Personal Goals, User Engagement, and Meal Adherence within a Personalised AI-Based Mobile Application for Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Mobile applications have been shown to be an effective and feasible intervention medium for improving healthy food intake in different target groups. As part of the PeRsOnalized nutriTion for hEalthy livINg (PROTEIN) European Union H2020 project, the PROTEIN mobile application was developed as an end-user environment, aiming to facilitate healthier lifestyles through artificial intelligence (AI)-based personalised dietary and physical activity recommendations. Recommendations were generated by an AI advisor for different user groups, combining users' personal information and preferences with a custom knowledge-based system developed by experts to create personalised, evidence-based nutrition and activity plans.

Computational Multiscale Study of the Interaction Between the PDMS Polymer and Sunscreen-Related Pollutant Molecules.

Sunscreen molecules play a critical role in protecting skin from ultraviolet radiation, yet their efficient detection and separation pose challenges in environmental and analytical contexts. In this work, we employ a multilevel modeling approach to investigate the molecular interactions between representative sunscreen molecules and the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer, a material widely recognized for its sorbent properties. Our goal is to explore how these interactions can be fine-tuned to facilitate the effective separation of sunscreen molecules in portable membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) systems, potentially leading to the development of new membrane materials.

Beekeeping breakthrough: unveiling hive health with a portable membrane inlet mass spectrometry detection method.

Supporting bee populations is essential considering threats posed by human activities like pesticide usage and habitat destruction. However, the current methods for monitoring and analyzing beehives and their surrounding environments are invasive, complex, and time-consuming. These methods often rely heavily on laboratory analyses, making them difficult to implement independently in the field.

Design of Novel Membranes for the Efficient Separation of Bee Alarm Pheromones in Portable Membrane Inlet Mass Spectrometric Systems.

Bee alarm pheromones are essential molecules that are present in beehives when some threats occur in the bee population. In this work, we have applied multilevel modeling techniques to understand molecular interactions between representative bee alarm pheromones and polymers such as polymethyl siloxane (PDMS), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and their blend. This study aimed to check how these interactions can be manipulated to enable efficient separation of bee alarm pheromones in portable membrane inlet mass spectrometric (MIMS) systems using new membranes.

Development and validation of a portable membrane inlet mass spectrometry method for the measurement of monoaromatic hydrocarbons in water from a river canal.

This work reports the validation of an analytical method for the determination of monoaromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) using a portable membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS) with a quadrupole mass analyser. In this study of BTX in river canal water that is used for irrigation, we present a detailed analytical method for rapid, self-contained, field-transportable screening and quantitative analysis for environmental monitoring. The validation study showed that in the analytical range of 10-250 μg L, the correlation coefficient for all the analytes was greater than 0.

Food and lifestyle impact on breath VOCs using portable mass spectrometer-pilot study across European countries.

In the modern world, many people are changing old dietary and lifestyle habits to improve the quality of their living-to treat or just prevent possible diseases. The main goal of this pilot study was to assess the food and lifestyle impact on exhaled breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in various population groups. It was done by employing a recently validated portable membrane-inlet mass spectrometer-MIMS.

Anatomic and MRI bases for medullary infarctions with patients' presentation.

Objective: There is a low incidence of the medullary infarctions and sparse data about the vascular territories, as well as a correlation among the anatomic, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurologic signs.

Materials And Methods: Arteries of the 10 right and left sides of the brain stem were injected with India ink, fixed in formalin and microdissected. The enrolled 34 patients with medullary infarctions underwent a neurologic, MRI and Doppler examination.

Investigation of the Antinociceptive Activity of the Hydroethanolic Extract of Leaf by the Tail-Immersion and Formalin Pain Tests in Rats.

Background: leaf is obtained from a plant that is used in traditional medicine in some countries to alleviate inflammatory diseases.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of extract on acute nociceptive and inflammatory pain in rats.

Methods: Antinociceptive activity was examined in Wistar rats by the tail-immersion and formalin tests.

Chloroquine Attenuates Oxidative Stress in Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats.

The wider application of gentamicin is limited by potential adverse effects (nephrotoxicity and ototoxicity). The goal of our study was to investigate the effects of chloroquine on biochemical and oxidative stress parameters in gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Animals were randomly divided into 1 of 5 groups.

Users' Perspective on the AI-Based Smartphone PROTEIN App for Personalized Nutrition and Healthy Living: A Modified Technology Acceptance Model (mTAM) Approach.

The ubiquitous nature of smartphone ownership, its broad application and usage, along with its interactive delivery of timely feedback are appealing for health-related behavior change interventions mobile apps. However, users' perspectives about such apps are vital in better bridging the gap between their design intention and effective practical usage. In this vein, a modified technology acceptance model (mTAM) is proposed here, to explain the relationship between users' perspectives when using an AI-based smartphone app for personalized nutrition and healthy living, namely, PROTEIN, and the mTAM constructs toward behavior change in their nutrition and physical activity habits.

Anatomic and MRI Bases for Pontine Infarctions with Patients Presentation.

Objectives: There are scarce data regarding pontine arteries anatomy, which is the basis for ischemic lesions following their occlusion. The aim of this study was to examine pontine vasculature and its relationships with the radiologic and neurologic features of pontine infarctions.

