Plain Water Research Articles

SANCACO COFFEE SYINBIOTIC (PROBIOTIC AND PREBIOTIC) AND ANTIBACTERIAL ASSAY AGAINST Escherichia coli

Robusta coffee is one of the plants used as a drink and has an efficacious content that can be modified to be used as a cure for diarrhea. This research was conducted To determine the effect of synbiotic coffee with a combination of coffee, prebiotic inulin chicory, probiotic B. bifidum, and glucose on the growth and antibacterial activity of the probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum BRL-130. Organoleptic testing of synbiotic coffee was performed on 30 panelists, then the growth test used the total plate count method, and the antibacterial test used the paper diffusion method. The organoleptic test showed that the selected formula 1 had the highest average taste of 3.76. In the symbiotic coffee growth test, the best results were obtained in week 1 of plain water with a temperature of 40°C with the number of colonies 5.95 x108 CFU/mL. Antibacterial activity test using paper disc diffusion method with a variation of the selected formula 1 treatment control, 2 treatment control pure robusta coffee powder, positive control of ciprofloxacin antibiotic, and negative control of aquadest solvent. The antibacterial activity of synbiotic coffee against E. coli showed that there was an inhibitory response in formula 1 against Escherichia coli bacteria in the first week of storage, 12.3±1.1 mm with strong criteria.

Perceptions of Water Safety and Tap Water Taste and Their Associations With Beverage Intake Among U.S. Adults.

Examine differences in perceptions of tap water (TW) and bottled water (BW) safety and TW taste and their associations with plain water (PW) and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake. Quantitative, cross-sectional study. United States. 4,041 U.S. adults (≥18years) in the 2018 SummerStyles survey data. Outcomes were intake of TW, BW, PW (tap and bottled water), and SSB. Exposures were perceptions of TW and BW safety and TW taste (disagree, neutral, or agree). Covariates included sociodemographics. We used chi-square analysis to examine sociodemographic differences in perceptions and multivariable logistic regressions to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) for consuming TW ≤ 1cup/day, BW > 1cup/day, PW ≤ 3cups/day, and SSB ≥ 1 time/day by water perceptions. One in 7 (15.1%) of adults did not think their home TW was safe to drink, 39.0% thought BW was safer than TW, and 25.9% did not think their local TW tasted good. Adults who did not think local TW was safe to drink had higher odds of drinking TW ≤ 1cup/day (AOR = 3.12) and BW >1 cup/day (AOR = 2.69). Adults who thought BW was safer than TW had higher odds of drinking TW ≤1 cup/day (AOR = 2.38), BW > 1cup/day (AOR = 5.80), and SSB ≥ 1time/day (AOR = 1.39). Adults who did not think TW tasted good had higher odds of drinking TW ≤ 1cup/day (AOR = 4.39) and BW > 1cup/day (AOR = 2.91). Negative perceptions of TW safety and taste and a belief BW is safer than TW were common and associated with low TW intake. Perceiving BW is safer than TW increased the likelihood of daily SSB intake. These findings can guide programs and services to support water quality to improve perceptions of TW safety and taste, which might increase TW intake and decrease SSB intake.

Comparative Evaluation of Effects of Rinsing with Green Tea on Streptococcus Mutans Count in Plaque with that of Chlorhexidine Mouth Wash and Plain Water: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparative Evaluation of Effects of Rinsing with Green Tea on Streptococcus Mutans Count in Plaque with that of Chlorhexidine Mouth Wash and Plain Water: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Inherited lexicon and Russian Borrowings in the Ritual Terminology of the Komi-Permyaks: Preparing the Dead for Burial

