Search results for: hyperbaric oxygen therapy

Authors: Mohammad Mukarram, M. Masroor A. Khan, Daniel Kurjak, Marek Fabrika

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Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus (Steud.) Wats) is an aromatic grass with great industrial potential. It is cultivated for its essential oil (EO), which has great economic value due to its numerous medicinal, cosmetic, and culinary applications. The present study had the goal to evaluate whether the combined application of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) 150 mg L⁻¹ and irradiated chitosan (ICH) 120 mg L⁻¹ can upgrade lemongrass crop and render enhanced growth and productivity. The analyses of growth and photosynthetic parameters, leaf-nitrogen, and reactive oxygen species metabolism, as well as the content of total essential oil, indicated that combined foliar sprays of SiNPs and ICH can significantly (p≤0.05) trigger a general activation of lemongrass metabolism. Overall, the data indicate that concomitant SiNPs and ICH application elicit lemongrass physiology and defence system, and opens new possibilities for their biotechnological application on other related plant species with agronomic potential.

Keywords: photosynthesis, Cymbopogon, antioxidant metabolism, essential oil, ROS, nanoparticles, polysaccharides

Procedia PDF Downloads 81

Authors: Ala’a F. Jaber, Bara’ah A. Bsharat, Noor T. Ismael

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Background: Sensory processing is a fundamental skill needed for the successful performance of daily living activities. These skills are impaired as parts of the neurodevelopmental process issues among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This systematic review aimed to summarize the evidence on the differences in sensory processing and motor characteristic between children with ASD and children with TD. Method: This systematic review followed the guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The search terms included sensory, motor, condition, and child-related terms or phrases. The electronic search utilized Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, ERIC, MEDLINE, MEDLINE Complete, Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences Collection, and SocINDEX with full-text databases. The hand search included looking for potential studies in the references of related studies. The inclusion criteria included studies published in English between years 2009-2020 that included children aged 3-18 years with a confirmed ASD diagnosis, according to the DSM-V criteria, included a control group of typical children, included outcome measures related to the sensory processing and/or motor functions, and studies available in full-text. The review of included studies followed the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine guidelines, and the Guidelines for Critical Review Form of Quantitative Studies, and the guidelines for conducting systematic reviews by the American Occupational Therapy Association. Results: Eighty-eight full-text studies related to the differences between children with ASD and children with TD in terms of sensory processing and motor characteristics were reviewed, of which eighteen articles were included in the quantitative synthesis. The results reveal that children with ASD had more extreme sensory processing patterns than children with TD, like hyper-responsiveness and hypo-responsiveness to sensory stimuli. Also, children with ASD had limited gross and fine motor abilities and lower strength, endurance, balance, eye-hand coordination, movement velocity, cadence, dexterity with a higher rate of gait abnormalities than children with TD. Conclusion: This systematic review provided preliminary evidence suggesting that motor functioning should be addressed in the evaluation and intervention for children with ASD, and sensory processing should be supported among children with TD. More future research should investigate whether how the performance and engagement in daily life activities are affected by sensory processing and motor skills.

Keywords: sensory processing, occupational therapy, children, motor skills

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Authors: Sewon Kim, Minjun Kwon, Changyeop Lee

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This study is aimed to study combustion characteristics of low NOx burner using petroleum cokes as fuel. The petroleum coke, which is produced through the oil refining process, is an attractive fuel in terms of its high heating value and low price. But petroleum coke is a challenging fuel because of its low volatile content, high sulfur and nitrogen content, which give rise to undesirable emission characteristics and low ignitability. Therefore, the research and development regarding the petroleum coke burner is needed for applying this industrial system. In this study, combustion and emission characteristics of petroleum cokes burner are experimentally investigated in an industrial steam boiler. The low NOx burner is designed to control fuel and air mixing to achieve staged combustion, which, in turn reduces both flame temperature and oxygen. Air distribution ratio of triple staged air are optimized experimentally. The result showed that NOx concentration is lowest when overfire air is used, and the burner function at a fuel rich condition. That is, the burner is operated at the equivalence ratio of 1.67 and overall equivalence ratio including overfire air is kept 0.87.

Keywords: petroleum cokes, low NOx, combustion, equivalence ratio

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Authors: Noor Leha Abdul Rahman, Koay Mei Hyie, Anizah Kalam, Husna Elias, Teng Wang Dung

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Dark Red Meranti and Kapur, kinds of important type of wood in Malaysia were used as a precursor to fabricate porous silicon carbide. A carbon template is produced by pyrolysis at 850°C in an oxygen free atmosphere. The carbon template then further subjected to infiltration with silicon by silicon melt infiltration method. The infiltration process was carried out in tube furnace in argon flow at 1500°C, at two different holding time; 2 hours and 3 hours. Thermo gravimetric analysis was done to investigate the decomposition behavior of two species of plants. The resulting silicon carbide was characterized by XRD which was found the formation of silicon carbide and also excess silicon. The microstructure was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the density was determined by the Archimedes method. An increase in holding time during infiltration will increased the density as well as formation of silicon carbide. Dark Red Meranti precursor is likely suitable for production of silicon carbide compared to Kapur.

