by Maddaloni Valeria  , D'Arco Daniela  , Morano Francesca  , Pepe Nicola  and Atripaldi Luigi

Received: 30 May 2018;  Published: 12 November 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804048

Infectious diseases are one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality around the world and have a substantial impact on the health of communities. These diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. The antibiotics that are currently available are generally considered to be safe and well-tolerated. However antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious concern in the treatment of infectious diseases. An understanding of epigenetics now contribut [...]

by David J. Epstein  and Aruna K. Subramanian

Received: 18 November 2018;  Published: 12 February 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1901048

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a common infection with challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Management of TB in solid organ transplant (SOT) candidates and recipients poses unique challenges not seen in other populations. Questions and Recommendations: Latent TB infection (LTBI) is important to diagnose pre-transplant through history, physical examination, imaging, and laboratory tests. Tuberculin skin tests and interferon-gamma release assays are important tools but not sufficiently sensitive nor specific to d [...]

by Misirkhan A. Talybov  , Lala A. Azizova  and Ilmutdin M. Abdulagatov

Received: 24 September 2019;  Published: 24 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/jept.1904006

Background: In the present study, vapor-pressures of three geothermal fluids from Baden-Baden geothermal field (Kirchenstollen, Friedrichstollen, and Murquelle, southeastern region of Germany) were measured over the temperature range of 274-413 K. The combined expanded uncertainty of the temperature and vapor-pressure measurements at 95% confidence level with a coverage factor of k = 2 were estimated to be 0.01 K and 1-3 Pa at low and 10-30 Pa at high temperatures, respectively. The measured values of vapor-pressur [...]

by Mariana P. Koss  and Luiz E. M. Lima

Received: 14 February 2022;  Published: 24 May 2022;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2202019

In gas-liquid flows, droplets that detach from the liquid film lining the internal walls of a pipe and merge with the gas flowing through the pipe follow an annular flow pattern. This work analyzes correlations for estimating the entrainment fraction of such droplets contained in the literature by comparing their predictions with experimental data also from the literature. The results of this comparative study demonstrate that the analyzed correlations do not accurately reproduce experimental conditions. This is du [...]

by Ashley Schnackenberg  , Géraldine Bidar  , Valérie Bert  , Patrice Cannavo  , Sébastien Détriché  , Francis Douay  , René Guenon  , Liliane Jean-Soro  , Alice Kohli  , Thierry Lebeau  , Karen Perronnet  , Laure Vidal-Beaudet  , Christophe Waterlot  and Aurélie Pelfrêne

Received: 11 November 2021;  Published: 08 February 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2201004

Moderately contaminated garden soils can benefit from gentle remediation options such as soil amendments, which improve soil functions and agronomic potentialities while decreasing environmental and human risk. This study aimed to analyze the effects of doses of various common soil amendments generally applied by gardeners on the predicted bioavailability (i.e., extractability) of metal(loid)s (i.e., As, Cd, Pb, and Zn) in contaminated kitchen garden soils. Fourteen different amendment mixes (i.e., a green waste co [...]

by Mohammed Faruqi  , Zachary Scott Dean  , Francisco Aguiniga  and Breanna Bailey

Received: 15 November 2020;  Published: 15 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2101002

Prestressed concrete members have gained popularity as an efficient and effective way of designing a structural member with the best engineering and material properties. The method of prestressing a structural concrete member has the capability of controlling increased service loads with less depth over longer spans. However, deflections from over-loading or loading over time give a disadvantage to the common steel reinforced concrete members by the effect of corrosion as the structural concrete develop cracks. To [...]

by Ella L. Bracci  , Courtney R. Davis  and Karen J. Murphy

Received: 08 May 2024;  Published: 29 November 2024;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2404019

Malnutrition and frailty are preventable and reversible. However, a significant proportion of aged care residents live with malnutrition and frailty which have associated complications such as increased falls, hospitalizations, infections, and decreased quality of life. Nutrition and dietary interventions can prevent these issues, however, there a few interventions conducted in this setting and no consensus on the most utilized interventions to improve health outcomes. In a crude literature search, we identified 65 [...]

by Yoshitaro Shindo  and Mazhar A. Kanak

Received: 29 March 2018;  Published: 22 June 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1802013

