The study examined the prevalence, sociodemographic, and clinical correlates of chronic pain among primary care patients in the state of Kerala, India. It also examined the patterns and relationships ...of chronic physical and mental health conditions with chronic pain.
This study is a cross-sectional survey conducted among 7165 adult patients selected randomly by a multi-stage stratified design from 71 primary health centers. The questionnaires administered included Chronic pain screening questionnaire, self-reported Chronic physical health condition checklist, Patient Health Questionnaire-SADS, The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, WHO Disability Assessment Schedule and WHOQOL- BREF for Quality/Satisfaction with Life. The prevalence and comorbid patterns of chronic pain were determined. Logistic regression analysis and generalized linear mixed-effects model was employed to examine the relationship of chronic pain to socio-demographic variables and examined physical and mental health conditions.
A total of 1831 (27%) patients reported chronic pain. Among those with chronic pain, 28.3% reported no co-occurring chronic mental or physical illness, 35.3% reported one, and 36.3% reported multi-morbidity. In the multivariate analysis, patients with chronic pain when compared to those without had higher odds of being older, female, having lower education, not living with their family, greater disability, and poor satisfaction with life. Chronic pain was independently associated with both medical (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, arthritis, and other medical illnesses) and mental health conditions (depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and tobacco dependence). It showed a varying strength of association and additive effect with increasing number of co-occurring physical and mental illnesses.
Chronic pain is a common condition among primary care attendees associated with significant burden of medical and mental health comorbidity. The findings highlight the need to incorporate treatment models that will ensure appropriate management to improve outcomes within the resource constraints.
The development of acoustic absorbers from natural resources is a novel approach in acoustics. In the current study, the effect of unprocessed raw areca fiber (AF) particle reinforcement on the sound ...absorption (SA) behavior of polyurethane (PU) foam composites is investigated. Influences of fiber weight percentage and graded distribution of fiber with varying fiber weight percentage on the SA coefficient (SAC) of the composite foams are examined through the impedance tube approach. Morphological studies are carried out with the help of FESEM images to investigate the acoustic energy dissipation mechanism of PU foam and its composites. It is found that the SA capability of the composite foam is enhanced by increased fiber weight percentage, graded distribution of fiber wt%, varying sample thickness, and air cavity length. In general, PU‐AF composite specimens show a peak SA value of 0.95 around 450 Hz, which is not the case for other natural fiber results available in the literature. Theoretical results predicted using the JCA (Johnson‐Champoux Allard) model agree with the experimental results.
Sound absorption of Areca fiber filled polyurethane foam composites.
With the continuous quest of developing hydrogel for cartilage regeneration with superior mechanobiological properties are still becoming a challenge. Chitosan (CS) hydrogels are the promising ...implant materials due to an analogous character of the soft tissue; however, their low mechanical strength and durability together with its lack of integrity with surrounding tissues hinder the load-bearing application. This can be solved by developing a composite chitosan hydrogel reinforced with Hydroxyapatite Nanorods (HANr). The objective of this work is to develop and characterize (physically, chemically, mechanically and biologically) the composite hydrogels loaded with different concentration of hydroxyapatite nanorod. The concentration of hydroxyapatite in the composite hydrogel was optimized and it was found that, reinforcement modifies the hydrogel network by promoting the secondary crosslinking. The compression strength could reach 1.62 ± 0.02 MPa with a significant deformation of 32% and exhibits time-dependent, rapid self-recoverable and fatigue resistant behavior based on the cyclic loading-unloading compression test. The storage modulus value can reach nearly 10 kPa which is needed for the proposed application. Besides, composite hydrogels show an excellent antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria's and Candida albicans fungi and their cytocompatibility towards L929 mouse fibroblasts provide a potential pathway to developing a composite hydrogel for cartilage regeneration.
Background: An outbreak of Nipah virus infection was confirmed in Kerala, India in May 2018. Five out of 23 cases including the first laboratory-confirmed case were treated at Baby Memorial Hospital ...(BMH), Kozhikode. The study describes the clinical characteristics and epidemiology of the Nipah virus outbreak at Kozhikode during May 2018. Objective: To study the clinical and epidemiological profile of Nipah virus epidemic that occurred in Kerala in May 2018. Methods: A collaborative team of physicians and epidemiologists from BMH, Medical College Hospital (MCH) Kozhikode and from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) conducted this study. The clinical and exposure history and the data on outbreak response were gathered from hospital medical records and through interviewing patient relatives and health workers using questionnaires. Results: It was identified that out of the 23 patients with Nipah virus infection, 21 (91.3%) expired. Out of the 21 patients, 18 tested positive for Nipah virus by Real Time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). It has been found that only the index case was infected in the community from fruit bats. Rest of the cases were due to transmission of the virus at three public hospitals. Median age was 45 years. 65% of them were males. Median incubation period was 9.5 days. Fever (100%), altered sensorium (84.2%), tachycardia (63.1%), hypertension (36.8%), segmental myoclonus (15.7%), segmental sweating (15.7%) and shortness of breath (73.6%) were common features. Mean duration of illness was 6.4 days. Conclusion: The rapid spread of infection uncovered the miserable state of health care system in implementing infection control measures. The case fatality and the socio-economic burden warrant developing appropriate treatments, vaccines and diagnostics.
