Geospatial quality assessment of locally available ice for heavy metals and metalloids and their potential risks for human health in Karachi, Pakistan.

Extreme hot conditions during summers, high poverty rate and continuous electricity load shedding affect commercial manufacturing and sale of ice in many countries. The vendors prepared ice using untreated piped water, tanker water and ground water. These waters may contain hazardous pollutants and ice made from them will pose a potential human health risk. Thus, it is important to regularly monitor the chemical composition of water sources and the quality of the manufactured ice. A contemporary examination was carried out to evaluate the physico-chemical properties and heavy metals and metalloids in the ice sold in all the districts of Karachi, Pakistan. This pioneering study was an innovative effort to assess the ice quality in relation to potential pollutant hazards to human health; with concomitant geospatial information. The geospatial distribution of ice quality and major constituents were among the measured parameters; carefully associated with further geospatial information, determined using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and PCA (Principal Component Analysis) techniques. Interestingly, the physico-chemical analyses revealed that the ice quality was marginally adequate and the total mean metal-metalloid contents were in the sequence of Pb > Ni > Zn > Fe > Cr > As. The concentrations of these metals were above the upper allowable limits with reference to the recommended WHO guidelines. We observed that 57.1% and 35.7% ice samples had good physico-chemical properties assessed using the Ice Quality Index (IQI). Conversely, the IQI for metals showed that the ice was unsafe for human consumption. In terms of health risk assessment, the overall mean CDI (Chronic Daily Intake) and HQ (Hazard Quotient) values were in the order of Pb () > Ni (3.2) > Zn (2.3) > Fe (2.1) > Cr (1.6) > As (0.5) and Pb (7.4) > As (1.7) > Cr (0.5) > Ni (0.4 > Zn (0.008) > Fe (0.003), respectively. This study highlighted that routine monitoring of the water supplies available for making ice is required to protect public health.

Impact of domestic and industrial effluent on marine environment at Karachi Port Trust (KPT) coastal area, Pakistan.

The extent of aquatic pollution of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) coastal area located at the south of Pakistan coast has increased considerably in the last few decades due to unrestricted discharge of sanitary waste. The current study lays emphasis on the identification of vulnerable zones severely impacted by pollution in the KPT coastal area using laboratory monitoring, geospatial techniques, and statistical analysis. During 2019, sampling was conducted along the KPT coastal area, and 54 samples of seawater were collected during pre- and post-monsoon seasons. The outcomes of physical and chemical analysis revealed that the concentrations of BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), COD (chemical oxygen demand), nitrate, phosphate, phenol, cyanide, and oil and grease frequently exceeded the permitted limit of international norms and reached much greater levels. The levels of perilous metals in the seawater samples were in the order Ni>Cr>Cu>Pb>Cd>As in both phases and also reached to elevated levels as a consequence of the indiscriminate discharge of untreated industrial and domestic wastewater. Based on detailed examination during pre- and post-monsoon, six sites near KPT, Lyari River outfall, and Karachi Harbour were identified as highly polluted zones due to heavy discharge of sanitary effluents at these sites. In particular, the industrial zones present in the formal and informal sectors of Karachi are responsible for the deterioration of the KPT coastal area. Therefore, it is advised to design and build a submerged drainage system to transport and distribute massive amounts of treated municipal and industrial waste to the deep open sea in order to minimize the high pollutant levels in these locations.

Development and bioassessment of high nutria-omega 5 cookies through animal modeling.

The food industry generates a diverse range of waste byproducts during fruit processing, which can be repurposed to create functional foods and other valuable commodities. In this particular study, leftover agro-waste from pomegranate juice was valorized to obtain pomegranate seed oil (PSO), while utilizing sunflower oilseed cake to produce sunflower meal protein concentrate (SMPC). These two extracted components were then combined as ingredients to produce High Nutria Omega 5 (HNO5) cookies. To ensure the quality and viability of pomegranate seed oil, a comprehensive set of laboratory analytical procedures were employed to evaluate its characteristics. Subsequently, different ratios of pomegranate seed oil and sunflower meal protein concentrate were utilized to develop the HNO5 cookie products. These cookies underwent thorough sensory, physicochemical, storage, and proximate evaluations as well as efficacy studies to assess their overall nutritional quality and shelf-life properties. As compared to the control feed, the findings of the renal and liver functional tests indicated a favorable effect on ALT, AST, ALP, serum urea, creatinine, albumin, globulins, total proteins, and A/G ratio. The results revealed that PSO and SMPC cookies containing 15% PSO and 15% SMPC exhibited stability in numerous physicochemical and sensory assessments. The punicic acid in HNO5 cookies significantly reduced the effects of starvation in rats and progressively improved several metabolic processes and overall health profiles. Graphical Abstract.

