Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) encompasses the comprehensive evaluation of an indi-vidual's health and well-being across multiple dimensions. Mindfulness, recognized as a scientifi-cally supported strategy for anxiety management, plays a role in enhancing both physical and mental health. The Gut-Brain Axis (GBA) serves as the bidirectional communication link between the gastrointestinal system and the central nervous system. This study aims to explore the associa-tion between Mindfulness and factors influencing the GBA in both healthy individuals and those with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). A cross-sectional investigation involved 338 adults, in-cluding 50 IBD patients, utilizing validated Greek scales for Mindfulness (MAAS-15), Mediterra-nean Diet (14-MEDAS), and HRQoL (EQ-5D-5L). The questionnaire gathered demographic, an-thropometric, and lifestyle data. Among healthy participants, EQ-5D-5L showed a moderate cor-relation with the MAAS-15 scale (r=0.389, p

Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant commonly used for depressive disorders and pre-scribed off-label for several neurological conditions like neuropathic pain, migraine and anxiety. Amitriptyline potentiates the monoaminergic transmission by blocking the reuptake of norepi-nephrine and serotonin. However, antidepressants also act on additional targets that contribute to either therapeutic or adverse effects and may suggest new indications for their repurposing. Furthermore, since depression is often a co-morbidity in patients with chronic conditions (i.e. cancer, neurodegenerative diseases) the use of antidepressants interfering with pathways in-volved in cell homeostasis may affect the progression and outcome of these pathologies. Here we investigate the effects of amitriptyline on proliferation and autophagy in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Dose and time-dependent upregulation of the autophagy markers LC3II and autophagy receptor p62, with accumulation of LAMP1 positive compartments, were observed in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to amitriptyline. Alteration of autophagy was accompanied by reduced cell viability and decreased clonogenic capacity, without a significant induction of apoptosis. Decrease viability and clonogenic activity were still observed in autophagy deficient Atg5 -/- MEF and following pre-treatment of SH-SY5Y culture with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine suggesting that the amitriptyline’s effects on cell proliferation were not caused by the modulation of autophagy. Our findings demonstrate that amitriptyline acts on pathways that are crucial for cell and tissue homeostasis and pose the basis for further studies on the potential application of these effects and the consequences during long-term antidepressant treatment.

Background: In recent years, whole blood parameters and derivatives have been used as prognostic criteria in the course of the disease in various diseases. The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been adapted as an indicator of inflammation and have been widely studied to define the severity of inflammation in some diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between parameters such as NLR, SII, PNI, controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, nutritional risk index (NRI) and with immunonutrition status and disease activity in patients with ischemic stroke of small vessel, large vessel and other etiologies. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the records of 1454 consecutive ischemic stroke patients hospitalized in the emergency department of Gaziosmanpasa Education and Research Hospital from 2019 to 2023. Results: Of the 1350 SVO patients included in the study, 58.8% had small vessel, 29.3% had large vessel and 11.9% had other etiologies. There was a significant difference between the 3 etiology groups for PNI and CONUT. The median PNI was 47.03 (41.33-52.85) in the other etiology group, 35.29 (33.69-37.25) in the small vessel group, and 34.11 (30.23-36.87) in the large vessel group. The CONUT median was 5(5-6) in the small vessel group, 5(4-6) in the large vessel group and 4(4-4) in the other etiology group. In addition, CONUT and PNI were also found to be independent risk factors for death. A negative significant correlation was observed between PNI and NLR (r:-0.692), SII (r:-0.591), CONUT (r:-0.685). Significant correlations were observed between CONUT and NLR (r:0.402), SII (r:0.312). Conclusion: PNI and SII were significantly associated with disease activity. PNI, CONUT and NRI as a more accurate prognostic indicator of nutritional status in patients with ischemic stroke of small vessel, large vessel and other etiologies. NLR and SII may be important predictive markers in the course and prognosis of stroke.

In the contemporary accelerated pace of life, emphasizing the importance of sleep quality is essential for enhancing overall well-being and health. This study investigates the link between poor sleep quality and key factors affecting wellness, such as mental health and eating disorders. Through a cross-sectional analysis involving 407 participants, utilizing established measures including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire Short (EDE-QS), and the single-item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), data was collected and analyzed using SPSS v28 and R-Statistics. The findings reveal a significant correlation (p<0.05) between DASS-21, EDE-QS, and SQS, indicating that individuals experiencing poor sleep quality exhibit higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression analysis highlights low sleep quality as a risk factor for both mental health (OR: 1.071, 95% CI: 1.042, 1.102, p<0.05, low vs. high sleep quality), and eating disorders (OR: 1.047, 95% CI: 1.004, 1.092, p<0.05, low vs. high sleep quality). Overall, these results underscore the critical role of sleep quality in mental health and suggest insomnia as a predictive factor for both poor mental well-being and disordered eating habits. Further research through randomized controlled trials is warranted to validate the findings of this cross-sectional study.

Rates of involuntary childness are on the uprise which can bring high medical costs and emotional afflictions. This review explores the emerging roles of CoQ10 - including the ubiquinol form in fertility. PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar were searched for RCTs, retrospective or prospective controlled studies published between January 1, 2009, and April 31, 2024. The keywords CoQ10, ubiquinol, fer/sub/infertility, ovarian reserve, oocyte quality, ovulation, amenorrhea, polycystic ovary syndrome, sperm quality, seminal fluid, and IVF were used. A total of 15 publications were identified. From a mechanistic stance CoQ10 appears to improve mitochondrial energetics, attenuate oxidative stress and modifications to DNA, proteins, and lipids. Such mechanisms appear to underpin improvements in oocyte quality/fertilization, markers of sperm quality and more broadly PCOS symptoms and hormone levels which can impact on fertility. The role of the ubiquinol form looks particularly promising, which may be attributed to its bioavailability. Ongoing research is needed but there is scope to raise CoQ10 awareness amongst reproductive health experts.

The geographical environment, food culture, and dietary habits are substantially different between the southern and northern regions in China. We investigated the associations with dietary patterns and metabolic syndrome between Chinese adult from the southern and northern regions (North: 1249; South: 1849) using data from the Chinese Health and Nutrition 2009 survey. Respectively, four dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis in the two regions. Each dietary pattern of factor score was calculated for three groups by tertile (T1<T2<T3). In the northern region, the association between the Alcohol and Western pattern and the risk of abdominal obesity (OR: 1.31; 95%:1.01, 1.68), hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.35; 95%:1.05, 1.74), high fasting blood glucose (OR: 1.37; 95%: 1.05, 1.80), and hypertension (OR: 1.55; 95%: 1.45, 1.99) was increased. In the southern region, the Convenience Food pattern was positively associated with hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.53; 95%: 1.03, 2.26), low HDL-cholesterol (OR: 1.96; 95%: 1.12, 3.43), and metabolic syndrome (OR: 1.79; 95%: 1.03, 3.11). The Alcohol dietary pattern was positively associated with high fasting blood glucose (OR: 1.83, 95%: 1.13, 2.97). There are some dietary pattern differences in the two regions. It is necessary to consider the factors of food culture and food intake habits in order to provide nutrition education to Chinese individuals from different regions in the future.

Solvent free copolymerization of epoxides derived from fatty acid esters of waste cooking oil with phthalic anhydride using (salen)CrIII Cl as catalyst and n-Bu4NCl/DMAP as co-catalyst was carried out for the first time under microwave irradiation, where reaction time was reduced from number of hours to minutes. The polyesters were obtained with molecular weight (Mw = 3084-6740 g/mol) and dispersity values (D = 1.18-1.92), when (salen)CrIII Cl/n-Bu4NCl was used as catalysts. While in case of DMAP as a co-catalyst, polyesters with improved molecular weight (Mw = 5537-6925 g/mol) and narrow dispersity values (D = 1.07-1.28) were obtained even at reduced concentrations of (salen)CrIII Cl and DMAP. The obtained products were characterized and evaluated by attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) Techniques.

This study addresses a gap in the literature by conducting a comparative analysis of statistical and artificial intelligence techniques for predicting bankruptcy in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Using a comprehensive database of 7,104 Belgian SMEs, our findings demonstrate that intelligent techniques offer superior predictive accuracy for bankruptcy. Notably, our results indicate that a firm's position in the global value chain significantly affects prediction accuracy, with lower performance for firms operating upstream in the production process. This suggests that bankruptcy risk may spread upward along the value chain. This insight is particularly valuable for practitioners, as it highlights the importance of focusing on specific performance factors based on the type of firms they manage, advise, or collaborate with.

One of the major concerns in structural health management (SHM) is the early detection of a growing crack. Using this, future damage due to crack propagation can be mitigated or eliminated by implementing proper repair and maintenance. Acoustic Emission (AE) is a non-destructive testing (NDT) method with potential applications for locating and monitoring fatigue cracks. The research presented in this paper focuses on SHM using AE. A novel AE signal analysis approach was proposed in order to detect crack initiation and assess small crack lengths. Experimental investigation indicated that initiation of a crack could be identified through the statistical analysis of the resulting features of the AE signals. A probabilistic AE-based model for small fatigue crack sizing was developed and the uncertainties of the model were estimated. In addition, a probabilistic model validation approach was implemented to confirm accurate estimation of the results. The outcome of this research can be used to evaluate the integrity of structures under fatigue loading. The proposed approach can also be applied as an approach to manage health and assess prognosis of structures.

Obesity is a highly prevalent chronic disease characterized by excessive weight gain and fat accumulation. There is growing evidence that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains with bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity are effective in preventing and alleviating obesity. However, few of them has confirmed the anti-obesity effect of BSH by gene deletion. In this study, 23 BSH-positive Lp. plantarum strains were screened by bile salt precipitation halo assay. Among these strains, Lp. plantarum Lp20 showed the highest BSH activity with a hydrolysis rate to glycodeoxycholic acid (GDCA) by 91.62%. Genomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicated that gene bsh1 was associated with BSH activity of Lp. plantarum Lp20 and gene deletion of bsh1 confirmed the role of Bsh1 in GDCA hydrolysis. To investigate if the Bsh1 from Lp. plantarum Lp20 could alleviate obesity, the wild type and bsh1 deletion mutant strains were administered daily for 8 weeks to diet-induced obese mice, respectively. Compared with mutant strain, the wild type strain Lp20 significantly reduced body weight gain, inguinal white adipose tissue and mesenteric fat mass in obese mice. In addition, Lp20 also reduced serum total cholesterol levels and LDL-C by 20.8% and 33.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the recovered liver steatosis was only observed in Lp. plantarum Lp20 treated mice. Taken together, the bile salt hydrolase Bsh1 from Lp. plantarum Lp20 was a key functional factor on ameliorating HFD-induced obesity by reducing cholesterol levels and suppressing adipogenesis in mice.

Background: Despite its global eradication in 1977, smallpox remains a concern owing to its potential as a biological agent, thereby prompting the ongoing development and utilization of its vaccine. Vaccination with the Vaccinia virus induces immunity against variola virus, the causative agent of smallpox; however, this immunity does not extend to viruses of different genera within the Poxviridae family. In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method utilizing Vaccinia virus and recombinant A27L antigen for detecting antibodies against smallpox. Methods. Analysis of serum from 20 individuals pre- and post-vaccination with the CJ strain (CJ50300) revealed neutralizing antibodies, which were confirmed using the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). The ELISA method, validated with a PRNT50 cut-off value of &gt;4, exhibited a sensitivity and specificity of &gt;95% and was particularly reactive with the inactivated virus. Furthermore, adherence to the smallpox vaccination policy revealed significant differences in Orthopoxvirus antibody levels among 300 individuals of different age groups. These findings highlight the reliability and efficacy of the ELISA method in detecting post-vaccination antibodies and contribute significantly to diagnostic methods to prepare for potential smallpox resurgence and bioterrorism threats.

The COVID-19 pandemic over the past years has shown a great need for rapid, low-cost and on-site detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this paper, an aptamer-based colloidal gold nanoparticle lateral flow test strip was well developed to realize the visual detection of wild type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (SP) and multiple variants. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a low detection limit of SARS-CoV-2 S protein of 0.68 nM was acquired, and the actual detection recovery was 83.3% to 108.8% for real world samples. This suggests a potential tool for the prompt detection of SARS-CoV-2 with good sensitivity and accuracy, and a new method for the development of alternative antibody test strips for the detection of other viral targets.

With the rapid developments that have been made in computer vision and computer technology, semantic segmentation of high-resolution images has emerged as a mainstream and challenging task. The, segmentation of water areas remains a complex task due to the similar features between water areas or between water areas and other land objects. Meanwhile, since coastlines and riverbanks are typically presented in irregular shapes, it is difficult to obtain the categories of pixels at boundaries. This paper proposed the use of a Water-Land Boundary Attention Network (WLBANet) to improve the accuracy of pixels at boundaries between water and land. This network also reinforced the performance of contextual information extraction into distinguishing between water areas and other land objects. To prove the validity of this proposed network, WLBANet was performed on the Water Land Dataset (WLD), which is also by this paper, and which contains water areas and other land objects categories. The results demonstrates that the proposed method has significant effectiveness.

Managing a portfolio whose value closely tracks an index by trading only in a subset of the index constituents involves an NP-hard optimisation problem. In the prior literature, it has been suggested to solve this problem using sequential Monte Carlo (SMC, a.k.a. particle filter) methods. However, this literature does not take transaction costs into account, although transaction costs are the primary motivation for attempting to replicate the index by trading in a subset, rather than the full set of index constituents. This paper extends the SMC approach to index tracking to allow for proportional transaction costs and implements this extended method on empirical data for a variety stock indices. In addition to providing a more practically useful tracking strategy by allowing for transaction costs, we find that including a penalty for transaction costs in the optimisation objective can actually lead to better tracking performance.

