bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human milk composition and infant anthropometrics: overview of a systematic review with clinical and research implications
Authors: Azad Meghan B. , Brockway Meredith M. , Reyes Sarah M.
Published: July 2024

Background

Despite global public health organizations endorsing breastfeeding or human milk (HM) as the optimal source of nutrition for infants, detailed knowledge of how HM composition influences infant growth is lacking. In this commentary we summarize and interpret the key findings of a large systematic review on HM components and child growth (N = 141 articles included). We highlight the most consistent associations, discuss study quality issues, explore socio-economic and time trends in this body of research, and identify gaps and future research directions.

Key Findings of Systematic Review

We grouped HM components into three categories: micronutrients (28 articles), macronutrients (57 articles), and bioactives (75 articles). Overall, we struggled to find consistent associations between HM components and infant growth. The majority of studies (85%) were of moderate or low-quality, with inconsistent HM collection and analysis strategies being identified as the most substantial quality concerns. Additional quality issues included failing to account for potential confounding by factors such as breastfeeding exclusivity and maternal body mass index.

Considerations for Future Human Milk Research

Many opportunities exist for the future of HM research. Using untargeted metabolomics will expand our understanding of HM components beyond previously defined and well-understood components. Machine learning will allow researchers to investigate HM as an integrated system, rather than a collection of individual components. Future research on HM composition should incorporate evidence-based HM sampling strategies to encompass circadian variation as well as infant consumption. Additionally, researchers need to focus on developing high quality growth data using consistent growth metrics and definitions. Building multidisciplinary research teams will help to ensure that outcomes are meaningful and clinically relevant.

Conclusion

Despite a large body of literature, there is limited quality evidence on the relationship between HM composition and infant growth. Future research should engage in more accurate collection of breastfeeding data, use standardized HM collection strategies and employ assays that are validated for HM. By systematically evaluating the existing literature and identifying gaps in existing research methods and practice, we hope to inspire standardized methods and reporting guidelines to support robust strategies for examining relationships between HM composition and child growth.
TaqTth-hpRNA: a novel compact RNA-targeting tool for specific silencing of pathogenic mRNA
Authors: Xu Chong , Cao Jiyanuo , Qiang Huanran , Liu Yu , Wu Jialin , Luo Qiudan , Wan Meng , Wang Yujie , Wang Peiliang , Cheng Qian , Zhou Guohua , Sima Jian , Guo Yongjian , Xu Shu
Published: July 2024

Pathogenic allele silencing is a promising treatment for genetic hereditary diseases. Here, we develop an RNA-cleaving tool, TaqTth-hpRNA, consisting of a small, chimeric TaqTth, and a hairpin RNA guiding probe. With a minimal flanking sequence-motif requirement, in vitro and in vivo studies show TaqTth-hpRNA cleaves RNA efficiently and specifically. In an Alzheimer’s disease model, we demonstrate silencing of mutant APPswe mRNA without altering the wild-type APP mRNA. Notably, due to the compact size of TaqTth, we are able to combine with APOE2 overexpression in a single AAV vector, which results in stronger inhibition of pathologies.
Equol: a metabolite of gut microbiota with potential antitumor effects
Authors: Lv Jing , Jin Shengkai , Zhang Yuwei , Zhou Yuhua , Li Menglu , Feng Ninghan
Published: July 2024

An increasing number of studies have shown that the consumption of soybeans and soybeans products is beneficial to human health, and the biological activity of soy products may be attributed to the presence of Soy Isoflavones (SI) in soybeans. In the intestinal tracts of humans and animals, certain specific bacteria can metabolize soy isoflavones into equol. Equol has a similar chemical structure to endogenous estradiol in the human body, which can bind with estrogen receptors and exert weak estrogen effects. Therefore, equol plays an important role in the occurrence and development of a variety of hormone-dependent malignancies such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. Despite the numerous health benefits of equol for humans, only 30-50% of the population can metabolize soy isoflavones into equol, with individual variation in gut microbiota being the main reason. This article provides an overview of the relevant gut microbiota involved in the synthesis of equol and its anti-tumor effects in various types of cancer. It also summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying its anti-tumor properties, aiming to provide a more reliable theoretical basis for the rational utilization of equol in the field of cancer treatment.
The C-terminal proline-rich repeats of Enteropathogenic E. coli effector EspF are sufficient for the depletion of tight junction membrane proteins and interactions with early and recycling endosomes
Authors: Ansari Imran , Mandal Anupam , Kansal Kritika , Walling Pangertoshi , Khan Sumbul , Aijaz Saima
Published: July 2024

Background

Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) causes acute infantile diarrhea accounting for significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries. EPEC uses a type three secretion system to translocate more than twenty effectors into the host intestinal cells. At least four of these effectors, namely EspF, Map, EspG1/G2 and NleA, are reported to disrupt the intestinal tight junction barrier. We have reported earlier that the expression of EspF and Map in MDCK cells causes the depletion of the TJ membrane proteins and compromises the integrity of the intestinal barrier. In the present study, we have examined the role of the proline-rich repeats (PRRs) within the C-terminus of EspF in the depletion of the tight junction membrane proteins and identified key endocytosis markers that interact with EspF via these repeats.

