Improvement of nutritional quality and antioxidant activities of yeast fermented soybean curd residue

This study evaluated the potential use and improves the health beneficial properties of the waste of soybean manufacturing products by solid-state fermentation of six GRAS different yeast strains, including extractable antioxidant activities and bioavailable nutritional compositions. In comparison with non-fermented okara (control), some levels of value addition occurred as a result of the fermentation. The protein contents increased by 20.10- 54.40%, while the crude fibre decreased by 7.38- 45.50% with different strains. With all the organisms used, the ash content increased while the carbohydrate and lipid contents were reduced. Total phenolic content and all parameters of antioxidative activities were increased in fermented substrate. The highest significant levels of antioxidant activities were achieved with Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y-8281. Results showed that the nutritional quality and antioxidant activities of the substrate were enhanced by solid yeast treatment fermentation. Thus, scope exists for microbial upgrading of this low-quality waste and development of healthy animal feed supplements.Key words: Solid state fermentation, yeast, waste soybean manufacturing  products, antioxidant, protein, fiber

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Body Mass Index as a Major Prognostic Contributing Factor in COVID-19: A Multicentral Egyptian Study

Hossam Abd El-Moez Mohammed,1 Mohammed H Hassan,2 Hytham Abdalla,3 Marwa Ahmed Mahmoud,4 Amira Maher,5 Mohamed Malak,6 Mohammed Tag-Adeen,7 Mohamed Ramadan Izzaldin,8 Sara Adel,8 Wael Esmat Ali,8 Alyaa Abo-Rahma,9 Mona Gouda Maghrabi Abd Elnabi,10 Ibrahim Ahmed Mosa Abdalla,11 Mohamed Fakhry Mohamed Morsy,12 Mohamed Abdel Fattah Mohamed Sayed,13 Usama Mohamed Abdelaal6 1Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Luxor University, Luxor, Egypt; 2Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, 83523, Egypt; 3Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University (Assiut Branch), Assiut, Egypt; 4Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt; 5Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt; 6Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt; 7Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, 83523, Egypt; 8Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University (Assiut Branch), Assiut, Egypt; 9Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University (Assiut Branch), Assiut, Egypt; 10Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Luxor University, Luxor, Egypt; 11Anasthesia and Critical Care Department, Faculty of Medicine, Luxor University, Luxor, Egypt; 12Hepatology, Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases Department, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University (Assiut Branch), Assiut, Egypt; 13Department of Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, EgyptCorrespondence: Mohammed H Hassan, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, 83523, Egypt, Tel +20 1009097968, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Extreme body mass index (BMI) is an influential pathophysiological risk factor for serious illnesses following lower respiratory tract infection. The purpose of the current study was to examine how the BMI of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) patients affects their prognosis.Methods: Two hundred patients with COVID-19 admitted to Al-Azhar, Qena, Aswan, and Sohag University hospitals in Egypt were included and categorized into four groups according to their BMI. The diagnosis was made according to a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) positive result for the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid in swabs from upper respiratory tract. A detailed history, clinical examination, and outcomes (disease severity and complications, hospital stay, ICU admission, mortality) were recorded for all patients. SPSS version 24 software was used for data analysis.Results: Average age of participants (19– 90 years old), 92 (46%) males and 108 females (54%). ICU admission was significantly higher among underweight patients (75%) and obese patients (78.6%). The majority of underweight (62.5%) and obese (57.1%) patients had critical disease. Invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) is frequently used in underweight (50%) and obese patients (42.9%) patients. Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), cardiac, neurological, and hematological complications, and incidence of myalgia and bed sores were most frequent among obese and overweight patients. Acute kidney injury was significantly higher among underweight patients (37.5%) and obese patients (28.6%) than among other classes (p=0.004). Frequency of endocrine complications was significantly higher in underweight patients than that in other classes (p=0.01). The majority of underweight (75%) and obese patients (50%) deteriorated and died, whereas the majority of normal-weight patients (90.3%) and overweight patients (75.8%) improved and were discharged (p< 0.001).Conclusion: Body mass index is a major contributing factor to the outcome of patients with COVID-19, and patients with extreme of body mass index were associated with the worst prognosis.Keywords: body mass index, COVID-19, obese, underweight, intensive care uni

Structural and optical properties of polycrystalline NiO thin films prepared by using the oxidation of the metallic Ni

Here, we report on the structural and the optical properties of polycrystalline NiO thin films prepared by using the thermal oxidation of metallic Ni. After the deposition of the Ni films, they were placed in a thermal oxidation furnace at different temperatures (400, 500, 600, 700, and 1000 ??C), resulting in mean crystallite sizes between 6 nm and 40 nm. From the optical absorption spectra, we determined the energy gaps of these films. Interestingly, the energy gaps were in the range of 3.13 ??? 3.29 eV, which were smaller than those of the bulk.ope