The Scientific World Journal最新文献

The vibrations of the larynx produce the voice. Little is known about morphology and the size of cattle larynx. The aim of the study was to quantify the shape asymmetry of the larynx in calves obtained postmortem using a geometric morphometric approach. A sample of 14 larynges from calves (in an age range 335-625 days) belonging to "Bruna dels Pirineus" breed and its F1 crosses was obtained in an abattoir during the first semester of 2021. Laringes were dissected and preserved in the laboratory until their photograph was taken Landmark sets were superimposed on images of fixed transverse sections of larynges. Using geometric morphometric techniques, we analyzed the presence of asymmetries. Asymmetry between sexes was assessed by means of a Canonical Variate Analysis on regression residuals of asymmetric components using the Mahalanobis distance, which assumes a lack of isotropy. Significant differences in the morphometric profile were found between the right and left larynx and between the sexes (p < 0.05). Results demonstrate differences between right and left larynx sides as directional asymmetry, at least in fixed structures. Our findings provide a foundation for quantifying the possible contribution of larynx asymmetry among cattle. This study can be considered the first to detect larynx asymmetries in cattle. Studies with a larger sample size are needed to validate the information in large populations. One limitation is that the present study does not have samples from adult animals, so it would be interesting to know if the results are similar among them.

Nowadays, the importance of the genus Hericium is increasing due to its nutraceutical and pharmaceutical properties. The main idea of this study is to ingenious management of these wastes to achieve the highest performance of nutrients, minerals, and antioxidant properties using enriched agricultural waste. After preparing mushroom samples, the amount of mineral and mycochemical substances have been respectively evaluated by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists and Folin-Ciocalteu assay. In conclusion, among the fruiting bodies' samples harvested from 19 substrates, the substrates sawdust 30% + wheat straw 30% + bagasse 15% + rice bran 15% + corn flour 10% recorded the highest phenol and flavonoid contents, with values of 27 mg GAE/g DW ext. and 8 mg QE/g DW ext. as well as the IC50 (88.7 μg/mL). P and K's highest amounts were recorded with the values of 1833 and 1600 mg/100 g DW, and Fe was recorded with values of 77.7 mg/100 g DW. This study, therefore, provides understandings on the biological technologies for the valorization of organic solid waste into valuable and useful bio-based products.

