TinyML-Sensor for Shelf Life Estimation of Fresh Date Fruits.

Fresh dates have a limited shelf life and are susceptible to spoilage, which can lead to economic losses for producers and suppliers. The problem of accurate shelf life estimation for fresh dates is essential for various stakeholders involved in the production, supply, and consumption of dates. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is one of the essential methods that improves the quality and increases the shelf life of fresh dates by reducing the rate of ripening. Therefore, this study aims to apply fast and cost-effective non-destructive techniques based on machine learning (ML) to predict and estimate the shelf life of stored fresh date fruits under different conditions. Predicting and estimating the shelf life of stored date fruits is essential for scheduling them for consumption at the right time in the supply chain to benefit from the nutritional advantages of fresh dates. The study observed the physicochemical attributes of fresh date fruits, including moisture content, total soluble solids, sugar content, tannin content, pH, and firmness, during storage in a vacuum and MAP at 5 and 24 ∘C every 7 days to determine the shelf life using a non-destructive approach. TinyML-compatible regression models were employed to predict the stages of fruit development during the storage period. The decrease in the shelf life of the fruits begins when they transition from the Khalal stage to the Rutab stage, and the shelf life ends when they start to spoil or ripen to the Tamr stage. Low-cost Visible-Near-Infrared (VisNIR) spectral sensors (AS7265x-multi-spectral) were used to capture the internal physicochemical attributes of the fresh fruit. Regression models were employed for shelf life estimation. The findings indicated that vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging with 20% CO2 and N balance efficiently increased the shelf life of the stored fresh fruit to 53 days and 44 days, respectively, when maintained at 5 ∘C. However, the shelf life decreased to 44 and 23 days when the vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging with 20% CO2 and N balance were maintained at room temperature (24 ∘C). Edge Impulse supports the training and deployment of models on low-cost microcontrollers, which can be used to predict real-time estimations of the shelf life of fresh dates using TinyML sensors.

Design of a Smart IoT-Based Control System for Remotely Managing Cold Storage Facilities.

Cold storage is deemed one of the main elements in food safety management to maintain food quality. The temperature, relative humidity (RH), and air quality in cold storage rooms (CSRs) should be carefully controlled to ensure food quality and safety during cold storage. In addition, the components of CSR are exposed to risks caused by the electric current, high temperature surrounding the compressor of the condensing unit, snow and ice accumulation on the evaporator coils, and refrigerant gas leakage. These parameters affect the stored product quality, and the real-time sending of warnings is very important for early preemptive actionability against the risks that may cause damage to the components of the cold storage rooms. The IoT-based control (IoT-BC) with multipurpose sensors in food technologies presents solutions for postharvest quality management of fruits during cold storage. Therefore, this study aimed to design and evaluate a IoT-BC system to remotely control, risk alert, and monitor the microclimate parameters, i.e., RH, temperature, CO2, C2H4, and light and some operating parameters, i.e., the temperature of the refrigeration compressor, the electrical current, and the energy consumption for a modified CSR (MCSR). In addition, the impacts of the designed IoT-BC system on date fruit quality during cold storage were investigated compared with a traditional CSR (TCSR) as a case study. The results showed that the designed IoT-BC system precisely controlled the MCSR, provided reliable data about the interior microclimate atmosphere, applied electrical current and energy consumption of the MCSR, and sent the necessary alerts in case of an emergency based on real-time data analytics. There was no significant effect of the storage time on the most important quality attributes for stored date fruit in the MCSR compared with the TCSR. As a result, the MCSR maintained high-quality attributes of date fruits during cold storage. Based on the positive impact of the designed IoT-BC system on the MCSR and stored fruit quality, this modification seems quite suitable for remotely managing cold storage facilities.