Keywords: density, SEM, silicon carbide, XRD

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Authors: Mathew Tran, Deepa Patel, Breann Prophete, Irandokht Khaki Najafabadi

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Status epilepticus is a neurological disorder requiring emergent control with medical therapy. Based on guideline recommendations for adults with status epilepticus, the first-line treatment is to start a benzodiazepine, as they are quick at seizure control. The second step is to initiate a non-benzodiazepine anti-epileptic drug to prevent refractory seizures. Studies show that the anti-epileptic drugs are approximately equivalent in status epilepticus control once a benzodiazepine has been given. This review provides a brief overview of the management of status epilepticus based on evidence from the literature and evidence-based guidelines.

Keywords: neurological disorder, seizure, status epilepticus, benzo diazepines, antiepileptic agents

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Authors: J. H. O. Nascimento, F. R. Oliveira, K. K. O. S. Silva, J. Neves, V. Teixeira, J. Carneiro

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These the aliphatic polyesters such as Polylactic Acid (PLA) in the form of fibers, nanofibers or plastic films, generally possess chemically inert surfaces, free porosity, and surface free energy (ΔG) lesser than 32 mN/m. It is therefore considered a low surface energy material, consequently has a low work of adhesion. For this reason, the products manufactured using these polymers are often subjected to surface treatments in order to change its physic-chemical surface, improving their wettability and the Work of Adhesion (WA). Plasma Radio Frequency low pressure (RF) treatment was performed in order to improve the Work of Adhesion (WA) on PLA fibers. Different parameters, such as, power, ratio of working gas (Argon/Oxygen) and treatment time were used to optimize the plasma conditions to modify the PLA surface properties. With plasma treatment, a significant increase in the work of adhesion on PLA fiber surface was observed. The analysis performed by XPS showed an increase in polar functional groups and the SEM and AFM image revealed a considerable increase in roughness.

Keywords: RF plasma, surface modification, PLA fabric, atomic force macroscopic, Nanotechnology

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Authors: P. I. Bobyleva, E. R. Andreeva, I. V. Andrianova, E. V. Maslova, L. B. Buravkova

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This work studied the ability of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to form stroma for expansion of cord blood hematopoietic cells. We showed that 72-hour interaction of MSCs with cord blood mononuclear cells (MNCs) in vitro at atmospheric (20%) and low (5%) O2 conditions increased the expression of ICAM-1, HCAM (at the beginning of interaction) on MSCs. Viability of MSCs and MNCs were maintained at high level. Adhesion of MNCs to MSCs was faster at 20% O2. MSCs promoted the proliferation of adhered MNCs to form the suspension containing great number of hematopoietic colony-forming units, and this effect was more pronounced at 5% O2. Thus, adipose-derived MSCs supplied sufficient stromal support to cord blood MNCs both at 20% and 5% О2, providing their adhesion with further expansion of new generation of different hematopoietic lineages.

Keywords: hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, mesenchymal stromal cells, tissue-related oxygen, adipose tissue

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Authors: Tolga Barisik, Ali Fuat Guneri, K. Dastan

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Major industrial facilities have a high potential for fire risk. In particular, the indices used for the detection of hidden fire are used very effectively in order to prevent the fire from becoming dangerous in the initial stage. These indices provide the opportunity to prevent or intervene early by determining the stage of the fire, the potential for hazard, and the type of the combustion agent with the percentage values of the ambient air components. In this system, artificial neural network will be modeled with the input data determined using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, which is a multi-layer sensor (CAA) (teacher-learning) type, before modeling the modeling methods in the literature. The actual values produced by the indices will be compared with the outputs produced by the network. Using the neural network and the curves to be created from the resulting values, the feasibility of performance determination will be investigated.

Keywords: artifical neural networks, fire, Graham Index, levenberg-marquardt algoritm, oxygen decrease percentage index, risk assessment, Trickett Index

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Authors: Soheily Shahram, Banaeifar Abdolali, Yadegari Elham

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Vascular adhesion molecules-1 (VCAM-1) is one of the factors associating obesity and inflammatory lesions like atherosclerosis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of endurance training on serum concentration of VCAM-1 in overweight women. Thirty female overweight (BMI ≥ 25) voluntarily participated in our study. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Endurance training or control group. Training group exercised for 12 weeks, three sessions a week with definite intensity and distance. Pre and post 12 weeks of endurance training blood samples were taken (5cc) in fasting state from all subjects. Data was analyzed via independent t test (p≤0.05). The results showed that endurance training had significant effect on VCAM, body weight, fat percentage, BMI and maximum oxygen consumption (p ≤ 0.05). This study demonstrates that endurance training caused a decrease in the adhesion molecules level and decreasing inflammation, endurance training may perhaps play an effective role in atherosclerosis.

Keywords: endurance training, vascular cell adhesion molecules, overweight women, serum concentration

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Authors: R. D. Esposito, P. Dorado Rodriguez, D. Planes Meseguer

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In this work, we compare the contour of Internal Target Volume (ITV), for Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) of a patient affected by a single liver metastasis, obtained from two different patient data acquisition techniques. The first technique consists in a free breathing Computer Tomography (CT) scan acquisition, followed by exhalation breath-hold and inhalation breath-hold CT scans, all of them applying abdominal compression while the second technique consists in a free breathing 4D CT-PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan. Results obtained with these two methods are consistent, which demonstrate that at least for this specific case, both techniques are adequate for ITV contouring in SBRT treatments.