Materials And Methods: Branches of eight basilar arteries and their twigs, including the larger intrapontine branches, were microdissected following an injection of a 10% mixture of India ink and gelatin.

Membrane inlet mass spectrometry method for food intake impact assessment on specific volatile organic compounds in exhaled breath.

This research work describes the development of a novel bioanalytical method for the assessment of food impact on selected exhaled breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using a fast and portable screening VOC prototype sensor based on membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS). Method and sensor prototype functionality was verified by obtaining good response times, linearity in the examined concentration ranges, and sensitivity and repeatability for several breath VOCs-acetone, ethanol, n-pentane, and isoprene. A new VOC sensor prototype was also proven to be sensitive enough for selected breath VOC quantification with limits of detection at low part per billion (ppb) levels-5 ppb for n-pentane, 10 ppb for acetone and ethanol, and 25 ppb for isoprene.

Fixed Prosthodontic Patient Satisfaction Survey.

Background: This study aimed to assess the level of satisfaction with fixed prosthodontic work among patients in Croatia and investigate the level of awareness about maintaining oral hygiene and the importance of regular check-ups.

Subjects And Methods: The study included 235 participants from Croatia, 163 women, and 72 men. As a data source, we used a questionnaire previously filled in by patients.

Risk Factors Related to Falling in Patients after Stroke.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with falling in post stroke patients.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study included 561 neurology patients hospitalized for a stroke and divided into two groups: falling patients and non-falling patients. They referred to the Special Hospital for Cerebrovascular Diseases "Sveti Sava" in Belgrade, Serbia, from 2018-2019.

Influence of Different Surface Pretreatments of Zirconium Dioxide Reinforced Lithium Disilicate Ceramics on the Shear Bond Strength of Self-Adhesive Resin Cement.

Aim: To analyze the influence of different surface pretreatments of zirconium dioxide reinforced lithium disilicate ceramics on the shear bond strength of self-adhesive resin cement.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-four zirconium reinforced lithium disilicate disc Vita suprinity (Vita Zahnfabrick, Bad Säckingen, Germany) 14x12x2 mm specimens were fabricated according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The specimens were embedded in acrylic resin blocks and randomly divided in seven groups (n=12/each) accorrding to the treatment: Group 1- 10% hydrofluoric acid; Group 2- silane; Group 3- hydrofluoric and silane; Group 4- sandblasting with silane; Group 5- Er: YAG laser+ silane; Group 6- Nd: YAG laser + silane; and the control group, in which the specimens were not treated.

Volatolomics: A broad area of experimentation.

Chemical analysis (detection and monitoring) of compounds associated with the metabolic activities of an organism is at the cutting edge of science. Volatile metabolomics (volatolomics) are applied in a broad range of applications including: biomedical research (e.g.

An optimised quadrupole mass spectrometer with a dual filter analyser for in-field chemical sniffing of volatile organic compounds.

We report a novel portable 17 kg system based on a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) with an electronic power consumption of 24 W. The system can be used for the in-field identification of gases and volatile/semivolatile organic compounds (VOCs/SVOCs). The mass analyser is a custom-made quadrupole mass filter with a Brubaker pre-filter that gives a mass range of m/z 1-500.

Performance assessment of a portable mass spectrometer using a linear ion trap operated in non-scanning mode.

Rationale: The desire for mass spectrometer portability provides the motivation for simpler, lighter electronics to deliver switched potentials applied to the electrodes of the linear ion trap operated in non-scanning mode. Using a novel method of modelling and theoretical analysis, we simulate the mass analyser performance under these unfavourable operating conditions.

Methods: The electrical fields are simulated using the Charge Particle Optics software which employs the boundary element method.

Chemical Sniffing Instrumentation for Security Applications.

Border control for homeland security faces major challenges worldwide due to chemical threats from national and/or international terrorism as well as organized crime. A wide range of technologies and systems with threat detection and monitoring capabilities has emerged to identify the chemical footprint associated with these illegal activities. This review paper investigates artificial sniffing technologies used as chemical sensors for point-of-use chemical analysis, especially during border security applications.

Membrane inlet mass spectrometry for homeland security and forensic applications.

A man-portable membrane inlet mass spectrometer has been built and tested to detect and monitor characteristic odors emitted from the human body and also from threat substances. In each case, a heated membrane sampling probe was used. During human scent monitoring experiments, data were obtained for inorganic gases and volatile organic compounds emitted from human breath and sweat in a confined space.

Monitoring of human chemical signatures using membrane inlet mass spectrometry.

This work is an attempt to assist border security crackdown on illegal human immigration, by providing essential results on human chemical signatures. Data was obtained using a portable quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled with a membrane probe for volunteers of both genders and under different conditions in a container simulator. During experiments, participants were asked to follow various protocols while volatile organic compounds emitted from their breath, sweat, skin, and other biological excretes were continuously being monitored.

Oil-in-water monitoring using membrane inlet mass spectrometry.

A membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) system has been used for detection and analysis of two types of North Sea crude oil. The system was installed on-field on the Flotta Oil Terminal (Orkney, UK). It consisted of a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) connected to the capillary probe with a silicone-based membrane.