Harnessing Competency Based Medical Education: Early Clinical Exposure by Live Patient Demonstration in Integrated Preclinical Undergraduate Curriculum

Introduction: Early Clinical Exposure, a teaching-learning methodology, promotes exposure of medical students to patients in the first professional year, orienting them towards clinical environment and helping them to correlate their theoretical knowledge with real life situations. Aim: The study aimed to generate understanding of a clinical setup early in undergraduate medical training, address student perception by learning temporomandibular joint anatomy and introduce the concept of integration of basic and clinical sciences. Methodology: A randomized controlled trial of 100 first year medical students was performed. After a conventional lecture of all students, they were randomly divided into two groups of 50 students each. Control group was taught by the conventional cadaveric demonstrations whereas study group by Early Clinical Exposure using live subject demonstration at the department of Dentistry. Both groups were assessed by a pre- and a post-test in the form of multiple choice questions. Post-interventional feedback (5 point Likert scale) was taken from the study group. The scores were statistically assessed by paired and unpaired Student‘t’ test and feedback was evaluated by Chi Square Goodness of fit test.Results: Post test scores of the study group were significantly greater (7.48 ± 0.83) as compared to the control group (5.78 ± 1.02). In regards to the student perception, the responses favoured an extremely positive impact of Early Clinical Exposure. Conclusion: Early Clinical Exposure proves to be an effective integration tool and a successful learning adjunct to enhance the performance of fresh medical entrants thus helping them to become competent practitioners. Keywords: Early Clinical Exposure, Integration, Medical Education, Competency Based Medical Education, Temporomandibular Joint, Anatomy, Dentistr

Resource allocation in coordinated multipoint long term evolution-advanced networks

Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) in Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE- Advanced) improves the cell-edge data rates and the network spectral efficiency through base station coordination. In order to achieve high quality of service (QoS) in CoMP network, resource allocation approach is one of the main challenges. The resource allocation strategies of cells in CoMP network affect each other’s performance. Thus, the resource allocation approach should consider various diversities offered in multiuser wireless networks, particularly in frequency, spatial and time dimensions. The primary objective of this research is to develop resource allocation strategy for CoMP network that can provide high QoS. The resource allocation algorithm is developed through three phases, namely Low-Complexity Resource Allocation (LRA), Optimized Resource Allocation (ORA) and Cross-Layer Design of ORA (CLD-ORA). The LRA algorithm is a three-step resource allocation scheme that consists of user selection module, subcarrier allocation module and power allocation module which are performed sequentially in a multi-antenna CoMP network. The proposed ORA algorithm enhances throughput in LRA while ensuring fairness. ORA is formulated based on Lagrangian method and optimized using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The design of CLD-ORA algorithm is an enhancement of the ORA algorithm with resource block (RB) scheduling scheme at medium access control (MAC) layer. Simulation study shows that the ORA algorithm improves the network sum-rate and fairness index up to 70% and 25%, respectively and reduces the average transmit power by 41% in relative to LRA algorithm. The CLD-ORA algorithm has further enhanced the LRA and ORA algorithms with network sum-rate improvement of 77% and 33%, respectively. The proposed resource allocation algorithm has been proven to provide a significant improved performance for CoMP LTE-Advanced network and can be extended to future 5G network

Aging and UTI: are Teenagers more prone?

Background: None of the studies have classified UTI in males and females based on the age factor. Therefore the present study compared the prevalence of UTI in various age groups of males and females.Methodology: Dipstick and microscopy urinalyses were carried out on 1569 consecutive urine samples of patients, and the results were statistically analyzed.Results: UTI in females was more often than males, excluding children (p=0.27) and adults (p=0.30), groups. When compared within females, UTI was more prevalent in teenagers and old groups (p<0.01). Pyuria was significantly higher in all age groups of females except children (p=0.21) in comparison to age-matched males. Both young females and males had a significantly low prevalence of glycosuria and proteinuria when compared within the same-sex groups. We discovered that there are 56% chances of having pyuria, 26% chances of proteinuria, and 11% chances of glycosuria and hematuria in UTI patients with negative predictive value of more than 90%. This study also showed that 21% of glycosuric patients were positive for proteinuria (glomerular disease), which showed increased chances of progression to glomerular disease in these patients. Conclusion: UTI within and in between males and females at different ages are significantly different. Teenagers and old groups are more prone to dvelop UTI. UTI negative patients have <10% chance of having glomerular disease, hematuria and pyuria.