Keywords: 4D CT-PET, abdominal compression, ITV, SBRT

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Authors: J. Al-Dmour, A. Sagahyroon, A. Al-Ali, S. Abusnana

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Radio Frequency Based Identification Systems have emerged as one of the possible valuable solutions that can be utilized in healthcare systems. Nowadays, RFID tags are available with built-in human vital signs sensors such as Body Temperature, Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Blood Sugar level and Oxygen Saturation in Blood. This work proposes the design, implementation, and testing of an integrated mobile RFID-based health care system. The system consists of a wireless mobile vital signs data acquisition unit (RFID-DAQ) integrated with a fuzzy-logic–based software algorithm to monitor and assess patients conditions. The system is implemented and tested in ‘Rashid Center for Diabetes and Research’, Ajman, UAE. System testing results are compared with the Modified Early Warning System (MEWS) that is currently used in practice. We demonstrate that the proposed and implemented system exhibits an accuracy level that is comparable and sometimes better than the widely adopted MEWS system.

Keywords: healthcare, fuzzy logic, MEWS, RFID

Procedia PDF Downloads 348

Authors: D.Mendes, J. Henriques, P. Carvalho, T. Rocha, S. Paredes, R. Cabiddu, R. Trimer, R. Mendes, A. Borghi-Silva, L. Kaminsky, E. Ashley, R. Arena, J. Myers

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The continued exploration of clinically relevant predictive models continues to be an important pursuit. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) portends clinical vital information and as such its accurate prediction is of high importance. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to develop a data-driven model, based on computational intelligence techniques and, in particular, clustering approaches, to predict CRF. Two prediction models were implemented and compared: 1) the traditional Wasserman/Hansen Equations; and 2) an interpretable clustering approach. Data used for this analysis were from the 'FRIEND - Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise: The National Data Base'; in the present study a subset of 10690 apparently healthy individuals were utilized. The accuracy of the models was performed through the computation of sensitivity, specificity, and geometric mean values. The results show the superiority of the clustering approach in the accurate estimation of CRF (i.e., maximal oxygen consumption).

Keywords: cardiorespiratory fitness, data-driven models, knowledge extraction, machine learning

Procedia PDF Downloads 286

Authors: M. Doudi, M. H. Pazandeh, L. Rahimzadeh Torabi

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Bedsores are pressure ulcers that occur on the skin or tissue due to being immobile and lying in bed for extended periods. Bedsores have the potential to progress into open ulcers, increasing the possibility of a variety of bacterial infections. Acinetobacter baumannii, a pathogen of considerable clinical importance, exhibited a significant correlation with Bedsores (pressure ulcers) infections, thereby manifesting a wide spectrum of antibiotic resistance. The emergence of drug resistance has led researchers to focus on alternative methods, particularly phage therapy, for tackling bacterial infections. Phage therapy has emerged as a novel therapeutic approach to regulate the activity of these agents. The management of bacterial infections greatly benefits from the clinical utilization of bacteriophages as a valuable antimicrobial intervention. The primary objective of this investigation consisted of isolating and discerning potent bacteriophage capable of targeting multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria obtained from pressure ulcers. The present study analyzed and isolated A. baumannii strains obtained from a cohort of patients suffering from pressure ulcers at Taleghani Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. An approach that included biochemical and molecular identification techniques was used to determine the taxonomic classification of bacterial isolates at the genus and species levels. The molecular identification process was facilitated by using the 16S rRNA gene in combination with universal primers 27 F and 1492 R. Bacteriophage was obtained through the isolation process conducted on treatment plant sewage located in Isfahan, Iran. The main goal of this study was to evaluate different characteristics of phage, such as their appearance, the range of hosts they can infect, how quickly they can enter a host, their stability at varying temperatures and pH levels, their effectiveness in killing bacteria, the growth pattern of a single phage stage, mapping of enzymatic digestion, and identification of proteomics patterns. The findings demonstrated that an examination was conducted on a sample of 50 specimens, wherein 15 instances of A. baumannii were identified. These microorganisms are the predominant Gram-negative agents known to cause wound infections in individuals suffering from bedsores. The study's findings indicated a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the strains isolated from pressure ulcers, excluding the clinical strains that exhibited responsiveness to colistin. According to the findings obtained from assessments of host range and morphological characteristics of bacteriophage VbɸAB-1, it can be concluded that this phage possesses specificity towards A. Baumannii BAH_Glau1001 was classified as a member of the Podoviridae family. The bacteriophage mentioned earlier showed the strongest antibacterial effect at a temperature of 18 °C and a pH of 6.5. Through the utilization of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis on protein fragments, it was established that the bacteriophage VbɸAB-1 exhibited a size range between 50 and 75 kilodaltons (KDa). The numerous research findings on the effectiveness of phages and the safety studies conducted suggest that the phages studied in this research can be considered as a practical solution and recommended approach for controlling and treating stubborn pathogens in burn wounds among hospitalized patients. The findings of our research indicated that isolated phages could be an effective antimicrobial and an appreciate candidate for prophylaxis against pressure ulcers.

Keywords: acinetobacter baumannii, extremely drug-resistant, phage therapy, surgery wound

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Authors: Araujo J. F. Marina, Araujo F. Marcus Vinicius, Mulinari R. Daniella

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Due to the resultant leachate from waste decomposition in landfills has polluter potential hundred times greater than domestic sewage, this is considered a problem related to the depreciation of environment requiring pre-disposal treatment. In seeking to improve this situation, this project proposes the treatment of landfill leachate using natural fibers intercropped with advanced oxidation processes. The selected natural fibers were palm, coconut and banana fiber. These materials give sustainability to the project because, besides having adsorbent capacity, are often part of waste discarded. The study was conducted in laboratory scale. In trials, the effluents were characterized as Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Turbidity and Color. The results indicate that is technically promising since that there were extremely oxidative conditions, the use of certain natural fibers in the reduction of pollutants in leachate have been obtained results of COD removals between 67.9% and 90.9%, Turbidity between 88.0% and 99.7% and Color between 67.4% and 90.4%. The expectation generated is to continue evaluating the association of efficiency of other natural fibers with other landfill leachate treatment processes.