Abstract: Global ecological concern regarding the transfer of fouling organisms to ship hulls is increasing. This study investigated the species composition, dominant species, distribution patterns, community structure, and life-cycle differences of hull-fouling macroinvertebrates on five research vessels (R/Vs: Isabu, Onnuri, Eardo, Jangmok 1, and Jangmok 2) operated by the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST). Hull-fouling macroinvertebrates were collected three to five times on quadrats from the upper and middle sectors of the hull sides, bottom, and niche areas (the propellers and shafts and the thrusters). A total of 47 macroinvertebrate species were identified, represented by 8,519 individuals(ind.)/m2 and a biomass of 1,967 gWWt/m2 on the five vessels. The number of species, density, and biomass were greater on the coastal vessels the Eardo, Jangmok 1, and Jangmok 2 than on the ocean-going vessels the Isabu and Onnuri. Among the coastal vessels, barnacles were the most abundant and had the greatest density, while mollusks had the highest biomass. Differences between hull sectors showed that the highest species abundance and density appeared on all hulls in ports and bays where the Jangmok 1 operated, while the highest species abundance, density, and biomass were identified in the niche areas of the Eardo, which operated farther from the coast. The hull-fouling macroinvertebrates that exceeded 1% of all organisms were the barnacles Amphibalanus amphitrite, Balanus trigonus, and Amphibalanus improvisus; the polychaete Hydroides ezoensis; the bivalves Magallana gigas and Mytilus galloprovincialis; and the amphipod Jassa slatteryi. The dominant species were cosmopolitan and globally distributed, and many of them were cryptogenic. Six native species were identified: M. gigas, H. ezoensis, the amphipod Melita koreana, the isopod Cirolana ko-reana, and the barnacle B. trigonus and F. kondakovi. Eight non-indigenous species (NIS) were de-tected: barnacles A. amphitrite and A. improvisus, the bivalve M. galloprovincialis, the polychaete Perinereis nuntia, amphipods J. slatteryi and Caprella californica, and bryozoans Bugulina californica and Bugula neritina. Of the fouling macroinvertebrates found on the vessel hulls, 13% were native and 17% were NIS. The nMDS ordination analysis of the five vessels showed four clusters of fouling macroinvertebrate communities: two ocean clusters (the Isabu and Onnuri), one coastal cluster (the Eardo and Jangmok 2), and one local cluster (the Jangmok 1). More diverse communities developed on the hulls of vessels that operated locally rather than globally or in deep oceans. Spearman rank correlation showed that biological indices such as number of species, density, and biomass correlated highly and positively with the numbers of days on coastal operations and negatively with the number days on ocean operations. The species diversity index correlated positively with the total number of anchoring days and coastal operation days and negatively with the total number of operation days and ocean operation days. The macroinvertebrates differed by the area of operation, the port of anchorage, the number of days in operation and at anchor, and the hull sectors. There is no previous research data on hull-fouling macroinvertebrates in the Republic of Korea, and this study provides a basis for future studies to identify introduced species and their differences based on operation area.

The purpose of this study is to establish whether digital literacy and insurtech adoption influence insurance inclusion in Uganda. Principally, we sought to determine whether insurtech adoption mediates the nexus between digital literacy and insurance inclusion. This study adopted a cross-sectional and quantitative correlational approach. The study’s sample was 391 individuals who had used digital platforms such as mobile phones and computers to access insurance products and services in Uganda. Data were collected using structured survey questionnaires. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLSEM) was employed to test the hypothesised relationships. The results demonstrate that both digital literacy and insurtech adoption significantly and positively influence insurance inclusion. We also found digital literacy to be a significant and positive determinant of insurtech adoption. Markedly, it was found that insurtech adoption mediates the association between digital literacy and insurance inclusion in Uganda. However, this study was conducted in a developing country with an underdeveloped insurance market and with low technological advancement. This may affect generalisation of the study findings. This study’s novelty lies in establishing how digital literacy and insurtech adoption interplay to influence insurance inclusion in Uganda. This is the first study to examine the effect of digital literacy and insurtech adoption on insurance inclusion.

This review investigates the multifaceted role of the p66Shc adaptor protein and the gut microbiota in regulating mitochondrial function and oxidative stress, and their collective impact on the pathogenesis of chronic diseases. The study delves into molecular mechanisms by which p66Shc influences cellular stress responses through Rac1 activation, Forkhead-type transcription factors inactivation, and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, alongside modulatory effects of gut microbiota-derived metabolites and endotoxins. Employing an integrative approach, the review synthesizes findings from a broad array of studies, including molecular biology techniques and analyses of microbial metabolites' impacts on host cellular pathways. The results underscore a complex interplay between microbial metabolites, p66Shc activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, highlighting the significance of the gut microbiome in influencing disease outcomes through oxidative stress pathways. Conclusively, the review posits that targeting the gut microbiota-p66Shc-mitochondrial axis could offer novel therapeutic strategies for mitigating the development and progression of metabolic diseases. This underscores the potential of dietary interventions and microbiota modulation in managing oxidative stress and inflammation, pivotal factors in chronic disease etiology.

The Solvency II regulatory framework specifies procedures and parameters for determining solvency capital requirements (SCRs) for insurance companies. The proposed standard SCR calculations involve two steps. The Value–at–Risk (VaR) of each risk driver is measured and, in a second step, all components are aggregated to the company’s overall SCR, using the Standard Formula. This formula has two inputs: the VaRs of the individual risk drivers and their correlations. The appropriate calibration of these input parameters has been the purpose of various Quantitative Impact Studies that have been conducted during recent years. This paper demonstrates that the parameter calibration for the equity–risk module—overall, with about 25%, the most significant risk component—is seriously flawed, giving rise to spurious and highly erratic parameter values. As a consequence, an implementation of the Standard Formula with the currently proposed calibration settings for equity–risk is likely to produce inaccurate, biased and, over time, highly erratic capital requirements.

Background: Modulator therapies improve weight and body mass index (BMI) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. We aimed to compare the nutritional risk index (NRI) in adult CF patients receiving modulator (MT) or only non-modulator (conventional) therapies (non-MT). Methods: A single-center prospective cohort study was conducted between June-December 2023. The NRI based on weight gain and albumin was calculated at beginning and end of a 12 weeks period in both groups. This design was pragmatic, since based on individual patient access to MT for 12 weeks. Results: 107 patients were included [mean (SD) age: 23.85 (4.98) years, 54.7% male, 46.7% MT]. In the MT group, mean (SD) weight (kg) and albumin (g/dL) increased significantly [changes: +3.09 (2.74) and +0.17 (0.37); p

An undesirable sensory attribute (“floral taint”) has been recently detected in red wines in some winegrowing jurisdictions in North America (e.g. Ontario, British Columbia, Washington), caused by introduction of frost-killed leaves and petioles [materials-other-than-grapes (MOG)] during mechanical harvest and winemaking. It was hypothesized that terpenes, norisoprenoids, and higher alcohols would be the main responsible compounds. Objectives were to investigate causative volatile compounds for floral taint, and explore threshold concentrations for this problem. Commercial wines displaying varying intensities of floral taints were subjected to GC-MS and sensory analysis. Several odor-active compounds were higher in floral-tainted wines, including terpenes (geraniol, citronellol, cis- and trans-rose oxide), norisoprenoids (β-damascenone, β-ionone), five ethyl esters, and three alcohols. Thereafter, fermentations of Cabernet franc (CF) and Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) (2016, 2017) were conducted. MOG treatments were (wt/wt): 0, 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 5% petioles, and 0, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% leaf blades. Terpenes (linalool, geraniol, nerol, nerolidol, citronellol, citral, cis- and trans-rose oxides, eugenol, myrcene), norisoprenoids (α- and β-ionone), and others (e.g. hexanol, octanol, methyl and ethyl salicylate) increased linearly/quadratically with increasing MOG levels in both cultivars. Principal components analysis separated MOG treatments from the controls with 5% petioles and 2% leaves as extremes. Increasing MOG levels in CF wines increased floral aroma intensity, and were primarily associated with terpenes, higher alcohols, and salicylates. Increased leaf levels in CF were associated with higher vegetal and earthy attributes. Increased petioles in CS were not correlated with floral aromas, but increased leaves increased floral, vegetal and herbaceous attributes. Overall, petioles contributed more to floral taint than leaves through increased terpenes and salicylates (floral notes), while leaves contributed norisoprenoids and C6 alcohols (green notes).

The growing demand for nutritious foods has spurred investigations into alternative sources of nutrition beyond traditional options. For this reason, the present study approaches the amaranth, which is a plant with high potential, highlighting the morphological growth, grain biomass pro-duction, and quantitative traits of seven varieties of amaranth cultivated in the pedoclimatic con-ditions of Somes meadow in Transylvania. A bifactorial trial was implemented with factors ama-ranth species and amaranth varieties. Two amaranth species and seven varieties were studied. Differences are reported between morpho-productive and quantitative traits of the seven amaranth varieties studied in this research. The interrelationships between amaranth morphological traits quantified by using Pearson simple correlations show that morphological traits moderately con-tribute to grain fresh biomass yield, while morphological traits and fresh biomass strongly con-tributed to grains dry biomass yield. Our study shows that morpho-productive, and nutritional characteristics of the seven amaranth varieties comprised by our study recommend the plans to be used in various nutritional aims, being a valuable replacer of traditional raw materials in specific food and feed industry sectors.

To decrease oral pathogens and increase the number of beneficial bacteria, probiotics and bioactive compounds made via microbial bioconversion are recently used. In addition, the interest regarding probiotics-mediated bioconversion with popular medicinal plants is increasing. These compounds produced during the process exhibit synergistic effect and enhance a variety of biological activities including pathogen inhibition in host. Therefore, we developed bioconverted milk with high inhibitory activity against oral pathogens and α-glucosidase. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum SMFM2016-RK was chosen as the probiotic due to its beneficial characteristics such as high acid and bile tolerance, antioxidant activity, and α-glucosidase inhibition. Based on the minimal bactericidal concentration against three oral pathogens, the following appropriate concentrations of Artemisia herba-alba extract were added to milk: 5 mg/mL of A. herba-alba ethanol extract and 25 mg/mL of A. herba-alba hot-water extract. Four bioconverted milks (BM), BM1, BM2, BM3, and BM4, were produced by combining L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK alone, L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK and ethanol extract, L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK and hot-water extract, and L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK with both extracts. As a result of antimicrobial activity, BM3 inhibited the growth of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis the most, and BM4 suppressed the growth of Fusobacterium nucleatum the most. In addition, bioconverted milk containing A. herba-alba (BM2, BM3, and BM4) inhibited α-glucosidase more effectively than BM1. In conclusion, A. herba-alba-added milk bioconverted by L. plantarum SMFM2016-RK displayed the growth inhibitory effect on oral pathogens and the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, thus it necessitates to evaluate the effects on the alleviation of oral diseases and glycemic control through future animal experiments.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with high risk of malnutrition, primarily in elderly people; assessing nutritional risk using appropriate screening tools is critical. This systematic review identified applicable tools and assessed their measurement properties. Literature was searched in the MEDLINE, Embase, and LILACS databases. Four studies conducted in China met the eligibility criteria. Sample sizes ranged from six to 182, and participants’ ages from 65 to 87 years. Seven nutritional screening and assessment tools were used: the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), MNA-short form (MNA-sf), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), Geriatric NRI (GNRI), and modified Nutrition Risk in the Critically ill (mNUTRIC) score. Nutritional risk was identified in 27.5% to 100% of participants. The NRS-2002, MNA, MNA-sf, NRI, and MUST demonstrated high sensitivity; the MUST had better specificity. The MNA and MUST demonstrated better criterion validity. The MNA-sf demonstrated better predictive validity for poor appetite and weight loss; the NRS-2002 demonstrated better predictive validity for prolonged hospitalization. mNUTRIC score demonstrated good predictive validity for hospital mortality. Most instruments demonstrate high sensitivity for identifying nutritional risk, but none are acknowledged as the best for nutritional screening in elderly COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND Detecting total cholesterol in dried blood spots could aid in identifying individuals with a high likelihood of familial hypercholesterolemia and could be used as a screening measure. This study aims to assess the diagnostic accuracy of dried blood spots on Whatman 903 paper cards using a manual enzymatic technique. METHODS A total of 394 samples collected as serum and dried blood spots were compared. Cholesterol was determined in serum using the automated reference method, while cholesterol on paper was measured using a manual enzymatic method. Within- and between-day diagnostic variability were analyzed. The correlation between both methods was assessed using Passing-Bablok regression and Bland-Altman plot. Internal validation of our correlation formula was performed on 149 samples, along with external validation of the formula proposed by Corso et al. RESULTS The within- and between-day coefficient of variation was found to be lower than 10.14% and 14.09%, respectively. Method comparison yielded an area under the curve of 0.976, with a standard error of 0.009. Passing-Bablok regression indicated a precision of 0.803 and an accuracy of 0.96. Internal validation precision was measured at 0.716. Regarding internal validation, calculated cholesterol with our regression line did not differ from serum cholesterol analysis, while significant differences were observed in calculated cholesterol levels using the external formula. CONCLUSIONS Total cholesterol analysis in dot blood spots demonstrates high precision and reproducibility. This method reliably enables the incorporation of this biological marker into neonatal screening for familial hypercholesterolemia detection.