Effect of iron-fortified jamun leather on the Asunra-induced anemia in Sprague Dawley rats.

Introduction: Micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins are required in a minute quantity but play a pivotal role in the functioning of the body. Therefore, deficiency in one of them can lead to lethal health conditions. Iron deficiency anaemia is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies across the world and is affecting women and children. Methods: The present study aimed to investigate the anti-anaemic effect of fortified jamun leather on anaemia biomarkers and haematology in anaemic female Sprague Dawley rats. A total of 40 Sprague Dawley rats were used in 4 groups. Iron deficiency anaemia was induced by oral administration of the Asunra drug. The treatments were fed at two dosage levels i.e., 40 and 60% iron-fortified leather. All animals were treated for 60 days and the parameters including biochemical, and histopathology of the kidney and liver were examined. Results: The experiment's findings showed that the group fed with iron-fortified leather (G3) succeeded significantly (P < 0.05) in restoring the serum iron (98.68 ± 2.88 µg/dL), haemoglobin (12.41 ± 0.32 g/dL), ferritin (24.54 ± 1.98 ng/mL) and haematocrit levels (39.30 ± 1.66%) at the end of the 60 days period. Additionally, the treated group's mean values for transferrin and total iron binding capacity were lower than those of the anaemic rats, indicating an improvement in iron levels. The microscopic analysis revealed that treatments had no toxic effects on the kidney and liver tissues, except in the diseased group, which had necrosis and irregular cell structure. Conclusion: Conclusively, iron-fortified jamun leather helped improve iron deficiency biomarkers and imparted a non-toxic effect on tissues in rats.

Dry needling in the management of tendinopathy: A systematic review of randomized control trials.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of the study is to evaluate the best available evidence on the effectiveness of DN in the management of tendinopathy. METHODS: Seven randomized control trials were selected following an electronic search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases. To be included in the current systematic review, the study had to be an RCT conducted on human participants, which investigated the effect of the DN technique on the management of tendinopathies. Only studies in the English language published in peer-reviewed journals between 1999 and 2020 were included. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the PEDro scale. RESULTS: The PEDro score of the studies ranged from 5 to 9 with a mean score of 6.7 ± 1.2 (mean ± SD). A total of 357 participants were enrolled in the seven included studies, which were on greater trochanteric pain syndrome, lateral epicondylitis, supraspinatus tendinopathy and Achilles tendinopathy. DN was compared with various interventions, including platelet-rich plasma injection, autologous blood injection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. All the selected studies reported a significant positive effect of DN on pain intensity and other outcome measures, such as patient-specific functional score, disability index, range of motion and health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that DN appears to be as effective as other treatment methods at relieving pain and other symptoms of tendinopathy immediately after treatment and up to 6 months. DN can be considered among the many options available for the management of tendinopathy.

