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In people with bone and soft tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers, do feedback-guided exercises performed on a tablet touchscreen hasten return to work, reduce healthcare usage and improve clinical recovery more than a home exercise program prescribed on paper? Randomised, parallel-group trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding and intention-to-treat analysis. Seventy-four workers with limited functional ability due to bone and soft tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers. Participants in the experimental and control groups received the same in-patient physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Participants in the experimental group received a home exercise program using the ReHand tablet application, which guides exercises performed on a tablet touchscreen with feedback, monitoring and progression. Participants in the control group were prescribed an evidence-based home exercise program on paper. The primary outcome was the time taken to return to work. Secondary outcomes included: healthcare usage (number of clinical appointments); and functional ability, pain intensity, and grip and pinch strength 2 and 4 weeks after randomisation. Compared with the control group, the experimental group: returned to work sooner (MD –18 days, 95% CI –33 to –3); required fewer physiotherapy sessions (MD –7.4, 95% CI –13.1 to –1.6), rehabilitation consultations (MD –1.9, 95% CI –3.6 to 0.3) and plastic surgery consultations (MD –3.6, 95% CI –6.3 to –0.9); and had better short-term recovery of functional ability and pinch strength. In people with bone and soft-tissue injuries of the wrist, hand and/or fingers, prescribing a feedback-guided home exercise program using a tablet-based application instead of a conventional program on paper hastened return to work and improved the short-term recovery of functional ability and pinch strength, while reducing the number of required healthcare appointments. ACTRN12619000344190 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SIR Iber highlights the geographical location of Ibero-American universities by positioning them according to the indicators grouped into three main factors: research, innovation and social impact. The 2020 edition highlights the formation of three groups of countries according to the production capacity of higher education institutions. In group 1 we have: Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia as Latin American countries that managed to publish more than 60,000 papers in the period 2014-2018. This paper analyzes and compares the indicators from the five (05) Latin American countries in group 1 of the SIR Iber 2020 referring to investment in I+S as a percentage of its Gross Domestic Product (PIB), the number of full-time equivalent researchers (Inv JCE), the production (%) of scientific works in the university education sector, to name a few. A conglomerate formed with the Normalized Impact (NI) of public and private IESs is presented, regarding the global average of citation, with the data published in the SIR IBER 2020 Report, and highlights that Chile has a normalized impact above the World average for both public and private IES publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo has being used as alternative raw material for construction, reinforcing fibers, paper production, among other applications. Although its recognized potentials as raw material, there are doubts about its environmental performance compared to traditional wood-based products, including paper production, which hinders bamboo-based paper plants in large scales. This study aims to assess the environmental performance of producing office paper from bamboo. Emergy synthesis (with 'm') and global warming potential indicators are calculated and compared with the traditional eucalyptus paper-based production. Results highlights the importance in including the renewability fractions of each input resources into emergy calculations for production systems with high human-labor intensity such as the bamboo agricultural production. Office paper produced from bamboo has similar renewability (28%), moderate environmental load (3.23 vs. 2.49), and emergy unsustainability (0.34 vs. 0.60) compared to paper produced from eucalyptus, but bamboo showed lower performance for global efficiency (568 vs. 442 sej/ton paper), emergy yield (1.09 vs. 1.49), and emergy investment (10.79 vs. 2.05). Focusing on global warming potential, office paper produced from bamboo releases 98 kgCO 2 eq. /ton paper compared to 56–267 kgCO 2 eq. /ton paper for eucalyptus. Notwithstanding, bamboo-based office paper demands four times more land area of agricultural production than eucalyptus, but it has a positive social aspect by requiring higher amount of direct human labor. This work shows the advantages of using eucalyptus rather than bamboo in producing office paper from an emergy and land demand perspectives, while global warming can still be considered inconclusive. Future efforts should consider a quantitative and qualitative analysis of human labor availability in both systems, as well an economic analysis to support discussions towards more sustainable office paper production from different raw materials. • Environmental load of bamboo and eucalyptus for office paper production are compared. • Bamboo has lower emergy performance than eucalyptus. • Including the renewability fraction of labor and services better reflects emergy results. • Bamboo paper emits 98kgCO2eq/ton, eucalyptus paper emits 56–267kgCO2eq/ton. • Bamboo paper needs 4x land compared to eucalyptus and requires more human labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the positive pain reduction outcomes of a personalized care pathway for chronic knee pain post-total knee replacement.

Sewage fine sieved fraction (FSF) is a heterogeneous substrate consisting of mainly toilet paper fibers sequestered from municipal raw sewage by a fine screen. In earlier studies, a maximum biodegradation of 62% and 57% of the sewage FSF was found under thermophilic (55 °C) and mesophilic (35 °C) conditions, respectively. In order to research this limited biodegradability of sewage FSF, this study investigates the biodegradation of different types of cellulosic fibers-based hygiene papers including virgin fibers based toilet paper (VTP), recycled fiber based toilet paper (RTP), virgin pulp for paper production (VPPP) as a raw material, as well as microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) as a kind of fiberless reference material. The anaerobic biodegradation or digestibility tests were conducted under thermophilic and mesophilic conditions. Results of the experiments showed different biomethane potential (BMP) values for each tested cellulose fiber-based substrate, which might be associated with the physical characteristics of the fibers, type of pulping, presence of lignin encrusted fibers, and/or the presence of additive chemicals and refractory compounds. Higher hydrolysis rates (K h ), higher specific methane production rates (SMPR) and shorter required incubation times to achieve 90% of the BMP (t 90% CH 4 ), were achieved under thermophilic conditions for all examined substrates compared to the mesophilic ones. Furthermore, the biodegradability of all employed cellulose fiber-based substrates was in the same range, 38–45%, under both conditions and less than the observed FSF biodegradability, i.e. 57–62%. MCC achieved the highest BMP and biodegradability, 86–91%, among all cellulosic substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of experimental techniques was employed to test primary fragmentation and char particle attrition by abrasion during fluidized bed (FB) combustion of raw paper sludge (Raw-PS), hydrothermally treated paper sludge (HTT-PS), and a subbituminous coal (Sub-C), for comparison. The hydrothermal treatment (HTT) was conducted by a pilot-scale reactor at 197 °C (1.9 MPa) for 30 min. The results showed that all three samples extensively underwent primary fragmentation. Char attrition tests under inert conditions showed that Sub-C intensely experienced particle rounding off at the beginning, but after that it became very strong against mechanical abrasive attrition, followed by HTT-PS and Raw-PS, respectively. The oxidative char attrition tests showed that Sub-C exhibited an initial low amount of carbon elutriation rate followed by an attrition enhancement effect at later stages of burn-off, whereas for the Raw-PS and HTT-PS attrition was always