Harnessing metamaterials for efficient wireless power transfer for implantable medical devices.

Wireless power transfer (WPT) within the human body can enable long-lasting medical devices but poses notable challenges, including absorption by biological tissues and weak coupling between the transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx). In pursuit of more robust and efficient wireless power, various innovative strategies have emerged to optimize power transfer efficiency (PTE). One such groundbreaking approach stems from the incorporation of metamaterials, which have shown the potential to enhance the capabilities of conventional WPT systems. In this review, we delve into recent studies focusing on WPT systems that leverage metamaterials to achieve increased efficiency for implantable medical devices (IMDs) in the electromagnetic paradigm. Alongside a comparative analysis, we also outline current challenges and envision potential avenues for future advancements.

Effectiveness of combined interventions to empower girls and address social norms in reducing child marriage in a rural sub-district of Bangladesh: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial of the Tipping Point Initiative.

Background: Elimination of girl child marriage (CM) globally at the current pace is projected to take about 300 years. Thus, innovative and effective solutions are urgently warranted. Bangladesh reports one of the highest rates of CM in the world. We present the impact of Tipping Point Initiative (TPI), a combined intervention to empower girls and to address social norms on CM in Bangladesh. Methods: A three-arm non-blinded Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial was conducted in 51 villages/clusters in a sub-district of Bangladesh. Clusters were randomly assigned to the arms: Tipping Point Program (TPP), Tipping Point Program Plus (TPP+), and Pure Control. TPP conducted 40 weekly single-gender group sessions with never-married adolescent girls and boys recruited at 12 -<16 years; and 18-monthly gender-segregated group sessions with the parents. On top of TPP, TPP+ included cross-gender and -generation dialogues, girls' movement building and girl-led community sensitisation. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed to assess the impact of TPI on the hazard of CM, the primary outcome. The impact of girls' session attendance on CM was also assessed. At baseline 1275 girls (TPP = 412; TPP+ = 420; Control = 443) were interviewed between February-April 2019. At endline 1123 girls (TPP = 363; TPP + = 366; Control = 394) were interviewed and included in the analyses. Results: No intervention impact was detected on the full sample (TPP vs. Control: adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.14; 95% CI = 0.79-1.63, P = 0.47), (TPP + vs. Control: aHR = 1.24; 95% CI = 0.89-1.71, P = 0.19, (TPP vs. TPP+: aHR = 1.03; 95% CI = 0.72-1.47, P = 0.87). However, in the TPP arm, the hazard of CM was reduced by 54% (aHR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.23-0.92, P = 0.03) among the girls in the highest tertile of session attendance, compared to the lowest. In the TPP+ arm, this hazard was reduced by 49% (aHR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.23-0.92, P = 0.03) among girls in the highest tertile, compared to the lowest tertile. Conclusions: Although TPI did not show an effect on CM in any of the intervention arms, within each intervention arm, a positive effect was detected in reducing CM among girls in the highest tertile of session attendance despite implementation challenges due to COVID-19. Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03965273; Date: 29 May 2019.

High-resolution proton metabolic mapping of the human brain at 7 T using free induction decay rosette spectroscopic imaging.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) provides information about the spatial distribution of metabolites in the brain. These metabolite maps can be valuable in diagnosing central nervous system pathology. However, MRSI generally suffers from a long acquisition time, poor spatial resolution, and a low metabolite signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Ultrahigh field strengths (≥ 7 T) can benefit MRSI with an improved SNR and allow high-resolution metabolic mapping. Non-Cartesian spatial-spectral encoding techniques, such as rosette spectroscopic imaging, can efficiently sample spatial and temporal domains, which significantly reduces the imaging time and enables high-resolution metabolic mapping in a clinically relevant scan time. In the current study, high-resolution (in-plane resolution of 2 × 2 mm2 ) mapping of proton (1 H) metabolites in the human brain at 7 T, is demonstrated. Five healthy subjects participated in the study. Using a time-efficient rosette trajectory and short TR/TE free induction decay MRSI, high-resolution maps of 1 H metabolites were obtained in a clinically relevant imaging time (6 min). Suppression of the water signal was achieved with an optimized water suppression enhanced through T1 effects approach and lipid removal was performed using L2 -regularization in the postprocessing. Spatial distributions of N-acetyl-aspartate, total choline, creatine, N-acetyl-aspartyl glutamate, myo-inositol, and glutamate were generated with Cramer-Rao lower bounds of less than 20%.

