Three-Body Abrasive Wear Behavior of Needle-Punch Nonwoven Jute Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Now-a-days, natural fiber based composites are emerging as a supplement to the synthetic fiber composites. The aim of the present work is to investigate the three-body abrasive wear behavior of needle-punch nonwoven jute fiber reinforced epoxy (NJFE) composites in an abrasive environment. Three-body abrasion studies have been done on composites using rubber wheel abrasion tester. The design of experiments approach using Taguchi methodology is employed for the parametric analysis of abrasive wear process. The effect of the factors such as sliding velocity, fiber loading, applied load, sliding distance and abrasive size on the specific wear rate and coefficient of friction of composite has been studied. Experimental results reveal the improvement of abrasive wear behavior of the composites with the addition of fiber as compared to neat epoxy. At steady state condition, it has been observed that composites with 36 wt% fiber loading shows minimum specific wear rate. From the statistical analysis it has been concluded that the factor combination with sliding velocity of 120 cm/s, fiber loading of 36 wt%, normal load of 10 N, sliding distance of 50 m and abrasive size of 400 μm gives minimum specific wear rate whereas sliding velocity of 144 cm/s, fiber loading of 36 wt%, normal load of 10 N, sliding distance of 70 m and abrasive size of 300 μm gives minimum coefficient of friction. Finally, the worn surfaces are examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and possible abrasion wear mechanisms are discussed.

Huge critical current density and tailored superconducting anisotropy in SmFeAsO₀.₈F₀.₁₅ by low-density columnar-defect incorporation

Iron-based superconductors could be useful for electricity distribution and superconducting magnet applications because of their relatively high critical current densities and upper critical fields. SmFeAsO₀.₈F₀.₁₅ is of particular interest as it has the highest transition temperature among these materials. Here we show that by introducing a low density of correlated nano-scale defects into this material by heavy-ion irradiation, we can increase its critical current density to up to 2 × 10⁷ A cm⁻² at 5 K--the highest ever reported for an iron-based superconductor--without reducing its critical temperature of 50 K. We also observe a notable reduction in the thermodynamic superconducting anisotropy, from 8 to 4 upon irradiation. We develop a model based on anisotropic electron scattering that predicts that the superconducting anisotropy can be tailored via correlated defects in semimetallic, fully gapped type II superconductors.

Women's health in India: the role of body mass index

We examined the health status of women in relation to their body mass indices and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) by analyzing data from a follow-up study of 325 women, selected from the Indian National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2/1998-99) Delhi samples, reinterviewed after 4 years (2003). Obese women were five times more likely (OR = 4.87; p <.0001) and women with a higher WHR (> 0.90) were two times more likely (OR = 1.70; p =.050) to perceive their health condition as worse than others. Arthritis, hypertension, and shortness of breath were found to be higher among obese women and women with a high WHR. Healthy lifestyle choices must be promoted to contain the growing burden of obesity-related health problems among Indian women.

A study on body-weight perception, future intention and weight-management behaviour among normal-weight, overweight and obese women in India

OBJECTIVE

We examined the socio-economic differential in the self-perception of body weight, future intention for weight management and actual weight-management behaviour among normal-weight, overweight and obese women in India.

DESIGN

A population-based follow-up survey of ever-married women, systematically selected from the second round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2, 1998-99) samples, who were re-interviewed after four years in 2003.

SETTING

Information on women's perception about their own weight, intention of weight management and actual weight-management behaviour were collected through personal interview. Anthropometric measurements were obtained from women to compute their current BMI.

SUBJECTS

Three hundred and twenty-five ever-married women aged 20-54 years residing in the national capital territory of Delhi in India.

RESULTS

Discrepancy between self-perceived body weight and women's actual body weight was reported. One-quarter of overweight women and one in ten obese women perceived themselves as normal weight. Although a majority of overweight and obese women wanted to reduce their weight, a significant proportion of overweight (one in four) and 4 % of obese women also wanted to maintain their weight as it is. Only one in three overweight and one in four obese women were performing any physical activity to reduce their weight.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings are important for public health interventions in obesity care. Implementation of health promotion and health education in the community should use effective school education and mass-media programmes to raise awareness of appropriate body weight to combat the growing level of obesity among Indian women.