lower than under inert conditions due to extensive postcombustion of fines. HTT-PS always produced a lower amount of elutriated carbon than Raw-PS and this indicates better combustion performance as well as lower unburned carbon emission. Finally, the Primary Ash Particle Size Distribution (PAPSD) of the three fuels was determined, showing that the paper sludge would contribute much more than coal to the ash bed inventory in a full-scale FB combustor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Non-cellulose dried matrix spotting (DMS) cards are an alternative to filter paper (FP) for bloodspots. We compared the interpatient distributions of bloodspot areas between DMS and FP for a fixed volume of application of whole blood, and examined correlations of areas with hematocrit. Methods EDTA-whole blood adult patient samples ( n = 49; 25 males, 24 females) were utilized after routine measurement of hemoglobin and hematocrit. Replicate (4 ×) bloodspots were produced by bolus drop application of 50 μL whole blood via a fixed-volume pipettor to either FP or DMS. Dried bloodspot areas were determined by image analysis. Results Hematocrits (HCT) were normally distributed (HCT = 30.9 ± 5.3%). For both FP and DMS, bloodspot areas ( a , cm 2 ) across patients were normally distributed: for FP, a = 1.11 ± 0.056 cm 2 (± 5.0%); for DMS, a = 0.378 ± 0.037 cm 2 (± 9.9%). Relative bloodspot area differences across the population range were > 20% for both DMS and FP. Correlation of bloodspot areas to hematocrit was negative for FP ( r = − 0.80) but positive for DMS ( r = + 0.78). Conclusions Interpatient variation in blood volume per area is a preanalytical variable for both DMS and FP bloodspots. Hematocrit is but one interpatient variable, as correlations of fixed-volume bloodspot areas with hematocrit across patients were substantially inexact ( r 2 < 0.65). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The use of the ProFibro app for six weeks was not more effective than the use of a traditional paper book with similar content for health-related quality of life, symptoms, or self-care agency in individuals with fibromyalgia. • Improvements on severity of symptoms in both groups suggest that the self-care program using a mobile app or a paper book may be beneficial in individuals with fibromyalgia. • The Sleep Strategies was the most used function of the ProFibro app, followed by the Exercise Program, and the diary for the practice of gratitude. The ProFibro application (app) was developed as a Mobile Health resource to promote self-care in fibromyalgia management. This study aimed to assess the effects of the use of the ProFibro app for six weeks compared to the use of a traditional paper book of similar content to improve health-related quality of life, symptoms, and self-care agency in individuals with fibromyalgia. Forty individuals with fibromyalgia were included in this randomized, single-blind, parallel trial. One group received intervention content using the ProFibro app on a smartphone while the other received similar information using a paper book. Participants were assessed at baseline and after six weeks. The primary outcome was the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were Widespread Pain Index, Pain Visual Analog Scale, Symptom Severity Scale, and Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale – Revised. No differences in changes were found between groups at the end of the treatment for any outcome. Both groups showed improvements in symptom severity. The use of the ProFibro app for six weeks was not more effective than the use of a traditional paper book with similar content for health-related quality of life, symptoms, or self-care agency in individuals with fibromyalgia. Both groups showed improvements from baseline on severity of symptoms, suggesting that the self-care program using a mobile app or a paper book may be beneficial for individuals with fibromyalgia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study evaluating the value of a documentary as a key medium to communicate design research. We present information from the evaluation of a second screen application using video as well as a scientific paper, in order to assess how the efficacy and usefulness of using such a documentary for science communication is perceived when compared to a scientific paper. Techniques of a method called Design Documentary , developed to inspire design research teams through video, combined with science journalism were the basis of the production. Twelve researchers and students were shown the documentary and asked to read the paper in counter-balanced order. Our qualitative results show that the documentary as a complementary means of communication can bring benefits to research communication, since it delivers information the paper cannot provide. However, the fact the video is not suited for peer review might restrict its place when compared to the paper. On the overall, participants thought both formats are valuable and are complementary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conduct a comparative life cycle assessment of two business card options: a smartphone software and the common paper- based alternative. Life cycle impacts of production, distribution and use of business cards were compared and contrasted for both systems. Given the prevalence and multifunctionality of digital devices and services, we analyze the environmental impacts of the two systems and evaluate their total energy consumption, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and toxic releases by conducting a two-stage life cycle assessment with alternating functional units. The results indicate that, for a small-scale functional unit, the paper-based business card system causes slightly less environmental impact and has lower energy demand than the software-based (digital) business card system. Whereas when considering the more likely, large scale (real world scenario) functional unit, the digital business card system is more environmentally friendly and economical in terms of energy consumption. By comparing these two systems, this paper serves businesses and consumers when considering environmental consequences and energy depletion of their business networking options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation of historic libraries can be referred towards both the ancient book collections and the buildings themselves. Heritage collections made of paper are threaten by climate-induced deterioration risks such as cellulose hydrolysis. Several studies have investigated the microclimate inside historic libraries but comparisons are difficult due to the lack of long-term microclimate observations and uniformity in the use of standards and risk assessment methods. For the first time, the long-term microclimate observations collected in three historic libraries in Italy were comparatively studied to outline differences and similarities of their microclimates in terms of paper preservation. A multidisciplinary approach was applied to assess the building performance (a) and the deterioration risks for the collections (b). As for a), a common feature of the libraries was the high thermal inertia and low indoor-outdoor air exchanges. As for b), the Time Weighted Expected Lifetime (TWEL) was defined to account for an average chemical risk on a seasonal and yearly basis. TWEL allowed to highlight the impact of the most adverse conditions on the overall chemical risk for acidic paper preservation (e.g., temperatures above 20 °C reached naturally in summer/artificially in winter). It resulted that the measured microclimate conditions in the libraries would lead to the loss of their acidic collections in less than 300 years. Demographic plots were finally used to inform about the risk resulting from the synergy between handling and microclimate as well as to explore the effectiveness of possible preservation measures such as the deacidification of 10% of the collections. [Display omitted] • The long-term microclimate data in three historic libraries in Italy are comparatively studied. • The investigation includes microclimate characterisation and conservation risk assessment. • A multidisciplinary approach is used to evaluate building performance and paper deterioration. • The current microclimate in the libraries reduces the expected lifetime of acidic collections. • Restoration interventions might not be effective if the current microclimate is maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different methods for measuring the friction forces are