Drop Outs Research Articles

A Study on Causes and Pattern of School Drop Out in A Slum Area of Kolkata, India in 2024

Introduction: School drop outs are very common in children, especially in developing countries, and may occur due to many causes. Social causes and other diseases like infections and other are important causes of drop out in school life across the world. Materials and methods: - We assessed various causes of school drop out by clinic-based study. Results: - We have also recorded here similar findings. Poverty was leading cause of school drop out followed by other social causes and health issues. Conclusion: - The important social as well as medical causes of school drop out should be looked into and efforts should be made to mitigate these contributing factors, in order to foster education of children.

An observational study on menstrual hygiene practices among adolescents girls attending zilla parishad high school at Kommadi village in Visakhapatnam

Under RMNCH+A strategy, adolescent health program is relatively a new concept, particularly for female gender, and has been considered to be a continuum of health services up to adolescent age. The priority interventions among adolescent girls are, nutrition, Adolescent Friendly Health clinics (AFHCs), Counselling, Menstrual hygiene and preventive health checkups. Menstrual hygiene component has been taken for the present study among the adolescent girls in a Zilla Parishad High School aged 10 to 19 years. Rastriya Kishora Swastya Karyakram (RKSK) is broader one including both gender for distinct health services in India. : To study the association of various socio- economic and cultural practices influencing the usage of sanitary napkins by menstruating adolescent school girls. : Cross sectional study among menstruating adolescent girls in a Zilla Parishad High School at Kommadi village. 198 adolescent girls were randomly selected for study using semi structured questionnaire. Each menstruating girl is questioned categorically (yes/no) as per the structured questionnaire covering socio economic status, literacy of mother, awareness about ASHA etc. Appropriate statistical tests like frequencies, percentages and chi-square tests are applied to analyse and interpret the collected data.Socio-demographic factors of the target population in the community from where the adolescent girls attending zilla Parishad High school were subjected to study and found that 19(22%) adolescent girls having white ration card are using sanitary napkin. 46% of sanitary napkin users in our study are aware of using cloth available in the house during menstruation. 39 (52%) adolescent girls using sanitary napkin are aware of ASHA worker visiting their colony. One of the family members, either mother or elder sister being a member in Self Help Group in the colony is influencing the usage of sanitary napkin 46 (50.5%). Habit of Over-the-Counter drugs usage in the family has significantly (55%) influenced the adolescent school girls in using sanitary napkin. School drop-outs 51(62.9%) are also observed among sanitary napkin users during menstruation.: The usage of sanitary napkin replacing the traditional home-made cloth is highly essential for proper menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls attending the school regularly without drop out. The role of ASHA workers and other paramedical staff in the community cannot be undermined.

DGD-CNet: Denoising Gated Recurrent Unit with a Dropout-Based CSI Network for IRS-Aided Massive MIMO Systems.

For the deployment of Sixth Generation (6G) networks, integrating Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (Massive MIMO) systems with Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS) is highly recommended due to its significant benefits in reducing communication losses for Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) conditions. However, the use of passive IRS presents challenges in channel estimation, mainly due to the significant feedback overhead required in Frequency Division Duplex (FDD)-based Massive MIMO systems. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a novel Denoising Gated Recurrent Unit with a Dropout-based Channel state information Network (DGD-CNet). The proposed DGD-CNet model is specifically designed for FDD-based IRS-aided Massive MIMO systems, aiming to reduce the feedback overhead while improving the channel estimation accuracy. By leveraging the Dropout (DO) technique with the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), the DGD-CNet model enhances the channel estimation accuracy and effectively captures both spatial structures and time correlation in time-varying channels. The results show that the proposed DGD-CNet model outperformed existing models in the literature, achieving at least a 26% improvement in Normalized Mean Square Error (NMSE), a 2% increase in correlation coefficient, and a 4% in system accuracy under Low-Compression Ratio (Low-CR) in indoor situations. Additionally, the proposed model demonstrates effectiveness across different CRs and in outdoor scenarios.

Cornerstones and divergencies in the implementation and use of liver hypertrophy techniques: results from a nationwide survey for the set-up of the prospective registry.

