Search Results (51)

The quality of edible oils is determined not only by the raw material, but also by the applied processing technology. Rapeseed oil is widely valued for its favorable fatty acid profile, however, the effects of combined pressing conditions and low-temperature bleaching on its lipid profile and calculated nutritional quality indices remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of oil production method and bleaching earth addition on the fatty acid profile, nutritional quality indices, and oxidizability-related indices of rapeseed oil from an applied food processing perspective. Rapeseed oil samples were obtained from a commercial producer using cold pressing, hot pressing, and mixed two-stage pressing. The oils were subjected to low-temperature bleaching with 1–5% bleaching earth. The fatty acid profile was determined by gas chromatography, and selected fatty acid-based indices were calculated and grouped into three categories: fatty acid class ratios, nutritional quality indices, and oxidizability-related indices. These included ratios describing the balance between omega-6 s omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Σ PUFA n-6/n-3), unsaturated and saturated fatty acids (Σ UFA/Σ SFA), and polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (Σ PUFA/Σ SFA). Health-oriented indices such as the Desirable Fatty Acids/Undesirable Fatty Acids ratio (Σ DFA/Σ OFA), hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (h/H), Nutritive Value Index (NVI), Atherogenic Index (AI), and Thrombogenic Index (TI), and oxidizability-related indices including the Unsaturation Index (UI), Peroxidizability Index (PI), Oxidizability Index (OI), calculated Oxidizability Value (Cox), and Oxidative Stability Index (OS). The results showed that the production method significantly influenced saturated fatty acid content and selected fatty acid-based nutritional quality indices. Cold-pressed oil was characterized by the lowest saturated fatty acid content and the most beneficial values of selected nutritional quality indices. Hot-pressed oil showed higher saturated fatty acid content and less favorable values for selected indices, whereas mixed oil generally showed values between those of cold-pressed and hot-pressed oils. However, differences in the main unsaturated fatty acid fractions were limited and, for most monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid parameters, were not statistically significant. Across all processing variants, the nutritional quality indices remained advantageous, with omega-6/omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio values of 2.1–2.4, atherogenic index values of approximately 0.04–0.05, and thrombogenic index values of approximately 0.08–0.09. Although significant interactions between production method and bleaching earth addition were observed for selected oxidizability-related indices, the magnitude of bleaching-induced changes was limited. Overall, the findings indicate that low-temperature bleaching may be applied as a mild processing step without substantially compromising the fatty acid-based quality characteristics of rapeseed oil. The study provides practical insight into the relationship between pressing technology, bleaching conditions, and lipid quality assessment in industrial rapeseed oil production. Full article

In this study, the effect of sonication on the bioactive components, antioxidant capacity, phenolic components, and fatty acid composition of tea seeds sonicated for different periods of time was investigated. The total phenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of non-sonicated (raw) and sonicated tea seeds were established to be between 58.31 (15 min) and 75.55 mg GAE/100 g (control) to 85.00 (15 min) and 127.95 mg/100 g (5 min), respectively. With the increase in sonication time, TPC and TFC of the tea seeds decreased, while the antioxidant capacities of the seeds increased partially. In general, an increase in the antioxidant value of tea seeds was observed with increasing sonication time. Catechin and p-coumaric acid contents of the tea seeds were assessed to be between 123.69 (25 min) and 360.87 (5 min) to 7.29 (15 min) and 13.26mg/100 g (5 min), respectively. The amount of palmitic acid, the highest saturated fatty acid in tea seed oils, was identified to be between 13.51 (15 min) and 13.77% (5 min). While the amount of oleic acid of the tea seed oils was assessed to be between 61.72 (15 min) and 62.98% (25 min), linoleic acid results of the tea seed oils were characterized to be between 19.32 (5 min) and 19.69% (control). Nutritive Value Index (NVI) and Atherogenic Index (AI) results of sonicated tea seed oils were calculated to be between 4.74 (5 min) and 4.81 (25 min) to 0.161 (15 min) and 0.178 (control), respectively. Considering its overall fatty acid profile and other chemical properties, tea seed oil appears to be a promising alternative edible oil with characteristics similar to commonly consumed cooking oils such as olive and sunflower oil. Full article

