The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Functional Capacity of Geriatric Chronic Heart Failure Patients

Background: Chronic heart failure, a condition predominantly affecting the elderly, is a major clinical burden and cause death in admission patients especially the elderly population.  The focus of cardiac rehabilitation recently is exercise used as one of the modality of therapy designed for stable heart failure patients.  Exercise is recommended as one of modality in management of heart failure to improve prognosis, increase physical activity tolerance and quality of life of heart failure patients. Aim: The objective of this study is to understand is aerobic exercise program can improve functional capacity in geriatric heart failure patients. Methods: The design of this study is randomized controlled trial.  Twenty subjects were cardiology outpatient clinic at Dr Sardjito hospital men and women with chronic heart failure functional class I-II of NYHA age > 60 years and agreed to be included to the study.  Subjects were divided into two group randomly, which were the exercise group (10 subjects) and the control group (10 subjects).  To compare the functional capacity of both groups, t-test independent is used with condition of normal data range and Mann Whitney test is used if abnormal data range is found. The level of significance was set at p<0,05 with confidence interval 95% Result : Comparison of the mean increase in the six minute walk test distance between aerobic exercise group 107.9 ± 22.153 meters compared with the control group 21.3 ± 16.166 was significantly better in the aerobic exercise group (p <0.001) Conclusion : Aerobic exercise can improve the functional capacity of patients with chronic heart failure in the elderly. Keyword: chronic heart failure, elderly, aerobic exercise, functional capacity.

PENDAMPINGAN PENGELOLA YAYASAN RIYADUL FALAH DALAM PERBAIKAN BANGUNAN GEDUNG GAGAL KONSTRUKSI

Abstrak: Pengelola Yayasan Riyadul Falah berupaya menambah sarana prasarana berupa gedung sekolah yang recananya akan dibangun dua lantai. Namun di tengah proses pembangunan gedung tersebut mengalami kegagalan konstruksi, struktur balok bangunan mengalami lendutan yang mengakibatkan plat lantai menjadi tidak stabil. Tujuan kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat adalah melakukan pendampingan pengelola Yayasan Riyadul Falah Kabupaten Bogor untuk melakukan perbaikan pada bangunan yang mengalami gagal konstruksi. Metode yang digunakan yaitu peninjauan, diskusi serta pendampingan untuk melakukan proses perbaikan. Peserta kegiatan terdiri dari 4 Dosen, 4 Mahasiswa serta mitra pengabdian pengelola Yayasan Riyadul Falah yang berjumlah kurang lebih 20 orang. Berdasarkan hasil kegiatan pengabdian, masyarakat memberikan respon kepuasan atas pelayanan dan pendampingan dengan hasil sangat tinggi terhadap pelaksanaan kegiatan masyarakat. Hasil kuisioner menunjukkan sebanyak 61,36% memberikan jawaban sangat setuju dan 38,64% memberikan jawaban setuju. Secara tidak langsung pengelola mendapatkan pengetahuan baru dalam perencanaan, pengorganisasian, pelaksanaan dan pengendalian pada pembangunan, perawatan dan perbaikan bangunan bertingkat rendah. Adapun pelaksanaan perbaikan bangunan gedung menghemat pengeluaran Yayasan kurang lebih sebesar Rp. 50.650.000; anggaran ini meliputi biaya pembongkaran, pembelian material, dan pembangunan ulang.Abstract: The manager of the Riyadul Falah foundation seeks to add infrastructure in the form of a school building that is planned to be built on two floors. However, in the middle of the construction process, the building experienced a construction failure, the beam structure of the building experienced a deflection which caused the floor slab to become unstable. The purpose of community service activities is to assist the manager of the Riyadul Falah Foundation, Bogor Regency to make repairs the buildings that have failed construction. The method used is a survey, discussion, and assistance to carry out the repair process. The participants of the activity consisted of 4 lecturers, 4 students, and service partners of the Riyadul Falah Foundation management, totaling approximately 20 people. Based on the results of community service activities, the community responded with satisfaction to the services and assistance with very high results for the implementation of community activities. The results of the questionnaire showed that 61.36% gave the answer strongly agree and 38.64% gave the answer agree. Indirectly, managers gain new knowledge in planning, organizing, implementing and controlling the construction, maintenance and repair of low-rise buildings. The implementation of building repairs saves a budget of approximately Rp. 50.65 million this budget covers the costs of demolition, purchase of materials, and rebuilding

