Abstract: Background: This study replicates a previous postal survey of general practitioners (GPs) to explore whether attitudes to opioid prescribing have changed at a time when the number of opioid prescriptions issued in primary care has increased. Methods: With permission, a 57-item survey instrument previously utilised with GPs in the South-west of England was circulated to 214 GPs in ci…
Abstract: Patient experience is acknowledged as a key quality metric of healthcare quality and can be used to identify problems with healthcare delivery, to drive quality improvements and to inform commissioning of services that promote patient choice. In this article, the contribution of qualitative research studies to inform the redesign and patient-focussed commissioning of services is con…
Abstract: Background: Previous studies indicated that patients from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups tend to receive less analgesics compared to Caucasian (White) patients after similar surgical procedures. Most such data originated from North America and suggested that health-care professionals may perceive the expression of excessive pain by BAME patient groups as an exaggerate…
Summary points: 1. This article introduces a rationale for a solution-focused approach to a community-based pain management programme (PMP), describing delivery and preliminary outcome data. 2. It suggests PMPs can be feasibly run in the community without necessity for hospital care setting. 3. A community setting is also advantageous in that it allows maintenance of social networks and clo…
Abstract: Accumulating evidence suggests that the experience of injustice in patients with chronic pain is associated with poorer pain-related outcomes. Despite this evidence, a theoretical framework to understand this relationship is presently lacking. This review is the first to propose that the psychological flexibility model underlying Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may provide a …
Abstract: The vast majority of cancer patients will experience pain during the course of their illness. Thankfully, in most instances, the consistent application of analgesic guidelines, tailored to the unique needs of each individual patient, will deliver a satisfactory outcome. These guidelines recommend the skilled use of analgesic medications, often in conjunction with a range of adjuvant …
Abstract: Objective: Many people are convinced that lunar phases influence their lives – despite the fact that a lot of studies have shown that this belief is wrong. In this article, we investigate the effect of lunar phases on acute post-surgical pain and on treatment-related side effects. We hypothesize that there is no influence. Methods: The data for the study were collected in 2010 and…
Abstract: Chronic pain is a long-term condition, which has a major impact on patients, carers and the health service. Despite the Chief Medical Officer setting chronic pain and its management as a national priority in 2008, the utilisation of health services by patients with long-term conditions is increasing, people with pain-related problems are not seen early enough and pain-related attend…
Abstract: There is good evidence to suggest that a proactive stratified approach to management of spinal pain, taking into account psychosocial as well as biological factors, can realise significant savings for healthcare systems and perhaps more importantly, health benefits for society at large. This audit cycle report captures data on quality of care and patient flows before and after the ma…
Abstract: Background: In 2011, the Sheffield Primary Care Trust piloted a Health Trainer (HT) programme targeted specifically to people with chronic pain. The programme aimed to determine whether patients presenting to primary care with chronic pain would benefit from self-management support, thereby reducing the burden on primary care and secondary care services. Methods: We conducted a form…
Summary points 1. An individual’s response to opioids is influenced by a complex combination of genetic, molecular and phenotypic factors. 2. Intra- and inter-individual variations in response to mu opioids have led to the suggestion that muopioid receptor subtypes exist. 3. Scientists have now proven that mu-opioid receptor subtypes exist and that they occur through a mechanism promoting…
Abstract: Background: Temporary sympathectomy by injection of bupivacaine at the site of the left stellate ganglion is used in the management of refractory angina at several UK centres. Although patients frequently report significant reduction in symptoms, efficacy has not been established by double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial (RCT). Objective: To investigate the efficacy of th…
Abstract: Objectives: Evidence suggests that while disabling back pain (BP), and rheumatic diseases associated with pain, continues to increase with age, the prevalence of non-disabling BP reaches a plateau, or even decreases, in the oldest old. This study aimed to determine whether this age-related pattern of non disabling BP is a function of increasing cognitive impairment. Methods: Cross-s…
Moulds are filamentous fungi which induce alteration on food and feed. The early detection of alteration fungal microbiota is essential for effective control strategies. In this study, we have investigated the moulds diversity of grape berry during bunch closure stage. Fungal strains were isolated from two indigenous grape varieties Cadarc
Abstract: Introduction: Biobank-type studies are typically large but have very low participation rates. It has been suggested that these studies may provide biased estimates of prevalence but are likely to provide valid estimates of association. We test these hypotheses using data collected on pain in a large Biobank study in the United Kingdom. Methods: UK Biobank recruited 503,325 persons a…
Abstract: Pain and sleep share a bidirectional relationship, with each influencing the other. Several excellent reviews have explored this relationship. In this article, we revisit the evidence and explore existing research on this complex inter-relationship. The primary focus of the article is on the pharmacological treatment of chronic non-malignant pain and the main purpose is to review the…
Abstract Background: Accurate assessment of pain is associated with improved pain management, which can lead to better patient outcomes. It has been recommended that all patients have their pain assessed and the scores documented as the ‘fifth vital sign’. Method: All inpatients in the medical and surgical wards in our hospital were asked directly to score their pain according to the h…
