Influence of Different Chemical Preservatives and Local Preservation Methods of Drying Apricot

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different apricot drying methods of Local and Turkey on the overall quality of sun-dried apricot stored at ambient temperature for period of three months. In Local method, the fruit before drying is destoned and cut in two pieces, while in Turkey the destoned whole fruit is used for drying. For packing of the samples white glassy bags were used. The treatments were T0 (Local Method + Unpacked), T1 (Local Method + Packed), T2 (Local Method + Sulfur dioxide + Unpacked), T3 (Local Method + Sulfur dioxide + Packed), T4 (Turkey Method + Unpacked), T5 (Turkey Method + Packed), T6 (Turkey Method + Sulfur dioxide + Unpacked), T7 (Turkey Method + Sulfur dioxide + packed). The samples were analysed physico-chemically (TSS, ascorbic acid content, moisture content, acidity, pH and dry solids), microbially (Total fungal count) organoleptically (color, flavor and texture) and overall acceptability at each 15 days interval of storage. At three months storage TSS (30.80 oBx) was slightly reduced in all unpacked samples. Moisture content (18.50 %) was slightly increased in unpacked samples (T0, T2, T4, T6) and slightly reduced in packed samples (T1, T3, T5, T7). Ascorbic acid content (16.80 mg/100 g) was reduced in unpacked and packed samples, the loss was more in unpacked samples. Titratable acidity (0.40%) was slightly enhanced in all samples. pH (5.20) was reduced (4.4) in all samples. Dry solid (81.60) was slightly reduced in unpacked samples and increased in packed samples. Sun dried apricots samples were analysed for total microbial growth. Maximum growth was found in sample T0 (1163.0 cfu/g) and minimum in T7 (35.14 cfu/g). These samples were sensory evaluated. Maximum score for colour was obtained by T7 (7.86 – 7.20) and minimum by T0 (5 - 4). For taste maximum score was obtained by T5 (8.6 – 8.0) and minimum by T2 (5.6 – 4.6). Texture maximum score was obtained by T7 (7.0 – 5.6) and minimum by T0 (6.0 – 4.2). For overall acceptability maximum score was obtained by T5 (7.53 – 6.36) and minimum by T0 (5.73 – 4.53). Statistical analysis of all the treatments stored for three months at ambient temperature was found significant (p<0.05) except storage effect on moisture content and dry solids. Keywords: Local Methods, Quality, Sun-Dried Apricot, Physico-Chemically Analysis, Organoleptically Analysi

Assessment of Biodegradable Magnesium Alloys for Enhanced Mechanical and Biocompatible Properties

Biomaterials have been used for more than a century in the human body to improve body functions and replace damaged tissues. Currently approved and commonly used metallic biomaterials such as, stainless steel, titanium, cobalt chromium and other alloys have been found to have adverse effects leading in some cases, to mechanical failure and rejection of the implant. The physical or chemical nature of the degradation products of some implants initiates an adverse foreign body reaction in the tissue. Some metallic implants remain as permanent fixtures, whereas others such as plates, screws and pins used to secure serious fractures are removed by a second surgical procedure after the tissue has healed sufficiently. However, repeat surgical procedures increase the cost of health care and the possibility of patient morbidity. This study focuses on the development of magnesium based biodegradable alloys/metal matrix composites (MMCs) for orthopedic and cardiovascular applications. The Mg alloys/MMCs possessed good mechanical properties and biocompatible properties. Nine different compositions of Mg alloys/MMCs were manufactured and surface treated. Their degradation behavior, ion leaching, wettability, morphology, cytotoxicity and mechanical properties were determined. Alloying with Zn, Ca, HA and Gd and surface treatment resulted in improved mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, reduced cytotoxicity, lower pH and hydrogen evolution. Anodization resulted in the formation of a distinct oxide layer (thickness 5-10 μm) as compared with that produced on mechanically polished samples (~20-50 nm) under ambient conditions. It is envisaged that the findings of this research will introduce a new class of Mg based biodegradable alloys/MMCs and the emergence of innovative cardiovascular and orthopedic implant devices

Beyond Information Provision: Analysis of the Roles of Structure and Agency in COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence in Ethnic Minority Communities

People from Black and Asian backgrounds are more likely to die from COVID-19 but less likely to be vaccinated, threatening to exacerbate health inequalities already experienced by ethnic minority groups. The literature suggests that mistrust rooted in structural inequality (including socioeconomic position and experience of racism) may be a key barrier to COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Understanding and addressing structural inequality is likely to lead to longer-term impacts than information alone. The aim of this study is to draw on health and sociological theories of structure and agency to inform our understanding of how structural factors influence vaccine confidence. We conducted qualitative interviews and focus groups with 22 people from London and the surrounding areas from December 2021 to March 2022. Fourteen participants were members of the public from ethnic minority backgrounds, and seven were professionals working with the public to address concerns and encourage vaccine uptake. Our findings suggest that people from ethnic minority backgrounds make decisions regarding COVID-19 vaccination based on a combination of how they experience external social structures (including lack of credibility and clarity from political authority, neglect by health services, and structural racism) and internal processes (weighing up COVID-19 vaccine harms and benefits and concerns about vaccine development and deployment). We may be able to support knowledge accumulation through the provision of reliable and accessible information, particularly through primary and community care, but we recommend a number of changes to research, policy and practice that address structural inequalities. These include working with communities to improve ethnicity data collection, increasing funding allocation to health conditions where ethnic minority communities experience poorer outcomes, greater transparency and public engagement in the vaccine development process, and culturally adapted research recruitment processes