Pathogens contaminate drinking water in tropical countries causing diarrheal diseases. The conventional treatment for diarrhea is antibiotics. However, overuse and misuse of antibiotics has enabled pathogens to adapt, causing global antibiotic resistance and proliferation of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli), which causes diarrhea and high levels of inflammatory cytokines. Apo-taat, consisting of equal proportions of Phyllanthus emblica and Caesalpinia sappan, has been used to treat diarrhea and bloody diarrhea. Its antibacterial activity against E. coli ATCC 25922 has been reported, but its inhibitory effect against ESBL-E. coli has yet to be documented. This study investigated the antibacterial effect of Apo-taat extract against ESBL-E. coli and its anti-inflammatory activity. Antibacterial activity was determined by the microtiter plate-based method. HPLC was used to determine the brazilin and gallic acid contents in Apo-taat extract. Effects of herbal extracts on nitric oxide, IL-6, and TNF-α were investigated in RAW 264.7 cells. Results were that Apo-taat extract showed MIC values against ESBL-E. coli in the range of 0.625 to 2.5 mg/mL. Its 50% inhibitory concentration against nitric oxide and IL-6 production was 83.96 ± 10.60 and 83.06 ± 2.07 μg/mL, respectively, and it had slight inhibition against TNF-α. These findings suggest that Apo-taat may have an antibacterial impact on ESBL-E. coli and anti-inflammatory activity. Furthermore, safety and clinical trials should be conducted in the future.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate barriers hindering healthy eating and physical activity among Jordanian adolescents. Methods: A random sample of 1040 adolescents (596 males and 444 females) aged 11-17 from various Jordanian schools participated. A nutritionist-administered questionnaire assessed barriers. Results: The study unveiled diverse personal, social, and environmental barriers to healthy lifestyles. Notably, inadequate knowledge of nutrition and limited time for healthy food preparation due to homework emerged as key barriers to healthy eating. Conversely, insufficient exercise skills and reduced enjoyment of physical activity were the primary impediments to physical activity. Females perceived homework as a more substantial barrier than males (p=0.027). Conclusion: These barriers may contribute to increasing childhood obesity rates in Jordan. Future interventions should prioritize creating a supportive environment that respects cultural norms, emphasizing high-quality parks, nutrition and sports education, healthier food options, student motivation, and park visits. Community engagement is crucial for fostering healthier lifestyles among Jordanian youth.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the clinical effectiveness of chemomechanical caries removal (CMCR) using Carie-Care™ versus conventional caries removal for atraumatic restorative treatment (ART). Methods: The study included 32 children aged 6-15 years with one or more one-surface cavitated carious lesions on the occlusal surface of permanent dentition. A total of 82 restorations were placed in permanent molars. The teeth were randomly assigned to two groups and monitored for 18 months after the intervention. For Group 1, Carie-Care™ gel was applied directly to the carious lesion, followed by cavity washing and gentle excavation using hand instruments. For Group 2, caries was removed using the mechanical method only. The success rate of the restorations, as well as the time taken and pain reactions measured by the sound eye motor (SEM) scale, were assessed between the two groups. Results: The SEM scores were significantly higher (p  <  0.05) in the conventional ART group than in the Carie-Care™ group. The mean time taken for caries removal in the Carie-Care™ group (731.15 ± 197.48 s) was significantly higher than in the ART group (596.66 ± 158.96 s) (p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the clinical performance of Type IX restoration between the groups (p=0.69). Conclusions: The success rates of the restorations were similar between the two methods. However, the added advantage of less trauma associated with using a chemomechanical agent such as Carie-Care™ makes it an attractive option for community health and school dental programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked a worldwide mental health crisis, affecting university students in an exacerbated way, exposing them to the risk of emotional isolation and development of eating disorders. The present study aimed to examine the quality of healthy lifestyle practices in university students from the Faculty of Human Medicine and the Faculty of Education of a Peruvian university during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted during the academic period 2020 and 2023. Data collection was performed between July and August 2020, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (M1) and between November and December 2023, post-pandemic (M2). In M1 and M2, 370 and 82 students participated, respectively. The results of the Mann-Whitney test revealed significant differences between the total healthy lifestyle score of students in M1 and M2. In the nutrition domain, there are significant differences between the scores obtained in M1 and M2, revealing a decrease in nutritional care. Significant differences were also found between both faculties in substance use in M1 and physical activity practice in M2. Although a trend toward the adoption of healthy habits was observed in the initial stages, the longitudinal analysis reveals a generalized decrease in concern for health and well-being. Medical students, on the other hand, showed greater resilience and more successful adaptation to new circumstances, evidencing the importance of academic training in the promotion of healthy lifestyles. These results underscore the need to implement intervention strategies aimed at promoting healthy habits in the student population, especially in contexts of health crisis.

In today's data-intensive atmosphere, performance evaluation in the banking industry depends on timely and accurate insights, leading to better decision making and operational efficiency. Traditional methods for assessing bank performance often need to be improved to handle the volume, velocity, and variety of data generated in real time. This study proposes an event-driven approach for performance evaluation in banking alongside a Hadoop-based architecture. Infused with real-time event analytics, this scalable framework can process and analyze fast-moving transactional data. Hence, the framework allows banks to monitor key performance indicators and detect real-time operational anomalies. This is supported by the Hadoop ecosystem, which provides distribution of the processing and storage, making it fit for handling large datasets with high fault tolerance and parallel computation levels. This study analyzes transaction and user engagement data using Hive queries, focusing on credit card transactions via MasterCard. Two cases are examined: a detailed snapshot of individual transactions and a five-day trend analysis. Metrics like active users, card registrations, and retention are visualized through dashboards. Findings reveal user activity patterns and areas for improvement, emphasizing scalable, data-driven approaches for transaction analytics. This framework conceives a functional approach for banks to exploit extensive data-analytic capabilities to strive for competitive advantage and survivability of a business by adding any required metrics. The findings signify that the Hadoop-integrated event-driven analytics method could act as a game changer for performance evaluation in the banking sector.