Ionosphere status plays an important role in satellite communication and navigation systems. In this study, we developed an ANN model to predict the ionosphere status regarding the signal-to-noise ratio at non-line-of-sight, near-vertical incidence (NLOS-NVIS) at frequencies within the HF band. The channel sounding was performed by using two software-defined radios placed at a distance of 29 km apart. The databases regarding signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) data were collected for three ham radio bands: 30 m (10.140203 MHz), 40 m (7.040101 MHz) and 80 m (3.570101 MHz). Subsequently, each database was split into a 70% training set and a 30% testing set. In this configuration, the input vectors were represented by the exact time of day (hour and minute) at which the SNR value was predicted, which functioned as an output variable. Also, three error figures were used as indicators for predicting capability and comparing our ANN with other models. Full article

Raw rapeseed cake represents a viable alternative protein source for broiler diets, and its fermentation may reduce anti-nutritional factors while improving its feeding value. This 35-day study involved 300 one-day-old ROSS 308 chicks (three groups, four replicates/group, with 25 broilers/replicate) raised on wood shavings (16 broilers/m²). Broilers received either a control diet (corn–soybean meal) or diets supplemented with 200 g/kg of RRCs (raw rapeseed cakes) or fermented rapeseed cakes (FRCs). At the end of the trial, eight broilers per group were slaughtered, and breast and thigh samples were collected. The nutritional quality of the meat was assessed by proximate composition, fatty acid profile, and health-related lipid indices. In addition, oxidative status during shelf-life storage was evaluated based on myoglobin content (Mb), metmyoglobin concentration (metMb), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and lipid peroxidation, determined as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). The omega-3 fatty acid content in fresh breast and thigh samples was significantly higher in RRC and FRC groups compared to C (p = 0.014; p = 0.0001), which significantly decreased the omega-6/omega-3 ratio for both samples (p = 0.0001). The TBARS values exhibited a significant decrease (p < 0.0001) between groups for breast and thigh samples. The TAC values showed significantly higher antioxidant capacity in RRC and FRC breasts and thigh samples compared to C, considering both group differences (p < 0.0001) and shelf-life evaluation (p = 0.001). In thigh samples, the RRC group showed lower metMB values compared to the control group (p = 0.042), whereas differences in breast samples were not statistically significant (p = 0.054). Healthy lipid indexes registered significantly lower values for experimental groups, both for breast and thigh, and for linoleic/α-linolenic acid ratio (p = 0.0001), but for atherogenicity index (AI) (p = 0.0001) and thrombogenic index (TI) (p = 0.0001) only for the RRC group, while nutritive value index (NVI) significantly increased (p = 0.0001) on both groups. In conclusion, RRC and FRC may represent sustainable alternatives to soybean meal in broiler nutrition, supporting improvements in meat lipid profile and oxidative stability. Overall, the RRC group showed more significant effects on n-3 fatty acid enrichment and lipid quality indices, whereas the FRC mainly influenced proximate composition and selected color parameters. Full article

Plasma polymerization offers a solvent-free route to functional polymer materials, but the structural integrity and accessibility of functional groups in plasma-derived networks remain insufficiently validated. Herein, N-vinylimidazole (NVI) was polymerized using atmospheric-pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma in a liquid-film configuration to generate a chemically heterogeneous poly(N-vinylimidazole)-like material that could be recovered and evaluated in aqueous solution. ATR–FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy indicate substantial vinyl-group consumption with retention of imidazole functionality. Functional behavior was probed using chromium(III) (Cr³⁺) as a model metal ion. UV–Vis spectroscopy revealed systematic changes in the Cr³⁺ d–d transition region (~580–600 nm) with increasing polymer concentration, consistent with ligand-field perturbation arising from interactions with imidazole donor sites. A monotonic increase in absorbance with an increasing ligand-to-metal ratio was observed, followed by plateau behavior at higher ratios, indicating saturation of accessible coordination environments. These results demonstrate that plasma-polymerized material retains chemically accessible imidazole functionalities capable of coordinating transition-metal ions in solution, establishing atmospheric-pressure plasma polymerization as a viable route to functional imidazole-containing materials. Full article

The identification of gifted students with learning disabilities (GLD) remains theoretically and methodologically contested. The present study examined cognitive and reading profiles of 150 Greek students in Grades 4–6, classified as gifted with learning disabilities (GLD) (n = 36), gifted (n = 31), or dyslexic of average intellectual ability (n = 83). Gifted classification was based on National Association for Gifted Children guidelines issued in 2018, using reasoning-based WISC-VIndices (FSIQ, GAI, EGAI, NVI, VECI ≥ 120), while learning disability was determined through formal multidisciplinary diagnosis. Cognitive performance was assessed with the WISC-V and reading with the standardized DADA battery (decoding, fluency, and comprehension). One-way ANOVAs and ROC analyses were conducted. GLD students demonstrated reasoning abilities and processing speed abilities comparable to gifted peers, but working memory deficits compared to gifted peers. In reading, GLD students showed decoding deficits like dyslexic peers and fluency impairments indistinguishable from them, yet significantly stronger comprehension. These findings reveal a differentiated literacy profile in which higher-order reasoning appears to support meaning construction despite persistent efficiency-based constraints in decoding and fluency. Overall, the results indicate that twice-exceptionality reflects a structurally uneven cognitive–academic configuration, underscoring the importance of multidimensional assessment approaches that simultaneously evaluate reasoning strengths and reading-specific vulnerabilities. Full article

Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous marine pollutants whose ecological impacts can be modulated by temperature. Temperature regulates copepod physiological responses in marine environments. Copepods can show stress responses at deviations from the optimal temperature range, particularly during early life stages. Naupliar stages are more sensitive to environmental stressors. This developmental stage can present population-level vulnerability. This study aimed to investigate the effects of MPs, temperature, and their interaction on the survival and development of Acartia hudsonica nauplii. This study investigated survival and development under nine experimental conditions via combining three MP concentrations (0, 100, and 10,000 μg/L) with three temperatures (15, 20, and 25 °C). The survival rate differed significantly among temperature treatments. The differences between MP exposure treatments were significant in terms of survival rate only at 15 °C. Stage-specific and cumulative developmental times were shortest at 20 °C. The final naupliar stage (NVI) attainment rate was significantly affected by both temperature and MP concentration. These results indicate that temperature is the dominant stressor for the naupliar stages of A. hudsonica. The effect of MPs was modulated by temperature, as the effect decreased under high-temperature conditions. Therefore, the ecological effects of MPs should be evaluated in terms of considering their interactions with temperature in aquatic environments. Full article

Background: A paediatric cancer diagnosis is a profound stressor for the entire family system. Although coping strategies are well-studied, their link to the quality of the parent–child attachment relationship remains less explored. In this study, we investigated whether dyadic attachment dynamics—specifically closeness and conflict between parent and child—are associated with the use of adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies in caregivers of children undergoing active treatment for oncohaematological diseases. Methods: We conducted a multicentre, cross-sectional study across three Italian paediatric oncohaematology centres. A total of 165 caregivers of 91 paediatric patients aged 3–17 years completed self-report measures assessing parent–child relationship quality (Child–Parent Relationship Scale-CPRS), coping strategies (COPE-NVI), perceived social support (MSPSS), and resilience (RS-14). We tested whether the quality of the parent–child attachment relationship is associated with caregivers’ coping strategies. We hypothesised that Attachment Closeness would be associated with adaptive coping (Positive Attitude, Social Support, Problem Orientation), whereas Attachment Conflict would be associated with maladaptive coping (Avoidance). We conducted multiple linear regression models, adjusted for key covariates and with robust standard errors clustered at the family level, to test these hypotheses. Results: Higher levels of emotional closeness (CPRS) were significantly associated with greater use of adaptive coping strategies, specifically Positive Attitude (β = 0.20, p = 0.049) and Problem Orientation (β = 0.26, p = 0.002), even after controlling for sociodemographic factors, social support, and resilience. Conversely, higher levels of relational conflict were significantly associated with greater use of the maladaptive Avoidance strategy (β = 0.14, p = 0.015). The hypothesis linking closeness to Social Support seeking was not supported. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the parent–child attachment relationship is a significant correlate of caregiver coping strategies in caregivers of children with cancer. Interventions aimed at supporting the caregiver–child dyad by fostering emotional closeness and reducing conflict may promote more adaptive parental coping mechanisms, thereby enhancing family resilience and psychological adjustment throughout the treatment journey. Full article

The increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the coping strategies used by children and parents who adapted to a diagnosis of central precocious puberty (CPP). This study aimed to explore whether the coping mechanisms of parents and their daughters diagnosed with CPP differed before and after the COVID-19 lockdown and if certain factors could be associated with these mechanisms. Specific questionnaires were completed by 174/524 girls with CPP enrolled at four different pediatric endocrinology centers in Italy. All girls filled in the questionnaire about the Children’s Coping Strategies (CCSs), and their parents completed the Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced (COPE-NVI-25) questionnaire. Cronbach’s test was performed to check the reliability of answers. Despite increased stress-related coping behaviors among girls with CPP after the lockdown, parents presented more functional coping behaviors related to problem-solving strategies and seeking social support. After the lockdown, children showed stronger associations with their parents’ adaptive strategies, emphasizing the important role of parental behaviors in shaping the responses of children to stressful events. Additionally, coping strategies were found to differ by country of origin: families of non-Italian origin showed a greater reliance on transcendence, while girls from these families had lower avoidance scores, suggesting the use of alternative adaptive strategies in stressful situations. Full article

Background/Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of our dual approach in treating neural ischemia. Methods: Researchers were able to retrospectively audit patient data collected from January 2022–September 2024. Patients were included if they received intraneural facilitation^® (INF^®), participated in neurovascular index (NVI)-guided food elimination, and completed pre and post pain-quality assessment scale (PQAS) forms in its entirety. Results: Eighteen of the twenty PQAS descriptive pain variables were significantly different pre- vs. post treatment: intense (p = 0.000), sharp (p = 0.002), hot (p = 0.020), dull (p = 0.022), cold (p = 0.005), sensitive (p = 0.000), shooting (p = 0.000), numb (p = 0.000), electrical (p = 0.000), tingling (p = 0.000), cramping (p = 0.000), radiating (p = 0.000), throbbing (p = 0.000), aching (p = 0.000), heavy (p = 0.000), unpleasant (p = 0.000), deep pain (p = 0.000), and intense surface pain (p = 0.000). Itchy (p = 0.058) and tender (p = 0.062) were not found to be significant. There was also significance in pain decrease in the three mean domains: paroxysmal (p = 0.000), superficial (p = 0.000), and deep (p = 0.000). Conclusions: This study suggests that blending a mechanical intervention (INF^®) with a lifestyle modification (NVI-guided food elimination) is effective in improving PQAS scores in patients with peripheral neuropathy, indicating a possible reversal of neural ischemia and maintenance of capillary patency. Full article