Keywords: lndfill leachate, chemical treatment, natural fibers, advanced oxidation processes

Procedia PDF Downloads 357

Authors: Tayba Akram

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our main objective of this study is to work on the etiology of liver cirrhosis, to find basic reasons and causes of liver damage, and to find the pattern of liver cirrhosis in hepatic patients either suffering from hepatitis B/C or simple jaundice. We can evaluate medical treatment and the latest trends in patients suffering from liver cirrhosis. We can evaluate the side effects and adverse effects induced by drug therapy used to treat liver cirrhosis. The conclusion is based on the etiology of liver cirrhosis. The most common cause of liver cirrhosis is the viral Hepatitis C virus. Other common causes of liver cirrhosis that are estimated from our research are Hepatitis B virus, Diabetes Mellitus, Ascites, and very rarely found Hepatitis D virus.

Keywords: etiology, liver, cirrhosis, co-morbid diseases

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Authors: Nkechi V. Enwuru, Bullum Nkeki, Elizabeth A. Adekoya, Olumide A. Adebesin, Rebecca F. Peters, Victoria A. Aikhomu, Mendie E. U.

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Background: Probiotics are live microbial feed supplement beneficial for host. Probiotics and their postbiotic products have been used to prevent or treat various health conditions. However, the products cell viability is often low due to harsh conditions subjected during processing, handling, storage, and gastrointestinal transit. These strongly influence probiotics’ benefits; thus, viability is essential for probiotics to produce health benefits for the host. Microencapsulation is a promising technique with considerable effects on probiotic survival. The study is aimed to formulate a microencapsulated probiotic and evaluate its viability, antimicrobial efficacy, and cytotoxic activity of its postbiotic on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Method: Human and animal raw milk were sampled for lactic acid bacteria. The isolated bacteria were identified using conventional and VITEK 2 systems. The identified lactic acid bacterium was encapsulated using spray-dried and extrusion methods. The free, encapsulated, and chitosan-coated encapsulated probiotics were tested for viability in simulated-gastric intestinal (SGI) fluid and different storage conditions at refrigerated (4oC) and room (25oC) temperatures. The disintegration time and weight uniformity of the spray-dried hard gelatin capsules were tested. The antimicrobial property of free and encapsulated probiotics was tested against enteric pathogenic isolates from antiretroviral therapy (ART) treated HIV-positive patients. The postbiotic of the free cells was extracted, and its cytotoxic effect on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was tested through an MTT assay. Result: The Lactobacillus plantarum was isolated from animal raw milk. Zero-size hard gelatin L. plantarum capsules with granules within a size range of 0.71–1.00 mm diameter was formulated. The disintegration time ranges from 2.14±0.045 to 2.91±0.293 minutes, while the average weight is 502.1mg. Simulated gastric solution significantly affected viability of both free and microcapsules. However, the encapsulated cells were more protected and viable due to impermeability in the microcapsules. Furthermore, the viability of free cells stored at 4oC and 25oC were less than 4 log CFU/g and 6 log CFU/g respectively after 12 weeks. However, the microcapsules stored at 4oC achieved the highest viability among the free and microcapsules stored at 25oC and the free cells stored at 4oC. Encapsulated cells were released in the simulated gastric fluid, viable and effective against the enteric pathogens tested. However, chitosan-coated calcium alginate encapsulated probiotics significantly inhibited Shigella flexneri, Candida albicans, and Escherichia coli. The Postbiotic Metabolites (PM) of L. plantarum produced a cytotoxic effect on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. The postbiotic showed significant cytotoxic activity similar to 5FU, a standard antineoplastic agent. The inhibition concentration of 50% growth (IC50) of postbiotic metabolite K3 is low and consistent with the IC50 of the positive control (Cisplatin). Conclusions: Lactobacillus plantarum postbiotic exhibited a cytotoxic effect on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and could be used as combined adjuvant therapy in breast cancer management. The microencapsulation technique protects the probiotics, improving their viability and delivery to the gastrointestinal tract. Chitosan enhances antibacterial efficacy; thus, chitosan-coated microencapsulated L. plantarum probiotics could be more effective and used as a combined therapy in HIV management of opportunistic enteric infection.

Keywords: probiotics, encapsulation, gastrointestinal conditions, antimicrobial effect, postbiotic, cytotoxicity effect

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Authors: Susana Gonçalves, Joana Lencart, Anabela Gregório Dias