Islet cell transplantation is a developing treatment for patients suffering from severe Type-1 diabetes. The long-term insulin independence after islet cell transplantation has been difficult to achieve, and this has been linked to several factors. One of the major cause of poor long-term outcome is inflammation surrounding the islets. Inflammation in islets is caused at several stages, donor induced, during organ preservation, islet isolation stress, peri-transplant inflammation or instant blood mediated inflammat [...]

by Marcus A. Henning  , Xuan Joanna Feng  , Yan Chen  , Fiona Moir  , Christian U. Krägeloh  , Jennifer Hobson  and Craig S. Webster

Received: 17 May 2021;  Published: 09 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2104033

This review examines the quality of the research exploring mindfulness within tai chi chuan and the way this integrative practice benefits health and learning for higher education students. A narrative review based on a systematic search was conducted. Ten English and three Chinese databases were utilised to appraise the relevant literature. The initial search identified 874 potentially appropriate English articles and 265 Chinese articles. A final review of 52 Chinese and 8 English articles was conducted. We used [...]

by Horst J. Koch

Received: 06 August 2019;  Published: 04 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1904091

The prevalence of Late-life Depression (LLD) has been estimated between 10% and 15%. Therefore, it is a considerable worldwide problem. The psychopathology is not substantially different from that of depressive episodes in young adults but somatic complaints in combination with end-of-life perspective leave an imprint on emotional experience. The frequent suicidal tendency, especially in old unmated men, remains a particular challenge. It is important to combine psychiatric and somatic diagnostics using modern meth [...]

by Chenggong Han  , Hancong Tang  , Shuyuan Lou  , Yuan Gao  , Min Ho Cho  and Shili Lin

Received: 23 May 2018;  Published: 14 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804041

Whole genome profiling of differential DNA methylation between diseased and normal samples has significant implications in research to understand the role of epigenetic regulations of cells. In recent years, the development of bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq)-based molecular technology has enabled the measurement of DNA methylation at a nucleotide resolution throughout the genome. Given the availability of this new type of DNA methylation data, certain features challenge traditional analytical methods such as the Fish [...]

by Chaonan Zhang  , Robert Fuller  and Iyad Hijazi

Received: 10 November 2020;  Published: 25 January 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2101006

The Pd-H system has attracted extensive attention. Pd can absorb considerable amount of H at room temperature, this ability is reversible, so it is suitable for multiple energy applications. Pd-Ag alloys possess higher H permeability, solubility and narrower miscibility gap with better mechanical properties than pure Pd, but sulfur poisoning remains an issue. Pd-Cu alloys have excellent resistance to sulfur and carbon monoxide poisoning and hydrogen embrittlement, good mechanical properties, and broader temperature [...]

by Mouhamad Rachini  , Mira Jaafar  , Fatima Al Ali  , Zahraa Slaiman  , Mohamad Kassem  , Eugene Bychkov  , T. Jean Daou  , Joumana Toufaily  and Tayssir Hamieh

Received: 29 January 2022;  Published: 21 April 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2202011

The use of Pd-Cu bimetallic catalysts in the reduction of aqueous nitrate ions by hydrogen was studied. The catalysts were supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), activated carbon (AC), and Titania, and the influence of the support on the nitrate reduction activity in water was then investigated. The catalysts were characterized before and after use by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and Laser Granulometry. It was found that the surface characteristics of the support have an influence on the catalyst activity, w [...]

by Myia S. Williams  , Keyla Ordonez  , D’Arcy King  , Jeffrey Solomon  , Suzanne Ardito  , Jennifer Polo  , Sindee Weiss  and Negin Hajizadeh

Received: 21 April 2024;  Published: 18 October 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2404060

We explored the feasibility of a virtual-reality delivered mindfulness training intervention on burnout symptoms among corporate employees and clinicians in the Intensive Care Unit and Palliative Care Unit (PCU). To develop the VR mindfulness intervention we leveraged the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior model (COM-B) as a guide for the design and implementation of the VR mindfulness training intervention. Using a pre-posttest within subjects design we assessed burnout syndrome, job stress and work-rel [...]

by Brandon M Menachem  , Sandrine Hanna  , Deepika Kulkarni  and Hakim Azfar Ali

Received: 08 June 2023;  Published: 21 November 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2304202

