Air pollution from gas refinery through contamination with various elements disrupts semiarid Zagros oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) forests, Iran

Soils and oak trees (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in Zagros forests are suffering from the air pollution caused by the Ilam Gas Refinery. Thus, for the first time, we investigated the contamination level of sulfur and trace elements in these ecosystems. Sampling of soil and tree leaves was carried out in different seasons of 2019 and at different distances from the gas refinery. The results showed that soils and leaves at the various distances compared with control distance (10,000 m) were more affected by the gas refinery. Distance from the pollution source and physicochemical properties of soils were the main factors affecting contamination of soil elements contents. The soils with pollution load indices (PLI) of 4.54 were in the highly polluted category. Sulfur was at highly polluted category in soils and were highly enriched in trees. The trees mainly absorbed studied elements via their aerial organs. Our findings indicated that oak trees with the highest value of metal accumulation index are influence tools for monitoring various elements in the polluted air produced by the gas refinery. It is recommended that the ecosystem components near the refinery be studied to accurately evaluate disorders in the food chain.

Associations between dietary acid load and obesity among Iranian women

Introduction: Diet-induced acid load may be associated with overweight and obesity as well as with diet quality. We aimed to study how dietary acid load is associated with overweight, obesity and diet quality indices in healthy women. Methods: We randomly selected 306 healthy 20 to 55 year-old women from health centers affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Science. They were enrolled in a cross-sectional study between June2016 and March 2017. Potential renal acid load (PRAL), net endogenous acid production (NEAP) and dietary acid load (DAL) were calculated for each person. Dietary quality index international (DQI-I),mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and energy density (ED) were estimated. Anthropometry was measured using standard protocols. Nutritional data were obtained from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ). We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess dietary acid load indices in relation to overweight, obesity and abdominal adiposity. Results: Participants had a mean age of 32.4 years. The number and percentage of women who were overweight, obese and who had abdominal obesity were 94(30.7), 38(12.4) and 126(41.2), respectively.The odds of obesity (adjusted odds ratio; Adj. OR = 2.41, 95% confidence interval; CI:1.01-5.74,P = 0.045) and abdominal adiposity (Adj. OR = 2.4, 95% CI:1.34-4.60, P = 0.004) increased significantly with tertile of DAL. Other dietary acid load indices (PRAL and NEAP) showed no significant association with obesity, overweight or abdominal obesity. As dietary acid load scores (PRAL, NEAP and DAL)increased, DQI-I and MAR significantly decreased whereas ED significantly increased across tertilesof dietary acid load indices (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Dietary acid load is associated with obesity and abdominal obesity and is also considered an indicator of diet quality.

The association between training load indices and upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in elite soccer players

This study aimed to investigate the association between training load indices and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI) across different lag periods in elite soccer players. Internal training load was collected from 15 elite soccer players over one full season (40 weeks). Acute, chronic, Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR), Exponentially Weighted Moving Averages (EWMA) ACWR, 2, 3 and 4-week cumulative load, training strain and training monotony were calculated on a rolling weekly basis. Players completed a daily illness log, documenting any signs and symptoms, to help determine an URTI. Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze the associations between training load indices and URTIs across different lag periods (1 to 7-days). The results found a significant association between 2-week cumulative load and an increased likelihood of a player contracting an URTI 3 days later (Odds Ratio, 95% Confidence Interval: OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 0.026-1.431). Additionally, a significant association was found between 3-week cumulative load and a players’ increased risk of contracting an URTI 4 days later (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 0.013–1.006). These results indicate that accumulated periods of high training load (2- and 3-week) associated with an increased risk of a player contracting an URTI, which may lead to performance decrements, missed training sessions or even competitions.

Comparison of Weighted and Unweighted Task Load Indices for Single-Site Surgery Tasks

Background: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) a nd Surgery Task Load Index (SURG-TLX) are two subjective workload m easurement instruments. Both instruments provide unweighted andweightedworkload measurements. Weighted TLX m easures have seldomly been used byresearchers typically becauseof its high correlation with unweighted TLX a nd addedexperimentaltime to collect pairwise weightings. Therefore, theaim of thestudy wa s to compare weighted TLX scores with unweighted TLX scores and each’s sensitivity for demographic and experimentalfactors. Methods: Two simulated la paroscopic single site surgery tasks were completedusing four surgicalmethods by 25 participants. Pearson correlations, principle componentanalyses and mixed effect models were used to compare the unweightedandweighted TLXscores across tasks a nd methods. Results: There was a high correlation(r > 0.950, p < 0.001) betweentheunweighted TLXscores and the weighted TLX scores. The weighted TLX scores showed better sensitivity to both demographic and experimental factors for both TLX instruments. Conclusion: The overall weighted NASA-TLX and SURG-TLX scores differed from their respective unweighted scores even with a high correlation. The weighted TLXshowed potentialto better discriminate subjective workloadfor single-site ta sks. Future research is needed to identify and validatea more streamlinedweightingmethodparticularly for complex experimental taskslike single-site surgery.

The association between dietary acid load and muscle strength among Iranian adults

Objective There is limited evidence regarding the association between dietary acid load and muscle strength. Thus, in this study, we investigated the association between dietary acid–base load indices and muscle strength among Iranian adults. Results This cross-sectional study was conducted on 270 Iranian adults, aged 18–70 year. Dietary acid load indexes, were calculated by using a validated 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Muscle strength was measured by a digital handgrip dynamometer. There was a significant increase in mean muscle strength of left-hand (MSL), muscle strength of right-hand (MSR) and the mean of the MSL and MSR (MMS) across tertiles of Potential Renal Acid Load (PRAL), Net Endogenous Acid Production (NEAP), and Dietary Acid Load (DAL). Significant linear relationships between PRAL and; MSL (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), MSR (β = 0.23, p < 0.001) and MMS (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), between NEAP and MSL (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), MSR (β = 0.19, p = 0.002), and MMS (β = 0.20, p = 0.001) and between DAL and MSL (β = 0.25, p < 0.001), MSR (β = 0.23, p < 0.001) and MMS (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), were attenuated after controlling for potential confounders. However, the nonlinear relationship between dietary acid load indicators and muscle strength were significant (p < 0.001 for all).

Task load in user interfaces on didactic mobile applications for users with ADHD

Objectives: Measure the task load using the user interface on didactic mobile applications by children with ADHD using the NASA-TLX instrument. Explore the feasibility of using the NASA-TLX instrument to measure task load in users with different abilities. Methodology: Qualitative sample exploratory study with direct application of a NASA-TLX instrument adapted to users with ADHD who use a didactic mobile app who belong to an age group from 5 to 15 years old population in the CAM # 8 in Moctezuma, Sonora. The instrument is applied indirectly, assisted by the educator in order to interpret the subjects' responses. Contribution: It describes the adaptation requirements of the instrument to the study subjects, explores task load indices during the use of user interfaces in subjects with different abilities, indicates the heterogeneity of the population and presents usability requirements and interaction characteristics for users with ADHD that allows to realize a design centered in the user.