A Study of Impact Protection of Metacarpal Gloves

Work-related wrist, hand, and finger injuries are highly prevalent in manufacturing and extractive industries. An analysis of mining-related hand injury data from over the past two decades (Alessa et al., 2020) showed that hand injuries caused by insufficient protection against impact loads (e.g. struck by accidents) were categorized with high severity. Existing literature lacks clear classification and quantification methods for the protection provided by impact-resistant gloves (i.e. metacarpal gloves). A new method to establish a quantitative measure of performance for commonly used metacarpal gloves was developed and evaluated. In the first specific aim, an experimental study using cadaveric hand specimens was performed to understand how human hand react to blunt impacts by comparing peak impact reaction forces (PRF) and number of fractures on unprotected and protected hands using two types of metacarpal gloves. The specimens were impacted at the proximal interphalangeal joints, the metacarpophalangeal joints, and the middle section of the metacarpal bones. 71% of the impacts on unprotected hands produced fractures compared to 40% for the protected hands. In the second specific aim, surrogate hands were developed using 3D printing and gel casting techniques. The surrogate hands were calibrated and validated using the impact response data obtained from Aim #1. The PRF values of surrogate hands were within 1 standard deviation of the cadaveric hands, with the coefficient of restitution differing by only 4%. Using the surrogate hands, the protection performance of three commonly used metacarpal gloves was assessed. 77% of the impacts on unprotected hands produced fractures compared to 33% for the protected hands. PRF values for protected hands were significantly less than unprotected hands and different gloves delivered different levels of protection. Results of this study could aid safety professionals in improving their gloves selection process and could also be utilized to improve current standards for metacarpal gloves classification. Furthermore, the testing methodology and protocol presented in this research could be useful in future gloves safety studies

Stability of Nano-encapsulated Rice Bran Derived Bioactive Pentapeptide in Apple Juice

Cereal grains and their components derived Bioactive compounds such as rice bran can promote health and can be derived from Rice bran contains 12-20 % protein and could be a good source for extracting bioactive peptides. A pentapeptide with a secqunce of amino acids Glu-Gln-Arg-Pro-Arg (EQRPR) has been prepared from heat stablized defatted rice bran (HDRB) and has demonstrated anti-cancer proprerties in-vitro. This bioactive pentapeptide can thus be used as a nutraceutical by incorporating it into a suitable food system. Fruit juces can be vehicles to incorporate this pentapeptide. Fruit juices contribute to about 60% of the consumed beverages in the U.S. However, the stability of the pentapeptide in beverages can be a problem due to possible interactions with other components. Nano-encapsulation is a novel and promising technique that can be used to deliver bioactive ingredients into food systems. This study involves the use of a nano-encapsulating technique to protect the bioactive pentapeptide, incorporating the encapsulated pentapeptide into apple juice (model system), and testing for the stability of the peptide. The null hypothesis of the study: The Nano-encapsulated pentapeptide shall degrade over time when incorporated in apple juice and the alternate hypothesis that the Nano-encapsulated pentapeptide incorporated apple juice shall be stable over a storage period of 6 months or more. The specific objectives of this research were to: (1) prepare nanoparticles using polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) to encapsulate the rice bran pentapeptide, (2) incorporate the encapsulated pentapeptide into apple juice, (3) evaluate the stability of incorporated pentapeptide at 4◦C for 6 months. Nanoparticles that can deliver three different concentrations (200/ 400/and 600 µg/ml) of pentapeptide were prepared, and the particle size were measured using a laser particle size analyzer. Apple juice containing nanoparticles (loaded with pentapeptide) was ultra-centrifuged to separate nanoparticles, and the supernatant was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) C18 column reverse phase (RP) to test the stability of pentapeptide. Physical properties of the apple juice were studied which included the evaluation of color, microbial count total, acidity (pH), and soluble solid (TSS) during storage period of 60 days. A particle size ranging from 81 to 83 nm was observed, and the results indicated that there were no significant changes in the size over the storage period (0 - 60 days). There was no microbial growth observed in the prepared apple juice samples. Total Soluble Solids content was 11.0 ºBrix for the controls and 31.0 ºBrix for the Nano-encapsulated pentapeptide. The stability of pentapeptide at prepared concentrations: 200, 400 and 600µg/ml in water at pH of 3.7 at 0th day was: 200ug/mL - 87 %, 400ug/mL - 97%, 600ug/mL - 91%) and in apple juice was: 200ug/mL - 96%, 400ug/mL - 98%, 600ug/mL - 94 %. The stability of pentapeptide at 60th day in water was: 200ug/mL - 41%, 400ug/mL - 60%, 600ug/mL - 55%, and in apple juice was: 200ug/mL - 60%, 400ug/mL - 67%, 600ug/mL - 59%. The Nano-encapsulated pentapeptide in water at pH of 3.7 and apple juice was stable over the storage period of 60 days, which implies that the nanoparticles were effective in protecting the bioactive pentapeptide in the acidic environment of apple juice. The PLGA nanoparticles showed a remarkable effect in protecting and stabilizing the bioactive compounds (pentapeptide) during the shelf life at 4ºC. Polylactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles can thus be a promising carrier for the bioactive pentapeptide when incorporated into a juice medium

