Search results for: disease duration

Authors: Piyush Hajela

Abstract:

Public spaces in Indian market places are vibrant, colorful and carry latent dimensions that make them attractive and popular gathering spaces. These markets satisfy the household needs of the people and also their social, cultural and traditional aspirations. Going to a market place for shopping in India is a great source of entertainment for the people. They would love to spend as much time as possible and stay for longer durations than otherwise required. It is this desire of the people that generates public spaces. Much of these public spaces emerge as squares, plazas, corners of varied shapes and sizes at different locations, and yet provide a conducive environment. Such public spaces grow organically and are discovered by the people themselves. Indian markets serve people of different culture, religion, caste, age, gender which keeps them alive all the year round. Indian is a diverse country and this diversity is reflected clearly in the market places. They hold the people together and promote harmony across cultures. Free access to these market places makes them magnets for social interaction. Public spaces are spread across a city and more or less have established their existence and prominence in a social set up. While few of them are created, others are discovered by the people themselves in their constant search for desirable interactive public spaces. These are the most sought after gathering spaces that have the quality of promoting social interaction, providing free accessibility, provide desirable scale etc. The paper aims at identifying these freely accessible public spaces and the dimensions within it that make these public spaces hold the people for significant duration of time. The dimensions present shall be judged through collective response of human senses in form of safety, comfort and so on through the expressions of the participants. The aim therefore would be to trace the freely accessible public spaces emerged in Indian markets and evaluate them for human response and behavior. The hierarchy of market places in the city of Bhopal is well established as, city center level, sub city-center level, community level, local and convenient level market places. While many city-centers are still referred to as the old or traditional or the core area of the city, the others are part of the planned city. These different levels of market places are studied for emerged public spaces. These emerged public spaces are then documented in detail for unveiling the dimensions they offer through, photographs, visual observations, questionnaires and response of the participants of these public spaces.

Keywords: human comfort, enclosure, safety, social interaction

Procedia PDF Downloads 419

Authors: Mehmet Ali Kisaçam, P. Sema Temizer Ozan, Ayşe Doğan, Gonca Ozan, F. Sarper Türker

Abstract:

Cardiovascular disease which is one of the most common health problems worldwide has crucial importance because of its’ morbidity and mortality rates. Nitric oxide synthase and arginase use L-arginine as a substrate and produce nitric oxide (NO), citrulline and urea, ornithine respectively. Endothelial dysfunction is characterized by reduced bioavailability of vasodilator and anti-inflammatory molecule NO. The purpose of the study to assess endothelial function via arginase activity and NO levels in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. The study was conducted on 26 patients (14 male, 12 female) undergoing CABG surgery. Blood samples were collected from the subjects before surgery, after the termination and after 24 hours of the surgery. Arginase activity and NO levels measured in collected samples spectrophotometrically. Arginase activity decreased significantly in subjects after the termination of the surgery compared to before surgery data. 24 hours after the surgery there wasn’t any significance in arginase activity as it compared to before surgery and after the termination of the surgery. On the other hand, NO levels increased significantly in the subject after the termination of the surgery. However there was no significant increase in NO levels after 24 hours of the surgery, but there was an insignificant increase compared to before surgery data. The results indicate that after the termination of the surgery vascular and endothelial function improved and after 24 hours of the surgery arginase activity and NO levels returned to normal.

Keywords: arginase, bypass, cordiopulmonary, nitric oxide

Procedia PDF Downloads 207

Authors: Lea Boidin, Martha Baydoun, Bertrand Leroux, Olivier Morales, Samir Acherar, Celine Frochot, Nadira Delhem

Abstract:

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the most defying diseases in gynecologic oncology. Even though surgery remains crucial in the therapy of patients with primary ovarian cancer, recurrent recidivism calls for the development of new therapy protocols to propose for patients dealing with this cancer. FRα is described as a tumor‐associated antigen in OC, where FRα expression is usually linked with more poorly differentiated, aggressive tumors. The Photodynamic treatment (PDT) available data have shown improvements in the uptake of small tumors and in the induction of a proper anti-tumoral immune response. In order to target specifically peritoneal metastatis, which overexpress FRα, a new-patented PS coupled with folic acid has been developed in our team. Herein we propose PDT using this new patented PS for PDT applied in an in vivo mice model. The efficacy of the treatment was evaluated in mice without and with PBMC reconstitution. Mice were divided into four groups: Non-Treated, PS, Light Only, and PDT Treated and subjected to illumination by laser set at 668nm with a duration of illumination of 45 minutes (or 1 min of illumination followed by 2 minutes of pause repeated 45 times). When mice were not reconstituted and after fractionized PDT protocol, a significant decrease in the tumor volume was noticed. An induction in the anti-tumoral cytokine IFNγ chaperoned this decrease while a subsequent inhibition in the cytokine TGFβ. Even more crucial, when mice were reconstituted and upon PDT, the fold of tumor decrease was even higher. An immune response was activated decoded with an increase in NK, CD3 +, LT helper and Cytotoxic T cells. Thereafter, an increase in the expression of the cytokines IFNγ and TNFα were noticed while an inhibition in TGFβ, IL8 and IL10 accompanied this immune response activation. Therefore, our work has shown for the first time that a fractionized PDT protocol using a folate-targeted PDT is effective for treatment of ovarian cancer. The interest in using PDT in this case, goes beyond the local induction of tumor apoptosis only, but can promote subsequent anti-tumor response. Most of the therapies currently used to treat ovarian cancer, have an uncooperative outcomes on the host immune response. The readiness of a tumor adjuvant treatment like PDT adequate in eliminating the tumor and in concert stimulating anti-tumor immunity would be weighty.

Keywords: folate receptor, ovarian cancer, photodynamic therapy, humanized mice model

Procedia PDF Downloads 112

Authors: Fariha Akhter Chowdhury, Mohammad Nurul Islam, Anamika Saha, Sabrina Mahboob, Abu Syed Md. Mosaddek, Md. Omar Faruque, Most. Fahmida Begum, Rajib Bhattacharjee

Abstract:

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases in Bangladesh where Escherichia coli is the prevalent organism and responsible for most of the infections. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is known to act as a major virulence factor of E. coli. The present study aimed to purify, extract and visualize LPS of E. coli clinical isolates from urine samples of patients with UTI. The E. coli strain was isolated from the urine samples of 10 patients with UTI and then the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the isolates was determined. The purification of LPS was carried out using the hot aqueous-phenol method and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which was directly stained using the modified silver staining method and Coomassie blue. The silver-stained gel demonstrated both smooth and rough type LPS by showing trail-like band patterns with the presence and lacking O-antigen region, respectively. Coomassie blue staining showed no band assuring the absence of any contaminating protein. Our successful extraction of purified LPS from E. coli isolates of UTI patients’ urine samples can be an important step to understand the UTI disease conditions.

