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A novel self-powered and flexible enzymatic biofuel cell (EBFC)-based aptasensor was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of 17 ß-estradiol (E2). A flexible polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-tannic acidcarbon nanotube/reduced graphene oxide (PTCR) substrate was modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and thiolated aptamer 1 (Apt1) to yield Apt1@AuNPs/PTCR. A copper-based metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) with peroxidase mimicking activity was employed to anchor glucose oxidase (GOD) and Apt2, forming the Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 tag. When E2 was recognized by Apt1, the anchored E2 quantitatively recognized Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 to create a Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2-E2-Apt1 sandwich structure for glucose oxidation to generate electrical power. Increased E2 concentrations enhanced Cu-MOF@GOD/Apt2 capture and amplified the electrical signal. The electrical power increased linearly as the E2 concentration increased from 1.0 pM to 1.0 nM. The sensor was successfully applied to various food samples and blood serum detection. This work promoted the application of novel self-powered biosensors for food safety analysis.
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Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is an MRI modality used to non-invasively measure iron content in the brain. Iron exhibits a specific anatomically varying pattern of accumulation in the brain across individuals. The highest regions of accumulation are the deep grey nuclei, where iron is stored in paramagnetic molecule ferritin. This form of iron is considered to be what largely contributes to the signal measured by QSM in the deep grey nuclei. It is also known that QSM is affected by diamagnetic myelin contents. Here, we investigate spatial gene expression of iron and myelin related genes, as measured by the Allen Human Brain Atlas, in relation to QSM images of age-matched subjects. We performed multiple linear regressions between gene expression and the average QSM signal within 34 distinct deep grey nuclei regions. Our results show a positive correlation (p < .05, corrected) between expression of ferritin and the QSM signal in deep grey nuclei regions. We repeated the analysis for other genes that encode proteins thought to be involved in the transport and storage of iron in the brain, as well as myelination. In addition to ferritin, our findings demonstrate a positive correlation (p < .05, corrected) between the expression of ferroportin, transferrin, divalent metal transporter 1, several gene markers of myelinating oligodendrocytes, and the QSM signal in deep grey nuclei regions. Our results suggest that the QSM signal reflects both the storage and active transport of iron in the deep grey nuclei regions of the brain.
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Ferritinas , Homeostasis , Hierro , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Vaina de Mielina , Humanos , Hierro/metabolismo , Masculino , Femenino , Vaina de Mielina/metabolismo , Vaina de Mielina/genética , Adulto , Homeostasis/fisiología , Ferritinas/metabolismo , Ferritinas/genética , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Expresión Génica , Persona de Mediana Edad , Proteínas de Transporte de Catión/genética , Proteínas de Transporte de Catión/metabolismo , Adulto Joven , Mapeo Encefálico/métodosRESUMEN
Antioxidant compounds such as phenolics and carotenoids scavenge reactive oxygen species and protect against degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease when used as food additives or supplements. Mango peel is a by-product of mango which is a good source of bioactive substances such as phytochemicals, antioxidants, and dietary fibers. Unfortunately, the study on mango peel as a potential food additive is very limited. Accordingly, the present study aimed to develop functional noodles through extrusion technology with the encapsulation of mango peel powder as a natural source of bioactive compounds. First, mango peel powder (MPP) was prepared and incorporated during the mixing of ingredients before noodles formation at three different levels (2.5, 5 and 7.5 %). Afterward, the noodles were studied to determine how the encapsulated MPP affects the proximate composition, physicochemical characteristics, polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanin, antioxidant and antidiabetic activity, and sensory characteristics. The noodles exhibited a dose-dependent relationship in the content of bioactive components and functional activities with the encapsulation of MPP levels. A significantly (p 0.05) higher value was noticed in 7.5 % of MPP-encapsulated noodles than in any level of MPP encapsulation in noodles. The fiber and protein contents in the MPP-encapsulated noodles were increased by about 0-1.22 % and 0-3.16 %, respectively. However, noodles' color index and water absorption index were decreased with the level of MPP encapsulation. The cooking loss of noodles increased from 4.64 to 5.17, 6.49, and 7.32 %, whereas the cooked weight decreased from 35.11 to 34.40, 33.65, and 33.23 % with 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 % of MPP encapsulation, respectively. However, MPP was stable during storage of noodles exhibiting higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity than control samples. The sensory evaluation showed that MPP-encapsulated noodles at levels 2.5 and 5 % had approximately similar overall acceptability values with the control sample. As a result of the findings, it appears that adding MPP up to 5 % to noodles improves their nutritional quality without changing their cooking, structural, or sensory aspects. Therefore, mango peel powder can be a potential cheap source for the development of functional noodles and food ingredients.