Utilization of adjusted body weight for dosing unfractionated heparin in obese patients with venous thromboembolism: A retrospective matched cohort study

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of adjusted body weight (AjBW)-based dosing of unfractionated heparin (UFH) in obese patients vis a vis actual body weight (ABW)-based dosing in non-obese patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE).Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for obese and non-obese patients initiated on UFH for treating VTE from September 2013 to December 2014. Patients were excluded from the study if they were under 18 years old, developed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia during treatment, received thrombolytic therapy prior to UFH, or received UFH at a dose that did not follow the institution’s protocol. The primary objective was to assess the efficacy of dosing UFH based on AjBW in achieving a therapeutic activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) within the first 24 h in obese patients, in comparison to the standard ABW-dosing for non-obese.Results: Of the 57 patients included in the study, 27 patients (47.4 %) were obese, and 30 patients (52.6 %) were non-obese; 16 (59.25 %) of the obese patients achieved a therapeutic aPTT within the first 24 h of AjBW-based dosed UFH, while 18 (60 %) of the non-obese patients achieved a therapeutic aPTT within the first 24 h of ABW-based dosed UFH (p = 0.45).Conclusion: AjBW-based dosing of UFH in obese patients demonstrates comparable efficacy to ABWbased dosing in non-obese patients. Keywords: Obesity, Unfractionated heparin, Venous thromboembolism, Adjusted body weight, Ideal body weigh

Prevalence and predictors of seizure in patients with Alzheimer’s disease at a tertiary care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To assess the prevalence and predictors of seizures in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at a Saudi tertiary hospital.Methods: A retrospective, matched case-control study was conducted using the electronic medical records of patients with AD who had an unprovoked seizure, from October 2015 to May 2018.Results: Nineteen cases and 195 controls were identified. Statistically significant risk factors for an unprovoked seizure in patients diagnosed with AD were hypertension (p = 0.001), autoimmune disease, stroke and TIA (p = 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified hypertension (OR = 2.89; p = 0.009) and autoimmune disease (OR = 19.6; p = 0.045) as predictors of unprovoked seizure in AD patients.Conclusion: The occurrence of unprovoked seizures is more likely in severe cases of AD. In addition, the risk of seizure in patients with AD increases with two co-morbid conditions, hypertension, and autoimmune disease. However, further studies are required to determine the underlying mechanism of the association between the two risk factors and AD

The Role of Social Media Platforms in Confronting Intellectual Extremism from Majmaah University Students Perspective

The present study aims to investigate the role of social media platforms in confronting intellectual extremism among Majmaah University students. The researchers conducted the descriptive analytical approach and applied a 20- item questionnaire to a randomly selected sample of (213) students. The results showed that Tik Tok and Snapchat were ranked first among the study sample. Also, there was a moderate negative impact of social media on intellectual security, with a mean of (2.99). This is due to the nature of the content published on networks and its impact on the subscribers. It indicated the importance of social media, more specifically Tik Tok and Snapchat, among the sample of the study. It can be attributed to gender since females are more interested in social networks to publish and share photos. Moreover, the results revealed that social media platforms played a moderate role in resisting intellectual deviation among the participants, with an average mean of (2.96). There were no statistical differences in the impact of social media platforms on young peoples intellectual security and their role in resisting intellectual extremism due to responses to the study questions. The findings of the study call for the necessity of activating the positive role of social media by exploring new approaches to evolve effective alternatives in dealing with social networks by enhancing young peoples media literacy. Contribution/Originality: This study contributed to the existing literature by identifying the role of social media in combating intellectual extremism from the perspective of students at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia. It also explored the most popular social media platforms among university students and their impact on students intellectual security