Treatment options for end stage lung diseases are limited to stabilizing lung failure, decreasing disease progression, and symptom management, but significant reversal of lost lung function is often not possible. For well selected patients, lung transplantation may be a viable option to improve both longevity and quality of life. Though outcomes for lung transplant recipients have improved over several decades, long term survival still lags behind that of other solid organ transplant recipients. Longevity after lun [...]

by Joseph V. Pergolizzi  , Robert Taylor  , Robert B. Raffa  and Jo Anne LeQuang

Received: 27 July 2018;  Published: 28 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1804038

Background: The leaves of Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), a tropical tree that is indigenous to Southeast Asia, have been used traditionally to increase stamina, as a digestive aid, and as an analgesic. Kratom use is now increasingly popular in the rest of the world because of easy availability through the Internet and real, or perceived, views of efficacy and safety. Methods: PubMed and MedLine searches were conducted of published articles available in English. Results: Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are the pr [...]

by Katarzyna Grubel  , Ji Su  , Jotheeswari Kothandaraman  , Kriston Brooks  , Gabor A. Somorjai  and Tom Autrey

Received: 01 September 2020;  Published: 23 November 2020;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2004016

In this perspective on hydrogen carriers, we focus on the needs for the development of robust active catalysts for the release of H2 from aqueous formate solutions, which are non-flammable, non-toxic, thermally stable, and readily available at large scales at reasonable cost. Formate salts can be stockpiled in the solid state or dissolved in water for long term storage and transport using existing infrastructure. Furthermore, formate salts are readily regenerated at moderate pressures using the same catalyst as for [...]

by Moira A. Law  , Pamela Pastirik  and Isdore Chola Shamputa

Received: 31 August 2022;  Published: 28 January 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2301009

The experience of loss due to death, illness, and social mitigation was inevitable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health services are chronically difficult to access in Canada, and this barrier is further exacerbated when trying to access certified art therapists to deliver expressive arts therapy. This pilot project attempted to provide an alternative to this service through an interprofessional alliance with a professional artist and certified counselors. A small group (n = 6) of vulnerable youth who had su [...]

by Ian Seels  and Rowena J. Field

Received: 16 May 2024;  Published: 27 September 2024;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2403015

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a multifaceted problem, with many contributors. The assessment of these contributions by clinicians has evolved to include not only the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, but also psychosocial contributions. Nutrition, however, has not been considered as a potential contributor in the same way, despite a significant body of evidence showing that amending one’s diet may significantly reduce pain and inflammation. Historically, when the biomedical model was considered the gold standard [...]

by Linda Li-Dan Zhong  , Yi-Ping Wong  , Bo Peng  , Zhi-Xiu Lin  , Vivian Chi-Woon Wong Taam  , Yi Luo  , Hai-Yong Chen  , Chao-Dong Chao  , Chor-Fung Wong  , Freddie Shung-Chi Tam  , Kui Chan  , Kwan-Yiu Lee  , Lai-Fun Ho  , Alan Yat-Lun Wong  , Chi-Fung Choy  , Bacon Fung-Leung Ng  , Rowena How-Wan Wong  , Yi-Bin Feng  , Ching Liong  , Zhao-Xiang Bian  and COVID-19 CM Research Working Group

Received: 24 May 2021;  Published: 13 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2103022

The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted for more than 16 months, and there have been over 169 million confirmed cases worldwide. Besides, after treatment with Western medicine or undergoing home quarantine, COVID-19 patients are still severely or mildly functionally impaired. Though COVID-19 patients were discharged from the hospital, most of them still exhibit certain clinical symptoms such as fatigue, poor appetite, shortness of breath, and poor sleep. The syndromes, linked with the Chinese Medicine (CM) body constituti [...]

by Chris Fraser  , Paul Dargusch  and Genia Hill

Received: 10 January 2022;  Published: 16 June 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2202026

The first step in managing an entity's carbon emissions involves measurement as 'what gets measured gets managed' and measurement lies at the heart of carbon management. The study of carbon management is important to all stakeholders as it enables calculation of emissions that can help determine opportunities for emissions reductions to address climate change which can improve energy efficiency and brand reputation. Alphabet is an interesting company to study given its main commercial activities relate to the devel [...]