Unraveling the role of natural functional oils in modulating osteoarthritis related complications.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common joint disease and has been studied extensively in recent years as no promising therapy available so far for its treatment and remains a great challenge for health care specialists. Although the identification of some major mechanisms that contribute to this disease suggests a plethora of bioactive agents in tackling the associated complications yet OA's pathophysiology is still poorly understood owing to complex mechanistic changes observed. Experimental research is now exploring a wide range of therapeutically effective agents in an effort to find a way to repair OA-related joint degeneration and halt it from getting worse. Data was acquired and reviewed from most relevant and recent studies. This review summarizes the studies that are currently available and focuses on how various unconventional functional oils affect osteoarthritis and the affected joint tissues. An analysis of the recent scientific literature allowed us to highlight the potential anti-arthritic properties of edible oils and their main constituents, which seems to suggest an interesting new potential therapeutic application. Due to eccentric nature of OA, it is necessary to concentrate initially on the management of symptoms. The evidence supporting functional oils chondroprotective potential is still accumulating, underpinning a global need for more sustainable natural sources of treatment. More clinical research that focuses on the consequences of long-term treatment, possible negative effects, and epigenetic implications is necessary to get optimistic results. However, different animal or clinical studies suggest that linolenic and linoleic fatty acids decreased chondrocyte oxidative stress, cartilage breakdown, and expression of inflammatory markers. Distinct fatty acids along with minor components of oils also reduced the generation of prostaglandins and decreased oxidative stress. Furthermore, the potential roles of the main components of edible oils and possible negative results (if any) are also reported. While no severe side effects have been reported for any edible oils. Overall, these studies identify and support the use of functional oils as an adjuvant therapy for the management of OA and as a means of symptomatic alleviation for OA patients. However, to prove the effectiveness or to draw precise conclusions, high-quality clinical trials are required.

Effects of circadian rhythm on anaerobic performance and blood lactate level: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Circadian rhythm affects maximal short-term performance, and it is an important determinant of the training component. This review aimed to summarise the influence of circadian rhythm on peak and mean power output of muscle, fatigue index, and blood lactate levels. METHODS: English language articles were searched through the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, and pertinent randomized control trials were scrutinized. RESULTS: The search revealed 17,481 articles, and 29 were included in this systematic review based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Randomized control trials were selected, and the methodological validity of articles was evaluated using the 'Cochrane risk of bias tool'. Findings suggest that outcome variables muscle peak power output (p < 0.0001, Z = 7.22, I2 = 57.42, SMD = - 0.91, 95% confidence interval CI = - 1.16, - 0.67), muscle mean power output (p < 0.0001, Z = 5.66, I2 = 83.85, SMD = - 0.75, 95% CI = - 1.01, - 0.49), and fatigue index (p = 0.02, Z = 2.41, I2 = 2.49, SMD = - 0.39, 95% CI = - 0.72, - 0.07) were higher in the evening while the level of blood lactate was higher in the morning (p = 0.79, Z = 0.27, I2 = 0.73, SMD = - 0.05, 95% CI = - 0.46, - 0.35). CONCLUSION: The results show that diurnal variation affects both peak and mean power output of muscle as well as fatigue index. However, there is no remarkable effect of circadian rhythm on blood lactate level. A major factor attributed to this finding was the variation in the training experience of participants. For an effective training prescription, it is very important to consider the effect of the biological clock on muscle power output since anaerobic exercise performance is discernibly influenced by the time of the day.

A systematic review of effects of daytime napping strategies on sports performance in physically active individuals with and without partial-sleep deprivation.

Background: Sleep is the body's natural recovery process, restoring routine metabolic and regulatory functions. Various sleep interventions have been developed to facilitate recovery, and athletic performance, and daytime napping are among them. However, due to inconsistencies in studies, it remains unclear whether daytime napping affects sports performance. This article aims to review the effects of daytime napping on various variables of sports performance in physically active individuals with and without partial-sleep deprivation. Methods: A systematic search in three clinical databases, namely Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, and Web of Science, was conducted. To be included in the current review, the study should be a randomized controlled trial that evaluated the influence of daytime napping on one or more components of sports performance in healthy adults, 18 years old or older. Results: In the accessible data available until December 2021, 1,094 records were found, of which 12 relevant randomized controlled trials were selected for qualitative synthesis. The majority of studies reported favourable effects of daytime napping on sports performance. However, only one study reported no significant impact, possibly due to a different methodological approach and a shorter nap duration. Conclusion: Napping strategies optimize sports performance in physically active, athletic populations, benefitting partially sleep-deprived and well-slept individuals, with longer nap durations (~90 min) having more significant advantages. Daytime naps can be considered as cost-efficient, self-administered methods promoting recovery of body functions.