This paper investigates the influence of vegetable oils (sunflower oil (SO), rapeseed oil (RO), and linseed oil (LO)) supplemented into broiler diets on the fatty acids profile and quality of lipids in breasts and thighs, expressed through qualitative, nutritional, and metabolic indices. Broilers of the Ross 308 hybrid were divided into three groups and fattened over 6 weeks. During the last three weeks of fattening, broilers were fed a finisher diet that differed in types of supplemented oil. Diets were balanced at the level of 19.80% crude protein and 13.5 MJ ME/kg of feed. Feed and water were offered to broilers ad libitum. Fatty acid profiles were determined in samples of broiler breasts and thighs, based on which lipids health indices were calculated. Quantitative indices (polyunsaturated fatty acids-∑PUFA/saturated fatty acids-∑SFA, ∑PUFA n-6/∑PUFA n-3, linoleic acid-LA/α-linolenic acid-ALA, and eicosapentaenoic acid-EPA+ docosahexaenoic acid-DHA) were influenced by the type of oil (p < 0.001), whereas the type of meat was only important for the index of ∑PUFA/∑SFA (p < 0.001). Nutritional indices (nutritional value index-NVI, atherogenicity index-AI, thrombogenicity index-TI, hypo/hypercholesterolemic index-hHI, health-promoting index-HPI) depended on both factors (p < 0.001). The metabolic indices (elongase index-EI, thioesterase index-THI, ∆9-desaturase, ∆5 + ∆6-desaturase, kinetic activity index-KHI) were significantly affected by the type of meat (p < 0.001), as well as by the feeding treatments (p < 0.05), except for the EI index. This research confirmed that oils supplemented into broiler feed influence the fatty acid profiles in broiler meat. It has also been confirmed that the fatty acid profile affects the lipid quality in meat, which may be beneficial for consumers’ health. Full article

Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology is preferred in modern display applications due to its superior efficiency, color quality, and flexibility. It also carries a high potential of applicability in military displays where emission color tuning is required for MIL-STD-3009 Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVISs), as compatibility is critical. Herein, we report the effects of different OLED device layer materials and thicknesses such as the hole injection layer (HIL), hole transport layer (HTL), and electron transport layer (ETL) on the color coordinates, luminance, and efficiency of OLED devices designed for night vision (NVIS) compatibility. In this study, simulation tools like SETFOS^® (Semi-conducting Emissive Thin Film Optics Simulator), MATLAB^®, and LightTools^® (Illumination Design Software) were used to verify and validate the luminance, luminance efficiency, and chromaticity coordinates of the proposed NVIS-OLED devices. We modeled the OLED device using SETFOS^®, then the selection of materials for each layer for an optimal electron–hole balance was performed in the same tool. The effective reflectivity of multiple OLED layers was determined in MATLAB^® in addition to an optimal device efficiency calculation in SETFOS^®. The optical validation of output luminance and luminous efficiency was performed in LightTools^®. Through a series of simulations for a green-emitting OLED device, we observed significant shifts in color coordinates, particularly towards the yellow spectrum, when the ETL materials and their thicknesses varied between 1 nm and 200 nm, whereas a change in the thickness of the HIL and HTL materials had a negligible impact on the color coordinates. While the critical role of ETL in color tuning and the emission characteristics of OLEDs is highlighted, our results also suggested a degree of flexibility in material selection for the HIL and HTL, as they minimally affected the color coordinates of emission. We validated via a combination of SETFOS^®, MATLAB^®, and LightTools^® that when the ETL (3TPYMB) material thickness is optimized to 51 nm, the cathode reflectivity via the ETL-EIL stack became the minimum enabling output luminance of 3470 cd/m2 through our emissive layer within the Glass/ITO/MoO₃/TAPC/(CBP:Ir(ppy)₃)/3TPYMB/LiF/Aluminum OLED stack architecture, also yielding 34.73 cd/A of current efficiency under 10 mA/cm² of current density. We infer that when stack layer thicknesses are optimized with respect to their reflectivity properties, better performances are achieved. Full article

