Consanguinity among the risk factors for underweight in children under five: a study from rural Sindh

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a common problem, especially in developing countries. Of the 11 million children under 5 who die each year in the developing countries mainly from preventable causes, the death of about 54% are either directly or indirectly attributable to malnutrition. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence and associated factors for underweight in rural Sindh.METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Jhangara Town, located in District Dadu, Sindh. Eight hundred children under 5 years of age were enrolled. A questionnaire was used to elicit required information and anthropometric measurements were made.RESULTS: The overall prevalence for underweight was 54.3% in the study population, which was higher than the prevalence reported by PDHS 1990-91. In multivariate analysis, various factors for underweight were consanguinity (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.08-2.07), low birth weight (parents\u27 perspective) (OR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.08-2.16) and lack of breast-feeding (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.19-6.17).CONCLUSION: Effective strategies to discourage consanguineous marriages between first cousins are required. Promoting breast feeding is another factor that should be incorporated while designing control strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality due to malnutrition in children (\u3c 5 years)

Mathematical simulation of graphene with modified c-c bond length and transfer energy

In nanotechnology research, allotropes of carbon like Graphene, Fullerene (Buckyball) and Carbon nanotubes are widely used due to their remarkable properties. Electrical and mechanical properties of those allotropes vary with their molecular geometry. This paper is specially based on modeling and simulation of graphene in order to calculate energy band structure in k space with varying the C-C bond length and C-C transfer energy. Significant changes have been observed in the energy band structure of graphene due to variation in C-C bond length and C-C transfer energy. In particular, this paper focuses over the electronic structure of graphene within the frame work of tight binding approximation. It has been reported that conduction and valence states in graphene only meet at two points in k-space and that dispersion around these special points is conical. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/2305

Homogeneous Gold Catalysis through Relativistic Effects: Addition of Water to Propyne

In the catalytic addition of water to propyne the Au(III) catalyst is not stable under non-relativistic conditions and dissociates into a Au(I) compound and Cl2. This implies that one link in the chain of events in the catalytic cycle is broken and relativity may well be seen as the reason why Au(III) compounds are effective catalysts.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Role of the dielectric constant of ferroelectric ceramic in enhancing the ionic conductivity of a polymer electrolyte composite

The dispersal of high dielectric constant ferroelectric ceramic material Ba(0.7)Sr(0.3)TiO(3) (Tc~30 C) and Ba(0.88)Sr(0.12)TiO(3) (Tc~90 C) in an ion conducting polymer electrolyte (PEO:NH4I) is reported to result in an increase in the room temperature ionic conductivity by two orders of magnitude. The conductivity enhancememt "peaks" as we approach the dielectric phase transition of the dispersed ferroelectric material where the dielectric constant changes from ~ 2000 to 4000. This establishes the role of dielectric constant of the dispersoid in enhancing the ionic conductivity of the polymeric composites.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Mathematical simulation of graphene with modified c-c bond length and transfer energy

In nanotechnology research, allotropes of carbon like Graphene, Fullerene (Buckyball) and Carbon nanotubes are widely used due to their remarkable properties. Electrical and mechanical properties of those allotropes vary with their molecular geometry. This paper is specially based on modeling and simulation of graphene in order to calculate energy band structure in k space with varying the C-C bond length and C-C transfer energy. Significant changes have been observed in the energy band structure of graphene due to variation in C-C bond length and C-C transfer energy. In particular, this paper focuses over the electronic structure of graphene within the frame work of tight binding approximation. It has been reported that conduction and valence states in graphene only meet at two points in k-space and that dispersion around these special points is conical. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/2305

The EVerT2 (Effective Verruca Treatments) trial : a randomised controlled trial of needling versus nonsurgical debridement for the treatment of plantar verrucae