Deploying search and rescue (SAR) dogs in disaster situations is crucial for effective rescue missions. This study delves into the challenges and obstacles encountered during the use of SAR dogs, particularly focusing on the earthquake that hit Turkey in February 2023. By employing a case study approach, the research explores various factors that impact the efficiency and safety of SAR dog operations, such as environmental conditions, equipment needs, cultural perceptions, and logistical hurdles. Environmental conditions such as extreme weather, hazardous materials, and unstable structures present significant risks to both the dogs and their handlers. The adequacy of equipment, including protective gear and medical supplies, is critical for ensuring the safety and efficiency of rescue operations. Logistical challenges, including the transportation and care of dogs in disaster zones, further complicate their deployment. Cultural barriers also play a crucial role, as perceptions of dogs vary widely across different communities, potentially affecting the acceptance and integration of canine units in rescue efforts. The case study of the earthquake in Turkey highlights these issues, showcasing the successes and setbacks experienced by international rescue teams. The findings indicate that although SAR dogs are invaluable in locating survivors, they face significant dangers, including hazardous materials, extreme weather, and physical injuries. Additionally, cultural differences and logistical issues complicate their deployment. This paper highlights the necessity for improved training, protective measures, and international standards to ensure SAR dogs' well-being and effectiveness in disaster response efforts. The study's implications suggest that addressing these challenges can markedly enhance the preparedness and resilience of SAR teams, leading to more efficient and safer rescue operations in future disaster scenarios.

(1) Background: Second Victims are health care workers negatively affected by adverse events and are prone to developing dysfunctional coping strategies compromising not only their own, but also patient safety. An effective way to address this issue is the implementation of peer support programs. This paper reports on the effectiveness of a peer support program at the Austrian Hietzing Clinic (KHI). (2) Methods: Telephone interviews were carried out after peer support sessions using a questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was carried out reporting frequencies and proportions for nominal variables, means with standard deviations for ordinal and interval-scaled variables. (3) Results: So far, 45 peer supporters have completed telephone interviews after a peer support session. The main reasons for the session were bad news from the private sphere and death of a patient. The peer supporters rated the helpfulness of the sessions for their colleagues as very high while not feeling very burdened themselves afterwards. (4) Conclusions: Underutilization of the program is probable. However, the high rating of helpfulness of the carried-out sessions by the peer supporters in combination with them not feeling very burdened, shows that the program is safe for the peer supporters and an upscaling is warranted.

This study critically explores the legislative frameworks and national regulations of Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia concerning the engagement, training, and responsibilities of search and rescue dogs and their handlers. The goal is to offer a thorough understanding of how these dogs and their handlers are engaged, trained, and managed in each country. By carefully analyzing the legal foundations, the study aims to clarify the rights, duties, and responsibilities of all parties involved, ensuring that search and rescue dog deployments are conducted within a structured and lawful framework. Such an understanding is crucial for improving disaster management and ensuring a coordinated response to various emergencies. The findings reveal that although each country has strong legal provisions for deploying search and rescue dogs, there are significant differences in the detail and scope of these regulations. Slovenia is notable for its detailed guidelines, regular evaluations, and licensing processes, setting a high standard. Croatia benefits from strong institutional support and active international collaboration, which greatly enhances its disaster response capabilities. On the other hand, Serbia, despite having a solid foundational framework, could improve by better coordinating with non-governmental organizations and aligning more closely with international standards. Key areas for improvement include harmonizing standards, enhancing training programs, increasing public awareness, better resource allocation, and adopting new technologies. By addressing these issues, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia can further strengthen their legal and institutional frameworks, ensuring their search and rescue teams are better prepared for disasters. This study emphasizes the need for continuous improvement through collaboration, standardization, and innovation to maximize the effectiveness of search and rescue operations involving dogs.

The North China Plain is among the regions most afflicted by ground fissure disasters in China. Recent urbanization has accelerated ground fissure activity in the three counties of the northern North China Plain, posing significant threats to both the natural environment and socioeconomic sustainability. Despite the increased attention, a lack of comprehensive understanding persists due to delayed recognition and limited research. This study conducted field visits and geological surveys across 43 villages and 80 sites to elucidate the spatial distribution patterns of ground fissures in the aforementioned counties. By integrating these findings with regional geological data, we formulated a causative model to explain ground fissure formation. Our analysis reveals a concentration of ground fissures near the Niuxi and Rongxi faults, with the former exhibiting the most extensive distribution. The primary manifestations of ground fissures include linear cracks and patch-shaped collapse pits, predominantly oriented in east-west and north-south directions, indicating tensile failure with minimal vertical displacement. Various factors contribute to ground fissure development, including fault activity, ancient river channel distribution, bedrock undulations, rainfall, and ground settlement. Fault activity establishes a concealed fracture system in shallow geotechnical layers, laying the groundwork for ground fissure formation. Additionally, the distribution of ancient river channels and bedrock undulations modifies regional stress fields, further facilitating ground fissure emergence. Rainfall and differential ground settlement serve as triggering mechanisms, exposing ground fissures at the surface. This research offers novel insights into the causative mechanisms of ground fissures in the northern North China Plain, providing valuable scientific evidence for mitigating ground fissure disasters during the urbanization process in the region.

The evaluation of crowdfunding campaigns varies from person to person; some investors are more interested in the creativity of the project, and others are more concerned with the profiles of entrepreneurs. The study investigated how entrepreneurs’ face disclosure influenced the success of crowdfunding. Secondary data was collected from multiple crowdfunding platforms for projects in Africa, that is, cross-country data from 54 African countries, to overcome data limitations from a single country. Econometrics analysis revealed that the facial disclosure of entrepreneurs increases the probability of crowdfunding success. Images, videos, and backers had a positive influence on the success of crowdfunding. On the contrary, the duration of the crowdfunding campaign was negatively associated with its success. To reduce the knowledge asymmetry between creators and backers, those prepared to start a crowdfunding project must provide as much information as possible to show their abilities. This study contributes to understanding the role of disclosing an entrepreneur’s profile on economic exchanges in the success of online crowdfunding. The signalling and agency theories support the finding. The findings were limited to crowdfunding projects on the African continent and are not necessarily applicable to some developed countries.

Considering characteristics of high river density, special underlying surface in plain river network region, and municipal drainage system function, river network drainage unit model is proposed, which is defined as a region surrounded by main river or embankment. Flood storage variety and control projects regulation of small rivers in each unit is simulated. With drainage catchment as an object, according to its drainage capacity, simplified municipal drainage model was developed. Coupling river network drainage unit model, simplified municipal drainage model and 2D flood routing model, urban flood analysis model for plain tidal river network region was developed, which could be applied to analyzing flood from upstream river, storm surge and local rainfall. Demonstration research was carried out in Puxi flood protected area in Shanghai.

The global population is at risk of vitamin D deficiency due to low exposure to sunlight and low intake of the vitamin through diet. The aim was to investigate in women the association between vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone (PTH), ultraviolet radiation, lifestyle, ethnicity, social conditions, and residential greenness. A 1-year longitudinal study assessed vitamin D status in 309 women, latitude 51° 14' N. Blood samples were taken four times throughout the year for analysis of 25(OH)D and serum PTH concentration. After each seasonal visit, the individuals completed 4-day diet diaries and used two dosimeter badges for 1 week to estimate weekly UVR exposure. A questionnaire was applied to provide information about lifestyle and their ethnicity. Residential greenness was measured by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), within a 1000 m radius around each participant’s home address. Women living in greener spaces were more likely to have improved vitamin D status (RR: 1.51; 95%CI: 1.13 – 2.02), as well as those who were more exposed to UVR (RR: 2.05; 95%CI: 1.44 – 2.92). Our results provided a first insight into the connection between vitamin D, residential greenness, and lifestyle in a region of temperate climate and with a high degree of urbanization.

Lower respiratory infections (LRI), upper respiratory infections (URI), and nutritional deficiency (ND) in under-5 children from low-middle-income countries has been at a high level for decades, despite efforts that have been realized in some countries. The study used data extracted from the global burden of diseases (GBD) to analyze the trends behavior between 1990 and 2019, and evaluate their association with maternal factors. Between 1990 and 2019, the incidence of LRI decreased between 1.2 percent and 1.3 percent (1.2-1.3%) in different female age groups, and by nearly 1 to 1.3% in those of the male gender. The incidence of URI did not decrease (0.0%) in any of their age groups. ND incidence declined around 0.7 to 4.9% in the under-5 children. LRI declined mostly in the female age groups (1.2 to 1.3%), while ND decreased more in the male gender (0.9 to 4.9%). Maternal risk factors were strongly associated to the incidence of the three conditions with over 90 percent. Maternal prevalence of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis positively impacted the incidence of LRI, URI, and ND in Chadian under-5 children. Although the incidence of LRI and ND declined, URI incidence remained steady between 1990 and 2019 in Chadian under-5 children. To improve the health and provide a healthy growth of under-5 children, the maternal prevalence of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis infection should be strongly addressed for a prompt accomplishment of the sustainable development goals.

A prospective, observational, multicenter, and exploratory study was conducted in 469 gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing elective surgery. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria were used to assess nutritional risk. On admission, 17.9% and 21.1% of patients were at moderate (MUST score 1) and severe (MUST score ≥ 2) nutritional risk, respectively. GLIM criteria used in patients with MUST score ≥ 2 showed moderate malnutrition in 35.3% of patients and severe in 64.6%. Forty-seven percent of patients with MUST score ≥ 2 on admission had the same score at discharge, and 20.7% with MUST score 0 had moderate/severe risk at discharge. Small bowel, esophageal and gastric cancer, and diabetes were predictors of malnutrition on admission. Complications were significantly higher among patients with MUST score 1 or ≥ 2 either on admission (p = 0.001) or at discharge (p &lt; 0.0001). In patients who received nutritional therapy (n = 231), 43% continued to have moderate/severe nutritional risk on discharge, and 54% of those with MUST ≥ 2 on admission maintained this score at discharge. In gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing elective surgery, there is an urgent need for improving nutritional risk screening before and after surgery, as well as improving nutritional therapy during hospitalization

Disasters, whether natural or human-induced, pose significant threats to human lives, property, and infrastructure. This study examines the effectiveness of search and rescue (SAR) dogs in locating survivors during disasters, with a focus on the experiences in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. The primary goals are to evaluate training protocols, operational challenges, success rates, and the overall impact of SAR dogs in disaster scenarios. The findings indicate that SAR dogs greatly enhance the efficiency of disaster response operations. Their superior sense of smell, agility, and ability to manoeuvre through complex terrains make them crucial for quickly locating survivors. However, the performance of SAR dogs is affected by various factors, including the quality of their training, environmental conditions, and the coordination between handlers and dogs. The research highlights several challenges encountered by SAR dogs, such as extreme weather conditions, hazardous terrains, fatigue, and psychological stress. Additionally, limited resources and inconsistent training standards can hinder their effectiveness. The study underscores the importance of standardized training protocols, increased resource allocation, and better coordination among SAR teams. By addressing these challenges, the efficiency of SAR dogs can be further optimized, resulting in more effective disaster responses and higher survival rates. SAR dogs play an essential role in disaster management in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Ongoing investment in their training and welfare, along with improved operational protocols, will ensure their crucial contribution to saving lives during disasters. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the effectiveness of SAR dogs and provides practical recommendations for enhancing disaster response strategies.

Terrestrial orchid tubers are an important source of food in some parts of Africa and are traditionally included in the diets of most rural communities in Malawi. However, there is limited information on the nutritional and phytochemical content of the Malawian orchids to substantiate their traditional use. The present study evaluates the nutritional and phytochemical variation of four orchid species: Disa zombica, Satyrium buchananii, Satyrium carsonii, and Satyrium trinerve, collected from the same ecological zone of Malawi. The proximate content, minerals, phytochemicals, and functional properties were analysed using official procedures. Protein ranged from 2.19% to 4.65%, whereas carbohydrate ranged from 65.24% to 80.22%, with S. carsonii and S. trinerve registering the highest protein and carbohydrate contents, respectively. Iron and potassium were highest in D. zombica, while sodium and calcium were highest in S. buchananii. The total phenolics ranged from 228.56 to 500.00 mg GAE/100 g, with D. zombica registering the highest. The water absorption capacity ranged from 4.10 to 10.88 g/g. Albeit variable levels, the study provides evidence that orchid species contain essential nutrients and phytochemicals important for human nutrition and health. Furthermore, the functional properties can be utilised in the development of food products, such as baked products.

With the increasing interest in CM as a potential source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, there arises a necessity to delve into methods for its processing and drying. Over recent decades, a significant amount of research has been conducted on the chemical composition of CM and its potential health benefits. Consequently, this study is directed towards examining CM drying technology, including an analysis of the influence of different drying methods on its chemical composition and nutri-tional properties. The objective of this review is to systematically summarize the available literature on CM drying processes and their impact on its chemical composition. Special attention is devoted to comparing various drying methods such as freeze-drying, spray drying, and freeze-drying, as well as investigating factors affecting the quality of dried CM. To achieve this goal, we scrutinize a series of studies published between 2003 and 2022 to identify optimal drying methods that promote the maximum preservation of CM's nutritional components and bioactive compounds. Additionally, we explore possibilities for reducing drying time to enhance production efficiency. This research is grounded in the analysis of data from diverse scientific research databases, including Scopus and Google Scholar, encompassing a systematic review of scientific literature and a comparative analysis of the obtained results.