Evaluating dual exposure by using climate-conflict vulnerability index on the coastal districts of Sindh, Pakistan.

Climate variability is widely recognized as a major concern, particularly in resource-scarce regions where it limits livelihood opportunities by putting additional strain on already depleting resources, resulting in human insecurity and conflicts. Some vulnerability assessments have created a nexus between climate variability and conflicts. The Climate-Water Conflict Vulnerability Index (CWCVI) and the Climate-Agriculture Conflict Vulnerability Index (CACVI) are applied as a tool for exploring the climate and conflict interactions, as well as contrasting the vulnerabilities of the coastal districts of Badin, Thatta, and Sujawal. The analysis incorporates a dual exposure of communities in the form of climate variability and conflict over water and agricultural resources. The study finds that aggression and feelings of insecurity about depleting resources are the main contributing indicators of climate-conflict vulnerability in the coastal districts. District Sujawal showed higher vulnerability in adaptive capacity as compared to the other districts due to poor infrastructure and high dependency on natural resources. However, the district of Badin demonstrated high vulnerability in terms of sensitivity and its exposure to conflicts over agricultural resources is high. The overall CWCVI and CACVI scores were higher in Badin and Thatta, respectively. This study identifies a number of indicators that can be used to improve the efficacy of mitigation strategies to reduce conflict vulnerability in future policy directions and resource planning.

Clinical and Biochemical Characteristics of COVID-19 in a Primary Care Center in the South Batinah Region of Oman.

Objectives The main purpose of this study was to identify the clinical and biochemical profile of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and sex differences in Rustaq Polyclinic in South Batinah Governorate. Methods This study is a retrospective chart review of COVID-19 patients diagnosed in Rustaq Polyclinic in the South Batinah region of Oman. The medical charts of 150 patients from November 10, 2020, to November 24, 2021, at Rustaq Polyclinic were retrospectively reviewed, and clinical and laboratory parameters were extracted. Information regarding the patients' demographics, risk factors, clinical symptoms or signs, and laboratory findings on admission were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 24.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results A total of 150 study participant data were added to the analysis. Of those, 97 (64.7%) were male and 53 (35.3%) were female, with a median age of 32 and 39 among males and females, respectively. Male and female age (p=0.017) and marital status (p=0.003) were significantly different. No significant difference (p≥0.05) was observed between male and female study participants regarding their history of travel, history of contact with COVID-19-positive patients, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and home management. Similarly, no significant difference (p≥0.05) was observed between males and females regarding their clinical presentations. Conclusion Many symptomatic patients have shown influenza-like symptoms such as fever, respiratory symptoms such as cough, sore throat, headache, myalgia, and loss of smell. The spectrum of symptomatic infection ranges from mild to severe, and most infections are not severe. It is imperative to equip ourselves with adequate understanding and protective measures such as vaccination and diverse treatment modalities against the constantly changing nature of novel coronaviruses.

Development of energy-rich protein bars and in vitro determination of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory antihypertensive activities.

Three energy-rich protein (ERP) bars were prepared to meet the daily recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for the protein of Pakistani athletes. The bars were developed using dates, cheddar cheese (CC), whey protein isolate (WPI), roasted chickpea flour, and rice flour in different proportions. Bar #1 contained 64 g dates, 16 g dried apricots, 12 g WPI, and 8 g ripened CC. Bar #2 contained the same proportion of these ingredients with an addition of 12.5 g roasted chickpea flour, while bar #3 contained 6.25 g roasted rice and 6.25 g roasted chickpea flour. All the ingredients were homogeneously mixed into paste to form bars weighing 100-110 g per serving size. These bars were studied for the compositional analysis (moisture, protein, and lipid content), protein characterization through sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and in vitro determination of the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE-I) antihypertensive activity. Moisture and lipid content in bars were 22% and 0.057%-0.313%, respectively, while protein, fiber, and ash contents varied from 22.3% to 23.6%, 6.66 to 5.81, and 2.12% to 2.44%, respectively. The minimum energy content was recorded (272.70 Kcal/100 g) in bar #1 while bar #3 showed the highest energy content 274.65 Kcal/110 g with the addition of (5%) roasted chickpea and rice flour, respectively. Electrophoresis analysis of proteins in bar # 1 (cheese +WPI) showed the four bands at 62, 24, 20, and 12 kDa. Bar #2 (10% roasted chickpea flour) showed some additional bands at 40, 36, 34, and 28 kDa while relatively lower antihypertensive activity than bars #1 and 3. The study revealed that adding 10% roasted chickpea flour (bar #2) increased the protein content and diversity in proteins. It provided 40% proteins to athletes and could be helpful to meet their R.D.A. by consuming two bars/day.