The aim of this national survey on liver hypertrophy techniques was to track the trends of their use and implementation in Italy and to detect analogies and heterogeneities among centers. In December 2022, Italian centers with liver resection activity were specifically contacted and asked to fill an online questionnaire composed of 6 sections including a total of 51 questions. 46 Italian centers filled the questionnaire. The proportion of major/total number of liver resections was 27% and the use of hypertrophy techniques was required in 6,2% of cases. The most frequent reason of drop out was disease progression in 58.5% of cases. Most frequently used techniques were PVE and ALPPS with an increasing use of hepatic venous deprivation (HVD). Heterogeneous answers were provided regarding the cutoff values to indicate the need for hypertrophy techniques. Criteria to allocate a patient to different hypertrophy techniques are not standardized. The use of hypertrophy techniques is deep-rooted in Italy, documenting the established value of their role in improving resectability rate. While an evolution of techniques is detectable, still significant heterogeneity is perceived in terms of cutoff values, indications and managing protocols.

A Data Driven Model for Predicting the Academic Performance of Students Employing ANN-PSO Hybrid Approach

Predicting student performance is critically important to foster a positive and conductive learning environment and to maximize educational potential. However, student performance is a very challenging metric to forecast owing to the wide and diverse set of factors which may affect student performance. By developing an accurate data driven model, we can identify potential drop outs and take countermeasures to evade such scenarios. Additionally, different additional inputs can be tailor made to cater to the specific needs of the different categories of students. The aim however, is not to discriminate among students but rather come up with strategies to compensate for lacuna in the prevailing teaching methods. This paper presents a data driven approach to predict student academic performance based on the deep neural network model. Data optimization has been done employing the principal component analysis. The performance of the proposed system has been evaluated in terms of the prediction accuracy.

Analysis of Risk Factors and Predictors of Success in Controlling Drop Out Pulmonary Tuberculosis: An Observational Study in Batang Regency, Indonesia

Introduction: Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health problem in Batang Regency, Indonesia. The high drop out (DO) rate of treatment is one of the main obstacles in controlling TB. This study aims to identify risk factors and predictors of DO for pulmonary TB treatment in Batang Regency. Methods: An analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted in 2023 involving 150 pulmonary TB patients who were recorded as having DO in the 2021-2022 period. Primary data was collected through interviews and secondary data from medical records. Bivariate analysis using the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, and multivariate analysis using logistic regression were performed to identify risk factors and predictors of DO. Results: Bivariate analysis showed that young age (<25 years) (OR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.54-6.69), long distance of residence from health facilities (OR = 4.12; 95% CI: 1.98-8.57), and a history of adverse drug reactions (ESO) (OR = 5.63; 95% CI: 2.65-11.94) were significant risk factors for DO. Multivariate analysis confirmed that young age (aOR = 2.95; 95% CI: 1.35-6.43), long distance of residence (aOR = 3.88; 95% CI: 1.79-8.41), and history of ESO (aOR = 5.12; 95% CI: 2.38-11.01) were independent predictors of DO. Conclusion: Young age, long distance of residence from health facilities, and history of ESO are risk factors and independent predictors of DO for pulmonary TB treatment in Batang Regency. Interventions that target these factors, such as intensive education and counseling for young patients, increased access to health services, and optimal management of ESO, are needed to increase the success of TB control.

Sosialisasi Perguruan Tinggi berdasarkan Bakat dan Minat Calon Mahasiswa Se-Kabupaten Maros

The Community Service Activity aims to provide understanding to high school students in Maros District about the socialization in choosing a College to continue their studies, especially in the Department of Electrical Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Makassar, in accordance with the talents and interests of the students. The Community Service is conducted at SMA Negeri 2 Maros, SMA Negeri 1 Maros, and SMA Negeri 4 Maros, involving 100 (one hundred) students. Through the implementation of socialization, it is hoped to produce students who have a linear correlation between their interests and talents towards their chosen study programs, especially in the study programs available in the Department of Electrical Engineering Education at State Universitas Negeri Makassar, ensuring that students do not experience Drop Out (DO). Based on the results of the community service activities that have been carried out, it can be concluded that several problems are still encountered by prospective students and teachers in high schools in Maros District. Many prospective students have not yet determined their university and study program choices even though the time for new student registration is approaching. With the implementation of this community service activity, prospective new students are able to get to know the study programs better, especially those available in the Department of Electrical Engineering Education at Universitas Negeri Makassar

THE EFFECTS OF HYBRID FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION INTERVAL TRAINING ON AEROBIC FITNESS AND FATIGUE IN PEOPLE WITH ADVANCED MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