Association of statin use in older people primary prevention group with risk of cardiovascular events and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence from randomized controlled trials on statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older people, especially those aged > 75 years, is still lacking. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to extend the current evidence about the association of statin use in older people primary prevention group with risk of CVD and mortality. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were searched from inception until March 18, 2021. We included observational studies (cohort or nested case-control) that compared statin use vs non-use for primary prevention of CVD in older people aged ≥ 65 years; provided that each of them reported the risk estimate on at least one of the following primary outcomes: all cause-mortality, CVD death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke. Risk estimates of each relevant outcome were pooled as a hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) using the random-effects meta-analysis model. The quality of the evidence was rated using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: Ten observational studies (9 cohorts and one case-control study; n = 815,667) fulfilled our criteria. The overall combined estimate suggested that statin therapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 0.86 [95% CI 0.79 to 0.93]), CVD death (HR: 0.80 [95% CI 0.78 to 0.81]), and stroke (HR: 0.85 [95% CI 0.76 to 0.94]) and a non-significant association with risk of MI (HR 0.74 [95% CI 0.53 to 1.02]). The beneficial association of statins with the risk of all-cause mortality remained significant even at higher ages (> 75 years old; HR 0.88 [95% CI 0.81 to 0.96]) and in both men (HR: 0.75 [95% CI: 0.74 to 0.76]) and women (HR 0.85 [95% CI 0.72 to 0.99]). However, this association with the risk of all-cause mortality remained significant only in those with diabetes mellitus (DM) (HR 0.82 [95% CI 0.68 to 0.98]) but not in those without DM. The level of evidence of all the primary outcomes was rated as "very low." CONCLUSIONS: Statin therapy in older people (aged ≥ 65 years) without CVD was associated with a 14%, 20%, and 15% lower risk of all-cause mortality, CVD death, and stroke, respectively. The beneficial association with the risk of all-cause mortality remained significant even at higher ages (> 75 years old), in both men and women, and in individuals with DM, but not in those without DM. These observational findings support the need for trials to test the benefits of statins in those above 75 years of age.

Efficient IoT-Based Control for a Smart Subsurface Irrigation System to Enhance Irrigation Management of Date Palm.

Drought is the most severe problem for agricultural production, and the intensity of this problem is increasing in most cultivated areas around the world. Hence improving water productivity is the primary purpose of sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to use cloud IoT solutions to control a modern subsurface irrigation system for improving irrigation management of date palms in arid regions. To achieve this goal, we designed, constructed, and validated the performance of a fully automated controlled subsurface irrigation system (CSIS) to monitor and control the irrigation water amount remotely. The CSIS is based on an autonomous sensors network to instantly collect the climatic parameters and volumetric soil water content in the study area. Therefore, we employed the ThingSpeak cloud platform to host sensor readings, perform algorithmic analysis, instant visualize the live data, create event-based alerts to the user, and send instructions to the IoT devices. The validation of the CSIS proved that automatically irrigating date palm trees controlled by the sensor-based irrigation scheduling (S-BIS) is more efficient than the time-based irrigation scheduling (T-BIS). The S-BIS provided the date palm with the optimum irrigation water amount at the opportune time directly in the functional root zone. Generally, the S-BIS and T-BIS of CSIS reduced the applied irrigation water amount by 64.1% and 61.2%, respectively, compared with traditional surface irrigation (TSI). The total annual amount of applied irrigation water for CSIS with S-BIS method, CSIS with T-BIS method, and TSI was 21.04, 22.76, and 58.71 m3 palm-1, respectively. The water productivity at the CSIS with S-BIS (1.783 kg m-3) and T-BIS (1.44 kg m-3) methods was significantly higher compared to the TSI (0.531 kg m-3). The CSIS with the S-BIS method kept the volumetric water content in the functional root zone next to the field capacity compared to the T-BIS method. The deigned CSIS with the S-BIS method characterized by the positive impact on the irrigation water management and enhancement on fruit yield of the date palm is quite proper for date palm irrigation in the arid regions.

Design and Validation of Computerized Flight-Testing Systems with Controlled Atmosphere for Studying Flight Behavior of Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier).

