Years Of Science Research Articles

The impact of the ketogenic diet on the health of patients with Alzheimer’s disease

INTRODUCTION:
 Diet is an integral element of every individual's health. Its impact on the functioning of the human body has fascinated scientists for years. One of the diets that alters the mechanism of the body's functioning is the ketogenic diet. The impact of the ketogenic diet on various disorders is still under investigation. It is known to have shown numerous benefits in reducing epileptic seizures, but its impact on other neurological disorders is less known. In this literature review, the efficacy of ketogenic therapies was assessed in Alzheimer's disease.
 
 AIM OF STUDY:
 Review of the current literature (since 2018) on the effects of implementing a ketogenic diet in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
 
 MATERIALS AND METHODS:
 The review was based on data gathered from the PubMed database using the keywords: 'ketogenic diet in Alzheimer’s disease,' 'ketogenic therapies Alzheimer disease,' and 'ketogenic diet in neurological disease’.
 
 SUMMARY:
 The ketogenic diet enhances the daily functioning of Alzheimer's patients. It significantly improves their cognitive functions, and changes in brain blood flow are visible in imaging studies. The ketogenic diet also positively modulates the gut microbiome in Alzheimer's patients. It represents a promising option in combating cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.

The effect of pressing parameters and hardener content on the properties of plywood bonded with propylamine-UF adhesive

ABSTRACT Research on reducing the formaldehyde emission from wood-based materials bonded with urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin has attracted the attention of scientists for years. Many studies investigated the possibility of using amines for this purpose; however, the outcomes of the vast majority of them have shown that the limiting factor is reduced resin reactivity and consequently, deterioration of the strength of the resultant materials as well. Therefore, the aim of this research work was to investigate and evaluate the effect of the pressing protocol applied (pressing temperature and time), and hardener content (20% ammonium nitrate solution) on the properties of plywood bonded with UF adhesive system modified with 1% of propylamine. Manufactured plywood was tested in terms of shear strength (in dry and wet conditions) and formaldehyde emission (measured initially and after 4 weeks). Based on the results, it was found that it is possible to produce plywood with equally good characteristics as the reference, non-modified variant by increasing hardener content from 3% to 7%, increasing pressing temperature from 120°C to 150°C, and extending the pressing time from 240 to 300 s. Markedly, the implementation of these adjustments also contributed to a further decrease in formaldehyde emission.

Human occupations of upland and cold environments in inland Spain during the Last Glacial Maximum and Heinrich Stadial 1: The new Magdalenian sequence of Charco Verde II.

The settlement of cold and arid environments by Pleistocene hunter-gatherers has been a heated topic in Paleolithic Archaeology and the Quaternary Sciences for years. In the Iberian Peninsula, a key area for studying human adaptations to such environments is composed by the large interior and upland regions of the northern and southern plateaus (Mesetas) and bordering areas. As, traditionally, these regions have been relatively under-investigated compared to the ecologically more favored coastal areas of the peninsula, our knowledge of the human settlement of the whole Iberian hinterland remains scarce for the Last Glacial. In this paper we present the discovery and first geoarcheological, paleoenvironmental and chronometric evidence obtained at Charco Verde II, a new site close to the southwestern foothills of the Iberian system range (Guadalajara province, Spain), bearing a sequence of Magdalenian human occupations starting at least at 20.8-21.4 ka cal BP during the Last Glacial Maximum, and covering Greenland Stadial 2 until ∼15.1-16.6 ka cal BP, including Heinrich stadial 1. As this site is located in an upland region which today faces one of the harshest climates in Iberia, such occupation sequence, occurred during some of the coldest and most arid phases of the Last Glacial, has relevant implications for our understanding of human-environment-climate interactions and population dynamics in Iberia and Western Europe. These findings support the hypothesis that the Iberian hinterland was not avoided by Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers due to ecological constraints, but it hosted a complex and relatively dense settlement at least in some areas, even during cold periods. This suggest, one more time, that the historical scarcity of Upper Paleolithic sites in inland Iberia is, to a significant extent, an artifact of research bias.

