Temperature Dependence of Elastic and Ultrasonic Properties of Sodium Borohydride

We present the temperature dependent elastic and ultrasonic properties of sodium borohydride. The second and third order elastic constants of NaBH4 have been computed in the temperature range 0-300K using Coulomb and Born-Mayer potential. The sodium borohydride crystallizes into NaCl-type structure. The computed values of second order elastic constants have been applied to evaluate the temperature dependent mechanical properties such as bulk modulus, shear modulus, tetragonal modulus, Poisson’s ratio and Zener anisotropy factor and ultrasonic velocity to predict futuristic information about sodium borohydride. The fracture to toughness ratio (bulk modulus/shear modulus) in sodium borohydride varied from 1.91 to 1.62, which shows its behavioral change from ductile to brittle on increasing the temperature. Then, ultrasonic Grüneisen parameters have been computed with the use of elastic constants in the temperature regime 100-300K. The obtained results have been discussed in correlation with available experimental and theoretical results. [1] A. Amudhavalli, M. Manikandan, A. Jemmy Cinthia, R. Rajeswarapalanichamy and K. Iyakutti, Z. Naturforsch. A 72 (2017) 321. [2] D.Singh, P.K.Yadawa and S.K.Sahu, Cryogenics 50 (2010) 476. [3] V. Bhalla, D.Singh and S.K.Jain, Int. J. Comput. Mat. Sc. Eng. 5 (2016) 1650012. [4] S. Kaushik, D. Singh and G. Mishra, Asian J. Chem. 24 (2012) 5655. [5] D. Chernyshov, A. Bosak, V. Dmitriev, Y. Filmchuk and H. Hagemann, Phys. Rev. B 78 (2008)172104. [6] H. Hagemann, S. Gomes, G. Renaudin and K. Yvon, J. Alloys Compd. 363 (2004) 126. [7] Y. Filinchuk, D. Chernyshov and V. Dmitriev, Z. Kristallogr. 223 (2008) 649. [8] Z.Xiao Dong, J.Z. Yi, Z. Bo, H. Z. Feng and H.Y. Qing, Chin. Phys. Lett. 28(2011)076201. [9] T. Ghellab, Z. Charifi, H. Baaziz, Ş. Uğur, G. Uğur and F. Soyalp, Phys. Scr. 91 (2016) 045804. [10] S. Bae, S. Gim, H. Kim and K. Hanna, Appl. Catal. B: Environm. 182 (2016) 541. [11] G. Renaudin, S. Gomes, H. Hagemann, L. Keller and K. Yvon, J Alloys Compd. 375 (2004) 98. [12] P. Vajeeston, P. Ravindran, A. Kjekshus and H. Fjellvåg, J Alloys Compd. 387 (2005) 97. [13] S. Orimo, Y. Nakamori, J.R. Eliseo, A. Zuttel and C. M. Jensen, Chem. Rev. 107 (2007) 4111. [14] A. Istek and E. Gonteki, J. Environ. Bio.7 (2009) 951. [15] R. S. Kumar and A.L. Cornelinus, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87 (2005) 261916. [16] E. Kim, R. Kumar, P. F. Weck, A. L. Cornelius, M. Nicol, S. C. Vogel, J. Zhang, M. Hartl, A.C. Stowe, L. Daemen and Y. Zhao, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. B 111 (2007) 13873. [17] K. Brugger, Phys. Rev. 133 (1964) A1611. [18] P.B. Ghate, Phy. Rev. 139 (1965) A1666 [19] S. Mori, Y. Hiki, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 45 (1975) 1449. [20] V. Bhalla, R. Kumar, C. Tripathy and D. Singh, Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 27 (2013) 1350116. [21] D. Singh, S. Kaushik, S. Tripathi, V. Bhalla and A. K. Gupta, Arab. J. Sci. Eng. 39 (2014) 485. [22] K. Brugger, Phys. Rev.137 (1965) 1826. [23] W. P. Mason, Physical Acoustics, vol. IIIB, Academic Press, New York, 1965. [24] M.P. Tosi, Solid State Physics, vol. 12, Academic Press, New York, 1965. [25] Y. Nakamori and S. Orimo, J. Alloy Compd.370(2004)271. [26] D. Singh, D.K. Pandey and P.K. Yadawa, Cent. Eur. J. Phys. 7 (2009) 198. [27] V. Bhalla, D. Singh, G. Mishra and M. Wan, J. Pure Appl. Ultrason. 38 (2016)23. [28] D. Singh, S. Kaushik, S.K. Pandey, G. Mishra and V. Bhalla, VNU J. Sc.: Math. Phys. 32(2016)43. [29] J.P.Watt and L. Peselnick, J.Appl. Phys. 51 (1980) 1525. [30] S.F.Pugh, Philos.Mag. 45 (1954) 823. [31] V. Bhalla, D. Singh and S.K. Jain, Int. J. Thermophys. 37(2016)33. [32] V. Bhalla, D. Singh, S.K. Jain and R. Kumar, Pramana- J. Phys. 86 (2016)135