The aim of this paper is to present the unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer flow and heat transfer of a fluid over a stretching sheet in the presence of viscous dissipation and heat source. Utilizing a similarity variable, the governing nonlinear partial differential equations are first transformed into ordinary differential equations before they are solved numerically by applying…
Abstract Chronic pain is common and complex and has a large impact on individuals and society. Good epidemiological pain data provide key information on the use of resources (both in general practice and in specialist clinics), insight into factors that lead to or favour chronicity and the design of interventions aimed at reducing or preventing the effects of chronic pain. This review aims …
Abstract: Adequate pain control is still a significant challenge and largely unmet medical need in the 21st century. With many small molecules failing to reach required levels of potency and selectivity, drug discovery is once again turning to nature to replenish pain therapeutic pipelines. Venomous animals are frequently stereotyped as inflictors of pain and distress and have historically bee…
Abstract: Failed back surgery syndrome is an unhelpful term that hides the true issues concerning the mechanism of pain and subsequent therapies that patients with chronic radicular neuropathic pain are exposed to. Patients with chronic radicular neuropathic pain who have had previous spinal surgery are numerous and comparable in prevalence and incidence to other pain associated diseases such …
Abstract: Acute high-altitude illness is an encompassing term for the range of pathology that the unacclimatised individual can develop at increased altitude. This includes acute mountain sickness, high-altitude cerebral oedema and high-altitude pulmonary oedema. These conditions represent an increasing clinical problem as more individuals are exposed to the hypobaric hypoxic environment of hi…
Abstract: Recent reports suggest that almost half of the UK population is expected to be obese by 2030. A number of associations between obesity and chronic pain have been displayed in previous studies, and therefore it can be expected that the presentation of obese patients with chronic pain will rise in accordance with the prevalence of obesity. No single causative relationship between the t…
Abstract: Pain related to cardiac disease has been recognised for centuries. However, the precise mechanisms of angina pectoris remain bafflingly obscure. Conventional cardiological angina management concentrates on methods to improve oxygen delivery to cardiac myocytes as our understanding of cardiac muscle cells’ response to hypoxia increases. In common with other chronic visceral pain syn…
Abstract: Human pain causes untold misery and suffering, with major impact on functioning and resources. Recent advances in genetics have revealed that subtle changes in DNA could partly explain the variation in individual differences in pain. Various genes encoding for receptors are now known to play a major role in the sensitivity, perception and expression of pain. The fields of epigenetics…
This work presents a methodology to optimize the controller parameters of doubly fed induction generator modeled for frequency regulation in interconnected two-area wind power integrated thermal power system. The gains of integral controller of automatic generation control loop and the proportional and derivative controllers of doubly fed induction generator inertial control loop are optimized …
This paper presents the results of studies of the young growth of main forest-forming coniferous species in four types of native cedar forest of the Sikhote-Alin nature reserve. The following types of young growth were measured: Manchurian fir (Abies nephrolepis), Ajan spruce (Picea ajanensis),Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata), and Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis). The research was conducted during …
The physical vacuum affects not only the natural processes in deep space but also identifies the key features of the structure of ordinary matter. This sphere of work intersects the fields of chemistry and biology. The condition of the objective existence of elementary particles and the objectivity of quantum measurements require the presence of real physical analogues of clocks and lines that …
The physical vacuum affects not only the natural processes in deep space but also identifies the key features of the structure of ordinary matter. This sphere of work intersects the fields of chemistry and biology. The condition of the objective existence of elementary particles and the objectivity of quantum measurements require the presence of real physical analogues of clocks and lines that …
Abstract: Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a generalised disorder that is characterised by chronic pain in the lower back and/or legs that persists or recurs following anatomically successful spinal surgery. This paper aims to (1) assess the burden of failed back surgery in terms of its epidemiology, impact on health outcomes and costs and (2) summarise the evidence base for the cost-eff…
Abstract: Opioids are a group of analgesic agents commonly used in clinical practice. There are three classical opioid receptors (DOP, KOP and MOP), while the novel NOP receptor is considered to be a non-opioid branch of the opioid receptor family. Opioids can act at these receptors as agonists, antagonists or partial agonists. Opioid agonists bind to G-protein coupled receptors to cause cellu…
This paper discussed effects of lowland-associated influences on upland ecology, food security and biocultural diversity in the Sarangani farming communities of the Philippines. In the uplands of Sarangani Province, the conservation of traditional rice varieties, the centrality of rice in tribal life, and the continued observance of planting rituals attest to its cultural significance and conve…
Toxicity-data of two carbamate insecticides, carbaryl and carbofuran, and three fungicides,ziram, zineb and mancozeb with rice-field N2-fixing cyanobacterium Cylindrospermum sp., obtained by in vitro growth and at soil-water interface, were analyzed by the probit method. Growth enhancing concentration, no-observed effective concentration, minimum inhibitory concentration, the highest permissive…