A numerical study of dynamic capillary pressure effect for supercritical carbon dioxide-water flow in porous domain

Numerical simulations for core-scale capillary pressure (Pc)–saturation (S) relationships have been conducted for a supercritical carbon dioxide-water system at temperatures between 35°C and 65°C at a domain pressure of 15 MPa as typically expected during geological sequestration of CO2. As the Pc-S relationships depend on both S and time derivative of saturation (∂S / ∂t) yielding what is known as the ‘dynamic capillary pressure effect’ or simply ‘dynamic effect’, this work specifically attempts to determine the significance of these effects for supercritical carbon dioxide-water flow in terms of a coefficient, namely dynamic coefficient (τ). The coefficient establishes the speed at which capillary equilibrium for supercritical CO2-water flow is reached. The simulations in this work involved the solution of the extended version of Darcy’s law which represents the momentum balance for individual fluid phases in the system, the continuity equation for fluid mass balance, as well as additional correlations for determining the capillary pressure as a function of saturation, and the physical properties of the fluids as a function of temperature. The simulations were carried for 3D cylindrical porous domains measuring 10 cm in diameter and 12 cm in height. τ was determined by measuring the slope of a best-fit straight line plotted between (i) the differences in dynamic and equilibrium capillary pressures (Pc,dyn – Pc,equ) against (ii) the time derivative of saturation (dS/dt), both at the same saturation value. The results show rising trends for τ as the saturation values reduce, with noticeable impacts of temperature at 50% saturation of aqueous phase. This means that the time to attain capillary equilibrium for the CO2-water system increases as the saturation decreases. From a practical point view, it implies that the time to capillary equilibrium during geological sequestration of CO2 is an important factor and should be accounted for while simulating the flow processes, e.g., to determine the CO2 storage capacity of a geological aquifer. In this task, one would require both the fundamental understanding of the dynamic capillary pressure effects for supercritical CO2-water flow as well as τ values. These issues are addressed in this article

En bloc excision and autogenous fibular reconstruction for aggressive giant cell tumor of distal radius: a report of 12 cases and review of literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Giant cell tumor (GCT) of distal radius follows a comparatively aggressive behaviour. Wide excision is the management of choice, but this creates a defect at the distal end of radius. The preffered modalities for reconstruction of such a defect include vascularized/non-vascularized bone graft, osteoarticular allografts and custom-made prosthesis. We here present our experience with wide resection and non-vascularised autogenous fibula grafting for GCT of distal radius.</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>Twelve patients with a mean age of 34.7 years (21-43 years) with Campanacci Grade II/III GCT of distal radius were managed with wide excision of tumor and reconstruction with ipsilateral nonvascularised fibula, fixed with small fragment plate to the remnant of the radius. Primary autogenous iliac crest grafting was done at the fibuloradial junction in all the patients.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean follow up period was 5.8 years (8.2-3.7 years). Average time for union at fibuloradial junction was 33 weeks (14-69 weeks). Mean grip strength of involved side was 71% (42-86%). The average range of movements were 52° forearm supination, 37° forearm pronation, 42° of wrist palmerflexion and 31° of wrist dorsiflexion with combined movements of 162°. Overall revised musculoskeletal tumor society (MSTS) score averaged 91.38% (76.67-93.33%) with five excellent, four good and three satisfactory results. There were no cases with graft related complications or deep infections, 3 cases with wrist subluxation, 2 cases with non union (which subsequently united with bone grafting) and 1 case of tumor recurrence.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although complication rate is high, autogenous non-vascularised fibular autograft reconstruction of distal radius can be considered as a reasonable option after en bloc excision of Grade II/III GCT.</p

Beyond information provision : analysis of the roles of structure and agency in COVID-19 vaccine confidence in ethnic minority communities

People from Black and Asian backgrounds are more likely to die from COVID-19 but less likely to be vaccinated, threatening to exacerbate health inequalities already experienced by ethnic minority groups. The literature suggests that mistrust rooted in structural inequality (including socioeconomic position and experience of racism) may be a key barrier to COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Understanding and addressing structural inequality is likely to lead to longer-term impacts than information alone. The aim of this study is to draw on health and sociological theories of structure and agency to inform our understanding of how structural factors influence vaccine confidence. We conducted qualitative interviews and focus groups with 22 people from London and the surrounding areas from December 2021 to March 2022. Fourteen participants were members of the public from ethnic minority backgrounds, and seven were professionals working with the public to address concerns and encourage vaccine uptake. Our findings suggest that people from ethnic minority backgrounds make decisions regarding COVID-19 vaccination based on a combination of how they experience external social structures (including lack of credibility and clarity from political authority, neglect by health services, and structural racism) and internal processes (weighing up COVID-19 vaccine harms and benefits and concerns about vaccine development and deployment). We may be able to support knowledge accumulation through the provision of reliable and accessible information, particularly through primary and community care, but we recommend a number of changes to research, policy and practice that address structural inequalities. These include working with communities to improve ethnicity data collection, increasing funding allocation to health conditions where ethnic minority communities experience poorer outcomes, greater transparency and public engagement in the vaccine development process, and culturally adapted research recruitment processes