The presence of toxic heavy metals in tuna fishes from Laccadive sea and concomitant health risk.

Concentrations of heavy metals in Yellowfin and Skipjack tuna fishes from the Laccadive sea were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to evaluate the human health hazards via their consumption. The samples were collected from different atolls of Maldives to ensure a good representation of sample distribution. The metal concentration in tuna fish is found to be below the maximum tolerable limit set by different international organisations. The target hazard quotient values for individual metals were well below the limiting value of 1, indicating an insignificant health risk via the dietary intake of fish. The maximum targeted cancer risk value was 10 -4, indicating low carcinogenic risk from the consumption of tuna fish from the Maldives. Hence, the consumption of tuna from the Laccadive Sea is safe for human health.

Prevalence, trend and associated factors of obesity-related cancers among U.S. adults with metabolic syndrome: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2018.

INTRODUCTION: This study evaluated the prevalence, associated factors and trends in the prevalence of obesity-related cancer (ORC) among U.S. adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and age ≥20 years. METHODS: This study used cross-sectional data from the 2001-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The total period analyses included prevalence estimation, chi-square tests for comparing ORC vs non-ORC within subgroups, and a multivariable-logistic regression model to evaluate associated factors of ORC. For trend analysis, the total period was divided into three time periods: 2001-2006, 2007-2012 and 2013-2018. Age-standardized prevalence of ORC in each time period was calculated. RESULTS: The ORC prevalence was 35.8% representing 4463614 adults with MetS. A higher odds of ORC was observed among females (OR = 7.1, 95% CI = 4.9-10.3) vs males, Hispanic (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.7-4.8) and non-Hispanic Black (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.8-4) vs non-Hispanic White, age ≥60 (OR = 5.4, 95% CI = 1.9-15.4) vs age 20-39 years. Individual ORCs were thyroid (10.95%), breast (10%), uterine (9.18%), colorectal (7.86%), ovarian (5.74%), and stomach (0.80%). The age-standardized prevalence of ORC was observed stable in three time periods (30.6%, 30.3% and 30.7%). However, an increasing trend was seen for thyroid, uterine, colorectal and ovarian cancers while decreasing trend for breast cancer. Hispanic people showed a significant increasing trend of ORC (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: ORC was found significantly higher among female, Hispanic, non-Hispanic black and older people with MetS. The stable temporal trend of overall ORC, with an increasing trend in certain ORCs, makes the disease spectrum a public health priority. The findings imply the importance of intensifying efforts to reduce the burden of MetS comorbidities among U.S. adults.

Machine learning approaches for predicting suicidal behaviors among university students in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Psychological and behavioral stress has increased enormously during Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, early prediction and intervention to address psychological distress and suicidal behaviors are crucial to prevent suicide-related deaths. This study aimed to develop a machine algorithm to predict suicidal behaviors and identify essential predictors of suicidal behaviors among university students in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. An anonymous online survey was conducted among university students in Bangladesh from June 1 to June 30, 2022. A total of 2391 university students completed and submitted the questionnaires. Five different Machine Learning models (MLMs) were applied to develop a suitable algorithm for predicting suicidal behaviors among university students. In predicting suicidal behaviors, the most crucial background and demographic features were relationship status, friendly environment in the family, family income, family type, and sex. In addition, features related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic were identified as job loss, economic loss, and loss of family/relatives due to COVID-19. Moreover, factors related to mental health include depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia. The performance evaluation and comparison of the MLM showed that all models behaved consistently and were comparable in predicting suicidal risk. However, the Support Vector Machine was the best and most consistent performing model among all MLMs in terms of accuracy (79%), Kappa (0.59), receiver operating characteristic (0.89), sensitivity (0.81), and specificity (0.81). Support Vector Machine is the best-performing model for predicting suicidal risks among university students in Bangladesh and can help in designing appropriate and timely suicide prevention interventions.

In-droplet hydrogen-deuterium exchange to examine protein/peptide solution conformer heterogeneity.

