Supplements purchase intention: young consumer's perspective

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intention towards dietary supplements (DS) in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe supplement industry in Malaysia has been growing rapidly recently due to a paradigm shift in healthcare management, from curative to prevention. Thus, it has sparked interest to conduct a study on the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intentions towards DS. With a response rate of 74.5%, a survey questionnaire was used to elicit data from 149 Gen-Y respondents who consume supplements on a regular basis.FindingsThe results revealed that the influencing factors towards purchase decisions among these Gen-Y respondents aged between 17 and 25 are based on product knowledge and product quality. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are outlined at the end of this paper.Originality/valueThis study offers empirical insights from the perspective of an emerging digital economy on the factors that influence young consumers' purchase intentions towards DS in Malaysia.

Association of vitamin D status and COVID-19 infection

The COVID-19 outbreak marks a global public health crisis. Therefore, consideration is given to preventative measures that could contribute to reducing the risk of infection and positively influence the course of the disease. Attention is currently being paid to the use of nutraceuticals, mainly vitamin D, minerals and beta glucans. In this study, we monitor the relationship of vitamin D levels in immunodeficient patients to the risk of developing COVID-19. In a set of 71 patients, we find gradation of disease onset and progression in patients with values less than 30 ng/mL. In individuals with vitamin D levels above 40 ng/mL, we find a high level of protection, and a beneficial course of clinical manifestation stemming from the application of minerals and beta glucans. © 2023, Czech Medical Association J.E. Purkyne. All rights reserved.

Performance and Early Results from the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) Imaging Spectroscopy Mission

The Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) acquires new observations of the Earth from a state-of-the-art, optically fast F/1.8 visible to short wavelength infrared imaging spectrometer with high signal-to-noise ratio and excellent spectroscopic uniformity. EMIT was launched to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 14, 2022 local time. The EMIT instrument is the latest in a series of more than 30 imaging spectrometers and testbeds developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, beginning with the Airborne Imaging Spectrometer that first flew in 1982. EMIT's science objectives use the spectral signatures of minerals observed across the Earth's arid and semi-arid lands containing dust sources to update the soil composition of advanced Earth System Models (ESMs) to better understand and reduce uncertainties in mineral dust aerosol radiative forcing at the local, regional, and global scale, now and in the future. EMIT has begun to collect and deliver high-quality mineral composition determinations for the arid land regions of our planet. Over 1 billion high-quality mineral determinations are expected over the course of the one-year nominal science mission. Currently, detailed knowledge of the composition of the Earth's mineral dust source regions is uncertain and traced to less than 5,000 surface sample mineralogical analyses. The development of the EMIT imaging spectrometer instrumentation was completed successfully, despite the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EMIT Science Data System is complete and running with the full set of algorithms required. These tested algorithms are open source and will be made available to the broader community. These include calibration to measured radiance, atmospheric correction to surface reflectance, mineral composition determination, aggregation to ESM resolution, and ESM runs to address the science objectives. In this paper, the instrument characteristics, ground calibration, in-orbit performance, and early science results are reported. © 2023 IEEE.

Antioxidant and Immune-Related Implications of Minerals in COVID-19: A Possibility for Disease Prevention and Management.

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic appeared, both governments and the scientific community have focused their efforts on the search for prophylactic and therapeutic alternatives in order to reduce its effects. Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been approved and administered, playing a key role in the overcoming of this situation. However, they have not reached the whole world population, and several doses will be needed in the future in order to successfully protect individuals. The disease is still here, so other strategies should be explored with the aim of supporting the immune system before and during the infection. An adequate diet is certainly associated with an optimal inflammatory and oxidative stress status, as poor levels of different nutrients could be related to altered immune responses and, consequently, an augmented susceptibility to infections and severe outcomes derived from them. Minerals exert a wide range of immune-modulatory, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities, which may be useful for fighting this illness. Although they cannot be considered as a definitive therapeutic solution, the available evidence to date, obtained from studies on similar respiratory diseases, might reflect the rationality of deeper investigations of the use of minerals during this pandemic.

