Morphological 3D Analysis of PLGA/Chitosan Blend Polymer Scaffolds and Their Impregnation with Olive Pruning Residues via Supercritical CO2.

Natural extracts, such as those from the residues of the Olea europaea industry, offer an opportunity for use due to their richness in antioxidant compounds. These compounds can be incorporated into porous polymeric devices with huge potential for tissue engineering such as bone, cardiovascular, osteogenesis, or neural applications using supercritical CO2. For this purpose, polymeric scaffolds of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and chitosan, generated in situ by foaming, were employed for the supercritical impregnation of ethanolic olive leaf extract (OLE). The influence of the presence of chitosan on porosity and interconnectivity in the scaffolds, both with and without impregnated extract, was studied. The scaffolds have been characterized by X-ray computed microtomography, scanning electron microscope, measurements of impregnated load, and antioxidant capacity. The expansion factor decreased as the chitosan content rose, which also occurred when OLE was used. Pore diameters varied, reducing from 0.19 mm in pure PLGA to 0.11 mm in the two experiments with the highest chitosan levels. The connectivity was analyzed, showing that in most instances, adding chitosan doubled the average number of connections, increasing it by a factor of 2.5. An experiment was also conducted to investigate the influence of key factors in the impregnation of the extract, such as pressure (10-30 MPa), temperature (308-328 K), and polymer ratio (1:1-9:1 PLGA/chitosan). Increased pressure facilitated increased OLE loading. The scaffolds were evaluated for antioxidant activity and demonstrated substantial oxidation inhibition (up to 82.5% under optimal conditions) and remarkable potential to combat oxidative stress-induced pathologies.

Changes in co-contraction magnitude during functional tasks following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is a common orthopedic surgery procedure whose incidence has increased over the past few decades. Nevertheless, it is believed that neuromuscular control remains altered from the early stages after ACLR to later years. Therefore, the aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the magnitude of co-contraction during functional tasks in subjects with unilateral ACLR. METHODS: A systematic review design was followed. The search strategy was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, PEDro, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases from inception to March 2024. The inclusion criteria involved studies using electromyography (EMG) data to calculate muscle pair activation via the co-contraction index (CCI) in ACLR individuals during functional tasks. The Preferred Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and study quality was evaluated using National Institutes of Health (NIH) Study Quality Assessment Tools. RESULTS: The search strategy found a total of 792 studies, of which 15 were included in this systematic review after reviewing the eligibility criteria. The magnitude of co-contraction was assessed in a total of 433 ACLR individuals and 206 controls during functional tasks such as hop, drop-land, step-up/step-down, and gait. Overall, approximately 79.6% of individuals who had undergone ACLR exhibited increased levels of co-contraction magnitude in the ACLR limb, while 8.5% showed low co-contraction levels. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the review suggest that, during functional tasks, most individuals who have undergone ACLR exhibit changes of co-contraction magnitude in the involved limb.

An Improved Phenotyping Method for Evaluation of Yam (Dioscorea spp.) Resistance to Nematodes Belonging to the Genera Meloidogyne and Scutellonema.

Phenotyping yam (Dioscorea spp.) germplasm for resistance to parasitic nematodes is hampered by the lack of an efficient screening method. In this study, we developed a new method using rooted yam vine cuttings and yam plantlets generated from semi-autotrophic hydroponics (SAHs) propagation for phenotyping yam genotypes for nematode resistance. The method was evaluated using 26 genotypes of D. rotundata for their reaction to Scutellonema bradys and four root-knot nematode species, Meloidogyne arenaria, M. enterolobii, M. incognita, and M. javanica. Yam plantlets established in nursery bags filled with steam-sterilized soil were used for screening against single nematode species. Plants were inoculated four weeks after planting and assessed for nematode damage eight weeks later. A severity rating scale was used to classify genotypes as resistant, tolerant, or susceptible determine based on the nematode feeding damage on tubers and the rate of nematode multiplication in the roots of inoculated plants. The results demonstrated putative resistance and tolerance against S. bradys in 58% of the genotypes and 88%, 65%, 65%, and 58% against M. arenaria, M. javanica, M. incognita, and M. enterolobii, respectively. The method is rapid, flexible, and seasonally independent, permitting year-round screening under controlled conditions. This method increases the throughput and speed of phenotyping and improves the selection process.

Encapsulation of Olive (Olea europaea L.) Pruning Waste Particles by Supercritical CO2 Technology.