Keywords: Escherichia coli, electrophoresis, polyacrylamide gel, silver staining, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)

Procedia PDF Downloads 392

Authors: Aruha Khan, Brynn E. Kankel, Paraskevi Papadopoulou

Abstract:

In recent years, extensive research upon ‘stress’ has provided insight into its two distinct guises, namely the short–term (fight–or–flight) response versus the long–term (chronic) response. Specifically, the long–term or chronic response is associated with the suppression or dysregulation of immune function. It is also widely noted that the occurrence of cancer is greatly correlated to the suppression of the immune system. It is thus necessary to explore the impact of long–term or chronic stress upon the prevalence and risk of cancer. To what extent can the dysregulation of immune function caused by long–term exposure to stress be controlled or minimized? This study focuses explicitly upon immunosuppression due to its ability to increase disease susceptibility, including cancer itself. Based upon an analysis of the literature relating to the fundamental structure of the immune system alongside the prospective linkage of chronic stress and the development of cancer, immunosuppression may not necessarily correlate directly to the acquisition of cancer—although it remains a contributing factor. A cross-sectional analysis of the survey data from the University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) and Harvard Medical School (HMS) will provide additional supporting evidence (or otherwise) for the hypothesis of the study about whether immunosuppression (caused by the chronic stress response) notably impacts the prevalence of cancer. Finally, a multidimensional framework related to education on chronic stress and its effects is proposed.

Keywords: immune system, immunosuppression, long–term (chronic) stress, risk of cancer

Procedia PDF Downloads 135

Authors: Prachi Choudhary, Jai Gopal Sharma

Abstract:

Microbial cultures determine the type of organism, its abundance in the tested sample, or both. It is one of the primary diagnostic methods of microbiology. It is used to determine the cause of infectious disease by letting the agent multiply in a predetermined medium. Different bacteria produce colonies that may be very distinct from the bacterial species that produced them. To culture any pathogen or microorganism, we should first know about the types of media used in microbiology for culturing. Sometimes sub culturing is also done in various microorganisms if some mixed growth is seen in culture. Nearly 3 types of culture media based on consistency – solid, semi-solid, and liquid (broth) media; are further explained in the report. Then, The Five I's approach is a method for locating, growing, observing, and characterizing microorganisms, including inoculation and incubation. Isolation, inspection, and identification. For identification of bacteria, we have to culture the sample like urine, sputum, blood, etc., on suitable media; there are different methods of culturing the bacteria or microbe like pour plate method, streak plate method, swabbing by needle, pipetting, inoculation by loop, spreading by spreader, etc. After this, we see the bacterial growth after incubation of 24 hours, then according to the growth of bacteria antibiotics susceptibility test is conducted; this is done for sensitive antibiotics or resistance to that bacteria, and also for knowing the name of bacteria. Various methods like the dilution method, disk diffusion method, E test, etc., do antibiotics susceptibility tests. After that, various medicines are provided to the patients according to antibiotic sensitivity and resistance.

Keywords: inoculation, incubation, isolation, antibiotics suspectibility test, characterizing

Procedia PDF Downloads 83

Authors: S. Ataei, F. Sarrafzadeh Javadi, K. Gilani, E. Moazeni

Abstract:

Drug delivery systems using colloidal particulate carriers such as niosomes or liposomes have distinct advantages over conventional dosage forms because the particles can act as drug-containing reservoirs. These carriers play an increasingly important role in drug delivery. Niosomes are vesicular delivery systems which result from the self-assembly of hydrated surfactant. Niosomes are now widely studied as an attractive to liposomes because they alleviate the disadvantages associated with liposomes, such as chemical instability, variable purity of phospholipids and high cost. The encapsulation of drugs in niosomes can decrease drug toxicity, increase the stability of drug and increase the penetrability of drug in the location of application, and may reduce the dose and systemic side effect. Nowadays, Niosomes are used by the pharmaceutical industry in manufacturing skin medications, eye medication, in cosmetic formulas and these vesicular systems can be used to deliver aspiratory drugs. One way of improving dispersion in the water phase and solubility of the hydrophobic drug is to formulate in into niosomes. Itraconazole (ITZ) was chosen as a model hydrophobic drug. This drug is water insoluble (solubility ~ 1 ng/ml at neutral pH), is a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal agent and is used to treat various fungal disease. This study aims to investigate the capability of forming itraconazole niosomes with Spans, Tweens, Brijs as non-ionic surfactants. To this end, various formulations of niosomes have been studied with regard to parameters such as the degree of containment and particle size.

Keywords: physicochemical, non-ionic surfactant vesicles, itraconazole

Procedia PDF Downloads 463

Authors: Djeamsly Salomon

Abstract:

Background: Epidemiological surveillance is a dynamic national system used to observe all aspects of the evolution of priority health problems, through: collection, analysis, systematic interpretation of information, and dissemination of results with necessary recommendations. The study was conducted to assess the mandatory disease surveillance system in the Sud Department. Methods: A study was conducted from March to May 2021 with key players involved in surveillance at the level of health institutions in the department . The CDC's 2021 updated guideline was used to evaluate the system. We collected information about the operation, attributes, and usefulness of the surveillance system using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Epi-Info7.2 and Excel 2016 were used to generate the mean, frequencies and proportions. Results: Of 30 participants, 23 (77%) were women. The average age was 39 years[30-56]. 25 (83%) had training in epidemiological surveillance. (50%) of the forms checked were signed by the supervisor. Collection tools were available at (80%). Knowledge of at least 7 notifiable diseases was high (100%). Among the respondents, 29 declared that the collection tools were simple, 27 had already filled in a notification form. The maximum time taken to fill out a form was 10 minutes. The feedback between the different levels was done at (60%). Conclusion: The surveillance system is useful, simple, acceptable, representative, flexible, stable and responsive. The data generated was of high quality. However, it is threatened by the lack of supervision of sentinel sites, lack of investigation and weak feedback. This evaluation demonstrated the urgent need to improve supervision in the sites and to feedback information. Strengthen epidemiological surveillance.

Keywords: evaluation, notifiable diseases, surveillance, system

Procedia PDF Downloads 80

Authors: M. R. Mogarekar, Shraddha V. More, Pankaj Kumar

Abstract:

Gastroenteritis, the third leading killer of children in India today is responsible for 13% of all deaths in children <5 years of age and kills an estimated 300,000 children in India each year. We decided to investigate parameters which can help in early disease detection and prompt treatment. Serum paraoxonase is calcium dependent esterase which is widely distributed among tissues such as liver, kidney, and intestine and is located in the chromosomal region 7q21.3 22.1. Studies show the presence of excessive reactive oxygen metabolites and antioxidant imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract leading to oxidative stress in gastroenteritis. To our knowledge, this is the first ever study done. The objective of present study is to investigate the role of paraoxonase 1 (PON 1) status i.e arylesterase and lactonase activities and Q192R polymorphism and conjugated dienes, in gastroenteritis of paediatric population. The study and control group consists of 40 paediatric patients with and without gastroenteritis. Paraoxonase arylesterase and lactonase activities were assessed and phenotyping was determined. Conjugated dienes were also assessed. PON 1 arylesterase activities in cases (61.494±13.220) and controls (70.942±15.385) and lactonase activities in cases (15.702±1.036) and controls (17.434±1.176) were significantly decreased (p<0.05). There is no significant difference of phenotypic distribution in cases and controls. Conjugated dienes were found significantly increased in patients (0.086±0.024) than the control group (0.064±0.019) (p<0.05). Paraoxonase 1 activities (arylesterase and lactonase) and conjugated dienes may be useful in risk assessment and management in gastroenteritis in paediatric population.

Keywords: paraoxonase 1 polymorphism, arylesterase, lactonase, conjugated dienes, p-nitrophenylacetate, DHC

Procedia PDF Downloads 308

Authors: Rizky Kusuma Cahyani

Abstract:

Hepatitis B is a liver inflammatory disease caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV). This infection can be prevented by vaccination which contains HBV surface protein (sHBsAg). However, vaccine supply is limited. Several attempts have been conducted to produce local sHBsAg. However, the purity degree and protein yield are still inadequate. Therefore optimization of HBsAg purification steps is required to obtain high yield with better purification fold. In this study, optimization of purification was done in 2 steps, precipitation using variation of NaCl concentration (0,3 M; 0,5 M; 0,7 M) and PEG (3%, 5%, 7%); ion exchange chromatography (IEC) using NaCl 300-500 mM elution buffer concentration.To determine HBsAg protein, bicinchoninic acid assay (BCA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used in this study. Visualization of HBsAg protein was done by SDS-PAGE analysis. Based on quantitative analysis, optimal condition at precipitation step was given 0,3 M NaCl and PEG 3%, while in ion exchange chromatography step, the optimum condition when protein eluted with NaCl 500 mM. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis indicates that the presence of protein HBsAg with a molecular weight of 25 kDa (monomer) and 50 kDa (dimer). The optimum condition for purification of sHBsAg produced in Pichia pastoris gave a yield of 47% and purification fold 17x so that it would increase the production of hepatitis B vaccine to be more optimal.

Keywords: hepatitis B virus, HBsAg, hepatitis B surface antigen, Pichia pastoris, purification

Procedia PDF Downloads 154

Authors: Shaira L. Kee, Michael Aaron G. Sy, Myles Joshua T. Tan, Hezerul Abdul Karim, Nouar AlDahoul

Abstract:

Skin diseases are considered the fourth most common disease, with melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer as the most common type of cancer in Caucasians. The alarming increase in Skin Cancer cases shows an urgent need for further research to improve diagnostic methods, as early diagnosis can significantly improve the 5-year survival rate. Machine Learning algorithms for image pattern analysis in diagnosing skin lesions can dramatically increase the accuracy rate of detection and decrease possible human errors. Several studies have shown the diagnostic performance of computer algorithms outperformed dermatologists. However, existing methods still need improvements to reduce diagnostic errors and generate efficient and accurate results. Our paper proposes an ensemble method to classify dermoscopic images into benign and malignant skin lesions. The experiments were conducted using the International Skin Imaging Collaboration (ISIC) image samples. The dataset contains 3,297 dermoscopic images with benign and malignant categories. The results show improvement in performance with an accuracy of 88% and an F1 score of 87%, outperforming other existing models such as support vector machine (SVM), Residual network (ResNet50), EfficientNetB0, EfficientNetB4, and VGG16.

Keywords: deep learning - VGG16 - efficientNet - CNN – ensemble – dermoscopic images - melanoma

Procedia PDF Downloads 84

Authors: Jae Young Song, In-Ohk Ouh, Seyeon Park, Byeong Sul Kang, Soo Dong Cho, In-Soo Cho

Abstract:

Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a major pathogen of diarrhea disease in dogs. CPV type 2 has three of antigenic variants such as 2a, 2b, and 2c. CPV constructs a small non-enveloped, icosahedral capsid that contains single-stranded DNA. It has capsids that two largely overlapping virion proteins (VP), VP1 (82 kDa), and VP2 (65 kDa). Baculoviruses are insect pathogens that regulate insect populations in nature and are being successfully used to control insect pests. The proteins produced in the baculovirus-expression system are used for instance for functional studies, vaccine preparations, or diagnostics. The vaccines produced by baculovirus-expression system showed elicitation of antibodies. The recombinant baculovirus infected SF9 cells showed broken shape. The recombinant VP2 proteins from cell pellet or supernatant were confirmed by western blotting. The result showed that the recombinant VP2 protein bands were appeared at 65 kDa molecular weight in both cell pellet and supernatant of infected SF9 cell. These results indicated that the recombinant baculovirus infected SF9 cell express the recombinant VP2 protein successfully. In addition, the expressed recombinant VP2 protein is secreted from cell to supernatant. The baculovirus expression system can be used to produce the VP2 protein of CPV 2c. In addition, the secretion property of the expression of VP2 protein may decrease the cost of production, because it can be skipped the cell breaking step. The produced VP2 protein could be used for vaccine and the agent of diagnostic tests. This study provides the foundation of the production of CPV 2c vaccine and the diagnostic agent.

Keywords: baculovirus, canine parvovirus 2c, dog, Korea

Procedia PDF Downloads 152

Authors: Ya-Ching Wang, Yi-Maun Subeq

Abstract:

Background: There is a lack of evidence to understand differences in risk for developing breast cancer between sexual minority women and heterosexual women in Taiwan. The purpose of this study is to compare differences in risk for developing breast cancer between the two groups of Taiwanese women. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was used to collect data. A total of 238 Taiwanese women (mean age 30.69 years old, SD=8.231, range 20-60) were recruited between December 2016 and February 2017, including 115 heterosexual women and 123 sexual minority women. Results: There were no significant differences between heterosexual women and sexual minority women in body mass index, history of non-malignant breast disease, age at menarche and menopause, use of hormone replacement therapy, use of hormone replacement therapy, nor the prevalence of breast cancer. The sexual minority women had higher rates of current drinking, smoking and using breast-bindings and also reported exercise more a week; the heterosexual women had higher rates of pregnancy, children, breastfeed, miscarriages, abortion and use of birth control pills. Discussion/Conclusion: There were significant differences between heterosexual women and sexual minority women in reproductive factors and behavioral risk factors for the development of breast cancer. In particular, the finding that the sexual minority women had higher rate of using breast-bindings (56.6%) than the heterosexual women (4.7%) should be further explore, in order to understand whether long-term breast compression is associated with the development of breast cancer.

Keywords: breast cancer, risk, sexual orientation, Taiwan

Procedia PDF Downloads 366

Authors: Juan Jose Filgueira, Daniela Londono-Serna, Liliana Maria Hoyos

Abstract:

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) is one of the most important products of exportation in the floriculture industry worldwide. Fusariosis is the disease that causes the highest losses on farms, in particular the one produced by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi, called vascular wilt. Gene identification and metabolic routes of the genes that participate in the building of the plant response to Fusarium are some of the current targets in the carnation breeding industry. The techniques for the identifying of resistant genes in the plants, is the analysis of the transcriptome obtained during the host-pathogen interaction. In this work, we report the cell transcriptome of different varieties of carnation that present differential response from Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. dianthi attack. The cells of the different hybrids produced in the outbreeding program were cultured in vitro and elicited with the parasite in a dual culture. The isolation and purification of mRNA was achieved by using affinity chromatography Oligo dT columns and the transcriptomes were obtained by using Illumina NGS techniques. A total of 85,669 unigenes were detected in all the transcriptomes analyzed and 31,000 annotations were found in databases, which correspond to 36.2%. The library construction of genic expression techniques used, allowed to recognize the variation in the expression of genes such as Germin-like protein, Glycosyl hydrolase family and Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase. These have been reported in this study for the first time as part of the response mechanism to the presence of Fusarium oxysporum.

Keywords: Carnation, Fusarium, vascular wilt, transcriptome

Procedia PDF Downloads 151

Authors: Edilene Mercedes Mauer Machado, Carolina Hadassa Marques Karoly, Amanda Britz, Claudineia Brazil

Abstract:

The El Niño phenomenon, characterized by the anomalous warming of surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean, can influence weather patterns in various parts of the world, including the occurrence of extreme events such as droughts or heavy rainfall. Studies have suggested a relationship between El Niño and an increase in the incidence of dengue in certain areas. During El Niño periods, there can be changes in climatic conditions, such as increased temperatures and reduced rainfall in certain tropical and subtropical regions. These conditions can favor the reproduction of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector for dengue transmission. Research aims to investigate how climate events like El Niño and La Niña can influence the incidence and transmission of dengue. The results have shown that, on average, there was a significant increase in dengue cases during La Niña years compared to years of climatic neutrality, contradicting the findings of Hopp et al. (2015). The study also highlighted that regions affected by El Niño exhibited greater variability in dengue incidence. However, it is important to emphasize that the effects of El Niño on dengue transmission can vary depending on the region and local factors, such as socioeconomic context and implemented control measures, as described by Johansson et al. (2009). Not all areas affected by El Niño will necessarily experience an increase in dengue incidence, and the interaction between climate and disease transmission is complex.

Keywords: anomalous warming, climatic patterns, dengue incidence, extreme events

Procedia PDF Downloads 104

Authors: Woledegebrieal Aregay

Abstract:

Introduction: Family planning is defined as the ability of individuals and couples to anticipate and attain their desired number of children and the spacing and timing of their births. It is part of a strategy to reduce poverty, maternal, infant and child mortality; empowers women by lightening the burden of excessive childbearing. Family planning is achieved through the use of different contraceptive methods among which the most effective method is modern family planning methods like Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive (LARCs) which are IUCD and Implant and these methods have multiple advantages over other reversible methods. Most importantly, once in place, they do not require maintenance and their duration of action is long, ranging from 3 to10 years. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Gondar town among female college students from April-May. A simple random sampling technique was employed to recruit a total of 1166 study subjects. Descriptive variables were computed for all predictors & dependent variables. The presence of an association between covariates & LARC use was observed by two tables’ findings using the chi-square test. Bivariate logistic regression was conducted to identify all possible factors affecting LARC utilization & its crude Odds Ratio, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) & P-value was observed. A multivariable logistic regression model was developed to control possible confounding variables. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) &P-values will be computed to identify significantly associated factors (P < 0.05) with LARC utilization. Result: Utilization of LARCs was 20.4%, the most common is Implant 86(96.5%), and followed by Intra-Uterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD) 3(3.5%). The result of the multivariate analysis revealed that the significant association of marital status of the respondent on utilization of LARC [AOR 3.965(2.051-7.665)], discussion of the respondent about LARC utilization with the husband/boyfriend [AOR 2.198(1.191-4.058)], and attitude of the respondent on implant was found to be associated [AOR 0.365(0.143-0.933)].Conclusion: The level of knowledge and attitude in this study was not satisfactory, the utilization of long-acting reversible contraceptives among college students was relatively satisfactory but if the knowledge and attitude of the participant has improved the prevalence of LARC were increased.