The article examines the Komi-Permyak lexicon that reflects the ritual preparation of the deceased for burial. The main attention is paid to the washing ritual, its agents, attributes and their verbal descriptions in the oral speech of dialect speakers during the thematic survey. For comparison, we used the data on Russian dialects, including contact dialects with Komi-Permyak. The main part of dialect material was collected by the authors during expeditions in 2022; we also used earlier field records. The findings suggest that in the conditions of long interethnic interaction there is a lexical convergence of two cultural and linguistic traditions. It is reflected in numerous borrowings from Russian into Komi-Permyak (pokoinik ‘dead’, zhivöy ‘alive’, prostöy va ‘plain water’ and pokoinishnöy va ‘dead water’, etc.). We can also talk about the unity of many cultural concepts behind the ritual lexicon: both traditions in the situation of ritual washing are characterized by the opposition of the “hard” and “soft” deceased body, “fragility” and “strength” of the bowl for washing. Objects in contact with a deceased body and anomalies during the ritual are endowed with negative semantics, etc. The influence of the Komi-Permyak tradition on the Russian one is less strong, but also noticable. In the context of the pervasive bilingualism of the Komi-Permyaks, their language affects the vocabulary of Russian monolinguals in mixed settlements. In particular, in the southern part of the Komi-Permyak district, on the territory of the settlement of Kudymkar-Inven Komi-Permyaks, in the speech of speakers of both languages we did not find some ritual terms (the verbal nouns with the meanings of action and figure) typical for Russian dialects in other territories of the Perm region.

ДЕЙСТВИЕ ОРГАНОМИНЕРАЛЬНОГО МЕЛИОРАНТА ПРИ ПРОМЫВКАХ НА ОЗДОРОВЛЕНИЕ СОЛОНЦЕВАТЫХ ПОЧВ АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНА

Purpose: to study the impact of ameliorant and leaching on the properties of saline and alkaline soils in laboratory conditions. Materials and methods. Research work was carried out on the basis of currently known methods, widely used in the territory of the republic. The experimental experiment was carried out in four variants: 1) soil leaching with plain water; 2) soil leaching using 5 t/ha ameliorant; 3) soil leaching with application of 10 t/ha ameliorant; 4) soil leaching with application of 15 t/ha ameliorant. In all cases, the soil was washed with a norm of 15 thousand cubic m/ha. Experimental soil leaching under laboratory conditions was carried out in 5-fold repetition in special vessels in the following sequence. The air-dry soil was ground and sifted through a sieve with a hole diameter of 1 mm, the calculated amount of ameliorants was added to the soil and thoroughly mixed. The reclaimed soil was filled in special vessels with perforated bottom. By lightly tapping on the vessel, soil compaction was achieved up to 1.4 g/cubic cm, which was determined by the weight of the soil. A constant water layer of 5 cm was maintained above the soil in the vessel during the leaching period. Results. When conducting a laboratory experiment, it was revealed that when washing with ordinary water at a rate of 15 thousand cubic m/ha without ameliorant, the salt content decreased by 42 % in relative terms (from 2.188 to 1.265 %), alkalinity decreased by 7 % (from 12.24 to 11.34 % in terms of exchangeable sodium). The best option is leaching with a ameliorant + 15 t/ha, in which the total salt content decreased by 76 % (from 2.188 to 0.530 %), and solonetzization – by 73 % (from 12.24 to 3.35 %). Conclusions. The ameliorant is convenient to apply and creates conditions for desalinization and alkalinity reduction.

Ultrasonic guided wave attenuation in submerged steel pipes

Pipe structures play a pivotal role in various industrial sectors, necessitating the assurance of their structural stability to ensure safe and reliable operations. Non-destructive Testing (NDT) methods are commonly employed to assess the integrity of these systems. Among the array of NDT techniques, Ultrasonic Guided Wave (UGW) inspection has emerged as a reliable method for assessing large mechanical structures, particularly addressing challenges associated with accessibility. This study focuses on investigating the impact of water immersion on UGW attenuation in steel pipes. To investigate the behaviour of guided waves in water-immersed scenarios, a comprehensive experimental setup was designed and implemented. The study involved testing four distinct cases: (a) an empty bare pipe as a reference case, (b) a bare pipe filled with stagnant water, (c) an empty pipe fully submerged in plain water, and (d) a pipe with combined loads (i.e., filled with stagnant water and submerged). The amplitude variation and Time of Flight (ToF) were analysed to assess wave propagation characteristics. The experimental results revealed notable differences in amplitude and ToF among all the four tested cases. Introduction of stagnant water inside the bare pipe resulted in decreased wave amplitudes, indicating increased wave attenuation compared to the empty pipe scenario. This research provides valuable insights for applications involving steel pipes submerged in water, offering guidance for accurate and reliable inspection and monitoring of pipe integrity. Future investigations may focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms behind wave attenuation in water-immersed scenarios and developing techniques to mitigate or compensate for these effects, thereby advancing inspection and monitoring capabilities in real-world applications.