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Introduction: In combination with chemotherapy, Total Body Irradiation (TBI) is most used as part of the conditioning regimen prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Conventional TBI techniques have a long application time but non-conformality of beam-application with the inability to individually spare organs at risk. Our institution’s intention is to start using Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) techniques to increase homogeneity of delivered radiation. As a first approach, a dosimetric plan was performed on a computed tomography (CT) scan of a Rando Alderson antropomorfic phantom (head and torso), using a set of six arcs distributed along the phantom. However, a full body anthropomorphic phantom is essential to carry out technique validation and implementation. Our aim is to define the physical and chemical characteristics and the ideal manufacturing procedure of upper and lower limbs to our anthropomorphic phantom, for later validate TBI using VMAT. Materials and Methods: To study the better fit between our phantom and limbs, a CT scan of Rando Alderson anthropomorphic phantom was acquired. CT was performed on GE Healthcare equipment (model Optima CT580 W), with slice thickness of 2.5 mm. This CT was also used to access the electronic density of soft tissue and bone through Hounsfield units (HU) analysis. Results: CT images were analyzed and measures were made for the ideal upper and lower limbs. Upper limbs should be build under the following measures: 43cm length and 7cm diameter (next to the shoulder section). Lower limbs should be build under the following measures: 79cm length and 16.5cm diameter (next to the thigh section). As expected, soft tissue and bone have very different electronic density. This is important to choose and analyze different materials to better represent soft tissue and bone characteristics. The approximate HU values of the soft tissue and for bone shall be 35HU and 250HU, respectively. Conclusion: At the moment, several compounds are being developed based on different types of resins and additives in order to be able to control and mimic the various constituent densities of the tissues. Concurrently, several manufacturing techniques are being explored to make it possible to produce the upper and lower limbs in a simple and non-expensive way, in order to finally carry out a systematic and appropriate study of the total body irradiation. This preliminary study was a good starting point to demonstrate the feasibility of TBI with VMAT.

Keywords: TBI, VMAT, anthropomorphic phantom, tissue equivalent materials

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Authors: Beom-Seok Ko, Yoo-Seok Kim, Woo-Sung Lim, Ku-Sang Kim, Hyun-Ah Kim, Jin-Sun Lee, An-Bok Lee, Jin-Gu Bong, Tae-Hyun Kim, Sei-Hyun Ahn

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Background: Breast conserving surgery (BCS) followed by radiation therapy is today standard therapy for early breast cancer. It is safe therapeutic procedure in early breast cancers, because it provides the same level of overall survival as mastectomy. There are a number of different types of incisions used to BCS. Avoiding scars on the breast is women’s desire. Numerous minimal approaches have evolved due to this concern. Periareolar incision is often used when the small tumor relatively close to the nipple. But periareolar incision has a disadvantages include limited exposure of the surgical field. In plastic surgery, various methods such as zigzag incisions have been recommended to achieve satisfactory esthetic results. Periareolar zigzag incision has the advantage of not only good surgical field but also contributed to better surgical scars. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oncological safety of procedures by studying the status of the surgical margins of the excised tumor specimen and reduces the need for further surgery. Methods: Between January 2016 and September 2016, 148 women with breast cancer underwent BCS or mastectomy by the same surgeon in ASAN medical center. Patients with exclusion criteria were excluded from this study if they had a bilateral breast cancer or underwent resection of the other tumors or taken axillary dissection or performed other incision methods. Periareolar zigzag incision was performed and excision margins of the specimen were identified frozen sections and paraffin-embedded or permanent sections in all patients in this study. We retrospectively analyzed tumor characteristics, the operative time, size of specimen, the distance from the tumor to nipple. Results: A total of 148 patients were reviewed, 72 included in the final analysis, 76 excluded. The mean age of the patients was 52.6 (range 25-19 years), median tumor size was 1.6 cm (range, 0.2-8.8), median tumor distance from the nipple was 4.0 cm (range, 1.0-9.0), median excised specimen sized was 5.1 cm (range, 2.8-15.0), median operation time was 70.0 minute (range, 39-138). All patients were discharged with no sign of infection or skin necrosis. Free resection margin was confirmed by frozen biopsy and permanent biopsy in all samples. There were no patients underwent reoperation. Conclusions: We suggest that periareolar zigzag incision can provide a good surgical field to remove a relatively large tumor and may provide cosmetically good outcomes.

Keywords: periareolar zigzag incision, breast conserving surgery, breast cancer, resection margin

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Authors: Ouafek Nora, Keghouche Nassira, Dehdouh Heider, Untidt Carlos

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A lot of knowledge has been accumulated on the metal clusters supported on oxide surfaces because of their multiple applications in microelectronics, heterogeneous catalysis, and magnetic devices. In this work, the surface state of Ni / MgO has been studied by XPS (X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy). The samples were prepared by impregnation with ion exchange Ni²⁺ / MgO, followed by either a thermal treatment in air (T = 100 -350 ° C) or a gamma irradiation (dose 100 kGy, 25 kGy dose rate h -1). The obtained samples are named after impregnation NMI, NMR after irradiation, and finally NMC(T) after calcination at the temperature T (T = 100-600 °C). A structural study by XRD and HRTEM reveals the presence of nanoscaled Ni-Mg intermetallic phases (Mg₂Ni, MgNi₂, and Mg₆Ni) and magnesium hydroxide. Mg(OH)₂ in nanometric range (2- 4 nm). Mg-Ni compounds are of great interest in energy fields (hydrogen storage…). XPS spectra show two Ni2p peaks at energies of about 856.1 and 861.9 eV, indicating that the nickel is primarily in an oxidized state on the surface. The shift of the main peak relative to the pure NiO (856.1 instead of 854.0 eV) suggests that in addition to oxygen, nickel is engaged in another link with magnesium. This is in agreement with the O1s spectra which present an overlap of peaks corresponds to NiO and MgO, at a calcination temperature T ≤ 300 °C.

