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The purpose of this paper is to present the computational model of the neonate’s brain cooling process. The main aim of the analysis is to tune the developed computational model, make it convergent and representing the hypothermia therapy reasonably. To find the appropriate model parameters the trial of an inverse analysis, based on the standard least-square method, is performed. Having partially validated model the number of numerical simulations are carried out to compare their results with measurements made during real therapy.

The geometrical model of the newborn’s body is built using MRI and CT scans utilizing Mimics software and the Design Modeler while Ansys Fluent with its User Defined Function capability was used to implement the whole model and to carry out simulations. To model the bioheat transfer the Pennes bioheat equation is applied. In the mathematical model blood perfusion rate, metabolic heat generation rate as well as the arterial blood temperature are dependent on the tissue temperature. In order to determine the proper values of model parameters of bioheat transport in neonate’s body the attempt to inverse analysis is also performed.

The performed inverse analysis resulted in the values of model parameters (metabolic heat sources, blood perfusions etc.). Tuned model was then applied to simulate brain cooling process with reasonable accuracy. Obtained model parameters were also compared to the data obtained from neonatologists.

The presented numerical model still requires tests and simulations. The results from the inverse analysis based on the real measurements can be very valuable.

The determination of the proper parameters of the bioheat transfer in the neonatal body can finally be used to control the numerical simulations of the brain cooling process. The simulation of the re-warming process after hypothermic therapy can be improved considerably.

The performance of the numerical simulations of the brain cooling process in the proper way can finally helps protect newborns’ health and life.

In the paper 3-D real geometrical model of the newborn’s body includes head, torso and limbs and different types of tissues are distinguished in the model. The considered bioheat transfer problem is also fully 3-D. This model is then utilised together with inverse analysis in order to determine the model parameters for the newborn’s body.

This study deals with the computational simulation and inverse analysis of the cooling treatment of the hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates. A reduced-order model is implemented for real-time monitoring of the internal body temperatures. The purpose of this study is to sequentially estimate the transient temperatures of the brain and other body regions with reduced uncertainties.

Pennes’ model was applied in each body element, and Fiala’s blood pool concept was used for the solution of the forward bioheat transfer problem. A state estimation problem was solved with the Sampling Importance Resampling (SIR) algorithm of the particle filter method.

The particle filter method was stable and accurate for the estimation of the internal body temperatures, even in situations involving large modeling and measurement uncertainties.

The proposed reduced-order model was verified with the results of a high-fidelity model available in the literature. Validation of the proposed model and of the solution of the state estimation problem shall be pursued in the future.

The solution of the state estimation problem with the reduced-order model presented in this paper has great potential to perform as an observer of the brain temperature of neonates, for the analysis and control of the systemic cooling treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

The main treatment for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates is the cooling of affected regions. Accurate and fast models might allow the development of individualized protocols, as well as control strategies for the cooling treatment.

This paper presents the application of the SIR algorithm for the solution of a state problem during the systemic cooling of a neonate for the treatment of the hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

The main occupational safety measure in factories is monitoring workers exposed to various types of contaminations. The main environmental concern of governments about copper industries is emission of dust, metals, metal compounds and volatile organic compounds in air. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the immune system status of workers in a copper concentration factory in Iran by placing the emphasis on oxidative stress biomarkers.

A comparative cross-sectional study was performed on 40 workers of the copper concentration factory and 40 unexposed individuals. White blood cell count, plasma interleukin 2 and 4, oxidative burst of neutrophils, oxidative damages of DNA and RNA, lipid and protein, total antioxidant capacity of plasma, and antioxidant enzymes activities were measured.

A significant decrease in the white blood cell count and interleukin 2 and an increase in the interleukin 4 were observed in the workers and these changes represented the possibility of inflammation and weakening of the immune system. The elevation of oxidative damages, total antioxidant capacity and the activity of antioxidant enzymes are indicative of the change in oxidative stress status.

The oxidative stress induction and immune system changes might be useful biomarkers in screening and surveillance for occupational hazard. More studies are needed to find out the type and the concentration of pollutants and to evaluate the protective effects of natural antioxidants.

This paper aims to evaluate macro- and micronutrient intake among Jordanian adults who have metabolic syndrome (MetS) and those MetS-free.

A total of 154 Jordanian adults aged 20-55 years were enrolled from The National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics in this case control study. In total, 77 newly diagnosed cases of MetS and 77 controls were recruited and matched by age and sex. Dietary data were collected by face-to-face interview using a validated food frequency questionnaire.

