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Current industrial sources of tocotrienols are almost entirely composed of tropical monocots. However, recent reports have observed significant tocotrienol (T3) contents in eudicot families, including Passifloraceae. While passion fruits are also tropical, their cultivation is not strictly limited to rainforests, and seeds are often a by-product of fruit processing. To elucidate tocochromanol production in the Passifloraceae family, seeds (54 samples representing 18 species) were gathered from botanical gardens worldwide. Ultrasound-assisted extraction in ethanol (UAEE) was compared with the standard saponification protocol as a greener alternative. Tocotrienols constituted a major percentage (48–91%) of Passifloraceae species’ seed tocochromanols, and γ-T3 (12–53%) and δ-T3 (8–68%) were major contributors. Although a higher δ-T3 content was observed in some Passiflora species, it was less consistent than the γ-T3 content between and within species. The highest total tocochromanol content was observed in P. subpeltata (28.98 ± 5.83 mg 100 g⁻¹ dry weight). The UAEE protocol recovered tocotrienols and tocopherols at degrees similar to those of saponification (100% and 93%, respectively). Therefore, UAEE could also be proposed for the effective recovery of these valuable phytochemicals from by-products of Passiflora fruits. Full article

Maintaining intestinal health is fundamental to immune competence and disease resistance in broiler chickens; however, effective nutritional strategies that enhance gut barrier integrity and systemic health remain under investigation. This study evaluated the effects of a multi-strain probiotic composed of Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, meat quality, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health in broilers. The research included 144 Ross 308 broilers aged one day, distributed randomly into two diet groups, each containing 6 replicates of 12 birds. During the 42 d trial, the control group (CON) was fed a basal diet composed of corn and soybean meal, with the compound probiotics (CP) diet additionally containing 0.3% compound microbial preparation. Growth performance, meat quality, serum immune and antioxidant indices, intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier-related genes and cecal microbiota were analyzed. Compared with the CON, CP supplementation significantly increased average daily gain, reduced feed conversion ratio, and improved eviscerated and breast muscle yields (p < 0.05). Meat quality was enhanced, as indicated by higher pH_45min, increased redness (a*), and reduced shear force and drip loss in breast muscle (p < 0.05). In addition, CP broilers exhibited improved amino acid and fatty acid profiles in breast muscle (p < 0.05). Serum analysis revealed elevated immunoglobulin G and interleukin-10 levels, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enhanced antioxidant capacity in the CP group (p < 0.05). Probiotic supplementation significantly improved intestinal morphology and upregulated barrier-related genes such as mucin-1 (MUC-1), claudin-1(CLDN-1), zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), and occludin (OCLN) (p < 0.05). Moreover, cecal microbiota analysis demonstrated increased abundance of Bacteroidota and enrichment of beneficial genera, including Megamonas, Ruminococcus, and Prevotella (p < 0.05). Overall, dietary supplementation with 0.3% compound probiotics effectively enhanced growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health in broilers. Full article

With the rapid development of intensive aquaculture, unreasonable stocking density has become a major factor restricting the healthy growth of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three stocking densities (0.57, 1.13, and 2.27 kg/m³) on the growth performance, stress response, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of grass carp. Grass carp with an initial body weight of 81.76 ± 17.69 g were randomly assigned to three groups with three replicates. After 75 days of cultivation, we randomly sampled and measured their growth performance. Reagent kits were used to detect serum biochemical indicators, kidney immune enzyme activity, and liver antioxidant indicators in each treatment group. The expression of spleen immune-related genes was detected using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Results showed that the final body weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, and condition factor were significantly higher in the medium-stocking-density group (p < 0.05). High stocking density significantly increased serum cortisol, glucose, transaminases, creatinine, and urea nitrogen, and decreased cholesterol and triglyceride levels (p < 0.05). For immune parameters, the activities of immunoglobulin M (IgM), lysozyme (LZM), antimicrobial peptide (AMP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and acid phosphatase (ACP) in the kidneys decreased with increasing density. The mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-10 in the spleen were significantly upregulated, while IgM was downregulated in the high-density group (p < 0.05). Regarding antioxidant capacity, hepatic total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) levels increased initially and then decreased with increasing density, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content increased continuously. Collectively, these findings suggest that high stocking density induces growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and immune dysfunction in grass carp. The medium density of 1.13 kg/m³ was found to be optimal for the growth and physiological health of grass carp in this study, providing a scientific basis for the optimization of intensive farming strategies. Full article