Electrical property sensing biopsy needle for prostate cancer detection

BACKGROUND

Significant electrical property differences have been demonstrated to exist between malignant and benign prostate tissues. We evaluated how well a custom designed clinically deployable electrical property sensing biopsy needle is able to discriminate between these tissue types in an ex vivo prostate model.

METHODS

An electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) sensing biopsy (Bx) needle was developed to record resistive (ρR) and reactive (ρX) components of electrical impedance from 100 Hz to 1 MHz. Standard twelve-core biopsy protocols were followed, in which the EIS-Bx device was used to gauge electrical properties prior to extracting tissue cores through biopsy needle firing from 36 ex vivo human prostates. Histopathological assessment of the cores was statistically compared to the impedance spectrum gauged from each core.

RESULTS

The magnitudes of the mean resistive and reactive components were significantly higher in cancer tissues (P < 0.05). ROC curves showed that ρR at 63.09 kHz was optimal for discriminating cancer from benign tissues; this parameter had 75.4% specificity, 76.1% sensitivity, and ROC AUC of 0.779. Similarly, 251.1 kHz was optimal when using ρX to discriminate cancer from benign tissues; this parameter had a 77.9% specificity, 71.4% sensitivity, and ROC AUC of 0.79.

CONCLUSION

Significant electrical property differences noted between benign and malignant prostate tissues suggest the potential efficacy an EIS-Bx device would provide for cancer detection in a clinical setting. By sensing a greater fraction of the prostate's volume in real-time, the EIS-Bx device has the potential to improve the accuracy of cancer grading and volume estimation made with current biopsy procedures.

Awareness on causes, consequences and preventive measures of obesity among urban married women in India

BACKGROUND

In spite of the numerous chronic diseases that have been linked to obesity, studies focusing on the awareness regarding causes, consequences and strategies to prevent and control of obesity among women are lacking in the literature, especially in developing countries such as India, where obesity is culturally accepted and nurtured and women bearded the highest weight gain in the recent decade.

OBJECTIVE

We explored the awareness regarding causes, consequences and preventive measures of obesity among 325 ever-married aged 20-54 years women with different levels of body mass index (BMI) in the national capital territory of Delhi representing urban India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A population based follow-up survey of women systematically selected from the second round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2, 1998-99) samples who were re-interviewed after four years in 2003. As a part of qualitative data collection, the respondents were asked to free list open-ended questions on causes, consequences and preventive measures of obesity. Responses were analyzed through Anthropac software package.

RESULTS

Over eating was reported as the most important cause of obesity by normal and overweight women whereas obese women reported fried food consumption as the most important cause of weight gain. A few women from each group reported changing lifestyle as a cause of obesity. Also, there were lots of misconceptions about the cause of obesity among women (such as no tension in life, more tension, happiness, constipation, problem in Delhi's water etc.). In terms of the consequences of obesity, the participants were well aware of the common physical consequences. Normal and obese women reported breathlessness as the most important consequence whereas overweight women reported problem in standing and sitting. Regarding preventive measures, overweight and obese women reported 'walking' as most important preventive measure of obesity whereas normal women reported 'doing exercise'. In addition, 'dieting' was reported as the next important preventive measures of obesity by all groups of women.

CONCLUSION

Our study of a fairly large, community-based sample of women has shown that women were aware of the complex nature of obesity in terms of causes, consequences and a range of potential solutions. The findings are important for public health interventions in obesity care in India. Implementation of health promotion and health education in the community should use effective school education and mass media programme to raise more awareness of the causes, consequences and preventive measures and hammer misconceptions, to combat the growing level of obesity among Indian women.

Solid fuel use for household cooking: country and regional estimates for 1980-2010

BACKGROUND

Exposure to household air pollution from cooking with solid fuels in simple stoves is a major health risk. Modeling reliable estimates of solid fuel use is needed for monitoring trends and informing policy.

OBJECTIVES

In order to revise the disease burden attributed to household air pollution for the Global Burden of Disease 2010 project and for international reporting purposes, we estimated annual trends in the world population using solid fuels.