The Side Effects and Adverse Clinical Cases Reported after COVID-19 Immunization.

COVID-19 remains a deadly disease that poses a serious threat to humanity. COVID-19 vaccines protect the public and limit viral spread. However, public acceptance is significantly dependent on the efficacy and side effects (SEs) of the vaccinations being produced. Four important mechanisms have been examined for COVID-19 vaccines: DNA-based, mRNA-based, protein-based, and inactivated viruses. Vaccination safety research was formerly limited to manufacturer-sponsored studies, but numerous additional cross-sectional survey-based studies conducted globally have contributed to the generation of vaccine-related safety data reports. Twenty-seven studies and twenty-four case reports published-up till 2021 were overviewed for the presentation of SEs and their severity. Injection site pain remained the most dominant localized SE, while headache and fatigue were the most prevalent systemic SEs. Most studies reported that all vaccinations were safe, with very little or no adverse effects, but the nature of SEs was reported to be more persistent in DNA- and mRNA-based vaccines, while inactivated viral vaccines were associated with longer-duration SEs. Overall, SEs were found to be more dominant in women and youngsters. Case reports of adverse reactions have also been documented, but there is still a need to find out their pathological linkage with the COVID-19 vaccination.

Effects of plyometric and whole-body vibration on physical performance in collegiate basketball players: a crossover randomized trial.

While many studies suggested the isolated effects of plyometric and whole-body vibration exercises on physical performance variables, only few studies have compared the acute effects of plyometric and whole-body vibration on the occurrence of post-activation potentiation and the resultant improvements in performance. Therefore, we aimed to compare the acute effects of plyometric exercises and whole-body vibration training on physical performance in collegiate basketball players. Twenty-four collegiate male basketball players (age 20.8 ± 2.02 years, height 1.79 ± 0.7 m, and weight 71.2 ± 7.6 kg) participated in this randomized crossover study. Subjects were received both plyometric and whole-body vibration exercises after a 48-h washed-out period. Countermovement Jump height, sprint, and agility time were measured at baseline, 4- and 12-min post-plyometric, and whole-body vibration exercises. The result suggests a positive effect of both the plyometric and whole-body vibration exercises on countermovement jump and agility time (p = 0.001). While the countermovement jump height and agility were higher in the plyometric group (mean difference 1.60 cm and 0.16 s, respectively), the sprint performance was higher in the whole-body vibration group. However, these differences were statistically non-significant between the two groups (p > 0.05). This study suggests that both plyometric and whole-body vibration exercises may improve post-activation potentiation, which leads to better physical performance.Trial registration CTRI/2019/05/019059. Registered with the Clinical trials registry, India on 10/05/2019. http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/advsearch.php .

Geospatial assessment of water quality using principal components analysis (PCA) and water quality index (WQI) in Basho Valley, Gilgit Baltistan (Northern Areas of Pakistan).