Results

We generated mutant EspF proteins which lacked one or more proline-rich repeats (PRRs) from the N-terminus of EspF and examined the effect of their expression on the cellular localization of tight junction membrane proteins. In lysates derived from cells expressing the mutant EspF proteins, we found that the C-terminal PRRs of EspF are sufficient to cause the depletion of TJ membrane proteins. Pull-down assays revealed that the PRRs mediate interactions with the TJ adaptor proteins ZO-1 and ZO-2 as well as with the proteins involved in endocytosis such as caveolin-1, Rab5A and Rab11.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates the direct role of the proline-rich repeats of EspF in the depletion of the TJ membrane proteins and a possible involvement of the PRRs in the endocytosis of host proteins. New therapeutic strategies can target these PRR domains to prevent intestinal barrier dysfunction in EPEC infections.
Power-law scaling in intratumoral microbiota of colorectal cancer
Authors: Dovrolis Nikolas , Gazouli Maria , Rigal François , Whittaker Robert J. , Matthews Thomas J. , Georgiou Konstantinos , Theodoropoulos George , Triantis Kostas A.
Published: July 2024

It has recently been proposed that the study of microbial dynamics in humans may gain insights from island biogeographical theory. Here, we test whether the diversity of the intratumoral microbiota of colorectal cancer tumors (CRC) follows a power law with tumor size akin to the island species-area relationship. We confirm a direct correlation between the quantity of Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) within CRC tumors and tumor sizes, following a (log)power model, explaining 47% of the variation. Understanding the processes involved, potentially through the analogy of tumors and islands, may ultimately contribute to future clinical and therapeutic strategies.
MRI radiomics enhances radiologists’ ability for characterizing intestinal fibrosis in patients with Crohn’s disease
Authors: Zhang Mengchen , Zeng Yinghou , Fang Zhuang-nian , Wang Yang-di , Zhang Ruo-nan , Ye Ziyin , Cao Qing-hua , Mao Ren , Sun Canhui , Chen Zhi-hui , Huang Bingsheng , Li Xue-hua
Published: July 2024

Objectives

We aimed to develop MRI-based radiomic models (RMs) to improve the diagnostic accuracy of radiologists in characterizing intestinal fibrosis in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD).

Methods

This retrospective study included patients with refractory CD who underwent MR before surgery from November 2013 to September 2021. Resected bowel segments were histologically classified as none-mild or moderate-severe fibrosis. RMs based on different MR sequence combinations (RM1: T2WI and enhanced-T1WI; RM2: T2WI, enhanced-T1WI, diffusion-weighted imaging [DWI], and apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC]); RM3: T2WI, enhanced-T1WI, DWI, ADC, and magnetization transfer MRI [MTI]), were developed and validated in an independent test cohort. The RMs’ diagnostic performance was compared to that of visual interpretation using identical sequences and a clinical model.

Results

The final population included 123 patients (81 men, 42 women; mean age: 30.26 ± 7.98 years; training cohort, n = 93; test cohort, n = 30). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of RM1, RM2, and RM3 was 0.86 (p = 0.001), 0.88 (p = 0.001), and 0.93 (p = 0.02), respectively. The decision curve analysis confirmed a progressive improvement in the diagnostic performance of three RMs with the addition of more specific sequences. All RMs performance surpassed the visual interpretation based on the same MR sequences (visual model 1, AUC = 0.65, p = 0.56; visual model 2, AUC = 0.63, p = 0.04; visual model 3, AUC = 0.77, p = 0.002), as well as the clinical model composed of C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (AUC = 0.60, p = 0.13).

Conclusions

The RMs, utilizing various combinations of conventional, DWI and MTI sequences, significantly enhance radiologists’ ability to accurately characterize intestinal fibrosis in patients with CD.

Critical relevance statement

The utilization of MRI-based RMs significantly enhances the diagnostic accuracy of radiologists in characterizing intestinal fibrosis.

Key Points

MRI-based RMs can characterize CD intestinal fibrosis using conventional, diffusion, and MTI sequences.

The RMs achieved AUCs of 0.86–0.93 for assessing fibrosis grade.

MRI-radiomics outperformed visual interpretation for grading CD intestinal fibrosis.

Graphical Abstract
An unexpected case of an adnexal hydatid cyst in a pregnant woman: a case report
Authors: Brezeanu Ana-Maria , Brezeanu Dragoș , Tica Vlad-Iustin
Published: July 2024

Background

Cystic echinococcosis, also known as hydatid disease, is a chronic and endemic illness caused by infection with a parasite called Echinococcus granulosus. In Romania, this disease has an incidence rate of 5.6 per 100,000 individuals, which is the highest in the Dobrogea region. The liver is the most affected site, accounting for 68.8% of cases, followed by the lungs at 17.2%. While cases of hydatid disease in the genital organs are rare, occurring at an incidence rate of only 0.5%, it is worth noting that cases of this disease in pregnancy worldwide are also rare, occurring at an incidence rate of 1 in 20,000 to 1 in 30,000 pregnancies.