investigated in this paper. We consider the paper-on-paper contact as an example of application. We first underline several drawbacks for the two main standard methods, namely the inclined and horizontal plane methods. In particular, the horizontal plane test method often involves stick-slip oscillations that make the measurement of the friction force impossible. We then propose a method for characterizing these oscillations and removing their influence on the friction force measurement. The comparison of the proposed method to standards suggests that our proposed method delivers measurements that are much more accurate and repeatable. We finally discuss the validity of averaging the friction force measured during the sliding movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the very few recently published paper by Alavidoost et al. [1] , they proposed a novel fuzzy adaptive genetic algorithm for multi-objective assembly line balancing problem, in continue of their previous presented work by Alavidoost et al. [2] , as a modification on genetic algorithm for assembly line balancing with fuzzy processing times. Despite the fact that both of them are well-written, and completely discussed their contributions, this note looks forward to collate these papers together. Likewise provides the correct order of the figures in [1] matching with their corresponding caption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) P. Kumm. is the third most produced edible mushroom worldwide, due to its ability to colonise and degrade a large variety of lignocellulosic substrates. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition of fruiting bodies of P. ostreatus grown on blank and printed paper substrates, in comparison with samples grown on oat straw (control). The nutritional properties of the control sample were similar to values reported in the literature, while the chemical composition of the samples obtained using paper scraps, either blank or printed, was highly satisfactory. The results obtained validated the nutritional characteristics of the samples, highlighting a profitable means to recycle paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the task-oriented exercise which improved disability, pain and quality of life compared with general physiotherapy for surgically treated proximal humeral fractures.

Recovery of cellulose fibres from paper mill effluent has been studied using common polysaccharides or biopolymers such as Guar gum, Xanthan gum and Locust bean gum as flocculent. Guar gum is commonly used in sizing paper and routinely used in paper making. The results have been compared with the performance of alum, which is a common coagulant and a key ingredient of the paper industry. Guar gum recovered about 3.86 mg/L of fibre and was most effective among the biopolymers. Settling velocity distribution curves demonstrated that Guar gum was able to settle the fibres faster than the other biopolymers; however, alum displayed the highest particle removal rate than all the biopolymers at any of the settling velocities. Alum, Guar gum, Xanthan gum and Locust bean gum removed 97.46%, 94.68%, 92.39% and 92.46% turbidity of raw effluent at a settling velocity of 0.5 cm/min, respectively. The conditions for obtaining the lowest sludge volume index such as pH, dose and mixing speed were optimised for guar gum which was the most effective among the biopolymers. Response surface methodology was used to design all experiments, and an optimum operational setting was proposed. The test results indicate similar performance of alum and Guar gum in terms of floc settling velocities and sludge volume index. Since Guar gum is a plant derived natural substance, it is environmentally benign and offers a green treatment option to the paper mills for pulp recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preschool children's attention, engagement, and communication during readings from comparable electronic and paper storybooks, and their recall of story content were assessed. Seventy-nine preschoolers listened to one story on a tablet and another in paper format. The e-book contained multimedia and interactive features that activated story-related information. Dependent measures were attention to the book, the adult, and off-task; engagement and communication; recall of story content. Language and executive functioning were assessed. Results showed that (1) the e-book took twice as long to complete, (2) children were more attentive to, and engaged in the e-book, (3) children communicated more about the device during the e-book but more about the story during the paper book, (4) there was no difference in recall by format, (5) executive functioning was a stronger predictor of attention and story recall than was age. Results were discussed in relation to the cognitive theory of multimedia learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported a highly conductive nanocomposite made with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and chitin nanofibers (ChNFs). The MWCNTs were dispersed into ChNFs by the simple process of vacuum-filtration, forming a three-dimensional network structure. In this approach, MWCNT acted as a filler to introduce electron channel paths throughout the ChNF skeleton. And then, a hybrid hydrogel system (20 wt.% NaOH, −18 °C) was applied to prepare the ChNF/MWCNT gel-film followed with drying process. It is found that the resultant ChNF/MWCNT gel-film exposed much more MWCNT areas forming denser structure due to the shrinking of ChNFs after the gelation treatment. Compared with ChNF/MWCNT film, the one treated under hydrogel system (ChNF/MWCNT gel-film) exhibited almost twice higher conductivity (9.3 S/cm for 50 wt.% MWCNTs in gel-film; whereas 4.7 S/cm for 50 wt.% MWCNTs in film). Moreover, the facile and low-cost of this conductive paper may have great potential in development of foldable electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better assess the stabilization effects of chemical treatments on Cu(II)-catalyzed cellulose degradation, we developed Cu(II)-containing model rag paper with typical copper corrosion characteristics using e-beam radiation. The paper can be prepared homogeneously and quickly compared to tedious pre-aging methods. Using the Cu(II)-containing model rag paper, the stabilization effects of various chemicals on Cu(II)-catalyzed degradation of cellulose were tested. Benzotriazol was highly effective in retarding the degradation of the Cu(II)-containing model rag paper under hot and humid aging condition, as well as under photo-oxidative stress. Tetrabutylammonium bromide reduced Cu(II)-catalyzed degradation of cellulose, but its efficacy was dependent on the accelerated aging conditions. The results with the alkaline treatments and gelatin treatment suggested that their roles in the degradation mechanisms of cellulose in the presence of Cu(II) differ from those of benzotriazol and tetrabutylammonium bromide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for colorimetric ascorbic acid (AA) quantification in a paper-based sensor. This device is constituted by spot tests modified with AgNPs and silver ions bordered by a hydrophobic barrier which provides quantitative and fast analysis of AA. In addition, this device is employed as point-of-care monitoring using a unique drop of the sample. AgNPs paper-based sensor changed from light yellow to gray color after the addition of AA due to nanoparticle growth and clusters formation. The color intensities were altered as a function of AA concentration which were measured by either a scanner or a homemade portable transmittance colorimeter. Under the selected measurement conditions, results presented limit of detection which was comparable to analytical laboratory-based methodologies. In addition, the sensitivity of our sensor was comparable to the standard titration method when real samples were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fines concentration harms paper machine runability and output quality in recovered paper processing, hence, their extraction would be fundamentally beneficial. In this study, separated fines from an industrial recycled fiber pulp (RFP) were characterized and evaluated for their potential biogas yields with a focus on understanding the role of varying lignin and ash contents. Further, these results were compared with biogas yields from conventional chemical and mechanical pulps. Overall, methane yields of fines from mechanical pulps (21–28 mL/g VS ) and RFP (127 mL/g VS ) are relatively low compared to the high methane