Modifiable Risk Factors of Cardio Vascular Diseases in Adults at Soolamangalam Village, Thanjavur - A Cross Sectional Descriptive Study.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic Non - Communicable Diseases (NCDS) are assuming increasing Importance among the adult population in both developed and developing Countries. The prevalence of chronic diseases is showing an upward trend in Most countries for the following reasons. 1. Increasing Life Expectancy in most countries and a greater number of People are living to older ages and are at greater risk to Chronic diseases Of various kinds. 2. The Rapidly changing life styles and behavioural patterns of the people (ex : Smoking, Alcoholism etc.) Combined with predicted decrease in The morbidity and mortality from Infectious Diseases, the future burden Of Non - Communicable Diseases is likely to be a major emerging Health Challenge for Developing Countries. Cardio Vascular Diseases (CVD) is one of the major ncds comprise of A group of Diseases of the Heart and the vascular system. The major conditions Are Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD), Hypertension, cerebro vascular disease (Stroke), Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) and congenital Heart Disease. In India, an estimated 2.27 million people died due to CVD during 1990 And according to projections the number of deaths due to IHD was to increase From 1.17 million in 1990 to 1.59 million in 2000 and 2.03 million by 2010. There were over 5 million persons suffering from CVD during 1999. A Peculiar cause of concern is the relative early Age of CVD Deaths in India. India is at the mid - point of the emerging Epidemic and will face its full Impact in the coming years. India can be benefited from the Strategy of primary Prevention. Various Epidemiological studies have confirmed the role of these Risk Factors and reduction of morbidity and mortality due to CVD by controlling Them. The benefit is more, if control is achieved in younger Age itself. Control of Risk factors may be primary or Secondary. Primary Prevention implies control of Risk factors before the onset of CVD. Secondary Prevention denotes control of Risk factors after the clinical setting Of CVD. Primary prevention is very important because 25% of patients may die Even before they reach the doctor with the onset of CVD. OBJECTIVES : 1. To estimate the prevalence of selected modifiable risk factors of cardio Vascular Diseases (Hypertension, Obesity, Smoking, Physical Inactivity, Diet, Alcohol) in Adults aged 18 years and above at Soolamangalam Village, Thanjavur District. 2. To find out the Association of Risk factors among the various Demographic variables. 3. To identify the adults with High Risk factors of CVD and provide Necessary health care. JUSTIFICATION : 1. A large body of Data exists on the occurrence of CVD in Hospital patients. However there are only few studies on its prevalence in the general population. On Screening of persons over the age of 30 years by a 12 - lead ECG, in Chandigarh (Urban Population) the prevalence was found to be 65.4 and 47.8 per 1000 Males and Females respectively7. In a village in Haryana the prevalence was 22.8 and 17.3 per 1000 males and females respectively8. 2. The prevalence data in India are derived from two well - planned studies which screened all persons aged 20 - 60 years and followed WHO suggested criteria for diagnosis9 of Hypertension. The one in Rohtak is taken to represent the urban population10 and the other in a village in Haryana to represent Rural population in India11. The prevalence of Hypertension was 59.9 and 69.9 per 1000 in males and females respectively in the urban population, and 35.5 and 35.9 per 1000 in males and females respectively in the Rural population. 3. The Risk factor Hypertension is an "Iceberg" disease. It became evident in the early 1970s, that only about half of the Hypertensive subjects in the general population of most developed countries were aware of the condition, only about half of those aware of the problem were being treated and only about half of those treated were considered adequately treated. If this was the situation in countries with highly developed medical services, in the developing countries like India, the proportion treated would be far too less (Rule of Halves). 4. It has been estimated that obesity affect 20 - 40% of the Adults and 10 - 20% of children and Adolescents in developed countries. 5. Most of the Studies on Risk factors of CVD done only in developed countries or in Northern India, that too few decades back. 6. Scanty Information is available from South India regarding the prevalence of Risk factors of CVD. Most of the available information is either urban based or Hospital based. 7. Most of the Risk factors of CVD are easily modifiable on simple IEC activities (Information, Education and Communication). 8. Results of this study can be used for prevention and control of NCDs (CVDs) at Rural Community level. In view of the above Reasons, A cross Sectional, Descriptive Study of Modifiable Risk factors of cardio vascular diseases in adults at Soolamangalam Village, Thanjavur is conducted to estimate the prevalence of risk factors in a Rural area of Central Tamil Nadu

