Do dietary interventions improve ADHD symptoms in children?

Insufficient evidence exists to suggest that dietary interventions improve the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children (strength of recommendation: B, extrapolation from randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). Interventions that have been investigated include removal of sugar and artificial food colorings from the diet and supplementation with fatty acids

What is the best way to evaluate secondary infertility?

The work-up for secondary infertility--the inability to conceive after 1 year of regular unprotected intercourse for a couple who have previously had a child--should include a history and physical exam for both patients, plus evaluation of ovulation, semen analysis, and imaging of the uterus and fallopian tubes (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, based on cohort studies)

Glycaemic Response to Quality Protein Maize Grits

Background. Carbohydrates have varied rates of digestion and absorption that induces different hormonal and metabolic responses in the body. Given the abundance of carbohydrate sources in the Philippines, the determination of the glycaemic index (GI) of local foods may prove beneficial in promoting health and decreasing the risk of diabetes in the country. Methods. The GI of Quality Protein Maize (QPM) grits, milled rice, and the mixture of these two food items were determined in ten female subjects. Using a randomized crossover design, the control bread and three test foods were given on separate occasions after an overnight fast. Blood samples were collected through finger prick at time intervals of 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min and analyzed for glucose concentrations. Results. The computed incremental area under the glucose response curve (IAUC) varies significantly across test foods (P < .0379) with the pure QPM grits yielding the lowest IAUC relative to the control by 46.38. Resulting GI values of the test foods (bootstrapped) were 80.36 (SEM 14.24), 119.78 (SEM 18.81), and 93.17 (SEM 27.27) for pure QPM grits, milled rice, and rice-QPM grits mixture, respectively. Conclusion. Pure QPM corn grits has a lower glycaemic response compared to milled rice and the rice-corn grits mixture, which may be related in part to differences in their dietary fibre composition and physicochemical characteristics. Pure QPM corn grits may be a more health beneficial food for diabetic and hyperlipidemic individuals

The Sec1p/Munc18 protein Vps45p binds its cognate SNARE proteins via two distinct modes

Sec1p/Munc18 (SM) proteins are essential for SNARE-mediated membrane trafficking. The formulation of unifying hypotheses for the function of the SM protein family has been hampered by the observation that two of its members bind their cognate syntaxins (Sxs) in strikingly different ways. The SM protein Vps45p binds its Sx Tlg2p in a manner analogous to that captured by the Sly1p–Sed5p crystal structure, whereby the NH2-terminal peptide of the Sx inserts into a hydrophobic pocket on the outer face of domain I of the SM protein. In this study, we report that although this mode of interaction is critical for the binding of Vps45p to Tlg2p, the SM protein also binds Tlg2p-containing SNARE complexes via a second mode that involves neither the NH2 terminus of Tlg2p nor the region of Vps45p that facilitates this interaction. Our findings point to the possibility that SM proteins interact with their cognate SNARE proteins through distinct mechanisms at different stages in the SNARE assembly/disassembly cycle

Design of a Remote Real-time Groundwater Level and Water Quality Monitoring System for the Philippine Groundwater Management Plan Project

Recent technological advances allow us to utilize remote monitoring systems or real-time access of data. While the use of remote monitoring systems is not new, there are still numerous applications that can be explored and improved on, one such is groundwater level and quality monitoring. In the Philippines, the extraction of groundwater for both domestic use and industrial use are manually monitored by the government’s concerned agency and is done at least once per year. With this current setup, the real and significant state of the groundwater is not reflected in a way that is most valuable to the government and to the community. This project aims to design and develop a remote real-time groundwater level and quality monitoring system. It is intended to provide quantitative data for policy makers in addressing recurrent water shortages in the Philippines. This paper discusses the designed system composed of three modules: power module, sensors and control, and data visualization. These three modules provide real-time data from far-flung locations while being energy-sustainable. Dry runs of the system in a controlled environment yielded excellent results — average data accuracy of 96.63% for all six (6) groundwater quantity and quality parameters namely: pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, and static water level (SWL), and 90.63% data transmission reliability. Initial deployment of the system on one of the groundwater monitoring well in Metro Manila, Philippines returned a 91.16% data transmission reliability. The system is currently installed in 20 groundwater monitoring sites all-over the Philippines and is scheduled for more installations

Software and Data Visualization Platform for Groundwater Level and Quality Monitoring System

Rapid urbanization and increasing population come with the increased extraction and use of groundwater resources. To track the effect of these activities on groundwater level and quantity; a system for real-time monitoring is devised. In this paper; we present a software system design that enables a locally-developed groundwater level and water quality monitoring hardware setup to gather water quality parameter data; send it to a cloud server; and present organized data for better visualization. The hardware setup consists of an Arduino microcontroller. Upon deployment; the hardware setup is linked to an Android application that connects to the web-based platform

Blood cholesterol and lipid-lowering effects of carrageenan on human volunteers

Algal polysaccharides such as carrageenan are good sources of dietary fibre. Previous studies have shown that carrageenan has hypoglycemic effects, but its cholesterol and lipid-lowering effects have yet to be demonstrated. In this study, carrageenan was incorporated into 4 food items, then fed to 20 human volunteers to determine its effects on blood cholesterol and lipid levels. The study followed a randomized crossover design. Each phase of the study -control and experimental -lasted for 8 weeks separated by a 2-week washout. At control, the subjects consumed their usual food intake; at experimental, they were given test foods with carrageenan partly substituting similar items in their usual diet. Fasting venous blood samples were collected immediately before and after each phase to assay serum cholesterol and triglyceride. The mean serum cholesterol was significantly lower (P &lt; 0.0014) after the experimental phase at 3.64 mmol/L compared with the mean level after the control phase, 5.44 mmol/L. The mean triglyceride level after the experimental phase, 0.87 mmol/L, was significantly lower (P &lt; 0.0006) in comparison to the level after the control phase, 1.28 mmol/L. The mean HDL cholesterol level significantly increased (P &lt; 0.0071) after the experimental phase at 1.65 mmol/L compared to the mean value after the control phase, 1.25 mmol/L. No significant differences were observed between the LDL cholesterol levels after the experimental and the control phases. This study indicates that regular inclusion of carrageenan in the diet may result in reduced blood cholesterol and lipid levels in human subjects

Comparative study of parasitic forms recuperation using three different coproparasitoscopic methods

A total of 165 fecal samples were analyzed, using two sedimentation methods: Ritchie (R), Carles Barthelemy (CB), and one of flotation: Willis (W), in order to optimize intestinal parasites diagnosis and to determine the techniques effectiveness. Parasites were found in 119 (72,12%) of those analyzed. Significant differences were in protozoa recovery (p < 0,001), being observed 81.4% (R), 77.4% (CB), and 57.8% (W). Blastocystis hominis, Giardia lamblia, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura were recovered more frequency by means of sedimentation, being Ritchie´s method the most effective one (p < 0.05).Se analizaron 165 muestras fecales seriadas, utilizando dos métodos de sedimentación: Ritchie (R) y Carles Barthelemy (CB) y uno de flotación: Willis (W), con el fin de optimizar el diagnóstico de los parásitos intestinales y determinar la eficacia de las técnicas. Se hallaron parásitos en 119 (72,1%) de los analizados. Hubo diferencias significativas en la recuperación de protozoos (p &lt; 0,001), observándose 81,4% (R), 77,4% (CB), y 57,8% (W). Blastocystis hominis, G.lamblia, Ascaris lumbricoides y Trichuris trichiura se recuperaron con mayor frecuencia mediante sedimentación, resultando más efectivo el método de Ritchie (p &lt; 0,05).Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectore