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Parallel to the escalating burden of obesity is the steadily increasing prevalence of metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver diseases (MASLD), a chronic condition that progresses from simple steatosis to advanced stages of steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis (1 -2). MASLD, regarded as the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome is known to be exacerbated by unhealthy lifestyle choices and the presence of comorbidities such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity (3 - 4). Therefore, early identification of the general population at risk of MASLD and the development of multicomponent interventions that can prevent the progression of liver damage and mitigate associated adverse cardiometabolic health outcomes are important. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of a lifestyle modification program on glucose levels, lipid profile, liver function, and body composition measures in community-living adults with elevated hepatic steatosis index in Mumbai, India. Adults (n= 231, mean age 46.1(13.7) years), 58.6% men) were screened for risk of MASLD using a non-invasive screening tool, Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) (calculated as (HSI)= 8 x (ALT/AST ratio) +BMI (+2, if female; +2, if diabetes mellitus) (5). Eligible participants with HSI >36 (predictive of the presence of MASLD) were randomized to receive either a multicomponent lifestyle intervention (experimental group, EG) comprising weekly sessions of individualized dietary counseling (Participants having BMI >23kg/m2 (n = 36) received hypocaloric diets with 40% carbohydrates, 40% fat and 30% proteins (WLD) and those having BMI <22.9kg/m2 (n= 22) received weight maintenance diet (WMD) plans including 55% carbohydrates, 15% protein and 30% fats) and fortnightly group sessions of structured exercise and nutrition education or a standard of care package (control group, CG, n= 43) including general healthy eating and activity guidelines for the 8- week study duration. Paired t test and independent sample t tests were used to determine within and between group changes in variables from baseline to endline. Trial Registration: This study is registered as CTRI/2022/05/042927. Overall, the prevalence of MASLD was 52.2%, 32.8% were hypertensive, and 26.7% and 15.4% had diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia respectively. The intervention (WLD) resulted in decreased weight (mean (M)= 3.4 kg, standard error (SE) = 1.88 k, p = 0.02), body fat percent (M = 2.2%, SE = 1.1%, p= 0.042), serum triglycerides (M=28.8mg/dL, SE 8.5mg/dL, p<0.001) and AST (M= 3.8 U/L, SE= 2.2U/L, p <0.05) values. The WMD group reported improvements in serum cholesterol levels, and ALT/ AST ratio as compared to CG (p <0.001). In WMD, HDL-C increased from 45.8 mg/dl to 47.2 mg/dl and the mean AST values reduced from 28.8 (10.6) U/L to 25.6 (9.9) U/L, but these changes were not statistically significant. Multicomponent lifestyle modification programs integrating diet, physical activity and education are effective strategies to improve liver outcomes and optimize cardiometabolic health in people with MASLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are becoming increasingly common in young people in India and globally (1). Diet (eating habits, nutrient intake, and dietary diversity) and mental health (stress and anxiety levels) factors can independently and synergistically regulate gut health through dietary modulation of gut microbiota composition and gut-brain axis-related mechanistic pathways (2 - 3). However, few studies have investigated the associations between diet, mental health, and GI-related disturbances. Hence, this observational study was conducted to explore the possible effects of eating behaviors and stress and anxiety symptoms on self-reported measures of gastrointestinal health among 18-45-year-old adults in India. A purposive cluster sampling method guided the recruitment of participants (n=407). Two non- consecutive day 24-hour diet recalls were conducted to estimate nutrient intakes and calculate Individual Diet Diversity (IDD) and Food Variety Scores (FVS). Gastrointestinal health was assessed using a validated instrument comprising 35 items related to gastric, small intestine, and colon function, and GI inflammation. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10 scores 0 to 40 with higher scores representing higher levels of stress), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7 scores >5 (mild), >10 (moderate), and >15 (severe)) were used to evaluate perceived stress and anxiety (4 - 5). Socioeconomic status and eating habits were self-reported and the anthropometry measurements were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed using sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometry measurements, eating habits, and stress and anxiety levels as independent (predictor) variables, and composite gastrointestinal health risk scores as the dependent variables. Participants reported mild anxiety (mean (M) = 7.09, standard deviation (SD)= 3.25) and moderate stress (M=18.44; SD= 9.89) with preponderance among females, higher age groups (> 35 years), and lower socioeconomic status. Overall, 38.8% and 45.3% were at high-risk score categories for gastric function and GI inflammation respectively. Higher energy and fat consumption, frequent breakfast skipping, and lower IDDS and FVS scores were associated with higher scores for stress and anxiety. Moreover, participants having moderate to severe anxiety reported a higher frequency of GI symptoms such as indigestion (M= 3.23 SD= 2.1-4.6, p= 0.023), excessive belching (M= 2.36 SD =1.21, p=0.043), and post-meal lower abdominal discomfort and cramps (M= 3.07, SD = 2.22, p < 0.001) as compared to those having nominal/mild anxiety. Age-adjusted regression models showed higher waist circumference (OR= 4.69, 95% CI =1.33- 7.28, p= 0.034), and stress scores (OR= 1.66, 95% CI= 1.32-1.90, p = 0.042), lower IDDS (OR= 2.34, 95% CI=1.80- 2.91, p <0.001) and presence of > 2 co-morbid conditions (OR= 8.12, 95% CI = 5.34- 11.21, p < 0.001) as predictors of higher GI disorder risk scores. The preliminary findings of the study highlight associations between diet, stress, and GI health, presenting opportunities to modulate diet and optimize mental health to prevent and reduce the severity of GI disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baropal wetland is situated near to the Baropal village, Pilibanga tehsil of Hanumangarh District in Rajasthan state (290 22' 10" North, 740 05' 