12 research outputs found
Somatosensory neurons integrate the geometry of skin deformation and mechanotransduction channels to shape touch sensing.
No full textTouch sensation hinges on force transfer across the skin and activation of mechanosensitive ion channels along the somatosensory neurons that invade the skin. This skin-nerve sensory system demands a quantitative model that spans the application of mechanical loads to channel activation. Unlike prior models of the dynamic responses of touch receptor neurons in Caenorhabditis elegans (Eastwood et al., 2015), which substituted a single effective channel for the ensemble along the TRNs, this study integrates body mechanics and the spatial recruitment of the various channels. We demonstrate that this model captures mechanical properties of the worm's body and accurately reproduces neural responses to simple stimuli. It also captures responses to complex stimuli featuring non-trivial spatial patterns, like extended or multiple contacts that could not be addressed otherwise. We illustrate the importance of these effects with new experiments revealing that skin-neuron composites respond to pre-indentation with increased currents rather than adapting to persistent stimulation
Clinicopathological Significance of Autophagy-related Proteins and its Association with Genetic Alterations in Gliomas
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Progressive recruitment of distal MEC-4 channels determines touch response strength in C. elegans
No full textInternational audienc
Tankandiraŋ Maasibo Duwaa: Prayers against Misfortune
No full textThe entire manuscript is available for download as a PDF file(s). Higher-resolution images may be available upon request. For technical assistance, please contact [email protected]. Fieldwork Team: Dr. Fallou Ngom (Pricipal Investigator; Director, African Studies Center), Ablaye Diakité (Local Project Manager), Mr. Ibrahima Yaffa (General Field Facilitator), and Ibrahima Ngom (photographer). Technical Team: Professor Fallou Ngom (Principal Investigator; Project Director and former Director of the African Studies Center at Boston University)), and Eleni Castro (Technical Lead, BU Libraries). This collection of Mandinka Ajami materials is copied as part of the African Studies Center’s African Ajami Library. This is a joint project between BU and the West African Research Center (WARC), funded by the British Library/Arcadia Endangered Archives Programme. Access Condition and Copyright: These materials are subject to copyright and are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are fully cited using the information below. For use, distribution or reproduction beyond these terms, contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]). Citation: Materials in this web edition should be cited as: Ngom, Fallou, Castro, Eleni, & Diakité, Ablaye. (2018). African Ajami Library: EAP 1042. Digital Preservation of Mandinka Ajami Materials of Casamance, Senegal. Boston: Boston University Libraries: http://hdl.handle.net/2144/27112. For Inquiries: please contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]). For technical assistance, please contact [email protected] / Custodial history: The owner inherited it from his father after his death.The manuscript is an original copy written in classical Arabic dealing with tawḥīd (oneness of God). It includes prayers to thwart disaster and misfortune. The manuscript was written by Malick Samate, the owner’s grandfather
Somatosensory neurons integrate the geometry of skin deformation and mechanotransduction channels to shape touch sensing.
No full textThe Plant-Derived Alkylamide, Hydroxy-Alpha-Sanshool, Induces Analgesia through Inhibition of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels
No full textData for: Assessment of quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients
No full textBackground: A cancer patient's quality of life (QoL) is the perception of their physical, functional, psychological, and social well-being as well as their mental and emotional state. QoL is one of the most important factors to consider when a person is being treated for cancer and during follow-up. The present study aimed to understand the status of QoL of cancer patients and determine the factors affecting it.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 cancer patients attending the oncology unit of a medical college, within a 4-month consecutive time period in 2022. Data were collected by using the Bengali version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire.
Results: The present study reported a high number of female cancer patients (67.6%). Breast cancer was more common among females (31.43%) while lung and upper respiratory tract cancer was among males (19.05). Most of the patients in the present study were diagnosed with cancer in the past year (86.19%). The functional scales' overall mean scores varied from 54.92 for physical functioning to 38.89 for social functioning. The highest symptom scale score was for financial issues (63.02), while the lowest was for diarrhea (33.01). The overall QoL of cancer patients in the present study was 47.98 which was 45.71 for males and 49.10 for females respectively.
Conclusion: The overall QoL was poor in cancer patients in the present study compared to the developed countries. There was a low score for QoL for social and emotional function. Financial difficulty was the primary reason behind low QoL in the symptom scale. If the government supports cancer patients by providing subsidies for treatment and health insurance policies, cancer patients will benefit and QoL will improve.The identifying information in the dataset is limited to three variables and other variables are removed (religion, district, marital status, education, employment, economic status, duration of hospitalization [as this in combination with survey date can be an identifier], cancer type, stage, and treatment). These modifications were required for dataset approval.
The collected data were entered into an Excel worksheet, exported to SPSS v 21, and analyzed. The descriptive statistics were used to describe the mean, the standard deviation (SD), and the cancer type, stage, and treatment distribution.The study proposal and consent form were approved by the Ethics Committee. The present study was conducted in the Oncology Unit of a medical college within a 4-month consecutive time period in 2022. The expected number of new cancer patients visiting the department was 400 during the study period. We chose p = 0.50, q = 0.50, Z = 1.96, and E = 0.04 for N = 400, and the minimum sample size was calculated to be n = 196. For the purpose of this study, permission was sought from European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) to use the Bengali version of their EORTC QLQ C30 questionnaire. EORTC provided the research tool and scoring manuals for the study. The 30-item questionnaire covers 15 domains which consist of five functioning scales (physical functioning, social functioning, role functioning, emotional functioning, and cognitive functioning) and nine symptom scales (fatigue, pain, nausea/vomiting, dyspnea, sleep disturbances, appetite loss, diarrhea, constipation, and financial difficulties) and one global health status/ quality of life scale.(Aaronson et al., 1993) Strong scores on the functioning and global health status/QoL scales on the 100-point meter suggest high QoL, whereas high scores on the symptom scales indicate a high symptom burden.(Fayers PM et al., 2001)
Data were collected 2 days each week. All adult patients who came to the outpatient clinic and all patients newly admitted to the inpatient clinic on those days were administered the questionnaire in person by the first author. The study objective was explained to the patients and verbal consent was obtained. Patients who were interviewed for this study previously, those who could not provide consent (unconscious), patients with suspected cancer but without a confirmed report, and patients less than 18 years of age were excluded. Socio-demographic characteristics such as age at treatment, gender, marital status, religion, economic status, and education were obtained from the patients. The information on clinical status such as the site of the primary tumor, stage of the tumor, and type of treatment was recorded from the clinical documentation
Characterising acute and chronic care needs: insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
No full textChronic care manages long-term, progressive conditions, while acute care addresses short-term conditions. Chronic conditions increasingly strain health systems, which are often unprepared for these demands. This study examines the burden of conditions requiring acute versus chronic care, including sequelae. Conditions and sequelae from the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2019 were classified into acute or chronic care categories. Data were analysed by age, sex, and socio-demographic index, presenting total numbers and contributions to burden metrics such as Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), Years Lived with Disability (YLD), and Years of Life Lost (YLL). Approximately 68% of DALYs were attributed to chronic care, while 27% were due to acute care. Chronic care needs increased with age, representing 86% of YLDs and 71% of YLLs, and accounting for 93% of YLDs from sequelae. These findings highlight that chronic care needs far exceed acute care needs globally, necessitating health systems to adapt accordingly.
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