Keywords: XPS, XRD, nanoparticules, Ni-MgO

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Authors: Mariana Volpini, Volker Bartenbach, Marcos Pinotti, Robert Riener

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Restoration of gait ability is an important task in the rehabilitation of people with neurological disorders presenting a great impact in the quality of life of an individual. Based on the motor learning concept, robotic assisted treadmill training has been introduced and found to be a feasible and promising therapeutic option in neurological rehabilitation but unfortunately it is not available for most patients in developing countries due to the high cost. This paper presents the concept of a low cost rehabilitation robot to help consolidate the robotic-assisted gait training as a reality in clinical practice in most countries. This work indicates that it is possible to build a simpler rehabilitation device respecting the physiological trajectory of the ankle.

Keywords: bioengineering, gait therapy, low cost rehabilitation robot, rehabilitation robotics

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Authors: Noah Emil Glisik

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Alcohol use disorder (AUD) presents significant health challenges worldwide and is particularly concerning in Slovenia, where high alcohol consumption contributes to elevated rates of comorbidities, including depression and suicide. This review examines emerging evidence linking gut microbiome dysbiosis to AUD, exploring whether gut microbiome alterations merely result from alcohol use or actively contribute to the persistence of addiction. Additionally, it discusses how microbial changes may influence psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depressive states, which are closely associated with suicidality in this population. To address gaps in existing research, a systematic literature search was conducted through PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Inclusion criteria focused on studies examining gut microbiome changes in AUD, particularly those assessing gut-brain axis interactions and microbial species impacting inflammation and neurotransmitter pathways. Studies were excluded if they lacked peer review or did not specifically assess microbiome effects on mental health outcomes. A qualitative literature review approach was applied, synthesizing findings into key themes on microbial changes, neuroinflammatory pathways, and treatment implications. Data were organized into tables to provide a clear comparison of microbiota alterations across studies, highlighting specific bacterial species and their potential effects on AUD. This review emphasizes patterns in AUD patients, where reductions in anti-inflammatory species, such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Roseburia intestinalis, coincide with increases in pro-inflammatory bacteria like Enterococcus faecalisand Lactobacillus rhamnosus. These shifts contribute to increased gut permeability and systemic inflammation, potentially influencing the kynurenine pathway, which is linked to depressive symptoms and elevated alcohol cravings. Furthermore, the review explores the potential of probiotic therapies targeting these microbial imbalances as adjunctive treatments for AUD, particularly those focusing on strains that support anti-inflammatory pathways and gut barrier integrity. Restoring microbial homeostasis through probiotics or fecal microbiota transplantation may not only reduce inflammation but also alleviate mental health symptoms associated with addiction, including suicidality. The findings underscore the need for further clinical trials assessing microbiome-targeted therapies as innovative, multifaceted approaches to AUD treatment in Slovenia and beyond.

Keywords: alcohol use disorder, gut-brain axis, microbiome dysbiosis, probiotic therapy.

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Authors: Ding Yu, Ge Yang, Wang Hong-Tao

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Aiming at the detonation performance and detonation wave propagation distance of liquid fuel detonation engine, the kerosene/oxygen-enriched air mixture is chosen as the research object; its detonation initiation and detonation wave propagation process by mild energy input are numerically studied by using Euler-Lagrange method in the present study. The effects of a semicircular obstacle, rectangular obstacle, and triangular obstacle on the detonation characteristic parameters in the detonation tube are compared and analyzed, and the effect of the angle between obstacle and flame propagation direction on flame propagation characteristics and detonation process when the blocking ratio is constant are studied. The results show that the flame propagation velocity decreases with the increase of the angle in the range of 0-90°, and when the angle is 0° which corresponds to the semicircle obstacle gets the highest detonation wave propagation velocity. With the increase of the angle in the range of 0-90°, DDT (Deflagration to detonation transition) distance decreases first and then increases.

Keywords: deflagration to detonation transition, numerical simulation, obstacle structure, turbulent flame

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Authors: C. Akpagu Francis, V. Nnamani Emmanuel

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Drinking and use of polluted water from ponds, rivers, lakes, etc. for other domestic activities especially by the larger population in the rural areas has been a major source of health problems to man. A study was carried out in two different ponds in Oji River, Enugu State of Nigeria to determine the extent of total dissolved solid (TDS), metals (lead, cadmium, iron, zinc, manganese, calcium), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD). Samples of water were collected from two different ponds at a distance of 510, and 15 metres from the point of entry into the ponds to fetch water. From the results obtained, TDS (751.6Mg/l), turbidity (24ftu), conductivity (1193µs/cm), cadmium (0.008Mg/l) and lead (0.03mg/t) in pond A (PA) were found to have exceeded the WHO standard. Also in pond B (PB) the results shows that TDS (760.30Mg/l), turbidity (26ftu), conductivity (1195µs/cm), cadmium (0.008mg/l) and lead (0.03Mg/l) were also found to have exceeded the WHO standard which makes the two ponds. Water very unsafe for drinking and use in other domestic activities.

