Assessment of extraction parameters on antioxidant capacity, polyphenol content, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside of agarwood (Aquilaria crassna) young leaves

The effects of ethanol concentration (0%–100%, v/v), solid-to-solvent ratio (1:10–1:60, w/v) and extraction time (30–180 min) on the extraction of polyphenols from agarwood (Aquilaria crassna) were examined. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total flavanol (TF) assays and HPLC-DAD were used for the determination and quantification of polyphenols, flavanol gallates (epigallocatechin gallate—EGCG and epicatechin gallate—ECG) and a benzophenone (iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside) from the crude polyphenol extract (CPE) of A. crassna. 2,2'-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity was used to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of the CPE. Experimental results concluded that ethanol concentration and solid-to-solvent ratio had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the yields of polyphenol and antioxidant capacity. Extraction time had an insignificant influence on the recovery of EGCG, ECG and iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside, as well as radical scavenging capacity from the CPE. The extraction parameters that exhibited maximum yields were 40% (v/v) ethanol, 1:60 (w/v) for 30 min where the TPC, TFC, TF, DPPH, EGCG, ECG and iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside levels achieved were 183.5 mg GAE/g DW, 249.0 mg QE/g DW, 4.9 mg CE/g DW, 93.7%, 29.1 mg EGCG/g DW, 44.3 mg ECG/g DW and 39.9 mg iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside/g DW respectively. The IC50 of the CPE was 24.6 mg/L

The potential impact of primary headache disorders on stroke risk

Distribution of PHDs. (DOC 55 kb

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Antioxidants from Malaysian agarwood (Aquilaria spp.) leaf extracts and their applications in in vitro model and food system

Agriculture by-products are undervalued substrates that are normally removed and disposed from the food production line. In this study, young leaves from three commercial species of Malaysian agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis, Aquilaria subintegra and Aquilaria crassna) were examined. These are by-products from agarwood plantations and are usually discarded during the cultivation of agarwood trees. The first part of the present study assessed the effects of the ethanol concentration (0-100%) (v/v), solid-to-solvent ratio (1:10-1:60) (w/v) and extraction time (30-180 min) on the extraction of polyphenols from young agarwood leaves. The total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and DPPH radical-scavenging capacity were used for the quantification of polyphenols, and assessment of antioxidant capacity. The appropriate ranges of the extraction parameters were determined through single-factor experiments, and the optimal conditions for polyphenol extraction were established through response surface methodology (RSM). Among the three species of young agarwood leaves, the extract from A. subintegra young leaves (ASE) obtained through extraction with 64.64% (v/v) ethanol and a solid-to-solvent ratio of 1:70 (w/v) for 120 min was selected for the second part of the study. The antioxidative interactions (synergy,additive and antagonism) between ethanolic ASE and α-tocopherol were evaluated through assays of the DPPH radical-scavenging activity, the β-carotene bleaching system and liposome peroxidation. Among all of the combinations of ASE and α-tocopherol, only fraction 1/3 showed a synergistic interaction, which agrees well with the results from three different assays. In the third part of this study, ASE was incorporated into soybean oil-based mayonnaise at a concentration of 1/3 relative to the tocopherol content to prevent its deterioration during storage. The peroxide value (POV), total oxidation value (TOTOX) and conjugated trienes (CT) of ASE-enriched mayonnaise were significantly (p < 0.05) lower than the negative control mayonnaise samples at the end of the storage period. The addition of ASE to mayonnaise presented comparable ability to protect against deterioration compared with the addition of the commercially available synthetic ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). ASE was further tested for its toxicity via brine shrimp lethality and hemolytic analyses. Low brine shrimp lethality and low hemolytic activity with IC50 values of 96.6 μg/mL and 1864.7 μg/mL against brine shrimp and human erythrocytes, respectively, were observed. In addition, the major bioactive compound in ASE, namely iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside (4.1%, w/w) with an IC50 of 54.5 mg/L for scavenging DPPH radicals was identified and quantified based on 1D NMR, 2D-NMR, LC-MS and UV-vis spectral data. In summary, this study may serve as a reference for future natural polyphenol applications in the food industry

Johnson & Johnson's baby care products in China.

The report looks into the marketing environment of J&J's baby care market in China. An analysis was done on the marketing mix of J&J as well as those of its main competitors. Subsequently, a competitor analysis was also carried out and suitable recommendations were made for future improvements

Managing burnout amongst young creative professionals in Singapore

Break to Create is a communications campaign that aims to educate young creative professionals in Singapore on the subject of burnout, and empower them to take action to manage burnout in their lives. According to the World Health Organisation, burnout is “an occupational phenomenon caused by chronically mismanaged work stress”. The creative industry in particular has always suffered from long working hours, tight deadlines, and heavy workloads, all of which are factors which contribute to employee burnout. As pressures mount, the industry has faced an exodus of employees, and mental health organisations have received more reports of anxiety and burnout from creative professionals. To address this issue, Break to Create was launched. The campaign was held over three months, and was conducted via social media, a campaign website, and an in-person event. The main campaign activation was the 10-day Fresh Start Challenge, which involved 50 creatives in the treatment group doing burnout-beating activities over the New Year period that promoted mindfulness, relaxation and creative inspiration. The AIDAR (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action & Retention) Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour were used to craft the campaign strategy and tactics. Post-campaign evaluation revealed statistically significant increases in the treatment group’s perceived effectiveness of burnout-beating activities, and likelihood of engaging in said behaviours. This report explores the landscape of the local creative industry and its struggle with burnout. Following the campaign’s conclusion, it will also evaluate the campaign’s success and discuss ramifications for the creative community in Singapore.Bachelor of Communication Studie