INTRODUCTION & AIMS Improving aerobic fitness in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can reduce fatigue, and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Aerobic training can be challenging due to paresis, access to suitable equipment and fatigue. The aim was to investigate whether functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling combined with arm crank interval exercise (hybrid FES interval training) is feasible for people with advanced MS, and its effects on aerobic fitness and fatigue. METHODS Hybrid FES interval training was performed 2 d/wk for 12 weeks. Each session consisted of 40 minutes of continuous FES cycling with arm crank intervals of 30 seconds work/30 seconds rest added concurrently for 20 minutes. The intensity target was a minimum of 60% of arm crank power and ‘hard’ measured by rate of perceived exertion (RPE) on a scale of 6-20. Feasibility was measured by attendance, compliance to intensity and time targets, adverse events, and drop outs. Aerobic fitness was assessed by an arm crank maximal test. Fatigue was measured via the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). RESULTS Seven participants (6 female; age 57.1±7.8y; Expanded Disability Status Scale 7.1±0.8) with advanced MS attended 80±10.4% of the scheduled sessions and there were no adverse events or drop outs. Average RPE at the end of each training session was 15±2, representing vigorous intensity exercise. Aerobic fitness did not change pre- to post-intervention [14.2±5.7 to 14.78±6.0 mL/kg/min (p=0.43)]. There was a trend towards a reduction in the MFIS score pre- to post-intervention [31.0±10.4 to 21.7±11.4 (p=0.10)]. CONCLUSION Hybrid FES interval training is feasible for people with advanced MS who need exercise equipment appropriate for their condition, and can represent vigorous intensity exercise. The positive findings support the need for future randomized control trials that can assess the aerobic fitness changes and associated health benefits of hybrid FES interval training.

Concomitant and Bismuth Quadruple Therapy for Helicobacter pylori Eradication in Southern Italy: Preliminary Data from a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Concomitant therapy (CT) and bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) are recommended in geographical areas with high clarithromycin resistance for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. We compared CT and BQT as the first lines of treatment in a randomized controlled trial. Consecutive patients with H. pylori diagnosed by concordance of both a urea breath test and histology were recruited. For BQT, patients received 3 PyleraTM capsules q.i.d.; for CT, 1000 mg of amoxicillin b.i.d, 500 mg of clarithromycin b.i.d and 500 mg of metronidazole b.i.d. As a proton pump inhibitor, 40 mg of pantoprazole b.i.d was administered. Both regimens lasted 10 days. In total, 46 patients received CT and 38 BQT. Both groups were comparable for age (p = 0.27) and sex (p = 0.36). We did not record any drop outs; therefore, the intention to treat and per protocol rates coincided. The most common symptoms were heartburn and post-prandial fullness, which were equally present in both groups. The success rate was 95.6% for CT and 100% for BQT (p = 0.56). Side effects were recorded in 23.9% and 31.6% of patients in the CT and BQT arms, respectively (p = 0.47). The most common ones were abdominal pain (8) and diarrhea (6). In conclusion, CT and BQT are equally effective in our area with high clarithromycin resistance, southern Italy, and showed comparable safety.

Bleeding for life: a perspective of menstruation among slum dwellers of a temple town in coastal Karnataka, India

IntroductionChallenges in the achievement of good menstrual hygiene management in resource poor settings have been well documented and are linked to deleterious effect on women's health. This study was an attempt to assess the vulnerability with regards to menstrual health among the migrant population residing in urban slums in Udupi taluk. MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 392 migrant women in reproductive age group using a predesigned 31- item questionnaire.The domains of knowledge, attitude and practice about menstrual hygiene were categorized into poor and adequate knowledge, positive and negative attitude, and poor and good practice by using median as a cut off. ResultsOut of the 392 study subjects who participated in the study 31%,27% and 41% of them had good knowledge, positive attitude and good practice regarding menstrual hygiene respectively. Good knowledge was significantly associated with better standard of living (p < 0.001, OR = 3.612, CI = 2.159–6.042). Attitude was significantly almost five times better in women with more than ten years of schooling as compared to illiterates and school drop outs (p < 0.001, OR = 4.655, CI = 2.360–9.179). With regards to standard of living, adherence to good menstrual hygiene practice was better in women belonging to middle as compared to those of low class. (p = 0.001, OR = 2.730, CI = 1.502–4.962). ConclusionThe findings show an overall poor knowledge, attitude and practice towards menstrual health. This displays an urgent need of conducting health promotional activities to impart appropriate knowledge regarding hygienic practices during menstrual periods and simultaneously address to the misconceptions linked with it.

