A cross-sectional study of knowledge, taboos, and attitudes towards menstruation.

BACKGROUND: The level of knowledge and comprehension surrounding puberty and menstruation. It can substantially impact women's overall health. This cross-sectional study is conducted to get insights about menstrual knowledge, attitudes and taboos among college and university female students in Haryana. METHODS: A survey was conducted to investigate the experiences of menstruation among female students from government universities and colleges. Respondents were categorized on the basis of age, education qualification, and background setting. Random sampling was used to ensure participation from six administrative zones. The chi-square test was used to determine statistical significance, and the analysis was built around the p-value. RESULTS: The data reveals that there is no significant association between the age of the participants and their awareness of menstruation, scientific knowledge related to menstruation, or their personal relationships with mother, father, or family members. Similarly, there is no significant association between the participants' scientific knowledge and their level of education. However, there is a significant association between participants' personal relationships and level of education (p = .025). Additionally, a significant association was observed between taboos and level of education (p = .025). CONCLUSION: Age, residential area, and educational levels do not seem to significantly impact participants' awareness and knowledge. This study highlights the influence of personal equations and education on attitudes and beliefs surrounding menstruation. The significant association between personal relationships and education underscores the importance of a supportive family. The persistence of menstrual taboos among undergraduates suggests that there is still a need for comprehensive and inclusive menstrual health education. This study also addressed the sustainable developmental goals for good health and well-being. Future studies should focus on exploring cultural factors such as religious beliefs and cultural norms in more detail to develop interventions that may help improve menstrual health outcomes among college and university students.

A magnetically controlled microfluidic device for concentration dependent in vitro testing of anticancer drug.

Compartmentalizing magnetically controlled drug molecules is critical in several bioanalytical trials and tests, such as drug screening, digital PCR, magnetic hyperthermia, and controlled magnetic drug targeting (MDT). However, several studies have focused on diluting the nonmagnetic drug using various passive devices based on traditional microfabrication and 3D printing techniques, leading to the requirement of sterilized cleanroom facilities and expensive equipment, respectively. This work develops a strategically designed and straightforward lithography-free process to fabricate a magnetic microfluidic device using a multilayered PMMA substrate for concentration-dependent compartmentalization of a magnetically controlled anticancer drug. The device contains an array of outlet chamber wells connected to five primary separation microfluidic channels for collecting different drug concentrations. The microfluidic design geometry, magnet configuration, and fluid flow rate are optimized using FEM (Finite Element Method) simulations to attain a systematic concentration gradient region within the microfluidic channel. A stair-step-like patterned magnet creates an attenuating magnetic force between 0.01-0.24 pN on magnetic nanoparticles, capable of generating the concentration gradient for the clinically acceptable flow range of Q = 0.6-1.1 µL min-1. The chamber well of the device is designed to adapt different cell cultures and simultaneously expose five different concentrations by introducing a predefined concentration from the inlet. As a result, this innovative design provides a predictable concentration control in each well through a single injection port to minimize drug loading errors. The concentration gradient generation of the drug and exposure to cell culture chambers are controlled using the magnetic and drag forces capable of running a time-varying dose screening experiment. The concentration range of the compartmentalized drug sample in the device is determined as 10-480 µg mL-1 using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) measurement and fluorescence intensity. The cytotoxicity test of MCF7 and NIH3T3 cells using the device was consistent with the results obtained with the manual dilution method, resulting in the reusability of the device.

Deterministic domain wall rotation in a strain mediated FeGaB/PMN-PT asymmetrical ring structure for manipulating trapped magnetic nanoparticles in a fluidic environment.

The manipulation of domain walls (DWs) in strain-mediated magnetoelectric (ME) heterostructures has attracted much attention recently, with potential applications in precise and location-specific manipulation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs). However, the manipulation ability in these structures is restricted to magnetostrictive circular ring structures only, where the required onion state is metastable, less thermally stable, and cannot be obtained easily. This work investigates the highly shape anisotropic FeGaB magnetostrictive elliptical ring structures of different aspect ratios and trackwidths on the PMN-PT piezoelectric substrate to manipulate fluid-borne MNPs using active control of DWs. The proposed model utilizes the attribute that the required onion state in a magnetostrictive elliptical ring is thermally stable and easily obtained compared to magnetostrictive circular ring structures. By varying the trackwidth of elliptical rings, nucleated DWs are rotated at different angles to capture and transport fluid-borne MNPs. Up to a critical trackwidth, DW rotation is predicted by dominant stress anisotropy energy that leads the rotation of DWs and attached MNPs toward the dominant tensile strain direction of PMN-PT with reversibility. Increasing the trackwidth beyond the critical trackwidth caused a complete 90° rotation of DWs and attached MNPs without reversibility and is given by dominant shape anisotropy energy. The fundamental relationship of capture probability with the size and velocity of injected MNPs is also demonstrated. The nucleation and rotation of DWs are predicated using the coupled elastodynamic and electrostatic Finite Difference Method (FDM) micromagnetic model. Dynamics of MNP capture and rotation are envisaged using an analytical model.