Keywords: physicochemical, groundwater, Oji River, Nigeria

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Authors: Walter W. Loo

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China declared the “zero discharge rules which leave no toxics into our living environment and deliver blue sky, green land and clean water to many generations to come”. The achievement of ZWD will provide conservation of water, soil and energy and provide drastic increase in Gross Domestic Products (GDP). Our society’s engine needs a major tune up; it is sputtering. ZWD is achieved in world’s space stations – no toxic air emission and the water is totally recycled and solid wastes all come back to earth. This is all done with solar power. These are all achieved under extreme temperature, pressure and zero gravity in space. ZWD can be achieved on earth under much less fluctuations in temperature, pressure and normal gravity environment. ZWD systems are not expensive and will have multiple beneficial returns on investment which are both financially and environmentally acceptable. The paper will include successful case histories since the mid-1970s. ZWD discharge can be applied to the following types of projects: nuclear and coal fire power plants with a closed loop system that will eliminate thermal water discharge; residential communities with wastewater treatment sump and recycle the water use as a secondary water supply; waste water treatment Plants with complete water recycling including water distillation to produce distilled water by very economical 24-hours solar power plant. Landfill remediation is based on neutralization of landfilled gas odor and preventing anaerobic leachate formation. It is an aerobic condition which will render landfill gas emission explosion proof. Desert development is the development of recovering soil moisture from soil and completing a closed loop water cycle by solar energy within and underneath an enclosed greenhouse. Salt-alkali land development can be achieved by solar distillation of salty shallow water into distilled water. The distilled water can be used for soil washing and irrigation and complete a closed loop water cycle with energy and water conservation. Heavy metals remediation can be achieved by precipitation of dissolved toxic metals below the plant or vegetation root zone by solar electricity without pumping and treating. Soil and groundwater remediation - abandoned refineries, chemical and pesticide factories can be remediated by in-situ electrobiochemical and bioventing treatment method without pumping or excavation. Toxic organic chemicals are oxidized into carbon dioxide and heavy metals precipitated below plant and vegetation root zone. New water sources: low temperature distilled water can be recycled for repeated use within a greenhouse environment by solar distillation; nano bubble water can be made from the distilled water with nano bubbles of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide from air (fertilizer water) and also eliminate the use of pesticides because the nano oxygen will break the insect growth chain in the larvae state. Three dimensional high yield greenhouses can be constructed by complete water recycling using the vadose zone soil as a filter with no farming wastewater discharge.

Keywords: greenhouses, no discharge, remediation of soil and water, wastewater

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Authors: Shohreh Rahimi Lascokalayeh, Hasan Yousefnia, Mojtaba Tajik, Samaneh Zolghadri, Bentehoda Abdolhosseini

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In this study, the production of terbium-161 as new therapeutic radionuclide was investigated using TALYS1.6& EMPIRE 3.2 codes. For this purpose, cross section for the reactions reactor to produce 161Tb were extracted by mean of this code In the following step, stopping power of the reactions reactor was calculated by SRIM code. The best reaction in the production of 161Tb is160 Gd(d,n)161Tb Production yield of the 161Tb was obtained by utilization of MATLAB calculation code and based on the charged particle reaction formalism.The results showed that Production yield of the 161Tb was obtained 0.8 (mci/ A*h).

Keywords: terbium161, TALYS1.6, EMPIRE3.2, yield, cross-section

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Authors: Daniel Vargas-Herrera, Ivette Caldelas, Fernando Brambila-Paz, Rodrigo Montufar-Chaveznava

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In this paper, we present a virtual reality application for neurorehabilitation. This application was developed using the Unity SDK integrating the Oculus Rift and Leap Motion devices. Essentially, it consists of three stages according to the kind of rehabilitation to carry on: ocular rehabilitation, head/neck rehabilitation, and eye-hand coordination. We build three scenes for each task; for ocular and head/neck rehabilitation, there are different objects moving in the field of view and extended field of view of the user according to some patterns relative to the therapy. In the third stage the user must try to touch with the hand some objects guided by its view. We report the primer results of the use of the application with healthy people.

Keywords: virtual reality, interactive technologies, video games, neurorehabilitation

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Authors: Lakmini Wijesooriya, Vicki Chalker, Jessica Day, Priyantha Perera, N. P. Sunil-Chandra

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M. pneumoniae has been identified as an etiology for exacerbation of asthma (EQA), although viruses play a major role in EOA. M. pneumoniae infection is treated empirically with macrolides, and its antibiotic sensitivity is not detected routinely. Characterization of the organism by genotyping and determination of macrolide resistance is important epidemiologically as it guides the empiric antibiotic treatment. To date, there is no such characterization of M. pneumoniae performed in Sri Lanka. The present study describes the characterization of M. pneumoniae detected from a child with EOA following a screening of 100 children with EOA. Of the hundred children with EOA, M. pneumoniae was identified only in one child by Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for identifying the community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) toxin nucleotide sequences. The M. pneumoniae identified from this patient underwent detection of macrolide resistance via conventional PCR, amplifying and sequencing the region of the 23S rDNA gene that contains single nucleotide polymorphisms that confer resistance. Genotyping of the isolate was performed via nested Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) in which eight (8) housekeeping genes (ppa, pgm, gyrB, gmk, glyA, atpA, arcC, and adk) were amplified via nested PCR followed by gene sequencing and analysis. As per MLST analysis, the M. pneumoniae was identified as sequence type 14 (ST14), and no mutations that confer resistance were detected. Resistance to macrolides in M. pneumoniae is an increasing problem globally. Establishing surveillance systems is the key to informing local prescriptions. In the absence of local surveillance data, antibiotics are started empirically. If the relevant microbiological samples are not obtained before antibiotic therapy, as in most occasions in children, the course of antibiotic is completed without a microbiological diagnosis. This happens more frequently in therapy for M. pneumoniae which is treated with a macrolide in most patients. Hence, it is important to understand the macrolide sensitivity of M. pneumoniae in the setting. The M. pneumoniae detected in the present study was macrolide sensitive. Further studies are needed to examine a larger dataset in Sri Lanka to determine macrolide resistance levels to inform the use of macrolides in children with EOA. The MLST type varies in different geographical settings, and it also provides a clue to the existence of macrolide resistance. The present study enhances the database of the global distribution of different genotypes of M. pneumoniae as this is the first such characterization performed with the increased number of samples to determine macrolide resistance level in Sri Lanka. M. pneumoniae detected from a child with exacerbation of asthma in Sri Lanka was characterized as ST14 by MLST and no mutations that confer resistance were detected.