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BACKGROUND: Dengue, a vector-borne disease, is a major public health problem in many tropical and subtropical countries including Bangladesh. The objective of this study is to estimate the societal cost of illness of dengue infections among the urban population in Dhaka, Bangladesh. METHODS: A cost-of-illness study was conducted using a prevalence-based approach from a societal perspective. Costs attributable to dengue were estimated from a bottom-up strategy using the guideline proposed by the World Health Organization for estimating the economic burden of infectious diseases. RESULTS: A total of 302 hospitalized confirmed dengue patients were enrolled in this study. The average cost to society for a person with a dengue episode was US$ 479.02. This amount was ranged between US$ 341.67 and US$ 567.12 for those patients who were treated at public and private hospitals, respectively. The households out-of-pocket cost contributed to a larger portion of the total costs of illness (66%) while the cost burden was significantly higher for the poorest households than the richest quintile. CONCLUSIONS: Dengue disease imposes a substantial financial burden on households and society. Therefore, decision-makers should consider the treatment cost of dengue infections, particularly among the poor in the population while balancing the benefits of introducing potentially effective dengue preventive programs in Bangladesh.
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Dengue , Estrés Financiero , Humanos , Bangladesh/epidemiología , Dengue/epidemiología , Costo de Enfermedad , Gastos en SaludRESUMEN
A sensitive and accurate imaging technique capable of tracking the disease progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) driven amnestic dementia would be beneficial. A currently available method for pathology detection in AD with high accuracy is Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, despite certain limitations such as low spatial resolution, off-targeting error, and radiation exposure. Non-invasive MRI scanning with quantitative magnetic susceptibility measurements can be used as a complementary tool. To date, quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) has widely been used in tracking deep gray matter iron accumulation in AD. The present work proposes that by compartmentalizing quantitative susceptibility into paramagnetic and diamagnetic components, more holistic information about AD pathogenesis can be acquired. Particularly, diamagnetic component susceptibility (DCS) can be a powerful indicator for tracking protein accumulation in the gray matter (GM), demyelination in the white matter (WM), and relevant changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In the current work, voxel-wise group analysis of the WM and the CSF regions show significantly lower |DCS| (the absolute value of DCS) value for amnestic dementia patients compared to healthy controls. Additionally, |DCS| and τ PET standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr) were found to be associated in several GM regions typically affected by τ deposition in AD. Therefore, we propose that the separated diamagnetic susceptibility can be used to track pathological neurodegeneration in different tissue types and regions of the brain. With the initial evidence, we believe the usage of compartmentalized susceptibility demonstrates substantive potential as an MRI-based technique for tracking AD-driven neurodegeneration.