RATIONALE: Many different structure analysis techniques are not capable of probing the heterogeneity of solution conformations. Here, we examine the ability of in-droplet hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) to directly probe solution conformer heterogeneity of a protein with mass spectrometry (MS) detection. METHODS: Two vibrating capillary vibrating sharp-edge spray ionization (cVSSI) devices have been arranged such that they generate microdroplet plumes of the analyte and D2 O reagent, which coalesce to form reaction droplets where HDX takes place in the solution environment. The native HDX-MS setup has been first explored for two model peptides that have distinct structural compositions in solution. The effectiveness of the multidevice cVSSI-HDX in illustrating structural details has been further exploited to investigate coexisting solution-phase conformations of the protein ubiquitin. RESULTS: In-droplet HDX reveals decreased backbone exchange for a model peptide that has a greater helix-forming propensity. Differences in intrinsic rates of the alanine and serine residues may account for much of the observed protection. The data allow the first estimates of backbone exchange rates for peptides undergoing in-droplet HDX. That said, the approach may hold greater potential for investigating the tertiary structure and structural transitions of proteins. For ubiquitin protein, HDX reactivity differences suggest that multiple conformers are present in native solutions. The addition of methanol to buffered aqueous solutions of ubiquitin results in increased populations of solution conformers of higher reactivity. Data analysis suggests that partially folded conformers such as the A-state of ubiquitin increase with methanol content; the native state may be preserved to a limited degree even under stronger denaturation conditions. CONCLUSION: The deuterium uptake after in-droplet HDX has been observed to correspond to some degree with peptide backbone hydrogen protection based on differences in intrinsic rates of exchange. The presence of coexisting protein solution structures under native and denaturing solution conditions has been distinguished by the isotopic distributions of deuterated ubiquitin ions.

Feasibility of spinal cord imaging at 7 T using rosette trajectory with magnetization transfer preparation and compressed sensing.

MRI is a valuable diagnostic tool to investigate spinal cord (SC) pathology. SC MRI can benefit from the increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) at ultra-high fields such as 7 T. However, SC MRI acquisitions with routine Cartesian readouts are prone to image artifacts caused by physiological motion. MRI acquisition techniques with non-Cartesian readouts such as rosette can help reduce motion artifacts. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of high-resolution SC imaging using rosette trajectory with magnetization transfer preparation (MT-prep) and compressed sensing (CS) at 7 T. Five healthy volunteers participated in the study. Images acquired with rosette readouts demonstrated reduced motion artifacts compared to the standard Cartesian readouts. The combination of multi-echo rosette-readout images improved the CNR by approximately 50% between the gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) compared to single-echo images. MT-prep images showed excellent contrast between the GM and WM with magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and cerebrospinal fluid normalized MT signal (MTCSF) = 0.12 ± 0.017 and 0.74 ± 0.013, respectively, for the GM; and 0.18 ± 0.011 and 0.58 ± 0.009, respectively, for the WM. Under-sampled acquisition using rosette readout with CS reconstruction demonstrated up to 6 times faster scans with comparable image quality as the fully-sampled acquisition.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices toward food safety among students in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional web-based study.

Background: Foodborne diseases are a preventable but under-reported public health issue. These illnesses are a public health concern and contribute significantly to healthcare costs. People must understand how their knowledge, attitudes, and practices affect food safety and how they can reduce the risk of foodborne illness. This study aimed at investigating the current situation of knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward food safety among Bangladeshi students and identifying the determinants of having adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices. Methods: The research is based on a cross-sectional anonymous online survey that took place from January 1st to February 15th, 2022. Participants in this survey had to be at least 8th-grade students enrolled in Bangladeshi institutions. Upon description of the study's aim, the questionnaire's concept, assurances regarding respondents' confidentiality, and the study's voluntary nature, informed consent was taken from each participant before starting the survey. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and logistic regression were used to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of students and identify factors affecting them using the statistical software STATA. Results: A total of 777 students participated in the study, the majority of them were male (63.96%) and aged between 18 and 25 years (60%). Almost half of the respondents were at the undergraduate level and less than half of the participants (45%) lived with their families. Among the participants, around 47% had adequate knowledge, 87% had favorable attitudes, and only 52% had good practices toward food safety. Female students, students having a food safety course/training, and students whose mothers were educated had significantly higher knowledge of food safety. Besides, students at higher education levels, students having a food safety course/training, and students with educated mothers displayed significantly higher odds of possessing favorable attitudes toward food safety. Similarly, female students, having a food safety course/training, students at higher education levels, and students with educated mothers were significantly associated with good practices toward food safety among students. Conclusion: The study shows that students in Bangladesh lack knowledge of food safety and have poor practices toward food safety. For the student population of Bangladesh, more systematic and targeted food safety education and training are required.

