough to incorporate her new child into her family. Episiotomy is routinely done to ease the birthing process and to prevent perineal tear, but there are many complications related with episiotomy wound. Proper episiotomy care can prevent Infection and healing is enhanced. This surgical procedure is largely executed globally. The international episiotomy rate was 27%, 54%, are nulliparous and 6% are multiparous women (WHO).The rate of episiotomy ranges from 50%-90% in developing countries. TITLE: “A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Dry Heat Versus Moist Heat Application on Episiotomy Pain Perception among Postnatal Mothers in Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Government Hospital for Women and Children, Egmore, Chennai”. OBJECTIVES: 1. To assess the effectiveness of dry heat application on episiotomy pain perception, 2. To assess the effectiveness of moist heat application on episiotomy pain perception, to compare the effectiveness of dry heat and moist heat on episiotomy pain perception. 3. To associate the level of episiotomy pain perception status among postnatal mothers in dry heat and moist heat with their selected demographic variables. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This study was conducted with 80 (post natal mothers) samples in quantitative approach, randomized control trials by random sampling technique. Episiotomy pain perception was assessed using Numerical pain scale and Modified short form Mc Gill pain questionnaire in dry heat group and moist heat group. After pre-test, infrared was administered to dry heat group mothers and warm sitz bath was administered to moist heat group. After 3 days of intervention post-test was conducted using the same tool in both groups. RESULTS: On an average, Dry heat group pain reduction percentage is 45.30% in Numerical pain score assessment, 44.60% in Modified short form Mc Gill pain questionnaire and 40.60% in Present pain intensity. Whereas in Moist heat group 35.10% in Numerical pain score assessment, 35.44% in Modified short form Mc Gill pain questionnaire and 34.00% in Present Pain Intensity. This difference shows the effectiveness of the Dry heat application is more effective in reducing the pain perception than moist heat application. CONCLUSION: Dry heat is more effective in reducing the pain perception among the postnatal mothers with episiotomy than moist heat. The effect of dry heat lasts for a longer time and keeps the wound dry and reduces pain perception. Heat from the lamp increases blood circulation to the sutures and reduces the pain hence the patient is more comfortable. The study recommended that joining infrared therapy as a main part of post-partum instructions for the women for its imperative role in improving quality of life during post -partum period

Fresh and hardened properties of self-compacting concrete modified with lightweight and recycled aggregates

A produção de concretos auto compactáveis de baixa massa específica tornou-se um grande desafio para a engenharia civil, principalmente quanto à dosagem e manutenção das resistências mecânicas. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar concretos autoadensáveis (CAA) produzidos com agregados leves e reciclados. Fixou-se as dosagens de sílica ativa, pó de pedra, pedrisco, argila expandida e superplastificante, variando-se a porcentagem do resíduo de borracha em 5% e 10%, em substituição ao agregado miúdo. As amostras foram submetidas aos ensaios de espalhamento, viscosidade, habilidade passante, resistências à compressão e à tração por compressão diametral e, massa específica. Verificou-se que os CAA produzidos apresentaram coesão e trabalhabilidade adequados, bem como atendem as condições normativas para uso em peças pré-moldadas e estruturais1117684COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESsem informaçã

Deficiency in the mouse mitochondrial adenine nucleotide translocator isoform 2 gene is associated with cardiac noncompaction.

The mouse fetal and adult hearts express two adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) isoform genes. The predominant isoform is the heart-muscle-brain ANT-isoform gene 1 (Ant1) while the other is the systemic Ant2 gene. Genetic inactivation of the Ant1 gene does not impair fetal development but results in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in postnatal mice. Using a knockin X-linked Ant2 allele in which exons 3 and 4 are flanked by loxP sites combined in males with a protamine 1 promoter driven Cre recombinase we created females heterozygous for a null Ant2 allele. Crossing the heterozygous females with the Ant2(fl), PrmCre(+) males resulted in male and female ANT2-null embryos. These fetuses proved to be embryonic lethal by day E14.5 in association with cardiac developmental failure, immature cardiomyocytes having swollen mitochondria, cardiomyocyte hyperproliferation, and cardiac failure due to hypertrabeculation/noncompaction. ANTs have two main functions, mitochondrial-cytosol ATP/ADP exchange and modulation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mtPTP). Previous studies imply that ANT2 biases the mtPTP toward closed while ANT1 biases the mtPTP toward open. It has been reported that immature cardiomyocytes have a constitutively opened mtPTP, the closure of which signals the maturation of cardiomyocytes. Therefore, we hypothesize that the developmental toxicity of the Ant2 null mutation may be the result of biasing the cardiomyocyte mtPTP to remain open thus impairing cardiomyocyte maturation and resulting in cardiomyocyte hyperproliferation and failure of trabecular maturation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'EBEC 2016: 19th European Bioenergetics Conference, Riva del Garda, Italy, July 2-6, 2016', edited by Prof. Paolo Bernardi

Biomassa de capim-piatã e feijão-guandu consorciados em um sistema integrado com árvores nativas.

