Mental health status in children exposed to tsunami

As a vulnerable group, children are more prone to experiencing trauma and its sequelae. After the Asian tsunami we set out to evaluate the effect of exposure to the tsunami nearly one year after the event and to explore the family history of psychopathology on the mental health of children. This community-based study of 230 children was conducted in Srinivasapuram, a coastal village in Tamil Nadu. A youth self-report form (YSR) of the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), exposure to the tsunami, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and family history of psychopathology were assessed. The severity of exposure to the tsunami correlated with anxiety and somatic domains of the DSM IV and PTSD symptoms. Family history of psychopathology correlated with affective and somatic symptoms. Multiple regression analysis revealed that family psychopathology influenced affective problems (R²?=?0.071 (n?=?199), F?=?15.13, p?=?0.00) while exposure to the tsunami influenced anxiety problems (R²?=?0.046 (n?=?208), F?=?9.91, p?=?0.002). The findings from this study reveal that targeted specialized mental health services are needed for children with severe exposure to the tsunami and positive family history of psychopathology.     

Effects of Physical Exercise Interventions on Stereotyped Motor Behaviours in Children with ASD: A Meta-Analysis

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Studies have reported that physical exercise reduces maladaptive stereotyped motor behaviours (SMB) in children with ASD, but these intervention...     

Optimal Planar Flow Network Designs for Tissue Engineered Constructs with Built-in Vasculature

Convective delivery of nutrients is important to enhance mass transport within tissue engineered (TE) products. Depending on the target tissue, an ideal TE product will have an integrated microvasculature that will eliminate mass transport limitations that can occur during product growth in vitro and integration in vivo. A synthetic approach to develop microvasculature involves development of network designs with efficient mass transfer characteristics. In this paper, utilizing a planar bifurcating network as a basis, we develop an approach to design optimal flow networks that have maximum mass transport efficiency for a given pressure drop. We formulated the optimization problem for a TE skin product, incorporating two types of duct flow, rectangular and square, and solved using a generalized reduced gradient algorithm. Under the conditions of this study, we found that rectangular ducts have superior mass transport characteristics than square ducts. Microvascular area per volume values obtained in this work are significantly greater than those reported in the literature. We discuss the effect of network variables such as porosity and generations on the optimal designs. This research forms the engineering basis for the rational development of TE products with built-in microvasculature and will pave the way to design complex flow networks with optimal mass transfer characteristics.     

Making the decision to donate eyes: Perspectives from the families of the deceased in Madurai,India

Purpose:To identify factors affecting family members'' decision whether to donate eye organs.Methods:A community-based case-control study based on in-home interviews with families of deceased individuals who had or had not donated eye organs, in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, India. Data collected were knowledge and awareness of eye donations, whether the deceased individual had expressed or pledged willingness to donate, and family members'' attitudes and willingness to donate their own eye organs.Results:Seventy-six families of donors and 256 families of non-donors completed the survey. Multivariable analysis showed that the following variables were significantly associated with a donation: age, whether the deceased had registered for eye donation, pre-expressed willingness of deceased to donate, whether family members personally know beneficiaries of eye donations, and higher score on a scale evaluating knowledge and awareness about eye donation. The majority of donors'' families (71%) had been encouraged by someone to donate. Among non-donor families, a substantially larger fraction (52.8%) indicated they would have donated had someone reminded or encouraged them to do so, in comparison with those who indicated lack of awareness or knowledge (14.5%).Conclusion:Community programs are likely to be effective if they encourage individuals to pledge their eyes or express their willingness to donate their eyes to family members in advance of death; they increase public awareness of the value of eye donation. A friend, family member, neighbor or counselor approaching bereaved families and having a dialogue about eye donation would substantially increase the probability of a decision to donate.     

Major outcomes of patients with tuberculous meningitis on directly observed thrice a week regime

Background:

Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) of Government of India provides intermittent thrice-a-week directly observed treatment short course (RNTCP regimen).

Objective:

Assessments of all-cause mortality and nine-month morbidity outcomes of patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) on RNTCP regimen.

Materials and Methods:

We prospectively followed up patients registered with RNTCP center, with a diagnosis of TBM from January 1^st, 2010 to December 31^st, 2011. Morbidity was assessed using modified Rankin Scale (mRS).

Results:

We had 43 patients with median duration for follow-up of 396 days and that of survivors of 425 days. Two patients defaulted. Fourteen patients (32.5%) had mRS score of 4 to 6 and 29 had mRS of 0 to 3 after 9-month treatment. Severe disability was not related to any factor on logistic regression. Severe disability was seen in one patient (6.66%) among the 15 patients with stage 1, nine (37.5%) out of 24 patients with stage 2 and three (75%) out of 4 patients with stage 3 disease. Eight patients died (18.6%) of whom 4 died during the intensive phase and 4 during the continuation phase of RNTCP regimen. Mortality was independently related to treatment failure with adjusted Hazard ratio of 8.29 (CI: 1.38-49.78) (P = 0.02). One patient (6.66%) died out of the 15 patients with stage 1 disease, 5 (20.8%) out of 24 patients with stage 2 disease and 2 (50%) out of the 4 with stage 3 disease.

Discussion and Conclusion:

RNTCP regimen was associated with good compliance, comparable mortality and morbidity.     

Influence of Ag nanoparticles anchored on protonated g-C3N4–Bi2MoO6 nanocomposites for effective antibiotic and organic pollutant degradation

The development of noble metal-anchored semiconductors for photocatalytic processes is now garnering interest for potential application to toxic pollutants as well as antibiotic degradation. Herein, we report novel Ag@p-g-C₃N₄–Bi₂MoO₆ nanocomposites synthesized by facile hydrothermal and calcination methods with a size of about 50 nm, exhibiting superior photocatalytic activity for charge separation. The resulting nanocomposites were evaluated by various physiochemical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The charge transfer photogenerated carriers were confirmed by photoluminescence spectra and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The anchoring of Ag nanoparticles over p-g-C₃N₄/Bi₂MoO₆ decreased the band gap energy from 2.67 to 2.48 eV, to exhibit an abnormal increase in absorption of light towards the visible light region. The degradation performance of the nanocomposites in terms of antibiotic ciprofloxacin and rhodamine B degradation efficiency was measured 85 and 99.7% respectively. The superoxide radical anion ˙O₂⁻ played a significant role throughout the entire degradation process. Focusing on the probable mechanism based on the desirable results, the present work follows the heterostructure mechanism. Moreover, this work features the feasible applications of Ag@p-g-C₃N₄–Bi₂MoO₆ as a modified photocatalyst in the treatment of both domestic and industrial waste water.

The development of noble metal-anchored semiconductors for photocatalytic processes is now garnering interest for potential application to toxic pollutants as well as antibiotic degradation.     

Open ring enhancement in atypical brain demyelination

Open ring enhancement is considered highly specific for atypical demyelination. In this report we present a patient with a history of headache, ataxia and sensory disturbances in the lower extremities. A cranial MRI scan showed a large frontal lesion with mass effect, midline shift and with open ring enhancement. These findings are characteristics of tumefactive multiple sclerosis. Such lesions can be confused with neoplasms and abscesses. Open ring enhancement may help in differentiating atypical demyelination from a neoplasm or an abscess.