Prevalence of HIV and syphilis and their co-infection among men having sex with men in Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Studies found that the group of men who have sex with men (MSM) is at a very high level of risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Asian regions due to multiple reasons. Although the prevalence of HIV among general people in Asia is considered low, the prevalence of HIV and Syphilis among MSM in this region was found very high and usually, it goes unnoticed. This study aimed to inspect the prevalence of and trends in HIV, Syphilis, and their co-infection among MSM in Asia. Methods: A systematic search was performed on January 5, 2021, in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. To evaluate the heterogeneity, Q-tests, and I 2 were used. To explore the publication bias, Eggers' test and funnel plot were used. The random-effect model and subgroup analysis were performed due to the significant heterogeneity. Results: A total of 2872 articles were identified, and 66 articles were included in the final analysis. The overall prevalence of HIV and Syphilis among MSM was estimated considering 69 estimates from 66 studies whereas 19 estimates of co-infection were found in 17 studies. The pooled HIV prevalence was 8.48% (CI: 7.01-9.95) and the pooled Syphilis prevalence was 9.86% (CI: 8.30-11.41) with significant heterogeneity and publication bias. The pooled prevalence of HIV and Syphilis co-infection was 2.99% (CI: 1.70-4.27) with significant heterogeneity and no publication bias. The HIV, Syphilis, and HIV-Syphilis co-infection prevalence estimates exhibited an upward trend during 2002-2017. Conclusions: HIV, Syphilis, and their co-infection are quite prevalent among MSM in the Asia-Pacific region. Integrated and intensified intervention strategies, HIV testing, and improved access to antiretroviral treatment as well as increased awareness are needed to reduce HIV, Syphilis, and their co-infection among the discussed vulnerable group.

Non-contrast estimate of blood-brain barrier permeability in humans using arterial spin labeling and magnetization transfer at 7 T.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction is associated with a number of central nervous system diseases. This study demonstrates the application of a novel noninvasive technique to measure the BBB permeability in the human brain at 7 T. The technique exploits the fact that, when tissue macromolecules are saturated by off-resonance RF pulse, the intravascular and the extravascular (tissue) water experience different magnetization transfer effects. This principle was combined with arterial spin labeling to distinguish between the intravascular and the tissue water, and was used to calculate perfusion, water extraction fraction (E), and BBB permeability surface area product for water (PS). Simultaneous coregistered magnetization transfer ratio maps were also generated that can provide valuable additional information. Eighteen healthy volunteers (seven females), age = 27 ± 11 years and weight = 65 ± 9 kg, participated in the study. Average perfusion was 67 ± 5 and 29 ± 4 ml/100 g/min (p < 0.05); and E was 0.921 ± 0.025 and 0.962 ± 0.015 (p < 0.05) in the gray matter (GM) and the white matter (WM), respectively. PS was higher in the GM (171 ± 20 ml/100 g/min) compared with the WM (95 ± 18 ml/100 g/min) (p < 0.05). The parameters exhibited good reliability with test re-test experiments. The sensitivity of this technique was demonstrated by 200 mg caffeine intake, which resulted in a decrease in the resting PS by ~31%.

Repeatability assessment for simultaneous measurement of arterial blood flow, venous oxygen saturation, and muscle perfusion following dynamic exercise.

