•In-package cold plasma treatment of strawberries based on dielectric barrier plasma discharge.•Electrical characterisation of the plasma discharge revealed a filamentary regime and ozone ...production.•A significant background microflora reduction was achieved.•No adverse changes in respiration rates, texture and colour of treated strawberries.
The ability to generate low temperature plasma at atmospheric pressure offers new opportunities to decontaminate biological materials, including fresh foods. In this study, strawberries were treated with atmospheric cold plasma (ACP), generated with a 60kV dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) pulsed at 50Hz, across a 40mm electrode gap, generated inside a sealed package containing ambient air (42% relative humidity). The current–voltage characteristics revealed that the plasma operated in the filamentary regime. The background microflora (aerobic mesophillic bacteria, yeast and mould) of strawberries treated for 5min was reduced by 2 log10 within 24h of post-ACP treatment. The respiration rate of ACP treated produce, measured by the closed system approach, showed no significant increase. The effect of ACP on strawberry colour and firmness was insignificant.
Climate change-induced environmental stresses and limited agricultural land demanding intensification of sustainable agriculture over degraded land via crop diversification strategies. Dragon fruit ...is one of the potential options and popularising in resource-poor degraded lands apart from its several nutraceutical advantages. Hence, understanding of facts related to its consumer acceptability and maintaining high quality for marketing and processing is highly essential. Therefore in this study, we have developed grading and sorting techniques for dragon fruit using machine learning algorithms (CNN, ANN, and SVM) based on a thorough review of techniques or algorithms available to detect and classify fruit quality using various features of fruits and vegetables. Working of these algorithms is based on the, shape, size, weight, color, and diseases of dragon fruits. Raspberry functionality counts the total number of fruits that are available in the fruit bucket and these are separated by their maturity level using machine learning algorithms.
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•Depth Camera – With help of camera device we can collect the dragon fruit images which is present in the fruit bucket. Functionality of camera device is interfaced with raspberry pi device.•Machine Learning Algorithms - Working of machine learning algorithms such as Convolutional Neural Network, Support Vector Machine and Artificial Neural Network are based on the, shape, size, weight, color, and diseases of dragon fruits.•Raspberry Pi Device - Raspberry functionality counts the total number of fruits that are available in the fruit bucket and these are separated by their maturity level using machine learning algorithms.•Grading and Sorting of Dragon Fruits – This process works on the data set of dragon fruit images which contains the features of dragon fruits as well as camera captured images of dragon fruit and classified it their maturity levels.
ABSTRACT Background: Dental anxiety and fear are the major treatment challenges faced by pediatric dentists. Oral hygiene in children with Down’s syndrome is highly compromised in comparison to their ...healthy counterparts. Animal-assisted therapy, through dogs, has been beneficial in alleviating dental fear and anxiety in healthy pediatric population. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of dog-assisted therapy (DAT) on children with Down’s syndrome undergoing dental examination and fluoride varnish application in dental operatory. Materials and Methods: Twenty children with Down’s syndrome between 5 and 12 years of age were selected. Group A (intervention group): DAT was carried out in the dental operatory. Group B (control group): Dental treatment was performed in the absence of a therapy dog in the dental operatory. Anxiety levels were evaluated by recording the pulse rate and revised modified faces version of the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDASf). Statistical Analysis: The intergroup comparison of pulse rate was done using an unpaired t -test, whereas the variation in intragroup pulse rate was analyzed using the Analysis of Variance test. The anxiety scores were subjected to a paired t -test for intragroup comparison with P < 0.05 considered to be statistically significant. Results: Reduction in dental anxiety was observed in the intervention group ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: DAT can be used as an effective behavior management technique for children with Down’s syndrome undergoing dental examination and simple dental procedures in the dental operatory.
: During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, trust within a community in the projected schemes or strategies to combat COVID-19 depends on the confidence generated and launched by the government and ...medical employees toward the public. The "vaccination intention" within a community is determined by a range of factors, which include sociodemographic features, personal beliefs, and attitude toward vaccination.
: A nationwide survey was conducted involving 2000 people using a Tencent questionnaire platform. One-way ANOVA was conducted for age, education, and occupation with vaccination intention for the COVID-19 vaccine. Correlation analysis was conducted between sources, trust, and vaccination intention indicating both types of sources (official and unofficial sources) and both types of trust (trust in the social environment and in vaccines).