The present work is focused on the nano-Hydroxyapatite (nHAp) synthesis with two different Indian breed Aseel and Kadaknath eggshells. The alloplast implants were developed through the foam replica ...method with polyurethane 45-PPI as a porous template. The synthesized nHAp was characterized by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FE-SEM images of the nHAp showed the one dimensional clustered nanoparticles and the X-ray diffraction spectrum confirms that the major phase was hydroxyapatite with a small trace of β-tricalcium phosphate. The maximum compression strength of the sample was 5.49 ± 0.12 MPa which is in the range of the compression strength of human trabecular bone. The thermal and degradability studies results confirmed that these are highly stable and provides necessary a resorption needed for new bone tissue formation. Besides, the antimicrobial activity against tested human microbiome are satisfactory and the cell viability towards MG 63 human osteoblast-like cells provides a potential pathway for developing the nHAp implants for bone tissue engineering.
Purpose: The main objective of this study is to explore the efficacy of olopatadine 0.1% treatment in the resolution of symptoms of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) among the Indian population. ...Methods: This single-center, prospective cohort study involved 234 patients with VKC. Patients were treated with olopatadine 0.1%, twice daily for a period of 12 weeks and then followed up in 1st week, 4th week, 3rd month, and 6th month. The extent of relief in the symptoms of VKC was measured using total ocular symptom score (TOSS) and ocular surface disease index (OSDI). Results: In the present study, the dropout rate was 5.6%. Total of 136 males and 85 females with a mean age of 37.68 ± 11.35 years completed the study. TOSS score reduced from 58.85 to 5.06 and the OSDI score reduced from 75.41 to 11.2 with statistical significance (P < 0.01) from 1st week to 6th week after olopatadine 0.1% treatment. The data showed relief in subjective symptoms of itching, tearing, and redness, and relief in discomfort in functions related to ocular grittiness, visuals like reading, and environmental like tolerability in dry conditions. Further, olopatadine 0.1% was effective in both males and females, and patients across ages 18-70 years. Conclusion: Based on TOSS and OSDI scores, the findings of this study validate safety and tolerability as revealed by low adverse effects and moderate efficacy of olopatadine 0.1% in reducing VKC symptoms in a broader age group (18-70 years) of both genders.
Performance of underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) with different vertical water channel conditions is experimentally analyzed. Experiment has been carried out by varying temperature and ...salinity of the vertical water channel. Underwater vertical channel is modeled by obtaining the best fit with the experimental data in terms of received optical power as a function of transmission depth and attenuation. This mathematical model is used to simulate UWOC system in Optisystem software to analyze the performance of UWOC in terms of Q factor and BER. Analysis has been carried out to obtain maximum reachable transmission depth at different data rates for fixed input power and maximum achievable data rate at different input power for fixed transmission depth. Maximum reachable transmission depth is also analyzed for different modulation index of the amplitude modulator. These analyses are carried out for optimal performance parameters such as Q factor (≥ 6) and BER (≤ 10
–9
). Apart from Q factor and BER, performance of the UWOC channel is analyzed through eye diagrams obtained at the receiver of the UWOC system in terms of eye height which reflects the quality of signal. This analysis will be helpful for power budgeting, data rate restriction with transmission depth in different water channel conditions to establish vertical UWOC link.
The present study was planned to remediate the metalloid and metal contaminated soil by using non-edible and economic plant species
Jatropha curcas L. The experiment was conducted on pots to improve ...the survival rate, metal tolerance and growth response of the plant on soil; having different concentrations of arsenic, chromium and zinc. The soil was amended with dairy sludge and bacterial inoculum (
Azotobacter chroococcum) as biofertilizer. The results of the study showed that the bioaccumulation potential was increased with increase in metalloid and metal concentration in soil system. Application of dairy sludge significantly reduces the DTPA-extractable As, Cr and Zn concentration in soil. The application of organic amendment stabilizes the As, Cr and Zn and reduced their uptake in plant tissues.
Nano-crystalline nickel ferrites are interesting materials due to their large physical and magnetic properties. In the present work, two kinds of spinel ferrites Ni0.8M0.2Fe2O4 (M = Cu, Co) are ...synthesized by using sol-gel auto-combustion method and the results are compared with NiFe2O4. The structural properties of synthesized ferrites are determined by using X-ray powder diffraction; scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The cation distribution obtained from X-ray diffraction show that cobalt/copper occupies only tetrahedral site in spinel lattice. The lattice constant increases with the substitution of cobalt/copper. The structural parameters like bond lengths, tetrahedral and octahedral edges have been varied with the substitution. The microstructural study is carried out by using SEM technique and the average grain size is increased with nickel ferrite. The initial permeability (μi) is improving with the substitution. The observed g-value from ESR is approximately equal to standard value.
This article deals with the effect of salinity variation on underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC). Effect of different concentration of salt on underwater optical communication has been ...carried out experimentally in terms of received power at different link lengths. Based on the analysis of experimental data, a mathematical model has been proposed to describe the saline water channel. A simulation study is performed for different data rates and link lengths. It is seen that with increased salinity the attenuation is higher and the UWOC system performance degrades with higher data rate and increased link length.
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