Nutrition, Diet and Healthy Aging

The current increase in life expectancy is confirmed by data from different sources (i.e.,The World Population Prospects 2019 issued by the United Nations; https://population.un.org/wpp/ (accessed on 20 December 2021)), which predict that, in the near future, individ-uals who are over 65 and over 80 will be the fastest-growing portion of the population [...]

INNOVATIVE METHODS OF SEPARATION OF GLYCEROL-CONTAINING RAW MATERIALS FROM BIOFUELS

Transport consumes about 20% of the world's primary energy, mainly oil. This situation is unacceptable for countries that do not have their own oil reserves and want a stable economy and energy independence. Communities in many countries recognize that these problems continue to accompany the use of road transport and have long paid serious attention to the use of alternative fuels for vehicles, including biofuels, natural gas and hydrogen. However, in the current increase in the number of food industry facilities, it is necessary to deal with food products that have a negative impact on the environment (food fats). According to some data, the amount of garbage per day can range from a few kilograms to tens of tons. Approximately 90% of diesel biofuels (DBs) are mainly derived from processed oils and raw materials, including fats and oils of animal or vegetable origin that are recyclable. Biofuel is a biologically harmless product. In contact with water, the wine does not harm aquatic flora and fauna. In water or soil, it undergoes almost complete biological decomposition. Combustion of diesel biofuels emits much less carbon dioxide (CO2) than combustion of conventional fuels. Of course, there are drawbacks. First, biofuels have low frost resistance. Undiluted biofuel damages rubber hoses and gaskets. Biofuels have a certain shelf life. Due to increased maintenance costs, deposits can contaminate fuel equipment and filters during operation. Particular attention should be paid to the free glycerin that remains during production. The article considers biofuel production technologies and methods of glycerin removal. The focus is on devices that allow you to remove glycerin mobile. As a result, a faucet was proposed in which a filter was installed to remove residual glycerin and a study of its operation using the FlowVision program was performed. The simulation model of operation of the mixer with reception of indicators of its work is executed.

DNA-Based Electrodes and Computational Approaches on the Intercalation Study of Antitumoral Drugs

The binding between anticancer drugs and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is a key issue to understand their mechanism of action, and many chemical methods have been explored on this task. Molecular docking techniques successfully predict the affinity of small molecules into the DNA binding sites. In turn, various DNA-targeted drugs are electroactive; in this regard, their electrochemical behavior may change according to the nature and strength of interaction with DNA. A carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with calf thymus ds-DNA (CPDE) and computational methods were used to evaluate the drug–DNA intercalation of doxorubicin (DOX), daunorubicin (DAU), idarubicin (IDA), dacarbazine (DAR), mitoxantrone (MIT), and methotrexate (MTX), aiming to evaluate eventual correlations. CPE and CPDE were immersed in pH 7 0.1 mM solutions of each drug with different incubation times. As expected, the CPDE response for all DNA-targeted drugs was higher than that of CPE, evidencing the drug–DNA interaction. A peak current increase of up to 10-fold was observed; the lowest increase was seen for MTX, and the highest increase for MIT. Although this increase in the sensitivity is certainly tied to preconcentration effects of DNA, the data did not agree entirely with docking studies, evidencing the participation of other factors, such as viscosity, interfacial electrostatic interactions, and coefficient of diffusion.

Is the Infection of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Associated With the Outcomes of COVID-19 Patients?