Understanding the flight characteristics of insect pests is essential for designing effective strategies and programs for their management. In this study, we designed, constructed, and validated the performance of modern flight-testing systems (flight mill and flight tunnel) for studying the flight behavior of red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) under a controlled atmosphere. The flight-testing mill consisted of a flight mill, a testing chamber with an automatically controlled microclimate, and a data logging and processing unit. The data logging and processing unit consisted of a USB digital oscilloscope connected with a laptop. We used MATLAB 2020A to implement a graphical user interface (GUI) for real-time sampling and data processing. The flight-testing tunnel was fitted with a horizontal video camera to photograph the insects during flight. The program of Image-Pro plus V 10.0.8 was used for image processing and numerical data analysis to determine weevil tracking. The mean flight speed of RPW was 82.12 ± 8.5 m/min, and the RPW stopped flying at the temperature of 20 °C. The RPW flight speed in the flight tunnel was slightly higher than that on the flight mill. The angular deceleration was 0.797 rad/s2, and the centripetal force was 0.0203 N when a RPW tethered to the end of the rotating arm. The calculated moment of inertia of the RPW mass and the flight mill's rotating components was 9.521 × 10-3 N m2. The minimum thrust force needed to rotate the flight mill was 1.98 × 10-3 N. Therefore, the minimum power required to rotate the flight mill with the mean revolution per min of 58.02 rpm was approximately 2.589 × 10-3 W. The designed flight-testing systems and their applied software proved productive and useful tools in unveiling essential flight characteristics of test insects in the laboratory.

Investigation of total zinc contents and zinc-protein profile in medicinal plants traditionally used for diabetes treatment.

This study aims at the assessment of total zinc contents, water zinc extract contents and zinc-protein profile in medicinal plants traditionally used for diabetes treatment. While zinc-protein profile was screened in plant samples using the online coupling of size exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS), total zinc contents and zinc water extract contents were determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The analysis of two certified reference materials with similar matrix for total zinc content revealed recovery values of 97.1% and 100.5% while the average of recovery of the summed Zn concentrations from protein fractions compared to total Zn was 103.0 ± 4.8%. Based on the FAO/WHO classification, Sesamum indicum, Nigella sativa, Trigonella Foenum-graecum and Pennisetum glaucum are classified as highest Zn-content. For protein profile, zinc was quantified in 330-430 and 50-60 kDa fractions of all examined plants while no contents were quantified in the inorganic fraction 0.05-0.4 kDa of all plant species. Also, only three plant species recorded Zn contents in the phytate fraction (0.9-1.5 kDa fraction). The fruits of the Momordica Charantia and the Citrullus colocynthis were with the highest extractable zinc concentration; 13.55 ± 0.45 and 10.08 ± 0.63 mg/kg, respectively. The highest Zinc capturing capacity was reported for the 50-60 and 70-87 KDa protein fractions.

A Cloud-Based IoT Platform for Precision Control of Soilless Greenhouse Cultivation.

Food security has become an increasingly important challenge for all countries globally, particularly as the world population continues to grow and arable lands are diminishing due to urbanization. Water scarcity and lack of labor add extra negative influence on traditional agriculture and food production. The problem is getting worse in countries with arid lands and harsh climate, which exacerbates the food gap in these countries. Therefore, smart and practical solutions to promote cultivation and combat food production challenges are highly needed. As a controllable environment, greenhouses are the perfect environment to improve crops' production and quality in harsh climate regions. Monitoring and controlling greenhouse microclimate is a real problem where growers have to deal with various parameters to ensure the optimal growth of crops. This paper shows our research in which we established a multi-tier cloud-based Internet of things (IoT) platform to enhance the greenhouse microclimate. As a case study, we applied the IoT platform on cucumber cultivation in a soilless medium inside a commercial-sized greenhouse. The established platform connected all sensors, controllers, and actuators placed in the greenhouse to provide long-distance communication to monitor, control, and manage the greenhouse. The implemented platform increased the cucumber yield and enhanced its quality. Moreover, the platform improved water use efficiency and decreased consumption of electrical energy. Based on the positive impact on water use efficiency and enhancement on cucumber fruit yield and quality, the established platform seems quite suitable for the soilless greenhouse cultivation in arid regions.

Rotational thromboelastometry and standard coagulation tests for live liver donors.