Does ranibizumab biosimilars fare as well in macular neovascularisation?

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety profile of Ranibizumab Biosimilar in Macular Neovascularisation and compare outcomes with patent Ranibizumab.A retrospective analysis during the period 2017-2020 was conducted at a tertiary eye care centre in South Kerala on patients with wet AMD who had received Razumab, a biosimilar of Ranibizumab as a loading dose followed by PRN schedule. This was compared to a similar data obtained from patented Ranibizumab (Lucentis) during the same period. Endpoints analyzed included improvement in BCVA, proportion of patients with persistent IRF/SRF and complications at 1 year. Of 164 eyes analyzed 76 eyes received Razumab and 88 eyes received Lucentis with 32% and 50% males in each group. After the loading dose both drugs showed similar efficacy and the final vision (median logmar; 0.24 vs 0.17; p 0.189), presence of residual CME (31.6% vs 18.2%; p 0.469) and SRF (57.9% vs 61.9%; p 0.796) were similar in both groups at 12 months. The mean number of injections was 8 in the Razumab group comparable to Lucentis (6.4). Acceptability and less drop outs were seen in Razumab patients compared to Lucentis. Though some eyes developed mild uveitis (4.3%) with one of the initial batches of Razumab, it was not evidenced later. No other safety concerns or side effects were reported with the biosimilar.The Biosimilar Razumab is as effective as the patent molecule in reducing macular fluid and improving visual acuity in patients with macular neovascularization over 1 year on a PRN schedule. Being cheaper it is a safe alternative for patients who often need long term management.

The Effect Of Black Cumin Nanoemulgel (Nigella sativa) On Fibroblasts In Post-Tooth Extraction Wound Healing In Mice

Background: Tooth extraction is said to be successful when accompanied by a good wound healing process. Innovation for post-tooth extraction wound treatment is necessary. Black cumin has active ingredients that function as anti-inflammatories. The formulation used is nanoemulgel because it has the advantages of stability and good adhesion. Objective: To evaluate the effect of black cumin nanoemulgel on the number of fibroblasts in the wound healing process after tooth extraction in rats. Methods: This study was conducted using post-test only control group design with a total sample of 22 samples divided into 4 groups with each group totaling 5 samples and 2 samples as a drop out. The application is carried out as much as 3 times a day for 5 days. Tissue collection from experimental animals was carried out and then histology preparations were made. Calculations of fibroblast were carried out using hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining and carried out in the apical 1/3 of the 3 visual fields with a V pattern. Statistical tests used are the One-Way Anova test and the Post Hoc LSD test. Results: There was significant difference in the number of fibroblasts between groups (p = 0.000). Black cumin nanoemulgel concentration of 15% showed highest number of fibroblasts. Conclusion: Nanoemulgel black cumin (Nigella sativa) 15% can increase the number of fibroblasts in wound healing post tooth extraction in rats. Nanoemulgel black cumin (Nigella sativa) 15% have the potential to accelerate wound healing process by increasing the number of fibroblasts.

Factors Related to the Incident of Early Marriage Among Adolescent Women in Mandailing Natal District Year 2022

Early marriages are marriages carried out by women under the age of 20 years. In North Sumatra, the most early marriages are in Mandailing Natal Regency at 22.70 percent, followed by North Labuhan Batu 21.73 percent and Deli Serdang and Langkat 20.27 percent. The participation of school age children who are not in school aged 16-18 years, Mandailing Natal is in fourth place in North Sumatra with a proportion of 27.3 percent, which is in line with the percentage of female reproductive couples aged under 19 years, where Mandailing Natal is 18 .95 percent due to the trend of early marriage due to school dropout (DO). The aim of this research is to analyze the factors that influence the incidence of early marriage in Mandailing Natal Regency in 2022. The design of this research is cross sectional with a sample size of 95 people consisting of 44 married early and 51 not married early. Data processing was carried out using univariate and bivariate analysis using the chi square test. Of the five significant variables found that influence the incidence of early marriage, namely level of knowledge (p=0.024), attitude (p=0.030), belief (p=0.036), parenting style (p=0.001), role of peers (p=0.028). It is hoped that there is a need to provide education to teenagers regarding the impact of early marriage on reproductive health and education to parents to provide an approach to children from an early age and provide an understanding of marriage, the problems that will arise when married and change the habit that states that those married after 20 years are considered spinsters.