Os sistemas de Integração Lavoura-Pecuária-Floresta (ILPF) são métodos de produção sustentável que integram árvores, pastagens e culturas agrícolas

Living on social assistance with chronic illness: Buffering and undermining features to well-being

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Sweden, the social security and sickness insurance systems are comprehensive and aim to provide people whose illness prevents them from earning their own living, with either sickness benefits or disability pension. Some, however, are not entitled to these benefits or receive social insurance benefits at a level too low for subsistence, and are referred to social assistance. The purpose of this study was to explore in depth how social assistance recipients with chronic illness perceive and respond to the experience of living on social assistance.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seventeen in-depth interviews were carried out with chronically ill people who had received social assistance for several years. Grounded theory informed the design of the study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study showed that different strategies (living one day at a time, taking steps forwards and backwards and making attempts to find ways out of the situation) were employed by social assistance recipients to maintain or improve their well-being. Contextual features like the prevailing welfare system, public services and the local neighbourhood could buffer or undermine these strategies and their overall well-being. These features together influenced how interviewees perceived their situation, the possible ways out of the situation and the consequences for their well-being.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>From this study it is evident that the way in which individuals on social assistance interact with services and how they are treated by professionals plays an important role in their well-being, in combination with what kind of help and support is available for recipients through the welfare system. In this respect, persons living on social assistance with chronic illness are particularly vulnerable. This study suggests that more effort should be made to find long term solutions concerning income support, rehabilitation and other services provided to this group.</p

Toll-Like Receptor Agonists Synergize with CD40L to Induce Either Proliferation or Plasma Cell Differentiation of Mouse B Cells

In a classical dogma, pathogens are sensed (via recognition of Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs)) by innate immune cells that in turn activate adaptive immune cells. However, recent data showed that TLRs (Toll Like Receptors), the most characterized class of Pattern Recognition Receptors, are also expressed by adaptive immune B cells. B cells play an important role in protective immunity essentially by differentiating into antibody-secreting cells (ASC). This differentiation requires at least two signals: the recognition of an antigen by the B cell specific receptor (BCR) and a T cell co-stimulatory signal provided mainly by CD154/CD40L acting on CD40. In order to better understand interactions of innate and adaptive B cell stimulatory signals, we evaluated the outcome of combinations of TLRs, BCR and/or CD40 stimulation. For this purpose, mouse spleen B cells were activated with synthetic TLR agonists, recombinant mouse CD40L and agonist anti-BCR antibodies. As expected, TLR agonists induced mouse B cell proliferation and activation or differentiation into ASC. Interestingly, addition of CD40 signal to TLR agonists stimulated either B cell proliferation and activation (TLR3, TLR4, and TLR9) or differentiation into ASC (TLR1/2, TLR2/6, TLR4 and TLR7). Addition of a BCR signal to CD40L and either TLR3 or TLR9 agonists did not induce differentiation into ASC, which could be interpreted as an entrance into the memory pathway. In conclusion, our results suggest that PAMPs synergize with signals from adaptive immunity to regulate B lymphocyte fate during humoral immune response

Antamanide, a Derivative of Amanita phalloides, Is a Novel Inhibitor of the Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore

Antamanide is a cyclic decapeptide derived from the fungus Amanita phalloides. Here we show that antamanide inhibits the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, a central effector of cell death induction, by targeting the pore regulator cyclophilin D. Indeed, (i) permeability transition pore inhibition by antamanide is not additive with the cyclophilin D-binding drug cyclosporin A, (ii) the inhibitory action of antamanide on the pore requires phosphate, as previously shown for cyclosporin A; (iii) antamanide is ineffective in mitochondria or cells derived from cyclophilin D null animals, and (iv) abolishes CyP-D peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity. Permeability transition pore inhibition by antamanide needs two critical residues in the peptide ring, Phe6 and Phe9, and is additive with ubiquinone 0, which acts on the pore in a cyclophilin D-independent fashion. Antamanide also abrogates mitochondrial depolarization and the ensuing cell death caused by two well-characterized pore inducers, clotrimazole and a hexokinase II N-terminal peptide. Our findings have implications for the comprehension of cyclophilin D activity on the permeability transition pore and for the development of novel pore-targeting drugs exploitable as cell death inhibitors