yields of 375 mL/g VS from the chemical pulp fines. However, it was shown that the high ash content in RFP fines (up to 50%) did not negatively influence overall yield, rather, it was the presence of slowly biodegrading lignin-rich fiber fines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal sewage sludge, paper mill sludge, and slaughterhouse sludge were pyrolyzed and liquefied for the production of bio-char. The migration and transformation behavior of Cu, Cr, and Zn during pyrolysis and liquefaction of these sludges were studied. Pyrolysis and liquefaction promoted mobile fraction (F1 and F2) to stable fraction (F3 and F4). The results showed that pyrolysis and liquefaction largely affected the redistribution of Cu and Zn in raw materials. The environmental risk assessment results indicated that the environmental risk levels of Cu and Zn were significantly reduced in bio-char, and risk level of Cr was slightly decreased after pyrolysis or liquefaction. Both pyrolysis and liquefaction were promising detoxification technologies for the three sludges in terms of the mitigation of heavy metals toxicity. It was suggested that dewatered sludge could be reduced toxicity/risk before utilization by pyrolysis or liquefaction technology, especially for Cu and Zn in slaughterhouse sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent pathogenic bacterium that has a significant detrimental influence on the health of the human body. Therefore, developing a practical and portable detection platform is critical to ensuring food safety. Nanozymes are a kind of engineered nanomaterials with superior enzyme-like activities, providing infinite possibilities for the development of highly sensitive analytical assays. In this study, mesoporous core−shell palladium@platinum (Pd@Pt) nanozymes were synthesized and then applied as a signal amplifier in Staphylococcus aureus colorimetric immunoassay. At the same time, a careful comparative study of the catalytic performance with natural horseradish peroxidase (HRP), Pd@Pt nanozymes and their complexes Pd@Pt-HRP (HRP coupling with Pd@Pt nanozymes) were firstly performed, as well as clever using a colorimeter to achieve portable signal output. Pd@Pt-HRP bioprobes enable remarkable peroxidase-like catalytic activity, resulting in the highest sensitivity with a limit of detection (LOD) improved from 1 × 105 to 1 × 103 CFU/mL. In all, this work conducted a valuable comparative study and presented an improved strategy for the portable detection of pathogenic bacteria, which was expected to be used in a wide range of applications in food safety regulation and biomedicals arenas. [Display omitted] • A systematic comparative study of Pd@Pt nanozymes and HRP catalyzed detection of Staphylococcus aureus was performed. • Improved colorimetric detection of Staphylococcus aureus using a portable device with paper signal output. • The catalytic mechanism of nanozyme and HRP was thoroughly confirmed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to synthetically evaluate the tribological properties of friction materials, fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model was developed. The analytic hierarchy process was introduced into the model to establish weight function. The paper-based friction materials with different CNTs content were chosen as the six projects. It is found that the comprehensive evaluation indexes are increased by 126–307% for the samples with 4–15 wt% of CNTs compared with the sample without CNTs. The judgment matrix has high consistency by consistency checking. And the evaluation results are also in accordance with the results obtained through the friction torque, surface structure and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on large-scale randomized controlled trial aimed to compare arthroscopic hip surgery with physiotherapy and activity modification in patients with femoroacetabular impingement; the study compared routine arthroscopic care and postoperative physiotherapy, as provided in England, to a goal-based physiotherapy and activity modification program developed for conducting this specific randomized controlled trial only the surgical arm was pragmatic.

Background Context: Smartphone-based applications enable new prospects to monitor symptoms and assess functional outcome in patients with lumbar degenerative spinal disorders. However, little is known regarding patient acceptance and preference towards new modes of digital objective outcome assessment.Purpose: To assess patient preference of an objective smartphone-based outcome measure compared to conventional paper-based subjective methods of outcome assessment.Study Design: Prospective observational cohort study.Patient Sample: Fourty-nine consecutive patients undergoing surgery for lumbar degenerative spinal disorder.Outcome Measures: Patients completed a preference survey to assess different methods of outcome assessment. A 5-level Likert scale ranged from strong disagreement (2 points) over neutral (6 points) to strong agreement (10 points) was used.Methods: Patients self-determined their objective functional impairment using the 6-minute Walking Test application (6WT-app) and completed a set of paper-based patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) before and 6 weeks after surgery. Patients were then asked to rate the methods of outcome assessment in terms of suitability, convenience, and responsiveness to their symptoms.Results: The majority of patients considered the 6WT-app a suitable instrument (median 8.0, interquartile range [IQR] 4.0). Patients found the 6WT more convenient (median 10.0, IQR 2.0) than the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ; median 8.0, IQR 4.0, p=.019) and Core Outcome Measure Index (COMI; median 8.0, IQR 4.0, p=.007). There was good agreement that the 6WT-app detects change in physical performance (8.0, IQR 4.0). 78 % of patients considered the 6WT superior in detecting differences in symptoms (vs. 22% for PROMs). Seventy-six percent of patients would select the 6WT over the other, 18% the ZCQ and 6% the COMI. Eighty-two percent of patients indicated their preference to use a smartphone app for the assessment and monitoring of their spine-related symptoms in the future.Conclusions: Patients included in this study favored the smartphone-based evaluation of objective functional impairment over paper-based PROMs. Involving patients more actively by means of digital technology may increase patient compliance and satisfaction as well as diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2019, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) authored by Dr. Ismail was retracted due to concerns about data integrity. Since there are no policies in place to investigate other publications of authors of retracted studies, we investigated Dr. Ismail's other trials.Methods: We searched for RCTs authored by Dr. Ismail. We made pairwise comparisons of values in baseline and outcome tables between trials. We assessed whether the distributions of baseline characteristics were compatible with properly conducted randomization, using Monte Carlo simulations and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. We read the publications carefully for unusual features.Results: Dr. Ismail was author in eight published and one unpublished trial. In three of his first author studies we found multiple identical values in the baseline and/or outcome tables from different trials. At least some of the trials were unlikely to have followed a proper randomization process. There were a number of other unusual features in the papers we reviewed.Conclusions: It is probable that other trials published by Dr. Ismail contain questionable data. We call for a thorough investigation of the original trial data and related official documents. Our exercise suggests that the practice to assess research integrity should include all publications of authors with retracted fabricated articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) using carbon isotopes has previously been shown to be a robust and discriminating technique for the comparison of document papers. This study aims to examine the inter and intra sample variability for oxygen isotopes measured in standard 80gsm white document papers, to inform the comparison of document papers in forensic casework. 