Background: Verrucae are a common foot skin pathology which can in some cases persist for many years. Plantar verrucae can be unsightly and painful. There are a range of treatment options including needling. Objectives: The EVerT2 trial aimed to evaluate the clinical and cost effectiveness of the needling procedure for the treatment of plantar verrucae, relative to callus debridement. Methods: This single centre randomised controlled trial recruited 60 participants (aged 18 years and over with a plantar verruca). Participants were randomised 1:1 to the intervention group (needling) or the control group (debridement of the overlying callus). The primary outcome was clearance of the index verruca at 12 weeks after randomisation. Secondary outcomes include recurrence of the verruca; clearance of all verrucae; number of verrucae; size of the index verruca; pain; and participant satisfaction at 12 and 24 weeks. A cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out from the NHS perspective over 12 weeks. Results: Sixty eligible patients were randomised (needling group n=29, 48.3%; debridement group n=31, 51.7%) and 53 were included in the primary analysis (needling n=28, 96.6%; debridement n=25, 80.7%). Clearance of the index verruca occurred in 8 (15.1%) participants (needling n=4, 14.3%; debridement n=4, 16.0%, p=0.86). The needling intervention costs were on average £14.33 (95% CI 5.32 to 23.35) more per patient than debridement. Conclusions: There is no evidence that the needling technique is more clinically or cost effective than callus debridement. The results show a significant improvement in pain outcomes after needling compared to the debridement treatment alone. Trial registration number: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN1642944

Bioarchaeology-related studies in the Arabian Gulf: potentialities and shortcomings

Archaeological studies provide a powerful tool to understand the prehistoric societies, especially when combined to cutting-edge morphological and molecular anthropological analyses, allowing reconstructing past population dynamics, admixture events, and socio-cultural changes. Despite the advances achieved in the last decades by archaeological studies worldwide, several regions of the World have been spared from this scientific improvement due to various reasons. The Arabian Gulf represents a unique ground to investigate, being the passageway for human migrations and one of the hypothesized areas in which Neanderthal introgression occurred. A number of archaeological sites are currently present in the Arabian Gulf and have witnessed the antiquity and the intensiveness of the human settlements in the region. Nevertheless, the archaeological and anthropological investigation in the Gulf is still in its infancy. Data collected through archaeological studies in the area have the potential to help answering adamant questions of human history from the beginning of the structuring of genetic diversity in human species to the Neolithisation process. This review aims at providing an overview of the archaeological studies in the Arabian Gulf with special focus to Qatar, highlighting potentialities and shortcomings

EFFECT OF SINTERING TEMPERATURE ON MICROSTRUCTURE AND IN-VITRO BEHAVIOR OF BIOACTIVE GLASS-CERAMICS

In this work, powders of the composition (CaO 46- SiO2 34- P2O5 14.5- MgO 4- CaF2 1- MgF2 0.5) (wt. %) were thoroughly mixed and melted in a muffle furnace. The melt was quenched in water to form glass. Three glass-ceramics were prepared by sintering glass samples at three different temperatures 850, 900 and 950°C according to the exothermal peaks of DTA. The DTA peaks correspond to the bioactive crystalline phases hydroxyapatite (HA) and wollastonite as confirmed by the XRD data. Study of diameter-shrinkage co-efficient and bulk-density of samples revealed higher densification rate for the range 900 - 950°C than that for the range 850 - 900°C.SEM and optical microscope results illustrated a tendency towards closely packed structure and increasing grain size with the increase of sintering temperature. The samples were immersed in SBF for 30 days at room temperature for in-vitro evaluation.EDS analysis, showing the presence of carbon (C) along with calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) suggests the formation of hydroxycarbonate-apatite (HCA) phase that indicates the bioactivity of the material which increases with the increase of sintering temperature

Homogeneous and heterogenised new gold C-scorpionate complexes as catalysts for cyclohexane oxidation

Gold(III) complexes of type [AuCl2{eta(2)-RC(R'pz)(3)}]Cl [R = R' = H (1), R = CH2OH, R' = H (2) and R = H, R' = 3,5-Me-2(3), pz = pyrazol-1-yl] were supported on carbon materials (activated carbon, carbon xerogel and carbon nanotubes) and used for the oxidation of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, with aqueous H2O2, under mild conditions