PURPOSE: To study coagulation of live liver donors with standard coagulation tests (SCT) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and investigate their relationship. METHODS: A descriptive prospective study involving 50 right hepatotomy donors with epidural catheters. ROTEM (EXTEM, INTEM, and FIBTEM represent extrinsic and intrinsic pathways of coagulation and fibrinogen activity, respectively) was measured perioperatively and on days 1, 3, 5, 10, and 30. SCTs include prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR) of PT, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPPT), fibrinogen, and platelets. RESULTS: PT and INR reflect hypocoagulability reaching maximum on day one (16.9 ± 2.5 s, 1.4 ± 0.2, p < 0.05 compared with baseline). ROTEM was in normal ranges till day 30 with no hypercoagulability. Fibrinogen showed no correlation with maximum clot firmness (MCF) of FIBTEM (r = 0.35, p > 0.05). CFT of EXTEM was not in significant correlation with PT and INR (r = 0.16, 0.19, p > 0.05), respectively. Significant correlation between platelets and both MCF (EXTEM; r = 0.59, p = 0.004) and MCF (INTEM; r = 0.48, p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: ROTEM disagreed with SCTs and did not show the temporary hypocoagulability suggested by SCTs. Both ROTEM and SCTs showed no signs of hypercoagulability. Future studies involving ROTEM could help develop new guidelines for coagulation monitoring.

Association between electronic nicotine delivery systems use and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of 1,024,401 participants.

Introduction: To evaluate the relationship between electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use and the risk of stroke when compared to non-smokers. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted until June 15, 2023. We included observational studies that assessed association of current or former usage of ENDS with risk of stroke compared with non-smokers, reported the risk estimate as odds ratio (OR) or hazard ratio (HR) and were adjusted for possible confounders. Results: 6 studies with 1,024,401 participants were included in our analysis. ENDS use was associated with a significant increased risk of stroke (OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.17-1.97) compared with non-users. A non-significant association was found between former ENDS use and risk of stroke (OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.87-1.21). Conclusions: The ENDS usage appears to be associated with a higher risk of stroke compared to non-use, whereas there was no association between former ENDS use and the risk of stroke.

Impact of Modified Atmosphere Packaging Conditions on Quality of Dates: Experimental Study and Predictive Analysis Using Artificial Neural Networks.

Dates are highly perishable fruits, and maintaining their quality during storage is crucial. The current study aims to investigate the impact of storage conditions on the quality of dates (Khalas and Sukary cultivars) at the Tamer stage and predict their quality attributes during storage using artificial neural networks (ANN). The studied storage conditions were the modified atmosphere packing (MAP) gases (CO2, O2, and N), packaging materials, storage temperature, and storage time, and the evaluated quality attributes were moisture content, firmness, color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and ∆E), pH, water activity, total soluble solids, and microbial contamination. The findings demonstrated that the storage conditions significantly impacted (p < 0.05) the quality of the two stored date cultivars. The use of MAP with 20% CO2 + 80% N had a high potential to decrease the rate of color transformation and microbial growth of dates stored at 4 °C for both stored date cultivars. The developed ANN models efficiently predicted the quality changes of stored dates closely aligned with observed values under the different storage conditions, as evidenced by low Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) values. In addition, the reliability of the developed ANN models was further affirmed by the linear regression between predicted and measured values, which closely follow the 1:1 line, with R2 values ranging from 0.766 to 0.980, the ANN models demonstrate accurate estimating of fruit quality attributes. The study's findings contribute to food quality and supply chain management through the identification of optimal storage conditions and predicting the fruit quality during storage under different atmosphere conditions, thereby minimizing food waste and enhancing food safety.

Combined Impact of Irrigation, Potassium Fertilizer, and Thinning Treatments on Yield, Skin Separation, and Physicochemical Properties of Date Palm Fruits.

