-
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics :... Mar 2024Designing an n-type thermoelectric material with a high thermoelectric figure of merit at near room temperature is extremely challenging. Generally, pristine AgSe...
Designing an n-type thermoelectric material with a high thermoelectric figure of merit at near room temperature is extremely challenging. Generally, pristine AgSe reveals unusually low thermal conductivity along with a high electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient, which leads to high thermoelectric performance (n-type) at room temperature. Herein, we report a pseudo-ternary phase (AgSeTeS) that exhibits significantly high thermoelectric performance ( ∼ 2.1) even at 400 K. First-principles calculation reveals that the Rashba type of spin-dependent band spitting, which originates due to sulfur and tellurium substitution, helps to improve the thermopower magnitude. We also show that the intrinsic carrier mobility is not only controlled by the carrier effective mass but is substantially limited by longitudinal acoustic and optical phonon modes, which is an extension of the deformation potential theory. Locally off-center sulfur atoms, together with the increase in configurational entropy substitution of Te and S atoms in AgSe, lead to a drastic reduction in the lattice thermal conductivity ( ∼ 0.34 W m K at 400 K). The Rashba effect coupled with the configurational entropy synergistically results in a high thermoelectric figure of merit in the n-type thermoelectric material working in the near-room-temperature regime.
PubMed: 38444311
DOI: 10.1039/d3cp05833f -
Special Care in Dentistry : Official... Mar 2024Iran will soon have an aging population. Healthcare providers must consider factors affecting the quality of life for those 60 and older. Understanding oral health as...
BACKGROUND
Iran will soon have an aging population. Healthcare providers must consider factors affecting the quality of life for those 60 and older. Understanding oral health as one of these factors can improve the elderly's quality of life. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is a crucial reflection of individuals' general well-being and their overall quality of life linked to health. This study aimed to evaluate the OHRQoL among elderly Iranians referring to Azad University of Medical Sciences in Tehran.
METHODS
In this cross-sectional study, 171 individuals over 65 (93 men and 78 women) were evaluated using OHIP-14 and GOHAI-12 questionnaires to analyze their quality of life. Gender, age, systemic diseases, using medications and dentures, the number of remaining teeth, and oral lesions were recorded. Salivary flow and xerostomia were analyzed with the spitting method and xerostomia index questionnaire, respectively. Also, four main flavor solutions were used to evaluate the taste perception. Data were analyzed using PASS11 and p value < .05 was the significance level.
RESULTS
Based on OHIP-14 and GOHAI-12, Iranian older people's quality of life can be affected by cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, xerostomia, and the number of remaining teeth (p < .05). The results also showed a significant correlation between the OHIP-14 and GOHAI-12 scores (p < .001). Both indexes revealed that the number of remaining teeth, xerostomia, salivary flow, and taste perception greatly influenced participants' quality of life. More remaining teeth, improved salivary flow, and better perception of sweetness and sourness were all linked to a higher quality of life, while increased xerostomia, reduced salivary flow, and bitter taste perception were linked to a decline in overall well-being. Cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and medication use were also found to significantly impact quality of life.
CONCLUSION
This study's results indicate that cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, dry mouth, and tooth loss can negatively impact the elderly's quality of life. So, improving both systemic and oral health is vital for enhancing life quality in this age group.
PubMed: 38430466
DOI: 10.1111/scd.12980 -
Cureus Jan 2024We present a case of acquired vacuum swallowing in a patient with spinal muscular atrophy associated with dysphagia. A 67-year-old male presented with spinal muscular...
We present a case of acquired vacuum swallowing in a patient with spinal muscular atrophy associated with dysphagia. A 67-year-old male presented with spinal muscular atrophy. Even though he was able to eat orally, he required a long time to eat and faced difficulty while swallowing saliva, resulting in frequent spitting. Instructions regarding vacuum swallowing to eliminate pharyngeal residue were provided, and a reduction in meal duration and improved saliva swallowing were observed. High-resolution manometry revealed a significant increase in pharyngeal contractile integral and a significant decrease in esophageal pressure with vacuum swallowing, which enabled the passage of a bolus through the pharynx compared with non-vacuum swallowing. Furthermore, an increase in the lower esophageal sphincter pressure, reflecting diaphragmatic contraction, was also observed. Therefore, this case report elucidates that a patient with neuromuscular disorders could acquire vacuum swallowing with proper instructions.