Prevalence and awareness of anabolic androgenic steroid use among male body builders in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To examine the prevalence and awareness of anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use among male bodybuilders visiting gyms in Jazan region, Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 500 male bodybuilders visiting gyms in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia. Information on demographics, as well as the use of AAS, was included in a self-administered questionnaire.Results: The prevalence of AAS in Jazan was 31.0 % (95 % CI, 26.9 - 49.6), and it was higher among those in the 30 - 34 years 45.3 % (95 % CI, 36.9 - 54.0). Its prevalence was also significantly higher among athletes who received higher education 37.4% (95 % CI, 31.8 - 43.4). The most common types of AAS used are Deca-Durabolin (57.6 %) and testosterone (52 %). Thirty percent of the participants who used AAS suffered from depression and aggressive behavior while 18 % of them were hypertensive. The participants were not well aware of the adverse effects of anabolic steroids use.Conclusion: The prevalence of the anabolic steroids is high among bodybuilding males visiting gyms in Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Health educational programs are required to increase the awareness about the side effects of anabolic steroids among bodybuilders.Keywords: Anabolic steroids, Bodybuilders, Deca-durabolin, Testosteron

Comparing the efficacy and safety of faecal microbiota transplantation with bezlotoxumab in reducing the risk of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections:a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

The risk of recurrent Clostridium difficile infections (RCDIs) is high when treated with standard antibiotics therapy (SAT) alone. It is suggested that the addition of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or bezlotoxumab after SAT reduces the risk of RCDI. In the absence of head-to-head randomised controlled trials (RCTs), this review attempts to compare the efficacy and safety of bezlotoxumab with FMT in reducing the risk of RCDI in hospitalised patients.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Unusual presentation of medullary thyroid carcinoma: Regional and distant metastases in the background of benign non-neoplastic Multi-Nodular Goiter

Background: Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma (MTC) is a malignancy that primarily arises from the C-cells of the thyroid gland with a tendency to regional and distant metastases. Methods: We report a case of a 34-year-old female with MTC where there was no evidence of primary foci of the disease within the thyroid gland, while there was a widespread metastasis in the cervical lymph nodes, lungs, abdomen, and vertebrae. Results: The patient was diagnosed with metastatic sporadic MTC based on the pre-operative work up. She underwent completion thyroidectomy with bilateral neck dissection levels II-VI. The post-operative histopathology report confirmed the diagnosis. Conclusion: The case report shows an unusual presentation of MTC. It demonstrates that there is an entity of metastatic sporadic MTC, confirmed by an abnormal calcitonin level, with unknown primary

A New Model for Determining Factors Affecting Human Errors in Manual Assembly Processes Using Fuzzy Delphi and DEMATEL Methods

Human errors (HEs) are common problems in manual assembly processes, impacting product quality and resulting in additional costs. Based on expert judgments, this study aims to identify the most significant factors affecting HEs in manual assembly processes and explore the cause-and-effect relationships among those factors. In order to achieve this objective, a proposed model is constructed using two types of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques. Firstly, using two rounds of the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), twenty-seven factors with an influence score of 0.7 or higher were found to have a major impact on HEs during manual assembly processes, with at least a 75% consensus among experts. After that, the twenty-seven factors affecting HEs were given to experts in a third round to analyze the cause-and-effect relationships among those factors using the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. In MCDM techniques, symmetry refers to an important property that can be used to find relationships between variables. It is based on the principle that the relative importance or preference between two variables should remain the same regardless of their positions or roles. Therefore, symmetry is a factor that MCDM approaches take into account to ensure that the relationships between variables are accurately represented, leading to more reliable decision-making outcomes. The reliability and normality of the surveying data were examined using the SPSS 22.0 software program. The study results revealed that training level, poor workplace layout, a lack of necessary tools, and experience were the major factors affecting HEs as root causes. Moreover, a failure to address the error-causing problem, unintentional unsafe acts, fatigue, and poor error visual perception were found to be effect (dependent) factors. The findings of this study can help organizations make better-informed decisions on how to reduce worker errors and interest in the factors that contribute to assembly errors and provide a good basis for reaching the quality of final assembled parts