Orchard cultural practices, i.e., irrigation, fertilizer, and fruit thinning, are crucially encompassed to enhance fruit yield and quality. Appropriate irrigation and fertilizer inputs improve plant growth and fruit quality, but their overuse leads to the degradation of the ecosystem and water quality, and other biological concerns. Potassium fertilizer improves fruit sugar and flavor and accelerates fruit ripening. Bunch thinning also significantly reduces the crop burden and improves the physicochemical characteristics of the fruit. Therefore, the present study aims to appraise the combined impact of irrigation, sulfate of potash (SOP) fertilizer, and fruit bunch thinning practices on fruit yield and quality of date palm cv. Sukary under the agro-climatic condition of the Al-Qassim (Buraydah) region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To achieve these objectives, four irrigation levels (80, 100, 120, and 140% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), three SOP fertilizer doses (2.5, 5, and 7.5 kg palm-1), and three fruit bunch thinning levels (8, 10, and 12 bunches palm-1) were applied. The effects of these factors were determined on fruit bunch traits, physicochemical fruit characteristics, fruit texture profile, fruit color parameters, fruit skin separation disorder, fruit grading, and yield attributes. The findings of the present study showed that the lowest (80% ETc) and highest (140% ETc) irrigation water levels, lowest SOP fertilizer dose (2.5 kg palm-1), and retaining the highest number of fruit bunch per tree (12 bunches) had a negative effect on most yield and quality attributes of date palm cv. Sukary. However, maintaining the date palm water requirement at 100 and 120% ETc, applying SOP fertilizer doses at 5 and 7.5 kg palm-1, and retaining 8-10 fruit bunches per palm had significantly positive effects on the fruit yield and quality characteristics. Therefore, it is concluded that applying 100% ETc irrigation water combined with a 5 kg palm-1 SOP fertilizer dose and maintaining 8-10 fruit bunches per palm is more equitable than other treatment combinations.

Experimental Investigation and Modeling for the Influence of Adding Date Press Cake on Drinkable Yogurt Quality.

The extraction of date syrup produces a large quantity of by-product known as date press cake (DPC). This study aimed to utilize valuable ingredients of the DPC by adding 0 (Control), 2, 4, and 6% (g/100 g) of its powder to drinkable yogurt before fermentation. The physicochemical properties, texture profile, and sensory evaluation of the treated DPC-based drinkable yogurt (DPC drinkable yogurt) were measured after fermentation and 5, 10, and 15 days of storage at 4 °C. The modeling of the most critical quality attributes, i.e., pH, acidity, syneresis, water holding capacity (WHC), viscosity, and color difference (ΔE), was conducted to predict their values based on the DPC percentage and storage period. The DPC drinkable yogurt's total solids, protein, and fat ranged between 11.19-11.83, 3.10-3.42, and 2.26-2.34%, respectively. Adding 2-6% DPC slightly increased the pH of DPC drinkable yogurt and decreased its acidity (p > 0.05) during storage. Increasing the DPC percent in DPC drinkable yogurt decreased the syneresis value, and WHC increased during storage. The color parameters and viscosity of DPC drinkable yogurt recorded the highest value at the end of the storage period for all treatments and increased steadily with the increase in DPC. The evaluation of the prediction models indicated that the predicted values were close to the actual experimental values for pH (R2 = 0.779), acidity (R2 = 0.973), syneresis (R2 = 0.961), WHC (R2 = 0.989), viscosity (R2 = 0.99), L* (R2 = 0.919), a* (R2 = 0.995), b* (R2 = 0.922), and ΔE (R2 = 0.921). The textural analysis indicated that increasing the concentration of DPC in the DPC drinkable yogurt increased hardness (g), springiness, cohesiveness, and gumminess and decreased adhesiveness and resilience during cold storage. The evaluation of sensory acceptance during the cold storage of the DPC drinkable yogurt was conducted by 30 expert panelists. Each panelist received four cups of 10 mL drinkable yogurt treatments at 5-10 °C. The evaluation results indicated that adding 2% of DPC was closest in overall sensory acceptability to the control sample (p < 0.05). This study revealed the potential use of DPC in drinkable yogurt as a natural, functional, and low-cost ingredient to improve the fiber content, physicochemical properties, and overall acceptability. Therefore, the fermented DPC-based yogurt drink has the potency to be a practical, value-added, and novel alternative to dairy-based yogurt.

Malignant infantile osteopetrosis in a 3-year-old Yemeni child: a case report.