A review of human error in marine engine maintenance

Maritime safety involves minimizing error in all aspects of the marine system. Human error hasreceived much importance, being responsible for about 80% of the maritime accident worldwide. Currently,more attention has been focused to reduce human error in marine engine maintenance. On-board marineengine maintenance activities are often complex, where seafarers conduct maintenance activities in variousmarine environmental (i.e. extreme weather, ship motions, noise, and vibration) and operational (i.e. workoverload and stress) conditions. These environmental and operational conditions, in combination with generichuman error tendencies, results in innumerable forms of error. There are numerous accidents that happeneddue to the human error during the maintenance activities of a marine engine. The most severe human errorresults in accidents due to is a loss of life. Moreover, there are other consequences too such as delaying theproductivity of marine operations which results in the financial loss. This study reviews methods that arecurrently available for identifying, reporting and managing human error in marine engine maintenance. As abasis for this discussion, authors provide an overview of approaches for investigating human error, and adescription of marine engine maintenance activities and environmental and operational characteristics

Some open questions in "wave chaos"

The subject area referred to as "wave chaos", "quantum chaos" or "quantum chaology" has been investigated mostly by the theoretical physics community in the last 30 years. The questions it raises have more recently also attracted the attention of mathematicians and mathematical physicists, due to connections with number theory, graph theory, Riemannian, hyperbolic or complex geometry, classical dynamical systems, probability etc. After giving a rough account on "what is quantum chaos?", I intend to list some pending questions, some of them having been raised a long time ago, some others more recent

YAPA: A generic tool for computing intruder knowledge

Reasoning about the knowledge of an attacker is a necessary step in many formal analyses of security protocols. In the framework of the applied pi calculus, as in similar languages based on equational logics, knowledge is typically expressed by two relations: deducibility and static equivalence. Several decision procedures have been proposed for these relations under a variety of equational theories. However, each theory has its particular algorithm, and none has been implemented so far. We provide a generic procedure for deducibility and static equivalence that takes as input any convergent rewrite system. We show that our algorithm covers most of the existing decision procedures for convergent theories. We also provide an efficient implementation, and compare it briefly with the tools ProVerif and KiSs

Comprehensive analysis of the HEPN superfamily: identification of novel roles in intra-genomic conflicts, defense, pathogenesis and RNA processing