123 paper samples collected from Australia and New Zealand over a 24-month period were measured for their bulk oxygen isotopic abundance and were found to sit within a range of 15‰. A homogeneity study was undertaken which included examining the variability of samples at the sheet, ream and brand source levels. The results of this study were used to construct guidelines for sample comparison and as such, 95% confidence intervals were observed to be inappropriate for use given the high intra sample variability. Instead, a 1.4‰ discrimination range (0.7‰ either side of the measured value) was defined for use as a benchmark for discrimination when samples were measured in the same sequence. Utilising this value, 82% of the samples could be discriminated using a paired comparison, demonstrating a strong potential for use within forensic casework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Investigates benchmarked performance of global and emerging knowledge cities. [•] Introduces a knowledge-based urban development performance assessment model. [•] Applies the assessment model into an international comparative study. [•] Reveals insights on scrutinizing the development perspectives of knowledge cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper honours a paediatrician whose career has been patchwork but distinguished, with many facets. It is a light-hearted look at the printed (infinitely preferable to the electronic) word. Although the obvious response is "read everything I have written", this would only drive down the stores of Prozac. Read the scientific literature of course. The oldie reads to stay one jump ahead on the ward round. Meta-analyses and systematic reviews rely on the judgement of others, so should be regarded with suspicion. Do your own research, and do not rely on the thoughts of other people. Read beyond PubMed. "There is more in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than is dreamed of in your PubMed" (Shakespeare). Read the giants of the past. Richard Asher has so much to teach. What are the seven sins of medicine, and how many have you committed? Asher is top read of the talk. Learn from the mistakes of the past. Your patient comes first. Read how the medical profession covered up the death of Steve Biko and never compromise with patient safety and your integrity. Finally, remember thou art mortal - read a real book for pleasure. Kindle reading must be like making love to an inflatable doll (not that I have done either). Choose what you relax with; for me, PG Wodehouse, Jane Austen, Billy Bunter and Wisden. Who said and why: 'Madam, under similar circumstances I would have kicked the Archangel Gabriel!'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• MNFC increased the tensile index of tissue paper but decreased water absorbency and softness. • MNFCs from NBSK and SBHK yielded comparable trade-offs in tissue properties. • MNFC from BEK showed the lowest improvement in tensile index and degree of fibrillation. • MNFC from DIP had a performance comparable to MNFCs from virgin fibers and the lowest manufacturing cost. • MNFCs having similar degrees of fibrillation could be used interchangeably for enhancing strength. This study aims to understand the effect of micro- and nanofibrillated cellulose (MNFC) on the tensile index, softness, and water absorbency of tissue paper. MNFC was produced from four different fiber sources. The results show that MNFC acts as an effective strength enhancer at the expense of a reduced water absorbency and softness. The impact of the fiber source on MNFC manufacturing cost and the trade-off with performance was also investigated. MNFCs produced from southern bleached hardwood kraft, northern bleached softwood kraft, and deinked pulp exhibited similar performance trends with the MNFC from the deinked pulp having a significantly lower cost. This suggests that MNFCs with similar degrees of fibrillation may be used interchangeably regardless of the fiber source, revealing the possibility to minimize MNFC manufacturing costs based on fiber selection. MNFC produced from bleached Eucalyptus kraft showed the lowest degree of fibrillation and the lowest strength improvements among the MNFCs evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a simple and inexpensive type of chromatography that is extensively used in forensic laboratories for drugs of abuse analysis. In this work, TLC is optimized to analyze cocaine and its adulterants (caffeine, benzocaine, lidocaine and phenacetin) in which the sensitivity (visual determination of LOD from 0.5 to 14mgmL(-1)) and the selectivity (from the study of three different eluents: CHCl3:CH3OH:HCOOHglacial (75:20:5v%), (C2H5)2O:CHCl3 (50:50v%) and CH3OH:NH4OH (100:1.5v%)) were evaluated. Aiming to improve these figures of merit, the TLC spots were identified and quantified (linearity with R(2)>0.98) by the paper spray ionization mass spectrometry (PS-MS), reaching now lower LOD values (>1.0μgmL(-1)). The method developed in this work open up perspective of enhancing the reliability of traditional and routine TLC analysis employed in the criminal expertise units. Higher sensitivity, selectivity and rapidity can be provided in forensic reports, besides the possibility of quantitative analysis. Due to the great simplicity, the PS(+)-MS technique can also be coupled directly to other separation techniques such as the paper chromatography and can still be used in analyses of LSD blotter, documents and synthetic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Phadebas® Forensic Press Test is routinely used for the detection of saliva. However, assessment of the use of Phadebas® paper for this purpose has not been studied extensively. The suitability of Phadebas® paper as a presumptive screening tool for saliva on forensic exhibits, was investigated by analysing the following: (1) sensitivity, (2) specificity, (3) effects of temperature on sensitivity and specificity, (4) detection of saliva in mixed body fluid samples, and (5) influence of substrate porosity. The results of this study demonstrated that Phadebas® paper is more sensitive to α-amylase activity and less specific for saliva than previously reported. The use of an examination temperature of 37°C had no effect on sensitivity, but increased the incidence of cross-reactivity with other forensically relevant body fluid stains. Blood, urine and vaginal secretions can inhibit the detection of α-amylase activity with Phadebas® paper in mixed stains of saliva and body fluid. Substrate porosity is a weak predictor for the time taken for a saliva stain to achieve a strong positive result on Phadebas® paper. Overall, this study demonstrated that the Phadebas® Forensic Press Test has limitations as a presumptive test for the accurate identification of saliva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to quantify and compare the environmental impact of a number of different deinking sludge utilization approaches. A comparative life cycle assessment of deinking sludge material and energy recovery was performed for the baseline scenario—landfill disposal, and four alternative scenarios: two cement plants, a lightweight aggregate plant, and a stone wool plant. Sludge pretreatment and transportation processes were included in the scenario analyses. The results of the life cycle assessment showed that the use of dry deinking sludge in a cement plant in Finland, 45 km from the point of supply of the deinking sludge, to substitute 46% of the petcoke and 2.7% of the limestone showed the best performance. Therein, a global warming potential reduction of 13% and an eutrophication potential reduction of 12% – the highest reduction out of all impact categories studied – were achieved. A similar reduction in global warming potential of 12% was achieved when deinking sludge was incinerated and the ash utilized in cement production in a Russian plant located 350 km from the paper mill. However, abiotic depletion potential and acidification potential slightly increased by 2.6 and 1.5%, respectively. A maximum reduction of 2.1% out of al impact categories was achieved when dry sludge was used in a lightweight aggregate plant. That is considerably less compared to the reduction achieved at the cement plants. The use of deinking sludge ash in a stone wool plant to substitute 25% of cement resulted in a maximum reduction of 25% in the ozone layer depletion potential. Thus, the utilization of deinking sludge in construction materials production while preventing its landfilling has beneficial effects on the environment, in particular decreased greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the use of theories and evidence is often stressed in the development of health promotion interventions, this does not guarantee the success of an intervention. Thus, we need to reflect on intervention