Infantile malignant osteopetrosis (IMOP) is a rare bone resorptive disorder with an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. It is characterized by increased bone density due to osteoclastic failure in differentiation or function. The clinical manifestations of IMOP start at birth or infancy with varied rings according to the type and degree of osteopetrosis. We presented a 3-year-old female patient referred to us due to chronic anaemia six months ago. The physical examination revealed hepatosplenomegaly, axial hypotonia, and visual impairment. Blood investigation revealed pancytopenia and hypocalcemia. Radiologic studies revealed a generalized increase in bone density, abnormal metaphyseal remodelling, and rain atrophy. The bone marrow aspiration (BMA) shows dry tap and hypocellularity of all cell lines. IMOP was diagnosed depending on clinical, radiologic, and BMA results. In conclusion, IMOP is relatively uncommon. Accurate diagnosis should be made through clinical, BMA, and radiologic investigations, especially in a resource-limited setting, as performed in our case.

Prediction of Date Fruit Quality Attributes during Cold Storage Based on Their Electrical Properties Using Artificial Neural Networks Models.

Evaluating and predicting date fruit quality during cold storage is critical for ensuring a steady supply of high-quality fruits to meet market demands. The traditional destructive methods take time in the laboratory, and the results are based on one specific parameter being tested. Modern modeling techniques, such as Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, offer unique benefits in nondestructive methods for food safety detection and predicting quality attributes. In addition, the electrical properties of agricultural products provide crucial information about the interior structures of biological tissues and their physicochemical status. Therefore, this study aimed to use an alternative approach to predict physicochemical properties, i.e., the pH, total soluble solids (TSS), water activity (aw), and moisture content (MC) of date fruits (Tamar), during cold storage based on their electrical properties using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), which is the most popular ML technique. Ten date fruit cultivars were studied to collect data for the targeted parameters at different cold storage times (0, 2, 4, and 6 months) to train and test the ANNs models. The electrical properties of the date fruits were measured using a high-precision LCR (inductance, capacitance, and resistance) meter from 10 Hz to 100 kHz. The ANNs models were compared with a Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) at all testing frequencies of the electrical properties. The MLR models were less accurate than ANNs models in predicting fruit pH and had low performance and weak predictive ability for the TSS, aw, and MC at all testing frequencies. The optimal ANNs prediction model consisted of the input layer with 14 neurons, one hidden layer with 15 neurons, and the output layer with 4 neurons, which was determined depending on the measurements of the electrical properties at a 10 kHz testing frequency. This optimal ANNs model was able to predict the pH with R2 = 0.938 and RMSE = 0.121, TSS with R2 = 0.954 and RMSE = 2.946, aw with R2 = 0.876 and RMSE = 0.020, and MC with R2 = 0.855 and RMSE = 0.803 b by using the measured electrical properties. The developed ANNs model is a powerful tool for predicting fruit quality attributes after learning from the experimental measurement parameters. It can be suggested to efficiently predict the pH, total soluble solids, water activity, and moisture content of date fruits based on their electrical properties at 10 kHz.

Effect of the Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors on Inflammatory Markers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize more conclusive evidence on the anti-inflammatory effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were searched from inception until March 1, 2021. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that assessed the effect of ACEIs or ARBs, compared with placebo, on any of the following markers: C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), or tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Mean changes in the levels of these markers were pooled as a weighted mean difference (WMD) with a 95% CI. RESULTS: Thirty-two RCTs (n=3489 patients) were included in the final analysis. Overall pooled analysis suggested that ACEIs significantly reduced plasma levels of CRP (WMD, -0.54 [95% CI, -0.88 to -0.21]; P=.002; I2=96%), IL-6 (WMD, -0.84 [95% CI, -1.03 to -0.64]; P<.001; I2=0%), and TNF-α (WMD, -12.75 [95% CI, -17.20 to -8.29]; P<.001; I2=99%). Moreover, ARBs showed a significant reduction only in IL-6 (WMD, -1.34 [95% CI, -2.65 to -0.04]; P=.04; I2=85%) and did not significantly affect CRP (P=.15) or TNF-α (P=.97) levels. The lowering effect of ACEIs on CRP levels remained significant with enalapril (P=.006) and perindopril (P=.01) as well as with a treatment duration of less than 24 weeks (WMD, -0.67 [95% CI, -1.07 to -0.27]; P=.001; I2=94%) and in patients with coronary artery disease (WMD, -0.75 [95% CI, -1.17 to -0.33]; P<.001; I2=96%). CONCLUSION: Based on this meta-analysis, ACEIs showed a beneficial lowering effect on CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α, whereas ARBs were effective as a class in reduction of IL-6 only.

Activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling by gallic acid suppresses progression of human breast cancer in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Despite the significant advances in diagnosis and treatment, breast cancer remains the most common malignancy and the second cause of death in women. Increasingly, preclinical evidence has suggested aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), a ligand activated transcription factor, a promising therapeutic target in breast cancer. PURPOSE: This study aims at screening a number of phenolic compounds to identify an Ahr ligand with suppressive effects on human breast cancer. METHODS: Potential interactions between Ahr and phenolic compounds were predicted in silico, and physical interaction was examined by ligand competitive binding in vitro. The MDA-MB-231 and T47D breast cancer cell lines were used to examine the expression of Ahr downstream genes and progression of breast cancer cells in vitro. Binding of Ahr/Ahr nuclear transporter (Arnt) complex to the xenobiotic-responsive element (XRE)-box was examined by DNA-protein interaction (DPI)-ELISA, promoter activity was assessed using luciferase reporter system, and RNA interreference was carried out using electroporation. The real-time PCR and/or immunoblotting were used to quantify gene expressions. Tumor growth in vivo was assessed using a murine orthotopic model. RESULTS: A combined computational modeling and in vitro approaches identified gallic acid (GA) as an Ahr ligand with agonistic properties. It induced binding of Ahr/Arnt to the XRE-box, enhanced the promoter activity and expression of Ahr downstream genes including cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), and SRY-related HMG-box4 (SOX4)-targeting miR-212/132 cluster and miR-335 in both MDA-MB-231 and T47D cells. GA increased apoptosis while decreased proliferation, migration and invasion capacities of breast cancer cells in an Ahr-dependent fashion. Furthermore, it reduced the levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and SOX4, while selectively increased that of tumor protein 53 (P53), in an Ahr-dependent and -independent fashions. In an in vivo orthotopic model, GA activated Ahr signaling and reduced the growth of breast cancer cells. CONCLUSION: We identified GA as an Ahr phenolic ligand, and provided evidence on the role of Ahr in mediating its anti-breast cancer effects, indicating that GA, and possibly other phenolic compounds, have important therapeutic implications in human breast cancer through activation of Ahr signaling.

Development and Evaluation of an Ultrasonic Humidifier to Control Humidity in a Cold Storage Room for Postharvest Quality Management of Dates.

Dates are subjected to postharvest losses in quality and quantity caused by water loss, fermentation, insect infestation, and microbial spoilage during storage. Cold storage is the main element in the postharvest quality management used for fruit preservation. Although cold storage is used for dates, precision control of the relative humidity (RH) using ultrasonic applications is not used thus far, or it is applied to other fruits on a small scale. Therefore, we designed and constructed an ultrasonic humidifier (DUH) for RH control in the cold storage room (CSR) of dates. The optimum air velocity of 3 m s-1 at the outlets of the DUH ducts produced a mist amount of 6.8 kg h-1 with an average droplet diameter of 4.26 ± 1.43 µm at the applied voltage of 48 V and frequency of 2600 kHz of the transducers. The experimental validation was carried out by comparing a CSR controlled with the DUH with two conventional CSRs. The three tested CSRs were similar in dimensions, cooling system, and amount of stored dates. The time required for cooling 800 kg of dates in the controlled CSR from 25 °C to the target temperature of 5 °C was approximately 48 h. The DUH precisely controlled the RH at the maximum RH set point of 80% in the tested CSR at 5 °C. The controlled RH at 80% has a positive impact on the physicochemical characteristics of the stored dates. It significantly reduced the weight loss of the fruits and preserved fruit mass, moisture content, water activity, firmness, and color parameters. However, no significant effect was observed on fruit dimensions, sphericity, and aspect ratio. The microbial loads of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, molds, and yeasts fell within the acceptable limits in all tested CSRs. Both stored date fruits and artificially infested dates showed no signs of insect activity in the controlled CSR at the temperature of 5 °C and RH of 80%. The DUH proved to be a promising technology for postharvest quality management for dates during cold storage.