Surgical resection of Haglund deformity by lateral approach: our institutional experience on 29 heels

Background: Haglund deformity is a common cause of posterior heel pain and consists of a constellation of soft tissue and osseous abnormalities. The treatment starts with conservative approach and ends with surgical treatment in case conservative treatment fails and the symptoms are bothersome. Different surgical procedures and approaches have been used for this deformity. But in the literature, the results have been inconsistent. In this study we evaluated the clinical and functional outcome of osteotomy of the calcaneal tuberosity with debridement of the retrocalcaneal bursa and the Achilles tendon using a lateral approach at our institute.Methods: A total of 29 feet in 25 patients that underwent surgical procedure from August 2013 to March 2017 at our institute were included in this study. The clinical and functional outcome was evaluated using AOFAS ankle-hind foot scale.Results: The mean AOFAS ankle-hind foot score had improved by 32 points from the pre-operative mean score, with a mean score of 86 at the final follow up of one year. Five out of 29 operated feet had superficial surgical site infection in the postoperative period that responded to antibiotic therapy and regular antiseptic dressings. One patient had local betadine allergy.Conclusions: We conclude lateral approach to debridement and calcaneal tuberosity resection is an effective method with good clinical and functional outcome in patients with refractory Haglund deformity.

Performance Analysis of Solar Adsorption Cooling System - Effect of Position of Heat Storage Tank

An insulated storage tank has been added with adsorption cooling system run by solar heat collected by CPC panel. It has been expected and seen that the storage tank has a vital contribution in the performance of the chiller. The storage tank is connected with a solar heat driven single stage two bed basic adsorption chillers activated with silica gel-water pair in two ways. The tank is connected in such a way that (i) the solar collectors supply hot water to the desorption bed, the outflow of the desorber is collected in the reserve tank. The reserve tank supplies water to the collector and complete the heat transfer cycle. (ii) The solar collector supply hot water which is collected in the storage tank first and then supplied to the desorber. The outflow of the desorber is carried to the collector again. Comparative studies have been conducted at the steady state for both of the systems with heat storage. It has been observed that the system is robust with design (i) while with design (ii) performance enhances beyond the sunset time with heat storage

Phenotypic Characterization of a Major Quantitative Disease Resistance Locus for Partial Resistance to Phytophthora sojae

Major quantitative disease resistance loci (QDRLs) are rare in the Phytophthora sojae (Kaufmann and Gerdemann)–soybean [Glycine max (L). Merr.] pathosystem. A major QDRL on chromosome 18 (QDRL-18) was identified in PI 427105B and PI 427106. QDRL-18 represents a valuable resistance source for breeding programs. Thus, our objectives were to determine its isolate specificity and measure its effect on yield and resistance to both P. sojae and other soybean pathogens. We characterized near isogenic lines (NILs) developed from F7 recombinant inbred lines heterozygous at QDRL-18; NILs represent introgressions from PI 427105B, PI 427106, and susceptible ‘OX20- 8’. The introgressions from PI 427105B and PI 427106 increased resistance to P. sojae by 11 to 20% and 35 to 40%, respectively, based on laboratory and greenhouse assays, and increased yield by 13 to 29% under disease conditions. The resistant introgression from PI 427105B was also effective against seven P. sojae isolates with no isolate specificity detected. Based on quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays, NILs with the susceptible introgression had significantly higher relative levels of P. sojae colonization 48 h after inoculation. No pleiotropic effects for resistance to either soybean cyst nematode or Fusarium graminearum were detected. This information improves soybean breeders’ ability to make informed decisions regarding the deployment of QDRL-18 in their respective breeding programs

Modelling of Multi-Agent Systems: Experiences with Membrane Computing and Future Challenges