BACKGROUND: The major role of enzymatic toxins that target nucleic acids in biological conflicts at all levels has become increasingly apparent thanks in large part to the advances of comparative genomics. Typically, toxins evolve rapidly hampering the identification of these proteins by sequence analysis. Here we analyze an unexpectedly widespread superfamily of toxin domains most of which possess RNase activity. RESULTS: The HEPN superfamily is comprised of all α-helical domains that were first identified as being associated with DNA polymerase β-type nucleotidyltransferases in prokaryotes and animal Sacsin proteins. Using sensitive sequence and structure comparison methods, we vastly extend the HEPN superfamily by identifying numerous novel families and by detecting diverged HEPN domains in several known protein families. The new HEPN families include the RNase LS and LsoA catalytic domains, KEN domains (e.g. RNaseL and Ire1) and the RNase domains of RloC and PrrC. The majority of HEPN domains contain conserved motifs that constitute a metal-independent endoRNase active site. Some HEPN domains lacking this motif probably function as non-catalytic RNA-binding domains, such as in the case of the mannitol repressor MtlR. Our analysis shows that HEPN domains function as toxins that are shared by numerous systems implicated in intra-genomic, inter-genomic and intra-organismal conflicts across the three domains of cellular life. In prokaryotes HEPN domains are essential components of numerous toxin-antitoxin (TA) and abortive infection (Abi) systems and in addition are tightly associated with many restriction-modification (R-M) and CRISPR-Cas systems, and occasionally with other defense systems such as Pgl and Ter. We present evidence of multiple modes of action of HEPN domains in these systems, which include direct attack on viral RNAs (e.g. LsoA and RNase LS) in conjunction with other RNase domains (e.g. a novel RNase H fold domain, NamA), suicidal or dormancy-inducing attack on self RNAs (RM systems and possibly CRISPR-Cas systems), and suicidal attack coupled with direct interaction with phage components (Abi systems). These findings are compatible with the hypothesis on coupling of pathogen-targeting (immunity) and self-directed (programmed cell death and dormancy induction) responses in the evolution of robust antiviral strategies. We propose that altruistic cell suicide mediated by HEPN domains and other functionally similar RNases was essential for the evolution of kin and group selection and cell cooperation. HEPN domains were repeatedly acquired by eukaryotes and incorporated into several core functions such as endonucleolytic processing of the 5.8S-25S/28S rRNA precursor (Las1), a novel ER membrane-associated RNA degradation system (C6orf70), sensing of unprocessed transcripts at the nuclear periphery (Swt1). Multiple lines of evidence suggest that, similar to prokaryotes, HEPN proteins were recruited to antiviral, antitransposon, apoptotic systems or RNA-level response to unfolded proteins (Sacsin and KEN domains) in several groups of eukaryotes. CONCLUSIONS: Extensive sequence and structure comparisons reveal unexpectedly broad presence of the HEPN domain in an enormous variety of defense and stress response systems across the tree of life. In addition, HEPN domains have been recruited to perform essential functions, in particular in eukaryotic rRNA processing. These findings are expected to stimulate experiments that could shed light on diverse cellular processes across the three domains of life. REVIEWERS: This article was reviewed by Martijn Huynen, Igor Zhulin and Nick Grishi

Patellins 3 and 6, two members of the Plant Patellin family, interact with the movement protein of Alfalfa mosaic virus and interfere with viral movement

This is the accepted version of the following article: Peiró Morell, A.; Izquierdo Garcia, AC.; Sanchez Navarro, JA.; Pallás Benet, V.; Mulet Salort, JM.; Aparicio Herrero, F. (2014). Patellins 3 and 6, two members of the Plant Patellin family, interact with the movement protein of Alfalfa mosaic virus and interfere with viral movement. Molecular Plant Pathology. 15(9):881-891. doi:10.1111/mpp.12146., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12146.[EN] Movement proteins (MPs) encoded by plant viruses interact with host proteins to facilitate or interfere with intra- and/or intercellular viral movement. Using yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays, we herein present invivo evidence for the interaction between Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) MP and Arabidopsis Patellin 3 (atPATL3) and Patellin 6 (atPATL6), two proteins containing a Sec14 domain. Proteins with Sec14 domains are implicated in membrane trafficking, cytoskeleton dynamics, lipid metabolism and lipid-mediated regulatory functions. Interestingly, the overexpression of atPATL3 and/or atPATL6 interfered with the plasmodesmata targeting of AMV MP and correlated with reduced infection foci size. Consistently, the viral RNA levels increased in the single and double Arabidopsis knockout mutants for atPATL3 and atPATL6. Our results indicate that, in general, MP-PATL interactions interfere with the correct subcellular targeting of MP, thus rendering the intracellular transport of viral MP-containing complexes less efficient and diminishing cell-to-cell movement.AP was a recipient of a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship from the program JAE Pre-Doc of Consejo superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. ACI-G was a recipient of a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship associated with the project BFU2008-00604. FA was a recipient of a contract Ramon y Cajal (RYC-2010-06169) Program of the Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia of Spain. We thank L. Corachan for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by grants BIO2011-25018 from the Direccion General de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnica, the Prometeo Program GV2011/003 from the Generalitat Valenciana and PAID-06-10-1496 from the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Spain).Peiró Morell, A.; Izquierdo García, AC.; Sanchez Navarro, JA.; Pallás Benet, V.; Mulet Salort, JM.; Aparicio Herrero, F. (2014). Patellins 3 and 6, two members of the Plant Patellin family, interact with the movement protein of Alfalfa mosaic virus and interfere with viral movement. Molecular Plant Pathology. 15(9):881-891. https://doi.org/10.1111/mpp.12146S88189115