The emergence of the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant in India: a brief report on clinical presentation of a few cases

Despite the three years spent navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are still having to react to the disease due to the constant evolution of novel variants/subvariants. Over the last few months, a global plummet in COVID-19 cases has suggested we are transitioning towards endemic COVID-19. However, the new omicron offshoots (XBB variants) are driving a new surge of cases around the world. A few preliminary research findings suggest that the XBB.1.5 subvariant is more immune-evasive and displays higher binding to ACE2 human receptor than its other related omicron subvariants in circulation. In this first-of-its-kind report, we discuss a few XBB.1.5 cases and its clinical characteristics reported in Delhi State, North India

Menstrual hygiene management among women and adolescent girls in the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is an essential aspect of hygiene for women and adolescent girls between menarche and menopause. Despite being an important issue concerning women and girls in the menstruating age group MHM is often overlooked in post-disaster responses. Further, there is limited evidence of menstrual hygiene management in humanitarian settings. This study aims to describe the experiences and perceptions of women and adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene management in post-earthquake Nepal. METHODS: A mixed methods study was carried out among the earthquake affected women and adolescent girls in three villages of Sindhupalchowk district of Nepal. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire that captured experiences and perceptions of respondents on menstrual hygiene management in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake. Quantitative data were triangulated with in-depth interview regarding respondent's personal experiences of menstrual hygiene management. RESULTS: Menstrual hygiene was rated as the sixth highest overall need and perceived as an immediate need by 18.8% of the respondents. There were 42.8% women & girls who menstruated within first week of the earthquake. Reusable sanitary cloth were used by about 66.7% of the respondents before the earthquake and remained a popular method (76.1%) post-earthquake. None of the respondents reported receiving menstrual adsorbents as relief materials in the first month following the earthquake. Disposable pads (77.8%) were preferred by respondents as they were perceived to be clean and convenient to use. Most respondents (73.5%) felt that reusable sanitary pads were a sustainable choice. Women who were in the age group of 15-34 years (OR = 3.14; CI = (1.07-9.20), did not go to school (OR = 9.68; CI = 2.16-43.33), married (OR = 2.99; CI = 1.22-7.31) and previously used reusable sanitary cloth (OR = 5.82; CI = 2.33-14.55) were more likely to use the reusable sanitary cloth. CONCLUSIONS: In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, women and girls completely depended on the use of locally available resources as adsorbents during menstruation. Immediate relief activities by humanitarian agencies, lacked MHM activities. Understanding the previous practice and using local resources, the reusable sanitary cloth is a way to address the menstrual hygiene needs in the post-disaster situations in Nepal

Analysis of a Squeezing Flow of a Casson Nanofluid between Two Parallel Disks in the Presence of a Variable Magnetic Field

The present article deals with the MHD flow of a Casson nanofluid between two disks. The lower disk was fixed as well as permeable. The upper disk was not permeable, but it could move perpendicularly up and down toward the lower disk. Titanium dioxide was selected as nanoparticles and water as a base fluid. The governing higher-order nonlinear partial differential equations were transformed into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformation. The differential transform method (DTM) was applied to solve the nonlinear ODEs. The nature of the velocity profiles for the different values of the suction injection parameter, the squeeze number, the Casson fluid parameter, and the volume fraction parameter of the nanofluid are pictorially discussed in this paper. The coefficient of skin friction was tabulated for the novelty of the research. The comparison of the results was determined by the DTM and the numerical methods. The profile values were also compared with the literature work and found to agree. This comparative study proves the accuracy and efficiency of the method. It is concluded from this research that the flow properties behave oppositely for all parameters during suction and injection

Analysis of a Squeezing Flow of a Casson Nanofluid between :Two Parallel Disks in the Presence of a Variable :Magnetic Field

The present article deals with the MHD flow of a Casson nanofluid between two disks. The lower disk was fixed as well as permeable. The upper disk was not permeable, but it could move perpendicularly up and down toward the lower disk. Titanium dioxide was selected as nano-particles and water as a base fluid. The governing higher-order nonlinear partial differential equa-tions were transformed into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by using similarity transformation. The differential transform method (DTM) was applied to solve the nonlinear ODEs. The nature of the velocity profiles for the different values of the suction injection parameter, the squeeze number, the Casson fluid parameter, and the volume fraction parameter of the nanofluid are pictorially discussed in this paper. The coefficient of skin friction was tabulated for the novelty of the research. The comparison of the results was determined by the DTM and the numerical meth¬ods. The profile values were also compared with the literature work and found to agree. This com¬parative study proves the accuracy and efficiency of the method. It is concluded from this research that the flow properties behave oppositely for all parameters during suction and injection