Case report

A 15-year-old Eastern-European woman who was 12 weeks pregnant presented to the emergency room with acute pelvic pain, dysuria, and frequent urination. Her laboratory tests showed that she had a urinary tract infection, and pelvic ultrasound revealed that she had a mass on her right adnexa. Despite receiving treatment, her symptoms did not improve, and she had to undergo surgery to remove the mass, which turned out to be a hydatic cyst. She also had to undergo a cesarean section to deliver her baby owing to fetal distress during labor.

Conclusions

This medical case report provides a detailed description of a pelvic hydatid cyst that was discovered during pregnancy. What makes this case particularly noteworthy is the cyst’s unusual location—it was found at the level of the right broad ligament of the uterus. Despite the complexity of the situation, the patient was able to receive effective treatment and the cyst was successfully managed with great outcomes for both the patient and the newborn. We hope that this report serves as a valuable example of how medical professionals can navigate challenging cases and provide optimal care for their patients.
CPSign: conformal prediction for cheminformatics modeling
Authors: Arvidsson McShane Staffan , Norinder Ulf , Alvarsson Jonathan , Ahlberg Ernst , Carlsson Lars , Spjuth Ola
Published: July 2024

Conformal prediction has seen many applications in pharmaceutical science, being able to calibrate outputs of machine learning models and producing valid prediction intervals. We here present the open source software CPSign that is a complete implementation of conformal prediction for cheminformatics modeling. CPSign implements inductive and transductive conformal prediction for classification and regression, and probabilistic prediction with the Venn-ABERS methodology. The main chemical representation is signatures but other types of descriptors are also supported. The main modeling methodology is support vector machines (SVMs), but additional modeling methods are supported via an extension mechanism, e.g. DeepLearning4J models. We also describe features for visualizing results from conformal models including calibration and efficiency plots, as well as features to publish predictive models as REST services. We compare CPSign against other common cheminformatics modeling approaches including random forest, and a directed message-passing neural network. The results show that CPSign produces robust predictive performance with comparative predictive efficiency, with superior runtime and lower hardware requirements compared to neural network based models. CPSign has been used in several studies and is in production-use in multiple organizations. The ability to work directly with chemical input files, perform descriptor calculation and modeling with SVM in the conformal prediction framework, with a single software package having a low footprint and fast execution time makes CPSign a convenient and yet flexible package for training, deploying, and predicting on chemical data. CPSign can be downloaded from GitHub at https://github.com/arosbio/cpsign.

Scientific contribution

CPSign provides a single software that allows users to perform data preprocessing, modeling and make predictions directly on chemical structures, using conformal and probabilistic prediction. Building and evaluating new models can be achieved at a high abstraction level, without sacrificing flexibility and predictive performance—showcased with a method evaluation against contemporary modeling approaches, where CPSign performs on par with a state-of-the-art deep learning based model.
LVPocket: integrated 3D global-local information to protein binding pockets prediction with transfer learning of protein structure classification
Authors: Zhou Ruifeng , Fan Jing , Li Sishu , Zeng Wenjie , Chen Yilun , Zheng Xiaoshan , Chen Hongyang , Liao Jun
Published: July 2024

Background

Previous deep learning methods for predicting protein binding pockets mainly employed 3D convolution, yet an abundance of convolution operations may lead the model to excessively prioritize local information, thus overlooking global information. Moreover, it is essential for us to account for the influence of diverse protein folding structural classes. Because proteins classified differently structurally exhibit varying biological functions, whereas those within the same structural class share similar functional attributes.

Results

We proposed LVPocket, a novel method that synergistically captures both local and global information of protein structure through the integration of Transformer encoders, which help the model achieve better performance in binding pockets prediction. And then we tailored prediction models for data of four distinct structural classes of proteins using the transfer learning. The four fine-tuned models were trained on the baseline LVPocket model which was trained on the sc-PDB dataset. LVPocket exhibits superior performance on three independent datasets compared to current state-of-the-art methods. Additionally, the fine-tuned model outperforms the baseline model in terms of performance.

Scientific contribution

We present a novel model structure for predicting protein binding pockets that provides a solution for relying on extensive convolutional computation while neglecting global information about protein structures. Furthermore, we tackle the impact of different protein folding structures on binding pocket prediction tasks through the application of transfer learning methods.