Effectiveness of community-based health education and home support program to reduce blood pressure among patients with uncontrolled hypertension in Nepal : a cluster-randomized trial

Background Hypertension is a major global public health problem. Elevated blood pressure can cause cardiovascular and kidney diseases. We assessed the effectiveness of health education sessions and home support programs in reducing blood pressure among patients with uncontrolled hypertension in a suburban community of Nepal. Methods We conducted a community-based, open-level, parallel-group, cluster randomized controlled trial in Birendranagar municipality of Surkhet, Nepal. We randomly assigned four clusters (wards) into intervention and control arms. We provided four health education sessions, frequent home and usual care for intervention groups over six months. The participants of the control arm received only usual care from health facilities. The primary outcome of this study was the proportion of controlled systolic blood pressure (SBP). The analysis included all participants who completed follow-up at six months. Results 125 participants were assigned to either the intervention (n = 63) or the control (n = 62) group. Of them, 60 participants in each group completed six months follow-up. Theproportion of controlled SBP was significantly higher among the intervention participants compared to the control (58.3% vs. 40%). Odds ratio of this was 2.1 with 95% CI: 1.01–4.35 (p = 0.046) and that of controlled diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 1.31 (0.63–2.72) (p = 0.600). The mean change (follow-up minus baseline) in SBP was significantly higher in the intervention than in the usual care (-18.7 mmHg vs. -11.2 mmHg, p = 0.041). Such mean change of DBP was also higher in the intervention (-10.95 mmHg vs. -5.53 mmHg, p = 0.065). The knowledge score on hypertension improved by 2.38 (SD 2.4) in the intervention arm, which was significantly different from that of the control group, 0.13 (1.8) (p<0.001). Conclusions Multiple health education sessions complemented by frequent household visits by health volunteers can effectively improve knowledge on hypertension and reduce blood pressure among uncontrolled hypertensive patients at the community level in Nepal

Occluded Coronary Artery among Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients in Department of Cardiology of a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Non-ST elevation myocardial infarction is frequently thought to be caused by incomplete blockage of the culprit artery, whereas ST elevation myocardial infarction is frequently thought to be caused by total occlusion of the culprit artery. The objective of the study was to find out the prevalence of occluded coronary arteries among non-ST elevation myocardial infarction patients department of cardiology of a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among non-ST elevation myocardial infarction patients in a tertiary care centre from 22 June 2020 to 21 June 2021 after taking ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee [Reference number: 4271 (6-11) E2 076/077]. A total of 196 patients were included in the study by simple randomized sampling. Data on the patient’s clinical profile, angiographic findings, and in-hospital complications were recorded. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 126 non-ST elevation myocardial infarction patients included in the study, the prevalence of occluded coronary artery was 41 (32.54%) (24.36-40.72, 95% Confidence Interval). Conclusions: The prevalence of occluded coronary arteries was similar to the studies done in similar settings

Prevalence of cardiovascular health risk behaviors in a remote rural community of Sindhuli district, Nepal

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is emerging as a public health menace among low and middle income countries. It has particularly affected the poorest. However, there is paucity of information about CVD risk factors profile among Nepalese rural communities where the majority of people live in poverty. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the prevalence of cardiovascular health risk behaviors in an outback community of Nepal. METHODS: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in Tinkanya Village Development Committee (VDC), Sindhuli between January and March, 2014. Total 406 participants of age 20 to 50 years were selected randomly. Data were collected using WHO-NCD STEPwise approach questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS V.16.0 and R i386 2.15.3 software. RESULT: The mean age of participants was 36.2 ± 9 years. Majority of participants (76.3%) were from lower socio-economic class, Adibasi/Janajati (63.1%), and without formal schooling (46.3%). Smoking was present in 28.6%, alcohol consumption in 47.8%, insufficient fruits and vegetables intake in 96.6%, insufficient physical activity in 48.8%; 25.6% had high waist circumference, 37.4% had overweight and obesity. Average daily salt intake per capita was 14.4 grams ±4.89 grams. Hypertension was detected in 12.3%. It had an inverse relationship with education and socio-economic status. In binary logistic regression analysis, age, smoking, body mass index (BMI) and daily salt intake were identified as significant predictors of hypertension. CONCLUSION: Present study showed high prevalence of smoking, alcohol consumption, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, daily salt intake, overweight and obesity and hypertension among remote rural population suggesting higher risk for developing CVD in future. Nepalese rural communities, therefore, are in need of population-wide comprehensive intervention approaches for reducing CVD health risk behaviors