The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate a new sequence and determine the repeatability of simultaneous dynamic measurements of blood flow, venous oxygen saturation (SvO2 ), and relative perfusion (change from resting perfusion) in calf muscle during recovery from plantar flexion exercise. The feasibility of near simultaneous measurement of bio-energetic parameters was also demonstrated. A sequence was developed to simultaneously measure arterial blood flow using flow-encoded projection, SvO2 using susceptibility-based oximetry, and relative perfusion using arterial spin labeling in combination with dynamic plantar flexion exercise. The parameters were determined at rest and during recovery from single leg plantar flexion exercise. Test-retest repeatability was analyzed using Bland-Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The mitochondrial capacity of skeletal muscle was also measured immediately afterwards with dynamic phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Eight healthy subjects participated in the study for test-retest repeatability. Popliteal artery blood flow at rest was 1.79 ± 0.58 ml/s and increased to 11.18 ± 3.02 ml/s immediately after exercise. Popliteal vein SvO2 decreased to 45.93% ± 6.5% from a resting value of 70.46% ± 4.76% following exercise. Relative perfusion (change from rest value) was 51.83 ± 15.00 ml/100 g/min at the cessation of exercise. The recovery of blood flow and SvO2 was modeled as a single exponential with time constants of 38.03 ± 6.91 and 71.19 ± 14.53 s, respectively. All the measured parameters exhibited good repeatability with ICC ranging from 0.8 to 0.95. Bioenergetics measurements were within normal range, demonstrating the feasibility of near simultaneous measurement of hemodynamic and energetic parameters. Clinical feasibility was assessed with Barth syndrome patients, demonstrating reduced oxygen extraction from the blood and reduced mitochondrial oxidative capacity compared with healthy controls. The proposed protocol allows rapid imaging of multiple parameters in skeletal muscle that might be affected in disease.

Evaluation of the effect of a Nursing System Framework on Nurse Sensitive Indicators, mortality and readmission in an NHS Trust.

In 2018, an NHS Trust (UK) implemented an innovative Nursing System Framework (NSF). The NSF formalized a two-year strategy, which provided teams with clear aims and measurable objectives to deliver care. Failures of coordination of nursing services are well-recognized threats to the quality, safety and sustainability of care provision. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of introducing a NSF in an NHS Trust, using nursing sensitive indicators and pre-selected mortality, data outcome measures. DESIGN: A before and after implementation, observational study. METHODS: 105,437 admissions were extracted at an admission record level. Data was extracted from 1st September 2018 through to the 31st August 2019. RESULTS: Using SQUIRE guidelines to report the study, insufficient evidence was found to reject a null hypothesis with a chi-squared test of association between in-hospital death and the NSF intervention period, with a p-value of .091. However, trends were seen in the data, which suggested a positive association. CONCLUSION: The NSF is a complex intervention, which provides direction for improvements but requires further research to understand the benefits for nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and patients.

Knowledge, attitude, practices, and determinants of them toward tuberculosis among social media users in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that causes thousands of deaths in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the 30 high TB burden countries. In this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge, practices, and attitude toward TB, and to determine the factors associated with them among people who have internet access in Bangladesh. Design, Setting, and Participant: A web-based anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted from May 20 to August 10, 2021, among people (age> = 18 years) who have internet access in Bangladesh. A comprehensive consent statement was included at the beginning of the survey and informed consent was taken. OUTCOME MEASURES: This study's outcomes of interest were respondents' adequate knowledge, good practices, and positive attitudes toward TB and were coded binarily. The association between respondents' socio-demographic factors and knowledge, attitude, and practices toward TB was inspected using the Chi-square test and Multivariable logistic regression model. RESULTS: Among 1,180 respondents, 58.64% were males, and 62.37% were married. The majority of the participants (78.28%) were aged between 18 to 44 years. Overall adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices about TB were found respectively in 47.8%, 44.75%, and 31.19% of the people with internet access in Bangladesh. Almost the same sets of associated factors were found to influence adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices toward TB among social media users in Bangladesh. Males, young, unmarried, social media users with higher education, and urban social media users were more likely to have adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices toward TB. CONCLUSION: Policymakers need to design programs and interventions to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward TB in Bangladesh with a particular focus on females, young and older people, people who live in rural areas, and illiterate/less educated people. Social media can be a powerful medium for disseminating scientific facts on TB and other diseases.

The acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine at early stage of development and approval: A global systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Vaccination seems to be the most effective way to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, a disease that has adversely impacted the lives of over 7 billion people across the globe. Vaccine hesitancy represents an important threat to combat infectious diseases worldwide. This study aims to inspect the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate worldwide and the regional variation of the acceptance rates among the general population and healthcare workers across different territories of the world. In addition, it compares the vaccine acceptance rates between the pre- and post-vaccine approval periods. Method: A comprehensive systematic review was conducted using PRISMA statements. After quality evaluation, the data from eligible studies were analyzed using the random effect model. Q-test and I 2 statistics were used to search for heterogeneity. The publication bias was assessed by using Egger's test and funnel plot. Results: The combined COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate among the general population and healthcare workers (n = 1,581,562) was estimated at 62.79% (95% CI: 58.98-66.60). The acceptance rate substantially decreased from 66.29% (95% CI: 61.24-71.35) to 56.69% (95% CI: 48.68-64.71) among the general population from the pre-to post-vaccine approval periods but remained almost constant at 58.25% (95% CI: 46.52-69.97) among healthcare workers. The acceptance rates also varied in different regions of the world. The highest acceptance rate was found in the South-East Asia region at 70.18% (95% CI: 58.12-82.25) and the lowest was found in African Region at 39.51% (95% CI: 23.42-55.59). Conclusion: Low COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate might be a massive barrier to controlling the pandemic. More research is needed to address the responsible factors influencing the low global rate of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Integrated global efforts are required to remove the barriers.

Side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and perceptions about COVID-19 and its vaccines in Bangladesh: A Cross-sectional study.

Objective: One of the primary reasons for hesitancy in taking COVID-19 vaccines is the fear of side effects. This study primarily aimed to inspect the potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines circulated in Bangladesh.Design and Settings.The study was based on a cross-sectional anonymous online survey conducted in December 2021 across Bangladesh.Participants.The study included consenting Bangladeshi individuals aged 12 and above who had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.Main Outcome.Analyses were carried out through exploratory analysis, Chi-square test, and logistic regression to investigate potential side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines. Results: A total of 1,180 vaccinated people participated in the study. Only 39.48% of the participants reported at least one side effect after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Injection-site pain, fever, headache, redness/swelling at the injection site, and lethargy were the most commonly reported adverse effects, all of which were mild and lasted 1-3 days. Side effects were most prevalent (about 80%) among individuals who received Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines and were least common among those who received Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines (21%-28%). When compared to the Sinopharm vaccines, the OxfordAstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna vaccines were 4.51 times (95% CI: 2.53-8.04), 5.37 times (95% CI: 2.57-11.22), and 4.28 times (95% CI: 2.28-8.05) likelier to produce side effects. Furthermore, males, those over 50 years old, urban dwellers, smokers, and those with underlying health issues had a considerably increased risk of developing side effects. A lack of confidence in vaccines' efficacy and a substantial level of hesitancy in allowing children (age five years or over) and older people (70 years or over) to receive COVID-19 vaccines were also observed. Conclusion: Side effects of COVID-19 vaccines are minimal, demonstrating their safety. Efforts should be made to disseminate such findings worldwide to increase vaccine uptake.

Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern: A review on its transmissibility, immune evasion, reinfection, and severity.

ABSTRACT: Omicron, the new Covid-19 variant, has already become dominant in many countries and is spreading at an unprecedented speed. The objective of this study was to review the existing literature on Omicron's transmissibility, immune evasion, reinfection, and severity.A literature search was performed using "PubMed," "Web of Science," "Scopus," "ScienceDirect," "Google Scholar," "medRxiv," and "bioRxiv." Data were extracted from articles that reported at least one of the following: transmissibility, immune evasion, reinfection, and severity related to Omicron.We found that Omicron spread faster than any other variant. This higher transmissibility can be ascribed to its extraordinary ability to evade the immunity developed by both vaccination and previous infections. However, we found that infections by Omicron were significantly less severe than those caused by Delta and other previous variants. We observed a significantly lower incidence of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and mechanical ventilator use in Omicron infections than in Delta or other variants. A substantially shorter median hospital stay and lower fatality rate were also observed in the Omicron infections. Despite Omicron's higher potential to evade immunity, vaccines and booster shots were found to be still significantly effective in protecting against severe Covid-19 infections.Omicrons may be less severe than other variants of concern. However, its immune evasiveness and rapid spread pose an enormous threat to the global healthcare system.

