CORRELATION OF MYOFASCIAL TRIGGER POINTS WITH UPPER LIMB DISABILITY IN POST MASTECTOMY FEMALES IN PAKISTAN

Aims of Study: The objective was to correlate myofascial trigger points and upper limb disability in post-mastectomy females. Methodology: This six-month duration study included 45 participants aged 18 or older, using non-probability convenience sampling, who had undergone mastectomy at least six months prior. Numeric pain rating scale, Simon’s trigger point criteria and a disability questionnaire were used to assess disease complications. Results: A study involving 45 female participants (mean age 42.8±6.754) found that 33.3% had mild pain, 55.6% had moderate pain, and 11.1% had severe pain. Additionally, 46.7% had mild disability and 53.3% had moderate disability. There was a significant correlation between myofascial trigger points and upper extremity disability. Limitations and Future Implication: The limitations include the small sample size used in study and limited generalization of findings due to cultural and contextual factors. Further research is needed to explore interventions and understand the long-term impact of myofascial trigger points on upper limb function. Originality: This research is original in its focus on the correlation between myofascial trigger points and post-mastectomy upper limb disability. Conclusion: This study concluded that there is a highly significant relation between trigger points in muscles and disability of upper extremity in female patients after mastectomy.

Development of Clay Composites for the Removal of Textile Dyes from Aqueous Solutions

In the present research project, the adsorption capability of clay and the magnetic properties of iron oxides were combined in composite forms for the preparation of magnetic adsorbents. Biocomposites of clay were also prepared with biomass. The prepared magnetic composites may well be efficiently used as adsorbent for a large variety of pollutants in water which could be efficiently excluded from the medium by an easy magnetic process. Clay and iron oxide magnetic composites were prepared by using different molar ratio of MnCl2 and FeCl3 i.e., 1:2, 1:3, 2:3 and characterized by powder XRD, TGA, and FTIR. The batch mode experiments were established for comparing the adsorption capability of native clay, the prepared MnFe2O4/clay composite and biocomposite forms of adsorbents for elimination of the basic dyes. Imperative method parameters like adsorbent dose, pH, initial concentration of dyes, operating temperature and contact time were optimized through batch mode of study. The experimental results showed that pH 6-9, low adsorbent dosage and lower temperature were the viable conditions for maximum adsorptive exclusion of dyes. Different kinetic models were employed to the records obtained by adsorptive removal of the four basic dyes and was noticed that pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted the best onto the experimental results. Mechanism of the adsorption phenomenon was explained by application of different equilibrium isotherms on the data and Langmuir adsorption isotherm was observed to be the most fitted model on experimental results of the studied dyes. Thermodynamic study revealed that adsorption phenomenon was more viable at lower temperatures as shown by lower ∆G values. The negative values of ∆H indicated the exothermic nature of adsorption phenomenon. The column mode study was performed to optimize the initial dye concentration, bed height and flow rate. Higher bed heights, higher initial dye concentrations and lower flow rates were observed to be more complimentary conditions for maximum adsorptive removal in column mode experiments. The whole study proved that the prepared clay composites can be efficiently utilized for the removal of dyes for wastewater treatment.