This paper presents the results of quantitative research examining the impacts of demographic and socioeconomic factors on community resilience to disasters. The survey was carried out utilising a questionnaire distributed and subsequently collected online from 321 participants during January 2024. The study employed an adapted version of the '5S' social resilience framework, encompassing five sub-dimensions – social structure (10 variables), social capital (9 variables), social mechanisms (17 variables), social equity and diversity (13 variables), and social belief (13 variables). This customized framework includes 62 indicators, providing a thorough assessment of community (social) disaster resilience in the research context. To explore the relationship between predictors and community (social) disaster resilience in Serbia, their attitudes towards the mentioned five sub-dimensions, as well as their engagement in preventive measures and their perception of resilience to various disasters with a particular focus on demographic and socio-economic impacts, statistical methods including t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multivariate linear regression were employed. The results of the multivariate regressions across various community disaster resilience subscales indicate that age emerged as the most significant predictor for the social structure subscale. At the same time, education stood out as the primary predictor for the social capital subscale. Additionally, employment status proved to be the most influential predictor for both social mechanisms and social equity-diversity subscales, with property ownership being the key predictor for the social beliefs sub-scale. Despite being considered in the analyses, gender, marital status, income level, and number of household members did not emerge as the most significant predictors across the investigated community (social) disaster resilience subscales. The determined mean value of the community (social) disaster resilience index is M = 2.62, and the findings reveal that participants assigned the highest ratings to the social beliefs subscale (M = 2.76), while the lowest values were observed in the social structure subscale (M = 2.46). Findings can be used to create strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing the resilience of communities in Serbia by addressing the intricate interplay between demographic characteristics, socio-economic factors, and their ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from different disasters.

Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras, has the highest number of landslides recorded in the country. In a previous study, landslides were found to be mainly concentrated in areas with colluvium and residual soils. The present study focused on assessing the physical vulnerability of houses and the risk linked to landslides in these types of soils. As an input for this assessment, the study generated landslide risk vulnerability functions based on empirical data. The study's findings suggest that the estimated Annual Average Losses associated with landslides in this region is USD 7.26 million. Moreover, the study developed a novel approach for the spatial and temporal estimation of landslide hazard probability, which overcomes some of the limitations identified in previous landslide risk assessment studies.

Objective: To explore sex differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) related risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and nutritional differences among 40-60 years old Pakistani CVD patients.Design: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study.Setting: The present study was conducted at the Mayo/King Edward Medical University (K.E.M.U) Hospital Cardiology Department (CCU-I & CCU-II), Lahore, from February 2020 to June 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection.Participants: A random sample of 300 cardiac patients was included in the study. Patient records, food frequency questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recall was used to solicit information about demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical measurements; dietary intake parameters; and CVD risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and smoking. Results: Men CVD patients had higher BMI (33.43 kg/m² vs. 28.69 kg/m²) and higher prevalence of hypertension (81.1% vs. 59%), hypercholesterolemia (82.4% vs. 54.5%) and smoked more cigarettes (72.6% vs. 9%) as compared to women while there was higher prevalence of diabetes among women as compared to men (59% vs. 29.4%). There were 85% women vs. 80% men consuming white bread, while half of the men reported using meat daily, as compared to only 16.6% women. There were 51.5% women and 17% men who reported consuming fruits and vegetables daily. There were 40% men and 16% women who reported consuming soft drinks. Conclusion: The study showed significant sex differences in the nutritional status and risk factors of patients with CVD.

Natural risks encompass a range of disasters and dangers, requiring comprehensive management through assessments, anticipations, and advanced alert systems. Our specific focus is on landslides in challenging terrains. The evaluation of landslide risks employs sophisticated multicriteria models, such as the weighted sum approach, integrating qualitative parameters. Despite the challenges of the rugged terrain in Northern Algeria, it paradoxically hosts a dense population attracted by valuable hydro-agricultural resources. Our research is dedicated to studying landslide risks in these areas, particularly in the Mila region, with the aim of constructing a statistical model integrating considerations of both danger and vulnerability. This complex process identifies threats and their determining factors, including geomorphology and socio-economic conditions. The result is a valuable tool for effective risk management, strengthening safety and resilience against natural disasters. By understanding the intricate interplay of geological, environmental, and social elements, our research can contribute to the development of targeted interventions, fostering a more resilient community in the face of natural adversities.

The anthropometric features offer an overall image of the nutritional status. The investigated groups were aged 19 and 21. The anthropometric measurements of height and weight were recorded following standard procedures. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the harmonious body development, the nutrition status and the body composition. The evolution of the stature increases until 20 years after which stagnation follows. The body mass index of subjects was found to be normal. The body fat may vary over time in subjects depending on age and gender. Body water and body muscle mass content increased with age. The harmony of body development was assessed by means of the Amar index. Regarding the constitutional index, the women subjects belong to the leptosome type and the male subjects belong to the picnic type. The status of the investigated subjects is within the average stature.

People with severe mental illness (SMI) are often in poor physical health, resulting in higher mortality and reduced life expectancy compared to the general population. Although eating habits are one of the main predictors of physical health, few studies assess the nutritional status and eating behaviour of people with SMI. The aim of this study was to examine the nutritional status and risk of malnutrition in people with SMI and in need of intensive psychiatric treatment. The cross-sectional study included 65 inpatients and 67 outpatients with psychotic or depressive disorders from the Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zurich. Patients’ assessments at admission included anthropometric measurements, such as weight and height, and interview data including severity of symptoms and functioning (SCL-K-9, PHQ-D, CGI, m-GAF), personal and medical data, nutrition risk screening tools (adapted NRS, MNA-SF) and laboratory values. The results showed that 32% of the inpatients (body mass index [BMI] = 25.3) and 34% of the outpatients (BMI = 27.9) were at risk of malnutrition, which was associated with higher levels of psychiatric symptoms and lower levels of functioning. These results indicate that a substantial proportion of psychiatric patients seem to be at risk of malnutrition, despite most being overweight, and hence they might benefit from nutritional support during their psychiatric treatment. Moreover, nutritional risk screening tools specifically developed for the mental healthcare setting are needed.

Climbing is an Olympic discipline in full development and multidisciplinary in nature, in which the influence of body composition and nutritional status on performance has not yet been clarified despite the quest for low weight in anti-gravity disciplines such as climbing. The present study aimed to do a nutritional (3-day dietary diaries) and body composition (ISAK profile) assessment of sport climbing athletes of different genders and sport levels. The mean age of the forty-six Spanish climbers (22 men and 24 women) was 30 years (SD: 9) with 7.66 years of experience (SD: 6.63). The mean somatotype of the athletes was classified as balanced mesomorph. Negative correlations were observed between fat mass variables and climbing level (p<0.01), and positive correlations with forearm circumference (p<0.05). Mean energy availability (EA) was 33.01 kcal-kg FFM1-d1 (SD: 9.02), with 55.6% of athletes in suboptimal EA status and 35.6% in low energy availability (LEA) status. Carbohydrate and protein intakes were below recommendations in 57.8% and 31.1% of athletes, respectively. There were deficient intakes of all micronutrients except phosphorus in males. These findings suggest that climbing athletes are at high risk of developing low energy availability states and concomitant problems. Optimal nutritional monitoring may be advisable in this type of athlete to try to reduce the risk of LEA.

Cultivated adlay or Job’s tear (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) is an important food crop having numerous therapeutic and nutraceutical health benefits. Our study aimed to determine nutrients, minerals, fatty acid composition, and functional groups of seven wild Adlay accessions (brown, black, yellow, grey, green, off-white, and purple) to find out their scope as cereal crops using simple, rapid, and modern analytical techniques. Results revealed variations among bulk densities, specific densities, percent empty spaces, and corresponding grain counts per 10g of sample are valuable characteristics in distinguishing the accessions. Contents of fat, protein, ash, and fibre were found to be comparable to cultivated Adlay. Brown adlay was measured with the highest protein, fat, and fibre contents, 15.82%, 4.76% and 2.37%, respectively. Phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and sodium ranged 0.3% - 2.2%, whereas boron, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese were in the range 1.6mg/kg - 20.8mg/kg. Wild adlay triglyceride composition constituted of polyunsaturated fatty acids as primary fraction followed by olein and palmitic acid as prominent fatty acids. Distinguishing functional groups expressed infra-red frequencies in narrow bands and fingerprint region of proteins associated with out-of-plane region evident structural differences among adlay accessions. Frequency of functional groups in seven accessions indicated black genotype promising for varietal development.

This study delves into the complex challenges that arise when managing rescue operations in the aftermath of traffic accidents spanning various forms of transportation, including roads, railways, aviation, and waterways. Given the inherent complexity of traffic-related disasters, these events typically necessitate well-coordinated rescue strategies, involving the collaboration of multiple emergency services and the use of specialized equipment. The legal framework set forth by the Republic of Serbia plays a pivotal role in shaping the procedures and responsibilities within these rescue efforts, guiding the allocation of resources, enforcing safety protocols, and ensuring effective coordination between different agencies. Moreover, the incorporation of innovative technical solutions is critical in successfully extricating victims from perilous situations. This paper also underscores the vital importance of preventive measures, particularly in road traffic, which are mandated by national legislation. The establishment of specialized investigative bodies, such as the Traffic Accident Investigation Center, has greatly enhanced the systematic approach to preventing future incidents. By examining the various components of rescue operations, this research highlights the essential role of timely and efficient interventions in minimizing casualties and mitigating the broader impacts of traffic disasters.

Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) plays a vital role in strengthening the resilience of local communities against both natural and human-made disasters. This paper seeks to examine the role of CBDRR in enhancing the resilience of local communities to both natural and man-made disasters. It underscores the critical importance of active community involvement across all stages of disaster management, from preparedness and mitigation to response and recovery. The paper also explores the key factors that contribute to the successful implementation of CBDRR, including institutional backing, capacity development, inclusive strategies, and the use of modern technologies. Additionally, it discusses the challenges and opportunities in building strong partnerships between local communities and external stakeholders, which are crucial for ensuring the sustainability of these efforts. Finally, the paper offers recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of CBDRR initiatives, drawing on insights gained from past disaster experiences. The findings of this study point to the importance of continuous monitoring and evaluation of CBDRR programs to maintain their relevance and ensure their effectiveness as risks evolve. Incorporating lessons learned from past disasters into future planning also plays a crucial role in helping communities enhance their resilience over time. Ultimately, by encouraging collaboration between communities, governments, and various organizations, CBDRR lays the foundation for a comprehensive disaster management framework that is equipped to meet future challenges and supports long-term sustainable development.

Grain quality, cooking quality and nutritional quality traits are some of the major attributes that enhance uptake and utilisation of improved cowpea varieties. Therefore, there is need for a better understanding of the genetic variation and inter-relationships among these quality traits in cowpea to integrate them in cowpea breeding programs. The study was conducted to determine genetic variability among 306 cowpea genotypes for grain quality, cooking quality and nutritional quality traits and to understand the interrelationships among these traits for exploitation in breeding programs. The results showed highly significant differences (P

Background: Over the past decades, efforts have been made to improve the nutritional well-being in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). Due to the correlation observed between nutritional indices and lung function, prevailing recommendations consistently advocate for BMI percentile goals at or above the 50th percentile in pwCF. Recent global trends show a notable increase in overweight and obese statuses among pwCF. This study aims to explore the nutritional status of Italian pwCF. Methods: Data from the Italian CF Patient’s Registry were analysed to assess the proportion of individuals categorized as underweight, target weight, overweight, and obese from 2010 to 2021. Patient-level comparison data from 2021 were also examined to identify potential determinants of overweight and obesity. Results: Analysis spanning 2010 to 2021 reveals a decrease of approximately 40% in underweight status among adults, while the proportion of malnourished patients 90, and lower prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization. Conclusions: Our study confirms the evolving nutritional status landscape among Italian adult pwCF, with a significant shift towards overweight and obesity over the past decade. These trends highlight the need for proactive measures within CF standards of care to adapt and address the changing needs of patients.

The study involved a comparison of the chemical, physical, microbiological, and functional attributes of must extracted from Solaris cultivar grapes cultivated under both conventional and organic farming systems. This study aimed to determine the influence of cultivation methods on various must properties, including the levels of health-promoting polyphenols and health-threatening mycotoxins and pesticide residues. It was observed that the organic grapes hosted a greater diversity and quantity (OTUs) of bacteria and fungi. The predominant bacteria were Sphingomonas (with similar numbers in both crops) and Massilia (more abundant in grapes from the conventional crop). These two bacterial groups collectively accounted, on average, for about 40% of all OTU sequences detected. Lower levels of bacteria of the genera Hymenobacter and Pseudomonas and others colonized the grapes. Among the fungi, Erysiphe and Aureobasidium were dominant, comprising about 50–70% of all detected taxa. Notably, Erysiphe was predominantly found in conventionally grown grapes, while Aureobasidium, Mycosphaerella, and Botryotinia were present in comparable quantities in fruit from both types of crops. No mycotoxins were detected in the must or marc, despite the presence of genes responsible for aflatoxin and ochratoxin biosynthesis in both types of grape juice. The organic must exhibited significantly higher levels of polyphenols and displayed improved antioxidant properties and technological characteristics. Moreover, sulfur and copper used in the protection of the organic plantation passed from the fruit surface into the must. Also, pesticide residues, namely cyprodinil and fludioxonil from conventional cultivation, were detected in the must.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a global health concern driven by factors such as obesity, sedentary behavior, and poor diet. This study uses data from the 2017-18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) to analyze regional and individual predictors of diabetes and predi-abetes. Employing a Bayesian multinomial mixed-effects model, we account for regional varia-bility and individual factors like age, gender, BMI, residence, wealth, education, employment, and hypertension. Our results indicate significant regional differences and associations between de-mographic and health-related factors with diabetes risk. Younger individuals and those with higher BMI are more likely to be diabetic, while hypertension significantly increases diabetes risk. We applied machine learning (ML) models, including logistic regression, decision trees, k-nearest neighbor, linear discriminant analysis, and random forest, to classify diabetic status using these predictors, assessing their accuracy through 10-fold cross-validation. Logistic regression and linear discriminant analysis demonstrated robust performance across various response distributions. Simulation studies further examined the impact of different response distributions on model performance, revealing significant differences in classification accuracies. This approach of esti-mating parameters with a Bayesian model, applying ML for prediction, and conducting simulation studies to explore various scenarios highlights the importance of integrating these methodologies for effective diabetes prediction, providing insights for public health strategies to mitigate T2DM's impact.