Bandgap Modulation of Glancing Angle Deposition Aided Ag Nanoparticles Covered TiO2 Thin Film by High Temperature Annealing.

Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) technique has been used to fabricate the Ag nanoparticles (NPs) over TiO2 thin film (TF) on the n-Si substrate. The deposited Ag NPs are in the size of 3-5 nm. Open-air annealing has been done at 500 °C and 600 °C for the n-Si/TiO2 TF/Ag NP samples. High Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD) peaks were identified to calculate the crystalline size of the NPs and rutile phase of the annealed sample were exhibited. Morphological analysis has been done for the sample using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The enhancement of plasmonic absorption and modulation in the bandgap for the annealed Ag NPs surrounded TiO2 TF has been verified by UV-Vis Spectroscopy and the bandgap has been calculated using Tauc plot. An overall 2.5 fold and 3 fold enhancement has been observed in the UV region and visible region for n-Si/TiO2 TF/Ag NP annealed at 500 °C and 600 °C samples as compared to the n-Si/TiO2 TF/Ag NP as-deposited samples. The modulation of bandgap due to the sub-band transition and Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) effect of Ag NPs and relevant sub-band transition due to change in annealing temperature has been reported.

Graphene-based metasurface for a tunable broadband terahertz cross-polarization converter over a wide angle of incidence.

In this paper, using a graphene-based metasurface, we demonstrate a unique design to develop a highly efficient, broadband, mid-infrared cross-polarization converter. The proposed graphene-based metasurface structure comprises periodical ϕ-shaped graphene on the top surface of a noble-metal-backed dielectric silicon dioxide (SiO2). The reported structure converts the incident linearly polarized wave into cross-polarized components with a peak polarization conversion ratio of more than 0.9 over a large band. Furthermore, the metasurface structure exhibits the full width at half-maximum bandwidth of 41.98% with respect to its center frequency of 5.98 THz. The physical insights behind electromagnetic polarization conversion are supported by field distributions and retrieved electromagnetic parameters. The structure works as a broadband cross-polarization converter up to 40° incident angle for both TE and TM polarizations. In addition, the structure is found to be as thin as ∼λ/6 with respect to lowermost frequency of the polarization conversion. The period of the unit cell is ∼λ/24 to support the fact that the structure can be treated as a metasurface.

Bicentric bipolar hip prosthesis: A radiological study of movement at the interprosthetic joint.

BACKGROUND: The bipolar hip prostheses after some time functions as a unipolar device. There is a need to change the design of bipolar hip prostheses to make it function as a bipolar device over a prolonged period of time. A bicentric bipolar hip prosthesis was used as an implant for various conditions of the hip. We evaluated the movement of this newly developed prosthesis at the interprosthetic joint radiologically at periodic intervals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty two cases were operarted with the Bicentric bipolar prosthesis for indications like fracture neck of femur and various other diseases of the hip and were followed up with serial radiographs at periodic intervals to evaluate, what fraction of the total abduction at the hip was occurring at the interprosthetic joint. RESULTS: In cases of intracapsular fracture neck of femur, the percentage of total abduction occurring at the interprosthetic joint at 3 months follow-up was 33.74% (mean value of all the patients), which fell to 25.66% at 1.5 years. In indications for bipolar hemireplacement other than fracture neck of femur, the percentage of total abduction occurring at the interprosthetic joint at 3 months follow-up was 71.71% (mean value) and at 1.5 years it was 67.52%. CONCLUSION: This study shows the relative preservation of inner bearing movement in the bipolar hip prosthesis with time probably due its refined design. Further refinements are needed to make the prosthesis work better in patients of intracapsular fracture neck femur.