: The reception of the sources of information on the COVID-19 vaccine was significantly higher from official sources (M = 5.54, SD = 1.37) and government officials (M = 5.68, SD = 1.499) compared with that from experts in medicine (M = 5.39, SD = 1.511). Among the unofficial sources, "chatting and communicating with family and friends" scored the highest (M = 4.84, SD = 1.649). In the statistics on people's trust in all aspects involved in vaccines, the level of trust in the social environment was significantly higher and more concentrated than in vaccines (M = 5.67, SD = 1.129). The level of trust in government (M = 5.80, SD = 1.256) was slightly higher than in medical personnel (M = 5.53, SD = 1.199). People's willingness to be vaccinated was generally high (M = 78.15, SD = 22.354). The demographic factors were not influential in vaccination intention. Both sources (official and unofficial sources) and trust (trust in the social environment and in vaccines) are significantly and positively correlated with vaccination intention. Information receptions from official and unofficial sources were significant positive predictors of trust in the social environment, but they were not significant predictors of trust in vaccines. The mediating effect of trust in vaccines on the relationship between receiving information from official and unofficial sources and vaccination intention was insignificant.
: This study revealed that trust in the environment is an important channel linking people's information reception and vaccination intention, explores a new path for health information communication, and attempts to provide new ideas for health information dissemination and promotion.
Background & objectives: India has been reporting the cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since January 30, 2020. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) formulated and established ...laboratory surveillance for COVID-19. In this study, an analysis of the surveillance data was done to describe the testing performance and descriptive epidemiology of COVID-19 cases by time, place and person.
Methods: The data were extracted from January 22 to April 30, 2020. The frequencies of testing performance were described over time and by place. We described cases by time (epidemic curve by date of specimen collection; seven-day moving average), place (area map) and person (attack rate by age, sex and contact status), and trends were represented along with public health measures and events.
Results: Between January 22 and April 30, 2020, a total of 1,021,518 individuals were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Testing increased from about 250 individuals per day in the beginning of March to 50,000 specimens per day by the end of April 2020. Overall, 40,184 (3.9%) tests were reported positive. The proportion of positive cases was highest among symptomatic and asymptomatic contacts, 2-3-fold higher than among those with severe acute respiratory infection, or those with an international travel history or healthcare workers. The attack rate (per million) by age was highest among those aged 50-69 yr (63.3) and was lowest among those under 10 yr (6.1). The attack rate was higher among males (41.6) than females (24.3). The secondary attack rate was 6.0 per cent. Overall, 99.0 per cent of 736 districts reported testing and 71.1 per cent reported COVID-19 cases.
Interpretation & conclusions: The coverage and frequency of ICMR's laboratory surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 improved over time. COVID-19 was reported from most parts of India, and the attack rate was more among men and the elderly and common among close contacts. Analysis of the data indicates that for further insight, additional surveillance tools and strategies at the national and sub-national levels are needed.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
In this research manuscript We propose in improvedNCPRprotocolwithsecuritymechanismagainstattack.lessbroadcasttrafficthanfloodbroadcastmethodminimizingco ngestion and collision with maximum data ...packet delivery theschemestandsinwithhighdensitynetworkwhichismainperformanceparameter. Due to soaring mobility of nodes in MANET’s there exist recurrentconnectionbreakageswhichdirecttorecurrentpathcrashandrouteFindings.Theoverheadofapathdiscoverycannotbe deserted.Inaroutediscovery,broadcastingisaoriginalandsuccessful data distribution method, where a movable node blindlyrebroadcaststhefirstestablishedrouteappealpacketsunlessithasaroutetothetarget,andthusitcausethebroadcasttemp estdifficulty.InthisManuscriptweproposeaneighborcoverage?basedprobabilisticrebroadcastprotocol(NCPR0forreducingroutingoverhead in MANETs. In arrange tosuccessfully exploittheneighborcoverageknowledge,werecommendanovelrebroadcast delay to resolve the rebroadcast categorize, and then wecan gain the more exact supplementary coverage ratio by sensingneighbor coverage knowledge. We also classify a connectivity factorto provide the node density adaptation. By combining the additionalcoverageratioandconnectivityfactor,wesetareasonablerebroadcast probability. Our approach combines the advantages ofthe neighbor coverage knowledge and the probabilistic mechanism,whichcanappreciably diminish the number of retransmissions soastoreducetheroutingoverhead,andcanalsoprogresstherouting performance.
Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera) feeds on various plants using diverse digestive enzymes as one of the survival tool-kit. The aim of the present study was to understand biochemical properties of ...recombinant α-amylases of H. armigera viz., HaAmy1 and HaAmy2.
The open reading frames of HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 were cloned in Pichia pastoris and expressed heterologously. Purified recombinant enzymes were characterized for their biochemical and biophysical attributes using established methods.