Study on Evaluation of Critical Minerals for the Development of Korea's Materials-parts Industry

Through COVID-19, the importance of supply chain management of raw material minerals has been maximized. In particular, supply chain management is important for rare metals, which are difficult to manage demand and supply, in order to secure raw materials for the parts and materials industry that Korea is actively promoting. In this study, a system was established and evaluated to select Critical minerals that need to respond to Korea's industrial structure and global risks by quantifying tangible and intangible risk factors. Global Supply Concentration, Supplying country risk, Policy Social Environment Regulation, Domestic Import Instability, Risk responsiveness, Market Scale, Demand Fluctuation and Economic Importance were evaluated as evaluation indicators. The degree of risk and risk impact were quantitatively measured using the criticality matrix-criticality level. After evaluating 40 types of minerals used in domestic new growth businesses, 15 types of Critical minerals(Li, Pt, Co, V, REE, Mg, Mo, Cr, Ti, W, C, Ni, Al, Mn, Si) in Korea were selected. The results are expected to be used to establish policies to strengthen resource security and to make decisions to form a company's raw material portfolio.

Vitamins and minerals, education, and self-care need during preconception to 1000 days of life in Southeast Asia: An expert panel opinion.

Addressing maternal malnutrition and its drivers is paramount in Southeast Asia. This article summarizes the key clinical learnings and evidence-based opinions from the experts to understand the need for vitamins and minerals supplementation, education, and self-care from preconception to the first 1000 days of life, which warranted further attention since COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence describing the importance of vitamins and minerals during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation stages was identified using literature databases. A pre-meeting survey was conducted to determine the current practices and challenges in Southeast Asia. Based on the literature review and clinical experience, experts defined the topics, and an online meeting was held on 13th July 2021. During the meeting, nine experts from Southeast Asia provided evidence-based opinion on the vitamins and minerals supplementation, education, and self-care need during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation stages. The expert opinions underpin maternal malnutrition as a prevalent issue and discuss appropriate interventions and prevention strategies for women in Southeast Asia. The recent pandemic further impacted nutrition status, pregnancy, and neonatal health outcomes. The expert panel emphasized a need to improve existing inadequacies in education, self-care, and social support, and discussed the role of policymakers in addressing the barriers to dietary changes. As inadequacies in regular vitamins and minerals supplementation, education, and self-care for women of reproductive age implicate maternal and child health outcomes, there is an urgent need for addressing malnutrition concerns in this population. Thus, a strong partnership between policymakers, healthcare professionals, and other relevant sectors is required.

Effect of educational intervention on knowledge and attitude about the role of vitamins, minerals and nutraceuticals in COVID-19 and other disorders among medical and nursing undergraduates of a tertiary care teaching hospital.

PURPOSE: There must be a perfect balance between Food and Dietary supplements (DS) to ensure optimal well-being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a webinar on the change in knowledge and attitude about the role of vitamins, minerals and DS among medical and nursing undergraduates so that they could bring about a positive change in popular practices, as well-informed Health Care Professionals (HCPs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional analytical study comprising 12 knowledge and 11 attitude questions administered to medical and nursing undergraduates with the help of semi-structured and pre-validated google form both before and after a webinar explaining the role of key nutrients and also the evidence and recommendations surrounding DS. Data were analyzed using STATA.12 to assess the impact of the webinar. RESULTS: There were 415 participants, with 265 medical and 150 nursing students. There was a significant improvement both in the knowledge (4.95 (±1.45), 7.76 (±1.69) and attitude scores (pre-webinar mean score 31.8 (±5.57) post-webinar mean score 27.7 (±4.90))of the participants after the webinar. An overall positive correlation before the webinar changed to a more significant negative correlation, indicating a positive impact of the webinar (0.0054-0.0701). CONCLUSION: The study suggests that continuing education informing various HCPs and undergraduate students about the absolute necessity of a diet rich in nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics is the need of the hour. Additionally, the efficacy and safety concerns, appropriate indications and dosages of various DS should be adequately stressed so that informed decisions can be made. Such training programs might have a far-reaching impact on the nutrition choices of the population at large.