Keywords: utilization, long-acting reversible contraceptive, Ethiopia, Gondar

Procedia PDF Downloads 227

Authors: Martin Kittel, Alexander Roth

Abstract:

The continuous integration of variable renewable energy sources (VRE) in the power sector is required for decarbonizing the European economy. Power sectors become increasingly exposed to weather variability, as the availability of VRE, i.e., mainly wind and solar photovoltaic, is not persistent. Extreme events, e.g., long-lasting periods of scarce VRE availability (‘VRE droughts’), challenge the reliability of supply. Properly accounting for the severity of VRE droughts is crucial for designing a resilient renewable European power sector. Energy system modeling is used to identify such a design. Our analysis reveals the sensitivity of the optimal design of the European power sector towards VRE droughts. We analyze how VRE droughts impact optimal power sector investments, especially in generation and flexibility capacity. We draw upon work that systematically identifies VRE drought patterns in Europe in terms of frequency, duration, and seasonality, as well as the cross-regional and cross-technological correlation of most extreme drought periods. Based on their analysis, the authors provide a selection of relevant historical weather years representing different grades of VRE drought severity. These weather years will serve as input for the capacity expansion model for the European power sector used in this analysis (DIETER). We additionally conduct robustness checks varying policy-relevant assumptions on capacity expansion limits, interconnections, and level of sector coupling. Preliminary results illustrate how an imprudent selection of weather years may cause underestimating the severity of VRE droughts, flawing modeling insights concerning the need for flexibility. Sub-optimal European power sector designs vulnerable to extreme weather can result. Using relevant weather years that appropriately represent extreme weather events, our analysis identifies a resilient design of the European power sector. Although the scope of this work is limited to the European power sector, we are confident that our insights apply to other regions of the world with similar weather patterns. Many energy system studies still rely on one or a limited number of sometimes arbitrarily chosen weather years. We argue that the deliberate selection of relevant weather years is imperative for robust modeling results.

Keywords: energy systems, numerical optimization, variable renewable energy sources, energy drought, flexibility

Procedia PDF Downloads 78

Authors: Omnia M. Kandil, Noha M. F. Hassan, Doaa Sedky, Hatem A. Shalaby, Heba M. Ashry, Nadia M. T. Abu El Ezz, Sahar M. Kandeel, Mohamed S. Abdelfattah Ying L, Ebtesam M. Al-Olayan

Abstract:

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of bovine cysticercosis in both cattle and buffaloes in Egypt and to assess the cysticidal efficacy of Balanites aegyptiacafruits (B. aegyptiaca) and Moringa oleiferaseeds (M. oleifera) extracts in experimentally infected mice. The study detected the level of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) to monitor the immune and inflammatory responses of experimentally infected mice. Through meat inspection, a total number of 2125 male bovines, 2 to 5 years old (1125 cattle and 1000 buffaloes) were examined at official abattoirs in Cairo Governorate. The prevalence of the disease among bovine was 7.8%, (6.31% of cattle and 9.5% of buffaloes). A decrease in the number of cysticerci was found in all treated mice groups, and up to 88% reduction was achieved in the B. aegyptiaca-treated group; higher than that was recorded in both M. oleifera (72.23%) and albendazole-treated ones (80.56%). Postmortem findings proved that M. oleifera and B. aegyptiaca reduced cysticerci numbers comparable to a commercial anthelmintic. The study showed a significant decrease (P<0.001) in TNF-α levels after treatment with Balanites and Moringa extracts, compared with the untreated control and the albendazole-treated groups.

Keywords: prevalence, bovine cysticercossis, extracts, mice

Procedia PDF Downloads 123

Authors: Anika Pallapothu

Abstract:

Periodontitis, a severe gum disease, poses a significant threat to the integrity of bone and soft tissues supporting teeth, primarily initiated by bacterial accumulation around the gum line. Conventional treatments like scaling/root planning and plaque removal are widely employed, but integrating modern technologies such as nanotechnology holds promise for innovative therapeutic approaches. This study explores the utilization of silver nanoparticles encapsulated within cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and mesoporous bioactive glass hydrogel matrices for periodontitis management. Silver nanoparticles exhibit potent antimicrobial properties by disrupting microbial cell membranes, inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and interfering with vital cellular processes like ATP production and nucleic acid synthesis. Mesoporous bioactive glass, renowned for its high surface area, osteoconductive, and bioactivity, presents a favorable platform for pharmaceutical applications. Incorporating CNF enhances the properties of the hydrogel due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and water absorption capacity. The proposed composite material is anticipated to exert beneficial effects in periodontitis treatment by demonstrating antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, offering a promising avenue for future therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: periodontitis, cellulose nanofibers, silver nanoparticles, mesoporous bioactive glass, antibacterial activity, anti-inflammatory activity

Procedia PDF Downloads 54

Authors: Florent Cerdan, Anne-Gaëlle Denay, Annette Roy, Jean-Claude Grandidier, Éric Laine

Abstract:

The insulation of MarkIII membrane of the Liquid Natural Gas Carriers (LNGC) consists of a load- bearing system made of panels in reinforced polyurethane foam (R-PUF). During the shipping, the cargo containment shall be potentially subject to risk events which can be water leakage through the wall ballast tank. The aim of these present works is to further develop understanding of water transfer mechanisms and water effect on properties of R-PUF. This multi-scale approach contributes to improve the durability. Macroscale / Mesoscale Firstly, the use of the gravimetric technique has allowed to define, at room temperature, the water transfer mechanisms and kinetic diffusion, in the R-PUF. The solubility follows a first kinetic fast growing connected to the water absorption by the micro-porosity, and then evolves linearly slowly, this second stage is connected to molecular diffusion and dissolution of water in the dense membranes polyurethane. Secondly, in the purpose of improving the understanding of the transfer mechanism, the study of the evolution of the buoyant force has been established. It allowed to identify the effect of the balance of total and partial pressure of mixture gas contained in pores surface. Mesoscale / Microscale The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Dynamical Mechanical Analysis (DMA), have been used to investigate the hydration of the hard and soft segments of the polyurethane matrix. The purpose was to identify the sensitivity of these two phases. It been shown that the glass transition temperatures shifts towards the low temperatures when the solubility of the water increases. These observations permit to conclude to a plasticization of the polymer matrix. Microscale The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) study has been used to investigate the characterization of functional groups on the edge, the center and mid-way of the sample according the duration of submersion. More water there is in the material, more the water fix themselves on the urethanes groups and more specifically on amide groups. The pic of C=O urethane shifts at lower frequencies quickly before 24 hours of submersion then grows slowly. The intensity of the pic decreases more flatly after that.