development processes that use different types of theories and evidence. In this paper, we provide a reflective discussion on how we identified evidence-based behavior change techniques and counseling themes for a health promotion intervention. In addition, we discuss the challenges that we encountered and what we learned during the process: a) a lack of previous research and meta-analyses, b) inconsistencies in evidence, c) integrating evidence and theories that have different starting points, and d) collaborating with researchers who represent different evidence and theories. During the process, we benefitted from having the clear goal of conducting evidence- and theory-based work. We solved the challenges by, for example, utilizing different types of evidence and being reflective about the reasons behind any inconsistencies in the evidence. In retrospect, we would have benefitted from closer collaboration between the teams that worked separately with different evidence. These kinds of reflective descriptions of development processes and the challenges encountered during them may help other researchers and professionals avoid encountering the same challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an introduction to set-theoretic methods with respect to their application to research in the qualitative paradigm, as part of a series of papers on qualitative research being featured in Early Human Development. It discusses the philosophical assumptions underlying set-theoretic methods and the properties that make them well-suited for use in the analysis of qualitative data. It also takes a closer look at qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), a cross-case analysis method that has arguably been most widely applied among the set-theoretic methods and has also been gaining ground in the health field. Theoretical underpinnings, sample-size considerations, set calibration, QCA software packages, parameters of fit and limitations of the method are discussed. A description of the analytic output issued by a freely available software package, fs/QCA, is used as an example to illustrate QCA results and their interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Electronic data collection is increasingly being used for discrete choice experiments (DCEs).Objectives: To study whether paper or electronic administration results in measurement effects.Methods: Respondents were drawn from the same sample frame (an Internet panel) and completed a nearly identical DCE survey either online or on paper during the same period. A DCE on preferences for basic health insurance served as a case study. We used panel mixed logit models for the analysis.Results: In total, 898 respondents completed the survey: 533 respondents completed the survey online, whereas 365 respondents returned the paper survey. There were no significant differences with respect to sociodemographic characteristics between the respondents in both samples. The median response time was shorter for the online sample than for the paper sample, and a smaller proportion of respondents from the online sample were satisfied with the number of choice sets. Although some willingness- to-pay estimates were higher for the online sample, the elicited preferences for basic health insurance characteristics were similar between both modes of administration.Conclusions: We find no indication that online surveys yield inferior results compared with paper-based surveys, whereas the price per respondent is lower for online surveys. Researchers might want to include fewer choice sets per respondent when collecting DCE data online. Because our findings are based on a nonrandomized DCE that covers one health domain only, research in other domains is needed to support our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine paddy straw-degrading microbial consortia were isolated from 253 paddy straw samples from northern China and the Yangtze River Valley, which are two major rice production regions in China. The microbial consortia completely degraded filter paper within 15 d at 25 °C. The V4 region of the microbial consortia 16S rRNA gene was amplified, and the amplicons were sequencing using the Illumina Miseq high-throughput platform. Compilobacterota and Bacteroidota were the predominant phyla in the samples. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Macellibacteroides was the highest in Y2, and Arcobacter was predominant in the other samples. Analysis of the microbial community structure revealed that the diversity and richness in samples from the Yangtze River Valley were significantly higher compared with those of the samples from northern China, and the community structure of the four microbial consortia from the northern region had higher similarity than the five consortia from the Yangtze River Valley. • Campilobacterota and Bacteroidetes were the predominant phyla of microbial consortia. • The major genera in the two regions were significantly different. • Pseudomonas , Comamonas , Fibrobacter , Sphingobacterium , Ruminiclostridium , and Ruminococcus are the functional bacteria. • The northern bacterial community richness and diversity were lower than the Yangtze River Valley. • The northern microbial community structure was higher in similarity than the Yangtze River Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the measurement equivalence of individual response scale types by using a patient reported outcome measure (PROM) collected on paper and migrated into electronic format for use on the subject's own mobile device (BYOD) and on a provisioned device (site device).Methods: Subjects suffering from chronic health conditions causing daily pain or discomfort were invited to participate in this single-site, single visit, three-way crossover study. Association between individual item and instrument subscale scores was assessed by using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and its CI. Participant attitudes toward the use of BYOD in a clinical trial were assessed through use of a questionnaire.Results: In this study, 155 subjects (females 83 [54%]; males 72 [46%]) ages 19 to 69 years (mean ± SD: 48.6 ± 13.1) were recruited. High association between the modes of administration (paper, BYOD, site device) was shown with analysis of ICCs (0.79-0.98) for each response scale type, including visual analogue scale, numeric rating scale, verbal response scale, and Likert scale. Of the subjects, 94% (146 of 155) stated that they would definitely or probably be willing to download an app onto their own mobile device for a forthcoming clinical trial. Forty-five percent of subjects felt BYOD would be more convenient compared with 15% preferring a provisioned device (40% had no preference).Conclusions: This study provides strong evidence supporting the use of BYOD for PROM collection in terms of the conservation of instrument measurement equivalence across the most widely used response scale types, and high patient acceptance of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Researchers administering surveys seek to balance data quality, sources of error, and practical concerns when selecting an administration mode. Rarely are decisions about survey administration based on the background of study participants, although socio-demographic characteristics like age, education, and race may contribute to participants' (non)responses.Objectives: In this study, we describe differences in paper- and web-based surveys administered in a national cancer survivor study of women with a history of cancer to compare the ability of each survey administrative mode to provide quality, generalizable data.Methods: We compared paper- and web-based survey data by socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, missing data rates, scores on primary outcome measure, and administrative costs and time using descriptive statistics, tests of mean group differences, and linear regression.Results: Our findings indicate that more potentially vulnerable patients preferred paper questionnaires and that data quality, responses, and costs significantly varied by mode and participants' demographic information. We provide targeted suggestions for researchers conducting survey research to reduce survey error and increase generalizability of study results to the patient population of interest.Conclusion: Researchers must carefully weigh the pros and cons of survey administration modes to ensure a representative sample and high-quality data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To compare the diagnostic performance of