by Kristin Shrader-Frechette

Received: 09 February 2022;  Published: 17 August 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2203031

Many multinational retail companies are exposed to financial risk related to climate change. Carbon management is important in keeping global temperature increases below 1.5°C to prevent the exacerbated impacts of climate change. Auchan Retail in Auchan Holding provides a good example of carbon management in the retail sector. Auchan Retail's major emissions are the indirect emissions throughout their value chain (scope 3 emissions). The total estimated emission of scopes 1, 2 and 3 are 37,822,573.9 t CO2e. [...]

by Syuma Ichida  , Daisuke Mori  , Sou Taminato  , Tao Zhang  , Yasuo Takeda  , Osamu Yamamoto  and Nobuyuki Imanishi

Received: 17 February 2022;  Published: 15 March 2022;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2201009

Acidic aqueous lithium-air batteries are attractive candidates for use as energy sources in electric vehicles because of their high energy and power densities and ability to operate under ambient conditions. An aqueous lithium-air battery with an acetic acid catholyte has a high theoretical energy density of 1,478 Wh kg-1, and the reaction product is soluble in the catholyte. In this study, we have studied the cell performance of a Li/interlayer electrolyte/NASICON-type solid lithium-ion conductor/acetic acid catho [...]

by Allison Ast  , Margaret Meyer  , R. Elyse Heidelberg  , Jennifer M. Allen  , Amy Ly  and Holly Spraker-Perlman

Received: 02 December 2020;  Published: 08 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101005

Children with cancer can experience intense suffering. Currently, despite our best efforts, symptoms associated with both cancer and its treatment result in physical, psychological, and emotional discomfort that can be difficult to manage with traditional Western medicine alone. Developing integrative services within a pediatric hematology-oncology program may help improve cancer-related symptoms by combining different modalities targeting overall health with traditional oncology care. This study details the initia [...]

by Salem Dehom  , Synnove Knutsen  , David Shavlik  , Khaled Bahjri  , Hatem Ali  , Lance Pompe  and Rhonda Spencer-Hwang

Received: 11 August 2019;  Published: 17 December 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.1904095

Background: Substantial evidence has established links between air pollution and increased risks of overall morbidity and mortality, especially for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. However, little research has explored these relationships among highly sensitive populations, such as renal transplant recipients. Despite the improvement in quality of life after renal transplantation, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are major causes of graft loss and mortality. The present study was designed to assess the associa [...]

by Katia Belvedere  , Elio Rossi  , Mariella Di Stefano  and Sonia Baccetti

Received: 22 February 2019;  Published: 10 April 2019;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.1902022

Complementary Medicine (CM) is being increasingly used by European citizens in order to increase their overall state of health and well-being, as well as to treat various illnesses and diseases. The interest for these therapies has progressively risen also in Italy and in Tuscany as well. In response to the increasing demand in the past few years by the Tuscan citizens, the region of Tuscany has started their integration in the healthcare service. Since 1996, the Tuscan Regional Healthcare Plans (RHPs) have been co [...]

by Shingo Nakamura  , Naoko Ando  , Masayuki Ishihara  and Masahiro Sato

Received: 09 August 2020;  Published: 16 November 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.2004119

The liver is a major organ with a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and bile production. Liver dysfunction causes liver diseases such as hepatic cirrhosis and hepatitis. To explore the pathogenesis of these liver diseases, and the therapeutic agents against them, mice have been widely used as animal models. Genetic manipulation is easy in mice via the administration of nucleic acids (NAs) in the tail-vein. In particular, hydrodynamics-based gene delivery (HGD) is a method based o [...]

by Minghan Bao  , Nagi Abdussamie  and Faisal AlThobiani

Received: 03 December 2022;  Published: 09 February 2023;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2301008

Analysing the structural response of offshore wind turbines (OWTs) requires a robust method to estimate environmental loadings associated with extreme weather conditions. This study aimed to accurately predict wind loadings on a non-rotating OWT using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code, Ansys Fluent package. The inlet velocity boundary condition was defined as a uniform inlet wind speed and then as a Normal Wind Profile (NWP). Three large wind speeds of 25 m/s, 40 m/s and 50 m/s were tested with the aid of t [...]