Graphical Abstract
Duck STING mediates antiviral autophagy directing the interferon signaling pathway to inhibit duck plague virus infection
Authors: Tian Bin , Tian Yanming , Wang Xuetong , Cai Dongjie , Wu Liping , Wang Mingshu , Jia Renyong , Chen Shun , Zhu Dekang , Liu Mafeng , Yang Qiao , Wu Ying , Zhao Xinxin , Zhang Shaqiu , Sun Di , Huang Juan , Ou Xumin , Wu Zhen , Cheng Anchun
Published: July 2024

Migratory birds are important vectors for virus transmission, how migratory birds recognize viruses and viruses are sustained in birds is still enigmatic. As an animal model for waterfowl among migratory birds, studying and dissecting the antiviral immunity and viral evasion in duck cells may pave a path to deciphering these puzzles. Here, we studied the mechanism of antiviral autophagy mediated by duck STING in DEF cells. The results collaborated that duck STING could significantly enhance LC3B-II/I turnover, LC3B-EGFP puncta formation, and mCherry/EGFP ratio, indicating that duck STING could induce autophagy. The autophagy induced by duck STING is not affected by shRNA knockdown of ATG5 expression, deletion of the C-terminal tail of STING, or TBK1 inhibitor BX795 treatment, indicating that duck STING activated non-classical selective autophagy is independent of interaction with TBK1, TBK1 phosphorylation, and interferon (IFN) signaling. The STING R235A mutant and Sar1A/B kinase mutant abolished duck STING induced autophagy, suggesting binding with cGAMP and COPII complex mediated transport are the critical prerequisite. Duck STING interacted with LC3B through LIR motifs to induce autophagy, the LIR 4/7 motif mutants of duck STING abolished the interaction with LC3B, and neither activated autophagy nor IFN expression, indicating that duck STING associates with LC3B directed autophagy and dictated innate immunity activation. Finally, we found that duck STING mediated autophagy significantly inhibited duck plague virus (DPV) infection via ubiquitously degraded viral proteins. Our study may shed light on one scenario about the control and evasion of diseases transmitted by migratory birds.
Anti-explosion Performance of a New Type of Polyurea-Coated Corrugated Steel Plate Reinforced Concrete Slab
Authors: Wang Wei , Zhang Congkun , Yang Guangrui
Published: July 2024

Improving the explosion resistance of the building wall has been a hot topic in the current protection engineering research, in this process, corrugated steel and polyisocyanate oxazolidine (POZD) were widely used, but there are few studies on the anti-explosion performance of the composite structure of the two. In this paper, the effects of POZD and corrugated steel on the explosion resistance of POZD-coated corrugated steel plate reinforced concrete slab (PSRC) under contact explosion were studied by test and numerical simulation. The finite element (FE) model of the PSRC slab was established by using Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method. The principle of POZD coating reinforced structure was revealed by analyzing the attenuation process of stress wave propagation in the structure. Subsequently, a series of numerical calculations were conducted to investigate the effect of POZD thickness and corrugated steel angle on the performance of the PSRC slab under explosive load. The relationship between structural damage characteristics and the POZD coating was established, the empirical formula of the normalized maximum mid-span displacement considering POZD thickness and TNT mass was obtained. The effect of corrugated steel with different angles on its anti-explosion performance was analyzed, the empirical formula of the maximum deflection considering corrugated steel angle and TNT mass was obtained. Studies have shown that the peak stress of the stress wave generated by the explosion is only 2.79% of the incident wave after the POZD coating is coated on the back of the structure, the anti-explosion performance of the structure is greatly improved. Increasing the thickness of POZD can significantly increase the anti-explosion performance of PSRC slab, the maximum deflection of PSRC slab decreases exponentially with increasing POZD thickness. The explosion resistance of PSRC slab was enhanced with increasing corrugated steel angles. The corrugated steel angles is 50 , the improvement effect of PSRC is the best.
Towards an informed research agenda for the field of personality disorders by experts with lived and living experience and researchers
Authors: Renneberg Babette , Hutsebaut Joost , Berens Ann , De Panfilis Chiara , Bertsch Katja , Kaera Andres , Kramer Ueli , Schmahl Christian , Swales Michaela , Taubner Svenja , Alvarez Mariana Mendoza , Sieg Julia ,   30 experts with lived experience – clients, relatives, significant others - from 10 European countries
Published: July 2024

Background

We describe a collection of themes for a research agenda for personality disorders that was originally formulated for the ESSPD Borderline Congress in 2022.

Methods

Experts with lived and living experience (EE), researchers and clinicians met virtually, exchanged ideas and discussed research topics for the field of personality disorders. The experts - patients, relatives, significant others - named the topics they thought most relevant for further research in the field. These topics were presented at the ESPPD conference in October 2022.

Results

The five top themes were: 1. Prevention, early detection and intervention, 2. Recovery beyond symptom improvement, 3. Involvement of relatives in treatment, 4. Gender dysphoria, and 5. Stigma.