A number of 26 fungal cultures were isolated from different phosphatic sources, including phosphate fertilizers and rock phosphate. The highest number and percentage of isolates were obtained from tri-phosphate fertilizer and rock phosphate samples (9 isolates with 34.6% for each sample) and then 8 isolates with 30.8% from monophosphate fertilizer. These isolates were tested for heavy metals bi…
Abstract: Headache is an extremely common symptom and collectively headache disorders are among the most common of the nervous system disorders, with a prevalence of 48.9% in the general population.1 Headache affects people of all ages, races and socioeconomic status and is more common in women.Some headaches are extremely debilitating and have significant impact on an individual’s quality …
Summary points 1. Trigeminal autonomic cephalgias (TACs) are headaches/facial pains classified together based on: • a suspected common pathophysiology involving the trigeminovascular system, the trigeminopara sympathetic reflex and centres controlling circadian rhythms; • a similar clinical presentation of trigeminal pain, and autonomic activation. 2. There is much overlap in the diagno…
The water-energy-food nexus is a concept increasingly being used with reference to integrated decision-making across sectors.Action in one area will impact one or both of the other areas. Sustainable development and growth can be achieved by better management of the world’s ecosystems and a more strategic use of water, land and other natural resources. Water, energy and food resources are not…
We explore processes that enable effective policies and practices for managing the links between water, energy, and food. Three case studies are assessed at different scales in the Mekong River basin, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. We find that there are considerable opportunities for improving outcomes for sustainable development by finding solutions that accommodate multiple objectives in the nexus.…
Water managers around the world are facing challenges when trying to manage water resources sustainably,particularly when confronted with increasing water scarcity. This article examines four river basins in Africa, Asia and Australia, with wide-ranging histories, politics and hydrology, to consider some of the key common challenges faced in very differing hydroclimatic conditions and the appro…
India’s energy policy of subsidized power supply to the agricultural sector has significantly contributed to a high level of dependence on ground water supply for irrigation in rural areas. Stakeholders – energy companies, farmers and other power users – are trapped in a continuous downward spiral of deteriorating power service delivery, near-bankrupt electricity companies,declining groun…
This paper aimed to optimize the technique parameters of tracking buoy by a hydrodynamic method through an experiment on the sea. A survey was created based on the study of technical characters of oil spill tracking buoy to achieve an allweather whole procedure monitoring propose for oil spill by using of satellite positioning communication mode, which can provide an effective technical method …
ABSTRACT: Introduction – Compounds exhibiting antioxidant activity have received much interest in the food industry because of their potential health benefits. Carotenoids such as lycopene, which in the human diet mainly derives from tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), have attracted much attention in this aspect and the study of their extraction, processing and storage procedures is of importa…
In the present work, we performed a discrimination analysis of the nonlinear equations used to describe sorption isotherms of the lettuce seeds. The equilibrium data were obtained by the static method using saturated salt solutions. The best model to describe the equilibrium moisture of lettuce seeds was selected using measures of curvature and bias. The obtained results showed that the Copace…
Abstract: The aim of the present review is to summarize the current evidence on the role of pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer. In 1988, the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommended surgical staging for endometrial cancer patients. However, 25 years later, the role of lymph node dissection remains controversial. Although the findings of two la…
Compared with traditional on-site oil spill monitoring, the use of remote sensing technology has the macroscopic characteristics,which could quickly and accurately find an oil spill area. Currently, the detection approach of monitoring the phenomenon of marine oil spill are usually divided into two types, which are optical and synthetic aperture radar SAR remote sensing imagery. Among all satel…
In this paper, we compared the normalized radar cross section (NRCS) of the synthetic aperture radar in the cases of oil spill and clean sea areas with image samples and determined their thresholds of the NRCS of SAR. we used the NRCS of clean water from the adjacent patches spill area to replace NRCS of oil spill area and retrieval wind field by CMOD5.N and comparison of wind velocity mendi…
This study aims at describing the key role played by polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (polSAR) remotely sensed measurements for oil spill analyses. PolSAR measurements are shown to be useful to the interested user (e.g. local authorities,oil companies, etc.) to effectively manage three different services: surveillance (i.e. detecting illegal oil spills), remediation (i.e.providing in dept…
With the capabilities of all-weather, all-time and wide geography scope, microwave remote sensing has provided an effective monitoring technique for ocean oil spills. This paper analyzed the theoretical basis of oil spill microwave scattering and the existing oil spill scattering model. By using indoor microwave scattering measurement system, the scattering coefficients of the simulated sea wat…
Generally, large marine oil spill accidents should be disposed of by more than one oil spill emergency vessel. Due to the influence of such factors as sea conditions, drifting and diffusion of spilled oil and the configuration of emergency vessels;however, the coordination degree of the operation of on-site emergency vessels is critical to the efficiency and effectiveness of oil spill disposal.…
The Electro-magnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) marine oil film recovery technology provides a new disposal method for the thin oil/oil film, such as the Bohai ConocoPhillips oil spill. It is based on the different flow states of oil, air and seawater under the action of electro-magnetic force, gravity, buoyancy and interphase force. In this paper, the currently existing disposal methods on marine thin …