How the US debt-ceiling crisis could cost science for years to come

How the US debt-ceiling crisis could cost science for years to come

The Influence of Ultra-Low Tidal Volume Ventilation during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation on Renal and Hepatic End-Organ Damage in a Porcine Model

The optimal ventilation strategy during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has eluded scientists for years. This porcine study aims to validate the hypothesis that ultra-low tidal volume ventilation (tidal volume 2-3 mL kg-1; ULTVV) minimizes renal and hepatic end-organ damage when compared to standard intermittent positive pressure ventilation (tidal volume 8-10 mL kg-1; IPPV) during CPR. After induced ventricular fibrillation, the animals were ventilated using an established CPR protocol. Upon return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), the follow-up was 20 h. After sacrifice, kidney and liver samples were harvested and analyzed histopathologically using an Endothelial, Glomerular, Tubular, and Interstitial (EGTI) scoring system for the kidney and a newly developed scoring system for the liver. Of 69 animals, 5 in the IPPV group and 6 in the ULTVV group achieved sustained ROSC and were enlisted, while 4 served as the sham group. Creatinine clearance was significantly lower in the IPPV-group than in the sham group (p < 0.001). The total EGTI score was significantly higher for ULTVV than for the sham group (p = 0.038). Aminotransferase levels and liver score showed no significant difference between the intervention groups. ULTVV may be advantageous when compared to standard ventilation during CPR in the short-term ROSC follow-up period.

An Analysis Of Code-Mixing Used By A Lecturer In English Class

This research aims to find out the types of code-mixing used by the lecturer in English class. This research used both Qualitative methods. The subject in this research is the lecturer and the first yearof science students at CokroaminotoPalopo University. The instruments of this research are observation sheet and recorder. The result of this research shows that there are three types of code-mixing found in the lecturer’s utterances during the English teaching-learning process. They are Intra sentential, intra lexical, and involve a change of pronunciation and the results showed that the most frequent is intra sentential.&#x0D;

Is Concern With Overpopulation a Good Argument Against Radical Life Extension?

Projects of radical life extension have been discussed amongst scientists for years. Some bioethicists express reservations about this endeavor. A common objection appeals to demography: if the human lifespan is dramatically expanded, humanity would face an overpopulation problem. In this essay, the authors reply to this objection. They posit that radical life extension is unlikely to lead to overpopulation because overpopulation is determined more by fertility rates than by longevity, and as a result of the advanced phases of industrialization, fertility rates are likely to be reduced, and therefore, population size would become stable. However, they argue that although overpopulation is not a concern for the foreseeable future, it is still important to acknowledge its potential harms. Finally, they argue that even if overpopulation becomes a problem caused by radical life extension, there are plausible ways to solve it.

Geometrical frustration of phase-separated domains in Coscinodiscus diatom frustules

Diatoms are single-celled organisms with a cell wall made of silica, called the frustule. Even though their elaborate patterns have fascinated scientists for years, little is known about the biological and physical mechanisms underlying their organization. In this work, we take a top-down approach and examine the micrometer-scale organization of diatoms from the Coscinodiscus family. We find two competing tendencies of organization, which appear to be controlled by distinct biological pathways. On one hand, micrometer-scale pores organize locally on a triangular lattice. On the other hand, lattice vectors tend to point globally toward a center of symmetry. This competition results in a frustrated triangular lattice, populated with geometrically necessary defects whose density increases near the center.