After adjustment of the energy intake and macronutrients, the cases reported significantly higher intake of the amount of protein (p < 0.001), carbohydrates (p < 0.001), fiber (p < 0.001), sugar (p < 0.001), fat (p < 0.001), saturated fat (p < 0.001), monounsaturated (p < 0.001), polyunsaturated (p < 0.001), trans-fat (p < 0.029), omega-3 (p < 0.001) and omega-6 (p < 0.001) as compared to the controls. The results also showed that the intake of some micronutrients was significantly higher among cases when compared to the controls. In this study, three dietary patterns have been itemized; “fast food dietary pattern”, “Mediterranean dietary pattern” and “high-protein dietary pattern”. Only a direct significant trend between MetS and fast food pattern was detected (p-trend = 0.001). Neither significant associations nor trends were detected in the Mediterranean and high-protein patterns with MetS risk.

The study findings highlighted the presence of associations between fast food dietary pattern, total energy and some macro- and micronutrients intake and the risk of MetS among population living in the Middle East. Even though the findings of this study bridge the gap between theory and practice, a large scale population-based study is warranted to confirm these findings.

Continuous integration of health screens to investigate and track variations in the students’ healthiness over time is essential. However, the sustainability of this practice remains challenging. The purpose of this paper is to identify the prevalence of anaemia based on haemoglobin (Hb) estimation among Saudi school girls in Jeddah city by examining capillary and venous blood.

The design is investigative, using primary data to define the prevalence of anaemia based on two techniques. Samples of venous (n=408) and capillary (n=797) blood from Saudi school girls in Jeddah city was collected and compared using: Reflotron Plus System method (capillary blood) and ABX MICROS 60-OT Automated Haematology Analyser for (venous blood).

When the capillary blood was used, the prevalence of anaemia was 40 per cent (n=319 out of 797). Using the venous blood, the prevalence was 29.4 per cent (n=120 out of 408). Comparison of Hb data for both tests showed a significant difference in Hb levels with levels between the 10g and 12 g/dl particularly and both measurements demonstrated good agreement (ICC=0.87, 95 per cent CI (0.845, 0.892)).

The data were collected only in Jeddah city. Further studies should include a national sample that is representative of both gender from different backgrounds and geographical areas in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The high prevalence of anaemia within the school girls’ population require decision makers to devise a set of maintainable projects to progress students’ general health, including health education and supplementation such as iron, particularly if anaemia is diagnosed to be nutrition-related. This particularly applied to the health centres at female schools that have anaemia screening programmes that going on in Saudi schools.

This study reveals a technique-based measures of anaemia prevalence that have public and practical health implications.

Research indicates that there has been an overall decline in fertility rates amongst the British female population, particularly in older females. Although subfertility and infertility can be attributed to a range of genetic and medical perturbations, research suggests that specific dietary factors can impact upon fertility status. The aim of this paper is to give an overview on how dietary factors can affect female fertility.

The most up‐to‐date and pertinent studies within the literature have been included and summated in this review.

Infertility is known to affect one in ten couples, and, although multifactorial, can be attributed to external dietary factors. High alcohol and caffeine intakes and low intakes of antioxidants and minerals are all associated with reduced fertility. The findings from this overview indicate that health messages portraying the link between diet and infertility need to be imparted to women of childbearing age. Dietary advice may also be effective at later stages alongside fertility treatments when couples are having trouble conceiving.

This paper gives a concise, up‐to‐date overview on how a range of dietary factors can affect female fertility.

Better membrane oxygenators need to be developed to enable efficient gas exchange between venous blood and air.

Optimal design and analysis of such devices are achieved through mathematical modeling tools such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In this study, a control volume-based one-dimensional (1D) sub-channel analysis code is developed to analyze the gas exchange between the hollow fiber bundle and the venous blood. DIANA computer code, which is popular with the thermal hydraulic analysis of sub-channels in nuclear reactors, was suitably modified to solve the conservation equations for the blood oxygenators. The gas exchange between the tube-side fluid and the shell-side venous blood is modeled by solving mass, momentum and species conservation equations.

Simulations using sub-channel analysis are performed for the first time. As the DIANA-based approach is well known in rod bundle heat transfer, it is applied to membrane oxygenators. After detailed validations, the artificial membrane oxygenator is analyzed for different bundle sizes (L/W) and bundle porosity (epsilon) values, and oxygen saturation levels are predicted along the bundle. The present sub-channel analysis is found to be reasonably accurate and computationally efficient when compared to conventional CFD calculations.

This approach is promising and has far-reaching ramifications to connect and extend a well-known rod bundle heat transfer algorithm to a membrane oxygenator community. As a variety of devices need to be analyzed, simplified approaches will be attractive. Although the 1D nature of the simulations facilitates handling complexity, it cannot easily compete with expensive and detailed CFD calculations.

This work has high practical value and impacts the design community directly. Detailed numerical simulations can be validated and benchmarked for future membrane oxygenator designs.

Future membrane oxygenators can be designed and analyzed easily and efficiently.