Electrocardiogram abnormalities and renal impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a healthcare facilities-based cross-sectional study in Dang district of Nepal

Aims/Introduction: The global burden of diabetes mellitus is rising substantially, with a further increase in cardiovascular and kidney disease burden. These public health problems are highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, including Nepal. However, there is limited evidence on cardiac and renal conditions among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We determined the status of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities and renal impairment among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Nepal. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City of Nepal using a multistage stratified sampling technique to recruit patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We used World Health Organization stepwise approach to surveillance (WHO STEPS) questionnaires and carried out resting ECG to collect data of 345 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Logistic regression analysis assessed the factors associated with ECG abnormalities and renal impairment. Results: The study showed that 6.1% of participants had major ECG abnormalities (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.8–8.6%), which were associated with hypertension (P = 0.01%) and low socioeconomic status (P = 0.01). The proportion of major and/or minor ECG abnormalities was 47.8% (95% CI 40.5–51%), and were significantly associated with age (odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.07), higher education (OR 3.50, 95% CI 1.31–9.33), unemployment (OR 3.02, 95% CI 1.08–8.48), body mass index (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02–1.17) and duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus >5 years (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.19–4.93). The proportion of renal impairment was 3.5% (95% CI 1.5–4.5%) which was associated with older age (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.00–1.17) and hypertension (OR 12.12, 95% CI 1.07–138.22). Conclusion: A significant proportion of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus had ECG abnormalities and renal impairment, which were significantly associated with hypertension. Therefore, hypertension management and early screening are essential to prevent future cardiorenal complications among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 to 2019: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden. To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019. The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 and over the past decade. Estimates are also provided by quintiles of the SDI, a composite measure of educational attainment, income per capita, and total fertility rate for those younger than 25 years. Estimates include 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). In 2019, there were an estimated 23.6 million (95% UI, 22.2-24.9 million) new cancer cases (17.2 million when excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 10.0 million (95% UI, 9.36-10.6 million) cancer deaths globally, with an estimated 250 million (235-264 million) DALYs due to cancer. Since 2010, these represented a 26.3% (95% UI, 20.3%-32.3%) increase in new cases, a 20.9% (95% UI, 14.2%-27.6%) increase in deaths, and a 16.0% (95% UI, 9.3%-22.8%) increase in DALYs. Among 22 groups of diseases and injuries in the GBD 2019 study, cancer was second only to cardiovascular diseases for the number of deaths, years of life lost, and DALYs globally in 2019. Cancer burden differed across SDI quintiles. The proportion of years lived with disability that contributed to DALYs increased with SDI, ranging from 1.4% (1.1%-1.8%) in the low SDI quintile to 5.7% (4.2%-7.1%) in the high SDI quintile. While the high SDI quintile had the highest number of new cases in 2019, the middle SDI quintile had the highest number of cancer deaths and DALYs. From 2010 to 2019, the largest percentage increase in the numbers of cases and deaths occurred in the low and low-middle SDI quintiles. The results of this systematic analysis suggest that the global burden of cancer is substantial and growing, with burden differing by SDI. These results provide comprehensive and comparable estimates that can potentially inform efforts toward equitable cancer control around the world.Funding/Support: The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities. Dr Aljunid acknowledges the Department of Health Policy and Management of Kuwait University and the International Centre for Casemix and Clinical Coding, National University of Malaysia for the approval and support to participate in this research project. Dr Bhaskar acknowledges institutional support from the NSW Ministry of Health and NSW Health Pathology. Dr Bärnighausen was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through the Alexander von Humboldt Professor award, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Dr Braithwaite acknowledges funding from the National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute. Dr Conde acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council ERC Starting Grant agreement No 848325. Dr Costa acknowledges her grant (SFRH/BHD/110001/2015), received by Portuguese national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, IP under the Norma Transitória grant DL57/2016/CP1334/CT0006. Dr Ghith acknowledges support from a grant from Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF16OC0021856). Dr Glasbey is supported by a National Institute of Health Research Doctoral Research Fellowship. Dr Vivek Kumar Gupta acknowledges funding support from National Health and Medical Research Council Australia. Dr Haque thanks Jazan University, Saudi Arabia for providing access to the Saudi Digital Library for this research study. Drs Herteliu, Pana, and Ausloos are partially supported by a grant of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation, CNDS-UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-ID-PCCF-2016-0084. Dr Hugo received support from the Higher Education Improvement Coordination of the Brazilian Ministry of Education for a sabbatical period at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, between September 2019 and August 2020. Dr Sheikh Mohammed Shariful Islam acknowledges funding by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Fellowship and National Health and Medical Research Council Emerging Leadership Fellowship. Dr Jakovljevic acknowledges support through grant OI 175014 of the Ministry of Education Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. Dr Katikireddi acknowledges funding from a NHS Research Scotland Senior Clinical Fellowship (SCAF/15/02), the Medical Research Council (MC_UU_00022/2), and the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (SPHSU17). Dr Md Nuruzzaman Khan acknowledges the support of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Bangladesh. Dr Yun Jin Kim was supported by the Research Management Centre, Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUMRF/2020-C6/ITCM/0004). Dr Koulmane Laxminarayana acknowledges institutional support from Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Dr Landires is a member of the Sistema Nacional de Investigación, which is supported by Panama’s Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación. Dr Loureiro was supported by national funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia under the Scientific Employment Stimulus–Institutional Call (CEECINST/00049/2018). Dr Molokhia is supported by the National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Center at Guy’s and St Thomas’ National Health Service Foundation Trust and King’s College London. Dr Moosavi appreciates NIGEB's support. Dr Pati acknowledges support from the SIAN Institute, Association for Biodiversity Conservation & Research. Dr Rakovac acknowledges a grant from the government of the Russian Federation in the context of World Health Organization Noncommunicable Diseases Office. Dr Samy was supported by a fellowship from the Egyptian Fulbright Mission Program. Dr Sheikh acknowledges support from Health Data Research UK. Drs Adithi Shetty and Unnikrishnan acknowledge support given by Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education. Dr Pavanchand H. Shetty acknowledges Manipal Academy of Higher Education for their research support. Dr Diego Augusto Santos Silva was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil Finance Code 001 and is supported in part by CNPq (302028/2018-8). Dr Zhu acknowledges the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas grant RP210042