Evaluation of Childhood Beverage Consumption and Perceptions of Water Safety.

Context: Children ages 1-3 should consume about 35oz of plain water per day. The CDC and AAP recommend that children under 12 months do not receive any juice and children over 12 months should receive no more than 4oz of 100% juice with no sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). SSB consumption is associated with overweight and obesity, as well as an increase of tooth decay. 22% of preschool children do not regularly drink plain water and 46% regularly drink SSBs. Previous assessment found that families were more concerned about overall health and cavity prevention than childhood obesity, as well as concern about the safety of tap water. Objective: Assess current water and other beverage consumption and beliefs about water safety. Study Design and Analysis: Survey of the parents of 300 children between ages 0 and 5, developed based on prior qualitative study. Preliminary results: Only 44% of participants believed their tap water is safe and 50% purchased the water they drink. 38% of participants believed that water fountains are safe and 56% believed public water bottle filling stations are safe. On average children drank 22.3oz of water per day, and 12% of children did not drink any water in a typical week. On average children drank 12.9oz of juice per day, with 80% of children drink juice at least weekly and 52% drinking juice daily. On average children drank 4.5oz of SSBs, with 44% drinking SSBs at least weekly and 20% drinking SSBs daily. Conclusions: Children drank more juice and SSBs and less water than recommended. Previous assessment suggests that families may be more open to beverage consumption changes that other lifestyle changes that prevent childhood obesity. Improved perceptions of tap water safety may be a possible mechanism to decrease juice and SSB and increase water consumption.

Neonatal administration of zingerone prevents the subsequent development of high dietary fructose-induced early features of nephropathy in rats.

Excessive consumption of fructose-rich diets in early life stages increases the risk for developing nephropathy in adulthood. We investigated the potential preventive effects of neonatally administered zingerone on the development of dietary fructose-induced nephropathy. Four-day-old suckling male and female rat pups were orally gavaged (10 ml/kg) with: distilled water (Con group), 20% fructose solution (Fru group), 20% fructose solution + 40 mg/kg zingerone in distilled water (ZFru group), or 40 mg/kg of zingerone (Zgr group) for 14 days. Thereafter, Con and Zgr groups continued on plain drinking water while Fru and ZFru groups drank 20% fructose solution ad libitum for 10 weeks. The Fru group had significantly increased plasma concentration of the renal injury marker kidney injury molecule one (KIM-1) and decreased glomerular urinary space area compared to the controls in both sexes (p < 0.05). These alterations were prevented by neonatally administered zingerone. Zingerone administration neonatally is a potential prophylaxis for longterm high-fructose diet-induced nephropathy.

Nutritional status and food intake frequency in children with autism spectrum disorder

Introduction: children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly present food hyperselectivity, which could lead to malnutrition. Furthermore, they are usually observed with eutrophic development, and a tendency to overweight or obesity, which might occur because of food preferences. Objectives: to evaluate nutritional status based on anthropometric measurements, and to determine the food intake frequency of Mexican children with ASD. Methods: a cross-sectional study that included 31 children of both sexes, from 5 to 10 years of age, with ASD, recruited for convenience at the Hospital del Niño DIF Hidalgo, Mexico. The variables considered were: weight, height, body mass index, muscle mass, fat mass, and frequency of food consumption. Results: the eutrophic nutritional status had a prevalence of 70.9 %, overweight of 12.9 % and obesity of 12.9 %. According to sex, women had significantly lower BMI and fat mass, but higher muscle mass than men. When comparing by diagnosis, there were no statistical differences. The most commonly consumed foods were tomato, carrot, banana, apple, corn tortilla, wheat flour bread, rice, beans, chicken, egg, whole milk, vegetable oil, gelatin and sweetened beverages. They mostly consumed plain water every day. Conclusions: children with ASD have a eutrophic nutritional status in addition to a significant tendency to overweight and obesity, probably related to a high consumption of sweetened beverages and jelly, as well as a low intake of vegetables. This indicates the need for nutritional surveillance to prevent the development of chronic degenerative diseases.