The application of antimicrobials in aquaculture primarily aims to prevent and treat bacterial infections in fish. Inappropriate use of antimicrobials in fish farming may result in the emergence of zoonotic antibiotic-resistant bacteria and subsequent transmission of resistant strains to humans via food consumption. From recently, AMR emerged as a significant public health concern in the aquaculture ecosystem and fisheries. The aquatic environment serves as a potential reservoir for resistant bacteria, with aquaculture practices providing an ideal breeding ground for AMR due to the excessive use of antimicrobials to prevent and treat diseases. The mutual inter-connection of intensive fish farming systems with terrestrial environments, food processing industry and human population creates pathways for the transmission of resistant bacteria, exacerbating the problem further. One Health concept, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, enables a holistic approach to address the challenges posed by AMR. By understanding the evolution of such approach, the future of aquaculture, being the important source of a global animal protein supply, can be safeguarded. Risk mitigation strategies for AMR should be based on One Health concept to contribute to sustainable aquaculture practices that protect human and animal health, ensure food safety and protection of environment.

Background: Malnutrition commonly affects patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which contributes to worsening prognosis. Moreover, specific strategies for diagnosing and managing malnutrition in OSCC are lacking. Methods: This retrospective study included 52 consecutive patients with OSCC who underwent surgery at the University Hospital of Palermo (I) from Jan 2020 to May 2023. In-hospital nutritional support was provided by a dedicated team. The patients were compared with a historical control group of 11 patients. The nutritional treatment consisted of standard oral (ON) or artificial nutrition (AN). Traditional measurements, including bioimpedance-derived body composition and volumetric reconstruction of the posterior paraspinal muscles at the C3 level based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-C3), were obtained in 16 patients to investigate sarcopenia. Results: The patients were categorized according to TNM stage: groups A (TNM stages I-III) and B (IVa-IVc). The prevalence of group A patients was 59.6% in the case group and 90.9% in the control group (P

Energy drink (ED) consumption among Israeli-Arab adolescents is widespread. This study aimed to investigate the acute glycemic and insulin effects of EDs in healthy adolescents. Seventy-one Israeli-Arab adolescents (56% girls, average age 16.04±1.03 years) participated in a non-randomized, case-controlled, open-label study. Participants consumed ED (n=36) or a volume- and carbohydrate-matched non-caffeinated soft drink (SD, n=35), followed by a 2 h glucose tolerance test. Blood glucose was measured at baseline and 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes post-consumption (T0, T15, T30, T60 and T120, respectively). Serum insulin concentration and caffeine relative intensity were determined 45 minutes post-consumption (T45). Blood glucose levels peaked significantly at T15 and remained significantly higher at T30 in the ED group compared to the SD group (p=0.005, p=0.017, respectively). Insulin concentrations were substantially higher at T45 in the ED group (t[64]=2.794, p=0.001). This pattern was especially prominent in heavy ED consumers. A positive correlation emerged between the amount of caffeine consumed (mg/kg), blood glucose levels at T15 and T30, and insulin concentration at T45. This study is the first to demonstrate the glycemic and insulin responses to ED consumption in adolescents, suggesting that regulatory measures limiting ED sales to adolescents could improve their health.

The conformity assessment of products or a measured value with the given standards is carried out based on the global risk of producers and consumers calculation. A product may conform to specifications but be falsely rejected as non-conforming. This is about the producer's risk. If a product doesn't meet the requirements but is falsely accepted as conforming, that poses a risk to the consumer. The conventional approach to risk assessment, which yields only a single numerical value for the global risk of producers and consumers, is naturally extended, and utilized for assessing risk in measurement models with linear regression. The outcomes of the two-dimensional extension, along a moderate scale, are the parabolas with an opening upwards. Risk surfaces were obtained through three-dimensional extension over the area limited by the moderate scale and guard band axes. Four models with different ranges of tolerance intervals were used to test this innovative method of risk assessment in linear regression. The corresponding standard measurement uncertainties are determined by applying a simplified measurement model with the use of comprehensive data on the measurement performance and by determining measurement uncertainty derived from consideration of the functional relationship obtained by linear regression analysis. Models that utilize information from linear regression analysis to determine measurement uncertainty are biased towards risks at the edges of the moderate scale. Testing the model's performances with metrics related to the confusion matrix, such as the F1 score, further substantiated this assertion. The diagnostic odds ratio has been proven to be extremely effective in identifying the curve along the guard band axis, along which the global risks of producers and consumers are at their lowest.

Background: Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) believe that diet is a key factor in the pathogenesis of their disease and in worsening their symptoms; they often follow restrictive diets that can lead to malnutrition, anxiety, and stress. Recent studies have found an association between eating disorders and IBD, particularly anorexia nervosa and ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). None of these studies report the association with orthorexia nervosa, that is the obsession with healthy and natural foods. Aim: to assess the risk of orthorexia nervosa in patients with IBD. Methods: 158 consecutive subjects were recruited, including 113 patients diagnosed with IBD and 45 controls. The Donini standardized questionnaire ORTO-15 was administered to assess the risk of orthorexia; clinical and demographic data were also collected. Results: patients with IBD have a prevalence of orthorexia of 77%, significantly higher than the 47% observed in the control group. In patients with IBD, the risk of orthorexia is associated with lower BMI and history of previous surgery. Conclusion: Many patients with IBD develop orthorexia nervosa that impacts the patient's psychological and social sphere, exposes them to a high risk of nutritional deficiencies, and affects quality of life. Further high quality studies are warranted to evaluate the clinical impact of orthorexia and its correlation with clinical features and frank eating disorders.

Occupational accidents, despite continuous safety updates, are still a scourge in the occupational and forensic spheres, constituting, among other things, the subject of a large share of litigation. Demographic data can help to understand the areas where the application of health surveillance is lacking. This meta-analysis sets out to analyze data from studies on accidents at work, focusing on the correlation between the areas in which accidents occur and whether or not personal safety equipment is used, about the different regulations in force. For the selection of the data, a systematic review was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines, with the primary objective of identifying the trend of occupational accidents in specific geographical areas, which differ in terms of the attention paid to preventive aspects. The data we highlighted showed, regarding the type of accident, substantial differences between low-income countries and industrialized countries (stratified according to the Human Development Index) and, an overall indifference as to whether or not individual safety devices were used, revealing that, despite the continuous normative evolution in the field of safety at work, even today, the investigative data on the actual application of the regulations, during accidents at work, is underestimated and little researched.

Cervical cancer is one of the ailments that endangers the health of women all over the world and causes infertility. Fortunately, this disease can be avoided. Both the results and participation rates of the current preventative strategy remain poor. Hence, preventative or early detection methods remain challenging and open. In gynecology and computer science fields, few studies on identifying cervical cancer are based on behavior risk factor and machine learning. Moreover, various social and behavioral aspects might often make it more difficult to detect cervical cancer especially in low‑ and middle‑income countries (LMICs). Accordingly, focus on predicting the presence of cervical cancer through behavioral risk factors is the basic structure of this research. We proposed an approach to classify cervical cancer from a social-behavioral perspective using logistic regression to predict cervical cancer. We got significantly improved outcomes than the existing methods. Moreover, we used feature engineering to formulate less dimensionality as a pre-processing step and optimized parameters to be prepared for classification phase. The results proved that using the logistic regression with regularization type L1 had a promising performance. The accuracy of Logistic Regression (LR) L1 was 97.2%. Such results support the proposed work as a reliable classification predictive tool.

We propose a pricing formula for a defaultable zero-coupon bond with imperfect information under a regime-switching model using a structural form of credit risk modelling. While the value of the firm’s equity is observed continuously, we assume that the total value of the firm is only observed at discrete times, such as the dates of the release of the firm’s annual reports, or quarterly reports. This uncertainty about the true value of the firm results in credit spreads that do not approach zero as the debt approaches maturity, which is a problem with many structural models. The firm’s value is typically defined as its equity and debt; however, we consider the asset-to-equity ratio, an accounting ratio used to examine a firm’s financial well-being. A dependent regime-switching process models the components of this ratio, and the Markov chain represents the states of the economy. The main contribution is to study this problem when the dynamics of a firm’s assets have different parameters with regime changes.

Stroke constitutes a significant public health concern due to its impact on mortality and morbidity. This study investigates the utility of machine learning algorithms in predicting stroke and identifying key risk factors using data from the Suita study, comprising 7,389 participants and 53 variables. Initially, unsupervised K-prototype clustering categorized participants into risk clusters, while five supervised models including Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Light Gradient Boosted Machine (Light-GBM) were employed to predict stroke outcomes. Stroke incidence disparities among identified risk clusters using the unsupervised K-prototype clustering method are substantial, according to the findings. Supervised learning, particularly RF was a preferable option because of the higher levels of performance metrics. The Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) method identified age, systolic blood pressure, hypertension, estimated glomerular filtration rate, metabolic syndrome, and blood glucose level as key predictors of stroke, aligning with findings from the unsupervised clustering approach in high-risk groups. Additionally, previously unidentified risk factors such as elbow joint thickness, fructosamine, hemoglobin, and calcium level demonstrate potential for stroke prediction. In conclusion, machine learning facilitated accurate stroke risk predictions and highlighted potential biomarkers, offering a data-driven framework for risk assessment and biomarker discovery.

Dietary iron assimilation is critical for health and essential to prevent iron deficient states and related comorbidities, such as anemia. The bioavailability of iron is limited, while its absorption and metabolism are tightly controlled to keep body iron stores within a relatively narrow range. Genetic inactivation of the iron hormone hepcidin causes hereditary hemochromatosis, an endocrine disorder of iron overload characterized by chronic hyperabsorption of dietary iron, with deleterious clinical complications if untreated. The impact of high dietary iron intake and elevated body iron stores in the general population is not well understood. Herein, we summarize epidemiological data suggesting that high intake of heme iron, which is abundant in meat products, poses a risk factor for metabolic syndrome pathologies, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers. We discuss clinical relevance and potential limitations of data from cohort studies, as well as the need to establish causality and elucidate molecular mechanisms.

Background: Different investigations have shown an association between the eating behavior of children and adolescents, and their nutritional status. The objective is to identify eating behavior patterns associated with nutritional status diagnosed by anthropometry in a sample of Spanish schoolchildren. Methods: A cross-sectional study in 283 Spanish schoolchildren (6 to 16 years old). Methods: The sample was assessed anthropometrically by Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-to height ratio (WHtR) and body fat percentage (%BF). Eating behavior was analyzed using the CEBQ "Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire" answered by parents or guardians. Results: A positive association was found between excess weight, abdominal obesity, high adiposity, lower scores in anti-intake subscales and higher scores in pro-intake subscales. These were mainly associated with lower satiety response, higher food intake, higher food enjoyment, higher eating speed, and emotional overeating. Conclusion: Our results support the usefulness of the CEBQ as an easy-to-use tool to identify eating behaviors associated with the development of childhood and adolescent obesity. Its use in future research could help to understand behavioral phenotypes in schoolchildren and guide nutrition education and obesity prevention initiatives

Since the 1980s, a growing interest in goat milk was noticed due to the nutritional values and health benefits of this milk, which resulted in increasing goat populations and milk production worldwide. This comprehensive review elaborates on goat milk composition compared to other types of milk. It is also an overview of goat milk production, properties, nourishment-value, applications in dairy products, and potential health benefits. Goat milk composition and its characteristics are slightly different from other types of milk and can be utilized to manufacture many dairy products. Fresh goat milk and goat milk products (e.g., yogurt and kefir were found to provide various potential health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory, prevent cardiovascular disease, anti-diabetic and antihypertensive, strengthen bones, boost immunity, and improve metabolism.

A useful perioperative nutritional therapy for highly invasive esophageal cancer surgical cases needs to be developed. We clarified the usefulness of amino acid-enriched nutritional therapy using glutamine (Gln)/arginine (Arg)/calcium β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) products on the short-term postoperative outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Altogether, 114 patients (Gln/Arg/HMB group) received perioperative nutritional therapy with Gln/Arg/HMB products, and we retrospectively investigated the change in nutritional parameters including skeletal muscle mass, occurrence of postoperative complications, and short-term postoperative outcomes in this group. The results were compared between the Gln/Arg/HMB and control groups (79 patients not receiving the Gln/Arg/HMB products). The incidence of all postoperative complications, sputum expectoration disorder, and pleural effusion of grade ≥III was significantly lower in the Gln/Arg/HMB group (62.0% vs. 38.6%, p = 0.001; 44.3% vs. 28.1%, p = 0.020; 27.8% vs. 13.2%, p = 0.011, respectively). The psoas muscle area and postoperative body weight was significantly higher at 1 month and 1 year after surgery in the Gln/Arg/HMB group than in the control group (93.5% vs. 99.9%, p &lt; 0.001; 92.0% vs. 95.4%, p = 0.006). Perioperative amino acid-enriched nutritional therapy may improve the short-term postoperative outcomes, nutritional status, and skeletal muscle mass of esophageal cancer surgical patients.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the blending and grinding influence over the nutritional, sensorial and sustainable aspects of coffee. To do so, a systematic review of the literature was accomplished. The database for the selection of relevant papers was the Portal de Periódicos da Capes, with remote access via CAFe. For the elaboration of the research, a chronological criterion with period restriction was used, considering the period between 2008-2022, to access all possible works related to the theme of this work. The following terms were used: blending; grinding; coffee; nutrition-al; sensorial; sustainability. To filter the searches, the association of these terms was also used by means of links and word associations. In the terminology, the Boolean operator AND was used to interconnect the terms used. Roasting degree, grinding, and amount of each coffee species impacts the nutritional and sensorial aspects of coffee. And the determination of each blending influences the sustainability of the environment, economic and social aspects of the coffee chain.