PubMed: 38420075
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.53129 -
Cell Research Jun 2024
Topics: Humans; Granzymes; Neoplasms; Lymphocytes; Animals
PubMed: 38374214
DOI: 10.1038/s41422-024-00937-0 -
Mikrochimica Acta Feb 2024Salivary pH serves as a valuable and useful diagnostic marker for periodontal disease, as it not only plays a critical role in disease prevention but also in its...
Salivary pH serves as a valuable and useful diagnostic marker for periodontal disease, as it not only plays a critical role in disease prevention but also in its development. Typically, saliva sampling is collected by draining and spitting it into collection tubes or using swabs. In this study, we have developed a Point-of-Care (POC) device for in situ determination of oral pH without the need for complex instruments, relying solely on a smartphone as the detection device. Our system utilizes a non-toxic vegetable colourimetric indicator, immobilized on a chitosan membrane located on a disposable stick, enabling direct sampling within the buccal cavity. An ad hoc designed 3D-printed attachment is used to ensure accurate positioning and alignment of the stick, as well as isolation from external lighting conditions. A custom-developed smartphone application captures and automatically processes the image of the sensing membrane, providing the salivary pH results. After optimizing the cocktail composition, the developed sensors demonstrated the capacity to determine pH within a range of 5.4 to 8.1 with a remarkable precision of 0.6%, achieving a very short analysis time of just 1 min. A stability study conducted on the sensing membranes revealed a lifetime of 50 days. To validate the performance of our analytical device, we compared its results against those obtained from a calibrated pH-meter, using a group of individuals. The device exhibited an average error of 2.4% when compared with the pH-meter results, confirming its reliability and accuracy.
Topics: Humans; Smartphone; Point-of-Care Systems; Reproducibility of Results; Chitosan; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
PubMed: 38353778
DOI: 10.1007/s00604-024-06227-1 -
Journal of the College of Physicians... Feb 2024To compare the levels of galectin 3 in the serum and saliva of patients with schizophrenia and normal subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the levels of galectin 3 in the serum and saliva of patients with schizophrenia and normal subjects.
STUDY DESIGN
Cross-sectional analytical study. Place and Duration of the Study: Physiology Department and Multifunctional Research Lab of Islamic International Medical College, in association with the Institute of Psychiatry Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi, from September 2022 to May 2023.
METHODOLOGY
There were 60 subjects in this study which included 30 Schizophrenia patients and 30 age and gender aligned healthy subjects. Clinically diagnosed patients of schizophrenia as per standards of diagnoses given in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fifth edition) were included. Unstimulated whole-mouth saliva was collected through the spitting method from the study subjects. Tetra acetic acid (EDTA) tubes were used to collect blood samples and to measure the association of galectin-3 between saliva and serum of schizophrenia patients. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed. Independent samples t-test and Pearson correlation were implemented.
RESULTS
Mean salivary galectin 3 level were far more significant in schizophrenia patients as opposed to their healthy subjects having CI 95% (641.51 and 822.45, p-value <0.001). A positive association was observed between salivary and serum levels of galectin 3 in schizophrenia patients (p = 0.03).
CONCLUSION
Galectin 3 levels are raised in the saliva of schizophrenia patients and these levels are positively correlated with levels of galectin 3 in the serum of schizophrenia patients. Galectin 3 levels in the saliva can be an effective indicator in diagnostic confirmation of clinically suspected schizophrenia patients.
KEY WORDS
Galectin 3, Schizophrenia, Saliva, Serum level, Inflammation.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Galectin 3; Inflammation; Saliva; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 38342872
DOI: 10.29271/jcpsp.2024.02.202 -
Nature Communications Feb 2024Children conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have an elevated risk of lower birthweight, yet the underlying cause remains unclear. Our study...
Children conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have an elevated risk of lower birthweight, yet the underlying cause remains unclear. Our study explores mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants as contributors to birthweight differences by impacting mitochondrial function during prenatal development. We deep-sequenced the mtDNA of 451 ART and spontaneously conceived (SC) individuals, 157 mother-child pairs and 113 individual oocytes from either natural menstrual cycles or after ovarian stimulation (OS) and find that ART individuals carried a different mtDNA genotype than SC individuals, with more de novo non-synonymous variants. These variants, along with rRNA variants, correlate with lower birthweight percentiles, independent of conception mode. Their higher occurrence in ART individuals stems from de novo mutagenesis associated with maternal aging and OS-induced oocyte cohort size. Future research will establish the long-term health consequences of these changes and how these findings will impact the clinical practice and patient counselling in the future.