Comparison of the Effect of Preoperative Oral Tizanidine and Pregabalin on Shoulder Pain in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Under General Anesthesia.

Shoulder pain is considered as the most important and relatively common postoperative cholecystectomy complications that often controls in recovery room by systemic narcotics that may have some side effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of premedication with oral tizanidine on shoulder pain relief after elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In this double-blinded clinical trial, 75 adults of American Society of Anesthesiologist physiologic state 1 and 2 scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia were selected and randomly divided in three groups of T, P, and control groups. Ninety minutes before the induction of anesthesia, patients received either 4 mg tizanidine (T group), 100 mg pregabalin (P group), or orally in 50cc or the same volume of plain water as a placebo (control group). Then, the vital signs, pain intensity, and the need for analgesic were measured during 24 hours and then compared in the groups. There was no significant difference in patient characteristics, with respect to age, weight, gender, and duration of anesthesia and surgery between the groups (P > 0.05). The pain intensity and need for analgesic were significantly lower in tizanidine and pregabalin groups than the control group (P < 0.003) vs (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in vital signs characteristics between the groups. Oral administration of 4 mg tizanidine and 100 mg pregabalin 90 minutes before laparoscopic cholecystectomy significantly relive postoperative shoulder pain and analgesic consumption without any complication.

Utilization of Corn in Making Flour as an Alternative Availability of Food Commodities in Restaurants in Sitinjo Village, Dairi District

Corn flour is a fine grain that comes from crushed dry corn. Processing of corn into flour is recommended compared to other semi-finished products, because flour is more resistant to storage, easy to mix, can be enriched with nutrients (fortification), and is more practical and easy to use for further processing. This study aims to determine the quality of corn flour from several different processing processes. The research was carried out in Sitinjo Village, Dairi Regency, from April to May 2022. This study used corn as raw material for variety B 89, with 3 treatments of corn flour processing, namely: without soaking/milling shelled corn directly into flour (A); soaking in plain water overnight (B); and soaking in 1% tape yeast solution overnight (C). Observations were made on the nutritional content of corn flour (moisture content, ash content, protein content, fat content, crude fiber content, and carbohydrates), and economic analysis of corn flour from each processing process tested, then data analysis was carried out descriptively. The results showed that: corn flour made by soaking in 10% yeast solution (C), had a higher protein and coarse fiber content than treatments A (without soaking) and B (soaking in plain water). The process of making corn flour without soaking (A), gave the highest profit compared to the treatment of immersion in plain water (B) and immersion in 10% tape yeast solution (C), with an R/C ratio of 2.38.&#x0D;

Antimicrobial Activity of Chlorhexidine and Herbal Mouthwash Against the Adherence of Microorganism to Sutures After Periodontal Surgery: A Clinical Microbiological Study.

Introduction: Chemical plaque control agents assist to eliminate plaque microorganisms. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of a herbal mouthwash (HiOraTM) and a mouthwash containing 0.2% chlorhexidine in preventing bacteria from adhering to sutures in participants who had had periodontal flap surgery. Material and methods: 75 patients with chronic periodontitis were included in the study and divided into three groups. Plain water, herbal, and chlorhexidine mouthwashes were given after periodontal surgery, and sutures were removed on the eighthpostoperative day and sent for microbial analysis. Further plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI) were recorded at baseline and on the eighthpostoperative day. Results: Different aerobic bacterial species were isolated, namely Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), coagulase-negative staphylococci (Cons), Escherechia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella bacteroides, and Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). Significant differences were found among colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacterial species in different groups, and it is found that chlorhexidine mouthwash is quite effective against the adherence of microorganisms to sutures after periodontal surgery as compared to the control group and herbal mouthwash group. Herbal mouthwash has less antimicrobial activity when compared to chlorhexidine, but herbal mouthwash is highly effective against microbial adherence to sutures when compared to the control group (plain water). Significant variations between groups are shown in the PI and GI scores, indicating that chlorhexidine is successful in lowering the PI and GI scores and that herbal rinse is also helpful in reducing these scores, but to a lesser extent than chlorhexidine. Conclusion: According to the findings of this research, sutures are at risk for developing bacterial infections. However, the adhesion of microbes to sutures may be decreased with the adjunctive use of antimicrobial medicines such as chlorhexidine and herbal mouthwashes, which will result in improved wound healing. Herbal mouth rinses are effective in killing germs. However, chlorhexidine is far more effective in this regard.