Public health quality in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) is at threat due to multiple water-borne diseases. Anthropogenic activities are accelerating the burden of pollution load on the glacio-fluvial streams and surface water resources of Basho Valley in Skardu district of GB. The present research has investigated the drinking water quality of the Basho Valley that is being used for domestic purposes. The study also comprehends public health status by addressing the basis drinking water quality parameters. A total of 23 water samples were collected and then analyzed to elucidate the current status of physico-chemical, metals, and microbial parameters. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied and three principal components were obtained accounting 53.04% of the total variance, altogether. PCA identified that metallic and microbial parameters are the major factor to influence the water quality of the valley. Meanwhile, water quality index (WQI) was also computed and it was observed that WQI of the valley is characterized as excellent in terms of physico-chemical characteristics; however, metals and microbial WQI shows most of the samples are unfit for drinking purpose. Spatial distribution is also interpolated using the Inverse distance weight (IDW) to anticipate the results of mean values of parameters and WQI scores. The study concludes that water quality is satisfactory in terms of physico-chemical characteristics; however, analysis of metals shows that the concentrations of copper (Cu) (0.40 ± 0.16 mg/L), lead (Pb) (0.24 ± 0.10 mg/L), zinc (Zn) (6.77 ± 27.1 mg/L), manganese (Mn) (0.19 ± 0.05), and molybdenum (Mo) (0.07 ± 0.02 mg/L) are exceeding the maximum permissible limit as set in the WHO guidelines for drinking water. Similarly, the results of the microbial analysis indicate that the water samples are heavily contaminated with fecal pollution (TCC, TFC, and TFS > 3 MPN/100 mL). On the basis of PCA, WQI, and IDW, the main sources of pollution are most likely to be concluded as the anthropogenic activities including incoming pollution load from upstream channels. A few underlying sources by natural process of weathering and erosion may also cause release of metals in surface and groundwater. This study recommends ensuring public health with regular monitoring and assessment of water resources in the valley.

Delving the role of nutritional psychiatry to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic induced stress, anxiety and depression.

BACKGROUND: The distressing COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on public mental health, and the importance of food and nutrients in several aspects of mental health has been recognized. People in isolation or quarantine suffer from severe stress, anger, panic attack, and anxiety. SCOPE AND APPROACH: Although, people who have improved and progressed through medications or vaccines have reduced anxiety levels to some extent yet the efficacy of these measures, in the long run, remains a question. The review depicts that such negative emotional reactions were particularly higher in elderly individuals in the first wave than in other phases. The emotional and behavioral response to the COVID-19 pandemic is multifactorial. From different research studies, it has been found that stress scores were considerably higher for those engaging in unhealthy eating practices. This factor relies not only on external components but on personal and innate ones as well. In the present pandemic, the sustainable development of the food system would have been a major issue; this should be carefully restored to avoid a food crisis in the future. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Changes in mind-body interactions are triggered by psychosocial stresses such as interpersonal loss and social rejection. Physiological response (in terms of psychological stress) in COVID-19 affected patients varies due to individual physical health status. This review explores the relationship between nutrition and mental health as what we eat and think is interlinked with the gut-brain-axis. The role of dietary components along with the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet and use of psychobiotics in improving psychological distress in pandemic induced stress, anxiety and depression has also been discussed.

Discrimination of rice varieties using smartphone-based colorimetric sensor arrays and gas chromatography techniques.

A smartphone-based colorimetric sensor array system was established for discrimination of rice varieties having different geographical origins. Purposely, aroma profiling of nine rice varieties was performed using solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, ketones, heterocyclic compounds, and organic acids represent the abundant compounds. Colorimetric sensor array system produced a characteristic color difference map upon its exposure to volatile compounds of rice. Discrimination of rice varieties was subsequently achieved using principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering analysis, and k-nearest neighbors. Rice varieties from same geographical source were clustered together in the scatter plot of principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis dendrogram. The k-nearest neighbors algorithm delivered optimal results with discrimination rate of 100% for both calibration and prediction sets using sensor array system. The smartphone-based colorimetric sensor array system and gas chromatography technique were able to effectively differentiate rice varieties with the advantage of being simple, rapid, and low-cost.

Role of stilbenes against insulin resistance: A review.

Insulin resistance (IR) is a state characterized by the inability of tissues to utilize blood glucose particularly liver, muscle, and adipose tissues resulting in hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. A close relationship exists between IR and the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore, therapeutic approaches to treat IR also improve T2D simultaneously. Scientific evidence has highlighted the major role of inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species (ROS), environmental & genetic factors, and auto-immune disorders in the pathophysiology of IR. Among therapeutic remedies, nutraceuticals like polyphenols are being used widely to ameliorate IR due to their safer nature compared to pharmaceutics. Stilbenes are considered important metabolically active polyphenols currently under the limelight of research to cope with IR. In this review, efforts are made to elucidate cellular and subcellular mechanisms influenced by stilbenes including modulating insulin signaling cascade, correcting glucose transport pathways, lowering postprandial glucose levels, and protecting ß-cell damage and its effects on the hyperactive immune system and proinflammatory cytokines to attenuate IR. Furthermore, future directions to further the research in stilbenes as a strong candidate against IR are included so that concrete recommendation for their use in humans is made.