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Enfermedad de Alzheimer , Humanos , Enfermedad de Alzheimer/diagnóstico por imagen , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagen , Corteza Cerebral , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Sustancia Gris/diagnóstico por imagenRESUMEN
We examine the relationship between the top five cryptos and the U.S. S&P500 index from January 2018 to December 2021. We use the novel General-to-specific Vector Autoregression (GETS VAR) and traditional Vector Autoregression (VAR) model to analyze the short- and long-run, cumulative impulse-response, and Granger causality test between S&P500 returns and the returns of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Binance and Tether. Additionally, we used the Diebold and Yilmaz (DY) spillover index of variance decomposition to validate our findings. Evidence from the analysis suggests positive short- and long-run effects of historical S&P500 returns on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, and Tether returns--and negative short- and long-run effects of the historical returns of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Binance, and Tether on S&P500 returns. Alternatively, evidence suggests a negative short- and long-run effect of historical S&P500 returns on Binance returns. The cumulative test of impulse-response indicates a shock in historical S&P500 returns stimulates a positive response from cryptocurrency returns while a shock in historical crypto returns triggers a negative response from S&P500 returns. Empirical evidence of bi-directional causality between S&P500 returns and crypto returns suggest the mutual coupling of these market. Although, S&P500 returns have high-intensity spillover effects on crypto returns than crypto returns have on S&P500. This contradicts the fundamental attribute of cryptocurrencies for hedging and diversification of assets to reduce risk exposure. Our findings demonstrate the need to monitor and implement appropriate regulatory policies in the crypto market to mitigate the potential risks of financial contagion.
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Seed mucilages are potential sources of natural polysaccharides. They are biodegradable, biocompatible, sustainable, renewable, and safe for human consumption. Due to the desirable physicochemical and functional properties (e.g. gelling, thickening, stabilizing, and emulsifying), seed mucilages have attracted extensive attention from researchers for utilization as a promising material for the development of advanced carrier systems. Seed mucilages have been utilized as natural polymers to improve the properties of various carrier systems (e.g. complex coacervates, beads, nanofibers, and gels) and for the delivery of diverse hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds (e.g. vitamins, essential oils, antioxidants, probiotics, and antimicrobial agents) to achieve enhanced stability, bioavailability, bioactivity of the encapsulated molecules, and improved quality attributes of food products. This review highlights the recent progress in seed mucilage-based carrier systems for food and nutraceutical applications. The main contents include (1) sources, extraction methods, and physicochemical and functional characteristics of seed mucilages, (2) application of seed mucilages for the development of advanced carrier systems, (3) major issues associated with carrier fabrication, and (4) mechanisms of carrier development, latest improvements in carrier formulation, carrier efficiency in the delivery of bioactive agents, and application in food and nutraceuticals. Furthermore, major challenges and future perspectives of seed mucilage-based carriers for a commercial application are discussed.
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The electrochemical sensing is a potential method for detection of trace toxic substance. Herein, the heterojunction of netlike ZnO/BiOCl nanosheets was constructed for the enhanced electrochemical detection of ammonia. Cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry were used to investigate the electrochemical performance. The results show that the ZnO/BiOCl-modified electrode exhibits higher sensitivity towards ammonia compared with the ZnO and BiOCl-based electrodes, which is ascribed to band structure and fast electron transfer. The high response of 11.8â µA mM-1 and a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.25â µM are achieved. In addition, the ZnO/BiOCl material exhibits high selectivity, repeatability and stability. The better linear relationship between concentration and current (R2 =0.99) is significant for quantitative detection of ammonia, implying that netlike ZnO/BiOCl nanosheets can serve as electrochemical sensing platform for detecting toxic substance. This research provides a strategy for fabricating two-dimensional netlike materials and regulating heterojunctions used for electrochemical application.
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Aminas , Óxido de Zinc , Óxido de Zinc/química , Amoníaco , ElectrodosRESUMEN
The effects of soaking and cooking on the physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds of two parboiled and non-parboiled rice cultivars (BRRI-28 and Katari bhog) were investigated in this study. Total phenolic content (TPC) increased significantly (p ≤ 0.5) after soaking, while total flavonoid content (TFC) and proanthocyanidin content (PC) decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.5) compared to untreated rice samples. TPC increased by around 23% and 20% in parboiled BRRI 28 and Katari bhog rice extracts, respectively, due to the cooking process, while TFC and PC decreased significantly. DPPH radical scavenging increased whereas reducing power activity decreased after soaking and cooking in parboiled BRRI 28. After processing, the protein, starch, and amylose content of all samples decreased in the majority of cases. After being soaked, all samples L * and b * values increased as compared to raw rice samples. As a result, it can be concluded that the treatment of soaking and cooking of parboiled rice (BRRI-28) was suitable to improve the antioxidant properties as compared to non-parboiled rice.