The potential of Rhodotorula yeast culture (RYC) in animal production remains underexplored. This study investigated the effects of RYC supplementation on nutrient apparent digestibility, rumen tissue morphology, fermentation parameters, and fungal microbiota in sheep. Twenty-four three-month-old male Dorper × Han crossbred sheep (weight 36 ± 4 kg) were selected and randomly divided into four groups, with six sheep in each group: the control group (CON) was fed a basal diet, and the three treatment groups were supplemented with 10, 20, or 40 g/d of RYC (RYC10, RYC20, RYC40), respectively. The results showed that RYC supplementation significantly increased (p < 0.05) the apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber, and the apparent digestibility of CP and ADF was significantly higher in the RYC20 than in the other groups (p < 0.05). Rumen papillae length and muscular layer thickness were significantly greater (p < 0.05) in RYC-treated groups compared to the CON group, and the RYC20 group exhibited significantly greater rumen papilla length and muscularis propria thickness than the other experimental groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, ruminal pH and bacterial crude protein content were significantly elevated (p < 0.05), while ammonia nitrogen concentration was significantly reduced (p < 0.05). The RYC40 group exhibited significantly higher rumen pH and BCP concentrations, and significantly lower NH3-N concentration, compared to the other experimental groups (p < 0.05). The concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total volatile fatty acids were also significantly higher (p < 0.05) in RYC groups. For RYC20, rumen acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, total volatile fatty acid content and the acetate-to-propionate ratio were significantly higher than those of the other experimental groups (p < 0.05). Analysis of fungal community revealed that RYC increased the relative abundance of fibrolytic fungi (e.g., Neocallimastix, Caecomyce, Piromyces). Supplementation of RYC at 20 g/d optimizes apparent nutrient digestibility and rumen tissue development in ruminants, while maintaining favorable rumen fermentation characteristics and selectively enhancing the growth of core fibrolytic fungi; this dosage achieves the optimal balance of biological performance and economic feasibility, and is thus recommended as the optimal practical supplementation dosage for ruminant production. Full article

The impact modification of polyamide 6 (PA6) using maleic anhydride grafted ethylene/1-octene copolymers (EOR-g-MAH) is well-established, yet the isolated influence of intrinsic modifier parameters—specifically octene content $c_{\mathrm{o}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{t}}$ and molecular weight $MW$—remains insufficiently understood due to confounding microstructural effects. This study presents a systematic approach to decouple these variables by maintaining constant grafting degree, modifier content, and compound morphology. A series of PA6/EOR-g-MAH compounds was prepared with controlled variations in $c_{\mathrm{o}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{t}}$ (8–15 mol%) and $MW$ (34–42 kg/mol). Instrumented Charpy impact testing across a temperature range from −40 °C to +23 °C enabled quantification of crack initiation and propagation energies ($E_{\mathrm{i}\mathrm{n}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{t}}$ and $E_{\mathrm{p}\mathrm{r}\mathrm{o}\mathrm{p}}$), providing mechanistic insight into the brittle–ductile transition. Complementary thermal, rheological, and tensile analyses of the modifiers revealed how $c_{\mathrm{o}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{t}}$ governs cavitation behavior and low-temperature toughness, while $MW$ in particular influences particle integrity and energy dissipation at elevated temperatures. The results demonstrate that targeted adjustment of $c_{\mathrm{o}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{t}}$ and $MW$ allows for the precise tuning of brittle–ductile transition temperature (BDTT) and impact resistance. The compound containing a high-$MW$ modifier with intermediate $c_{\mathrm{o}\mathrm{c}\mathrm{t}}$ (13 mol%) exhibited the most favorable balance of toughness and strength retention at elevated temperatures. These findings offer design principles for engineering thermoplastics with enhanced performance across broad service conditions. Full article

Background: This study aims to compare the performance of machine learning (ML) models developed to predict long-term mortality risk in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) and to investigate the prognostic value of novel inflammatory–metabolic indices. Methods: In this retrospective study, 329 consecutive STEMI patients who underwent pPCI (292 survivors, 37 deaths) were included. Five ML algorithms—Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN)—were developed for mortality prediction. Model performance was evaluated using accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). SHAP (Shapley Additive exPlanations) analysis was used to interpret model decision mechanisms. Results: The mortality group had significantly higher door-to-balloon time (DTBT), Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI), pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV), whereas body mass index (BMI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and Advanced Lung Cancer Inflammation Index (ALI) values were significantly lower (p < 0.001). Among the ML models, the XGBoost algorithm achieved the best performance, with 98.99% accuracy, a ROC-AUC of 0.999, and 100% sensitivity, correctly identifying all mortality cases. SHAP analysis identified DTBT, albumin level, and ALI score as the strongest predictors of mortality, in that order. Conclusions: The XGBoost algorithm provides high accuracy and reliability for predicting long-term mortality in STEMI patients. Beyond DTBT, integrating novel indices—especially ALI and TyG—into ML models may serve as a powerful clinical tool for early identification of high-risk patients and improved risk stratification. Full article