METHODS

We developed a multilevel model based on national survey data on primary cooking fuel.

RESULTS

The proportion of households relying mainly on solid fuels for cooking has decreased from 62% (95% CI: 58, 66%) to 41% (95% CI: 37, 44%) between 1980 and 2010. Yet because of population growth, the actual number of persons exposed has remained stable at around 2.8 billion during three decades. Solid fuel use is most prevalent in Africa and Southeast Asia where > 60% of households cook with solid fuels. In other regions, primary solid fuel use ranges from 46% in the Western Pacific, to 35% in the Eastern Mediterranean and < 20% in the Americas and Europe.

CONCLUSION

Multilevel modeling is a suitable technique for deriving reliable solid-fuel use estimates. Worldwide, the proportion of households cooking mainly with solid fuels is decreasing. The absolute number of persons using solid fuels, however, has remained steady globally and is increasing in some regions. Surveys require enhancement to better capture the health implications of new technologies and multiple fuel use.

Effects of sedentary lifestyle and dietary habits on body mass index change among adult women in India: findings from a follow-up study

We examined the effects of sedentary lifestyle and dietary habits on body mass index (BMI) change in a follow-up study of 325 women (aged 15-49 years) in Delhi, systematically selected from the 1998-1999 National Family Health Survey samples who were re-interviewed after 4 years in 2003. Information was collected on height, weight, dietary habits, and sedentary lifestyle through face-to-face interviews. Overall, a 2.0-point increase in mean BMI was found among women in just 4 years. Every second normal-BMI woman, two in five overweight women, and every fourth obese woman experienced a > 2.0-point increase in her mean BMI. High sedentary lifestyle (OR: 2.63; 95% CI: 1.29-5.35) emerged as the main predictor of a > 2.0-point increase in mean BMI in adjusted analysis, but there was weak evidence of association with the dietary covariates. Our findings suggest that a high sedentary lifestyle is a determinant of weight gain among adult women in urban India.

A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

BACKGROUND

Quantification of the disease burden caused by different risks informs prevention by providing an account of health loss different to that provided by a disease-by-disease analysis. No complete revision of global disease burden caused by risk factors has been done since a comparative risk assessment in 2000, and no previous analysis has assessed changes in burden attributable to risk factors over time.

METHODS

We estimated deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs; sum of years lived with disability [YLD] and years of life lost [YLL]) attributable to the independent effects of 67 risk factors and clusters of risk factors for 21 regions in 1990 and 2010. We estimated exposure distributions for each year, region, sex, and age group, and relative risks per unit of exposure by systematically reviewing and synthesising published and unpublished data. We used these estimates, together with estimates of cause-specific deaths and DALYs from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010, to calculate the burden attributable to each risk factor exposure compared with the theoretical-minimum-risk exposure. We incorporated uncertainty in disease burden, relative risks, and exposures into our estimates of attributable burden.

FINDINGS

In 2010, the three leading risk factors for global disease burden were high blood pressure (7·0% [95% uncertainty interval 6·2-7·7] of global DALYs), tobacco smoking including second-hand smoke (6·3% [5·5-7·0]), and alcohol use (5·5% [5·0-5·9]). In 1990, the leading risks were childhood underweight (7·9% [6·8-9·4]), household air pollution from solid fuels (HAP; 7·0% [5·6-8·3]), and tobacco smoking including second-hand smoke (6·1% [5·4-6·8]). Dietary risk factors and physical inactivity collectively accounted for 10·0% (95% UI 9·2-10·8) of global DALYs in 2010, with the most prominent dietary risks being diets low in fruits and those high in sodium. Several risks that primarily affect childhood communicable diseases, including unimproved water and sanitation and childhood micronutrient deficiencies, fell in rank between 1990 and 2010, with unimproved water and sanitation accounting for 0·9% (0·4-1·6) of global DALYs in 2010. However, in most of sub-Saharan Africa childhood underweight, HAP, and non-exclusive and discontinued breastfeeding were the leading risks in 2010, while HAP was the leading risk in south Asia. The leading risk factor in Eastern Europe, most of Latin America, and southern sub-Saharan Africa in 2010 was alcohol use; in most of Asia, North Africa and Middle East, and central Europe it was high blood pressure. Despite declines, tobacco smoking including second-hand smoke remained the leading risk in high-income north America and western Europe. High body-mass index has increased globally and it is the leading risk in Australasia and southern Latin America, and also ranks high in other high-income regions, North Africa and Middle East, and Oceania.