by Jai Jai Shiva Shankar  , Adil Bata  and Namita Sinha

Received: 07 August 2018;  Published: 25 October 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1804013

(1) Background: Current imaging standard for detecting and assessing glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) progression depends on contrast-enhancement on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Isolated foci of diffusion restriction have been observed to precede enhancement in GBM. The aim of our study was to investigate the frequency of isolated diffusion restriction that precede corresponding enhancement and to investigate the association between isolated diffusion restriction and survival in patients with GBM. (2) Metho [...]

by Otar Tsagareishvili  , Archil Mikeladze  , Roin Chedia  , Tamaz Batsikadze  and Levan Chkhartishvili

Received: 21 March 2024;  Published: 26 August 2024;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2403021

Tungsten carbide WC-based materials characterized by high hardness and wear resistance have long been widely used in manufacturing cutting and mining tools. They are alloyed or modified with different ceramic phases to improve operational characteristics further. There are obtained the hard tungsten carbide–cobalt WC–Co and tungsten carbide–titanium carbide–cobalt WC–TiC–Co metal-ceramic alloys ultradispersed powders modified with quasieutectic ceramic alloy B4C–30wt.%TiB2 [...]

by Ameya Patil  , William E Sweeney  and Ellis D. Avner

Received: 07 August 2018;  Published: 23 December 2018;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1804056

Renal cysts are present in a wide variety of hereditary renal diseases in children. The term polycystic kidney disease (PKD) refers to two specific hereditary diseases, distinguished by the usual age of onset and genetic cause: autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease/congenital hepatic fibrosis (ARPKD/CHF, MIM *606702) and autosomal dominant polycystic disease (ADPKD-OMIM *601313 and OMIM *173910). ARPKD/CHF is characterized by cystic dilations of the renal collecting ducts and developmental defects of biliar [...]

by Mieczysław Szyszkowicz

Received: 14 April 2021;  Published: 10 June 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2102014

Each country has its own characteristics of COVID-19 infection trajectory and epidemic waves. Differences in government-implemented restrictions and social regulations result in variability of the virus transmissions and spread dynamics. This in turn results in various shapes of the growth function used to represent and describe the propagation of infection. Statistical methods are applied to fit non-linear functions to represent daily time-series data of the cumulative numbers of COVID-19 cases. The aim of this wo [...]

by Jitu Mani Das  , Isha Behere  , Jnanendra Upadhyay  , Rajiv Borah  and Ganesh Ingavle

Received: 14 October 2022;  Published: 20 January 2025;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2501265

Regenerating injured nerves is difficult because they have little spontaneous regeneration potential. Advances in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have emphasized the possibility of biomaterial-based methods for nerve healing. Natural protein-based biomaterials have benefits over synthetic ones, such as biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, and biodegradability. Silk fibroin, generated from mulberry and non-mulberry silkworms, is especially promising because of its abundance, simplicity of processing in [...]

by Yue Qiu  , Yinqian Kang  , Hao Liu  and Ibtesam Hilmi

Received: 12 May 2024;  Published: 30 August 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2403224

Machine perfusion (MP) techniques, which simulate physiological conditions to allow for the assessment and preservation of organ viability, are currently applied in various solid organ transplantation fields. Owing to the growing demand for liver transplants and the scarcity of available donor livers, MP offers a practical solution for recovering high-risk grafts and increasing the number of potentially usable donor organs. Furthermore, testing and administering novel therapies to allografts may also become advanta [...]

by Chris R. Lavers  , Travis Mason  , Jonathan Mazower  and Sarah Grig

Received: 29 October 2020;  Published: 09 July 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2103018

High-resolution satellite imagery permits acquisition of critical data to observe climate-change and environmental impact on conflict-impacted indigenous communities with co-existing socio-economic factors, often within unstable regimes. Conflict may prevent direct access in remote regions to validate civilian conflict actor evidence. In such cases use of remote sensing tools, techniques, and data are extremely important. Software-based imagery assessment can quantify radiometrically calibrated or Normalized Differ [...]

by June An  and Young Nam Chun

Received: 30 October 2021;  Published: 01 December 2021;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2104031