Conclusions

In general, the topics reflect current issues and changes in societal values. Overarching aims of research on these topics are the improvement of social participation and integration in society, better dissemination of research, and better information of the general public and political stakeholders.
Presentation of metastatic carotid body paraganglioma on F-18 FDG PET/CT: a rare disease
Authors: Dulet Mehul , Trivedi Vaibhav , Datta Deepanksha , Elhence Poonam , Kumar Rajesh
Published: July 2024

Carotid body paraganglioma is a slow growing tumor of head and neck region. It can rarely be malignant in nature which is characterized by distant metastases on anatomical imaging. We share an interesting presentation of a malignant carotid body on F-18 FDG PET/CT in form of liver and skeletal metastases.
Pentachlorophenol and its effect on different environmental matrices: the need for an alternative wood preservative
Authors: C.U. Emenike , Q. He , K. Koushika
Published: July 2024

Wood is considered to be one of the most important materials in the global economy. Wood loses shelf life in countries with severe winters. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was predominantly used as a wood preservative because of its efficacy in controlling wood decay. This study discussed the overall impact of PCP across various environmental matrices, including soil, plants, water, air, and humans. Pentachlorophenol is a phenol substituted with five chloro-groups. High chlorination levels and stability of PCP make it hazardous to the environment, and persistent, and it also interferes with human, aquatic, and soil microbial health. PCP is volatile; thus, it is constantly discharged into the atmosphere and ingested by the human population. Owing to its hazardous nature, it was added to the Stockholm Convention’s list of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and phased out of the industry in 2023. This review has summarized PCP properties, usage, production volume, different transformation pathways, and its harmful effects on different environmental matrices such as air, water, soil, crops, and human health which have helped to outline the expected features of the new chemical compared with PCP. The improved chemical is intended to have quick degradability, fewer chlorine atoms, no aromatic structure, be non-toxic, environmentally benign, and efficient against wood deterioration while also penetrating the wood better.
Dietary lipid and astaxanthin contents affect the pigmentation of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)
Authors: Lin Shujun , Hossain Abul , Shahidi Fereidoon
Published: July 2024

The most important quality parameter of salmonids is the red color of their skin and muscles. In this contribution, the effects of astaxanthin and dietary lipid content on the pigmentation of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) were studied. Charrs were fed on diets containing 40, 60, and 80 ppm synthetic astaxanthin together with 10, 18, and 26% dietary lipids for 24 weeks. Results indicated that the astaxanthin concentration in the belly skin and flesh of fish was strongly correlated with both carotenoid and dietary lipid contents, suggesting a significant interaction between diets and the total carotenoid concentration in the belly skin and flesh. The Hunter color L* values of the fillet and the belly skin were inversely related to their carotenoid levels, whereas their a* and b* values were strongly correlated with the total carotenoid concentration. The apparent digestibility coefficient of carotenoids was directly correlated with the level of dietary lipid but inversely correlated with carotenoid contents. A strong correlation between the content of carotenoids retained in the flesh and their digestibility was observed. Thus, the pigmentation of Arctic charr could improve the overall consumer acceptability as well as nutritional and potential market values of Arctic charr.

Graphical Abstract
The association between screen time exposure, parent depression, and development of social communication skills among preschool children in Qassim Region
Authors: Alqifari Abdullah , Albarrak Raghad Ibrahim , Alrubaish Yaqeen Fahad , Alawaji Mayadah Assaf , Alkhalifah Reghd Husain , Alqifari Hana Nasser , Suleiman Mohammed
Published: July 2024

Background

Screen exposure among children continues to increase worldwide. It has negative effects on children of developmental age, including obesity, poor attention, sleep disorders, vision problems, language delays, and deficits in communication skills. It has been reported that parental depression is associated with both increased screen time for children and poor function and skills in children. However, other studies have reported no association between screen time and parental depression.

Research methodology

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 340 parents of 4- to 6-year-old children in the Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from the primary health care vaccination clinic by contacting parents of children aged 4 to 6 years to fill out the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) for the child and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9) for the parents.

Research results

We conducted a regression analysis to assess the influence of screen time exposure on social communication skills (SCQ score). The results of this study indicated that there was no significant effect observed (B = 0.283, P > 0.05), indicating that a positive correlation between screen time usage and SCQ score may not apply to the entire population. Conversely, we discovered a crucial link between screen time exposure and parental depression (PHQ), as it displayed noteworthy impact values (B = 1.136, P < 0.05), indicating an affirmative correlation between them. In addition, our results also indicated apparent positive associations between parental depression and SCQ scores (B = 0.229, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our findings revealed that there was a significant association between parental depression and both screen time exposure and SCQ score, while there was no correlation between screen time exposure and SCQ score.
Consumption of dietary supplements and their determinants among adults in six Arabic countries: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Amer Samar , Abdel-hameid Mohammed , Elsheikh Shimaa , Shailabi Taher , Douaouia Lina , Abuhaimed Sara , Ishteiwy Ehab , Abdullah Lina , Balid Mohamed Muhanad , Swed Sarya , Amer Youmna , Zaitoun Nahla , Zaitoun Nermeen , Ibrahim Mona
Published: July 2024

Background

Since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic crisis, the supplement market has consistently grown. Therefore, we conducted this survey during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to study the frequency and context of dietary supplement (DS) consumption (vitamins and mineral intake) and explore the consumer’s pharmaceutical buying behaviour; and (3) to study its determinants as regards the demographics, Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and healthy eating pyramids.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey on 1333 Arabic adults aged 18 years or more residing in six Arabic-speaking countries in May 2022, using a validated self-administrated questionnaire. The survey-involved questions about sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, FSS, healthy eating pyramid, DS consumption, and consumers’ pharmaceutical purchasing behaviour.

