Universal College

About: Universal College is a education organization based out in Las Piñas, Philippines. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 567 authors who have published 450 publications receiving 1933 citations. The organization is also known as: Universal College of Nursing.

A Comparative Study on 136 Opioid Abusers in India and Nepal

Abstract: Background: Though opioid abuse is a common clinical entity, only few published articles are available in Nepal.Aim: To compare the pattern of drugs and opioid abuse amongst patients at two de-addiction centres in India and Nepal.Methods: Seventy-six opioid abusers at CIP, Ranchi, India and 60 opioid abusers at UCMS, Bhairahawa, Nepal were recruited for the present study. Demographic and clinical profiles of patients at these two places are studied and compared.Results: Mean age of patients at Bhairahawa, Nepal was significantly lower than their counterpart in Ranchi. While majority of patients at Ranchi reported alone for treatment, patients at Bhairahawa were mostly accompanied by their guardians/relatives or friends. Patients at Ranchi had more lifetime diagnosis of opioid abuse while patients at Nepal had more lifetime diagnosis of poly-substance abuse. Patients at Bhairahawa, Nepal had significantly more history of Injectable drug abuse and had more history of IDU related side effects. Approximately 40% of opioid abusers in Nepal centre responded that the opportunity to work abroad was the highest motivating factor for seeking treatment. Opioid withdrawal delirium appeared to a valid clinical entity with history of 5 cases and 2 cases of withdrawal delirium in Ranchi and Bhairahawa center respectively. Symptom of Koro during opioid withdrawal period was reported by at least one patient each at Ranchi and Nepal center.Conclusions: Opioid abusers at both the centres appear to have similar social and clinical characteristics except on few social and clinical parameters.

Snake-Bite in Nepal

Abstract: Snake-bite is one of the diseases which is included in the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of neglected tropical diseases. It is a well-known life threatening medical emergency commonly seen in farmers, plantation workers, herders, fishermen, snake restaurant workers and other food producers. In Nepal, snake-bite take a heavy toll of human lives. It is due to poor health services in rural areas especially for antisnake venom (ASV) treatment facility. Exact magnitudes of problem and mortality from snake-bite are very difficult to estimate due to serious misreporting. This review article aims to discuss the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of snake-bite envenomation in South Asia region particularly in Nepal and helping in improving the knowledge and understanding of snake-bite to save precious human lives. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jucms.v2i3.11829 Journal of Universal College of Medical Sciences Vol.2(3) 2014: 45-53

Evaluation of mast cells in oral premalignant and malignant lesions: A histochemical study.

Abstract: Introduction: Oral leukoplakia, oral submucous fibrosis, and oral lichen planus are the precancerous or potentially malignant lesions and conditions whereas oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a cancerous or malignant lesion of the oral cavity. They have characteristic clinical and histopathological features. These diseases not only originate from epithelium but also associated with chronic inflammation juxta-epithellialy. Mast cells present in the connective tissue stroma and release pro-inflammatory and mitogenic cytokines. These functions of mast cells contribute and enhance the pathogenesis translation of diseases. Aim: The study was done to histologically evaluate the number of mast cells in oral epithelial dysplasia and OSCC and compare it with normal oral mucosa (NOM). Materials and Methods: Forty-five cases each of oral dysplasia, OSCC and ten cases of NOM were studied for mast cell number using toluidine blue. Results: There was a highly significant increase of mast cells in oral epithelial dysplasia on comparison with OSCC whereas there was only a significant increase in mast cells in OSCC on comparison with NOM. Conclusion: The literature has proven that mast cells can be an indicator of increased angiogenesis and hence can help in the prediction of carcinogenesis, its progression, and also the prognosis of the malignant lesions.

Influence of heat treatment on friction-welded joints made of high-carbon high-chromium tool steel/low-carbon steel for tooling applications

Abstract: In friction welding, a favourable combination of process parameters helps to form a strong joint. Metallurgical transformations take place depending on the material combination and process parameters. Mechanical testing and macroscopic and microscopic examinations help to characterize the joints. Friction-welded joint made of high-carbon high-chromium steel D3 and mild steel AISI 1010 is subjected to studies to establish a functionally graded tooling element. In order to enhance the quality of the joint, post-weld heat treatment has been attempted which gave the interesting results. The mechanical strength and microhardness of the joint were improved by 16% and 14%, respectively, after annealing compared to non-heat-treated specimens. The structure details and constituents of fusion line as well as heat-affected zones were studied by optical and scanning electron microscope, EDX and XRD analyses. Transformation of the deformed metastable phases (retain austenite and un-tempered martensite) into joint materials with refined structure and composition could be achieved near the fusion line by heat treatment. This is expected to enhance the service life of friction-welded components.

Smart Road Surveillance Using Image Processing

Abstract: Now-a-days roads are monitored by CCTV cameras passively i.e. knowledge is not generated by the CCTV cameras. Human resource constraint i.e. there is very limited posting of the traffic police staff at road crossings and highway's. In many cases, accidents are reported due to negligence by the road users. Adding to this, even the majority of humans surrounding the accident spot/scene are busy clicking photos and videos unknown of the fact that their little negligence could cost a LIFE. The footage is only seen by the authorities only after a problem has been occurred so as to find the root cause of it. To overcome this, we propose an intelligent system that can make use of the existing CCTV cameras. The proposed system captures video stream, computes the input and the system alerts are generated in real time, which means no additional sensors would be required. U sing camera itself, the plan is to detect accidents in real time and also send alerts to ambulances or medical services; so that appropriate resources needed for saving lives are available in time. Other targets are: to detect vehicles which break the speed limit rules and relay this information to a concerned authority; to monitor restricted roads areas and traffic signal violations, and plan to detect number plates of the violators and find them. Along with this the proposed system will also classify the type of vehicles that run on road, so that further construction of roads can be tailored as per the expected vehicles for smoother traffic flow. In this study we will be taking help of algorithms such as Background Subtraction, Morphological transformations and many other basic concepts to perform the tasks mentioned above. By using technology at its best, the aim is to integrate various factors into one smart system. The project will benefit to reduce cost of road surveillance system and complete automation of road surveillance system.