Addressing the need for efficient separation of critical elements from NdFeB magnets, this study introduces, for the first time, a D001 cation exchange resin for the selective separation Co(II) from Nd(III) and Dy(III). At pH 5, the resin adsorbs Nd and Dy with high capacities (97.57 and 86.38 mg/g, respectively) and efficiencies (over 98%), but shows low affinity for Co (26.6% efficiency). The resin exhibits excellent stability across a wide pH range of 2–7 and maintains high adsorption performance over five consecutive cycles. The process follows pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir model. Co(II) is effectively desorbed with high purity (>99%) using 2.5 M H₂SO₄. Characterization confirms that adsorption occurs via ion exchange on –SO₃Na groups. This method successfully separates Co, providing a high-purity stream for further rare earth purification and demonstrating strong industrial potential. Full article

A productivity simulation for hydraulically fractured wells with complex fracture geometry involves a heavy computational burden and is therefore not suitable for engineering-scale fracture-optimization designs and production-analysis applications. This paper develops a productivity-prediction surrogate model based on a deep convolution–bidirectional gated recurrent unit temporal network (DC-BiGRU) framework where a deep convolutional neural network is used to extract features from fracture images, while a BiGRU model was designed to fully capture valuable information from the production sequence. Some additional inputs, e.g., cluster spacing and stage spacing, that account for different fracture-placement designs in horizontal wells were also considered. A large number of shale-gas production data samples at different times were generated using a fractured-horizontal-well productivity simulator under diverse hydraulic-fracture geometries and bottom-hole flowing pressures. The surrogate model had relative errors below 10% with an average error of about 6%. Compared to high-fidelity capacity prediction simulators, the computational efficiency of the deep learning surrogate models was improved by two to three orders of magnitude. The runtime of the high-fidelity numerical simulator was about 20 min, while the surrogate model, which was run on an NVIDIA Tesla P100 GPU (NVIDIA, Santa Clara, CA, USA), took less than 1 s, which is almost negligible. The proposed surrogate model resolved the low efficiency of the productivity simulation for complex-fracture hydraulic fracturing wells in unconventional reservoirs, enabling rapid dynamic forecasting of fractured-well productivity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Liquid profiling of molecular and epigenetic markers in bodily fluids is an expanding field of cancer biomarker research. Recent research activity also reveals the human satellite 2 (HSAT2) repetitive element cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as a potential cancer biomarker. Based on our recent results from targeted sequencing of HSAT2 cfDNA, we tested whether a specific HSAT2 sequence (e.g., 95 bp-HSAT2) shows greater cancer enrichment than 114 bp-SAT2, from which it derives, in patients with colon cancer. Methods: By comparing the ratio of 114 bp-HSAT2 to 95 bp-HSAT2, we investigated the increased cancer enrichment of 95 bp-HSAT2 in cfDNA samples obtained from plasma DNA extraction and a hybridization capture assay, in which HSAT2 sequences were captured from plasma using a biotin-labeled probe, in samples from colon cancer patients (n = 60) and polyp-controls (n = 60), and polyp-free controls (n = 60). Results: A correlation analysis between Ct values from DNA extraction and the hybridization capture assay for both 95 bp- and 114 bp-HSAT2 showed a positive correlation in patients with colon cancer and control subjects, indicating that the hybridization capture assay provides HSAT2 levels comparable to those obtained by DNA extraction. With both approaches, we found a lower 114 bp-HSAT2 to 95 bp-HSAT2 ratio in patients with colon cancer than in the control groups. The median ratio of extracted DNA was 62, 78, and 79 in patients with colon cancer, polyp-controls (p = 0.23), and polyp-free controls (p = 0.067), respectively. Capture assay values were 49, 87, and 64 in patients with colon cancer, polyp controls (p = 0.016), and polyp-free controls (p = 0.19), respectively. Even though statistical significance was not achieved in some comparisons, these results suggest that 95 bp-HSAT2 is more abundant in the blood of patients with colon cancer than 114 bp-HSAT2 in non-malignant patients. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to conduct a hybridization capture assay using a biotinylated probe as a feasible approach for targeted enrichment of cfDNA from plasma. Our results confirm the outcomes of our recent article based on targeted sequencing and reveal that some specific HSAT2 sequences may exhibit increased cancer abundance. Full article