Sugar-sweetened beverages exacerbate high-fat diet-induced inflammatory bowel disease by altering the gut microbiome

High-fat diets (HFDs) and frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are potential contributors to increasing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidences. While HFDs have been implicated in mild intestinal inflammation, the role of sucrose in SSBs remains unclear. Therefore, we studied the role of SSBs in IBD pathogenesis in a mouse model and humans. C57BL6/J mice were given ad libitum access to a sucrose solution or plain water for 10 weeks, with or without an HFD. Interestingly, sucrose solution consumption alone did not induce gut inflammation in mice; however, when combined with an HFD, it dramatically increased the inflammation score, submucosal edema, and CD45+ cell infiltration. 16S ribosomal RNA gene-sequencing revealed that sucrose solution and HFD co-consumption significantly increased the relative abundance of IBD-related pathogenic bacteria when compared with HFD consumption. RNA sequencing and flow cytometry showed that co-consumption promoted pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine synthesis, dendritic-cell expansion, and IFN-γ+TNF-α+CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell activation. Fecal microbiota transplantation from HFD- and sucrose water-fed mice into gut-sterilized mice increased the susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in the recipient mice. Consistent herewith, high consumption of SSBs and animal fat-rich diets markedly increased systemic inflammation-associated IBD marker expression in humans. In conclusion, SSBs exacerbate HFD-induced colitis by triggering a shift of the gut microbiome into a pathobiome. Our findings provide new insights for the development of strategies aimed at preventing IBD.

Studi Potensi Pemanfaatan Bunga Telang (Clitoria ternatea L.) Sebagai Media Pembelajaran Sains Untuk Anak Sekolah Dasar

Acids and bases are basic principles in science, especially chemistry which really needs to be learned for everyone, introducing the principles of acids and bases to children is very important to do so they love science more in the future. Dyes found in nature, especially those derived from plants, when they are in a solution, their color depends on the pH atmosphere, so they can be used as indicators or indicators of acids and bases in solutions. Introducing science from an early age means helping children to start thinking critically and logically. Science helps children experiment, explore and observe their surroundings. This slowly builds children's character to get used to thinking scientifically, is skilled at solving problems, and has high analysis. To introduce science to children, it needs to be packaged in an interesting way, one of which is science magic. To test whether the butterfly pea flower extract has a good pH range, it is first tested in solutions with all pHs from 1 to 14, and the results show that the butterfly pea flower has a good color range, while for scientific magic it is done by making three clear solutions that are not colored, each labeled A, B and C then the solution is given a butterfly pea flower extract and the results show three different colors, solution A is red, solution B is blue and solution C is yellow, in magic the solution A contains an acidic solution, solution B contains plain water and solution C contains an alkaline solution. The results of this study indicate that the quality of science learning media which is the magic game using butterfly pea flowers has the potential to be used as a medium for introducing science at the elementary school level. The conclusion from this study is that it is necessary to design the development of science learning media in the form of magic games to develop higher quality children's cognition so that they are very suitable for use in learning activities.

Enablers and Barriers to Chlorhexidine Use in Umbilical Cord Care: Voices of Care Givers and Healthcare Providers in Selected Counties in Kenya