Results

Most participants were aged 20 to less than 35 years, and 64.6% used dietary supplements. There was a statistically significant difference between supplement users and nonusers as regards consumers’ pharmaceutical buying behaviour in terms of advertising quality, safety rules, pharmaceutical forms, and packet quality. Arabic adults consumed the following dietary supplements: 63.5% vitamin C, 60.1% vitamin D, 47.1% iron, and 44.4% zinc. Authorised products (76.0%), natural contents (75.0%), and safety rules (68%), were the most common factors influencing Arabic consumers’ pharmaceutical purchasing behavior. Multi-logistic regression analysis showed that being female, having a history of COVID-19, having a positive attitude about the benefits, and being recommended for supplement use were predictors of dietary supplement use.

Conclusion

The dietary consumption of supplements is prevalent, mainly including vitamin C, vitamin D, iron, zinc, vitamin B, and magnesium. In addition, Arabic adults are poorly adherent to healthy eating pyramids. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Arabic health authorities should prioritize this issue to minimize the potential for misusing dietary supplements.
Blood transfusion in elective total hip arthroplasty: can patient-specific parameters predict transfusion?
Authors: Meißner Nils , Strahl André , Rolvien Tim , Halder Andreas M. , Schrednitzki Daniel
Published: July 2024

Aims

Transfusion after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) has become rare, and identification of causative factors allows preventive measures. The aim of this study was to determine patient-specific factors that increase the risk of needing a blood transfusion.

Methods

All patients who underwent elective THA were analyzed retrospectively in this single-centre study from 2020 to 2021. A total of 2,892 patients were included. Transfusion-related parameters were evaluated. A multiple logistic regression was performed to determine whether age, BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, sex, or preoperative haemoglobin (Hb) could predict the need for transfusion within the examined patient population.

Results

The overall transfusion rate was 1.2%. Compared to the group of patients without blood transfusion, the transfused group was on average older (aged 73.8 years (SD 9.7) vs 68.6 years (SD 10.1); p = 0.020) and was mostly female (p = 0.003), but showed no significant differences in terms of BMI (28.3 kg/m2 (SD 5.9) vs 28.7 kg/m2 (SD 5.2); p = 0.720) or ASA grade (2.2 (SD 0.5) vs 2.1 (SD 0.4); p = 0.378). The regression model identified a cutoff Hb level of < 7.6 mmol/l (< 12.2 g/dl), aged > 73 years, and a BMI of 35.4 kg/m² or higher as the three most reliable predictors associated with postoperative transfusion in THA.

Conclusion

The possibility of transfusion is predictable based on preoperatively available parameters. The proposed thresholds for preoperative Hb level, age, and BMI can help identify patients and take preventive measures if necessary.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(7):560–564.
High Speed Flow Visualization of Primary Breakup Phenomenon of Pyrolysis Oil-diesel Blend Using Air-assisted Atomizer
Authors: Amar Malode  , N. Tamilarasan  , K. Balaji  , R. Sakthivel
Published: July 2024

The energy crisis poses major difficulties for humanity, yet it also brings chances for innovation, sustainability, and a shift towards a more environmentally friendly and fairer future. Transforming waste into energy is a sustainable solution for a greener future. The present study focuses on energy generation through pyrolysis of 3-ply disposable polypropylene facemask. Thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry as well as proximate and ultimate analyses were conducted on the sample to identify compounds and thermal behavior of the sample. The activation energy of decomposition was calculated through a chemical kinetic study using 3 different methods, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, Ozawa-Flynn-Wall, and Starink model and was found out to be 178.17, 190.06 and 178.67 kJ, respectively. Thermodynamic properties like enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs free energy was determined to be 132.661, -0.01712, 143.019 kJ/mol. Highly viscous pyrolysis-oil and char were produced through pyrolysis process. The spray generated using an air-assisted atomizer measured the combustion. Miniature air assisted atomizer was designed and fabricated for high-speed flow visualization. The experimentation part of the study was carried out using high speed camera (10,000 frames per second) and the results were processed and analyzed for determination of breakup length, spray angle, critical wavelength and breakup frequency. The study suggests that the advanced synthetic fuel (pyrolysis oil- diesel blend) generated from facemask could become a potential source of energy production adhering to waste to energy strategy.
Hygral Analysis and Mechanical Strength Evaluation of TiO2 Nanoparticle-enhanced Natural Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites
Authors: P. Gunasekar  , A. Anderson  , K. Sabari  , R. Suresh Kumar  , S. Saravanakumar
Published: July 2024