48" East) and comes under the Ghaggar river floodplain. Baropal wetland is a recently and naturally originated water body, presumably recharged by the seepage water of Ghaggar river and Indira Gandhi Canal Project (IGNP). It is a real example of rapid succession and species aggregation in the barren land and has been established as a rich biodiversity amphitheatre within the semi-desert region. The vegetation cover of Baropal wetland stretch has changed into Xerophytic to Mesophytic and Hydrophytic. As, it has established enormous plant and animal communities in a short period, in the present picture, the plant communities of Baropal wetland are much productive to support enough food and habitat to a variety of organisms. Unfortunately, Baropal wetland has not received any ecological attention despite being a water body and always ignored due to the inadequacy in the number of the wellestablished local researchers. Its beauty has always been superimposed by the fascinating archaeological sites which are present in the same locality (Ghaggar floodplain) and by the Ghaggar and Saraswati debate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental health disorders in the child and adolescent population are a pressing public health concern. Despite the high prevalence of psychopathology in this vulnerable population, the transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) has many obstacles such as deficiencies in planning, organisational readiness and policy gaps. All these factors contribute to an inadequate and suboptimal transition process. A suite of measures is required that would allow young people to be assessed in a structured and standardised way to determine the on-going need for care and to improve communication across clinicians at CAMHS and AMHS. This will have the potential to reduce the overall health economic burden and could also improve the quality of life for patients travelling across the transition boundary. The MILESTONE (Managing the Link and Strengthening Transition from Child to Adult Mental Health Care) project aims to address the significant socioeconomic and societal challenge related to the transition process. This protocol paper describes the development of two MILESTONE transition-related measures: The Transition Readiness and Appropriateness Measure (TRAM), designed to be a decision-making aide for clinicians, and the Transition Related Outcome Measure (TROM), for examining the outcome of transition.Methods: The TRAM and TROM have been developed and were validated following the US FDA Guidance for Patient-reported Outcome Measures which follows an incremental stepwise framework. The study gathers information from service users, parents, families and mental health care professionals who have experience working with young people undergoing the transition process from eight European countries.Discussion: There is an urgent need for comprehensive measures that can assess transition across the CAMHS/AMHS boundary. This study protocol describes the process of development of two new transition measures: the TRAM and TROM. The TRAM has the potential to nurture better transitions as the findings can be summarised and provided to clinicians as a clinician-decision making support tool for identifying cases who need to transition and the TROM can be used to examine the outcomes of the transition process.Trial Registration: MILESTONE study registration: ISRCTN83240263 Registered 23-July-2015 - ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03013595 Registered 6 January 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die-casting is one of the methods used to produce a large number of components with a good surface finish by injecting cast alloys into a metal mould under high pressure. The design of a die-casting die requires human expertise and is normally performed by trial and error, which leads to monetary and time losses. Automation at the initial die design stage would result in higher productivity and would reduce the production lead time. Decisions regarding the number of cavities, the layout pattern and the placement of cavities in die-casting are critical for die design and manufacturing. This paper presents research work on a system for computer-aided cavity layout design for die-casting dies. The proposed system consists of three modules: (1) determination of number of cavities; (2) selection of layout pattern; and (3) placement of cavities in the die base. It enables die designers to generate a cavity layout design automatically from a computer-aided design (CAD) file of the part with little information provided manually. The optimal number of cavities is determined by considering economic, technical, geometrical and time limitations, followed by the selection of a layout pattern. Thereafter, cavities are placed in the die base. The developed system depends on a database of die-casting machines and materials along with a knowledge base of die design. This system has been tested on a number of die-casting parts and results have been found to be along the lines of those obtained by the industry. The proposed system is more comprehensive than those presently available and is a step in the right direction for design-manufacturing integration for die-casting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early cost estimate of a part is important information and forms a basis for preparing quotations, which are competitive from a market point of view. It is seen that a commonly adopted approach of variant cost estimation based only on geometric information of the component is not always accurate. This is also true in the case of die-cast parts. The geometric complexity of the part, tooling complexity, part and tool material, processing cost, and manufacturing resources for producing the part all need to be considered for accurate cost estimation. This paper deals with a comprehensive system developed to estimate and analyze the manufacturing cost of die-cast parts. A computer-aided cost-estimation system has been developed that applies manufacturing process as well as manufacturing resource considerations in addition to part feature complexity. Use of the proposed system is demonstrated in selecting the optimum number of cavities and the appropriate manufacturing resources under machine-related constraints. Further, the cost-estimation system developed herein is used for carrying out feature sensitivity analysis to identify design features that add significant cost to the part. The use of this system for optimal machine loading in multiple parts situation is also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]