Evaluating the protective effects of Panax bipinnatifidus Seem. extracts on hypoxia/reoxygenation-subjected cardiomyocytes

The search for new products to treat ischemic heart diseases has interested scientists for years as it is the main cause of cardiovascular disease mortality. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of Panaxbipinnatifidus Seem. extracts (PSE) on hypoxia/reoxygenation (HR)-treated rat H9C2 cardiomyocytes. Rat H9C2 cardiomyocytes were either grown under normal condition or subjected to HR conditions. NecroX-5 (10 μM) was used as positive control for cardiac protective effect. The PSE (5-500 μg/ml) was employed to culture media at the onset of reoxygenation. Cell viability and mitochondrial function were tested using a Cell Counting Kit-8 and suitable fluorescence kits. The obtained data shows that HR conditions dramatically induced H9C2 cell death (p&lt;0.05). Treatment of PSE (5-62.5 μg/ml) effectively reduced HR injuries in a dose-dependent manner. Similar to the NecroX-5 group, ginseng extract-treated cells had higher viability levels compared to that of the HR-subjected cells (p&lt;0.05). In addition, supplementing PSE at the onset of reoxygenation strongly prevented the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced mitochondrial oxidative stress (p&lt;0.05). This study suggested the total saponin extracts from Panax bipinnatifidus Seem. exerts cardioprotective properties against HR damage.

Modeling of a Combined Kalina and Organic Rankine Cycle System for Waste Heat Recovery from Biogas Engine

Converting waste heat into electricity has captured the interest of scientists for years because of its enormous potential to improve energy efficiency and to lessen environmental impacts. While there are numerous applications to recover lost energy, they are often not efficient or cheap enough to make a real-world impact. The aim of this study is to develop a heat recovery system for the waste recycling factory operating in Hatay, Turkey. We combined the Kalina Cycle (KC) with the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) to extract exhaust gas and jacket water waste heat from a combined heat and power engine. An ammonia–water mixture was selected as the working fluid in KC, while R123, R236ea and R124 were chosen and tested for the ORC. The selection of working fluids was made based on certain environmental impacts such as global warming or ozone depletion potential, without further exploring other working fluid options, which could be considered a limitation of this study. The optimal values of KC parameters, including mass fraction, turbine inlet pressure and inlet temperature, were found to be 90%, 430 °C and 90 bar, respectively. The KC was then combined with the ORC using three different working fluids, among which R123 yielded the best results. The net power, exergy and thermal efficiency of the combined cycle were calculated as 211.03 kW, 52.83% and 26.50%, respectively, while the payback period was estimated to be 4.2 years. It should be noted that the applicability domain of the obtained results is limited to the climate conditions studied here. We concluded that the combination of the KC and ORC can be efficiently used for the recovery of waste heat energy.

Nanogels as Drug Carrier in Cancer Treatment: A Bibliometric Overview of the Publication in Web of Science in year 2004-2021

This is a bibliometric analysis study of nanogels in cancer treatment by studying the documents related to nanogels field. As cancer has been reported to have high amounts of cases, thus an efficient treatment is essential for all the tumour patients. Nanogels has the ability to transport the anticancer drug to the targeted site on the tumour microenvironment. A lot studies has been done regarding to the nanogels and nanotechnology started to attract people in 1980s where United State initiated the lead in 2000. An analysis has been done in this paper by extracting data from WOS database and visualize through VOSviewer to study the collaboration network, topic of interest and impact of publications. Finding reveal that the collaboration work is strong between United State and China as both countries are successful in scientific knowledge technology. This study is expected to have an impact for future nanogel study in cancer treatment.

Advanced Estimation of Compressive Strength and Fracture Behavior in Ceramic Honeycombs by Polarimetry Measurements of Similar Epoxy Resin Honeycombs.

Finding a non-destructive characterization method for cellular ceramics’ compressive strength and fracture behavior has been a challenge for material scientists for years. However, for transparent materials, internal stresses can be determined by the non-destructive photoelastic measurements. We propose a novel approach to correlate the photoelastic stresses of polymer (epoxy resin) prototypes with the mechanical properties of ceramics (alumina). Regular and inverse epoxy honeycombs were 3D-printed via stereolithography with varying structure angles from −35° to 35°, with negative angles forming an auxetic and positive hexagonal lattice. Photoelastic measurements under mechanical loading revealed regions of excess stress, which directly corresponded to the initial fracture points of the ceramic honeycombs. These honeycombs were made by a combination of 3D printing and transfer molding from alumina. The photoelastic stress distribution was much more homogeneous for angles of a smaller magnitude, which led to highly increased compressive strengths of up to 446 ± 156 MPa at 0°. By adapting the geometric structural model from Gibson and Ashby, we showed that we could use a non-destructive technique to determine the compressive strength of alumina honeycombs from the median photoelastic stress measured on similar epoxy honeycomb structures.