The primary focus of this investigation is the hydraulic, mechanical and boundary stability of continuous nanocomposites with epoxy and natural fiber integrated with TiO2 nanoparticles. Continuous natural fiber nanoparticles that had been alkali-treated and those that had not were produced by cutting the natural fiber culm. The nanofibers’ tensile properties, density, and equivalent diameter were measured by experimental evaluations. Composites with a volume proportion of 42% fiber were made using the Resin transfer technique (RTM) and reinforced with epoxy (NNF/EP). While it was noted that natural fiber's power was diminished when treated with an alkaline solution, epoxy nanocomposites made from alkali-treated natural fiber showed better tensile strength than those made from untreated natural fiber. The research also looked at how the tensile strengths of the epoxy and natural nanocomposites were affected by the size of the natural fibers. As the diameter of the natural fiber reduced, the findings showed that the composite's tensile strength and Young's modulus also fell. The mechanical characteristics were negatively affected by moisture; NNF/EP laminates showed a significant vulnerability to moisture absorption in hydrothermal aging experiments. This work has future scope so it may be patented in the future.
Comparing the Performance of a Novel-BCI-Based Headset with a Conventional Hearing Aid While Watching TV
Authors: D. K. Nagarathi  , V. Ramya  , Latha Parthiban
Published: July 2024

Nowadays, TV viewership and watching time are increasing rapidly. Many organizations now allow employees to watch the news in the recreation hall during official hours to stay updated. This investigation focuses on the comparison of nano-porous membrane sensitivity-loss compensation (support for hearing) with a novel brain-computer interface (BCI)-based hearing headset, while watching television. The hearing headset has a thought-based navigation of the hearing volume of the opponent’s voice.  The hearing aid is already chosen based on the audiometry test.  The novel BCI-based hearing headset provides a supplement of voice to one ear at a time similar to a hearing aid. Twenty impaired people were tested using both a hearing aid and BCI-based hearing headset and their responses were noted. Questions were asked individually in between watching TV. The responses were recorded in terms of percentage. The number of patients per group was predicted at a ‘G’ power of 80%. The results revealed that users with a novel BCI-based hearing headset outperformed those with a regular hearing aid. A statistical significance of < 0.001 was obtained while comparing the two categories. The proposed novel BCI-based hearing headset improved the membrane sensitivity-loss compensation performance of listening by 18.25% more than with the use of a regular hearing aid.
Development and Characterization of Low-cost Ceramic Membrane
Authors: Prachiprava Pradhan  , Ajit P Rathod  , Suchita B Rai
Published: July 2024

Because of their better mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties, ceramic membranes are becoming more and more popular. They also have advantages over polymeric membranes. Many researchers have attempted to produce ceramic membranes by modifying their properties through various methods of production and raw materials. At present, a number of obstacles restrict ceramic membranes from being used widely, such as the expensive cost of raw materials and the high sintering temperature during synthesis. To overcome these limitations, low-cost raw materials like cenosphere and red mud were used for making ceramic membranes. Circular disk-type membranes were produced without the need of polymeric additives using a simple pressing technique. Throughout the synthesis process, the cenosphere and red mud compositions were changed to produce the composite membranes. The temperature range at which the membranes were sintered was 700 - 900 °C. The purpose of this research was to analyse the synthesized membrane through a variety of characterization techniques, such as thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) etc. Also, each synthesized membrane's porosity has been examined and it was found that when the sintering temperature increased, the porosity decreased for a given composition. The cost of the produced membrane was found to be ₹1898.80/m2.
Investigation of Mechanical Properties of a Hybrid Composite of Ramie Fiber, Coir Fiber and Silicon Carbide
Authors: T. Sathish  , R. Saravanan
Published: July 2024

This research explores the mechanical properties of a new hybrid composite comprising 30% ramie fiber, 15% coir fiber and 2% silicon carbide particles. Ramie fiber, recognized for its superior tensile strength and rigidity, and coir fiber, celebrated for its natural abundance and ability to biodegrade, are amalgamated with silicon carbide particles to augment the mechanical attributes of the composite. Various mechanical tests including tensile, flexural, impact and hardness, were conducted to characterize its behavior. The results were promising, with an average tensile strength of 66.14 MPa, flexural strength of 86.46 MPa, impact strength of 35.88 kJ/m2 and hardness of 181.8 HV, for the composite, revealing the material's potential for applications in engineering fields necessitating high levels of strength, stiffness, impact resistance and hardness. The combined reinforcement from coir fibers, ramie fibers and silicon carbide particles provides a harmonious balance between performance and sustainability. Ongoing research in this domain shows promise for advancing composite materials technology, thereby contributing to creating sustainable and high-performance materials across diverse industries.
Synergistic Performance of Pectin with Monoethylene glycol as Environment Friendly and Sustainable Hydrate Inhibitor
Authors: Ankur Singh  , Sujoy Kumar Dey  , Akanksha Mishra  , Ajay Suri
Published: July 2024

This research explores the capability of pectin as a hydrate inhibitor, along with its potential synergy with monoethylene glycol (MEG). The inhibitory performance was evaluated by measuring the induction time (IT) required for hydrate formation under various concentrations (0.25 wt%, 0.5 wt%, and 1 wt%), employing methane gas at a pressure of 7.6 MPa with hydrate equilibrium temperature at 10.45 ℃. The cooling process was meticulously maintained at a consistent rate of 1℃ per hour below the hydrate equilibrium temperature throughout the experiment. Results revealed that while pectin exhibited slightly lower performance compared to commercial Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors (KHIs), it demonstrates promising potential as a viable alternative to traditional non-biodegradable and unsustainable KHIs. However, when blended with MEG, its performance increased rapidly. This is particularly significant for the smooth operation of the oil and gas industry offshore, where environmental concerns take precedence. The ability of pectin and MEG combination to effectively inhibit hydrate formation, combined with their biodegradable properties, positions it as an attractive candidate for future research in the field of deep-sea hydrate risk management.
Simulation Study on the Influence of the Traffic Conditions on Vehicle Performance and Emission
Authors: A. Srinivaas  , V. S. Baradhsundar
Published: July 2024