Bioethanol production is one of the key alternatives for fossil fuel use due to climate change. The study seeks to upscale tailor-made onsite enzyme blends for the bioconversion of cassava peels to bioethanol in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process using cassava peels-degrading fungi. The starch and cellulose contents of peels were determined. The results showed significant levels of cellulose (39.78%) and starch (31.21%), indicating that cassava peels are valuable raw materials for bioethanol production. To investigate cassava-degrading microbes, Aspergillus niger demonstrated the highest enzyme activity with a diameter of zone of clearance of 16 mm. Tailor-made enzyme blends were produced with the A. niger using various substrate concentrations (1%, 3%, 5%, 8%, and 10%) of milled cassava peels at periods of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 days with a spore concentration of 2.1 × 10⁵ cells/mL. The amylolytic and cellulolytic activities were determined as 4.759 U/mL and 4.265 U/mL, respectively, at 5% and 6-day optimal conditions. The enzyme blend was upscaled using three fermentation vessels, thus 0.250 L flask, 1.0 L flask, and 10 L fermenter at optimized conditions in the SSF process for bioethanol production. These optimal conditions were firstly applied to a 0.250 L flask in the SSF process, a fixed enzyme dose of 20 mL and 1.5 g of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with varying substrate concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 20% and ethanol analyzed daily for 10 days. The theoretical ethanol yields recorded were 15.64%, 16.02%, and 14.91% for 0.250, 1, and 10 volumes obtained at different fermentation days. These optimized conditions demonstrate the potential for industrial bioethanol production in Ghana.

The present study was aimed to verify the medicinal value of Croton macrostachyus and Pycnostachys abyssinica traditionally used to treat human and animal ailments in Ethiopia. Fresh leaves of these species were collected, dried under shade, and ground into fine powder. The extraction was carried out by the maceration method using methanol as a solvent. The compounds in the crude extract were further profiled by thin layer chromatography (TLC). The antibacterial activity of the compounds was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method. C. macrostachyus had a higher percentage extract yield (22.5%) than P. abyssinica (13.7%). The phytochemical screening showed more abundant phenolic compounds and tannins in the extract of C. macrostachyus and alkaloid, flavonoid, phenolic compounds, and tannins in the extract of P. abyssinica. Overall, C. macrostachyus produced twofold higher growth inhibition zone (24.0 ± 0.5-43.0 ± 1.0 mm) against the tested pathogens than P. abyssinica (7.0 ± 0.5-24.0 ± 0.3 mm). Among the bacteria, Klebsiella pneumoniae was found to be the most sensitive to compounds of C. macrostachyus. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (25 mg/mL) were obtained from compounds 1 and 3 of C. macrostachyus leaf extract against Escherichia coli and K. pneumoniae and compounds 2 and 3 of the same against S. aureus. Similarly, compound 1 of P. abyssinica leaf extract produced the lowest MIC (25 mg/mL) against K. pneumoniae and Staphylococcus epidermidis and compound 3 of the same species against E. coli and K. pneumoniae. All the profiled compounds of the two species had both bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties against the tested pathogens. The results of the present study revealed that the compounds of C. macrostachyus had strong antibacterial activity against all the tested pathogens, indicating the high potential of the compounds. However, further characterization and identification of the specific compounds for the development of biocide formulations are suggested.

Background: Palliative care is recognized for its holistic approach in improving the quality of life for patients and their families, focusing on pain relief, symptom management, and addressing emotional, social, and spiritual needs. However, the field is evolving due to increasing demand for these specialized services, emphasizing the need for the ongoing research into palliative care practices. Research Purpose: Is to investigate the multidomain impact of palliative care on end-of-life patients and evaluate their effectiveness on these domains. Method: A quantitative descriptive design was adopted for conducting the current study. Approval obtained from a designated hospital in Amman, Jordan, and official permission to carry out the study. The study's participants consisted primarily of physicians and nurses who were involved in providing care to terminally ill patients. The research tool employed in this study is a standardized palliative care assessment that was used in Australia, with modifications based on the literature review. The validity and reliability of the adapted tool have been ensured through rigorous testing procedures. Results: Findings indicated that the implementation of standardized practical palliative care exhibited an average level across all domains, specifically, the spiritual domain received the highest mean score (1.80), while the structural domain had the lowest (1.69). There were significant differences in palliative care provision across specialized work sites, with radiotherapy and blood disease sites scoring higher (M = 2.04 and M = 1.87, respectively). Educational levels significantly influenced care perceptions, favoring BSc holders. Age did not significantly affect palliative care provision, probably because of standardized care protocols and sample size. In addition, nurses rated palliative care higher than physicians, likely due to their more direct patient involvement. Conclusion: In light of the results, it is evident that there is a pressing need to consistently evaluate the healthcare services offered to meet the needs of the increasing population of terminally ill patients.