by Vasilios M. Polymeropoulos

Received: 01 August 2020;  Published: 26 October 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2004042

There is a dramatic need for extensive research into the predictors of severe infection with SARS-CoV2 and therapeutic options for infected people. People who suffer from severe illness and higher mortality display a pattern of having specific co-morbidities (diabetes, obesity, hypertension) and are of higher age. Recent research has described methods of viral entry via receptors (ACE2, TMPRSS2) and the hyper-inflammatory state often associated with severe illness (increase in interleukins, increase in TNF-alpha). [...]

by Consuelo C. Casula

Received: 18 January 2020;  Published: 27 February 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2001010

This article is based on the assumption that the therapist's focused attention, open awareness and kind intention are the basic ingredients for creating a relationship of trust with the patient from the first session. He also stresses that when the attention of a genuine therapist, without prejudice or judgment, is centered on how the patient expresses him/herself and on the contents s/he proposes, the patient relies more easily on the competent care of the therapist. The author argues that to empower patients it i [...]

by Ayub Nor Hanin  , Mat Yunus Abdul Masani  , Ong-Abdullah Janna  , Omar Abdul Rasid  and Ghulam Kadir Ahmad Parveez

Received: 18 December 2024;  Published: 15 April 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2502292

Oil palm is the most productive vegetable oil crop compared to other oil-bearing crops because it produces the highest oil yield per hectare. Palm oil is very versatile since it is used for producing food and beverages, personal care and cosmetics, cleaning products, biofuel, and bioenergy. To cater to the increasing demand in the global palm oil market, much research has been done to improve the oil's yield and modify its quality in addition to the oil palm height through breeding. Due to its long breeding cyc [...]

by Athanasia Soultana  , Michael Galetakis  , Anthoula Vasiliou  , Konstantinos Komnitsas  and Despina Vamvuka

Received: 11 February 2021;  Published: 17 August 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2103035

Waste concrete is the most predominant constituent material among construction and demolition waste. Current waste concrete recycling is limited to the use of recycled concrete aggregates as a road-base material and less as aggregates in new concrete mixes. Further, the production of recycled concrete aggregates results in the generation of a high amount of fines, consisting mainly of cement paste particles. Hence, this study aims to produce the cement mortars using the upgraded recycled concrete aggregates (sand g [...]

by Ankit Patel  , Kevin Houston  , Michael Saadeh  , Ana Vilela  , Byung-Soo Yoo  , Steve M. D’Souza  and David A. Johnson

Received: 24 April 2022;  Published: 01 August 2022;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2203018

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently the third most common cancer within the United States among both males and females, with increasing rates occurring in younger individuals compared to the past. Multiple environmental and social aspects including diet may be contributing to this increase in CRC rates. The aim of this review is to examine foods containing high fructose corn syrup, processed meats, and red meats which have shown to be linked to an increase in incidence of CRC. These foods can be a cause for disrup [...]

by Omer Eugene Beaird  , Deepa Nanayakkara  , Pryce Gaynor  and Joanna Schaenman

Received: 05 April 2019;  Published: 26 July 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1903075

The endemic mycoses are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in transplant recipients. These fungal infections are notable for their dimorphic life cycle, specific geographic distributions, and typical infection via environmental exposure. Their nonspecific presentation can make diagnosis challenging. Because of their geographic associations, assessment of both donor and recipient history is critical in making an accurate and timely diagnosis. Coccidioides spp. are endemic to the southwestern United S [...]

by Maria Victoria Tejada-Simon  and Sara Lodhi

Received: 14 November 2021;  Published: 04 March 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2201009

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that can be defined as one’s ability to be present to the surroundings and environment, and not overreact to what is happening around us. With the recent pandemic still affecting the world, more studies have recently become known describing the suitability of mindfulness to prevent and manage mental health. This fact alone offers grounds for mindfulness practices to be added to any stressful environment, including Institutions of higher education and the workforce. Even more, min [...]

by Kátia R. A. Nunes  and Cláudio F. Mahler

Received: 11 August 2024;  Published: 24 December 2024;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2404029

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a significant waste stream in Brazil. It represents 38.2% of the total CDW and MSW streams. The recycling of CDW in Brazil is estimated to be at least 7.2% by weight (collected CDW) or about 15% by volume (produced CDW). Therefore, only a tiny part of CDW is returned to construction activities. On the other hand, 48.9% of the total amount of the top fifty extracted minerals in the country is sand and gravel, which is used in the national construction industry. Considering [...]

by Claudia Harper  , Radhika Seimon  , Brendon Yee  , Amanda Salis  and Elizabeth Cayanan

Received: 21 February 2022;  Published: 27 May 2022;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2202015