The Combined Effects of Precision-Controlled Temperature and Relative Humidity on Artificial Ripening and Quality of Date Fruit.

Due to climatic variation, in-situ date palm fruit ripening is significantly delayed, and some fruits (Biser) cannot become ripe naturally on the tree. Because of that issue, the vast quantity of produce is mere wasted. Few traditional methods are adopted to ripe these unripe fruits through open sun drying or solar tunnel dehydration techniques. However, these methods have minimal use due to ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH) instability. Therefore, the present study was designed to find a precise combination of temperature and RH to artificially ripe the unripe Biser fruits under controlled environment chambers. For that purpose, eighteen automated artificial ripening systems were developed. The Biser fruits (cv. Khalas) were placed immediately after harvesting in the treatment chambers of the systems with three set-point temperatures (45, 50, and 55 °C) and six set-point RH (30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55%) until ripening. The optimal treatment combination for artificial ripening of Biser fruits was 50 °C and 50% RH. This combination provided good fruit size, color, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, and sugars content. As a result, there was a reduction in fruit weight loss and had optimum fruit ripening time. On the other hand, low temperature and RH delayed the ripening process, deteriorated fruit quality, and caused more weight loss. Although the combination of the highest temperature and RH (55 °C and 55%) reduced ripening time, the fruits have higher weight loss and negative quality. Therefore, the artificial ripening of unripe date palm Biser fruits can be achieved using 50 °C temperature and 50% RH combination. These findings can be applied in the field using solar energy systems on a commercial scale to reduce the postharvest loss of date palm fruits.

GAMOS/GEANT4 simulation and comparison study of X-ray narrow-spectrum series at the national Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory of Morocco.

This study aimed to simulate the X-ray Irradiator narrow-spectrum series and compare the results with experimental and recommended values in ISO standards. X-Ray beam qualities of N-40 to N-300 were established experimentally at the national Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL) of Morocco in purpose of calibrating radiation protection- level. The variations between the first half-value layer (1st HVL) and the second (2nd HVL) for experimental were within 5%. Also, homogeneity coefficients h were mostly between 0.75 and 1 according to ISO. GAMOS Monte Carlo code was used to simulate the radiation quality of narrow-spectrum series between N-40 to N-150. All 1st HVL, 2nd HVL, and h simulation values were compare with experimental and ISO values. In MC codes and GAMOS, there is no direct way to generate the X-ray spectrum if we do not have details of the X-ray tube geometry, dimensions and materials. Therefore, Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine report number 78 was used to generate the X-ray spectrums in purpose to test this method accuracy. The simulation results for the 1st HVL and 2nd HVL showed a good agreement with experimental data and with ISO 4037-1:1996 given values. Also, the comparison results showed that most of the homogeneity coefficients are within the ISO standard range.

The safety and effectiveness of Bakri balloon in the management of postpartum hemorrhage: a systematic review.

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a direct cause of maternal death all over the world. A Bakri balloon is recommended by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and World Health Organization (WHO) as a treatment line for PPH unresponsive to uterotonics. We carried out a systematic review to assess the safety and effectiveness of Bakri balloon in the management of PPH.Methods: We searched PubMed, SCOPUS, central Cochrane, and Web of Science, from 2001 to 2018 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies to assess the safety and effectiveness of Bakri balloon on refractory PPH.Results: Twenty-eight articles were included for analysis. The primary indication for the use of a Bakri balloon tamponade was PPH. Only 67.9% (19/28) quantified the estimate blood loss necessary to use the balloon. Uterine atony was the underlying cause of PPH in 75% (21/28) of studies. Most of the studies on Bakri balloon are followed by vaginal birth (3/4). Bakri balloon displacement from the uterine cavity was reported by five publications, with the overall rate being 9% (95% CI: 5-15%). Hysterectomy was necessary for 1% (95% CI: 0-8%) of the women who required the balloon.Conclusions: Bakri balloon seems to be a less effective tool for management of PPH either after vaginal or cesarean delivery.