Olive leaves (Olea europaea L.) contain a multitude of bioactive compounds such as sterols, carotenes, triterpenic alcohols and phenolic compounds. These compounds have been shown to exhibit antiviral, antioxidant, candida-growth-inhibitory, anticancer, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. In this sense, submicron particles from olive leaves with antioxidant activity were precipitated by supercritical antisolvent extraction in a previous work. Moreover, encapsulation enables the delayed release of compounds and avoids the first-step effect in medical therapies. Therefore, this work focused on encapsulation of particles with a certain antioxidant capacity from olive pruning waste using supercritical technology. A variety of experiments were carried out to test how the different operating variables (pressure, temperature and extract-polymer ratio) affect. Morphology was analyzed by SEM microscopy, obtaining encapsulates between 1 and 5 microns in size. The antioxidant capacity was determined by the DPPH assay, with most of the encapsulates having AAI values between 0.5 and 1 (moderate antioxidant capacity). An increase in polyphenol content was observed in the 1:3 ratio tests. The release of the compounds in gastric simulated medium was retarded by the polymeric encapsulation, while in intestinal fluid, the solubility was improved compared to the unencapsulated particles. Overall, the supercritical encapsulation process for the natural extract of olive pruning residues has proven to be effective in obtaining antioxidant particles with different release profiles.

Measurement properties of the incremental step test for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: The new incremental step test (IST) is a field test that was developed for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), based on the characteristics of the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT); however, its measurement properties still need to be determined. We aimed, first, to assess the construct validity (through the comparison with the ISWT), within-day reliability and measurement error of the IST in people with COPD; and, second, to identify whether the participants have a learning effect in the IST. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, conducted according to COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments guidelines. SETTING: A family health unit in Portugal, April 2022 to June 2023. PARTICIPANTS AND ANALYSIS: 63 participants (67.5±10.5 years) attended two sessions to perform two IST and two ISWT, separately. Spearman's correlations were used to compare the best performances between the IST and the ISWT. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1) was used for reliability, and the SE of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change at 95% CI (MDC95) and Bland and Altman 95% limits of agreement (LoA) were used for measurement error. The learning effect was explored with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: The IST was significant and strongly correlated with the ISWT (0.72<ρ<0.74, p<0.001), presented an ICC2,1 of 0.95 (95% CI 0.92 to 0.97), SEM=11.7 (18.9%), MDC95=32.4 (52.2%) and the LoA were -33.61 to 31.48 for the number of steps. No difference was observed between the number of steps of the two attempts of the IST (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The IST can be suggested as a valid and reliable test to assess exercise capacity in people with COPD, with no learning effect when two IST are performed on the same day. The measurement error of the IST is considered indeterminate. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04715659.

Unveiling the global nexus: Pandemic fear, government responses, and climate change-an empirical study.

This study examined the relationships between pandemic fear, government responses, and climate change using a time-series dataset from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. By employing an auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach, the results revealed that pandemic fear significantly impacts climate change, while government responses to COVID-19 negatively influence climate change in the long run. Climate change and government responses significantly positively affect pandemic fear in the long run. Moreover, we found a bidirectional causality between government responses and climate change, unidirectional causality from government responses to pandemic fear, and no Granger causality between pandemic fear and climate change. Our findings have some important policy implications. Governments must encourage coordination, enhance crisis responses, and consider revising economic metrics to maintain environmental sustainability. The COVID-19 experience can inform strategies for reducing CO2 emissions and investing in green economies and healthcare to prepare for future challenges.

Interlimb Coordination during Double Support Phase of Gait in People with and without Stroke.

This study aims to identify differences between participants with and without stroke regarding the ipsilesional and contralesional lower limbs kinematics, kinetics, muscle activity and their variability during double support phase of gait. Eleven post-stroke and thirteen healthy participants performed 10 gait trials at a self-selected speed while being monitored by an optoelectronic motion capture system, two force plates and an electromyographic system. The following outcomes were evaluated during the double support: the time and the joint position; the external mechanical work on the centre of mass; and the relative electromyographic activity. Both, contralesional/ipsilesional and dominant/non-dominant of participants with and without stroke, respectively, were evaluated during double support phase of gait in trailing or leading positions. The average value of each parameter and the coefficient of variation of the 10 trials were analysed. Post-stroke participants present bilateral decreased mechanical work on the centre of mass and increased variability, decreased contralesional knee and ankle flexion in trailing position, increased ipsilesional knee flexion in leading position and increased variability. Increased relative muscle activity was observed in post-stroke participants with decreased variability. Mechanical work on the centre of mass seems to be the most relevant parameter to identify interlimb coordination impairments in post-stroke subjects.