computerized and paper-and-pencil memory tests in detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Design Diagnostic studies comparing computerized or paper-and-pencil memory tests with the standard diagnostic criterion for MCI or dementia were identified from OVID databases. The primary outcome was the diagnostic performance of memory tests for detection of MCI, and detection of dementia was the secondary outcome. Risk of bias and reporting quality in included studies was assessed. Setting and Participants Participants with MCI and dementia in any kind of setting. Measures Bivariate random-effects models were used to combine the diagnostic performance of memory tests and presented with a summary receiver-operating characteristic curve. Results A total of 58 studies with 18,450 participants with mean age ranging from 55 to 84 years were included. For the verbal memory tests on patients with MCI, computerized tests showed diagnostic accuracy of 0.89 sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69–0.97) and 0.82 specificity (95% CI 0.70–0.90), whereas paper-and-pencil tests showed diagnostic accuracy of 0.86 sensitivity (95% CI 0.82–0.90) and 0.82 specificity (95% CI 0.76–0.86). For the visual memory tests on MCI patients, computerized tests showed diagnostic accuracy of 0.79 sensitivity (95% CI 0.71–0.84) and 0.80 specificity (95% CI 0.71–0.86), whereas paper-and-pencil tests showed diagnostic accuracy of 0.80 sensitivity (95% CI 0.67–0.89) and 0.68 specificity (95% CI 0.51–0.81). The findings were also comparable to those with dementia. Conclusions/Implications Both verbal and visual computerized memory tests showed comparable diagnostic performance to the paper-and-pencil tests. Computerized cognitive tests show a great potential to use as an alternative to paper-and-pencil tests. When the records can be digitalized, long-term monitoring of cognitive function will be feasible for better management of dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In paper conservation, wet cleaning treatments are usually performed to remove harmful degradation substances. Although cleaning treatments are fundamental in this field, the use of free water, besides causing an excessive swelling of cellulose fibres and sometimes also strong alterations of graphic media, could induce the extraction of the original sizing agents, resulting in a weakening of the paper structure. Rigid polysaccharide hydrogels (i.e. Gellan gum) can be effectively used to minimize the impact of water on paper. The present study evaluates the rate of gelatine removal from paper artworks comparing two different wet cleaning treatments: washing by immersion in free deionized water and by means of Gellan gum application. After a preliminary characterization of the paper samples through Hertzberg stain test and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), the study is carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS). The results showed that Gellan gum was less invasive than immersion treatment since it caused the extraction of lower amounts of gelatine from paper. The gelatine removal was also tested by statistical analysis, in particular principal component analysis (PCA) of amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Most preventable adverse drug events and medication errors occur during medication ordering. Medication order entry and clinical decision support are available on paper or as computerized systems. In this post-hoc analysis we investigated frequency and clinical impact of blood glucose (BG) documentation- and user-related calculation errors as well as workflow deviations in diabetes management. We aimed to compare a paper-based protocol to a computerized medication management system combined with clinical workflow and decision support.Methods: Seventy-nine hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were treated with an algorithm driven basal-bolus insulin regimen. BG measurements, which were the basis for insulin dose calculations, were manually entered either into the paper-based workflow protocol (PaperG: 37 patients) or into GlucoTab(®)-a mobile tablet PC based system (CompG: 42 patients). We used BG values from the laboratory information system as a reference. A workflow simulator was used to determine user calculation errors as well as workflow deviations and to estimate the effect of errors on insulin doses. The clinical impact of insulin dosing errors and workflow deviations on hypo- and hyperglycemia was investigated.Results: The BG documentation error rate was similar for PaperG (4.9%) and CompG group (4.0%). In PaperG group, 11.1% of manual insulin dose calculations were erroneous and the odds ratio (OR) of a hypoglycemic event following an insulin dosing error was 3.1 (95% CI: 1.4-6.8). The number of BG values influenced by insulin dosing errors was eightfold higher than in the CompG group. In the CompG group, workflow deviations occurred in 5.0% of the tasks which led to an increased likelihood of hyperglycemia, OR 2.2 (95% CI: 1.1-4.6).Discussion: Manual insulin dose calculations were the major source of error and had a particularly strong influence on hypoglycemia. By using GlucoTab(®), user calculation errors were entirely excluded. The immediate availability and automated handling of BG values from medical devices directly at the point of care has a high potential to reduce errors. Computerized systems facilitate the safe use of more complex insulin dosing algorithms without compromising usability. In CompG group, missed or delayed tasks had a significant effect on hyperglycemia, while in PaperG group insufficient precision of documentation times limited analysis. The use of old BG measurements was clinically less relevant.Conclusion: Insulin dosing errors and workflow deviations led to measurable changes in clinical outcome. Diabetes management systems including decision support should address nurses as well as physicians in a computerized way. Our analysis shows that such systems reduce the frequency of errors and therefore decrease the probability of hypo- and hyperglycemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Bleeding data in contraceptive trials are often collected using daily diaries, but data quality may vary due to compliance and recall bias. Text messaging is a widespread and promising modality for data collection.Study Design: This trial randomized participants 1:1 to use text messages or paper diaries to report on bleeding experienced during the 90 days after intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. Participants chose either the copper T380A or the 52-mg levonorgestrel IUD. Our primary outcome was number of days of reported bleeding data. We hypothesized that data gathered with daily text messages would have fewer missing values than paper diaries. Intention to treat analyses used the rank-sum test to compare medians.Results: Two hundred thirty women enrolled, and randomization yielded groups similar in baseline characteristics. Twenty percent of participants provided no bleeding data; of these, 77% were assigned to paper diaries. With 90 days of reporting, approximately 20% in each group provided complete bleeding data. The text group reported a median of 82 days [interquartile range (IQR) 40-89] and the paper group reported a median of 36 days (IQR 0-88) (p≤.001). The number of responses received decreased gradually over the 90-day period but was always higher in the text group. Women who had attained higher levels of education did well regardless of data collection modality, while response rates of text messages were greater among those with a high school education or less (p<.01).Conclusions: Participants reporting bleeding via text messages provided more complete data than women using paper diaries.Implications: Depending on resources and population of interest, text messages may be a useful modality to improve data collection for patient-reported outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The adoption and use of health information technology (IT) continues to grow around the globe. In Switzerland, the government nor professional associations have to this day provided incentives for health IT adoption.Objective: We aim to assess the proportion of physicians who are routinely working with electronic health data and describe to what extent physicians exchange electronic health data with peers and other health care providers. Additionally, we aim to estimate the effect of physicians' attitude towards health IT on the adoption of electronic workflows.Methods: Between May and July 