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta variant (B.1.617.2) has been responsible for the current increase in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infectivity rate worldwide. We compared the impact of the Delta variant and non-Delta variant on the COVID-19 outcomes in patients from Yogyakarta and Central Java provinces, Indonesia.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we ascertained 161 patients, 69 with the Delta variant and 92 with the non-Delta variant. The Illumina MiSeq next-generation sequencer was used to perform the whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2.Results: The mean age of patients with the Delta variant and the non-Delta variant was 27.3 ± 20.0 and 43.0 ± 20.9 (p = 3 × 10−6). The patients with Delta variant consisted of 23 males and 46 females, while the patients with the non-Delta variant involved 56 males and 36 females (p = 0.001). The Ct value of the Delta variant (18.4 ± 2.9) was significantly lower than that of the non-Delta variant (19.5 ± 3.8) (p = 0.043). There was no significant difference in the hospitalization and mortality of patients with Delta and non-Delta variants (p = 0.80 and 0.29, respectively). None of the prognostic factors were associated with the hospitalization, except diabetes with an OR of 3.6 (95% CI = 1.02–12.5; p = 0.036). Moreover, the patients with the following factors have been associated with higher mortality rate than the patients without the factors: age ≥65 years, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease with the OR of 11 (95% CI = 3.4–36; p = 8 × 10−5), 27 (95% CI = 6.1–118; p = 1 × 10−5), 15.6 (95% CI = 5.3–46; p = 6 × 10−7), 12 (95% CI = 4–35.3; p = 1.2 × 10−5), and 6.8 (95% CI = 2.1–22.1; p = 0.003), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age ≥65 years, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension were the strong prognostic factors for the mortality of COVID-19 patients with the OR of 3.6 (95% CI = 0.58–21.9; p = 0.028), 16.6 (95% CI = 2.5–107.1; p = 0.003), 5.5 (95% CI = 1.3–23.7; p = 0.021), and 5.8 (95% CI = 1.02–32.8; p = 0.047), respectively.Conclusions: We show that the patients infected by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant have a lower Ct value than the patients infected by the non-Delta variant, implying that the Delta variant has a higher viral load, which might cause a more transmissible virus among humans. However, the Delta variant does not affect the COVID-19 outcomes in our patients. Our study also confirms that older age and comorbidity increase the mortality rate of patients with COVID-19.

PENDAMPINGAN PENYUSUNAN LAPORAN KEUANGAN USAHA RINTISAN KEUANGAN DIGITAL TEKNOLOGI ASURANSI SYARIAH YUKTAKAFUL (INSURTECH)

ABSTRAKPeningkatan pengguna internet sekarang ini berdampak pada berkembangnya usaha rintisan (startup) layanan digital yang membuat bisnis ini cukup menjanjikan. Yuktakaful sebagai salah satu startup penyedia layanan platform fintech di bidang keuangan khususnya asuransi terus berkembang menjadi organisasi yang menyediakan portal layanan digital asuransi (insurtech) berbasis web dan aplikasi mobile dengan berpegang pada prinsip Syariah. Namun, sebagai usaha yang baru berdiri tahun 2019 Yuktakaful memiliki kendala dalam menyusun laporan keuangan yang baik yang sesuai dengan format OJK. Padahal penyusunan laopran keuangan yang tidak memadai akan menghasilkan laporan keuangan yang tidak akurat. Kegiatan abdimas ini bertujuan untuk memberikan pendampingan kepada Yuktakaful dalam menyusun laporan keuangan yang sesuai dengan format OJK dan mengatasi persoalan keuangan yang terjadi saat ini. Berdasarkan hasil bimbingan dan evaluasi yang telah dilakukan maka kegiatan abdimas pendampingan dalam penyusunan laporan keuangan pada usaha rintisan inovasi keuangan digital ini sangat membawa manfaat yang besar bagi mitra. Mitra mengalami peningkatan tidak hanya dari segi pengetahuan dan pemahaman dalam penyusunan laporan keuangan saja tetapi juga muncul kepercayaan diri menghadapi regulator dan investor. Kata kunci: startup; insurtech; YukTakaful; laporan keuangan ABSTRACTThe current increase in internet users impacts on the increasing of startups digital service that make this business quite promising. Yuktakaful as one of the startups providing financial technology platform services in the financial sector, especially insurance, continues to develop into an organization that provides web-based insurance digital service portals (insurtech) and mobile applications by adhering to Sharia principles. However, as a business that was just established in 2019, Yuktakaful had problems in compiling good financial reports that suitable with the OJK format. In fact, preparing inadequate financial reports will result in inaccurate financial statements. This abdimas activity aims to provide assistance to Yuktakaful in compiling financial reports in accordance with the OJK format and overcoming current financial problems. Based on the results of the guidance and evaluation that have been carried out, the activities of abdimas mentoring in the preparation of financial reports for this digital financial innovation startup have brought great benefits to partners. Partners have increased not only in terms of knowledge and understanding in the preparation of financial statements but also confidence in facing regulators and investors. Keywords: startup; insurtech; YukTakaful; financial reports

The possibility of using autologous adipose tissue for the stage shin wound closing

Extensive soft tissue defects can be complicated by systemic diseases (trophic ulcers in diabetes mellitus, chronic arterial insufficiency) or the result of trauma (domestic, military, operating, etc.). The current increase in the incidence of this pathology is due to the spread of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus. Closing an infected long-term non-healing wound, such as a tendon or bone, is one of the most difficult tasks of reconstructive surgery. For example, the use of classical methods of closing wound conditions is difficult to a degree due to the patient's polymorbid background. The clinical case presented in the article shows the possibility of closing deep shin wound with a complex relief by the transplantation of autologous adipose tissue, a patient with severe concomitant pathology.

Inflation of wood resources in European forests: The footprints of a big-bang

The current increase in European forest resources forms a singularity across the globe. Whether this trend will persist, and how biological and economic trends feature it form crucial issues to green economy challenges and C sequestration. The present screening of Forest Europe 2015 statistics explored the features, inertia and limits of this expansion, and its relationships with countries’ development, forest management and trade, intense in this area of the world. Persisting footprint of past demographic pressure on forests was identified, with opposed traces on their area and growing stock density. Steady growing stock (GS) increases, proportional to GS, not density-limited, and sustained by forest area increases, supported the view of an inflationary forest dynamic. Economic development and liberalism fostered both forest exploitation and production, yielding no significant impact on GS changes. Wood exports exerted a tension on forest exploitation and GS changes, thus lowering GS inflation but providing a resource security margin in the face of expected climate threats. Conflicting a common view, GS inflation and moderate felling-to-increment ratios make increased use of wood resources and C sequestration reconcilable, and GS expansion timely for ongoing EU forest policy processes. Anticipated adverse impacts of ongoing climate change were not clearly identified in these statistics.

Straw cigarette branding: misleading descriptors and a new Marlboro man

BackgroundStraw cigarettes are hand-rolled tobacco in a corn straw, common in Brazil and believed to be less harmful by consumers. Traditionally consumed in rural areas and by men, a recent increase in use among young people in urban areas was observed. This study assessed marketing appeals of straw cigarette packaging in Brazil.MethodsFollowing a systematic protocol, unique straw cigarette packs were purchased in 2013, 2016 and 2019 from three cities: Manaus, Salvador and São Paulo. Packs were double-coded for the absence/presence of marketing appeals (ie, luxury/quality, masculinity, classic/timeless, flavours and less harm).ResultsThe number of unique straw cigarette packs purchased as part of the overall sample increased in the most recent collection: 2.3% (n=3), 1.3% (n=2) and 15.5% (n=27) in 2013, 2016 and 2019, respectively. Across the years, all packs presented luxury/quality elements (eg, images of crests); 93.8% (n=30) included the word ‘artisanal’. Masculine appeal (eg, images of men) was present on 56.3% (n=18) of packs. Almost half had classic/timeless elements, including the words ‘tradition’/‘original’. In 2019, 59.3% (n=16) of the packs were flavoured compared with none in previous years. Over a quarter of all packs presented a less harm appeal (eg, ‘smooth’).ConclusionWe identified an increase in availability of unique straw cigarette packs, strong branding and use of misleading descriptors on the packs. The adoption of plain packaging and the implementation of Brazil’s additive ban could help to reduce the appeal of straw cigarettes and curb the current increase in use among youth.

Influences of the Temperature on the Electrical Properties of HfO2-Based Resistive Switching Devices

In the attempt to understand the behavior of HfO2-based resistive switching devices at low temperatures, TiN/Ti/HfO2/W metal–insulator–metal devices were fabricated; the atomic layer deposition technique was used to grow the high-k layer. After performing an electroforming process at room temperature, the device was cooled in a cryostat to carry out 100 current–voltage cycles at several temperatures ranging from the “liquid nitrogen temperature” to 350 K. The measurements showed a semiconducting behavior in high and low resistance states. In the low resistance state, a hopping conduction mechanism was obtained. The set and reset voltages increased when temperature decreased because the thermal energies for oxygen vacancies and ions were reduced. However, the temperature did not influence the power absorbed in the reset transition, indicating the local temperature in the filament controls the transition. The set transition turned from gradual to abrupt when decreasing the temperature, due to a positive feedback between the current increase and the Joule heating at low temperatures.

The Challenges of Student Satisfaction and Student Loyalty in Malaysian University

The approach to building university image deals with student trust, student satisfaction, and student loyalty. However, few studies are available on university image context and its role on student loyalty. University image is considered a vital component of the educational sectors' success in recent years. With the current increase in public and private universities across Malaysia, the academic industry has become increasingly competitive. The circumstance necessitates Universities to focus their energies on creating a positive corporate image by increasing student loyalty. Trust and satisfaction play an essential role in order to achieve and maintain student loyalty. The research also reviewed the relationship between student trust and student satisfaction to establish their relationship with student loyalty.