Polarization and angular insensitive bendable metamaterial absorber for UV to NIR range.

Broadband absorbers are required for solar energy harvesting because they efficiently absorb the incident photon in the wide-ranging solar spectrum. To ensure high absorption of photons, metamaterial absorbers (MMAs) have been a growing area of interest in recent years. In this article, an MMA is proposed using a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure (Ni-SiO2-Ni) that shows a near-unity broadband absorption of wavelengths from 300 to 1600 nm, with a 95.77% average absorption and a peak absorption of 99.999% at 772.82 nm. The MMA is polarization insensitive as well as wide incident angle stable. Analysis of the effects of mechanical bending on the absorption of the proposed structure shows that absorption holds satisfactory values at different degrees of mechanical loading. The suggested MMA unit cell structure was computationally simulated using the Finite Integration Technique (FIT) and verified using the Finite Element Method (FEM). To analyze the feasibility of the proposed MMA as a solar cell, it is investigated with the universal AM 1.5 solar spectrum characteristics. Besides solar energy harvesting, the proposed MMA unit cell may be employed in a variety of diverse optical applications, including sensors, detectors, and imaging.

Application of Cyanidin-3-Glucosides as a functional food ingredient in rice-based bakery products.

BACKGROUND: Black pericarp rice has recently become popular among rice consumers for its diverse health benefits specially anti-cancer effect. Cyanidin-3-Glucosides (C3G), an prominant bioactive component of anthocyanins which is abundantly present in black pericarp rice. OBJECTIVES: We investigated, how effectively it can be used to fortify Cyanidin-3-Glucosides (C3G) content in red and white pericarp polished rice or rice based bakery products for more nutritional value. METHOD: In the present study, we have characterized several black pericarp rice cultivars along with some red pericarp and white pericarp rice cultivars by physicochemical including mineral profiling, and quantified the C3G by UFLC and LCMS. RESULTS: C3G content was significantly reduced from raw rice to cooked rice condition. All the black pericarp rice cultivars synthesized C3G, while this content was not detected in red and white pericarp rice cultivars. However, when 25% of black pericarp rice were mixed with 75% red or white pericarp polished rice, C3G content was significantly retained in cooked rice conditions. Formulation of rice-based bakery food product using black pericarp rice powder was also remarkably retained the C3G content as compared to that of cooking. Black rice is harder in texture, difficult to digest and needs higher energy for cooking. Therefore, we tried to circumvent these challenges by fortifying 25% of black pericarp rice with white or red pericarp rice. CONCLUSION: Fortification of C3G enriched black rice (25%) with red or white pericarp rice (75%) might bring a better nutritional quality in both cooking and baking condition. This may lead a way to the effective management of the non-communicable disease such as cancer for common rice consuming population.

Prospects and challenges of yellow flesh pangasius in international markets: secondary and primary evidence from Bangladesh.

The projected increase in aquaculture production by 2030 will mostly occur in countries of Asia and Africa, including Bangladesh. The pangasius (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) produced in Bangladesh, the second-largest producer globally, is mainly consumed by low-income domestic consumers and is poorly demanded in international markets. One reason for this is the yellow flesh of fish; consumers generally in mainstream international markets prefer to fish with white flesh. Reviewing secondary evidence and analyzing primary data, this article assesses the underlying reasons for the discolored pangasius flesh in Bangladesh and synthesizes strategies for avoiding discoloration to induce exports. The findings indicate that farming practices with high stocking density, infrequent water exchange, high organic matter in pond water, and the growth of carotenoid-containing cyanobacteria contribute to the discoloration of pangasius flesh. Artificial and natural pigments in feed and poor post-harvest handling of fish are also contributing factors. Furthermore, a positive correlation between water exchange, price, and yield at the farm is found, which indicates that farm-gate price and yield per hectare can increase with more frequent water exchange. The findings of this study provide strong evidence that improved aquaculture practices can solve the problem of discolored pangasius flesh and establish an export-oriented pangasius industry in Bangladesh.