Efectos económicos de la complementariedad comercial en la negociación de un tratado de libre comercio entre México y Corea del Sur *

México y Corea del Sur han avanzado en sus vínculos comerciales desde que iniciaron relaciones diplomáticas en 1962. Actualmente, los gobiernos de ambas economías se encuentran discutiendo la posibilidad de negociar un acuerdo de libre comercio. El objetivo de esta investigación es evaluar los efectos potenciales de dicho acuerdo. Para ello, se utilizan índices de intensidad comercial, ventajas comparativas reveladas, complementariedad y similitud comercial. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los dos países han visto intensificar sus relaciones comerciales, lo que ha convertido a México en el principal socio comercial de Corea del Sur en América Latina, y ha dado lugar a una estructura comercial de complementariedad con ventajas para México en el comercio de combustibles minerales, lubricantes, maquinaria y equipo de transporte. También se obtuvo evidencia de la existencia de una asimetría en sus tarifas arancelarias que podría generar ventajas comerciales, sobre todo para México en el sector primario, en caso de lograr avanzar a la firma de un tratado de libre comercio.Alternate :Mexico and South Korea have progressed in their commercial affairs since they began diplomatic relations in 1962. Currently, the possibility of negotiating a free trade agreement between both economies is being raised. The objective of this research is to evaluate the potential effects of such a trade agreement for both countries. For this, indexes of commercial intensity, revealed comparative advantages, complementarity, and commercial similarity are used. The results show that these two countries have intensified their trade relations, turning Mexico into South Korea's main trading partner in Latin America and giving rise to a complementary trade structure with advantages for Mexico in the trade of mineral fuels, lubricants, machinery, and transport equipment. Also, an asymmetry was found in the tariff rates that could generate commercial advantages, especially for Mexico in the primary sector in case of the signing of a free trade agreement.

Micronutrients absorbed via the oral mucosa reduce irritability and anger but not stress in university students during COVID-19: A randomized placebo-controlled trial

Research has shown micronutrient capsules can reduce stress in clinical and nonclinical recipients. However, as individuals can struggle with taking capsules, the objective of this double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of treating stress and well-being using an alternative delivery methodology: a powder that is absorbed via the oral mucosa. Seventy-two mild-severely stressed students, assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), were randomized to placebo or micronutrients and took one powder pouch per day for 4 weeks. Seven (10%) dropped out with no group differences. Symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety, irritability, anger, sleep, diet, and side effects were measured with online questionnaires every 2 weeks. There were no group differences on the primary outcome measures of stress (DASS-21;d = 0.15, p = .525) and self-reported improvement (Modified Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale), with 17.1% of the micronutrient and 16.2% of the placebo group identifying themselves as "much" to "very much" improved. However, the micronutrient group experienced statistically significantly greater reduction in irritability (d = 0.54, p = .024) and anger (d = 0.62, p = .011) relative to placebo, measured with the Affective Reactivity Scale and the Abbreviated Profile of Mood States, respectively. No group differences were found on remaining measures, with both groups showing significant improvements. There were significantly more headaches and drowsiness reported in the micronutrient group. Belief in treatment assignment was significantly correlated to self-reported improvement (r = -0.247, p = .049). To conclude, the micronutrients were no better than placebo in reducing stress;nonetheless, the significant benefit on irritability requires further research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Development of nutritional biscuits for children, rich in Fe and Zn, by incorporation of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seeds powder, a healthy pharma food in current post COVID 19 period

During preparatory operations of pumpkin, for cooking and processing, usually peel and seeds are discarded as waste but pumpkin seeds are rich in macro and micro nutrients, a potential source of pharma foods. In present study biscuits were developed from pumpkin seeds powder, rich in Fe and Zn, for children to strengthen innate and adaptive immune system to combat current COVID 19 outbreak scenarios. Chemical analyses of pumpkin seeds powder, white flour and developed biscuits, with 0, 5, 10 and 15% replacement level of pumpkin seeds powder, were performed. Ash, fat, fiber, Fe and Zn contents were significantly higher in pumpkin seeds powder as compared to white flour. By increasing the replacement level of pumpkin seeds powder with white flour, a significant increase in ash, fat, fiber, Fe and Zn, in biscuits was observed. In control (T0) the contents were, ash (0.57%), fat (30.36%), fiber (0.37%), Fe (2.44 mg/100 g) and Zn (1.45 mg/100 g) but when supplementation level was increased to 15% (T3) these contents were increased as, ash (1.65%), fat (32.46%), fiber (1.24%), Fe (4.23 mg/100 g) and Zn (4.37 mg/100 g). In current post COVID 19 scenario adequate supply of healthy diet, balanced with pharma foods could play a basic role in boosting immune system of the children. Concerns of the food processors has raised the choice of new food products enriched with immunity booster nutrients. These nutritious biscuits can be developed, marketed and consumed at mass levels to provide the basic nutrients to the developing communities.