This paper systematically discusses the application and development of federated learning in data privacy protection and data value sharing. With the rapid development of global information technology, especially the explosive growth of data from Internet of Things devices, data security and privacy protection are facing unprecedented challenges. This paper first analyzes the growth trend of global data volume and its importance to next generation technologies such as artificial intelligence technologies such as deep learning. Second, the paper provides an in-depth look at the impact of current data privacy regulations on data flows and value creation, particularly the EU's GDPR and China's Data Security and Personal Information Protection Law. Then, this paper introduces in detail federated learning, as a new distributed machine learning paradigm, which effectively solves the contradiction between existing data sharing and privacy protection by protecting individual data privacy and realizing global model collaborative construction. Finally, this paper discusses the combination of blockchain technology and federated learning, and proposes BeFL architecture as a new secure, decentralized and trusted federated learning system, which is expected to provide a comprehensive solution for large-scale data processing and value creation in multi-party scenarios. The research in this paper not only deepens the understanding of federation learning in theory, but also provides important reference and enlightenment for future research and application in related fields.

Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including diet. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Nutritional deficiencies, such as lack of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and B vitamins, during prenatal and postnatal periods can nega-tively impact neurodevelopment and increase the risk of schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia show imbalances in antioxidant enzymes such as: glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and reduced levels of antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C), leading to increased oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA). Cytokine-mediated inflammation, microglial activation, and gut dysbiosis are associated with schizophrenia onset and symptom severity. There is no clear and universally accepted diet for the treatment of schizophrenia, which is considered the most popular. However, various diets and nutritional methods are being researched and applied to alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia and improve the general health of patients, including the mediterranean diet, ketogenic diet, gluten-free diet and DASH diet. A healthy diet rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients can help manage schizophrenia by reducing oxidative stress, preventing complications, and improving quality of life. Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and B vitamins are par-ticularly important for brain development and function. In this review we will focus on the influence of diet on schizophrenia. Additional research is needed to develop per-sonalized dietary recommendations for patients with schizophrenia.

Comprehending the replication kinetics of SARS-CoV-2 variants helps explain why certain var-iants spread more easily and are more contagious, and pose significant health menaces to the global populations. The replication kinetics of Malaysian isolates of the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants were studied in the Vero E6 cell line. Their replication kinetics were deter-mined using the plaque assay, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and viral growth curve. The Beta variant exhibited the highest replication rate at 24 hours post-infection (h.p.i), as evi-denced by the highest viral titers and lowest viral RNA multiplication threshold. The plaque phenotypes also varied among the variants, in which the Beta and Omicron variants formed the largest and smallest plaques, respectively. All studied variants showed strong cytopathic effects after 48 h.p.i. The whole-genome sequencing highlighted cell-culture adaptation, where the Beta, Delta and Omicron variants acquired mutations at the multibasic cleavage site after three cycles of passaging. The findings suggest a strong link between the replication rates and their respec-tive transmissibility and pathogenicity. This is essential in predicting the impacts of the upcom-ing variants on the local and global populations and is useful in designing preventive measures to curb the virus outbreaks.

In the past two decades, several floods have affected people and their properties in Burkina Faso, with the unprecedented flooding occurring in Ouagadougou in September 2009. So far, most studies have focused on Ouagadougou and surrounding localities and have paid little attention to other flood-prone regions in Burkina Faso. Specifically, there is a data and knowledge gap about the flood risk in the Haut-Bassins region, which in turn hampers the development of mitigation strategies and risk reduction measures in communities. This study demonstrates how data collected at the household level can be used to understand flood risk and its components at the village level in this data-scarce region. Using an indicator-based method, we analyze both flood risk and flood risk perception at the village level. Moreover, we determine the factors influencing flood risk perception at the household level using an ordered logit model. We find that 12 out of the 14 villages considered, experience high levels of flood risk. The management of runoff from the nearest urban areas and poorly designed civil engineering infrastructures, such as roads, were highlighted by the households as significant factors that increase their vulnerability. Hence, dependencies in space and between urban and rural areas may play a substantial role in modifying risk. The perceived flood risk consistently exceeds the estimated flood risk, with an insignificant positive correlation between both risk indices. Regression results indicate that flood risk perception is mainly influenced by informational and behavioral factors of the households. The findings of this study can provide valuable information to municipal and regional authorities involved in disaster risk management in the study area. Moreover, the method is transferable to other data-scarce regions

The concept of vulnerable carotid plaques is pivotal in understanding the pathophysiology of is-chemic stroke secondary to large-artery atherosclerosis. At the macroscopic evaluation, vulnera-ble plaques are characterized by one or more of the following features: microcalcification, neo-vascularization, lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC), intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH), thin fibrous caps, plaque surface ulceration, huge dimension determining stenosis, and plaque rupture. Recognizing these macroscopic characteristics is crucial to estimating the risk of cerebrovascular events, also in case of non-significant (less than 50%) stenosis. Inflammatory biomarkers, such as cytokines and adhesion molecules, lipid-related markers like oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and proteolytic enzymes capable of degrading extracellular matrix components are among the key molecules that will be scrutinized for their associative roles in plaque instability. Through their quantification and evaluation, these biomarkers reveal intricate molecular cross-talking govern-ing plaque inflammation, rupture potential, and thrombogenicity. Current evidence demonstrates that plaque vulnerability phenotypes are multiple and heterogeneous and are associated with as many highly complex molecular pathways that determine the activation of an immune-mediated cascade that culminates in thromboinflammation. This narrative review provides a comprehen-sive analysis of current knowledge on molecular biomarkers expressed by symptomatic carotid plaques. It explores the association of these biomarkers with the structural and compositional at-tributes that characterize vulnerable plaques

To better understand effects of agronomic practices on yield-nutrition relationships in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grains for Zn biofortification while improving yields simultaneously, effects of different soil fertilization and different drone-based foliar spraying treatments were investigated. The mixture of Zn or increasing N but simultaneously reducing P in compound fertilizers were all practical to increase grain yields and Zn concentrations in calcareous soils tested. However, the overall effects are limited, with a maximal yield increase by only 7.0% and a maximal increase of the grain Zn density from 19.4 to 27.0 mg/kg, which is far below the target biofortification value of 40-50 mg/kg. Unfortunately, there was a negative side effect, which decreased Fe and Mn concentrations and the Fe bioavailability. Notably, grain yields and Zn concentrations were significantly increased by drone-based foliar Zn sprayings from 7.5 to 8.6~8.8 t/ha by 12.0-17.3% and from 33.5 to 41.9~43.6 mg/kg by 25.1~30.1%, respectively, indicating a double-win in yield and nutrition. A spraying of ZnSO4·7H2O increased grain Zn concentrations and accumulation more so than ZnO, indicating the importance of chemical Zn forms in determining the effectiveness of foliar spraying. Moreover, foliar Zn sprayings simultaneously increased grain concentrations and accumulation of Fe, Mn and Cu, demonstrating multiple benefits. There were positive correlations between Zn and Fe, Mn or Cu, indicating synergistic but not antagonistic interactions. Compared to micronutrients, concentrations of grain macro- and medium nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) were less affected. Thus, a double-win in grain yields and micronutrient (particulaly for Zn) nutrition could be effectively achieved through appropriate soil fertilization and foliar Zn spraying. These results provide a better understanding of the yield-nutrition relationship among wheat grain yields, Zn and other nutrient elements for a better integrated manipulation to achieve a win-win situation in yield and nutrition.

Plant-based proteins, like those derived from hemp and rapeseed can significantly contribute to a balanced diet and human daily nutritional requirements by providing essential nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. According to numerous recent research papers the consumption of plant-based proteins has been associated with numerous health benefits, including reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Plant-based diets are often lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in fiber and phytonutrients, which can support overall health and well-being. Present research investigates the nutritional attributes, functional properties, and potential food applications of hemp and rapeseed protein for a potential use in new food product development, with a certain focus on identifying anti-nutritional factors and bioactive compounds. Through comprehensive analysis, anti-nutritional factors and bioactive compounds were elucidated, shedding light on their impact on protein quality and digestibility. The study also delves into the functional properties of hemp and rapeseed protein, unveiling their versatility in various food applications. Insights from this research contribute to a deeper understanding of the nutritional value and functional potential of hemp and rapeseed protein, paving the way for their further utilization in innovative food products with enhanced nutritional value and notable health benefits.

Severe early childhood caries remains the most common chronic disease affecting children. Its multifactorial etiology has established a controversy about which risk factors were more significant to its development. Therefore our study aimed through meticulous statistical analysis to arrange the “well agreed upon” common risk factors in order of significance, to aid the clinician in tailoring an adequate preventive program for this affected age group. The study reshuffled the risk factors contributing to severe early childhood caries and placed them in the order of their significance as follows: snacking of sugary food several times a day, increased number of siblings to 3 or more, night feeding, child self-employed brushing, mother caries experience, 2 siblings, on demand feeding, once/day sugary food, sharing utensils, 1 Sibling, male gender, father’s education, late first child dental visit, brushing time, mother’s education, no dental visit, decreased brushing frequency & no night brushing.

We estimated the risk of blood clots after COVID-19 vaccination accounting for the roles of vaccination in reducing the infection rate, and indirectly lowering the risk of blood clots caused by infection. A self-controlled case series method was used to examine the association between blood clots and COVID-19 vaccination. To deal with the bias due to under-reported infection among non-hospitalized subjects, a case-control study was used to compare the risk of blood clots in infected subjects to control subjects who were hospitalized due to physical injury. We found increased risks of blood clots after vaccination (incidence rate ratio is 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI): [1.03, 1.24] after the first dose and 1.23, 95% CI: [1.13,1.34] after the second dose). Furthermore, vaccination attenuated the increased risk of blood clots associated with infection (odds ratio (OR) = 2.16, 95% CI: [1.93, 2.42] in unvaccinated versus OR=1.46, 95% CI: [1.25, 1.70] in vaccinated). A causal model was used to explain and weigh up possible risk factors for blood clots after COVID-19 vaccination. After accounting for vaccine efficacy against infection and the protection against infection-associated blood clots, receiving the COVID-19 vaccines decreases the risk of blood clots, especially during high infection rate period.

In recent years, bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics has become a major concern in the medical field. The global misuse of antibiotics in clinics, personal use, and agriculture has accelerated this resistance, making infections increasingly difficult to treat and rendering new antibiotics ineffective more quickly. Finding new antibiotics is challenging due to the complexity of bacterial mechanisms, high costs and low financial incentives for the development of new molecular scaffolds, and stringent regulatory requirements. Additionally, innovation has slowed, with many new antibiotics being modifications of existing drugs rather than entirely new classes. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a valid alternative to small molecule antibiotics offering several advantages, including broad-spectrum activity and a lower likelihood of inducing resistance due to their multifaceted mechanisms of action. However, AMPs face challenges such as stability issues in physiological conditions, potential toxicity to human cells, high production costs, and difficulties in large-scale manufacturing. A reliable strategy to overcome the drawbacks associate with the use of small molecule antibiotics and AMPs is the combination therapy, namely the simultaneous co-administration of two or more antibiotics or the synthesis of covalently linked conjugates. This review is intended to cover and critically analyze the design, synthetic strategies, antibacterial activity and, when possible, the cytotoxicity of antibiotic-AMPs conjugates.

The high genetic diversity of the tomato and its high micronutrient content make this fruit very interesting from an economic and nutritional point of view. The genetic erosion suffered by this crop, due to breeding objectives based on yield and marketing, makes it necessary to return to the origins in search of the nutritional and organoleptic quality lost in traditional varieties. In this study, the agronomic, physical, organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of eighteen F1 hybrids obtained by crossing fourteen traditional varieties, previously selected for their quality, were studied to select genotypes of superior quality that could be candidates for new. All parameters studied were strongly influenced by genotype, showing a wide range between cultivars. Principal Component Analysis revealed the characteristics of each hybrid that made it stand out from the others. Some hybrids (H3, H4, and H6) stand out because of their high concentration of active compounds, others (H16, H15, H10, H17, H9, and H11) because of agronomic performance and high content of β-carotene, and H5 was the only one to contain chlorophyll in their ripe fruits. Finally, the evaluation index allowed the selection of five hybrids with interesting characteristics, combining good yield performance and high quality

A high prevalence of childhood obesity has been observed in the last years. Ultrasound of adi-pose tissue is technique validated in adults in order to detect risk of comorbidity as NAFLD and NASH, but no studies at pediatric population. The main objective is to assess measurement of preperitoneal fat by nutritional ultrasound as a screening method for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children. Patients and methods: Prospective longitudinal study. A study of somatometry, bioelectrical impedancemetry and nutritional ultrasound has been car-ried out. Results : 102 patients were included, with a mean BMI (SDS) of 2.58. A linear and direct correlation was observed between the fat mass measured by bioelectrical impedancemetry and the total subcutaneous abdominal fat measured by nutritional ultrasound. We also observed a correlation between preperitoneal fat measured by nutritional ultrasound and NASH, with a cut-off point of 0.93 cm of preperitoneal fat (sensitivity 96% and specificity 94%).Conclusions: Measurement of preperitoneal fat by nutritional ultrasound is a good screening method for NASH in obese children.

