Investigating the influence of molybdenum disulfide quantum dots coated with DSPE-PEG-TPP on molecular structures of liver lipids and proteins: An in vivo study.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) quantum dots (QDs) based therapeutic approaches hold great promise for biomedical applications, necessitating a thorough evaluation of their potential effects on biological systems. In this study, we systematically investigated the impact of MoS2 QDs coated with 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[amino(polyethyleneglycol)-2000](DPSE-PEG) linked with (3-carboxypropyl)triphenyl-phosphonium-bromide (TPP) on molecular structures of hepatic tissue lipids and proteins through a multifaceted analysis. The DSPE-PEG-TPP-MoS2 QDs were prepared and administered to the mice daily for 7 weeks. Liver tissues were subjected to a comprehensive examination using various techniques, including Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and liver function tests. FTIR revealed subtle changes in the lipid composition of liver tissues, indicating potential modifications in the cell membrane structure. Also, the (CH stretching and amides I and II regions) analysis unveiled tiny alterations in lipid chain length and fluidity without changes in the protein structures, suggesting a minor influence of DSPE-PEG-TPP-MoS2 QDs on the liver's cellular membrane and no effect on the protein structures. Further scrutiny using UV-vis spectroscopy demonstrated that DSPE-PEG-TPP-MoS2 QDs had no discernible impact on the absorbance intensities of aromatic amino acids and the Soret band. This observation implies that the treatment with SPE-PEG-TPP-MoS2 QDs did not induce significant alterations in helical conformation or the microenvironment surrounding prosthetic groups in liver tissues. The liver function tests, including ALP, ALT, AST, and BIL levels, revealed no statistically significant changes in these key biomarkers despite minor fluctuations in their values, indicating a lack of significant liver dysfunction. This study provides a detailed understanding of the effects of DSPE-PEG-TPP-MoS2 QDs on hepatic lipids and proteins, offering valuable insights into the biocompatibility and limited impact on the molecular and functional aspects of the liver tissue. These findings could be essential for the application of MoS2 QDs-based therapies.

Circadian Syndrome Is Associated with Dietary Patterns among Middle-Older Americans: The Health and Retirement Study.

Population aging is a global demographic characteristic of the 21st century, and healthy eating is a core component of healthy aging. However, limited evidence is available among older adults for associations between diet quality and circadian syndrome (CircS). Thus, this study examined associations between dietary patterns and CircS among a representative sample of middle-older adults in the US. The sample comprised middle-older adults enrolled in the 2016 core wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and one of its sub-studies, the 2013 Health Care and Nutrition Study (HCNS). A food frequency questionnaire was used to quantify habitual food intake and identify dietary patterns using a factor analysis. CircS was defined based on the existence of ≥4 components of metabolic syndrome and indicators of sleep disorders and depression. A total of 4253 middle-older adults with a mean age (SD) of 65.4 (10.0) years were included in the study. The prevalence of CircS was 35.9%. Comparing extreme quartiles of the "Prudent Pattern", the odds ratio (95% CI) for CircS was 0.72 (0.55-0.94), and it was 1.47 (1.10-1.95) for the "Western Pattern". The "Western Pattern" was positively associated while the "Prudent Pattern" was inversely associated with the odds of CircS among middle-older adults.

Ultra-processed foods consumption among a USA representative sample of middle-older adults: a cross-sectional analysis.

The study evaluated the association between ultra-processed foods (UPF) and nutrient intake and identified the socio-demographic characteristics associated with UPF consumption among a nationally representative sample of middle-older adults. Dietary assessment was collected in 2013 using a validated FFQ. The Nova system was used to classify food and drinks into UPF. The percentage of dietary energy from UPF was calculated and used throughout the analyses, and average nutrient intake across quintiles of UPF was evaluated. The determinants associated with the dietary caloric contribution of UPF intake were investigated using linear regression models. A cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative study of Americans over the age of 50, the Health and Retirement Study, was conducted. The analysis included 6220 participants. The mean age was 65 (se 0·28) years, with 55 % being female. UPF intake accounted for 51 % (se 0·25) of total intake. An increase in the percentage of (%UPF) consumption was correlated with an increase in calories, carbohydrates, saturated fat and sugar, and a decrease in fibre, vitamins and minerals. %UPF intake was inversely associated with being Hispanic, higher income, physical activity, vegetarian diet and Mediterranean diet but positively associated with very low food insecurity. UPF represented half of the calories consumed. A higher %UPF intake was associated with a lower nutrient profile, suggesting decreasing %UPF intake as a strategy to improve the nutritional quality of middle-older adults. A few socio-demographic factors were associated with %UPF, which would help in planning strategies to reduce UPF consumption.

Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Pregnant Women in Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia: An Exploratory Study.

INTRODUCTION: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) refers to any stage of glucose intolerance that begins or is first noticed during pregnancy. GDM has long been an issue in Saudi Arabia. When a pregnant woman who does not already have diabetes is unable to produce enough insulin, GDM develops. GDM patients not only run the danger of developing a number of health issues for themselves but also for the health of their developing fetus. The first step in GDM screening during pregnancy is raising awareness of the condition. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted to assess knowledge and attitudes with regard to GDM among pregnant women in Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia. The sample size was 539 females from obstetrics and gynaecology clinics in civil and military hospitals. Data collection was done using a valid questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 539 women were included in the study, spanning various age groups from under 20 to above 40 years, with pregnancy occurrences ranging from one to four times. Most participants exhibited strong understanding, with 410 (76.1%) demonstrating awareness of GDM, and 382 (70.9%) having a clear grasp of its definition. Additionally, a majority displayed positive attitudes toward managing GDM. CONCLUSION: The Saudi women who participated in this study showed good knowledge of GDM and its risk factors, as well as a good attitude regarding the management of GDM and lifestyle modification to reduce its complications. The participants gave adequately logical answers about the sources of information about GDM and about the barriers to effective GDM management. A highly significant association was noticed between knowledge and attitude regarding GDM among the participants (p = <0.001).

Outcome and Safety of Insulin in the Management of Smell Loss: A Systematic Review.

Background: Olfactory dysfunction can negatively impact the quality of life and increase the risk of danger from warning odors. Various factors can cause olfactory dysfunction, including COVID-19 infection, which has increased anosmia cases. No medications are approved; however, recent studies have suggested that intranasal insulin could effectively treat olfactory dysfunction. Aim: To comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of intranasal insulin in treating olfactory dysfunction. Materials and Methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, and CENTRAL databases were searched using specific keywords, and the outputs were screened using the Rayyan AI system. Original research articles published without time frame limitations that reported the relevant outcomes were included. The reviewers performed the screening and data extraction, and any disagreements were resolved by a third senior author. Results: This systematic review identified 66 references from 3 databases, with 45 articles meeting the criteria for review after duplicates were removed. Six articles met the inclusion criteria and were selected, including 177 subjects. The selected studies consisted of various study designs, including pilot studies, placebo-controlled trials, crossover studies, and randomized clinical trials. The findings showed that intranasal insulin therapy had beneficial effects on olfactory function. Specifically, improvements were observed in olfactory detection and discrimination in patients with post-COVID-19 anosmia, olfactory threshold performance in healthy participants, and odor identification in hyposmic patients. However, there were variations in the observed effects based on different doses of insulin administered and gender differences. It also shows that using insulin provides good outcomes. Using it intranasally was safe and did not cause any complications. Conclusion: Intranasal insulin has shown promising results as a potentially safe treatment for olfactory dysfunction. Studies suggest that it can improve olfactory thresholds. Further studies are needed to investigate optimal doses and potential gender differences in response.

Characterization of Bacillus thuringiensis isolated from soils in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia, and their efficacy against Spodoptera littoralis and Aedes aegypti larvae.

Pest control in Saudi Arabia depends on applying chemical insecticides, which have many undesirable considerations and impacts on the environment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to isolate Bacillus thuringiensis from different rhizosphere soil samples in the Jazan region for the biological control of Spodoptera littoralis and Aedes aegypti larvae. The samples were collected from the rhizosphere of different plants located in eight agricultural areas in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Out of 100 bacterial isolates, four bacterial isolates belonging to Bacillus species were selected namely JZ1, JZ2, JZ3, and JZ4, and identified using classical bacteriological and molecular identification using 16S rRNA. JZ1 and JZ2 isolates were identified as Bacillus thuringiensis. SDS-PAGE analysis and the detection of the Cry1 gene were used to describe the two isolates JZ1 and JZ2 in comparison to Bacillus thuringiensis reference strain Kurstaki HD1 (BTSK) were revealed that slightly different from each other due to the place of their isolation and namely Khlab JZ1 and Ayash JZ2. The EC50 of JZ1 and JZ2 isolates, BTSK, and the commercial biopesticide DiPEL 6.4 DF against the second-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti were 207, 932, 400, and 500 ppm respectively, while EC50 against first-instar larvae of Spodoptera littoralis were 193.93, 589.7, 265.108, and 342.9, ppm respectively. Isolate JZ1 recorded the highest mortality while JZ2 isolate gave the lowest mortality. It can be concluded that the local isolate of JZ1 and JZ2 can be developed for bio formulations to be used in Spodoptera littoralis and Aedes aegypti biological control programs.

Appraisal and characterization of candida load isolated from the oral cavity of smokers.

Cigarette smoking is regarded as a major global health risk, therefore the aim of this work was to investigate the association of oral Candida spp. as one of the etiological agents of denture stomatitis with smokers of cigarette, hookah (shisha), and electronic smoking, also a dose-response relationship between the duration of smoking and the probability of denture stomatitis between volunteers. Oral rinse samples were collected from 47 male volunteers including 34 smokers and 13 non-smokers, also data of volunteers were collected via a questionnaire forum. Patterns of smoking were shown that smokers using tobacco cigarettes 17 (36.2 %), electronic cigarettes 16 (34.04 %), and hookah smokers 8 (17.02 %). A comparison of smokers and non-smokers regarding effects on oral health showed significantly finding (P < 0.05) indicating that smoking affects oral health in all evaluated parameters (an oral mucosal abnormality, mouth ulcers, bad breath, and feeling of dry mouth). Out of 19 Candida isolates, 18 (94.7 %) were identified as Candida albicans and 1 (5.3 %) as Candida tropicalis. Among the volunteers who presented with oral Candida (19 volunteers), 17 (89.5%) were smokers, while non-smoker volunteers were 2 (10.5 %), so it can be concluded that smoking was a significant positive correlation to the presence of Candida in the oral cavity. Five volunteers suffered from chronic diseases; 4 (8.5%) diabetes mellitus and 1 (2.1%) anemia as a systemic predisposing factor for oropharyngeal infection. Amphotericin and Nystatin had varying degrees of activity against isolated Candida isolates.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Allergic Diseases Among School Students in Tabuk: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis are common health problems among children. The prevalence of different allergic diseases is increasing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of allergic diseases among school students in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in Tabuk city, Saudi Arabia, between the first of August and the end of September, 2022. Students from primary, intermediate, and secondary schools were included. A predesigned, structured, self-administered questionnaire in the Arabic language was used to collect data. RESULTS: This study included 384 school students from Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The age of the recruited students ranged from five to 19 years old. The prevalence of clinically diagnosed bronchial asthma that occurred at any time in the past was 31.8%. The prevalence of asthma symptoms was 51.0% for lifetime wheezing and 45.8% for current wheezing (in the past 12 months). The prevalence rates of clinically diagnosed allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis were 56.8% and 30.2%, respectively. Further, 68.2% of the school students had one or more of the diagnosed allergic diseases. The second or more childbirth orders were significantly associated with an increased risk of allergic diseases (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.140, 95% CI: 1.864-5.288). A family history of asthma or atopic conditions showed 3.118 times increased likelihood of allergic conditions (AOR = 3.118, 95% CI: 1.827-5.320). Other significant risk factors were the father's smoking (AOR = 1.698, 95% CI: 1.024-2.817) and having a dog, cat, or bird at home (AOR = 0.493, 95% CI: 0.257-0.946). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of bronchial asthma and other allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis among school students in Tabuk city, Saudi Arabia, is alarmingly high. Furthermore, both genetic and environmental components of allergic disease pathogenesis have been identified as risk factors.

Awareness and Perceptions of the Impact of Tonsillectomy on the Level of Immunity and Autoimmune Diseases among the Adult Population in Abha City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The widespread misconception that tonsillectomy leads to a decrease in immunity may lead to fear and avoidance of the operation. This can result in a deterioration of the situation, such as sleep-related breathing issues, frequent infections, and an increase in complications. The current research was conducted to assess the awareness and perception with respect to the impact of tonsillectomy on the immune system and to assess the awareness and perception of the relationship between autoimmune diseases and tonsillectomy. This 6-month descriptive cross-sectional online questionnaire survey was conducted among individuals who were 18 years and above living in Abha city, Saudi Arabia. Out of the 800 study subjects, 104 (13%) had undergone tonsillectomy. Statistically significant associations were found between age group, education, income, and occupation among those who had undergone tonsillectomy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that ages 18-30 years and 31-40 years (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.18-4.71, and OR: 1.46, 95% CI: 0.53-3.97) and education levels of high school, bachelors, and above (OR: 8.30, 95% CI: 3.05-22.58 and OR: 10.89, 95% CI: 4.23-28.05) were found to be associated with tonsillectomy status of the subjects. On the contrary, income levels of 5000-9000 and >9000 (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.36-1.17 and OR: 0.78, 95%CI: 0.42-1.42) and male gender (OR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.52-1.19) were found to be associated with non-tonsillectomy status of subjects. Almost 36% of study subjects thought that tonsillectomy affects immunity. Only 18% of study subjects thought that there is a relationship between tonsillectomy and autoimmune diseases. About one-third of the respondents had received this information from community members and social media. A small number of study subjects relied on public awareness programs. Therefore, social media can play a vital role in the community to remove misconceptions regarding tonsillectomy and its effect on immunity and autoimmune disease. Further educational interventional studies are required to see the correction to the public perception of tonsillectomy and its effect on immunity and autoimmune diseases.

Patterns of Interstitial Lung Disease in Egyptian Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: Relation to Disease Parameters.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary involvement is the most common leading cause of morbidity and mortality associated with systemic sclerosis. Therefore, identifying the various patterns of pulmonary affection is crucial in the clinical management of these patients. In the current study, we aim to investigate the patterns of interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with SSc patients (SSc- ILD) and their relation to serologic markers and clinical parameters. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken on thirty-four adult SSc patients who met the 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria for SSc and Forty healthy controls of matched age and sex. The patients were subjected to history taking, clinical examination, skin assessment using the modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS), chest x-ray (CXR), pulmonary function test (PFTs), and high resolution computed tomography of the chest (HRCT). Routine laboratory tests were conducted in addition to immunologic tests and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the IL-33 level. RESULTS: ILD was found in 23 SSc patients (67.6%); 20 patients had diffuse type while 3 patients had limited type. Non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) was found in 56.5%, usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) was found in 21.7%, pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis (PPFE) was found in 8.7%, and organizing pneumonia (OP) with the mixed pattern was found in 13% of SSc patients. Additionally, the mean IL-33 level in SSc patients was 98±12.7 compared to 66.2±10.6 in the control group (p < 0.001), with ILD patients having a significantly higher level (101.7±13.4) than those without (90.4±6.2), and a strong positive correlation with mRSS. CONCLUSION: Even in asymptomatic patients with SSc, ILD is prevalent, with NSIP being the most common pattern. IL-33 could be considered a potential biomarker for predicting the presence of ILD in SSc patients.

Autoimmune thyroiditis a fibrous variant of Hashimoto's thyroiditis: A rare case.

Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by inadequate thyroid hormone production. A fibrous variant is one of the rarest entities of Hashimoto's thyroiditis disease. A 42 -year-old female patient presented to our service with neck swelling associated with difficulty swallowing; she was discovered to have an enlarged thyroid gland with mass effect. She underwent an ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration (FNA), which was consistent with Hashimoto's thyroiditis -Bethesda category II-. Due to compressive symptoms, we proceeded to total thyroidectomy. The final histopathology revealed numerous polymorphic lymphoid cells, plasma cells, follicular cells, and scattered Hürthle cells, characteristic of fibrous variants. The surgery was complicated with voice hoarseness and hypocalcemia, which was managed successfully with corticosteroids and calcium supplements. The mainline treatment of HT is medical, but surgical intervention can be considered in some cases. A multidisciplinary approach is needed for successful management. Continuous patient monitoring post-operatively is vital to detect and intervene with early surgical complications.

Dietary patterns among Saudis with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Riyadh: A cross-sectional study.

We investigated dietary patterns and their associations with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in Saudi adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 297 participants (154 men and 143 women) with a mean age (standard deviation) of 54.0 (7.0) years were enrolled in the current study. Self-reported information on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, eating behavior, and frequency of consumption was collected from all participants. Principal component analysis was used to determine dietary patterns. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the associations between dietary patterns and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. We identified five dietary patterns: "Vegetables and olive oil," "Refined grains and sweets," "Dairy products and legumes," "Dates and beverages," and "Fruit." Age was inversely associated with the pattern "Refined grains and sweets" (ß = -0.036, p <0.001). Females were more likely to have higher scores with the "Fruit" pattern (ß = 0.410, p = 0.011). Smoking was associated with "Vegetables and olive oil" (ß = 0.919, p = 0.001) and "Dates and beverages" (ß = -0.947, p = 0.001) patterns. The level of physical activity was associated with "Dates and beverages" (ß = 0.104, p = 0.048) and "Vegetables and olive oil" (ß = -0.102, p = 0.048) patterns. The number of snacks consumed was associated with "Dates and beverages" pattern (ß = -0.241, p = 0.005), and the frequency of meals eaten in fast food locations and restaurants per month was associated with "Vegetables and olive oil" pattern (ß = -0.043, p = 0.034). Each dietary pattern was associated with different sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and eating behaviors. This study provides insights into the underlying nutritional habits of Saudi Arabian patients with T2DM. Future studies are necessary to assess these associations in representative samples.

Score-Level Fusion of 3D Face and 3D Ear for Multimodal Biometric Human Recognition.

A novel multimodal biometric system is proposed using three-dimensional (3D) face and ear for human recognition. The proposed model overcomes the drawbacks of unimodal biometric systems and solves the 2D biometric problems such as occlusion and illumination. In the proposed model, initially, the principal component analysis (PCA) is utilized for 3D face recognition. Thereafter, the iterative closest point (ICP) is utilized for 3D ear recognition. Finally, the 3D face is fused with a 3D ear using score-level fusion. The simulations are performed on the Face Recognition Grand Challenge database and the University of Notre Dame Collection F database for 3D face and 3D ear datasets, respectively. Experimental results reveal that the proposed model achieves an accuracy of 99.25% using the proposed score-level fusion. Comparative analyses show that the proposed method performs better than other state-of-the-art biometric algorithms in terms of accuracy.

Human-Computer Interaction for Recognizing Speech Emotions Using Multilayer Perceptron Classifier.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) has seen a paradigm shift from textual or display-based control toward more intuitive control modalities such as voice, gesture, and mimicry. Particularly, speech has a great deal of information, conveying information about the speaker's inner condition and his/her aim and desire. While word analysis enables the speaker's request to be understood, other speech features disclose the speaker's mood, purpose, and motive. As a result, emotion recognition from speech has become critical in current human-computer interaction systems. Moreover, the findings of the several professions involved in emotion recognition are difficult to combine. Many sound analysis methods have been developed in the past. However, it was not possible to provide an emotional analysis of people in a live speech. Today, the development of artificial intelligence and the high performance of deep learning methods bring studies on live data to the fore. This study aims to detect emotions in the human voice using artificial intelligence methods. One of the most important requirements of artificial intelligence works is data. The Ryerson Audio-Visual Database of Emotional Speech and Song (RAVDESS) open-source dataset was used in the study. The RAVDESS dataset contains more than 2000 data recorded as speeches and songs by 24 actors. Data were collected for eight different moods from the actors. It was aimed at detecting eight different emotion classes, including neutral, calm, happy, sad, angry, fearful, disgusted, and surprised moods. The multilayer perceptron (MLP) classifier, a widely used supervised learning algorithm, was preferred for classification. The proposed model's performance was compared with that of similar studies, and the results were evaluated. An overall accuracy of 81% was obtained for classifying eight different emotions by using the proposed model on the RAVDESS dataset.

Human-Computer Interaction with Detection of Speaker Emotions Using Convolution Neural Networks.

Emotions play an essential role in human relationships, and many real-time applications rely on interpreting the speaker's emotion from their words. Speech emotion recognition (SER) modules aid human-computer interface (HCI) applications, but they are challenging to implement because of the lack of balanced data for training and clarity about which features are sufficient for categorization. This research discusses the impact of the classification approach, identifying the most appropriate combination of features and data augmentation on speech emotion detection accuracy. Selection of the correct combination of handcrafted features with the classifier plays an integral part in reducing computation complexity. The suggested classification model, a 1D convolutional neural network (1D CNN), outperforms traditional machine learning approaches in classification. Unlike most earlier studies, which examined emotions primarily through a single language lens, our analysis looks at numerous language data sets. With the most discriminating features and data augmentation, our technique achieves 97.09%, 96.44%, and 83.33% accuracy for the BAVED, ANAD, and SAVEE data sets, respectively.

Three Rings Schiff Base Ester Liquid Crystals: Experimental and Computational Approaches of Mesogenic Core Orientation Effect, Heterocycle Impact.

Three rings 2-hydroxypyridine liquid crystalline compounds have been prepared and fully characterized. The mesomorphic behavior of the prepared compounds has been investigated in terms of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM). Moreover, a comparative study between the prepared compounds and previously reported analogs has been discussed in terms of the orientation and position of the mesogenic core, in addition to the direction of the terminal alkyl chains. Furthermore, a detailed computational approach has been studied to illustrate the effect of geometrical and dimensional parameters on the type of the enhanced texture and the mesomorphic range and stability. The results of the DFT study revealed that the orientation of the mesogen could affect the mesomorphic behavior and this has been attributed in terms of the degree of the polarizability of the linking groups. This result has been confirmed by calculation of the net dipole moment and the molecular electrostatic potential that show how the mesogen orientation and position could impact the molecular charge separation. Finally, the effect of the pyridyl group has been also investigated in terms of the calculated aromaticity index and the π-π stacking.

Artificial Intelligence of Things- (AIoT-) Based Patient Activity Tracking System for Remote Patient Monitoring.

Telehealth and remote patient monitoring (RPM) have been critical components that have received substantial attention and gained hold since the pandemic's beginning. Telehealth and RPM allow easy access to patient data and help provide high-quality care to patients at a low cost. This article proposes an Intelligent Remote Patient Activity Tracking System system that can monitor patient activities and vitals during those activities based on the attached sensors. An Internet of Things- (IoT-) enabled health monitoring device is designed using machine learning models to track patient's activities such as running, sleeping, walking, and exercising, the vitals during those activities such as body temperature and heart rate, and the patient's breathing pattern during such activities. Machine learning models are used to identify different activities of the patient and analyze the patient's respiratory health during various activities. Currently, the machine learning models are used to detect cough and healthy breathing only. A web application is also designed to track the data uploaded by the proposed devices.

Two-Way Feature Extraction for Speech Emotion Recognition Using Deep Learning.

Recognizing human emotions by machines is a complex task. Deep learning models attempt to automate this process by rendering machines to exhibit learning capabilities. However, identifying human emotions from speech with good performance is still challenging. With the advent of deep learning algorithms, this problem has been addressed recently. However, most research work in the past focused on feature extraction as only one method for training. In this research, we have explored two different methods of extracting features to address effective speech emotion recognition. Initially, two-way feature extraction is proposed by utilizing super convergence to extract two sets of potential features from the speech data. For the first set of features, principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to obtain the first feature set. Thereafter, a deep neural network (DNN) with dense and dropout layers is implemented. In the second approach, mel-spectrogram images are extracted from audio files, and the 2D images are given as input to the pre-trained VGG-16 model. Extensive experiments and an in-depth comparative analysis over both the feature extraction methods with multiple algorithms and over two datasets are performed in this work. The RAVDESS dataset provided significantly better accuracy than using numeric features on a DNN.

Diet Quality Scores and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Mexican Children and Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis.

There is limited evidence for the effects of diet on cardiometabolic profiles during the pubertal transition. We collected repeated measures of diet quality and cardiometabolic risk factors among Mexican youth. This analysis included 574 offspring of the Early Life Exposure in Mexico to Environmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) birth cohort followed up to three time points. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMedDiet), and Children's Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DIITM) scores were computed from food frequency questionnaires. Higher DASH and aMedDiet scores reflect a higher diet quality, and lower C-DII scores reflect an anti-inflammatory diet. Cardiometabolic risk factors were lipid profile, glucose homeostasis, blood pressure, and waist circumference. Linear mixed models were used between quartiles of each diet score and outcomes. Compared to the first quartile, the fourth DASH quartile was inversely associated with log serum insulin (µIU/mL) [ß = -0.19, p = 0.0034] and log-Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance [ß = -0.25, p = 0.0008]. Additionally, log serum triglycerides (mg/dL) was linearly associated with aMedDiet score [ß = -0.03, p = 0.0022]. Boys in the highest aMedDiet quartile had higher serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL) [ß = 4.13, p = 0.0034] compared to the reference quartile. Higher diet quality was associated with a better cardiometabolic profile among Mexican youth.