Prof K C Dube Poster Award

Background:The Hair cortisol levels (HairF) reflect average serum cortisol levels longitudinally practically similar to HbA1c levels for blood glucose levels. There are conflicting reports of higher serum cortisol levels due to hyperactive Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, in Anxiety, particularly Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), which is a common, disabling condition, that remains under-detected.Aims:To determine validity of the HairF in detecting GAD.Methodology:Consenting study participants (N=66) included those with GAD (n=40) and Healthy Controls (n=26) at Psychiatry Outpatients of Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences in year 2020 provided hair sample for study. HairF was assessed as per standardized ELISA method, validated by Kirschbaum and colleagues (2009). GAD diagnosis was made by Consultant Psychiatrist, who also administered Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and received Patient Health Questionnaire 4 (PHQ-4) for all participants; HairF were evaluated by Consultant Biochemist, was blind to participants’ diagnosis.Results:Study found correlations of HairF with HAM-A scores (r2 = 0.61; p<.001) & PHQ-4 scores (r2 = 0.52; p<.001). The ROC statistics found that the AUC against gold standard of clinical GAD diagnosis, for HairF was 0.98 (p<.001), HAM-A was 0.99 (p<.001) and PHQ-4 was 0.92 (p<.001). The optimum cut-off of HairF of 88.4 pg/mg had 98.5% sensitivity and 92.5% specificity.Discussion:HairF test is not only a substitute for clinician rated HAM-A and self-reported PHQ-4, but provide anxiety states longitudinally, moreover it is objective. Study limitations were that Control group had lower sample size and were younger. Also, study should have evaluated HairF levels post treatment.Conclusion:HairF test can be a simple objective diagnostic aid in detecting GAD could help Primary Care Physicians, if a simple test kit becomes available to treat early. This highlights the need for pertinent inter-discipline collaboration for similar future Translational Psychiatry Research.Word count of abstract: 292 Corresponding, Submitting & Presenting Author:

Energy: Protein Ratio in Ruminants: Insights from the Intragastric Infusion Technique.

Simple SummaryOne key question that has confounded nutritional scientists for years is how the ruminant responds metabolically with respect to energy and nitrogen utilisation when no exogenous energy is consumed. Fasting metabolism studies using the intragastric infusion technique (IIT) showed this to be a glucose-deficient state characterised by elevated nitrogen excretion and heat production. However, modern feeding systems continue to adopt fasting as the basis for measuring utilisation efficiency of nutritionally balanced diets, giving rise to the false concept of greater feed utilisation below than above energy maintenance. Another IIT finding was that given the animal’s genetic capacity for protein accretion and provided a rumen undegradable protein is fed, ruminants do not catabolise amino acids as an energy source but instead retain these to attain substantial gains in tissue protein deposition, fuelled by endogenous energy reserves. This suggests that endogenous fat reserves could be used to retain body protein when feed supplies are scarce or of poor nutritive value and questions the need to use high-energy diets in the finishing pre-slaughter period. Moreover, body protein and body fat deposition were also shown to be negatively correlated, contradicting current feeding systems which assume that nitrogen retention is always negative in an underfeeding situation.Studies on energy:protein ratio in ruminants are constrained by rumen fermentation since it governs nutrient metabolism and the ratio of energy:protein yielding nutrients available for absorption. By circumventing rumen fermentation, the total intragastric infusion technique (IIT) allowed objective quantification of maintenance energy and protein requirements, volatile fatty acid utilisation efficiency, efficiency of energy utilisation for maintenance (Km) and growth (Kf) and the origin of N retention responses to independent variation of energy and protein intake. This review outlines the key IIT findings and whether they are reflected in current feeding systems with implications for different production systems worldwide. Maintenance energy requirements are similar to those derived from comparative slaughter but maintenance N requirements are significantly lower. No differences in utilisation efficiency exist between acetic, propionic and butyric acids. At low energy intakes, endogenous energy reserves are utilised to retain amino acids and fuel substantial tissue protein gains. The use of fasting metabolism to measure the utilisation of nutritionally balanced diets is questioned since it is a glucose-deficient state. Inter-species differences in glucose metabolism appear to exist, suggesting that glucose requirements may be higher in cattle than sheep. The difficulty in predicting nutrient requirements, particularly protein, with any one technique is highlighted.