Most existing studies on the optimal bandwidth selection for plant nitrogen are based on the sensitive band center, and determine the optimal bands by manually adjusting the bandwidth, step by step. However, this method has a high level of manual involvement and is time-consuming. This paper focused on rice as the research subject, based on determining the center of the rice plant nitrogen-sensitive bands and the maximum region Ω of the fitted R² between the narrow-band vegetation indices (N-VIs) and plant nitrogen, a method was proposed to automatically select the optimal bandwidth by constructing inscribed rectangles. UAV hyperspectral images were used to carry out the spatial inversion and precision verification of the rice plant nitrogen, based on the optimal width of sensitive bands. The results revealed that the optimal bandwidths, automatically selected on the basis of N-VIs via the inscribed rectangle method, achieved good results in the remote sensing inversion of plant nitrogen at the rice jointing and flowering stages, with the coefficient of determination (R²) greater than 0.49 to satisfy the requirement of significance (p < 0.05) and the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) and mean relative error (MRE) of less than 13%. These findings indicate that the method of crop plant nitrogen inversion band center screening and automatic search for the optimal bandwidth in this study has certain feasibility, which provides a new idea for screening the optimal bandwidth on the basis of the sensitive band center and provides technical support for the design of satellite band parameters. Full article

Background: Rejected medical claims pose a significant challenge for healthcare facilities accredited by Tanzania’s National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Despite the NHIF’s role in reducing out-of-pocket costs, claim rejections have been a persistent issue, largely due to documentation errors, coding mistakes, and non-compliance with NHIF regulations. This study determined the patterns of rejected claims and the strategies employed by NHIF-accredited hospitals to mitigate these challenges. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted between July and August 2024 and used quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study utilized secondary data (August 2023 to January 2024) on the rejected claims from 46 healthcare facilities (HFs) and key informant interviews from the respective selected facilities. Descriptive data analysis was carried out using STATA version 15 and qualitative data analysis was conducted using NViVo2 version 12 software. Results: A total of 46 public (27) and private (19) HFs were included in this study. The data revealed significant variation in the average number of items rejected per claim across HFs, ranging from 0.21 in a regional referral hospital to 1.21 in a zonal hospital. Non-adherence to standard treatment guidelines (STGs) was significantly more common (p < 0.001) in polyclinics, accounting for 17.2% of the items rejected, and with the lowest number (0.8%) seen in zonal hospitals. Overutilization (drugs and investigations) was commonly reported in all HFs, ranging from 12.5% in polyclinics to 31.8% in district hospitals (p < 0.001). Non-applicable consultation charges were only reported in one zonal hospital. To mitigate these rejections, HFs implemented strategies such as immediate error verification, regular communication with NHIF, staff training, technology use, and regular supervision by the internal audit units. Despite these efforts, challenges persisted, particularly those stemming from complex NHIF policies, which account for most rejections in zonal health facilities. Conclusions: There are significant variations in rejection patterns among HFs, with attendance date anomalies, non-adherence to STGs, NHIF pricing, and overutilization being the most common reasons across all HFs. Strategies to address rejections should be tailored to specific health facilities, coupled with electronic systems that will detect errors during patient management. Full article

In this paper, a nonlinear vibration system with friction and linear and nonlinear springs is modeled and analyzed. The analysis examined how the combination of nonlinear variables affects the displacement of the system using the slowly varying amplitude and phase (SVAP) method. The break-loose frequency at which relative motion begins was obtained as a function of the friction ratio, and it was found that the displacement transmissibility differed depending on the change in design parameters. The displacement transmissibility response showed a unique phenomenon in which bifurcation occurred in the front resonant branch before the maximum response point when the linear damping coefficient was small and the friction coefficient was large, and the displacement transfer curve was separated at a specific parameter value. This phenomenon can be divided into three parameter zones considering the bifurcation pattern and stability of the displacement transmissibility curve. In addition, a 3-D spatial zone of dimensionless parameters was presented, which can predict stability during the design process, along with the drawing method and procedure. This can be conveniently utilized in the process of setting the parameters of the isolators considering the stability of the response during the design. In the analysis and design process of vibration isolators with friction damping, this study has important implications for practical applications. Full article