Geranium robertianum L. is used in traditional medicine to treat different systemic disorders and holds great therapeutic potential but remains understudied. To this aim, an ethanolic extract obtained from the aerial parts of G. robertianum L. (GR) was investigated in terms of phytochemical composition and biological activity. GR extract exhibited high levels of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. The antioxidant activity was determined by means of three different colorimetric assays (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP), and the results obtained indicate that the ABTS assay showed the highest antioxidant capacity. Metal analysis was also performed. Fe was found to be the most abundant element in the analyzed extract, with a concentration of 363.65 ± 4.18 μg/g, followed by Zn, Mn, Ni, and Cr. Four potentially hazardous heavy metals, As, Co, Pb, and Cd, were found to be under the detection limit. The GR extract exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, with inhibition zones generally comparable to those of levofloxacin. However, the extract was significantly less effective against the P. aeruginosa strain. On A253 human salivary gland carcinoma cells, GR extract elicited a dose-dependent antiproliferative effect, produced morphological changes, and increased ROS and both caspase-3/7 and caspase-9 levels. Full article

Background: Systemic inflammation through neutrophil-mediated injury, lymphocyte depletion, and monocyte-driven fibrosis plays a central pathophysiological role in heart failure (HF) progression. We investigated the diagnostic and prognostic utility of contemporary inflammatory indices, particularly the Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI) and Naples Prognostic Score (NPS). Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 926 participants (500 HF patients, 426 controls). Multiple inflammatory indices (e.g., SIRI, Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI)) and prognostic scores (e.g., NPS) were calculated from routine hematological and biochemical parameters. Primary outcomes were HF diagnosis discrimination and 3-month and 24-month all-cause mortality. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, Kaplan–Meier survival curves, and Cox proportional hazards regression were performed. Results: HF patients demonstrated significantly elevated inflammatory burden: SIRI (3.26 vs. 1.06, p < 0.001) and NPS (2.00 vs. 1.43, p < 0.001). For HF diagnosis, SIRI exhibited superior discriminative performance (AUC = 0.893; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.871–0.912), substantially exceeding all other indices (p < 0.001). For long-term mortality prediction, SIRI maintained the highest accuracy (AUC = 0.677), followed by PNI (AUC = 0.639) and NPS (AUC = 0.613). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed progressive survival deterioration across NPS categories: 24-month mortality increased from 5.9% (NPS = 0) to 23.0% (NPS = 4), p = 0.002. Multivariable Cox regression confirmed independent prognostic value: SIRI >1.86 (HR = 2.232; 95% CI: 1.280–3.892; p = 0.005) and NPS > 2 (HR = 1.403; 95% CI: 1.180–1.668; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: SIRI and NPS represent powerful, readily accessible prognostic tools capturing distinct but complementary pathophysiological domains in HF. These indices offer substantial clinical utility for risk identification and treatment decisions, particularly in resource-limited settings. Future studies should validate these cut-offs and evaluate biomarker-guided therapeutic strategies. Full article

Aquaporins are key membrane proteins that mediate water transport in plants and are indispensable for maintaining cellular water homeostasis and normal physiological processes. This study investigated the function of SbPIP1-3, an aquaporin gene isolated from drought-tolerant Sorghum bicolor. Bioinformatics analysis, subcellular localization, and heterologous expression of SbPIP1-3 were performed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Arabidopsis thaliana, and rapeseed. Sequence analysis revealed that SbPIP1-3 encodes a basic hydrophobic protein targeted to the plasma membrane, a finding further corroborated by subcellular localization assays. In yeast expression assays, SbPIP1-3-transformed strains retained viability under osmotic stress induced by 1.2 M mannitol, whereas non-transgenic control strains failed to survive. In Arabidopsis and rapeseed experiments, the SbPIP1-3 overexpression enhanced drought tolerance (improved germination, root growth, antioxidant enzyme activity, proline content, PSII repair capacity, and survival after drought–rewatering) and reduced intracellular H₂O₂ accumulation. Transcriptome profiling of drought-stressed transgenic Arabidopsis and control plants demonstrated significant upregulation of mostly stress-responsive pathways (e.g., MAPK signaling pathway and hormone signaling pathways) and key drought-tolerance genes (e.g., SNRK2-2, SOD1, APX3, GPX3, P5CS1). Collectively, these findings suggest that SbPIP1-3 enhances plant drought tolerance through the following mechanisms: improving transmembrane water transport efficiency to sustain cellular osmotic balance; activating the antioxidant defense system to increase enzyme activity and mitigate reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation; optimizing photosynthetic protection mechanisms to preserve the structural and functional integrity of PSII; and regulating the expression of stress-responsive signaling pathways and associated functional genes. Full article