Rural adolescents schooling, skills learning-economic development for their own and community health and development

Background: Adolescents should be studying, have socio-cultural development, economic sufficiency is essential. But in remote, rural regions, there are many school drop-outs because of various reasons with possibilities of sequalae which affect health, development and wellbeing. Methods: After Institute’s Ethics Committees’ approval descriptive study was conducted in 100 villages to collect information from adolescents/young, 14-25, years neither studying nor working, as per objectives, 1046 study subjects. divided into, 14-17 years, 18-21 years, and 22-25 years. Results: Of 1046 study subjects, 717 (68.54%) were girls/ women 29.72% of 14-17 years, 32.35% of 18-21 years 37.93% of 22-25 years, 45 (6.27%) illiterates, 28.17% dropped at primary school. Reasons for dropouts included care of siblings, work in farms, household work. Total 693 of 1046 wanted to learn stitching. The 329 (31.46) boys/men, 30.30% 14-17 years old, 32.21%, 18-21 years, 37.99% 22-25 years 21 (6.38%) males were illiterate, 37.38% dropouts at primary level due to poverty, lack of interest, failure in examinations. Reasons for dropouts included work in farms; work at other places, household work. When asked about desires for skills learning, 1st choice of most of girls/women boys/ men was stitching second choice beauty parlour. Conclusions: Some adolescents/young were illiterate, many school dropout at primary level, more females married. Lack of support from family, poverty, care of sibling, infrastructure, lack of interest in education, repeated failure in exams, were reasons for drop outs. Most were interested in tailor’s job/beautician. They lacked vision of many possibilities.

Post-pandemic Behavioral Trends of School Dropouts

The widespread of Covid-19 had caused a massive disruption towards education sector. The instant transition and challenges faced by students during the pandemic led to changes in their behaviour and an increment in drop out. This study aims to identify post-pandemic behavioural trends among secondary school students. A qualitative case study utilising interview involving counsellors, at-risk students from 5 schools and documents on dropout-related obtained from systematic literature review were employed. This study will assist school and educators in determining the crucial elements contributing to student dropout so that they can better serve at-risk students by recognising the behavioural trends.

Venetoclax and Azacytidine Treatment for High Risk Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia As a Bridge Therapy to Transplant. a GESMD Study

Introduction Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) is the only potentially curative treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Most common approach to bridge higher-risk MDS to alloHCT is to reduce tumor burden before alloHCT with azacytidine (AZA). Currently with this strategy less than 50% of patients achieve overall response rate (ORR) and less than 20% complete response (CR). Moreover, it is associated with a considerable rate of drop outs (approximately 50%) due to progression disease and mortality prior to alloHCT. Therefore, we need more effective treatments with faster and higher responses to facilitate more patients to undergo alloHCT. Venetoclax with AZA (VEN/AZA) is being investigated mostly in unfit MDS patients, it has shown higher ORR and early responses. Recently, a study suggested promising activity in 13 high-risk MDS patients who received VEN/AZA and proceeded to alloHCT (Komrokji et al, BCJ, 2022). The objective of our study is to analyze the feasibility, toxicity, and efficacy of VEN/AZA treatment in MDS and CMML patients who are intended to undergo alloHCT. Methods This is a retrospective multicenter study that includes high-risk MDS and CMML patients treated with VEN/AZA who are intended to undergo alloHCT. The response rate was assessed according to the IWG 2006, IWG 2023, ELN 2022. Savona criteria were used in CMML. Results A total of 23 patients were included, with a median age of 61 years (41-74), including 19 MDS and 4 CMML patients. Eight patients received VEN/AZA in a relapsed/refractory (R/R) setting, while 15 in first line (1L). Most patients received a 14-day scheme of VEN (n=16). The administration of VEN/AZA and other characteristics are described in Table 1. Grade 3/4 cytopenias were frequent (83% neutropenia 65% thrombocytopenia, 59% anemia), 17% experienced febrile neutropenia and 17% required hospitalization. G-CSF was used in 44% of patients, antifungal prophylaxis in 43%, and cycle delays due to cytopenias happened in half of them (47%). Thirty-day mortality was 0%, and one patient (4%) died within the first 60 days due to disease progression. The response rate following IWG 2023 criteria was: 7 CR (30%), 6 CR with limited count recovery (CR L, 26%), 4 CR with partial hematologic recovery (CRh, 17%), 3 partial remissions (PR, 13%), 1 hematologic improvement (HI, 4%), and 2 no response (9%). The ORR was 91.3% (21/23), and the rate of composite complete responses (CRc) including CR, CR L and CRh was 73.9% (17/23) . These responses occurred rapidly, all patients achieved the first response in 1 cycle and the median to best response was 1 cycle (range 1-3). In R/R patients the ORR was 87% and the CRc was 62%. Using the ELN 2022 versus IWG 2023 response criteria results in similar CRc, higher rate of CR (34% vs 22%) and lower ORR (86 vs 91%). The median follow-up since the start of treatment was 13.6 months (95% CI: 5.2-21). The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 63% (95% CI ± 24%). Currently, there are 2 patients awaiting alloHCT. Among the 21 evaluable patients, 19 underwent alloHCT, resulting in a alloHCT rate of 91%. The 2 patients who were not transplanted included one CMML patient with disease progression prior alloHCT and one refractory MDS. AlloHCT was performed with a median of 3 prior cycles (range: 1-9), and the median time from the start of VEN/AZA to transplantation was 4 months (range: 2.5-10). One patient who did not respond to VEN/AZA was treated with chemotherapy prior alloHCT achieving CR. Two patients progressed before alloHCT, one achieved CR after chemotherapy and the other one has received a sequential alloSCT. The two-year post-transplant OS was 67% (95% CI ± 28%) (Figure 1). Four patients relapsed after alloHCT, resulting in a two-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) of 37% (95% CI ± 28%). One of these patients was treated with VEN/AZA post-transplant and he is currently in CR for 1.5 years. 2-year transplant-related mortality was 6% (95% CI ± 12%). Conclusion Treatment with VEN/AZA as a bridge to alloHCT in MDS and CMML patients is feasible with a high rate of patients undergoing alloHCT. It provides high and quick responses, even in R/R patients, with low treatment-related toxicity. Funding This study was supported by grants from the Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), with grant numbers PI19/01476 and PI22/01660, co-financed by the European Union. Additional support was provided by Emili-Letang (HCPB).