Formal modelling of Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) is a challenging task due to high complexity, interaction, parallelism and continuous change of roles and organisation between agents. In this paper we record our research experience on formal modelling of MAS. We review our research throughout the last decade, by describing the problems we have encountered and the decisions we have made towards resolving them and providing solutions. Much of this work involved membrane computing and classes of P Systems, such as Tissue and Population P Systems, targeted to the modelling of MAS whose dynamic structure is a prominent characteristic. More particularly, social insects (such as colonies of ants, bees, etc.), biology inspired swarms and systems with emergent behaviour are indicative examples for which we developed formal MAS models. Here, we aim to review our work and disseminate our findings to fellow researchers who might face similar challenges and, furthermore, to discuss important issues for advancing research on the application of membrane computing in MAS modelling.Comment: In Proceedings AMCA-POP 2010, arXiv:1008.314

Effect of n-hexane extract of Nigella sativa on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

The present study investigated whether the administration of the n-hexane extract of the Nigella sativa Linn. (kalajira) ameliorates gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Gentamicin (100 mg/kg/day for 7 days) was administered and nephrotoxicity was evaluated biochemically (significantly decreased reduced glutathione in renal cortex and significantly increased serum creatinine and serum urea) and histologically (moderate degree of proximal tubular damage). The n-hexane extract of N. sativa (5 mL/kg/day) was administered as pre-, post- and concomitant treatment for 7 days in the nephrotoxic rats. Statistically significant amelioration in all the biochemical parameters supported by significantly improved renal cortical histology was observed in the n-hexane extract of N. sativa treated nephrotoxic rats, which was more evident in the post-treatment group than the pre-treatment and the concomitantly-treated group. It is suggested that some ingredients contained in the n-hexane extract of N. sativa effected in ameliorating the signs of nephrotoxicity and that the specific active principle of the n-hexane extract of N. sativa responsible for this amelioration if obtained, would be more useful

P66shc and its downstream Eps8 and Rac1 proteins are upregulated in esophageal cancers

Members of Shc (src homology and collagen homology) family, p46shc, p52shc, p66shc have known to be related to cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. Whereas p46shc and p52shc drive the reaction forward, the role of p66shc in cancers remains to be understood clearly. Hence, their expression in cancers needs to be evaluated carefully so that Shc analysis may provide prognostic information in the development of carcinogenesis. In the present study, the expression of p66shc and its associate targets namely Eps8 (epidermal pathway substrate 8), Rac1 (ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate1) and Grb2 (growth factor receptor bound protein 2) were examined in fresh tissue specimens from patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma using western blot analysis. A thorough analysis of both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma showed p66shc expression to be significantly higher in both types of carcinomas as compared to the controls. The controls of adenocarcinoma show a higher basal expression level of p66shc as compared to the controls of squamous cell carcinoma. The expression level of downstream targets of p66shc i.e., eps8 and rac1 was also found to be consistently higher in human esophageal carcinomas, and hence correlated positively with p66shc expression. However the expression of grb2 was found to be equal in both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. The above results suggest that the pathway operated by p66shc in cancers does not involve the participation of Ras and Grb2 as downstream targets instead it operates the pathway involving Eps8 and Rac1 proteins. From the results it is also suggestive that p66shc may have a role in the regulation of esophageal carcinomas and represents a possible mechanism of signaling for the development of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of esophagus

Contamination Control and Assay Results for the Majorana Demonstrator Ultra Clean Components

The MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR is a neutrinoless double beta decay experiment utilizing enriched Ge-76 detectors in 2 separate modules inside of a common solid shield at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. The DEMONSTRATOR has utilized world leading assay sensitivities to develop clean materials and processes for producing ultra-pure copper and plastic components. This experiment is now operating, and initial data provide new insights into the success of cleaning and processing. Post production copper assays after the completion of Module 1 showed an increase in U and Th contamination in finished parts compared to starting bulk material. A revised cleaning method and additional round of surface contamination studies prior to Module 2 construction have provided evidence that more rigorous process control can reduce surface contamination. This article describes the assay results and discuss further studies to take advantage of assay capabilities for the purpose of maintaining ultra clean fabrication and process design.Comment: Proceedings of Low Radioactivity Techniques (LRT May 2017, Seoul