Keywords: porous materials, water sorption, glass transition temperature, DSC, DMA, FTIR, transfer mechanisms

Procedia PDF Downloads 530

Authors: Arati Inamdar, Siddharth Bhattacharyya, Kester Haye

Abstract:

Collision tumors are rare entities characterized by neoplasms of two different cell populations with distinct separating boundaries. Such tumors could be benign, malignant, or a combination of both. The exact mechanism of origin for collision tumors is predicted to be tumor heterogeneity or concurrent occurrence of neoplasm in the same organ. We present two cases of plasmacytoma presenting as a collision tumor, one with a tumor of hematological origin and another with a non-hematological origin, namely Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Adenocarcinoma of the colon, respectively. The immunohistochemical stains and flowcytometry analysis performed on the specimens aided incorrect diagnosis. Interestingly, neoplastic cells of plasmacytoma in the first case demonstrated strong cytokeratin along with weak Epithelial Specific Antigen/ Epithelial cell adhesion molecule Monoclonal Antibody (MOC31) positivity, indicating that the tumor may influence the microenvironment of the tumor in the vicinity. Furthermore, the next-generation sequencing studies performed on the specimen with plasmacytoma and chronic lymphocytic lymphoma demonstrated BReast CAncer gene (BRCA2) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Induced Protein 3 (TNFAIP3) as a disease associated variants suggestive of risk for multiple tumors including collision tumors. Our reports highlight the unique collision tumors involving plasmacytoma, which have never been reported previously, as well as provide necessary insights about the underline genetic aberrations and tumor heterogeneity through sequencing studies and allow clonality assessment for subsequent tumors.

Keywords: BRCA2, collision tumor, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, plasmacytoma

Procedia PDF Downloads 192

Authors: Mehdi Nasr-Esfahani, Leila Mohammad Bagheri, Ava Nasr-Esfahani

Abstract:

Root and collar rot disease caused by Phytophthora capsici (Leonian) is one of the most serious diseases in pepper, Capsicum annuum L. In this study, a diverse collection of 37 commercial edible and ornamental pepper genotypes infected with P. capsici were investigated for biomass parameters and enzymatic activity of peroxidase or peroxide reductases (EC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), polyphenol oxidase (PPOs), catalase (CAT) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). Seven candidate DEG genes were also evaluated on resistant and susceptible pepper cultivars, through measuring product formation, using spectrophotometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction. All the five enzymes and seven defense-gene candidates were up-regulated in all inoculated pepper accessions to P. capsici. But, the enzymes and DEG genes were highly expressed in resistant cv. 19OrnP-PBI, 37ChillP-Paleo, and “23CherryP-Orsh". The expression level of enzymes were 1.5 to 5.6-fold higher in the resistant peppers, than the control non-inoculated genotypes. Also, the transcriptional levels of related candidate DEG genes were 3.16 to 5.90-fold higher in the resistant genotypes. There was a direct and high correlation coefficient between resistance, bio-mass parameters, enzymatic activity, and resistance gene expression. The related enzymes and candidate genes expressed herein will provide a basis for further gene cloning and functional verification studies, and also will aid in an understanding of the regulatory mechanism of pepper resistance to P. capsici.

Keywords: AP2/ERF, cDNA, enzymes, MIP gene, q-RTPCR, XLOC

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: D. Nagalakshmi, S. Parashuramulu K. Sadasiva Rao, G. Aruna, L. Vikram

Abstract:

The zinc (Zn) is the second most abundant trace element in mammals and birds, forming structural component of over 300 enzymes, playing an important role in anti-oxidant defense, immune response and reproduction. Organic trace minerals are more readily absorbed from the digestive tract and more biologically available compared with its inorganic salt. Thus, the present study was undertaken on 60 adult female Sprague Dawley rats (275±2.04 g) for experimental duration of 12 weeks to investigate the effect of dietary Zn supplementation from various organic sources on immunity, reproduction, oxidative defense mechanism and blood biochemical profile. The rats were randomly allotted to 30 replicates (2 per replicate) which were in turn randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments varying in Zn source i.e., one inorganic source (Zn carbonate) and 4 organic sources (Zn-proteinate, Zn-propionate, Zn-amino acid complex and Zn-methionine) so as to supply NRC recommended Zn concentration (12 ppm Zn). Supplementation of organic Zn had no effect on various haematological and serum biochemical constituents compared to inorganic Zn fed rats. The TBARS and protein carbonyls concentration in liver indicative of oxidative stress was comparable between various organic and inorganic groups. The glutathione reductase activity in haemolysate (P<0.05) and reduced glutathione concentration in liver (P<0.01) was higher when fed organic Zn and RBC catalase activity was higher (P<0.01) on Zn methionine compared to other organic sources tested and the inorganic source. The humoral immune response assessed as antibody titres against sheep RBC was higher (P<0.05) when fed organic sources of zinc compared to inorganic source. The cell mediated immune response expressed as delayed type hypersensitivity reaction was higher (P<0.05) in rats fed Zn propionate with no effect of other organic Zn sources. The serum progesterone concentration was higher (P<0.05) in rats fed organic Zn sources compared to inorganic zinc. The data on ovarian folliculogenesis indicated that organic Zn supplementation increased (P<0.05) the number of graafian follicles and corpus luteum with no effect on primary, secondary and tertiary follicle number. The study indicated that rats fed organic sources of Zn had higher antioxidant enzyme activities, immune response and serum progesterone concentration with higher number of mature follicles. Though the effect of feeding various organic sources were comparable, rats fed zinc methionine had higher antioxidant activity and cell mediated immune response was higher in rats on Zn propionate.

Keywords: organic zinc, immune, rats, reproductive

Procedia PDF Downloads 287

Authors: Shu-Ling Wang

Abstract:

Background: Multiple studies showed early skin-to-skin contact (SSC) with mothers was beneficial to newborns such as breastfeeding and maternal childcare. In cases of newborns unable to have early SSC with mothers, fathers’ involvement could let early SSC continue without interruption. However, few studies had explored the effects of early SSC by fathers in comparison to early SSC with mothers. Paternal involvement of early SSC should be equally important in term of childcare and breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of early SSC by fathers in particular in their support of breastfeeding. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was employed by the study. One hundred and forty-four father-infant pairs had participated the study, in which infants were assigned either to SSC with their fathers (n = 72) or to routine care (n = 72) as the control group. The study was conducted at a regional hospital in northern Taiwan. Participants included parents of both vaginal delivery (VD) and caesarean section birth (CS) infants. To be eligible for inclusion, infants must be over 37-week gestational ages. Data were collected twice: as pretest upon admission and as posttest with online questionnaire during first, second, and third postpartum months. The questionnaire included items for Breastfeeding Social Support, methods of feeding, and the mother-infant 24-hour rooming-in rate. The efficacy of early SSC with fathers was evaluated using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) modeling. Research Result: The primary finding was that SSC with fathers had positive impact on fathers’ support of breastfeeding. Analysis of the online questionnaire indicated that early SSC with fathers improved the support of breastfeeding than the control group (VD: t = -4.98, p < .001; CS: t = -2.37, p = .02). Analysis of mother-infant 24-hour rooming-in rate showed that SSC with fathers after CS had a positive impact on the rooming-in rate (χ² = 5.79, p = .02); however, with VD the difference between early SSC with fathers and the control group was insignificant (χ² = .23, p = .63). Analysis of the rate of exclusive breastfeeding indicated that early SSC with fathers had a higher rate than the control group during first three postpartum months for both delivery methods (VD: χ² = 12.51, p < .001 on 1st postpartum month, χ² = 8.13, p < .05 on 2nd postpartum month, χ² = 4.43, p < .05 on 3rd postpartum month; CS: χ² = 6.92, p < .05 on 1st postpartum month, χ² = 7.41, p < .05 on 2nd postpartum month, χ² = 6.24, p < .05 on 3rd postpartum month). No significant difference was found on the rate of exclusive breastfeeding with both methods of delivery between two groups during hospitalization. (VD: χ² =2 .00, p = .16; CS: χ² = .73, p = .39). Conclusion: Implementing early SSC with fathers has many benefits to both parents. The result of this study showed increasing fathers’ support of breastfeeding. This encourages our nursing personnel to focus the needs of father during breastfeeding, therefore further enhancing the quality of parental care, the rate and duration of breastfeeding.

Keywords: breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, support of breastfeeding, rooming-in

Procedia PDF Downloads 218

Authors: Amirreza Razzaghipour, Mahdi Khalili

Abstract:

References from the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control for deceleration the spread of the Novel COVID-19, comprises social estrangement, frequent handwashing, and covering your mouth when around others. As hearing healthcare specialists, the influence of existenceinvoluntary to boundary social interactions on persons with hearing impairment was significant for us to understand. We found ourselves delaying cochlear implant (CI) surgeries. All children, and chiefly those with hearing loss, are susceptible to reductions in spoken communication. Hearing plans, such as cochlear implants, provide children with hearing loss access to spoken communication and provision language development. when provided early and used consistently, these supplies help children with hearing loss to engage in spoken connections. Cochlear implant (CI) is a standard medical-surgical treatment for bilateral severe to profound hearing loss with no advantage with the hearing aid. Hearing is one of the most important senses in humans. Pediatric hearing loss establishes one of the most important public health challenges. Children with hearing loss are recognized early and habilitated via hearing aids or with cochlear implants (CIs). Suitable care and maintenance as well as continuous auditory verbal therapy (AVT) are also essential in reaching for the successful attainment of language acquisition. Children with hearing loss posture important challenges to their parents, particularly when there is limited admission to their hearing care providers. The disruption in the routine of their hearing and therapy follow-up services has had substantial effects on the children as well as their parents.

Keywords: healthcare, covid-19, cochlear implants, spoken communication, hearing loss

Procedia PDF Downloads 168

Authors: G. Dottavio, M. F. Andrade, F. Renard, V. Cheutet, A.-L. Ladier, S. Vercraene, P. Hoang, S. Briet, R. Dachicourt, Y. Baizet

Abstract:

An important number of technological equipment and high-skilled workers over long periods of time have to be mobilized during nuclear decommissioning processes. The related operations generate complex flows of waste and high inventory levels, associated to information flows of heterogeneous types. Taking into account that more than 10 decommissioning operations are on-going in France and about 50 are expected toward 2025: A big challenge is addressed today. The management of decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear installations represents an important part of the nuclear-based energy lifecycle, since it has an environmental impact as well as an important influence on the electricity cost and therefore the price for end-users. Bringing new technologies and new solutions into decommissioning methodologies is thus mandatory to improve the quality, cost and delay efficiency of these operations. The purpose of our project is to improve decommissioning management efficiency by developing a decision-support framework dedicated to plan nuclear facility decommissioning operations and to optimize waste evacuation by means of a logistic approach. The target is to create an easy-to-handle tool capable of i) predicting waste flows and proposing the best decommissioning logistics scenario and ii) managing information during all the steps of the process and following the progress: planning, resources, delays, authorizations, saturation zones, waste volume, etc. In this article we present our results from waste nuclear flows simulation during decommissioning process, including discrete-event simulation supported by FLEXSIM 3-D software. This approach was successfully tested and our works confirms its ability to improve this type of industrial process by identifying the critical points of the chain and optimizing it by identifying improvement actions. This type of simulation, executed before the start of the process operations on the basis of a first conception, allow ‘what-if’ process evaluation and help to ensure quality of the process in an uncertain context. The simulation of nuclear waste flows before evacuation from the site will help reducing the cost and duration of the decommissioning process by optimizing the planning and the use of resources, transitional storage and expensive radioactive waste containers. Additional benefits are expected for the governance system of the waste evacuation since it will enable a shared responsibility of the waste flows.

Keywords: nuclear decommissioning, logistical optimization, decision-support framework, waste management

Procedia PDF Downloads 325

Authors: Chakrit Thapphan, Suteeraporn Chaowattanapanit, Sorutsiri Chareonsudjai, Wisitsak Phoksawat, Supranee Phantanawiboon, Kiatichai Faksri, Steve W. Edwards, Kanin Salao

Abstract:

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that is mediated by crosstalk between keratinocytes and immune cells, especially CD4+ T helper (Th) cells. To date, psoriasis is established as a T helper 17 (Th17) cell-mediated inflammatory process driven by the over-expression of Th17. However, the role of other CD4+T helper cells is rather controversial. Objective: Our study, thereby, aimed to characterize and analyze T cell subsets in the circulating blood of psoriasis patients and compare them to healthy controls. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from the participants and stained with fluorescent dye-conjugated monoclonal antibodies specific for intracellular cytokines, including interferon-gamma (IFN- γ), interleukin (IL-4), IL-17 and forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), that can be used to define T helper 1 (Th1) cells, T helper 2 (Th2), T helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Treg) respectively. Results: We found that the numbers of Th2 (59.6% ± 17.0) and Th17 (4.0% ± 2.0) cells in the circulating blood of psoriasis patients were significantly higher than those of the healthy controls (p= 0.0007 and 0.0013 respectively). In contrast, the numbers of Th1 and Treg cells were not significantly different between psoriasis patients and healthy controls (p= 0.0593 and 0.8518, respectively). Additionally, when adjusting these numbers of Th cells to Treg, we observed a similar trend that the ratio of Th2/Treg and Th17/Treg also elevated (p = 0.0007 and 0.0047, respectively). Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest an imbalanced T exhibit toward the Th2 and Th17 skewed-immune responses in psoriasis patients.