Impact of artificial intelligence on human loss in decision making, laziness and safety in education.

This study examines the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on loss in decision-making, laziness, and privacy concerns among university students in Pakistan and China. Like other sectors, education also adopts AI technologies to address modern-day challenges. AI investment will grow to USD 253.82 million from 2021 to 2025. However, worryingly, researchers and institutions across the globe are praising the positive role of AI but ignoring its concerns. This study is based on qualitative methodology using PLS-Smart for the data analysis. Primary data was collected from 285 students from different universities in Pakistan and China. The purposive Sampling technique was used to draw the sample from the population. The data analysis findings show that AI significantly impacts the loss of human decision-making and makes humans lazy. It also impacts security and privacy. The findings show that 68.9% of laziness in humans, 68.6% in personal privacy and security issues, and 27.7% in the loss of decision-making are due to the impact of artificial intelligence in Pakistani and Chinese society. From this, it was observed that human laziness is the most affected area due to AI. However, this study argues that significant preventive measures are necessary before implementing AI technology in education. Accepting AI without addressing the major human concerns would be like summoning the devils. Concentrating on justified designing and deploying and using AI for education is recommended to address the issue.

From Corporate Social Responsibility to Employee Well-Being: Navigating the Pathway to Sustainable Healthcare.

Purpose: Despite extensive research on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employee outcomes, only limited research has been conducted to investigate the impact of CSR on healthcare employees' burnout (BUO). Additionally, the underlying mechanism by which CSR may reduce BUO has not been fully understood. In order to fill these gaps, we explored the relationship between CSR and BUO, as well as the possible mediating effects of subjective wellbeing (SW) and compassion (CM). Also, employee admiration (AM) was examined as a moderating factor. Methods: The study utilized a questionnaire to collect data, which was distributed using the paper-pencil method. A total of 335 healthcare employees, including nurses, doctors, paramedics, and general administration, participated in the study. Specifically, we focused on the healthcare segment of Pakistan. A survey was conducted to assess participants' perceptions of CSR practices, BUO, AM, SW, and CM within their organizations. The questionnaire consisted of several standardized scales validated in previous research. Results: We investigated the relationship between CSR and BUO using the AMOS software. BUO was negatively associated with CSR, suggesting that organizations with strong CSR practices may be able to reduce employee burnout. Moreover, the relationship between CSR and BUO was mediated by both subjective wellbeing (SW) and compassion (CM), revealing how CSR may impact employee burnout. Furthermore, we found that employee admiration (AM) buffered the relationship between CSR and BUO. Findings: BUO is a growing concern among healthcare professionals and has the potential to negatively impact the quality of patient care, staff morale, and, ultimately, the success of healthcare organizations. BUO in healthcare settings can be effectively addressed by implementing CSR strategies. Effective CSR strategies should be implemented in a meaningful way to employees and provide them with opportunities to engage in activities that align with their values and interests.

Repeatability and Temporal Consistency of Lower Limb Biomechanical Variables Expressing Interlimb Coordination during the Double-Support Phase in People with and without Stroke Sequelae.

Reliable biomechanical methods to assess interlimb coordination during the double-support phase in post-stroke subjects are needed for assessing movement dysfunction and related variability. The data obtained could provide a significant contribution for designing rehabilitation programs and for their monitorisation. The present study aimed to determine the minimum number of gait cycles needed to obtain adequate values of repeatability and temporal consistency of lower limb kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic parameters during the double support of walking in people with and without stroke sequelae. Eleven post-stroke and thirteen healthy participants performed 20 gait trials at self-selected speed in two separate moments with an interval between 72 h and 7 days. The joint position, the external mechanical work on the centre of mass, and the surface electromyographic activity of the tibialis anterior, soleus, gastrocnemius medialis, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, and gluteus maximus muscles were extracted for analysis. Both the contralesional and ipsilesional and dominant and non-dominant limbs of participants with and without stroke sequelae, respectively, were evaluated either in trailing or leading positions. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used for assessing intra-session and inter-session consistency analysis. For most of the kinematic and the kinetic variables studied in each session, two to three trials were required for both groups, limbs, and positions. The electromyographic variables presented higher variability, requiring, therefore, a number of trials ranging from 2 to >10. Globally, the number of trials required inter-session ranged from 1 to >10 for kinematic, from 1 to 9 for kinetic, and 1 to >10 for electromyographic variables. Thus, for the double support analysis, three gait trials were required in order to assess the kinematic and kinetic variables in cross-sectional studies, while for longitudinal studies, a higher number of trials (>10) were required for kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic variables.