Teaching Geology in Higher Education Institutions under COVID-19 Conditions

Teaching geology under COVID-19 pandemic conditions led to teaching limitations for educators and learning difficulties for students. The lockdown obstructed face-to-face teaching, laboratory work, and fieldtrips. To minimize the impact of this situation, new distance learning teaching methods and tools were developed. The current study presents the results of an empirical study, where distance learning teaching tools were constructed and used to teach geology to university students. A mineralogical mobile phone application was used to replace laboratory mineral identification and a flow chart to replace laboratory rock identification. Additionally, exercises on faults and maps were developed to fill the gap that was created as field work was impossible. A university course on geology was designed on the basis of the constructed distance learning teaching tools, and more than 100 students from the Department of Civil Engineering attended the course. The results show that the proposed tools helped the students to considerably understand scientific information on geology and supported the learning outcomes. Thus, it is suggested that the teaching tools, constructed for the purposes of the study, could be used in conditions when distance learning is required, or even under typical learning conditions after laboratories, as well as before or after fieldtrips, for better learning outcomes.

Natural Ingredients to Improve Immunity.

The immune system protects the body from infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Once encountered with pathogens or antigens, the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system trigger a strong immune response to eliminate them from the system and protect the body. Thus, well-balanced immunity is pivotal for maintaining human health, as an insufficient level of immune defense leads to infections and tumors. In contrast, the excessive functioning of the immune system causes the development of autoimmune diseases and allergies. Strong immunity requires adequate nutrition, dietary interventions, and sufficient intake of certain vitamins (vitamin C, vitamin D, and folic acid) and minerals (magnesium, zinc, and selenium). Therefore, nutritional and micronutrient deficiencies lead to compromised immunity. Several natural ingredients have shown potent immunomodulatory properties. The immune-enhancing properties of many plants and fungi are due to containing bioactive phytoconstituents such as polyphenols, terpenoids, ß-glucans, vitamins, etc. Probiotics and prebiotics can be used as innovative tools to reduce intestinal inflammation and downregulate hypersensitivity reactions. Plant sources of melatonin, a multifunctional molecule with proven anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, have been discovered relatively recently. The bioactive compounds augment the immune response by directly increasing the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. Many phytoconstituents prevent cell damage due to their powerful antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The present review attempts to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the immune-enhancing properties of some bioactive compounds from plants, fungi, animals, microorganisms, and other natural sources.

Collaborative Learning Supported by a Brownfield Remediation Case Study

Industrial activity of the past has created several contaminated brownfields, which, particularly in remote areas, are difficult to remedy from an economic point of view. In this project, a novel approach for in-situ removal of mineral hydrocarbons from soil was investigated. The underlying concept was to flush contaminated soil with emulsions of plant oil in water, to suck off the contaminant-laden emulsion from the ground water level and to separate oil and water using oil-binding non-wovens. The process development was carried out in a research project, where students from a university of applied sciences and from a technical college were involved. Based on the specific case of brownfield remediation, a collaborative learning experience for the students was created. Environmental protection and safeguarding is a topic of high interest to students, and there was a high motivation to obtain results. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, most collaboration was handled remotely via virtual teams. The chosen brownfield for this case study was a former petroleum refinery site in Lower Austria, were up to 40 g/kg of mineral hydrocarbons were found in the soil in the non-saturated zone. Mineral hydrocarbons show good solubility in plant oils. Emulsions of 5–10% of rapeseed oil in water were prepared and chosen, to have better wettability of the ground materials and lower viscosity. The goal was to develop a process that can extract 80–90% of mineral hydrocarbons in the soil, and which leaves only a minor fraction of the plant oil in the soil. When the trials, which were carried out in the lab and in the field, showed that the permeability of soil is very low, it was decided to develop a prototype for on-site soil washing. The soil of the chosen brownfield is partly made from gravel and sand, where an in-situ flushing process is possible. However, there is also clay, and that material hardly lets water or emulsion penetrate. For the on-site washing process, a laboratory-scale prototype was developed. It was built by the Linzer Technikum (LITEC) and tested with different soils at the university of applied sciences. The prototype could be built by LITEC, with an extraction vessel made of steel and a mixer. Trials were done to determine the degree of extraction of mineral oil and the fraction of plant oil that is not recaptured. 500 g of soil were mixed intensely with 500 g of solvent (water and emulsions). Table 1 presents the results for sand and clay. The process of washing out mineral hydrocarbon contamination from soil was found to show a good potential. The ground material should be sieved to remove coarse material (>10 mm), and the finer fraction can be subjected to the washing of plant oil in water, where the plant oil fraction can be between 5 and 50%, depending on degree of contamination. To reduce the amount of non-recaptured plant oil, a second and third washing cycle with a lower oil fraction, or with pure water, can be applied. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Mutual Effects of Zinc Concentration and Ratio of Red-Blue Light on Growth and Nutritional Quality of Flowering Chinese Cabbage Sprouts

The nutritional quality and biomass of various sprouts can be enhanced by Zn and red-blue light, especially the Brassica sprouts. However, the combined effects of this two on sprouts are rarely reported. In this study, different Zn concentrations (0, 1.74, 3.48, 10.43 and 17.39 mM) were combined with two ratios of red-blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (R: B = 1:2, 1R2B;R: B = 2:1, 2R1B, at 70 μmol m−2 s−1 PPFD, 14 h/10 h, light/dark) to investigate their mutual effects on the growth, mineral elements, and nutritional quality in flowering Chinese cabbage sprouts (FCCS). Fresh weight, dry weight, contents of organic Zn, soluble sugar, vitamin C, total flavonoids, total polyphenol, FRAP (ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power) and DPPH (radical inhibition percentage of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) were significantly increased by Zn supplement (10.43 and 17.39 mM) and 2R1B, while hypocotyl length and moisture content were decreased remarkably by Zn supplement. Total glucosinolates contents in the sprouts increased dramatically under 2R1B compared with 1R2B, while photosynthetic pigments contents decreased. Heat map and principal component analysis showed that 2R1B + 17.39 mM Zn was the optimal treatment for the accumulation of biomass and health-promoting compound in FCCS, suggesting that a suitable combination of light quality and Zn supplement might be beneficial to zinc-biofortified FCCS production.

Evaluation and Current State of Primary and Secondary Zinc Production—A Review

This article presents the history of zinc, its production and demand. The quantity of zinc production, both primary zinc from ores and concentrates, and secondary zinc from scrap and zinc-rich waste, was discussed. A comprehensive economic analysis covers zinc prices in the years 1960–2021. The basic methods of obtaining zinc from ores, including pyrometallurgical (Imperial Smelting Process ISP, Kivcet, Ausmelt) and hydrometallurgical (roasting–leaching–electrowinning RLE, atmospheric direct leaching ADL, Engitec Zinc Extraction EZINEX, zinc pressure leach) and their short characteristics, are presented. The global zinc market and the main areas of its application were analyzed. Technologies used for the recovery of zinc from scrap are discussed along with their characteristics. Galvanized steel is the main source of secondary zinc, both in the galvanizing process and in the remelting of galvanized steel. It can be easily recycled with other scrap steel in the electric arc furnace (EAF) for steel production. Currently, with high volatility in the price of zinc, as well as its natural resources in the earth's crust, recycling is an important activity, despite the fact that zinc concentrates have a relatively constant chemical composition, while the resulting zinc waste contains zinc in varying amounts.

Investigation of anxiety among pharmacy students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Cyprus

Background: Anxiety is common among university students and previous research has highlighted the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and higher anxiety scores in the public. Objectives: In this regard, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety status of pharmacy students studying in Northern Cyprus and analyze the role of some parameters on the observed anxiety scores. Methods: Anxiety scores of 185 pharmacy students studying at two universities in Northern Cyprus were evaluated using Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) assessments. Additionally, the information of participants was recorded in terms of sociodemographic and educational characteristics, antidepressants and anxiolytic use, and consumption of vitamin-mineral supplements. The questionnaires were distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic from December 11, 2020, to January 4, 2021, online via the Microsoft TeamsR platform. It should be mentioned that responses were anonymous. Results: The mean BAI and GAD-7 scores of pharmacy students were 13.1+or-11.2 and 10+or-6.7, respectively. Based on the results, 6% of the students (n=11) revealed potentially concerning levels of anxiety in their BAI responses. Moreover, 31.9% of the pharmacy students (n=59) demonstrated severe anxiety scores on the GAD-7. Positive COVID-19 cases in the family led to statistically significant increases in anxiety on both instruments. Pharmacy students with five years of education (B. Pharm/M. Pharm) showed significantly higher anxiety scores on the BAI. Besides, age correlated negatively with anxiety scores on the GAD-7. Neither antidepressant and anxiolytic use nor vitamin/mineral supplement use were not related to the anxiety scores of participants. Conclusion: Results of this study demonstrated an alarming anxiety status among pharmacy students during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Diagnosis of a family member with COVID-19 was observed to be critical in triggering the anxiety of pharmacy students. Data from this study should raise awareness to take action plans for the mental well-being of pharmacy students during pandemics.

CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS' MISCONCEPTIONS ON PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY

Previous studies have shown that secondary school students may have misconceptions about geological scientific information. By the end of secondary education these misconceptions may remain unresolved. As a result, students enter university studies and still hold them. Students of engineering, as for example civil engineering, are no exception. The aim of this study was to investigate and analyse misconceptions of this specific target group. A closed questionnaire was designed and given to 102 University students who attended the 2nd semester course "Geology for Civil Engineers” in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Patras. The questionnaire was designed and validated according to previous research findings and implemented through google forms that were prepared and given electronically to the students to fill them online. The participants completed the questionnaire on the principles of geology electronically due to Covid-19 conditions. The results showed that in some questions most of the students answered correctly while in others there were many wrong answers, which revealed their misconceptions in geology. Many misconceptions were traced especially regarding mineral properties like color and luster. An important observation was that a notable number of students confused hardness with brittleness and as a result they expressed their belief that hard minerals are hard to break. Gender and age differences were tested using appropriate statistical tests. In cases that there was a significant difference between the genders, women were the ones with higher percentage of correct answers. The results may be seen in relation to educational practices. © 2022 International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference. All rights reserved.

Effect of mineral nanoparticles obtained from thermal spring water on COVID-19

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is presently a life-threatening condition, and despite of multiple attempts, no functional method has been introduced against this pandemic problem yet. In this study, for the first time, the possible antiviral aspects of mineral nanoparticles (MNPs) obtained from a natural source, thermal spring water, were evaluated. Methods: At first, MNPs obtained from the Gishki thermal spring, Kerman province, Iran, were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM). Then, the presence of mineral elements in MNPs was identified by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and MTT assay. Finally, 17 cases suspected of COVID-19 were randomly selected, and their nasal swab samples were exposed to two concentrations of MNPs (50 and 100 u/mL). Results: The results of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test manifested that MNPs had a destructive effect on 4 (33%) COVID-19 cases. Conclusion: Therefore, MNPs of thermal spring water may act as an obstacle against COVID-19. © 2023 The Author(s).

Patients' diets in Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals

The role of nutrition in the treatment of diseases is known, and it can be a contributing and hindering factor which can shorten or prolong the time of treatment. Studies on mental health have shown that the inclusion of certain nutrient in increased amounts in patients' diet can have a positive effect on the treatment of depression, anxiety etc. The COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of depression in general population, which means an increased number of patients in need of professional help. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the patients' diets in Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals, emphasizing the provision of certain nutrients which are essential for mental health. There were analyzed a one-week menu at three Latvian psycho-neurological hospitals. Provision of nutrients (minerals, vitamins, fatty acids) in patients' diets was calculated using Finish food composition database. Basic conditions for provision of patients' diet are determined by the regulation of the Cabinet of Ministers, indicating the daily variety of energy value, minimum and maximum amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The obtained results regarding patients' diets were processed using MS Excel and SPSS Statistics 22. The required amount of nutrients per day can be achieved with a variety of foods which in turn can significantly affect the concentration of minerals and vitamins and profile of fatty acids in the diet. In general, the provision of minerals and vitamins in hospitals' diets was close to the recommendations of a healthy person, but it was not sufficient for psycho-neurological hospital patients. It would be desirable to raise their concentration by increasing the amount of vegetables and fruits in the diet. Analysis of fatty acid profile in patients' diets showed significant differences depending on whether fish or meat products were included. It would be advisable to increase the concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. In general, the nutrition provision for patients of psycho-neurological hospitals could be assessed as sufficient, but several aspects need to be improved. Vitamin D intake should be significantly increased as it didn't reach the generally recommended dose. Fruit should be included and the amount of vegetables should be increased to provide a recommendation of at least 400 g per day, which in turn will increase the intake of vitamins and minerals.