Keywords: psoriasis, Th cell subsets, Th2 cells, Th17 cells, Treg cells

Procedia PDF Downloads 80

Authors: Jayanta Bora, Sukhvinder Kaur, Ashok Agarwal, Sangeeta Kaul

Abstract:

Background: It is important for targeted interventions to consider vulnerabilities of female sex workers (FSWs) such as poverty, work-related mobility and literacy for effective human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention. This paper examines the association between vulnerability and behavioural outcomes among FSWs in Thane district, Maharashtra under USAID PHFI-PIPPSE project. Methods: Data were used from the Behavioural Tracking Survey, a cross-sectional behavioural study conducted in 2015 with 503 FSWs randomly selected from 12 TI-NGOs which were functioning and providing services to FSWs in Thane district prior to April 2014 in Thane district of Maharashtra. We have created the “vulnerability index”, a composite index of literacy, factors of dependence (alternative livelihood options, current debt), and aspects of sex work (mobility and duration in sex work) as a dependent variable. The key independent measures used were program exposure to intervention, service uptake, self-confidence, and self-identity. Bi-variate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the study objectives. Results: A higher proportion of FSWs who were in the age-group 18–25 years from brothel/street /home/ lodge-based were categorized as highly vulnerable to HIV risk as compared to bar-based sex worker (74.1% versus 59.8%, P,0.002); regression analysis highlighted lower odds of vulnerability among FSWs who were aware of services and visited NGO clinic for medical check-up and counselling for STI [AOR= 0.092, 95% CI 0.018-0.460; P,0.004], However, lower odds of vulnerability on confident in supporting fellow sex worker in crisis [AOR= 0.601, 95% CI 0.476-0.758; P, 0.000] and were able to turn away clients when they refused to use a condom during sex [AOR= 0.524, 95% CI 0.342-0.802; P, 0.003]. Conclusion: The results highlight that FSWs associated with TIs and getting services are less vulnerable and highly empowered. As a result of behavioural change communication and other services provided by TIs, FSWs were able to successfully negotiate about condom use with their clients and manage solidarity in the crisis situation for fellow FSWs. Therefore, it is evident from study paper that TI prevention programs may transform the lives of masses considerably and may open a window of opportunity to infuse the information and awareness about HIV risk.

Keywords: female sex worker, HIV prevention, HIV service uptake, vulnerability

Procedia PDF Downloads 255

Authors: Summer Hassan, David Crossman

Abstract:

Myocardial fibrosis (MF) has been loosely defined as the process occurring in the pathological remodeling of the myocardium due to excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including collagen. This reduces tissue compliance and accelerates progression to heart failure, as well as affecting the electrical properties of the myocytes resulting in arrhythmias. Microscopic interrogation of MF is key to understanding the molecular orchestrators of disease. It is well-established that recruitment and stimulation of myofibroblasts result in Collagen deposition and the resulting expansion in the ECM. Many types of Collagens have been identified and implicated in scarring of tissue. In a series of experiments conducted at our lab, we aim to elucidate the role collagen VI plays in the development of myocardial fibrosis and its direct impact on myocardial function. This was investigated through an animal experiment in Rats with Collagen VI knockout diseased and healthy animals as well as Collagen VI wild diseased and healthy rats. Echocardiogram assessments of these rats ensued at four-time points, followed by microscopic interrogation of the myocardium aiming to correlate the role collagen VI plays in myocardial function. Our results demonstrate a deterioration in cardiac function as represented by the ejection fraction in the knockout healthy and diseased rats. This elucidates a potential protective role that collagen-VI plays following a myocardial insult. Current work is dedicated to the microscopic characterisation of the fibrotic process in all rat groups, with the results to follow.

Keywords: heart failure, myocardial fibrosis, collagen, echocardiogram, confocal microscopy

Procedia PDF Downloads 84

Authors: Pillay J. D., D. De Wit, J. F. Ducray

Abstract:

Field hockey is a popular international sport which is played in more than 100 countries across the world. Due to the nature of hockey, players repeatedly perform a combination of forward flexion and rotational movements of the spine in order to strike the ball. These movements have been shown to increase the risk of pain and injury to the lumbar spine. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and incidence of low back pain (LBP) in male adolescent field hockey players and the characteristics of LBP in terms of location, chronicity, disability, and treatment sought, as well as its association with selected risk factors. A survey was conducted on 112 male adolescent field hockey players in the eThekwini Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The questionnaire contained sections on the demographics of participants, general characteristics of participants, health and lifestyle characteristics, low back pain patterns, treatment of low back pain, and the level of disability associated with LBP. The data were statistically analysed using IBM SPSS version 25 with statistical significance set at p-value <0.05. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to summarise responses to continuous variables as appropriate. Categorical variables were described using frequency tables. Associations between risk factors and low back pain were tested using Pearson’s chi-square test and t-tests as appropriate. A total of 68 questionnaires were completed for analysis (67% participation rate); the period prevalence of LBP was 63.2% (35.0%:beginning of the season, 32.4%:mid-season, 22.1%: end of season). Incidence was 38.2%. The most common location for LBP was the middle low back region (39.5%), and the most common duration of pain was a few hours (32.6%). Most participants (79.1%) did not classify their pain as a disability, and only 44.2% of participants received medical treatment for their LBP. An interesting finding was the association between hydration and LBP (p = 0.050), i.e., those individuals who did not hydrate frequently during matches and training were significantly more likely to experience LBP. The results of this study, although limited to a select group of adolescents, showed a higher prevalence of LBP than that of previous studies. More importantly, even though most participants did not experience LBP classified as a disability, LBP still had a large impact on participants, as nearly half of the participants consulted with a medical professional for treatment. Need for the application of further strategies in the prevention and management of LBP in field hockey, such as adequate warm-up and cool-down, stretching exercises, rest between sessions, etc., are recommended as simple strategies to reduce LBP prevalence.

Keywords: adolescents, field hockey players, incidence, low back pain, prevalence, risk factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 61