Nutritional status problems in school-age children are a crucial public health problem worldwide. This research explored the relationships between family factors, food consumption behaviors, and the nutritional status of Muslim school-age children in Thasala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. This descriptive research was conducted among 228 children aged 9-12 years. Data were collected using demographic data, nutritional status, and food consumption behaviors assessment. Data were analyzed using descriptive, chi-square, and binary logistic regression statistics. The results revealed that most samples reported having moderately healthy food consumption behaviors (M = 2.01, SD = 0.56). The samples had a normal weight (72.4%), while 15.8% were classified as overweight and obese. The number of siblings and food consumption behaviors had a significant relationship with nutritional status (p &lt; 0.05). Confirmation with binary logistic regression results also revealed that the likelihood of normal nutritional status was 2.40 times higher in children who had 3 or 4 siblings compared to those with 1 or 2 siblings (AOR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.299-4.459). Additionally, children with healthy food consumption behaviors were 2.34 times more likely to have normal nutritional status compared to those with unhealthy dietary consumption (AOR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.183-4.631). Conclusion: Since the number of siblings and healthy food consumption behaviors were associated with nutritional status, healthcare providers must consider these 2 factors when establishing health education and behavior modification care plans to promote healthy food consumption and nutritional status among this group.

Extreme climates such as droughts and hot extremes, may result in marked damage to crop yields and threaten regional and global food security. Maize is a major grain crop in Liaoning Province, severely affected by drought and hot events. The objective of this study is to advance an approach to estimate the risk of crop yield reduction under the compound dry-hot events (CDHE) in Liaoning Province. Results show that the ratio of stations experiencing compound dry-hot events during the twelfth leaf and maturity stage tended to increase on the time scale. On a spatial scale, the frequency of compound dry-hot events in central Liaoning Province was relatively low during the whole and various reproductive periods of maize. In addition to the twelfth leaf, western Liaoning Province is prone to compound dry-hot events. The high-risk area for the occurrence of the compound dry-hot events in maize is Chaoyang City, located in the western part of Liaoning Province, and the cities in the low-risk area account for about 64.3% of the total number of cities in Liaoning Province, mainly in the central and northern parts of Liaoning Province. Generally, this study emphasizes focusing on the impacts of compound dry-hot events on agricultural production and provides an index to assess the risk of compound dry-hot events on maize production.

Environment, forage quality, management practices, pathogens and pesticides influence honeybee responses to stressors. This study proposes an innovative approach to assess colony health and performance using molecular diagnostic tools, by correlating hemolymph proteins with common measures of colony strength, prevalent honeybee pathogens (Varroa destructor and Nosema spp.) and essential elements (iron, zinc and copper). Colonies were selected from four apiaries in the province of Bologna (Italy), located in different environmental and foraging conditions. Haemolymph samples were taken from June to October 2019. The Varroa infestation of the colonies was estimated by assessing the natural fall of the mites, while the bees were tested for Nosema spp. spores using microscopic method. Proteins were separated using SDS-PAGE and colony performance was assessed by determining adult bees, total brood, and honey and pollen reserves. The biomarkers measured proved to be useful for monitoring changes in performance and trophic conditions during summer and early autumn. Significant correlations were found between haemolymph proteins and colony performance measures. A positive correlation between pollen reserves and vitellogenin and hexamerin 70a highlights the importance of these proteins for successful overwintering. In October, Varroa infestation was negatively correlated with total proteins, vitellogenin, apolipophorin II, transferrin, and hexamerin 70a, with negative implications for overwintering; furthermore, Varroa infestation was also negatively correlated with iron content, potentially affecting iron homeostasis.

Background: Current management of COPD is predominantly focused on respiratory aspects. A multidimensional assessment including nutritional assessment, quality of life and disability provides a more reliable perspective of the true complexity of COPD patients. Methods: Prospective observational study of 120 elderly COPD patients at high risk of acute exacerbations. The Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was administered in addition to the usual respiratory assessment. The primary outcome was a composite of moderate or severe acute exacerbations during 52 weeks of follow-up. Results: The median MNA Short Form (SF) score was 11 (8-12), 39 participants (32.50%) had normal nutritional status, 57 (47.5%) were at risk of malnutrition and 24 (20%) were malnourished. Our multivariate linear logistic models showed that the MNA score was associated with dyspnea and respiratory symptoms severity assessed by the Modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, with spirometric variables, in particular with the severity of airflow limitation based on the value of FEV1 and with poorer QoL as assessed by the EQ-5D-3 questionnaire. Cox regression analysis according to nutritional status based on the MNA score showed that COPD participants "at risk of malnutrition" and "malnourished" had a higher risk of moderate to severe acute exacerbations with a hazard ratio (HR) of 3.54 (p=0.002) and 8.20 (p=0.0001), respectively. Conclusion: Our study confirms the importance of assessing nutritional status in elderly COPD patients and its prognostic value.

Microbe bioengineering has the potential to improve the nutritional value and health benefits of food products. Modifying microbial cells to produce specific proteins or compounds that can improve human health is one approach. Penicillin and recombinant insulin are two examples of this. The production of recombinant insulin by genetically modified E. coli bacteria has transformed diabetes treatment by providing a consistent and cost-effective source of insulin. Previously, insulin was extracted from the pancreas of animals, which was an expensive process that frequently resulted in impurities that could cause adverse reactions. Bioengineered insulin is now the standard diabetes treatment, providing a safe and effective method of controlling blood glucose levels. Bacteria, for example, can be genetically modified to produce vitamins like B12, which are difficult to obtain from plant sources. Likewise, yeasts can be genetically modified to produce β-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that is required for vision, immune function, and skin health. Overall, bioengineered microorganisms have the potential to provide significant health benefits by producing essential compounds and proteins. Because of ongoing advances in genetic engineering techniques and understanding microbial metabolism, the possibilities for improving human health through bioengineering are limitless.

Over the past four decades, China has experienced a nutritional transition and has developed the largest population of internet users. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of internet access on the nutritional intake in Chinese rural residents. An IV-Probit-based propensity score matching method was used to determine the impact of internet access on nutritional intake. The data were collected from 10042 rural households in six Chinese provinces. The results reveal that rural residents with internet access have significantly higher energy, protein, and fat intake than those without. Chinese rural residents with internet access consumed 1.35% (28.62 kcal), 5.02% (2.61 g), and 4.33% (3.30 g) more energy, protein, and fat, respectively. There was heterogeneity as regards the intake of energy, protein, and fat among those in different income groups. Moreover, non-staple food consumption is the main channel through which internet access affects nutritional intake. The results demonstrate that the local population should use the internet to improve their nutritional status. Further studies are required to investigate the impact of internet use on food consumed away from home and micronutrients intake.

Background: Rabies, a zoonotic disease caused by the lyssavirus genus, is widely distributed and a significant cause of human death in Africa and Asia. This study aimed to investigate human rabies exposure and associated risk factors in Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: The study encompassed four zones, seven districts, and four kebeles from each district. The research team developed a questionnaire for data collection. Results: A total of 642 households were interviewed. The current study rabies exposure was revealed 10.47%. Over 98% of respondents displayed a strong understanding of rabies, with 99.69% correctly identifying rabies as a zoonotic disease. However, 80% of the interviewees were trusted traditional medicine could treat rabies. Only 21.93% of victims were took post exposure prophylaxis. Dogs were the primary affected animals (87.73%), of this 48.70% was bites by own dogs. Metema district had higher risk (p < 0.001) compared to others six districts. Dog ownership (p<0.05) and a higher number of households (p<0.01) were also identified as risk factors for rabies exposure. Conclusion: Residence, low education levels, high household density, free-roaming dogs, and dog ownership as key risk factors for rabies exposure. Public health awareness campaigns are crucial to emphasise the risks associated with animal bites.

Marijuana is the most used illicit drug among youths in the United States. The objectives of the study were to identify the association between marijuana use and other risk behaviors including suicidality among high school students. The 2021 Mississippi Youth Risk Behavior Survey data sets were combined for this study. Crude odds ratio (OR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval were generated using the survey packages in R to account for weights and the complex sampling design of YRBS data. Tobacco products and alcohol use were significantly associated with marijuana use. Students who responded “Yes” to questions “currently used an electronic vapor product?”, “currently smoked cigarettes or cigars?” or “currently drank alcohol?” were more likely to use marijuana compared to students who responded “No”, after adjusting for other risk factors. Marijuana use is also significantly associated with students who had sex, compared to those who never had sex. The adjusted odds ratio is nearly doubled in those who had sex with the same sex or both sexes, compared to those who had heterosexual sex only. After adjusting for other health risk factors, the association between current marijuana use and attempted suicide was not statistically significant. The impact of students’ not sleeping in their parent's or guardian's home on current marijuana use was not significant after adjusting for other risk factors. Marijuana use is evenly burdened between males and females and between all race categories among Mississippi high school students. The identified associations seem to indicate that electronic vapor, tobacco products, and alcohol use could be the forerunners for drug use and should be treated accordingly in drug use prevention programs.

Oilseed plants of the Brassicaceae plant family are cultivated for food, feed and industrial purposes on large-scale in Europe. This review gives an overview of current market-oriented applications of new genomic techniques (NGTs) in relevant Brassicaceae oilseed crops based on a literature survey. In this respect, changes in oil quality, yield, growth and resistance to biotic and abiotic stress are goals in oilseed rape (B. napus) and camelina (C. sativa). Environmental risk assessment scenarios are developed for specific NGT applications in Brassicaceae oilseed crops with either a changed oil composition or with fitness related traits. In case of a changed oil composition an increase or decrease of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) demonstrates risks for health and survival of pollinators. In case of fitness related traits other risks were identified, i. e. an increased risk of spread and persistence of NGT plants. Furthermore, there are indications for potential disturbance of interactions with the environment, involving signalling pathways and reaction to stress conditions. It is shown that for a comprehensive risk assessment the technological potential of NGTs, the plants’ biology and the scale of releases have to be considered in combination. Therefore, the release of NGT plants into the environment for agricultural purposes will require risk assessment and monitoring of single traits as well as of combinatorial and long-term cumulative effects. In addition, risk management should develop concepts and measures to control and potentially restrict the scale of releases. This is especially relevant for NGT Brassicaceae in Europe which is a centre of diversity of this plant family.

Background This study aimed to identify the prominent risk factors that may trigger danger signals of early onset of vascular deregulation in T1D. The risk factors we have identified may serve as dual-purpose biomarkers of rapid diagnosis that offer prospective tailor-made resolution therapeutics. Methods The healthy control (HC) was compared with individuals diagnosed with T1D for the risk factors of vascular deregulation in published research studies from year 2013 to 2023. The PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were searched from 1/1/2013 to 1/9/2023. The risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane (ROBINS-I ) tool, which is relevant to clinical subjects. A random effect model for continuous data was followed and analysed by RevMan 5.4 and GraphPad Prism software. Results 80 relevant case-control studies having 5293 HC and 7492 T1D patients were included. The age and sex-matched HC consisted of persons free of disease and not under any medication while clinical subjects of all age groups were included. 28 risk factors were grouped into six primary outcome models, all of which favoured the T1D synonymous with a high risk of CVD. Conclusions Our findings have strong implications for improving the quality of life and health economics related to vascular disease in T1D. HbA1c% is the most effective biomarker, followed by FBG, LDL-C, and AI% which the clinicians could evaluate using a simple blood test or non-invasive techniques. (Protocol registered at https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ CRD42022384636).

Obesity is a risk factor for the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). However, the most optimal type of nutritional intervention to prevent GDM in high-risk women is not clearly defined. This study investigates if nutritional treatment based on the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) before 12th gestational week (GW) in women at high risk due to a body mass index (BMI)≥25kg/m2, reduces the rate of GDM and metabolic syndrome (MetS) at 3 years postpartum. We performed a post-hoc analysis of the San Carlos Gestational Prevention Study. A total of 735 women with BMI≥25kg/m2 were evaluated between 2015-2018, 246 in standard diet control group (CG) and 489 in MedDiet intervention group (IG). The rate of GDM was significantly lower in IG compared to CG (25.1%vs31.7%;p=0.037). Postnatal follow-up was completed by 141 women in CG (57%) and 312 women in IG (64%). At 3 years postpartum, we observed a reduction (relative risk 95% confidence interval) in the rates of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) (0.51 (0.28-0.92);p=0.019), obesity (0.51 (0.28-0.92),p=0.041), waist circumference (WC)≥89.5cm (0.54 (0.31-0.94);p=0.022) and MetS (0.56 (0.33-0.94);p=0.003). MedDiet reduces the rate of GDM and postpartum MetS in women with BMI)≥25kg/m2, suggesting that its implementation should be routinely recommended from the first GWs.