Synthesis of surfactant free stable nanofluids based on barium hexaferrite by pulsed laser ablation in liquid

Barium hexaferrite nanofluids based on five different solvents have been prepared by employing Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid (PLAL) at two different wavelengths of 532 nm and 1064 nm. They were then characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry (VSM). The chemical states of the ablated nanoparticles were identified from XPS analysis and found to be matching with that of the target. The crystallinity of the nanoparticles were confirmed from high resolution TEM (HRTEM) images and SAED patterns. It is found that different liquid environments lead to the formation of barium ferrite nanoparticles with different particle diameters. The plausible mechanism involved in this process is discussed. This study can pave way for the synthesis of stable magnetic nanofluids of permanent magnets. Further, this technique could be utilized for tailoring the morphology of nanoparticles with a judicious choice of the solvents and other ablation parameter

National inventory of emergency departments in Singapore

Background: Emergency departments (EDs) are the basic units of emergency care. We performed a national inventory of all Singapore EDs and describe their characteristics and capabilities. Methods: Singapore EDs accessible to the general public 24/7 were surveyed using the National ED Inventories instrument ( http://www.emnet-nedi.org). ED staff members were asked about ED characteristics with reference to calendar year 2007. Results: Fourteen EDs participated (100% response). All EDs were located in hospitals, and most (92%) were independent departments. One was a psychiatric ED; the rest were general EDs. Among general EDs, all had a contiguous layout, with medical and surgical care provided in one area. All but two EDs saw both adults and children; one ED was adult-only, and the other saw only children. Six were in the public sector and seven in private health-care institutions, with public EDs seeing the majority (78%) of ED patients. Each private ED had an annual patient census of 60,000. They received 98% of ambulances and had an inpatient admission rate of 30%. Two public EDs reported being overcapacity; no private EDs did. For both public and private EDs, availability of consultant resources in EDs was high, while technological resources varied. Conclusion: Characteristics and capabilities of Singapore EDs varied and were largely dependent on whether they are in public or private hospitals. This initial inventory establishes a benchmark to further monitor the development of emergency care in Singapore

Reliability assessment of a main propulsion engine fuel oil system - What are the failure-prone components?

The main propulsion engine is the heart of a vessel which carries the entire load of the ship and propels to move ahead. The main engine consists of various sub‐systems, the fuel oil system is the most important one. Fuel oil system provides fuel to the engine via a fuel injector mounted on the engine cylinder head. During the voyage, the main engine of a ship encounters a variation in loads and stresses due to rough weather to harsh manoeuvring, which sometimes leads to the breakdown of the main engine. Fuel oil systems are identified as one of the main reasons for engine breakdown. Many accidents happened due to the failure of the main engine fuel oil system in the last two decades. To ensure safe and reliable main propulsion engine operation, it is required to assess the reliability of a fuel oil system. However, there is a significant lack of appropriate data to develop the reliability assessment techniques for fuel oil system. This study proposes appropriate data collection and analysis procedure for the reliability assessment of a fuel oil system. Data related to Failure Running Hours (FRH) of a fuel oil system is collected from 101 experienced marine engineers through a questionnaire. The collected data processed using a box plot and analysed for a normality test. It helps to identify the generalization of the data. Moreover, this study identified failure‐prone components of a fuel oil system. The collected data will help in developing reliability assessment techniques for accurate reliability analysis of a fuel oil system. The identified failure‐prone components will assist in future reliability analysis and risk mitigation strategies for improving the overall safety and reliability of the shipping industry