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The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted business-as-usual, hence, affecting sustained economic development across countries. However, it appears economic uncertainty following COVID-19 containment measures favor market signals of cryptocurrencies. Here, this study empirically and structurally investigates the implication of COVID-19 health outcomes on market prices of Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin. Evidence from the novel Romano-Wolf multiple hypotheses reveal COVID-19 shocks spur Litecoin by 3.20-3.84%, Bitcoin by 2.71-3.27%, Ethereum by 1.43-1.75%, and Bitcoin Cash by 1.34-1.62%.
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When bitcoin (BTC), the first pioneering cryptocurrency was released in 2009, it was considered an apolitical currency. Besides, the possible effect of BTC and other cryptocurrencies on either financial markets or transactions has been widely discussed. However, the environmental effects of cryptocurrency demand have been ignored. Here, this study examines the nexus between cryptocurrencies and environmental degradation by employing standard and asymmetric causality methods. The Toda-Yamamoto and bootstrap-augmented Toda-Yamamoto test results reveal Bitcoin and Ethereum (ETH) excluding Ripple (XRP) have causal effects on environmental degradation. The Fourier-augmented Toda-Yamamoto test results show causal effects running from Bitcoin and Ripple to environmental degradation, whereas no causal effect runs from Ethereum to environmental degradation. The asymmetric causality shows causal effects from the positive shock of Bitcoin demand, negative shocks of Ripple and Ethereum demands to positive shocks of environmental degradation. Further discussions and policy implications are provided in the relevant sections of this study.
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PolíticasRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: Out-of-pocket (OOP) payment is the major payment strategy for healthcare in Bangladesh, and the share of OOP expenditure has increased alarmingly. Dhaka is recognised as one of the fastest-growing megacities in the world. The objective of this study is to capture the self-reported illnesses among urban citizens and to identify whether and to what extent socioeconomic, demographic and behavioural factors of the population influence OOP healthcare expenditures. SUBJECT AND METHODS: This study utilises cross-sectional survey data collected from May to August 2019 in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 3,100 households were randomly selected. Simple descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentage, mean (95% CI), median and inter-quartile range were presented. Bivariate analysis and multivariate regression models were employed. RESULTS: We observed that acute illnesses (e.g., fever, flu/cough) were dominant among participants. Among the chronic illnesses, approximately 9.6% of people had diabetes, while 5.3% had high/low blood pressure. The richest quintile only spent 5.2% of their household income on healthcare, while the poorest households spent approximately six times more than the richest households. We noted that various factors such as marital status, religion, source of care, access to safe water, income quintile and even the location of households had a significant relationship with OOP expenditure. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings can serve as important source of data in terms of disease- specific symptoms and out-of-pocket cost among urban citizens in Dhaka. The people belonging to wealthier households tended to choose better healthcare facilities and spend more. A pro-poor policy initiative and even an urban health protection scheme may be necessary to ensure that healthcare services are accessible and affordable, in line with the Bangladesh National Urban Health Strategy.