Influence of demographic factors on the occurrence of motion artefacts in HR-pQCT

SummaryThe study shows a high incidence of motion artefacts in a central European population and a significant increase of those artefacts with higher age. These findings may impact on the design and conduct of future in vivo HR-pQCT studies or at least help to estimate the potential number of drop outs due to unusable image quality.PurposeMotion artefacts in high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) are challenging, as they introduce error into the resulting measurement data. The aim of this study was to assess the general occurrence of motion artefacts in healthy distal radius and to evaluate the influence of demographic factors.MethodsThe retrospective study is based on 525 distal radius second-generation HR-pQCT scans of 95 patients. All stacks were evaluated by two experienced observers and graded according to the visual grading scale recommended by the manufacturer, ranging from grade 1 (no visible motion artefacts) to grade 5 (severe motion artefacts). Correlations between demographic factors and image quality were evaluated using a linear mixed effects model analysis.ResultsThe average visual grading was 2.7 (SD ± 0.7). Age and severity of motion artefacts significantly correlated (p = 0.026). Patients aged 65 years or above had an average image quality between grades 1 and 3 in 72.7% of cases, while patients younger than 65 had an average image quality between grades 1 and 3 in 91.9% of cases. Gender, smoking behaviour, and handedness had no significant influence on motion artefacts.ConclusionThis study showed a high incidence of motion artefacts in a representative central European population, but also a significant increase of motion artefacts with higher age. This could impact further study designs by planning for a sufficiently large and if possible a more selective study population to gain a representative amount of high-quality image data.

Comparative Efficacy of Phonophoresis with Naproxen and Ultrasound Therapy on Pain and Grip Strength in Lateral Epicondylitis