Neonatal sepsis contributes to increased rates of mortality among newborns during their first month of life. Chlorhexidine (CHX) has proven effective in the prevention of neonatal sepsis due to umbilical stump infection after birth. Despite shifting from dry cord care techniques to CHX use, there is still a high prevalence of improper cord care in low-resource settings in Kenya. This study sought to explore barriers and enablers to CHX use in Kwale, Vihiga and Machakos counties in Kenya. We adopted mixed methods cross-sectional survey with 582 women of reproductive age with a young child less than one year as respondents to the quantitative survey. Qualitative data entailed thirty (30) key informant interviews with healthcare workers and national policymakers. Six (6) focus group discussions with mothers, caregivers, community health volunteers (CHVs) and traditional birth attendants were conducted. An observation checklist was used to assess the availability of CHX services and supplies in fourteen (14) health facilities was conducted. Results indicated variation in umbilical cord care practices for newborns across counties. Of 582 caregivers, only 1.3% reported having ever used CHX. Majority mentioned using methylated spirits (41.6%), other antiseptics (23.3%) and salty water (11.3%). Other substances used for cord care included plain water, herbal extracts, cow dung, soil, and breast milk. Despite 100% awareness of CHX among health workers, only a third of caregivers (38.7%) had heard of CHX. About 76.9% of participants preferred the gel formulation and 8.9% did not know where to get the product. Drivers of CHX use included faster cord healing, infection control in hospitals, ease of use, cost implications, ease of access, influence from key decision makers and preferred CHX formulation. Barriers included minimal awareness among caregivers, cultural practices and taboos on cord care, inadequate capacity building of CHVs on CHX, unclear CHX user guidelines for caregivers, prolonged stockouts and inadequate knowledge of CHX in communities. Healthcare workers highlighted poor dissemination of CHX guidelines by the Ministry of Health, unavailability in the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) and Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies logistic management information system making it difficult to procure. There is a need for advocacy to promote the uptake of CHX in facilities and increase knowledge of communities on CHX as well as manage the supply chain to increase CHX availability

Transgenerational transmission of aspartame-induced anxiety and changes in glutamate-GABA signaling and gene expression in the amygdala

We report the effects of aspartame on anxiety-like behavior, neurotransmitter signaling and gene expression in the amygdala, a brain region associated with the regulation of anxiety and fear responses. C57BL/6 mice consumed drinking water containing 0.015% or 0.03% aspartame, a dose equivalent of 8 to 15% of the FDA recommended maximum human daily intake, or plain drinking water. Robust anxiety-like behavior (evaluated using open field test and elevated zero maze) was observed in male and female mice consuming the aspartame-containing water. Diazepam, an allosteric modulator of the GABA-A receptor, alleviated the anxiety-like behavior. RNA sequencing of the amygdala followed by KEGG biological pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes showed glutamatergic and GABAergic synapse pathways as significantly enriched. Quantitative PCR showed upregulation of mRNA for the glutamate NMDA receptor subunit 2D (Grin2d) and metabotropic receptor 4 (Grm4) and downregulation of the GABA-A receptor associated protein (Gabarap) mRNA. Thus, taken together, our diazepam and gene expression data show that aspartame consumption shifted the excitation-inhibition equilibrium in the amygdala toward excitation. Even more strikingly, the anxiety-like behavior, its response to diazepam, and changes in amygdala gene expression were transmitted to male and female offspring in two generations descending from the aspartame-exposed males. Extrapolation of the findings to humans suggests that aspartame consumption at doses below the FDA recommended maximum daily intake may produce neurobehavioral changes in aspartame-consuming individuals and their descendants. Thus, human population at risk of aspartame's potential mental health effects may be larger than current expectations, which only include aspartame-consuming individuals.

Cavitation nuclei and surface nanobubbles: The model of non-adsorbed interfacial liquid zones

A theory of bubble nuclei at water–solid interfaces is presented based on non-adsorbed interfacial liquid zones (NAILZs). It explains the low-contact-angle of surface nanobubbles observed at clean solid surfaces submerged in purified water from the H–O–H angle of the water molecule. H2O molecules that mirror-hydrogen bond to the solid and remaining alien polar molecules create the bubble surface. When plain water is used, non-polar alien molecules prevent the low-angle bubble formation, but not the NAILZ formation. It gives a key to understanding interfacial bubble nuclei generally, surface nanobubbles, as well as cavitation nuclei on natural solid surfaces.