Incorporation of Silver-Doped Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots in Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membrane for Verapamil Removal

Verapamil hydrochloride, a calcium channel-blocking agent, is detectable in receiving water bodies and affects the well-being of aquatic organisms. Membrane filtration could be effective in removing such pharmaceutical contaminants. However, limited studies have employed commercial membranes, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), in removing verapamil from water sources, owing to their low solution fluxes, poor antibacterial properties, and high surface hydrophobicity. Efforts are needed to create the PVDF membrane suitable for removing verapamil from water sources. In this study, PVDF composite membranes incorporated with from 0 to 0.10 wt% silver-doped graphene oxide quantum dots (Ag−GOQD) were evaluated in terms of their morphological structures, elemental composition, surface roughness, hydrophilicity, verapamil rejection capability, anti-fouling, and antibacterial capabilities. The pure PVDF membrane showed the lowest verapamil rejection (73.66 ± 2.45%), highest surface roughness (mean surface roughness, Sa = 123.80 nm), and least hydrophilic membrane surface (contact angle = 79.06 ± 4.53°) when compared to other membranes incorporated with nanocomposites. However, the membrane incorporated with 0.10 wt% Ag−GOQD showed the smoothest and the most hydrophilic membrane surface (Sa = 13.10 nm and contact angle = 53.60 ± 4.75°, respectively), associated with the highest verapamil rejection (96.04 ± 1.82%). A clear inhibition zone was spotted in the agar plate containing the membrane incorporated with Ag−GOQD, showing the antibacterial capability of the membrane. The overall improvement in morphological structures, surface smoothness, surface hydrophilicities, permeabilities, verapamil rejection abilities, and anti-fouling and antibacterial capabilities indicated a great potential to incorporate Ag−GOQD in PVDF membrane fabrication

Incorporation of Silver-Doped Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots in Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membrane for Verapamil Removal

Verapamil hydrochloride, a calcium channel-blocking agent, is detectable in receiving water bodies and affects the well-being of aquatic organisms. Membrane filtration could be effective in removing such pharmaceutical contaminants. However, limited studies have employed commercial membranes, such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), in removing verapamil from water sources, owing to their low solution fluxes, poor antibacterial properties, and high surface hydrophobicity. Efforts are needed to create the PVDF membrane suitable for removing verapamil from water sources. In this study, PVDF composite membranes incorporated with from 0 to 0.10 wt% silver-doped graphene oxide quantum dots (Ag&minus;GOQD) were evaluated in terms of their morphological structures, elemental composition, surface roughness, hydrophilicity, verapamil rejection capability, anti-fouling, and antibacterial capabilities. The pure PVDF membrane showed the lowest verapamil rejection (73.66 &plusmn; 2.45%), highest surface roughness (mean surface roughness, Sa = 123.80 nm), and least hydrophilic membrane surface (contact angle = 79.06 &plusmn; 4.53&deg;) when compared to other membranes incorporated with nanocomposites. However, the membrane incorporated with 0.10 wt% Ag&minus;GOQD showed the smoothest and the most hydrophilic membrane surface (Sa = 13.10 nm and contact angle = 53.60 &plusmn; 4.75&deg;, respectively), associated with the highest verapamil rejection (96.04 &plusmn; 1.82%). A clear inhibition zone was spotted in the agar plate containing the membrane incorporated with Ag&minus;GOQD, showing the antibacterial capability of the membrane. The overall improvement in morphological structures, surface smoothness, surface hydrophilicities, permeabilities, verapamil rejection abilities, and anti-fouling and antibacterial capabilities indicated a great potential to incorporate Ag&minus;GOQD in PVDF membrane fabrication

The plasmid-mediated fosfomycin resistance determinants and synergy of fosfomycin and meropenem in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in Taiwan

Background: Epidemiology of fosfomycin susceptibility and the plasmid-mediated fosfomycinase genes of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) isolates in Taiwan remain unclear. Methods: 642 CRKP clinical isolates were collected from a nation-wide surveillance study (16 hospitals) in Taiwan in 2012–2013. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined. PFGE and MLST determined the clonal relatedness. Carbapenemases and fosfomycinases genes were detected by PCR, and their flanking regions were determined by PCR and sequencing. Synergistic activity of meropenem with fosfomycin was examined by the checkerboard method. Results: In total, 36.4% (234/642) of CRKP isolates in Taiwan were resistant to fosfomycin. Among 234 fosfomycin-resistant CRKP isolates, PFGE analysis revealed 81 pulsotypes. Pulsotype XXIII (n = 63) was predominant and belonged to ST11. 71 had carbapnemases (65 blaKPC-2-positive, 1 blaVIM-1-positive and 5 blaIMP-8-positive) and 62 had fosfomycinases (35 fosA3-positive and 27 foskp96-positive). Only 18.5% (5/27) of foskp96-positive isolates carried foskp96 and blaKPC-2, while 71.4% (25/35) of fosA3-positive isolates contained fosA3 and blaKPC-2. There were five types of flanking sequences for fosA3, and 85.7% (30/35) of fosA3 genes were flanked by IS26, suggesting possible horizontal gene transfer. Synergistic effect of fosfomycin and meropenem was observed in all 25 randomly selected pulsotype XXIII strains (100%; 25/25), even those containing fosfomycinase (48%, 12/25) or carbapnemase (96%, 24/25). Conclusions: A clone (pulsotype XXIII, ST11) has been found to be prevailing among fosfomycin-resistant CRKP in Taiwan. According to the in vitro data, the combination of fosfomycin and meropenem is a potentially alternative choice

Early seasonal coronavirus seroconversion did not produce cross-protective SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

10.1016/j.jinf.2022.08.032Journal of InfectionS0163-4453(22)00515-1