An overview of chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) bioactive peptides' derivation and utilization as an emerging nutraceutical food.

Chia (S. hispanica L.) is an annual herbaceous plant that has gained popularity for its seeds of high-quality vegetative proteins, richest contents of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Ω-3 PUFA), soluble dietary fiber, and great gelling ability, as well as its high contents of bioactive peptides of antioxidative and nutraceutical potential for many other clinical biomarkers. Such health protective bioactive peptides should be utilized for supplementation in the food and nutrition industries. This review was therefore designed to align the researches done on chia bioactive peptide's derivation, processing, consumption and to identify their antioxidative and nutraceutical potential for various disease biomarkers. The evidence gathered is fairly compelling for the health-promising nutraceutical and clinical potential of chia seed bioactive peptides as antioxidants, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors (DPP4), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Their assimilation into everyday diets has the potential to open new doors in health departments and food sectors.

Reliability and validity of smartphone applications to measure the spinal range of motion: A systematic review.

Introduction: The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review on the reliability and validity of various smartphone applications for spinal range of motion (ROM) measurements.Methods: Eleven studies were selected following an electronic search of PubMed, CINAHAL, Medline, Embase and SPORTDiscus. Quality appraisals of selected studies were conducted using a standardized appraisal tool.Results: Most studies demonstrated a good intra- and inter-rater reliability, as well as validity in more than 50% of joint movements. At the same time, relative reliability/validity outcomes (e.g. interclass correlation co-efficient) were stronger than absolute reliability/validity outcomes (e.g. mean differences, limits of agreement). Spinal rotation movement showed less reliability and validity when compared to other spinal movements.ConclusionsːResult of the study supports the use of smartphone applications for ROM measurements of spinal joints. However, we cannot advocate the most appropriate application for spinal ROM measurement or suggest which application is superior to all others. As clinicians have multiple options in selecting applications, it is recommended they use applications that have proven reliable and valid for that particular joint. Data from this study provides clinicians with evidence-based research on smartphone devices for measuring spinal joint ROM in clinical settings.

Stabilization and attributive amelioration of sugarcane juice by naturally derived preservatives using aonla and moringa extract.

Sugarcane juice (SCJ) is a cheap, popular, and very nutritious beverage served at roadside stalls in many countries during harvesting season. The juice is normally consumed immediately after extraction as fermentation sets within a few hours of extraction. Preserving the raw sugarcane juice is always challenging because it spoils within a few hours of extraction due to fermentation. Therefore, the bottling, distribution, and marketing of sugarcane are difficult tasks. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of naturally derived preservatives using aonla extract (AE) and moringa extract (ME) in different proportions (0%, 3%, 5%, and 7%) for the preservation of SCJ during 21 days of the storage period at 4 ± 2°C temperature. The effect of extracts and storage time were analyzed on physicochemical parameters, bioactive compounds, enzymatic, microbiological, and sensory analyses of SCJ. A significant improvement in pH of 5% AE (5.30 ± 0.06) and 5% ME (5.36 ± 0.02) was observed at 21 days as compared to control (5.89 ± 0.02). The total phenolic contents in 7% ME were also observed to be retained (4.4 ± 0.02 mg GAE/mL) at 21 days as compared to control (2.65 ± 0.03 mg GAE/mL). Other physicochemical and phytochemical analyses including titratable acidity, total soluble solids, total flavonoids, ascorbic acid, 2,2-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP) also indicated that SCJ treated with ME was significantly stable (p < .05) regarding quality parameters, nutritional and sensory attributes at different storage intervals. These findings may be practical for the large-scale production, storage, and marketing of SCJ products.