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Costos y Análisis de Costo , Gastos en Salud , Servicios de Salud/economía , Adolescente , Adulto , Bangladesh , Niño , Preescolar , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Despite modest progress in reducing tobacco use, tobacco remains one of the major risk factors for non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh. METHODS: Using disease-specific, prevalence-based, cost-of-illness approach, this research estimated the economic costs of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke based on data collected from a nationally representative survey of 10 119 households in 2018. RESULTS: The study estimated that 1.5 million adults were suffering from tobacco-attributable diseases and 61 000 children were suffering from diseases due to exposure to secondhand smoke in Bangladesh in 2018. Tobacco use caused 125 718 deaths in that year, accounting for 13.5% of all-cause deaths. The total economic cost was 305.6 billion Bangladeshi taka (BDT) (equivalent to 1.4% of gross domestic product or US$3.61 billion), including direct costs (private and public health expenditures) of BDT83.9 billion and indirect costs (productivity loss due to morbidity and premature mortality) of BDT221.7 billion. The total economic cost of tobacco more than doubled since 2004. CONCLUSION: Tobacco use imposes a significant and increasing disease and financial burden on society. The enormous tobacco-attributable healthcare costs and productivity loss underscore the need to strengthen the implementation of tobacco control policies to curb the epidemic.
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Nicotiana , Contaminación por Humo de Tabaco , Humanos , Adulto , Niño , Contaminación por Humo de Tabaco/efectos adversos , Contaminación por Humo de Tabaco/prevención & control , Bangladesh/epidemiología , Costo de Enfermedad , Costos de la Atención en Salud , Uso de Tabaco/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
This paper investigates the switching effect of COVID-19 pandemic and economic policy uncertainty on commodity prices. We employ Markov regime-switching dynamic model to explore price regime dynamics of eight widely traded commodities namely oil, natural gas, corn, soybeans, silver, gold, copper, and steel. We fit two Markov switching regimes to allow parameters to respond to both low and high volatilities. The empirical evidence shows oil, natural gas, corn, soybean, silver, gold, copper, and steel returns adjust to shocks in COVID-19 outcomes and economic policy uncertainty at varying degrees--in both low volatility and high volatility regimes. In contrast, oil and natural gas do not respond to changes in COVID-19 deaths in both regimes. The findings show most commodities are responsive to historical price in terms of demand and supply in both volatility regimes. Our findings further show a high probability that commodity prices will remain in low volatility regime than in high volatility regime--owing to COVID-19-attributed market uncertainties. These findings are useful to both investors and policymakers--as precious metals and agricultural commodities show less negative response to exogenous variables. Thus, investors and portfolio managers could use precious metals, viz. Gold for short-term cover against systematic risks in the market during the period of global pandemic.
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The impact of climate change is evident in the variability of weather patterns, hence, affecting electricity generation and consumption. Existing literature examines the effect of humidity and temperature on energy, but suffers from omitted variable bias. Here, we adopt several parameters namely ambient air pollution, precipitation, surface pressure, dew-frost point, relative humidity, wind speed, earth skin temperature, cooling degree days, heating degree days, solar and wind generation, cumulative installed PV power, and wind turbine capacity, solar and wind electricity consumption, and energy price index to investigate the role of climatic and energy-related factors on households, industry sector, commercial and public service attributed electricity consumption in Norway. Our machine learning estimator accounts for climate change heterogeneity, and historical effects while controlling omitted-variable and misspecification bias. The empirical assessment shows the radiative forcing effect of ambient air pollution decreases electricity consumption. In contrast, the scavenging effect of rainfall intensity on ambient air pollution improves both wind and solar electricity consumption. Rising levels of earth skin temperature, and humidity increases solar and wind electricity consumption whereas dew-frost point drops temperature, and humidity to improve human comfort. Our study highlights that energy price index is critical to the adoption of solar and wind energy technologies.