Renewable energies such as solar or wind energy are highly unreliable, owing to uncertain energy intensity and discontinuity. This shortcoming could be overcome by converting renewable energies to a form such as chemical fuel storage. In the present study, we created an energy conversion system that uses microwave heating and a carbon receptor to transform CO2, a greenhouse gas, into CO chemical fuel. The parametric investigation found that increasing the gasification temperature and feed gas temperature decreased [...]

by Subhomita Ghosh Roy

Received: 09 November 2022;  Published: 16 December 2022;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2204052

With the increasing human population, the protection of water resources is becoming a critical issue. Wetlands are one of the most important water resources, helping assimilate pollutants. Hence, the ecosystem integrity of wetlands is important. Plant bioindicators with phytoremediation (physiologically removing pollutants from the ecosystem by plants) capacity can be very helpful in this regard. Based on the current literature, this study specifically aims to overview plant bioindicators with phytoremediation abil [...]

by Igor Val Danilov

Received: 08 September 2024;  Published: 29 November 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.2404260

This narrative review of the literature on noninvasive brain stimulation techniques observes four neurostimulation domains: light therapy, photobiomodulation, a group of techniques within transcranial electric current and magnetic field stimulations, low-frequency sound stimulations, including vibroacoustic therapy, and rhythmic auditory stimulation. The review aims to determine whether or not different brain stimulation approaches rely upon a similar physicochemical sequence of actions. The study identifies releva [...]

by Yassamine Bentata

Received: 24 January 2024;  Published: 25 July 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.transplant.2403221

Completely unknown before the 90s and exceptional up to the 2000s, BK virus nephropathy (BKvN), usually known as polyomavirus-associated nephropathy, has emerged as a significant and severe viral complication in kidney transplantation (KT). More than twenty years after Gardner's discovery of BKv in 1971, Purighalla described, in 1995, the first case of BKvN. Four years later in 1999, Nickeleit et al. published a first series of five cases of BKvN and made very precious and pertinent contributions to understanding t [...]

by Stephanie Bryan  and Maryellen Hamilton

Received: 20 October 2023;  Published: 10 January 2024;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2401008

This paper provides an overview of gratitude as a concept and as a mind-body-spirit practice, impacting health and human functioning throughout the lifespan, that can be integrated into daily life to great benefit at no cost. Current society is rife with increases in stress, anxiety, depression, lifestyle-related diseases, and social isolation. The practice of gratitude and its interrelated pro-social, health-enhancing, resilience-building effects suggest that promoting gratitude from childhood through adulthood ma [...]

by Myrto Poulou  and Maria Tzetis

Received: 31 July 2017;  Published: 01 November 2017;  doi: 10.21926/obm.genet.1704010

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is one of the commonest autosomal recessive genetic diseases that show a high carrier frequency amongst Caucasian populations. Although there has been tremendous progress in the available therapies, compared to the past, the disease is still associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Because of the severe clinical manifestations and the shortened life expectancy of patients, population based carrier screening, to identify heterozygous carrier couples at risk of having affected childre [...]

by Pal S. Mangat  , Shahriar Abubakri  , Konstantinos Grigoriadis  and Vincenzo Starinieri

Received: 24 June 2021;  Published: 09 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104040

Microwave curing of repair patches provides an energy efficient technique for rapid concrete repair. It has serious economic potential due to time and energy saving especially for repairs in cold weather which can cause work stoppages. However, the high temperatures resulting from the combination of microwave exposure and accelerated hydration of cementitious repair materials need to be investigated to prevent potential durability problems in concrete patch repairs. This paper investigates the time and magnitude of [...]

by Dafné Silva  , Laís Nerys  , Carlos Silva  , Elizabeth Borba  , Tonny Leite  , Teresinha Silva  and Amanda Sena

Received: 27 May 2022;  Published: 25 August 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203024

Macambira plant (Bromelia laciniosa Mart. Ex Shult. & Schult. f.) is a species belonging to the family Bromeliaceae, which is distributed widely in the hinterlands of northeastern Brazil, from Bahia to Piauí states. The plants of this species contain an enzyme complex named bromelain, which has great potential for therapeutic applications. In the present study, bromelain derived from Bromelia laciniosa leaves was assessed for its thermodynamic properties and in vitro cytotoxic and healing activities. Bro [...]

by Ganisetti Vijay Kumar  , Min-Ze Lu  and Chang-Ming Liaw

Received: 19 December 2020;  Published: 31 May 2021;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2102023