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1200 practice based physicians in Switzerland. Respondents were asked to report on their technical means and where applicable their paper-based workarounds to process laboratory data, examination results, referral letters and physician's letters. Physicians' view of barriers and facilitators towards health IT use was determined by a composite score.Results: A response rate of 57.1% (n=685) was reached. The sample was considered to be representative for physicians in Swiss ambulatory care. 35.2% of the respondents documented patients' health status with the help of a longitudinal semi-structured electronic text record generated by one or more encounters in the practice. Depending on the task within a workflow, around 11-46% of the respondents stated to rely on electronic workflow practices to process laboratory and examination data and dispatch referral notes and physician's letters. The permanent use of electronic workflow processes was infrequent. Instead, respondents reported paper-based workarounds affecting specific tasks within a workflow. Physicians' attitude towards health IT was significantly associated with the adoption of electronic workflows (OR 1.04-1.31, p<0.05), but the effect sizes of factors related to the working environment (e.g., regional factors, medical specialty, type of practice) were larger.Conclusion: At present, only a few physicians in Swiss ambulatory care routinely work with electronic health data. Until more of their peers participate in electronic exchange of structured clinical information, most physicians will continue to stay in paper-based systems and workarounds. The survey found that physicians with a positive attitude towards health IT were more likely to adopt electronic workflows, but the impact is minor. It will likely be necessary to introduce financial incentives and develop national standards in order to promote the adoption by a critical mass of practicing clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fermentation is a widely used method of natural food preservation that has consequences on the nutritional value of the transformed food. Fermented dairy products are increasingly investigated in view of their ability to exert health benefits beyond their nutritional qualities.Objective: To explore the mechanisms underpinning the health benefits of fermented dairy intake, the present study followed the effects of milk fermentation, from changes in the product metabolome to consequences on the human serum metabolome after its ingestion.Methods: A randomized crossover study design was conducted in 14 healthy men [mean age: 24.6 y; mean body mass index (in kg/m2): 21.8]. At the beginning of each test phase, serum samples were taken 6 h postprandially after the ingestion of 800 g of a nonfermented milk or a probiotic yogurt. During the 2-wk test phases, subjects consumed 400 g of the assigned test product daily (200 g, 2 times/d). Serum samples were taken from fasting participants at the end of each test phase. The serum metabolome was assessed through the use of LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics.Results: Postprandial serum metabolomes after milk or yogurt intake could be differentiated [orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) Q2 = 0.74]. Yogurt intake was characterized by higher concentrations of 7 free amino acids (including proline, P = 0.03), reduced concentrations of 5 bile acids (including glycocholic acid, P = 0.04), and modulation of 4 indole derivative compounds (including indole lactic acid, P = 0.01). Fasting serum samples after 2 wk of daily intake of milk or yogurt could also be differentiated based on their metabolic profiles (OPLS-DA Q2 = 0.56) and were discussed in light of the postprandial results.Conclusion: Metabolic pathways related to amino acids, indole derivatives, and bile acids were modulated in healthy men by the intake of yogurt. Further investigation to explore novel health effects of fermented dairy products is warranted.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02230345. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument to measure fatigue symptoms and impacts in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) was developed in a qualitative stage, followed by psychometric validation and migration from paper to an electronic format.Methods: Adult patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) were interviewed to elicit fatigue-related symptoms and impacts. A draft questionnaire was debriefed in cognitive interviews with further RRMS patients, and revised. Content confirmation interviews were conducted with patients with progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis (PRMS) and relapsing secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (RSPMS). Psychometric analyses used data from adult patients with different RMS subtypes and matched non-RMS controls in a multicenter, observational study. After item reduction, the final instrument was migrated to a smartphone (eDiary) and usability was confirmed in interviews with additional adult RMS patients.Results: The qualitative stage included 37 RRMS, 5 PRMS, and 5 RSPMS patients. Saturation of concepts was reached during concept elicitation. Cognitive interviews confirmed that participants understood the instructions, items, and response options of the instrument-named FSIQ-RMS-as intended. Psychometric validation included 164 RMS and 74 control patients. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were demonstrated. The symptoms domain discriminated along the RMS symptom-severity continuum and between patients and controls. Patients were able to attribute fatigue-related symptoms to RMS. Usability and conceptual equivalence of the eDiary were confirmed (n = 10 participants).Conclusions: With 7 symptom items and 13 impact items (in 3 impacts subdomains: physical, cognitive and emotional, and coping) after item reduction, the FSIQ-RMS is a comprehensive, valid, and reliable measure of fatigue-related symptoms and impacts in RMS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection and identification of body fluids at a crime scene shed light on the events which might have occurred and the people involved in the crime; the techniques used being lengthy, makes the on-scene detection a tough process to carry out and handle. This study aims to develop an on-spot detection method for serological testing using silica gel encapsulation technique and a modified microfluidic paper-based analytical device (μPADs). Kastle-Meyer reagent was incorporated into the μPAD and Silica Gel plate and was subsequently validated for the detection of blood. This study revealed that the μPAD was a better option. The emerging technique of μPADs allows a cost-effective and simple method of detection for body fluids. The fibrous network of the paper is manipulated to fabricate a guided channel for the fluid flow. The guided channels in the modified μPADs were fabricated by patterning a hydrophobic barrier out of wax. The analyte of interest for this study is blood but the principle can be modified to include other biological fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent and debilitating neurological disorder affecting millions worldwide, necessitating early and precise diagnosis for effective management and therapy. Recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) applications within the medical field have showcased promising potential in disease identification and diagnosis. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of cutting-edge AI-based methods for the identification of Parkinson's disease. This paper encompasses extensive testing on substantial datasets containing both PD patients and healthy individuals, aiming to assess the efficacy of AI models. Performance metrics such as sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) are employed to evaluate model performance rigorously. This paper is not only reviewing the state-of-the-art AI techniques for Parkinson's disease identification but also introduces novel contributions in the field. Our results demonstrate the potential of AI in achieving early and accurate PD diagnosis, offering hope for improved patient care and treatment outcomes. Furthermore, this study paves the way for future research and development in the domain of AI-driven healthcare, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the quality of life for individuals suffering from Parkinson's disease and similar neurodegenerative conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]