The relationship between emotional intelligence and tendency toward critical thinking with academic success in nursing students: : An analytic sectional descriptive study

Background: Considering controversial results about the role of emotional intelligence and tendency toward critical thinking in academic success, the present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between emotional intelligence and tendency toward critical thinking with academic success in nursing students.Methods: The present study was an analytic sectional descriptive study using convenient sampling method that was conducted on 120 nursing students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in year 2018-2019. Data was collected with questionnaire; the questionnaire consisted of three parts: demographic characteristics, the Schutte scale, and tendency toward critical thinking questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and independent t test.Results: Results showed that the mean score of emotional intelligence among nursing students was 109.15) 9.23) and the mean score of critical thinking was 116.96 (12.79). No significant relationship was found between emotional intelligence and its elements with academic success. Also, there was no significant relationship between critical thinking and its elements with academic success (p > 0.05).Conclusions: Lack of a significant relationship between emotional intelligence and critical thinking with academic success might be due to the nature of academic achievement tests as well as the specific focus on remembering and memorizing the educational content as a criterion for evaluation. Therefore, it is recommended that, along with focusing on the ability of personal memory learning, development of cognitive and emotional skills of the students would also be attended.

Prevalence of Impacted and Semi-Impacted Teeth and Determination of Impaction Angle of Teeth in Patients of Tooba Clinic, Sari, Iran in 2013-2019

Introduction: Impaction is one of the most common tooth abnormalities which has multiple pathological consequences. The purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of impacted and semi-impacted teeth and to determine the impaction angle of different teeth in patients referred to the maxillofacial radiology department of dental school, Mazandaran University of medical sciences in years 2013-2019.&#x0D; Material and Methods: The panoramic radiographs of patients who were referred to oral and maxillofacial radiology department of Mazandaran dental school were observed. Impaction or semiimpaction angle of third molars were determined by Winter’s classification. Statistical analysis were conducted by using Chisquare test, Fisher’s exact test, Mann Whitney U test and Spearman correlation test (α=0/05).&#x0D; Results: 3200 panoramic radiographs were analyzed, and the prevalence of impaction, complete impaction and semiimpaction were calculated to be 25/8%, 3/7% and 23/6% respectively. The mesioangular impaction (48/3%) was the most prevalent kind of impaction. Statistically, age was correlated with the jaw involving tooth impaction (P=0/01), this correlation wasn’t observed about sex (P=0/161).&#x0D; Conclusion: Impacted teeth were observed in approximately one third of the radiographs. Impaction was more common in the mandible and the most prevalent kind of impaction was determined to be the mesioangular impaction. As the impacted tooth can cause problems we conclude that they must be extractedat an early age.

Determination of Loss of Reinforcement Due to Corrosion through X-ray Computer Micro-Tomography.

X-ray computer scanning tomography (CT scan) is an increasingly more available technique, which has been applied to material sciences for years. Although most of its use is qualitative for gaining insights on material behavior, quantitative analysis for estimations of deterioration rates is possible. This paper describes an unbiased, straightforward method to determine the amount of reinforcement lost to corrosion through the use of X-ray tomography without the need to remove the concrete cover. Other methods of assessment such as gravimetric analysis, half-cell potential, resistivity of mortar cover, corrosion current, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used in the same samples for comparison. While the electrical and electrochemical tests are valuable to describe the state of the samples, those demonstrated poor capacity of determining the stage of corrosion of the reinforcement in terms of amount of material lost. Electron microscopy could determine how much of the reinforcement corroded with high accuracy; however, these results are deficient in representativity, being based on a single plane of the steel. X-ray tomography, while suffering from sample size limitation, could provide quantitative information on the total volume of material lost for each sample with far higher accuracy than indirect techniques, which is significant for the forensic determination of remaining life service of structures.