Steady Stokes flow past dumbbell shaped axially symmetric body of revolution: An analytic approach

In this paper, the problem of steady Stokes flow past dumbbell-shaped axially symmetric isolated body of revolution about its axis of symmetry is considered by utilizing a method (Datta and Srivastava, 1999) based on body geometry under the restrictions of continuously turning tangent on the boundary. The relationship between drag and moment is established in transverse flow situation. The closed form expression of Stokes drag is then calculated for dumbbell-shaped body in terms of geometric parameters b, c, d and a with the aid of this linear relation and the formula of torque obtained by (Chwang and Wu, part 1, 1974) with the use of singularity distribution along axis of symmetry. Drag coefficient and moment coefficient are defined in various forms in terms of dumbbell parameters. Their numerical values are calculated and depicted in respective graphs and compared with some known values

Thermal physics: kinetic theory and thermodynamics

THERMAL PHYSICS: Kinetic Theory and Thermodynamics is designed for undergraduate course in Thermal Physics and Thermodynamics. The book provides thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of the concepts in Thermal Physics. The book begins with kinetic theory, then moves on liquefaction, transport phenomena, the zeroth, first, second and third laws, thermodynamics relations and thermal conduction. The book concluded with radiation phenomenon. KEY FEATURES: * Include exercises * Short Answer Type Questions * Long Answer Type Questions * Numerical Problems * Multiple Choice Question

Yoga for hypertensive patients: a study on barriers and facilitators of its implementation in primary care

Background International guidelines for hypertension treatment recommend the use of yoga, particularly among low-risk patients. However, evidence is lacking on the implementation potential of health-worker-led yoga interventions in low-resource, primary care settings. Objective To assess barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of a yoga intervention for hypertensive patients in primary care in Nepal. Methods The study was conducted using focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, and telephone interviews. Data were collected from the ‘Yoga and Hypertension’ (YoH) trial participants, YoH intervention implementers, and officials from the Ministry of Health and Population in Nepal. Results Most YoH trial participants stated that: (1) it was easy to learn yoga during a five-day training period and practise it for three months at home; (2) practising yoga improved their health; and (3) group yoga sessions in a community centre would help them practise yoga more regularly. Most YoH intervention implementers stated that: (1) they were highly motivated to implement the intervention; (2) the cost of implementation was acceptable; (3) they did not need additional staff to effectively implement the intervention; (4) providing remuneration to the staff involved in the intervention would increase their motivation; and (5) the yoga programme was ‘simple and easy to follow’ and ‘easily performed by participants of any age’. The government officials stated that: (1) yoga is considered as a key health promotional activity in Nepal; and (2) the integration of the yoga intervention into the existing health care programme would not be too challenging, because the existing personnel and other resources can be utilised. Conclusion While there is a good potential that a yoga intervention can be implemented in primary care, capacity development for health workers and the involvement of community yoga centres in the delivery of the interventions may be required to facilitate this implementation