Topics: Pregnancy; Infant, Newborn; Female; Humans; Infant, Premature; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnancy, Multiple; Premature Birth; Birth Weight; Mitochondria; DNA, Mitochondrial
PubMed: 38336715
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45446-1 -
Toxicon : Official Journal of the... Mar 2024Here we describe the acute myocardial effects of an elapid (red spitting cobra, Naja pallida) and a viper (western diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox) venom using...
Here we describe the acute myocardial effects of an elapid (red spitting cobra, Naja pallida) and a viper (western diamondback rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox) venom using an ex vivo heart model. Our results reveal two different pathophysiological trajectories that influence heart function and morphology. While cobra venom causes a drop in contractile force, rattlesnake venom causes enhanced contractility and frequency that coincides with differences in myocellular morphology. This highlights the medical complexity of snake venom-induced cardiotoxicity.
Topics: Animals; Naja; Crotalus; Cardiotoxicity; Elapid Venoms; Elapidae; Crotalid Venoms; Venomous Snakes
PubMed: 38331109
DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2024.107637 -
BMC Oral Health Feb 2024Human saliva as a bodily fluid-similar to blood-is utilized for diagnostic purposes. Unlike blood sampling, collecting saliva is non-invasive, inexpensive, and readily...
BACKGROUND
Human saliva as a bodily fluid-similar to blood-is utilized for diagnostic purposes. Unlike blood sampling, collecting saliva is non-invasive, inexpensive, and readily accessible. There are no previously published systematic reviews regarding different collection, transportation, preparation, and storage methods for human saliva.
DESIGN
This study has been prepared and organized according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. This systematic review has been registered at PROSPERO (Registration ID: CRD42023415384). The study question according to the PICO format was as followed: Comparison of the performance (C) of different saliva sampling, handling, transportation, and storage techniques and methods (I) assessed for analyzing stimulated or unstimulated human saliva (P and O). An electronic search was executed in Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed.
RESULTS
Twenty-three descriptive human clinical studies published between 1995 and 2022 were included. Eight categories of salivary features and biomarkers were investigated (i.e., salivary flow rate, total saliva quantity, total protein, cortisol, testosterone, DNA quality and quantity, pH and buffering pH). Twenty-two saliva sampling methods/devices were utilized. Passive drooling, Salivette®, and spitting were the most utilized methods. Sampling times with optimum capabilities for cortisol, iodine, and oral cancer metabolites are suggested to be 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM, and 14:00 PM to 20:00 PM, respectively. There were 6 storage methods. Centrifuging samples and storing them at -70 °C to -80 °C was the most utilized storage method. For DNA quantity and quality, analyzing samples immediately after collection without centrifuging or storage, outperformed centrifuging samples and storing them at -70 °C to -80 °C. Non-coated Salivette® was the most successful method/device for analyzing salivary flow rate.
CONCLUSION
It is highly suggested that scientists take aid from the reported categorized outcomes, and design their study questions based on the current voids for each method/device.
Topics: Humans; Hydrocortisone; Saliva; Biomarkers; Specimen Handling; DNA
PubMed: 38308289
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-024-03902-w -
Research and Practice in Thrombosis and... Jan 2024Venomous snake bites have been listed as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. The Mozambique spitting cobra ( is found in Sub-Saharan African...
BACKGROUND
Venomous snake bites have been listed as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. The Mozambique spitting cobra ( is found in Sub-Saharan African countries, and its venom has been identified to predominantly result in cytotoxic effects. However, there is limited evidence on the possible hemotoxic effects of this venom on human blood.
OBJECTIVES
In this cross-sectional study, we investigated how Mozambique spitting cobra venom affects blood clot formation.
METHODS
Cell morphology and clot architecture were studied by using microscopy techniques. We also studied the effects of the venom on platelets by measuring platelet activity with the global thrombosis test, followed by analyzing the viscoelasticity with thromboelastography using a 0.025 ng/μL venom concentration.
RESULTS
The most prominent findings indicated that the viscoelastic profile in the venom-treated blood samples formed an unstable and elastic clot. The clot architecture seen with the scanning electron microscopy analysis showed an altered fibrin network and red blood cells, confirmed by the increased axial ratios, and aggregated platelets with spreading.
CONCLUSION
These findings may offer insights into the species-specific effects of snake venom on human blood and add value to the clinical workup in confirming envenomation. Further research is needed to correlate the 20 minute whole blood clotting test with measurable values from the thromboelastography within the context of snake envenomation. This may offer a bridge between cost, early diagnosis, and treatment of snake envenomation in resource-constrained countries.
PubMed: 38292349
DOI: 10.1016/j.rpth.2023.102294