Obesity has increasingly become a worldwide epidemic, as demonstrated by epidemiological and clinical studies. Obesity may lead to development of a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), such as coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, heart failure (HF), cerebrovascular disease, atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death (SCD). In addition to hypertension, there are other cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs) such as visceral adiposity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, elevated levels of fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein and others, all of which increase the risk of CVD events. Mechanisms involved between obesity and CVD mainly include insulin resistance, oxidative stress, inflammation, and adipokines dysregulation, which cause maladaptive structural and functional alterations of the heart, particularly left ventricular (LV) remodeling and diastolic dysfunction. Natural products of plants, provide a diversity of nutrients and different bioactive compounds, including phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, carotenoids, anthocyanins, vitamins, minerals, fibers, and others, which possess a wide range of biological activities including antihypertensive, antilipidemic, antidiabetic, and other activities, thus conferring cardiometabolic benefits. In this review, we discussed the main therapeutic interventions using extracts from herbs and plants in preclinical and clinical trials with protective properties targeting CRFs. Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets of herbs and plants extracts for the prevention and treatment of CRFs are also reviewed.

Background: Nutritional status and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis and persistence of long COVID, but data in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are limited. The present study aimed to investigate the association between pre-infection nutritional status, oxidative stress, and one-year long COVID persistence in HD patients. Methods: This prospective observational cohort study enrolled 115 HD patients with confirmed COVID-19. Nutritional status was assessed using the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score twice: before infection and three months post-infection. Oxidative markers included malondialdehyde (MDAs), ceruloplasmin, transferrin, and sulfhydryl groups. The endpoint was one-year long COVID persistence. Results: Moderate pre-infection CONUT scores were associated with heightened severe undernutrition risk (p &lt; 0.0001), elevated MDAs (p &lt; 0.0001), and reduced ceruloplasmin levels (p = 0.0009) at three months post-COVID-19 compared to light CONUT scores. Pre-infection CONUT score independently predicted post-COVID oxidative damage [OR 2.3 (95%CI 1.2; 4.6), p &lt; 0.0001] and one-year long COVID persistence [HR 4.6 (95%CI 1.4; 9.9), p &lt; 0.0001], even after adjusting for potential confounders. Conclusion: Moderate pre-infection undernutrition in patients undergoing HD associated with increased post-COVID oxidative stress intensity and heightened risk of one-year long COVID persistence.

Traditionally, overnight fasting before elective surgery has been the routine in medical practice for risk reduction of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents. Several original study and international societies recommend a 2‐h preoperative fast for clear fluids and a 6‐h fast for solids in most elective patients. We conducted a narrative review of the literature, searching electronic databases (Medline and CINAHL). We used PICO approach. The results of our review suggest that nutrition support in the perioperative period is very important to reduce length of hospital stay and reduced postoperative complication.

This paper aims to develop a hierarchical risk assessment model using the newly-developed evidential reasoning (ER) rule, which constitutes a generic conjunctive probabilistic reasoning process. In this paper, we first provide a brief introduction to the basics of the ER rule and emphasize the strengths for representing and aggregating uncertain information from multiple experts and sources. Further, we discuss the key steps of developing the hierarchical risk assessment framework systematically, including (1) formulation of risk assessment hierarchy, (2) representation of both qualitative and quantitative information, (3) elicitation of attribute weights and information reliabilities, (4) aggregation of assessment information using the ER rule and (5) quantification and ranking of risks using utility-based transformation. The proposed hierarchical risk assessment framework can potentially be implemented to various complex and uncertain systems. A case study on the fire/explosion risk assessment of marine vessels demonstrates the applicability of the proposed risk assessment model.

This study comprehensively explores Serbia's Disaster (Risk) Management System, aiming to critically evaluate its inherent strengths and weaknesses. Using descriptive-analytical methods and qualitative interpretation, SWOT analysis was applied to collect data from scientific papers, books, and institutional reports. This study delves deeply into the nuances of Serbia's Disaster Management Framework, revealing a nuanced landscape of strengths, weaknesses, and strategic improvement opportunities. Identified strengths underscore a robust foundation characterized by proficient professionals, state-of-the-art technology, and cohesive teamwork, all pivotal for effective emergency preparedness and response. Conversely, weaknesses underscore pressing imperatives for enhancements in regulatory enforcement, resource allocation, and infrastructure upgrades, presently hampering the framework's efficacy and response readiness. This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on disaster risk management and serves as a catalyst for further scholarly inquiry and policy formulation. By mapping out the structure of Serbia’s Disaster (Risk) Management Framework and integrating diverse data sources, the study enriches theoretical models and lays the groundwork for practical policy interventions. Its findings, including precise recommendations for policy reform and strategic improvements, provide valuable insights for policymakers, emergency management experts, and stakeholders seeking to enhance disaster preparedness and response capabilities on both national and global scales.

In today's highly digitized and globalized financial environment, the need to protect payment systems from risk is more urgent than ever. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is rapidly becoming a key tool in this space, with machine learning algorithms, big data analytics, and real-time monitoring enabling AI to effectively detect and prevent fraudulent activity, optimize risk management processes, and deliver intelligent services. AI not only improves the security and efficiency of payment systems, but also significantly improves customer satisfaction and loyalty. With the continuous development of AI technology and financial payment technology, the financial payment industry will usher in more innovations and changes in the future, further optimizing the payment process, improving payment efficiency, and ensuring payment security.

Background: The management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) focuses on dietary interventions, physical activity, and pharmacological therapy. Strategies that enhance adherence to the diet could play a pivotal role in managing this population. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of outpatient nutritional guidance supplemented by digital media with exclusively standard outpatient nutritional guidance in pregnant women with GDM. Methods: This was a randomized, patient-blinded clinical trial conducted at the Diabetes and Pregnancy outpatient clinic from February 2021 to January 2023. Pregnant women with GDM were randomly allocated into two groups: the Control Group (CG) received exclusively outpatient nutritional guidance, and the Intervention Group (IG) received outpatient nutritional guidance along with reminders via WhatsApp. Dietary intake (calories, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and fibers) was evaluated using 24-hour dietary recalls (24HR). Glycemic control and the need for pharmacological treatment were also assessed. Mann-Whitney tests were applied to numerical variables, and Fisher's exact test or Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables. Results: 81 women were included, 34 allocated to the CG, and 47 to the IG. Patients were followed for a period of 4 to 8 weeks. Few differences were observed in glycemic control between the two groups over the follow-up period. There were no statistical differences in pharmacological therapy (p=0.498); 188 24HR were conducted in the CG and 290 in the IG. A statistically significant increase in lipid intake was observed in the IG over the follow-up period compared to the CG (p

Floods are a common natural disaster whose severity in terms of duration, water resource volume, peak and accumulated rainfall-based damage are likely to differ significantly for different geographical regions. In this paper, we first propose a novel hourly flood index (SWRI24−hr−S), derived from normalising the existing 24-hourly water resources index (WRI24−hr−S) in literature, to monitor flash flood risks on an hourly scale. The proposed SWRI24−hr−S is adopted to identify a flood situation and derive its characteristics, such as the duration (D), volume (V) and peak (Q). The comprehensive result analysis establishes the practical utility of SWRI24−hr−S in identifying flood situations at seven study sites in Fiji between 2014 and 2018 and deriving their characteristics (i.e., D, V, and Q). Secondly, this study develops a vine copula-probabilistic risk analysis system that models the joint distribution of flood characteristics (i.e., D, V, and Q) to extract their joint exceedance probability for the seven study sites in Fiji, enabling probabilistic flood risk assessment. The vine copula approach, particularly suited to Fiji’s study sites, introduces a novel probabilistic framework for flood risk assessment. The results show moderate differences in the spatial patterns of joint exceedance probability of flood characteristics in different combination scenarios generated by the proposed vine copula approach. In the worst-case scenario, the probability of any flood event occurring where the flood volume, peak and duration are likely to exceed the 95th-quantile value (representing an extreme flood event) is found to be less than 5% for all study sites. The proposed hourly flood index and the vine copula approach can be feasible and cost-effective tools for flood risk monitoring and assessment. The methodologies proposed in this study can be applied to other data-scarce regions where only rainfall data is available, offering crucial information for flood risk monitoring, assessment, and the development of effective mitigation strategies.

Background: this interventional pilot study aimed to evaluate the short-term (3 years) efficacy of focal laser ablation (FLA) in treating the index lesion of low-intermediate risk prostate cancer, along with assessing the safety of the procedure (ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT04045756). Methods: forty patients aged between 46 and 86 with histologically proven organ-confined prostate cancer and low to intermediate progression risk were included. FLA was performed under percutaneous fusion magnetic resonance/ultrasound guidance in a Day Hospital setting under local anesthesia. Patients underwent regular clinical assessments, PSA measurements, post-procedure MRI scans, and biopsies at 36 months or if positive findings were detected earlier. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess trends in PSA levels and cavity dimensions over time. Results: forty patients were initially included, with 15 lost to follow-up. At 36 months, a mean PSA reduction of 60% was observed, and 80% of MRI scans showed no signs of in-field clinically significant residual/recurrent cancer. Biopsies at 36 months revealed no malignant findings in 20 patients. No deterioration in sexual function or urinary symptoms was recorded. Conclusions: FLA appears to be safe, feasible and effective in the index lesion treatment of low-intermediate risk prostate cancer, with a high rate of tumor eradication and preservation of quality of life.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 90-95% of all kidney cancers in adults, with the clear cell RCC (ccRCC) the most frequently identified subtype. RCC is known for its responsiveness to immunotherapy, making it an area of significant research interest. Immune checkpoint (IC) molecules, which regulate immune surveillance, are established therapeutic targets in RCC. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of polymorphisms in genes HVEM and CD160 on susceptibility to ccRCC and patient overall survival (OS) with over a ten-year period of observation. We genotyped three HVEM single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): rs1886730, rs2234167, and rs8725, and two CD160 SNPs: rs744877 and rs2231375, in 238 ccRCC patients and 521 controls. Our findings indicated that heterozygosity within rs2231375 and/or rs2234167 increases ccRCC risk. Furthermore, in women, heterozygosity within additional HVEM SNPs, rs8725 and rs1886730, is associated with an increased ccRCC risk. The presence of a minor allele for rs1886730, rs2234167, rs8725, and rs2231375 was also correlated with certain clinical features of the disease. Moreover, the rs1886730 SNP was found to be associated with patients' OS. In conclusion, our study highlights an association between HVEM and CD160 polymorphisms and the risk of developing ccRCC as well as patient’s OS.

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) after heart transplantation (HT) remains a significant clinical issue. The study aimed to explore its incidence, trends, outcomes and clinical predictors of GIB in HT patients. Adult patients who underwent HT between 2015 and 2021 at Union Hospital were recruited and divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of postoperative GIB. Primary outcomes were evaluated by follow-up. Independent predictors of GIB after HT were identified by logistic regression analysis. A nomogram prediction model was constructed according to these independent variables, and the accuracy of the model was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the calibration curve. Among 461 patients, 40 (8.7%) developed GIB post-HT. HT patients with postoperative GIB exhibited higher in-hospital, 30-day, 90-day and 1-year mortality (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis identified age, preoperative warfarin, postoperative continuous renal replacement therapy and postoperative nasogastric tube as independent risk factors for GIB following HT. The nomogram prediction model was performed using the 4 variables. The area under the curve (AUC) of this model was 0.852(95% CI: 0.787-0.917, P < 0.001) and the calibration curve was close to the ideal diagonal line. GIB following HT is associated with a poor clinical prognosis. The constructed nomogram, incorporating its independent risk factors, demonstrated a favorable predictive value for GIB.

To reduce the risk factors for mortality, the paper has focused on the assessment of the socioeconomic, clinical, physical, biophysiological, and biochemical characteristics of Down's syndrome which can be affected by the type of nutrition system, toxicity, and ecological footprint. Patients were males with trisomy 21 diagnosed by karyotype test and assessed by clinical examinations. Samples were collected from different biofluids. The physicochemical analyses of the biomatrix samples were performed and these properties had compared to findings of healthy males and age-matched controls. Duraphat application was proved effective for their oral treatment and saliva was the optimum biomarker for detecting malnutrition. Patients were hypersensitive to Cu while the Mn content in blood and hair was considered an expression to the degree of epileptic condition and chronic seizure development. The ecological footprint was 5.6 gha and carbon footprint was recognised in food poverty habits. These can be reduced by eating more plant-based proteins and fibre-rich foods with low saturated fats and sodium. The findings provide an up-to-date reference for expected developmental outcomes in children with DS in terms of biophysicochemistry. The genetically sensitive intervention is affected by heredity factor and sensitivity to toxics. Down's syndrome is encouraged to live green-hipster life.

Abnormalities in male fertility constitute about 50% of all infertility causes. According to some data, the quality of human semen has deteriorated by 50-60 % over the last 40 years. A high-fat diet and obesity, the development of which is encouraged by the western lifestyle, affects the structure of spermatozoa, but also the development of the offspring and their health in later stages of life. In obese individuals, disorders on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis are observed, as well as elevated oestrogen levels with simultaneous decrease of testosterone, LH and FSH hormone levels. Healthy dietary models clearly correlate with better sperm quality and a smaller risk of abnormalities in parameters, such as sperm count, sperm concentration and motility, as well as lower sperm DNA fragmentation. Apart from mineral components such as zinc and selenium, the role of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins should be emphasized, since their action will be based primarily on the minimization of oxidative stress and inflammation process. Additionally, the incorporation of carnitine supplements and coenzyme Q10 in therapeutic intervention seems also promising. Therefore, it is advisable to have a varied and balanced diet based on vegetables and fruit, fish and seafood, nuts, seeds, whole-grain products, poultry and low-fat dairy products.