Keywords: mycoplasma pneumoniae, Sri Lanka, characterization, macrolide resistance

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Authors: Farhana Tarannum

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Ambient (outdoor) air pollution is now recognized as an important problem, both nationally and worldwide. The concentrations of gaseous pollutants (SOx, NOx, CO and O3) have been determined from samples collected at Kallyanpur along Shamoli corridor in Dhaka city. Pollutants were determined in a sample collected at ground level and a roof of a 7-storied building. These pollutants are emitted largely from stationary sources like fossil fuel fired power plants, industrial plants, and manufacturing facilities as well as mobile sources. The incomplete combustion of fuel, wood and the Sulphur containing fuel used in the vehicles are one of the main causes of CO and SOx respectively in our natural environment. When the temperature of combustion in high enough and some of that nitrogen reacts with oxygen in the air, various nitrogen oxides (NOx) are then formed. The VOCs react with NOx in the presence of sunlight to form O3. UV Visible spectrophotometric method has been used for the determination of SOx, NOx and O3. The sensor type device was used for the estimation of CO. It was found that the air pollutants (CO, SOx, NOx and O3) of a sample collected at the roof of a building were lower compared to the ground level; it indicated that ground level people are mostly affected by the gaseous pollutants.

Keywords: gaseous pollutants, UV-visible spectrophotometry, ambient air quality, Dhaka city

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Authors: A. W. Zularisam, Sveta Thakur, Lakhveer Singh, Mimi Sakinah Abdul Munaim

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Clostridium sp. LS2 was immobilised by entrapment in polyethylene glycol (PEG) gel beads to improve the biohydrogen production rate from palm oil mill effluent (POME). We sought to explore and optimise the hydrogen production capability of the immobilised cells by studying the conditions for cell immobilisation, including PEG concentration, cell loading and curing times, as well as the effects of temperature and K2HPO4 (500–2000 mg/L), NiCl2 (0.1–5.0 mg/L), FeCl2 (100–400 mg/L) MgSO4 (50–200 mg/L) concentrations on hydrogen production rate. The results showed that by optimising the PEG concentration (10% w/v), initial biomass (2.2 g dry weight), curing time (80 min) and temperature (37 °C), as well as the concentrations of K2HPO4 (2000 mg/L), NiCl2 (1 mg/L), FeCl2 (300 mg/L) and MgSO4 (100 mg/L), a maximum hydrogen production rate of 7.3 L/L-POME/day and a yield of 0.31 L H2/g chemical oxygen demand were obtained during continuous operation. We believe that this process may be potentially expanded for sustained and large-scale hydrogen production.

Keywords: hydrogen, polyethylene glycol, immobilised cell, fermentation, palm oil mill effluent

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Authors: Meral Huri, Sedef Şahin

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by psychiatric symptoms and triggered by a terrifying experience which may immediately effect cognitive, affective, behavioral and social skills of the individual. One of the most common noncutaneous cancer among men is prostate cancer. The incidence of psychological stress is quite common in men with prostate cancer. The aim of the study was to explore the PTSD frequency among prostate cancer and define the relationship between occupational participation, coping skills and level of perceived social support among patients with prostate cancer. Forty patients diagnosed with prostate cancer were included in the study. After dividing the patients into two groups ( study/ control) according to type of tumor, we recorded their characteristics and evaluations differences. We evaluated the demographic information form, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID- I)- Clinical Version for PTSD, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Styles of Coping Inventory and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) before and after 1 month from surgery. The mean age of the study group (n:18) was 65.85.6 years (range: 61-79 years). The mean age of the control group (n: 22) was a little bit higher than the study group with mean age 71.3±6.9 years (range: 60-85 years). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for age and the other characteristics. According to the results of the study, statistically significant difference was found between the level of PTSD of study and the control group. 22% of study group showed PTSD while 13% of the control group showed PTSD (r: 0.02, p<0.001). The scores of study group and control group showed statistically significant difference in five sub-categories of Styles of Coping Inventory. Patients with prostate cancer showed decreased scores in optimistic, seeking social supports and self-confident approach, while increased scores in helpless and submissive sub-categories than the control group (p<0.001). The scores of Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Supports of study group and control group showed statistically significant difference. The total perceived social supports score of the study group was 71.34 ± 0.75 while it was 75.34 ± 0.64 for the control group. Total and the sub-category scores of study group were statistically significant lower than the control group. According to COPM, mean scores of occupational participation of study group for occupational performance were 4.32±2.24 and 7.01±1.52 for the control group, respectively). Mean Satisfaction scores were 3,22±2.31 and 7.45±1.74 for the study and control group, respectively. The patients with prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) did not show any statistically difference in activity performance (r:0.87) while patients with prostate cancer showed statistically lower scores than the patients with BPH in activity satisfaction (r:0.02, p<0.001).Psycho-social occupational therapy interventions might help to decrease the prevalence of PTSD by increasing associated factors such as the social support perception, using coping skills and activity participation of patients with prostate cancer.

Keywords: activity performance, occupational therapy, posttraumatic stress disorder, prostate cancer

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