Wear Characterization of Phenol-Formaldehyde-Based Saguvani Wood-Polymer Composite-An ANOVA Approach.

In this part of the research work, the Taguchi approach is used to analyze the weight wear loss of PF-based 10% chemically treated saguvani wood-polymer composite under dry sliding conditions. The fabrication of PF-based wood-polymer composite consisting of 10% chemically treated saguvani wood particles as reinforcement material filled with coconut shell powder is used. The rotary-drum-type blender is used for uniform mixing of reinforcement materials with resin as per the calculated volume ratio. The inclusion of coconut shell powder as secondary particles in the PF-based wood plastic composite minimizes the wearability of the composite. The Taguchi method is used successfully to analyze the wear behavior of the PF-based wood-polymer composite with sliding speed, load, and sliding distance as control parameters. The experimental work reveals that the composite C1 shows minimum wear loss compared to the other composite specimens, C2 and C3. And the most influential parameter that causes more wear is the sliding distance among the three control parameters.

Assessment of diabetic foot risk among diabetic patients in a tertiary care hospital, South India.

INTRODUCTION: Foot problems are most common among patients with diabetes, and they are an important cause of morbidity in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). They can be prevented by following a simple foot care practice. The study objective was to stratify the level of risk for diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) among patients with diabetes by screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted in this study. The sample size was 196, and a standardized INLOW'S 60-s diabetic foot screening tool was used to assess the risk of diabetic foot. Data collection was done by face-to-face interview, and diabetic foot risk (DFR) was assessed by direct observation, inspection, and palpation methods. RESULTS: Among the 196 patients, majority required yearly foot screen in both feet. The mean and standard deviation of the level of DFR in the left foot (LF) and right foot (RF) was 4.31 ± 2.267 and 4.51 ± 2.391, respectively. There was a statistically significant association between the practice of treatment and level of foot screening recommendation in the LF with Chi-square value of χ2= 8.20 (df = 2) and RF with Chi-square value of χ2= 7.95 (df = 2) at P < 0.05 level. CONCLUSION: Health-care providers should be made aware of the regular practice of screening the foot of diabetic patients along with health education awareness programs. It may be helpful to identify the foot ulcer risk at an early stage. It will prevent further complications of DFU and recurrence of ulcer and will reduce the economic burden to patients and their family members and the health-care system.

Level, motivation and barriers to participate in physical activity among late adolescents in Puducherry.

BACKGROUND: One in every ten deaths globally is accounted for by physical inactivity-related risks. Adolescents constitute 18% of the world's total population and are at risk of becoming physically inactive in the future. Thus, this study aims to find the level of physical activity (PA) among late adolescents and factors that motivate and prevent them from being active. METHODOLOGY: Four hundred and fifty adolescents in the age group of 18-19 years were included in the study. Standardized self-administered questionnaires such as the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire were used to assess the level of PA and level of motivation, respectively. In addition, barriers to participating in PA were also elicited. RESULTS: This study found that about one third of the subjects (32.4%) were physically inactive. The motivation levels were more pooled towards the self-determined motives and girls are more motivated towards PA than boys. However, PA among males is significantly higher than females. Healthy practices in families was also found to have significant association with increased PA. The major barriers found were the excessive use of electronic gadgets and lethargy. CONCLUSION: One third of the adolescents in this study were physically inactive and several barriers that prevent them from taking up PA were elicited. Therefore, efforts should be taken to emphasize the importance of physical activity among individuals, family members and the peers at institutional level and community level so as to lay foundations for healthy lifestyles in the future. Basic prevention in the emergence of risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like PA is vital to curb the growing burden of chronic diseases in our country.