Purpose: Lateral epicondylitis, also referred to as "tennis elbow," is a painful condition resulting from the inflammation of tendons situated along the exterior of the elbow, which serve to connect the muscles of the forearm. The primary aim of this study was to assess and compare the therapeutic effects of phonophoresis with naproxen versus ultrasound therapy in managing pain levels and enhancing grip strength in individuals suffering from lateral epicondylitis&#x0D; Methodology: This quasi-experimental study comprised a sample size of 42 participants, selected through convenient sampling methods over duration of 8 months. The inclusion criteria stipulated that individuals of both genders, aged between 31 and 50 years, experiencing chronic pain in the elbow and forearm for a period exceeding 3 months, and exhibiting a positive response to the Mill's test, were eligible for participation. The participants were divided into two groups, each consisting of 21 subjects. Out of the 42 patients, 21 were assigned to Group 1, which received baseline therapy along with Phonophoresis utilizing naproxen, while the remaining 21 were allocated to Group 2, which received baseline therapy in conjunction with therapeutic ultrasound. Both groups had received baseline treatment of stretching and strengthening exercises. Four sessions of interventions were given per week, for four weeks. Intensity of pain was assessed by Visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after the treatment of 4 week and grip strength was measured by handheld dynamometer. There were two drop outs in group 1 and three in group 2. The collected data was analyzed and interpreted by using SPSS software of version 24.0&#x0D; Findings: Among the 42 participants (with 21 in each group), 67% of patients in Group 1 were male, while 33% were female. In Group 2, 42.9% were male, and 57.1% were female. For Group 1, the median grip strength value before treatment was 60.00, which significantly decreased to 20.00 after treatment. Similarly, in Group 2, the median grip strength value before treatment was 70.00, and it also decreased significantly to 20.00 after treatment. The pre-treatment mean grip strength in Group 1 was 36.46±8.82, which increased to 50.59±11.33 after 4 weeks of treatment. In Group 2, the pre-treatment mean grip strength was 31.12±4.87, and it increased to 52.02±9.70 after treatment. A statistically significant difference was observed in both groups when comparing pre- and post-treatment grip strength values (p&lt;0.001). However, the between-group analysis comparing Group 1 and Group 2 showed no statistically significant difference (p&gt;0.05)..&#x0D; Recommendations: Based on the study's findings, both phonophoresis with naproxen and therapeutic ultrasound are effective in managing pain and improving grip strength for lateral epicondylitis patients. Clinicians should consider incorporating these treatments into their therapeutic regimens for such patients. Future research should consider larger sample sizes and explore other therapeutic modalities to ascertain the most effective treatment option. Additionally, understanding the long-term effects and sustainability of the noted improvements would benefit clinical practice and enhance patient care outcomes.

An ACT self-help intervention for adults with a visible difference in appearance: A pilot feasibility and acceptability randomized controlled study

Individuals living with a visible difference in appearance experience high levels of social anxiety, yet self-help interventions for this heterogeneous population are not available. We conducted a pilot trial of a novel Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based self-help intervention.Individuals with anxiety about having a visible difference in appearance (n = 284) were randomized to an ACT-based four-week intervention (n = 145) or a waitlist control condition (n = 139). We collected pre and follow-up (four-weeks after the completion of the intervention) data. Primary outcomes included social anxiety and impairments in functioning. Psychological flexibility (PF) was also examined. ANCOVAs, controlling for pre scores, indicated significant improvements in functioning by the intervention group. No significant differences were observed for anxiety and PF between conditions at follow-up. Drop out was 68% for the intervention and 41% for the control group, with no differences in the groups in age, origin, gender, or type of visible difference. Participants in the intervention group found the intervention almost equally, useful (77%) and helpful (73%). An ACT-based self-help intervention can alleviate distress related to visible difference in appearance. More sophisticated designs are needed now, to collect idiographic and longitudinal data and examine personalized changes across time in this population.

Effectiveness of Mhealth on Immunization Target Tracking Which Affects Drop Out and Left Out Numbers in Rural and Urban Areas at The Public Health Center Level, Indonesia

Background: The M-KIA (Mobile-Tracking Immunization Target) has features aimed at reducing the number of DO (Drop Out) and LO (Left Out) children. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of using the M-KIA application in urban and rural areas. Method: We conducted a quasi-experiment with control group non-equivalent. The population were all parents with children aged 0-36 months who are DO or LO in the working area of the Bantaeng Public Health Center (PHC), while the number of samples is 226 people. The sampling technique was multistage random sampling. Data were analyzed by the Fisher exact test using STATA. Results: There is a significant relationship between the use of M-KIA on DO targets in rural areas (p = 0.000&lt;0.05) and in urban areas (p = 0.002&lt;0.05). On the LO target, the use of M-KIA showed a significant relationship in rural areas (p = 0.015 &lt;0.05) while in urban areas the data was not significant (p = 0.612 &lt;0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that the use of mhealth can reduce the number of DO and LO. Further research is recommended to be conducted to assess the level of usability to assess retention of use with users and admins.