Characterizing fluid intake and physical activity in university students within the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study determined fluid intake and physical activity behaviors among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. College students (n = 1014; females, 75.6%) completed an online survey during the Spring 2020 academic semester following the initial global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Academic standing, habitation situation, and University/College responses to COVID-19 were collected. Participants completed the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire and a 15-item Beverage Questionnaire (BEVQ-15) to determine physical activity level and fluid intake behaviors, respectively. Females (1920 ± 960mL) consumed significantly less fluid than males (2400 ± 1270mL, p < 0.001). Living off-campus (p < 0.01) and living with a spouse/partner (p < 0.01) was associated with increased consumption of alcoholic beverages. 88.7% of participants reported being at least moderately active; however, Black/African American and Asian participants were more likely to be less active than their Caucasian/White counterparts (p < 0.05). Participants reporting no change in habitation in response to COVID-19 had a higher fluid intake (p = 0.002); however, the plain water consumption remained consistent (p = 0.116). While there was no effect of habitation or suspension of classes on physical activity levels (p > 0.05), greater self-reported physical activity was associated with greater fluid intake (std. β = 0.091, p = 0.003). Fluid intake among college students during the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic approximated current daily fluid intake recommendations. Associations between COVID-19-related disruptions (i.e., suspension of classes and changes in habitation) and increased alcohol intake are concerning and may suggest the need for the development of targeted strategies and programming to attenuate the execution of negative health-related behaviors in college students.

Effect of process parameters of Plain Water Jet on the cleaning quality, surface and material integrity of Inconel 718 milled by Abrasive Water Jet

Abrasive Water Jet (AWJ) is considered as a promising milling method for difficult-to-machine aeronautical materials as Inconel alloy 718 (IN718). However, grit embedment during AWJ is known as a detrimental effect on certain applications as aircraft repair, where surface condition may play an important role on additive material technologies. To overcome this problem, Plain Water Jet (PWJ) has been used in the present study as cleaning process and demonstrated to be an effective method to remove grit particles from the surface with marginal alterations of surface state. In this paper, firstly the influence of AWJ process parameters on abrasive embedment and surface texture on IN718 specimens milled by AWJ were addressed. Then these surfaces were subjected to PWJ cleaning process and were extensively characterized in terms of grit embedment, surface texture and roughness, erosion depth, microhardness and residual stresses. Before cleaning, the milled surfaces presented a grit embedment level varying between 7 % and 14 %. One setting condition was selected for performing PWJ cleaning which reduced the grit level up to a quarter of the initial total surface area (less than 4 % in all cleaned surfaces) without relatively modifying neither the surface texture nor the erosion depth. Comparable microhardness gradients were observed before and after PWJ cleaning which corresponded to ∼ 30 % higher than the bulk values at surface and then decreased beneath the surface up to 200 µm before to reach bulk value (∼ 245 HV). Compressive residual stress state at surface initially induced by AWJ milling in some surfaces remained unchanged after PWJ process but in other ones was slightly relieved (∼ 50 MPa). Residual stresses after PWJ process resulted from − 630 MPa to – 315 MPa depending on the milling process parameters.

Pretreatment of the Leaves of Ethiopian Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Varieties: Effect of Blanching on the Quality of Dried Cassava Leaves

The aim of this work was to study the effect of blanching and drying on the quality of four Ethiopian cassava varieties (Chichu, Hawassa-4, Quelle, and Kello). Cassava leaves were subjected to blanching at 100 °C in plain water, 0.2% NaHCO3, and 0.4% NaHCO3 for five minutes. Cassava leaves without blanching were considered as a control. The drying temperature was set at 60 °C with a constant air velocity of 0.14 ms−1. A high reduction in vitamin C (95.6% in Chichu, 95.0% in Hawassa-4, 94.9% in Quelle, and 94.4% in Kello) was noticed in leaves blanched in the 0.4% NaHCO3 solution. After blanching, the reduction in the ash content was higher for those blanched in plain water. The crude fiber and protein content were improved by blanching. Blanching in clear water was more effective among the different solutions in reducing the cyanide content in the leaves of Kello, Quelle, and Chichu by 51, 33, and 60%, respectively. While for Hawassa-4, the reduction was higher (47%) with the 0.2%NaHCO3 solution. After blanching, the h° values decreased, while a*, b*, and c* increased. Plain water blanching resulted in a better nutritional quality, while Hawassa-4 exhibited the best nutritional value among the four varieties.