ARE THERE ANY SHORTCOMINGS IN LOGISTICS QUALIFICATIONS IN THE GROUP OF EMPLOYEES 50+?

Rapid changes of the economic conditions seem to drive constant evolution of the logistics concept, thus introducing new ideas of supply chain management (SCM) and / or new management paradigms. These new concepts are reflected by the changes in organisational structures of companies requiring now modified skills and new type of knowledge from logistics employees [Kisperska-Moroń, 2000]. Dynamic changes on the market, the development of information and information technologies contribute to the growing demand for qualified and effective employees of logistics departments who can meet these and other challenges of the modern economy. The sources of employee efficiency, including competencies, have been the subject of interest of management sciences for years [Jarosz-Lewandowska, 2016]. Numerous studies and scientific studies prove that it is the competences of employees that affect the company's ability to achieve market success and are one of the sources of enterprise competitiveness. This makes it important to pay attention to logistic qualifications in the group of people 50+ who are employees of the logistics staff of Polish enterprises.

Hypophosphataemia after treatment of iron deficiency with intravenous ferric carboxymaltose or iron isomaltoside-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AimsHypophosphataemia is an increasingly recognized side‐effect of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) and possibly iron isomaltoside/ferric derisomaltose (IIM), which are used to treat iron deficiency. The aim of this study was to determine frequency, severity, duration and risk factors of incident hypophosphataemia after treatment with FCM and IIM.MethodsA systematic literature search for articles indexed in EMBASE, PubMed and Web of Science in years 2005–2020 was carried out using the search terms ‘ferric carboxymaltose’ OR ‘iron isomaltoside’. Prospective clinical trials reporting outcomes on hypophosphataemia rate, mean nadir serum phosphate and/or change in mean serum phosphate from baseline were selected. Hypophosphataemia rate and severity were compared for studies on IIM vs. FCM after stratification for chronic kidney disease. Meta‐regression analysis was used to investigate risk factors for hypophosphataemia.ResultsAcross the 42 clinical trials included in the meta‐analysis, FCM induced a significantly higher incidence of hypophosphataemia than IIM (47%, 95% CI 36–58% vs. 4%, 95% CI 2–5%), and significantly greater mean decreases in serum phosphate (0.40 vs. 0.06 mmol/L). Hypophosphataemia persisted at the end of the study periods (maximum 3 months) in up to 45% of patients treated with FCM. Meta‐regression analysis identified low baseline serum ferritin and transferrin saturation, and normal kidney function as significant predictors of hypophosphataemia.ConclusionFCM is associated with a high risk of hypophosphataemia, which does not resolve for at least 3 months in a large proportion of affected patients. More severe iron deficiency and normal kidney function are risk factors for hypophosphataemia.

Attitudes towards science among senior secondary students in Fiji

In order to investigate gender and ethnicity-based differences in scientific attitudes among Fijian students, the widely studied Test of Scientific Related Attitudes (TOSRA) was administered to 1401 senior secondary Fijian students (Years 11–13; approximately 15–18 years of age). Students generally had a positive attitude towards science overall in Years 11–13, with females showing a more positive attitude than males. By Year 13, the attitudes of females towards science had become more negative. The attitude of iTaukei students towards science started out lower than other ethnicities in Year 11 and increased during Year 12, before falling to below the starting attitude levels in Year 13. Fijian students of Indian descent generally had a positive attitude towards science that remained consistent throughout Years 11–13, with an increase in leisure and career interest in science in Year 13. A strong correlation was found between the ethnicity of a student and their first language. Continued science outreach programmes, particularly in Year 12, are important to achieve and retain scientific interest and attitudes among Fijian secondary students.