This paper presents the development of a high-performance electric vehicle (EV) synchronous reluctance motor (SynRM) drive and its vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and vehicle-to-microgrid (V2M) bidirectional operations. The EV motor drive boostable DC-link voltage is established by a battery through a bilateral interface boost-buck DC-DC converter for good driving performance over a wide speed range. The motor efficiency is 92.3% near the rated load. In idle conditions, the embedded interface converter and inverter of the mo [...]

by Lucille Marchand  , Donna Lewin  and Leila Kozak

Received: 02 October 2020;  Published: 22 February 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.icm.2101007

Both palliative care (PC) and integrative medicine (IM) focus on the whole person to optimize wellbeing. Integrative palliative care combines the best of both approaches in relieving the distressing symptoms of serious illness and its treatment by combining evidence informed, pharmacological and nonpharmacological modalities that are aligned with the person’s goals, values and preferences. Healing is valued, as well as symptom relief, shared decisionmaking, person empowerment, compassionate care, and nurturing of h [...]

by Haruka Sawamura  , Kurumi Taniguchi  , Yuka Ikeda  , Ai Tsuji  , Yasuko Kitagishi  and Satoru Matsuda

Received: 16 November 2021;  Published: 08 March 2022;  doi: 10.21926/rpn.2201007

Immune checkpoints have been aggressively investigated for anti-cancer immunotherapy. The power of microbiota on the outcome of this immunotherapy has attracted much attention. For example, intestinal microorganisms play a key role in the effectiveness of programmed cell death 1 (PD1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA4) blockade. Additionally, short-chain fatty acids produced in the gut may modulate anti-CTLA4 and anti-PD1 stimulated immune responses and their anti-tumor efficacy. Enhancing the [...]

by Pawan Kumar Gautam  and Anoop Kumar Singh

Received: 11 July 2022;  Published: 30 January 2023;  doi: 10.21926/aeer.2301014

Tectonic geomorphology has been evidenced as an essential tool to define and measure recent tectonic deformation. The Nandakini River originates from Nanda Ghunti glacier at 6886 m in Lesser Himalaya. It covers about ~551 km2 basin area, with a fourth-order stream. It confluences with the Alaknanda River near Nand Prayag (at elevation 852 m), Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The drainage pattern is predominantly dendritic in the study area. The morphotectonic indices are measured to know the tectonic activity of th [...]

by Elisabeth M. Sebesta  and Roger R. Dmochowski

Received: 17 May 2023;  Published: 05 October 2023;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2304251

The evaluation and treatment of mixed urinary incontinence receives relatively little attention as compared to other forms of incontinence. Mixed incontinence, however, defined as the combination of stress and urgency incontinence, accounts for the largest proportion of incontinence, with an increased incidence in older women. The condition can be very challenging to manage due to the coexistence of multiple pathologies. Treating either component can worsen the other, which means careful discussion of the risks and [...]

by Anilkumar Mettu  , Ninad Loke  , Vilas Patil  , Rahul Panday  and Sreenivasarao Gajula

Received: 10 January 2022;  Published: 19 July 2022;  doi: 10.21926/cr.2203021

In this study, we present selective hydrocracking of poly (di and tri) aromatic compounds to monoaromatics, such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX), over a mixture of Pt/Al2O3 and Y zeolites. The polyaromatic compounds feed is a combined simulated model feed, which is similar to light cycle oil (LCO) in composition. The feed is processed in a fixed bed reactor over a catalyst mixture: in the first step, selective hydrogenation of di and tri-aromatic compounds occurs in the presence of Pt/Al2O3 catalyst, followe [...]

by Yash Aryan  and Anil Kumar Dikshit

Received: 26 July 2022;  Published: 09 November 2022;  doi: 10.21926/jept.2204035

Electric vehicles are becoming popular among consumers while BS-VI norms have been introduced and mandated for conventional vehicles in India. In the present study, the environmental impacts from the use phase of electric two-wheeler (EV) and gasoline two-wheeler (GV) have been evaluated and compared using the life cycle assessment (LCA) perspective. The functional unit adopted was 1000 km driven by one vehicle under Indian road and traffic conditions. CML 2001 and ReCiPe 2016 methods were used for the assessment u [...]