EFFECTS OF CRANIOCERVICAL FLEXION EXERCISES AND SCAPULAR STABILIZATION EXERCISES IN NECK PAIN AND FORWARD HEAD POSTURE AMONG FEMALES WEARING HEADSCARVES

Background: In neck related problems, limited cervical ranges are considered a major contributor leading to forward head posture and increased disability. Methodology: The study design was a randomized clinical trial. Total of 50 subjects were recruited that fulfilled the selection criteria. Subjects were divided into two groups. Craniocervical flexion exercises group A (n=25) and Scapular stabilization exercises group B (n=25). Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Neck Disability Index (ND1) were subjective while the goniometer and plumb line were used as objective modes of assessment. Baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment values were assessed by using SPSS 21. Results: Both groups showed improvement in plumb line values, forward head posture and cervical spine mobility. NPRS, and NDI score values after the 4-week exercise program showed significant results (p-value<0.05). Outcomes except for plumb line value and NDI score indicated statistically significant improvement in the Craniocervical flexion exercise group than the scapular stabilization exercise group (p-value<0.05). However, in NPRS no statistical difference (p-value>0.05) was found between the two groups. Conclusion: Only females were recruited. Further studies can correlate with spatiotemporal features. The idea and conceptual framework were original.

Synthesis, Development and Characterization of Some Advance Matrix Materials

Phthalonitrile resins are high temperature thermosetting polymers, which are considered ideals materials for marine, aerospace, and electronic applications. The synthesis of phthalonitrile monomers with self-catalyzing nature and with large processing window – defined as the temperature between the melting temperature of the monomer and the gelation temperature of the polymer network–, are gaining much more importance because of ease in processability and high thermal stability. In the present study, some novel phthalonitrile resins were synthesized using ortho- linked phthalonitrile monomers and self-catalyzing phthalonitrile monomers with different linkages such as: ether, imide-ether, and amide-ether between the reactive ends. All the synthesized monomers were characterized by spectroscopic techniques such as FT-IR, 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR. FT-IR indicated absorption peaks around 1522 and 1355 cm -1 and around 1010 cm -1 indicated the formation of triazine and phthalocynine rings (heterocyclic rings formed as a result polymerization) respectively after post curing. The thermal analyses were carried using DSC, TGA, DMA, and Rheometery. DSC and rheometric studies showed that the monomers with ortho linkages have low melting point and high crosslinking temperature. In self-catalyzed monomers, the monomers having amino group at ortho position or 1,2-linked (ortho) monomers have broad processing window. The complex viscosity (η*) was very low (<1 Pa.s) in between melting and the crosslinking temperature, which is highly suitable for resin transfer molding, resin infusion molding, and filament winding. TGA studies revealed that the resin synthesized from the monomer with heterocyclic ring shows high thermal stability and residual mass (char yield). The thermal stability of the polymer having ether or imide-ether linkages are nearly the same but more than the polymer having amide-ether linkage, indicating the effect of crosslinking density and structural changes. DMA measurements showed that storage muduli (E'') and glass transition temperature (Tg) enhance with the increase of curing temperature. These meaurements also indicated that the polymers having imide-ether and amide-ether linkages have higher storage moduli than the polymers have only ether linkages.