We report the case of a 30-year-old male with significant obesity (body mass index 47 kg/m2) with co-existing moderate obstructive sleep apnoea, hypertension, hypercholesteremia and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, who was treated with a very-low-energy diet (VLED) and lifestyle modification programme for 12 months. The patient lost weight throughout the entire treatment period (average weight loss was 2.1 kg/week, for a total of 42.7 kg), and showed marked improvement in co-morbidities and no adverse effects. This c [...]

by Jordin Lane  and Kevin R. Fontaine

Received: 28 December 2020;  Published: 21 April 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2102015

Carbohydrate-restricted ketogenic diets (KD) were introduced in the mid-19th century as a weight loss method with a resurgence of its use in epilepsy treatment in the 1920’s. Research conducted over the last several years provides evidence that KD’s can confer beneficial effects for several chronic metabolic diseases, including obesity, type-2 diabetes, and polycystic ovary syndrome. In recent years, emerging evidence suggests KD’s may also have therapeutic benefits for some cancers and for neurological conditions [...]

by Christopher H. Vane  , Alexander W. Kim  , Darren Beriro  , Mark R. Cave  , Stephen R. Lowe  , Raquel A. Lopes dos Santos  , Antonio M. P. J. Ferreira  , Christopher Collins  , C. Paul Mathanail  and Vicky Moss-Hayes

Received: 05 March 2021;  Published: 28 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2102012

Total organic carbon (TOC), black carbon (BC), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were determined in 73 surface (0-2 cm) and subsurface (5-20 cm) soil samples taken from a 142 km2 area in Central London, UK. Soils were assessed to provide a baseline chemistry for site owners, developers, occupiers and regulators involved in understanding the potential risk to human health and the environment. TOC range was 1.75-11.85 % (mean 5.82 %), BC 3.7 [...]

by Yang Eun Kim  and Boram Lee

Received: 07 March 2024;  Published: 21 May 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2402224

Preschool teachers are at high risk of depression. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on evaluating a valid and reliable instrument to measure depressive symptomatology for this population. One such promising instrument is the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), a 21-item self-report measure designed to assess the presence and severity of depression. Although the tool’s psychometric properties have been analyzed in different samples, they have not been validated with a Korean preschool teacher sample. Hence, this [...]

by Annie Keleher  , Paul Dargusch  and Genia Hill

Received: 13 January 2022;  Published: 15 April 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2202013

With scientific consensus on climate change and growing public concern, firms are recognising the multiple risks associated with inaction on their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Entertainment & Media (E&M) sectors provide essential communications services, that are foundational for much of the modern world's social and economic systems. The ICT sector has already demonstrated success in innovations that enable emissions reductions. At the same tim [...]

by Masaaki Takamura  and Shuji Terai

Received: 04 February 2019;  Published: 25 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.hg.1902018

In cirrhosis, portal hypertension and hypoalbuminemia due to decreased albumin synthetic capacity and hormonal imbalance due to increased renin-angiotensin-aldosterone and vasopressin systems cause fluid retention and electrolyte abnormalities. Diuretics are indispensable for the control of body fluid volume in liver cirrhosis, and aldosterone antagonists and loop diuretics have been widely used until now. In Japan, tolvaptan, a vasopressin V2 receptor antagonists, became available in September 2013, expanding trea [...]

by Oscar Daoura  , Maya Boutros  and Franck Launay

Received: 01 September 2020;  Published: 26 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101007

CO2 reforming of CH4, also referred to as the Dry Reforming of Methane (DRM), is considered an excellent method to produce H2 and CO (syngas), which are known to be used for the production of higher alkanes and oxygenates. Despite nickel’s moderate toxicity, Ni-based heterogeneous catalysts are considered excellent candidates for use in DRM due to their reasonable performances and economic advantages. However, these materials also present severe drawbacks, such as sintering of the active phase and coke (carbo [...]

by Suhail Hyder Vattathurvalappil  , Syed Fahad Hassan  and Mahmoodul Haq

Received: 24 January 2023;  Published: 16 March 2023;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2301012

Thermoplastics polymers like Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) are often reinforced with nano/micro reinforcements to enhance their mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. However, the viscoelastic nature of these polymers results in their strong dependence on the applied strain rate and temperature sensitivity, leading to their characterization complexity. Hence it is paramount to study the strain rate-dependent mechanics of neat ABS. In this study, the effect of strain rate and temperature on Young’s m [...]

by Joseph V. Pergolizzi  , Jo Ann LeQuang  , Peter Magnusson  and Giustino Varrassi

Received: 11 April 2021;  Published: 12 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103021

Traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) approaches to COVID-19 represent a paradigm shift from Western medicine, in that TCIM emphasizes prevention, encouraging wellness, and supporting health and recovery. A wide range of TCIM approaches exist: whole medical systems (such as traditional Chinese medicine), mind-body approaches, biological therapies, body-based treatments, and energy therapies. TCIM is used to help people resist infection, but people with moderate to severe COVID-19 symptoms ofte [...]

by Sasha Gorrell  , Anne G.E. Collins  , Daniel Le Grange  and Tony T. Yang

Received: 03 December 2019;  Published: 23 March 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2001053

Driven exercise (i.e., the tendency to exercise in excess to influence weight/shape or regulate emotion) is difficult to manage in the context of anorexia nervosa, and is associated with poorer treatment outcomes, and psychological and medical severity. Driven exercise is observed in a considerable number of those diagnosed with anorexia nervosa; however, to date, this hallmark symptom remains poorly understood. Dopamine signaling is implicated in motivating and maintaining appetitive behavior among patients with e [...]

by Ian W. Stone  , Ashim Gupta  , Hugo C. Rodriguez  , R. Justin Mistovich  , Manu Gupta  , Anish G. Potty  and Jorge R. Serrato

Received: 03 May 2020;  Published: 24 June 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2002064

Obesity is on the rise around the world, carrying along with it a wide range of comorbidities and complications. We report on a super-super morbidly obese 43-year-old female, with a body mass index (BMI) of 77.85 kg/m2 (173cm, 233kg), who presented for a scheduled suboccipital craniectomy with C-1 laminectomy secondary to symptoms from an Arnold-Chiari type-I malformation. Already a challenging type of surgery, due to the patient’s extreme BMI and positioning, the surgery became more difficult. There are many [...]

by Aminata Bicego  , Pauline Delmal  , Didier Ledoux  , Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville  , Benoît Maertens de Noordhout  , Alfredo Cerasoli  , Héléna Cassol  , Olivia Gosseries  and Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse

Received: 29 June 2022;  Published: 09 September 2022;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2203040

Phantom limb pain occurs in more than half of the people who have undergone an amputation. Hypnosis can alleviate pain effectively in experimental, procedural, and chronic pain. Thus, in this multiple-case study, we determined whether hypnosis might be a successful complementary approach to help patients with phantom limb pain in alleviating their pain quality (i.e., sensitive and affective), intensity, fatigue, and emotional distress (i.e., anxiety and depression). Seven patients experiencing phantom limb pain wer [...]

by Alicia Stapp  , Madalyn Falkenheiner  and Kenya Wolff

Received: 15 November 2021;  Published: 13 January 2022;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2201001

It is recommended that children ages 3-5 receive 180 minutes of physical activity a day, with at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Despite these recommendations, a majority of preschoolers are not provided opportunities in the early childhood education setting to meet these daily recommendations through either structured or unstructured physical activity. Accordingly, the number of young children identified as overweight or obese over the past couple of decades has increased. Critical to a [...]

by Xuhua Xia

Received: 09 June 2019;  Published: 17 October 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1904097

Phage as an anti-bacterial agent must be efficient in killing bacteria, and consequently needs to replicate efficiently. Protein production is a limiting step in replication in almost all forms of life, including phages. Efficient protein production depends on the efficiency of translation initiation, elongation and termination, with translation initiation often being rate limiting. Initiation signals such as Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequences and start codon are decoded by anti-SD sequences and initiation tRNA, respect [...]

by XinRan Quan  and Marica Bakovic

Received: 21 December 2020;  Published: 21 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2103176

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a diverse group of neuropathological diseases that are currently incurable due to the irreversible neuronal loss. At the present rate of the world population growth, it is projected that the number of ND cases will double by the year of 2050. With treatments only available for symptom management and relief, disease prevention may yield significant benefits. Recently, there had been association drawn between the disruption of phospholipid (PL) homeostasis and the progression of N [...]

by Aditya Sharma  , Opeyemi Bello  , Catalin Teodoriu  and Hamidreza Karami

Received: 15 February 2021;  Published: 30 June 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2102030

The Industry 4.0 is here, and advanced technologies are widely available for domains such oil and gas which are traditionally slow in adopting extreme new technologies. This paper presents the design architecture and implementation of effective data acquisition (DAQ) and monitoring system applied to an experimental sucker rod pumping unit for both event occurrence and educational purpose using latest technological advancements and industry 4.0 principles. The designed framework allows control and monitoring of anal [...]

by Kevin T Ong

Received: 15 May 2018;  Published: 03 September 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1803011

Amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are three modalities in the imaging of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This article reviews the experience and data obtained from AD research using these techniques to understand the natural history of AD and to enhance therapeutic trials. It is now realised that their use can improve early detection of AD, and has opened a new corridor which may lead toward successful treatment.