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Contaminación del Aire , Contaminación del Aire/análisis , Electricidad , Humanos , Humedad , Conceptos Meteorológicos , Tiempo (Meteorología)RESUMEN
Amaranth is an excellent source of various bioactive compounds that could be beneficial in the prevention of some human diseases. This study investigated the extraction and characterization of bioactive compounds from amaranth using ultra-sonication and agitation at 30, 50 and 70 °C. Color L* values showed significant (p < 0.05) differences at 70 °C between ultra-sonication and agitation. Ultra-sonication temperature had significant effect on L* and a* values whereas agitation temperature did not have a significant effect on L*, a* and b* values. No significant (p < 0.05) differences were found in terms of total phenol, total flavonoid, DPPHâ¢+, ABTS+ scavenging activity, betacyanins, betaxanthin and betanicaicd between ultra-sonication and agitation. However, temperature had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on total phenol (8.64-10.598 mg/g), DPPH+scavenging activity (84.36-94.44%), betacyanins (4585.95-5325.32 mg/100 g), betaxanthin (1312.56-1524.06 mg/100 g) and betalamic acid (1408.15-1790.22 mg/100 g) in ultra-sonication. Higher temperature (70 °C) showed greater amount of arbutin and hydroxybenzoic acid than those of lower temperature (30 °C) for both extraction methods. Meanwhile, temperature did not affect vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid for both samples. Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectrometry showed that ultra-sonication and agitation resulted in similar effect on the structure of amaranth extracts. Higher temperature was correlated with bioactive compounds, which were observed by principal component analysis (PCA). Therefore, agitation at 70 °C could be used as an alternative for ultra-sonication to improve the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of amaranth. In addition, agitation and ultra-sonication techniques might be served as an alternative of conventional technique.
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Human skin perceives external mechanical stimuli by sensing the variation in the membrane potential of skin sensory cells. Many scientists have attempted to recreate skin functions and develop electronic skins (e-skins) based on active and passive sensing mechanisms. Inspired by the skin sensory behavior, we investigated materials and electronic devices that allow us to encode mechanical stimuli into potential differences measured between two electrodes, resulting in a potentiometric mechanotransduction mechanism. We present here a potentiometric mechanotransducer that is fabricated through an all-solution processing approach. This mechanotransducer shows ultralow-power consumption, highly tunable sensing behavior, and capability to detect both static and low-frequency dynamic mechanical stimuli. Furthermore, we developed two novel classes of sensing devices, including strain-insensitive sensors and single-electrode-mode e-skins, which are challenging to achieve using the existing methods. This mechanotransduction mechanism has broad impact on robotics, prosthetics, and health care by providing a much improved human-machine interface.
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Natural colorants are important alternatives to synthetic colorants. They are considered harmless and positively affect biological activities owing to their antioxidant potential. The present study deals with the assessment of the extraction processes and the effects of pH (1.0, 3.0, and 5.0), extraction media (water and 50% ethanol) and storage condition (ambient and refrigeration) on betacyanin content, color values, as well as degradation kinetics of total betacyanins in red amaranth. Betacyanin content was more stable at higher than at lower pH. The degradation rate constant (K) was higher and the half-life (t1/2) was lower at ambient temperature compared to refrigeration temperature. Betacyanin degradation was higher at ambient temperature (30 ± 2 °C) than at refrigeration temperature (4 °C). The pH, storage time, and temperature affected the stability of the color attributes. Therefore, this work suggests that water and lower temperature (4 °C) could be applied to extract more betacyanins from red amaranth and betacyanins might be used as an alternative to synthetic color.
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BACKGROUND: Ultrasonication, agitation and stirring or a combination of ultrasonication, agitation and stirring extraction techniques were applied to observe their effects on the physicochemical properties, health-promoting phytochemicals, and structure of cold brewed coffee. RESULTS: All the extraction techniques led to significant (P < 0.05) increases in the color values, total soluble solids, antioxidant activities and most organic acids, while a combination of extraction techniques increased the chlorogenic acid and caffeine content significantly (P < 0.05) compared with that by conventional methods. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy allowed us to identify the different compounds in the cold-brewed coffee extract rapidly. The partial least square regression model presented good predictability because experimental and predicted values were close to each other. Principal component analysis revealed that levels of all phytochemicals correlated with the use of non-conventional methods. CONCLUSION: The combination of ultrasonication and agitation might be the best option to enhance the various phytochemicals in cold-brewed coffee. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.