INTERPRETATION

Worldwide, the contribution of different risk factors to disease burden has changed substantially, with a shift away from risks for communicable diseases in children towards those for non-communicable diseases in adults. These changes are related to the ageing population, decreased mortality among children younger than 5 years, changes in cause-of-death composition, and changes in risk factor exposures. New evidence has led to changes in the magnitude of key risks including unimproved water and sanitation, vitamin A and zinc deficiencies, and ambient particulate matter pollution. The extent to which the epidemiological shift has occurred and what the leading risks currently are varies greatly across regions. In much of sub-Saharan Africa, the leading risks are still those associated with poverty and those that affect children.

FUNDING

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Innovative technology-transcatheter aortic valve implantation: cost and reimbursement issues

OBJECTIVE

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) offers a new treatment option for patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis, classified as "inoperable". The purpose of the study was to reveal the association between ascertained hospital costs with the actual patient Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG).

METHOD

We examined 50 consecutive patients who underwent either transapical TAVI, (TAVI-TA) or transfemoral TAVI (TAVI-TF) with the Edwards SAPIEN valve and CoreValve(®) between September 2009 and August 2011.

RESULTS

Fourty-nine patients had successful valve deployment. Seven patients died within 30 days of the operation. The mean length of hospital stay for TAVI-TA was 199 hours (range 77-362), and the mean costs for TAVI-TA were 55,690 US$. For TAVI-TF the mean length of hospital stay was 170 hours (range 49-276) and the mean costs were 52,087 US$.

CONCLUSION

There was no significant difference between TAVI-TA and TAVI-TF patient characteristics. There was a significant discrepancy between actual hospital costs and the current Norwegian DRG reimbursement for the TAVI procedure. This discrepancy can be partly explained by excessive costs related to the introduction of a new program with new technology. Costly innovations should be considered in price-setting of reimbursement for novel technology.

Hospital costs fell as numbers of LVADs were increasing: experiences from Oslo University Hospital

Background

The current study was undertaken to examine total hospital costs per patient of a consecutive implantation series of two 3^rd generation Left Ventricle Assist Devices (LVAD). Further we analyzed if increased clinical experience would reduce total hospital costs and the gap between costs and the diagnosis related grouped (DRG)-reimbursement.

Method

Cost data of 20 LVAD implantations (VentrAssist™) from 2005-2009 (period 1) were analyzed together with costs from nine patients using another LVAD (HeartWare™) from 2009-June 2011 (period 2). For each patient, total costs were calculated for three phases - the pre-LVAD implantation phase, the LVAD implantation phase and the post LVAD implant phase. Patient specific costs were obtained prospectively from patient records and included personnel resources, medication, blood products, blood chemistry and microbiology, imaging and procedure costs including operating room costs. Overhead costs were registered retrospectively and allocated to the specific patient by predefined allocation keys. Finally, patient specific costs and overhead costs were aggregated into total hospital costs for each patient. All costs were calculated in 2011-prices. We used regression analyses to analyze cost variations over time and between the different devices.

Results

The average total hospital cost per patient for the pre-LVAD, LVAD and post-LVAD for period 1 was $ 585, 513 (range 132, 640- 1 247, 299), and the corresponding DRG- reimbursement (2009) was $ 143, 192 . The mean LOS was 54 days (range 12- 127). For period 2 the total hospital cost per patient was $ 413, 185 (range 314, 540- 622, 664) and the corresponding DRG- reimbursement (2010) was $ 136, 963. The mean LOS was 49 days (range 31- 93).

The estimates from the regression analysis showed that the total hospital costs, excluding device costs, per patient were falling as the number of treated patients increased. The estimate from the trend variable was -14, 096 US$ (CI -3, 842 to -24, 349, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

There were significant reductions in total hospital costs per patient as the numbers of patients were increasing. This can possibly be explained by a learning effect including better logistics, selection and management of patients.