This study is to investigate on how the traffic condition affects the vehicle performance and emission through simulation. A real-world road network is chosen for the simulation which is Ghatkesar junction in Telangana, India. The tools used for simulation is the Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) along with IPG Carmaker. Traffic conditions such as high traffic and low traffic are considered for the simulation. Components of emission for both the high and low traffic condition are obtained such as CO2, CO, HC, PMx and NOx are assessed in the study. Also, speed of the vehicle and time taken for the trip are considered along with the traffic conditions to study the influence of the traffic on the vehicle performance. This work illustrates the pre-study of the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) for making simulation studies better with different software interacting dynamically and this work is a simplified and economic approach to the growing needs of the simulation-based studies.
Techno-Economic Investigations of Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems for Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Authors: Mohammad Shariz Ansari  , Krishnanand Kushwaha  , Kunwar Harsh Singh  , Kushagra singh  , Ameer Faisal  , Masood Rizvi  , Mohd. Faisal Jalil
Published: July 2024

In the industrialized world, the development in energy sector is needed at any point in time. Traditional energy sources such as oil, coal, and natural gases are limited in nature so that the energy requirements have not been fulfilled for a longer time. So, “Renewable energy” plays a pivotal role in addressing energy demand and energy access challenges. This paper presents the issues associated with conventional or non-renewable energy systems. Utilizing a hybrid power system can help people become less dependent on renewable or traditional energy sources. The sensitivity analysis, optimization, cost savings, and decrease in greenhouse gas emissions are covered in this study. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India, face unique challenges in electricity generation due to their isolation and dependence on fossil fuels. This study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative. The tool used for the optimization of power systems in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is HOMER. The HOMER optimizes the power system combinations and gives results in terms of operating cost, total fuel consumption, return on investment, power generation etc. A comparison between the base model and the proposed model has been performed using HOMER and the result shows that the proposed model is economical and best suited in all respect.
Evaluation of Spatial Variations in Surface Water Quality of Mahanadi River Basin by Geospatial-FUCOM based Prediction Utilising Fuzzy-TOPSIS Approach
Authors: Abhijeet Das
Published: July 2024

This study highlights an evaluation of surface water quality for drinking purposes in Mahanadi River Basin, Odisha using Full Consistency Method (FUCOM) based WQI (FU-WQI), with reliability-based MCDMs (Multiple-criteria decision making) such as Fuzzy-TOPSIS (F-TOP). Water samples from 19 locations were taken during the period 2018-2023 to test 20 physicochemical parameters. Further, the FU-WQI revealed that 36.84% (n=7 sites) and 5.26% (n=1) of samples belong to poor/unsuitable water quality while 47.37% of sites come under the zone of excellent water (n=9 locations). However, 10.53% of samples indicated a medium water quality. The analysis primarily revealed that at 8 samples, deterioration of domestic water, illegally dumped municipal solid waste, and agricultural runoff were the leading sources causing adulteration of the river’s water quality. As a result, a renowned MCDM model, such as F-TOP, was implemented to resolve conflicts regarding the WQI index. Hence, this innovative technique showed that SP-(9) was the most polluted in comparison with other locations, followed by SP-(8), (19), and (2). This was also accompanied by high values of nine crucial parameters, which were also higher than their desirable concentration and highest among all the locations. Following this, the analytic findings also suggest the same from the FU-WQI values 423, 198, 182 and 184 at these locations. However, it was pertinent that the pollution level at these stations was associated more with increasing and diverse anthropogenic activities. So, it is found that river water is convenient for household usage and, after disinfection, fit for human consumption.
Novel Synthesis and Characterization of Lanthanum oxide Nanoparticles from Nano-sized Lanthanum(III) Compound
Authors: K. Parimala Gandhi  , S. Hemalatha  , S. Sruthi
Published: July 2024

A new nano-sized La (III) compound, La[(N2H4)2{C10H6(3-O)(2-COO)}1.5].H2O (X), was synthesized by the sonochemical method and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and elemental analyses. Lanthanum oxide nanoparticles were prepared by direct thermal decomposition of nanostructures in a programmable furnace up to 800 ℃ in ambient atmosphere. The structural characterization was done by powder XRD, and morphological observations by FESEM revealed that the quasi-spherical La2O3 nanoparticles obtained are well crystallized and uniform in both morphology and particle size. The study demonstrates that supramolecular compounds may be suitable precursors for the simple one-pot preparation of nanoscale metal oxide materials with different morphologies.