Ammonia nitrogen stands as a pivotal water quality indicator within the frameworks of aquatic ecological quality assessment and aquatic ecological governance systems. This study focuses on the adsorption method, selecting four inorganic adsorbents—clinoptilolite, volcanic rock, bentonite, and fly ash—as research subjects, and introduces rare earth modifiers for rare earth-loading modification. Various modifications were applied to the adsorbents to enhance their ammonia nitrogen adsorption efficacy. Combined with material characterization, the microscopic features and adsorption behaviors of the adsorbents were elucidated, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for addressing practical engineering challenges and to screen out the optimal inorganic adsorbent and the most effective modification protocol. Based on the experimental findings, cerium chloride modification can significantly enhance the ammonia nitrogen adsorption performance of clinoptilolite. Under the optimal preparation conditions (cerium chloride concentration: 1.0%, solid–liquid ratio: 1:40, pH = 9), the ammonia nitrogen removal efficiency reaches 85.45%. This modification process leads to the formation of new substances: a large amount of cerium oxide and cerium hydroxide are loaded onto the surface of clinoptilolite, which contributes to the increases in specific surface area (21.92 m²/g), average pore diameter (12.27 nm), and total pore volume (0.07 cm³/g). Furthermore, during the modification, cerium hydroxide undergoes hydroxylation, rendering the clinoptilolite surface negatively charged—this facilitates the adsorption of ammonia nitrogen via electrostatic interaction. Notably, the characteristic structural peaks of clinoptilolite remain unchanged before and after modification, indicating that the modification primarily acts on the material surface. This not only improves the ammonia nitrogen adsorption efficiency but also preserves the structural stability of clinoptilolite. Full article

Background: Transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted (TULA) surgery is a minimally invasive technique that combines laparoscopic exploration with extracorporeal surgical management, offering potential advantages in neonatal abdominal surgery. However, comparative data with conventional open surgery in neonates remain limited. This study reports our single-center experience with TULA and compares its outcomes with those of a matched cohort of neonates undergoing open surgery. Methods: We performed a retrospective study on neonatal patients (<28 days of life) treated at our Pediatric Surgery Unit between 2015 and 2023. Twenty-five neonates underwent TULA for various intra-abdominal malformations. Each TULA patient was matched in a 1:2 ratio with neonates treated with open surgery based on gestational age, birth weight, and underlying diagnosis, resulting in a matched cohort of 50 patients. Primary outcomes included operative and anesthesia times, conversion rate, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality. Results: The TULA cohort included 11 males and 14 females, with a mean gestational age of 37.5 ± 1.9 weeks and a mean birth weight of 2989 ± 675 g. Indications comprised intestinal malrotation, ileal atresia, duodenal stenosis, meconium ileus, and other abdominal pathologies. Mean operative time was comparable between groups (116 ± 37 min in the TULA group vs. 137 ± 65.9 min in the open surgery group; p = 0.52). Conversion from TULA to open surgery occurred in 16% of cases. No significant differences were observed in major postoperative complications or length of hospital stay between groups (p > 0.05). No mortality was reported. Conclusions: TULA represents a safe and effective surgical option for selected neonatal abdominal pathologies, with outcomes comparable to conventional open surgery. When performed in specialized centers with appropriate patient selection and multidisciplinary expertise, TULA offers favorable safety and cosmetic results. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. Treatment consists of a lifelong diet restricted in fructose, sucrose, and sorbitol (FSS). The aim of this study was to determine dietary intake of FSS and to analyze the consumption patterns of vegetables, fruit, legumes, pulses, and dried fruit in a nationwide cohort of HFI patients. Methods: Overall, 36 HFI patients and 28 age-, sex- and BMI-matched healthy control subjects participated in this study. A self-administered three-day dietary record and an adapted quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) including frequency and portion sizes were collected. FSS intake was calculated using the DIAL Nutritional Calculation Program (ALCE INGENIERÍA). Total fructose intake was calculated as the sum of free fructose, 50% of sucrose, and sorbitol. Results: Protein intake was significantly higher in HFI patients compared to the controls (92.43 g/day [65.1–165.03] vs. 70.39 g/day [35.21–133.83]; p = 0.001). In most patients, total fructose intake was within the recommended limits (9.79 mg/kg bw/day [0.29–59.09]), with no significant differences between children and adults (p = 0.325). Although the established dietary recommendations did not always match the actual intake observed in a real-life setting, in general, foods with higher fructose content were consumed less frequently and in smaller quantities. Conclusions: Further research on the fructose content of various foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, and updated dietary recommendations for HFI patients are warranted to provide the best tools for the nutritional management of the disease. Full article