The DIANA algorithm is popularly used in sub-channel analysis codes in rod bundle heat transfer. This efficient approach is being implemented into membrane oxygenator community for the first time.

Purpose – Description of the effects of the revolution in neuroscience and other areas of biology that can help to explain the roots of some portion of violent crime. The chapter reconsiders the role of brain chemistry in social behavior and violent behavior. To illustrate the interdisciplinary complexities entailed when linking brain chemistry to policy decisions concerning violent crime, this analysis has four main stages: first, why might SiFs (H2SiF6 and Na2SiF6, jointly called “silicofluorides” or SiFs) be dangerous? Second, what biochemical effects of SiF could have toxic consequences for humans? Third, on this basis a research hypothesis predicts children in communities using SiF should have increased uptake of lead from environmental sources and higher rates of behavioral dysfunctions known to be caused by lead neurotoxicity.

Design/methodology/approach – To illustrate the implications of the new issues involved, this chapter focuses on a public policy that inadvertently seems to increase rates of violent crime. Since violent behavior is one of the effects of lead neurotoxicity, the hypothesis is tested using multiple sources of data including rates of violent crime studied using a variety of multivariate statistical techniques (including analysis of variance, multiple regression, and stepwise regression).

Findings – Various data sources point to greater violence among individuals with greater exposure to SiFs.

Originality/value – Testing hypotheses linking neurotoxins to violent behavior reveals the generally unsuspected value of analyzing human social behavior and public policy from the perspective of evolutionary psychology.

Graduated compression shaping pants (GCSPs) are shapewears sharing the same action mechanisms as medical compression stockings (MCSs), setting four stages of pressure on lower limbs that gradually decreasing from the ankle to the thigh root. They are claimed to be able to not only shaping bodies but also promoting blood circulation in legs. However, there are few studies on whether GCSPs perform the advertised functions and how effective GCSPs could be. The purpose of this paper is to explore and evaluate the pressure distribution and body-shaping effectivity of GCSPs.

The authors first select two graduated compression shaping pants (GCSPs-A, GCSPs-B) and a pair of professional shaping pants as the Controls. Then objective pressure test and 3D body scanning test are conducted. Finally, the pressure distribution and body-shaping effectivity are demonstrated by ORIGIN and MATLAB, compared with controls.

GCSPs-A perform significant body-shaping effectivity at the calf, thigh and thigh root, which are less effective than the Controls. The body-shaping effectivity of GCSPs-B is predicted weaker than GCSPs-A at the calf and thigh, while better at the thigh root. Both GCSPs-A and GCSPs-B show gradual pressure, which could be classified into Class I or II of MCSs. Comprehensively, GCSPs-A are superior than GCSPs-B.

In this paper, authors evaluate the pressure distribution and body-shaping effectivity of GCSPs, which could provide guidance for enterprises to further optimize and produce GCSPs, performing better functions that meet consumers' needs better.

Background: Hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP) is a common medical complication during pregnancy and is associated with several short and long-term maternal-fetal consequences. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with HIP among Ugandan women.

Methods: We consecutively enrolled eligible pregnant women attending antenatal care at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda in September 2020. Mothers known to be living with diabetes mellitus or haemoglobinopathies and those with anemia (hemoglobin <11g/dl) were excluded. Random blood sugar (RBS) and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA_1c) were measured on peripheral venous blood samples. HIP was defined as an HbA1c ≥5.7% with its subsets of diabetes in pregnancy (DIP) and prediabetes defined as HbA1c_1c of ≥6.5% and 5.7–6.4% respectively. ROC curve analysis was performed to determine the optimum cutoff of RBS to screen for HIP.

Results: A total of 224 mothers with a mean (±SD) age 26±5 years were enrolled, most of whom were in the 2^nd or 3^rd trimester (94.6%, n=212) with a mean gestation age of 26.6±7.3 weeks. Prevalence of HIP was 11.2% (n=25) (95% CI: 7.7–16.0). Among the mothers with HIP, 2.2% (n=5) had DIP and 8.9% (n=20) prediabetes. Patients with HIP were older (28 years vs. 26 years, p=0.027), had previous tuberculosis (TB) contact (24% vs. 6.5%, p=0.003) and had a bigger hip circumference (107.8 (±10.4) vs. 103.3 (±9.7) cm, p=0.032). However only previous TB contact was predictive of HIP (odds ratio: 4.4, 95% CI: 1.2–14.0; p=0.022). Using HbA_1c as a reference variable, we derived an optimum RBS cutoff of 4.75 mmol/L as predictive of HIP with a sensitivity and specificity of 90.7% and 56.4% (area under the curve=0.75 (95% CI: 0.70–0.80, p<0.001)), respectively.

Conclusions: HIP is common among young Ugandan women, the majority of whom are without identifiable risk factors.