Urinary, Plasma, and Serum Biomarkers’ Utility for Predicting Acute Kidney Injury Associated With Cardiac Surgery in Adults: A Meta-analysis

BackgroundEarly accurate detection of acute kidney injury (AKI) occurring after cardiac surgery may improve morbidity and mortality. Although several novel biomarkers have been developed for the early detection of AKI, their clinical utility in the critical intraoperative and immediate postoperative period remains unclear.Study DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.Setting & PopulationAdult patients having cardiac surgery.Selection Criteria for StudiesEMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and PubMed from January 1990 until January 2015 were systematically searched for cohort studies reporting the utility of novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of AKI after adult cardiac surgery. Reviewers extracted data for study design, population, timing of biomarker measurement and AKI occurrence, biomarker performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC]), and risk of bias.Index TestsNovel urine, plasma, and serum AKI biomarkers, measured intraoperatively and in the early postoperative period (<24 hours).Reference TestsAKI was defined according to the RIFLE, AKIN, or 2012 KDIGO criteria.ResultsWe found 28 studies reporting intraoperative and/or early postoperative measurement of urine (n=23 studies) or plasma or serum (n=12 studies) biomarkers. Only 4 of these studies measured biomarkers intraoperatively. Overall, intraoperative discrimination by the urine biomarkers neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and kidney injury marker 1 (KIM-1) demonstrated AUROCs<0.70, whereas N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) and cystatin C had AUROCs<0.75. In the immediate 24-hour postoperative period, the urine biomarkers NGAL (16 studies), KIM-1 (6 studies), and liver-type fatty acid binding protein (6 studies) exhibited composite AUROCs of 0.69 to 0.72. The composite AUROCs for postoperative urine cystatin C, NAG, and interleukin 18 were ≤0.70. Similarly, the composite AUROCs for postoperative plasma NGAL (6 studies) and cystatin-C (5 studies) were <0.70.LimitationsHeterogeneous AKI definitions.ConclusionsIn adults, known urinary, plasma, and serum biomarkers of AKI possess modest discrimination at best when measured within 24 hours of cardiac surgery

Sector Sustainability Check: Rural Open Defecation Free (ODF) & Rural (Drinking) Water Supply Schemes (RWSS) Punjab & Sindh Provinces

This study focused on the behavioral sustainability of latrine use and continued functionality of rural water supply systems in ODF certified villages in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan. Our chief role was to develop, integrate and analyze social norms measures as part of the larger sustainability check. This report presents those methods, measures and findings. PennSONG served as an associate partner in the report, working with lead partner AAN Associates (www.aanassociates.com) and associate partner Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (iese.nuse.edu.pk). The study was substantially supported by the Ministry of Climate Change (MOCC), the Government of Pakistan, and UNICEF Pakistan

Nutrition, diet and immunosenescence

Ageing is characterized by immunosenescence and the progressive decline in immunity in association with an increased frequency of infections and chronic disease. This complex process affects both the innate and adaptive immune systems with a progressive decline in most immune cell populations and defects in activation resulting in loss of function. Although host genetics and environmental factors, such as stress, exercise and diet can impact on the onset or course of immunosenescence, the mechanisms involved are largely unknown. This review focusses on identifying the most significant aspects of immunosenescence and on the evidence that nutritional intervention might delay this process, and consequently improve the quality of life of the elderly

Systematic Analysis of Safety and Security Risks in Smart Homes

The revolution in Internet of Things (IoT)-based devices and applications has provided smart applications for humans. These applications range from healthcare to traffic-flow management, to communication devices, to smart security devices, and many others. In particular, government and private organizations are showing significant interest in IoT-enabled applications for smart homes. Despite the perceived benefits and interest, human safety is also a key concern. This research is aimed at systematically analyzing the available literature on smart homes and identifying areas of concern or risk with a view to supporting the design of safe and secure smart homes. For this systematic review process, relevant work in the most highly regarded journals published in the period 2016-2020 (a section of 2020 is included)was analyzed. A final set of 99 relevant articles (journal articles, book sections, conference papers, and survey papers) was analyzed in this study. This analysis is focused on three research questions and relevant keywords. The systematic analysis results and key insights will help researchers and practitioners to make more informed decisions when dealing with the safety and security risks of smart homes, especially in emergency situations.This publication was supported by Qatar University Internal Grant No. IRCC-2020-009