Formation of PLGA-PEDOT: PSS Conductive Scaffolds by Supercritical Foaming.

The usage of conjugated materials for the fabrication of foams intended to be used as therapeutic scaffolds is gaining relevance these days, as they hold certain properties that are not exhibited by other polymer types that have been regularly used until the present. Hence, this work aims to design a specific supercritical CO2 foaming process that would allow the production of porous polymeric devices with improved conductive properties, which would better simulate matrix extracellular conditions when used as therapeutic scaffolds (PLGA-PEDOT:PSS) systems. The effects of pressure, temperature, and contact time on the expansion factor, porosity, mechanical properties, and conductivity of the foam have been evaluated. The foams have been characterized by scanning electron and atomic force microscopies, liquid displacement, PBS degradation test, compression, and resistance to conductivity techniques. Values close to 40% porosity were obtained, with a uniform distribution of polymers on the surface and in the interior, expansion factors of up to 10 orders, and a wide range of conductivity values (2.2 × 10-7 to 1.0 × 10-5 S/cm) and mechanical properties (0.8 to 13.6 MPa Young's modulus in compression test). The conductive and porous scaffolds that have been produced by supercritical CO2 in this study show an interesting potential for tissue engineering and for neural or cardiac tissue regeneration purposes due to the fact that electrical conductivity is a crucial factor for proper cell function and tissue development.

Generation of Highly Antioxidant Submicron Particles from Myrtus communis Leaf Extract by Supercritical Antisolvent Extraction Process.

Submicron particles have been produced from an ethanolic extract of Myrtus communnis leaves using supercritical carbon dioxide technology, hereinafter referred to as Supercritical Antisolvent Extraction (SAE). The influence of pressure (9-20 MPa), temperature (308 and 328 K) and injection rate (3 and 8 mL/min) on the particles' precipitation has been investigated, and it has been confirmed that increases in pressure and temperature led to smaller particle sizes. The obtained particles had a quasi-spherical shape with sizes ranging from 0.42 to 1.32 µm. Moreover, the bioactivity of the generated particles was assessed and large contents of phenolic compounds with a high antioxidant activity were measured. The particles were also subjected to in vitro studies against oxidative stress. The myrtle particles demonstrated cytoprotective properties when applied at low concentrations (1 µM) to macrophage cell lines.

Influence of Thai Street Food Quality, Price, and Involvement on Traveler Behavioral Intention: Exploring Cultural Difference (Eastern versus Western).

Introduction: Gastronomy tourism has become a phenomenal trend of the global tourism industry in the 21st century. As the tourism industry and its related foodservice businesses flourish, street food has received increasing popularity with its combination of local delights and the cultural value of the destination. This study examined the psychology of street food consumption and assessed the effect of street food quality that is represented by the cultural experience, health and safety of the food, food sensory appeal, staff service, physical environment, the meal menus with perceived reasonable prices, involvement in Thai street food, and repurchase intention from an international tourist perspective. Methods: A survey method along with a quantitative structural analysis was used. Results: The findings revealed that Thai street food quality positively and significantly predicted the international tourists' perceived reasonable prices, involvement, and repurchase decisions. Perceived reasonable prices and involvement were found to be important mediators between Thai street food quality and repurchase intentions. Moreover, this research identified the significant moderating role of Eastern and Western cultures.

Internal Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Burnout: An Employee Management Perspective from the Healthcare Sector.