Sequence alignment and homology modeling showed that HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 were conserved in their amino acid sequences and structures. HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 showed optimum activity at 60°C; however, they differed in their optimum pH. Furthermore, HaAmy2 showed higher affinity for starch and amylopectin whereas HaAmy1 had higher catalytic efficiency. HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 were inhibited to the same magnitude by a synthetic amylase inhibitor (acarbose) while wheat amylase inhibitor showed about 2-fold higher inhibition of HaAmy1 than HaAmy2 at pH7 while 6-fold difference at pH11. Interactions of HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 with wheat amylase inhibitor revealed 2:1 stoichiometric ratio and much more complex interaction with HaAmy1.
The diversity of amylases in perspective of their biochemical and biophysical properties, and their differential interactions with amylase inhibitors signify the potential role of these enzymes in adaptation of H. armigera on diverse plant diets.
Characterization of digestive enzymes of H. armigera provides the molecular basis for the polyphagous nature and thus could assist in designing future strategies for the insect control.
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•Structural comparison revealed the specific differences between HaAmy1 and HaAmy2.•Reduced catalytic activity at higher temperatures could be attributed to conformational change.•Catalytic activity and structural integrity remained unaffected at higher pH.•Reaction products of HaAmy1and HaAmy2 were quantitatively and qualitatively similar.•HaAmy1 and HaAmy2 formed dissimilar complexes with proteinaceous α-amylase inhibitor.
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Background: Exercise is associated with improved symptoms and breast cancer (BC) survival. Little is known about personal and social factors that determine exercise participation ...in diverse BCS. The study seeks to characterize exercise trends and distinguish factors associated with initiating exercise among pre-diagnosis employed, non-exercising, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse BCS. Methods: BCS were recruited from academic and community medical centers. Women with stage I-III BC were surveyed during and 4 months post-completion of active treatment (surgery +/- chemo +/- radiation). The primary outcome was exercise initiation 4 months post treatment. Variables were self-reported except for clinical cancer variables, which were abstracted from the medical record. Results: Our sample (n = 494) included 22% black, 20% Chinese, 8% Korean, 27% Latina, and 21% non-Latina white women (3% other). 56% were born outside of the US; 30% reported an income < 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL). 72% of BCS exercised the year before diagnosis; 28% did not. Significant correlates (p < 0.05) of NOT exercising pre-diagnosis included lack of post-secondary education, Chinese or Korean ethnicity, lack of alcohol consumption, and lower acculturation level, resilience, and income. Among 138 non-exercisers, 63% reported exercising at follow-up. Significant correlates of exercise initiation are listed in table. In a multivariable model that included age, acculturation, job loss, insurance status, chemo-, and radiotherapy (RT), receipt of RT was significantly associated with exercise initiation (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.4-7.1). Conclusions: A BC diagnosis may be an impetus to initiate exercise among previously sedentary, employed women. Patients who undergo radiotherapy appear to be more likely to start exercising. Additional research is needed to understand why some patients initiate exercise while others do not. Table: see text
Family caregivers are socially isolated and burdened as they care for their loved one, often for many years. Internet support groups can address some of the barriers related to the social isolation, ...self-efficacy, and burden experienced during caregiving by connecting individuals with similar problems to one another. The purpose of the meta-analysis was to analyze the effect of Internet-based group support interventions on social support, self-efficacy, and burden.
A two-step search process was used to identify peer reviewed evidence to answer the research question. Multiple databases, including MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and several others, were searched to identify systematic reviews from which to identify the final articles for data extraction.
Seven systematic reviews identified 10 studies to answer the research question. A statistically significant effect was found from the interventions targeting social support and self-efficacy. We were unable to assess the effect of these interventions on caregiver burden due to the variance in measurement constructs.
While it has been found that Internet group support interventions have a positive effect on social support and self-efficacy, the size and quality of studies are moderate, and thus, large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed for a higher level of evidence.
Background: As per the revised competency-based medical education guidelines given by the National medical council of India, students are offered elective posting after the first part of 3rd phase of ...the medical professional course. This has been started from the year 2023. There will be various postings offered and at end of the posting they will be assessed on various domains. Aims and Objectives: Our study aims to assess the impact of elective posting on the research skills and students’ perception toward it. It also aims to identify the best methods to implement elective postings. Materials and Methods: In the year 2023, using a complete enumeration technique 86 students from the third phase of MBBS at a medical college in Maharashtra, India, were registered for the 2 months of elective and would be questioned twice following consent using a pre-validated questionnaire. The first interview will take place following the completion of the first block of elective posting, and the second interview will take place following the conclusion of the second block of elective posting. Results: We observed a statistically significant difference when two blocks were compared on the domains of efforts. Students have reported higher efforts toward clinical and surgical postings. We also observed that students reported a statistically significant level of frustration in block two. In our study, we found that research work was taken more during the second block as students were sensitized in the first block regarding research. Conclusion: In our study, we have observed that research activities are taken up and processed for presentation using biostatistics in the second block of elective if resource material and support are provided in the block one. Students develop a better understanding of research with proper training.
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