Purpose: The issue of burnout has been identified as one of the most pressing challenges in organizational management, impacting the ability of an organization to succeed as well as employee productivity. In the healthcare industry, burnout is particularly prevalent. Burnout has received increasing attention from scholars, and different models have also been proposed to address this issue. However, burnout is on the rise in healthcare, especially in developing countries, indicating the need for more research on how to mitigate burnout. Research indicates that internal corporate social responsibility (ICSR) has a significant impact on employee behavior. However, little attention has been paid to exploring how ICSR might effectively reduce healthcare burnout. This study aims to investigate how ICSR and employee burnout are related in the healthcare sector of a developing country. In addition, we tested how subjective well-being and resilience mediate and moderate the effect of ICSR on employee burnout. Methods: Data were collected from 402 healthcare employees working in different hospitals in Pakistan. In our study, we used a self-administered questionnaire as a data collection instrument. We have adapted the items in this survey from reliable and already published sources. Data collection was carried out in three waves. Results: Hypotheses were evaluated using structural equation modeling (SEM). Software such as IBM-SPSS and AMOS were used for this purpose. ICSR significantly reduces healthcare employees' burnout, according to the results of the structural analysis. The relationship between ICSR and burnout was also found to be mediated by subjective well-being, and resilience moderated the relationship between ICSR and subjective well-being. Findings: In light of our findings, hospitals can take some important steps to resolve the problem of burnout. The study specifically stresses the importance of ICSR as a contextual organizational resource for preventing burnout among healthcare employees.

Exploring the impact of functional, symbolic, and experiential image on approach behaviors among state-park tourists from India, Korea, and the USA.

This study provides insights into the influence of state park image, visitor emotions, and place identity on visitors' revisit intentions by considering the moderating impact of national culture. A quantitative process with the data collected in India, Korea, and the US was used. Hierarchical regression analysis evidences the moderating role of national culture, which is hardly explored in the state park context. Results confirm that most hypotheses are fully or partially accepted, which suggests that brand image and national culture influence visitor intention. This study helps practitioners better understand the relevance of national culture in developing appropriate visitor attraction/retention strategies.

Clinical Guideline on Perioperative Management of Patients with Advanced Chronic Liver Disease.

(1) Background: Patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) are living longer with more comorbidities because of improved medical and surgical management. However, patients with ACLD are at increased risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality; (2) Methods: We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature to support a narrative clinical guideline about the assessment of mortality risk and management of perioperative morbidity in patients with ACLD undergoing surgical procedures; (3) Results: Slight data exist to guide the perioperative management of patients with ACLD, and most recommendations are based on case series and expert opinion. The severity of liver dysfunction, portal hypertension, cardiopulmonary and renal comorbidities, and complexity of surgery and type (elective versus emergent) are predictors of perioperative morbidity and mortality. Expert multidisciplinary teams are necessary to evaluate and manage ACLD before, during, and after surgical procedures; (4) Conclusions: This clinical practice document updates the available data and recommendations to optimize the management of patients with advanced chronic liver disease who undergo surgical procedures.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in medical workers involved in earthquake response: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Medical workers involved in responding to the earthquake are exposed to frightening scenes and witness dead bodies and severely injured moaning people, predisposing them to multiple mental health consequences. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after earthquakes among medical workers using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Materials and methods: The review study was performed following PRISMA guidelines, and the study's protocol was registered in PROSPERO with the code CRD42022333069. The data resources of Google Scholar, Science Direct, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus were searched to specify the related studies. To perform meta-analysis, the random effects model was utilized, and the I2 index was considered to assess heterogeneity between studies. The STATA software was used for data analysis. Results: In the initial data resources search, 1399 articles were identified. From these articles, 13 were finally chosen for meta-analysis and quality assessment. The meta-analysis results indicated that the prevalence of post-earthquake PTSD among medical workers involved in the earthquake response was 16.37% (95% CI: 11.63-21.11, I2 = 97.33%, p = 0 < 0.001). Conclusion: The medical workers involved in response to the earthquake have a relatively high risk of PTSD in the short and long term. Therefore, medical workers involved in response to disasters should undergo screening for mental health disorders before and after disasters and receive the necessary training with regard to stress management, psychological resilience, and how to express their feelings and emotions.

Teachers' teleworking job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.

This research takes insights from the job demand resource model to examine the teleworking job satisfaction of teachers for the period of COVID-19 pandemic. This study evidenced that teachers' satisfaction with teleworking has been reduced as a consequence of the job demand increase. In contrast, access to adequate resources has allowed them to confront the challenges of teleworking, thus increasing their job satisfaction. The adverse effect of job demands on teleworking job satisfaction is buffered by job resources as teachers' required extra means to confront unexpected and increased job demands. The technological gap between younger and older teachers was uncovered.