AI can empower agriculture for global food security: challenges and prospects in developing nations.

Food and nutrition are a steadfast essential to all living organisms. With specific reference to humans, the sufficient and efficient supply of food is a challenge as the world population continues to grow. Artificial Intelligence (AI) could be identified as a plausible technology in this 5th industrial revolution in bringing us closer to achieving zero hunger by 2030-Goal 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

Microencapsulation of a Pickering Oil/Water Emulsion Loaded with Vitamin D3.

The ionotropic gelation technique was chosen to produce vitamin D3-loaded microparticles starting from oil-in-water (O/W) Pickering emulsion stabilized by flaxseed flour: the hydrophobic phase was a solution of vitamin D3 in a blend of vegetable oils (ω6:ω3, 4:1) composed of extra virgin olive oil (90%) and hemp oil (10%); the hydrophilic phase was a sodium alginate aqueous solution. The most adequate emulsion was selected carrying out a preliminary study on five placebo formulations which differed in the qualitative and quantitative polymeric composition (concentration and type of alginate selected). Vitamin D3-loaded microparticles in the dried state had a particle size of about 1 mm, 6% of residual water content and excellent flowability thanks to their rounded shape and smooth surface.

Solid Lipid Microparticles by Spray Congealing of Water/Oil Emulsion: An Effective/Versatile Loading Strategy for a Highly Soluble Drug.

Spray congealing technique was exploited to produce solid lipid microparticles (SLMp) loaded with a highly water-soluble drug (metoclopramide hydrochloride) dissolved in the aqueous phase of a water in oil (W/O) emulsion. The use of an emulsion as starting material for a spray congealing treatment is not so frequent. Moreover, for this application, a W/O emulsion with a drug dissolved in water is a totally novel path.

Shellac Gum/Carrageenan Alginate-Based Core-Shell Systems Containing Peppermint Essential Oil Formulated by Mixture Design Approach.

Peppermint essential oil is encapsulated by inverse ionotropic gelation in core-shell systems, composed of alginate (ALG) alone or alginate with shellac gum (SHL) and/or carrageenan (CRG). A mixture design approach is used to evaluate the correlation between the formulation composition and some properties of the final products. Immediately after the preparation, capsules appear rounded with a smooth and homogeneous surface, having a similar particle size ranging from 3.

Sensing Optimum in the Raw: Leveraging the Raw-Data Imaging Capabilities of Raspberry Pi for Diagnostics Applications.

Single-board computers (SBCs) and microcontroller boards (MCBs) are extensively used nowadays as prototyping platforms to accomplish innovative tasks. Very recently, implementations of these devices for diagnostics applications are rapidly gaining ground for research and educational purposes. Among the available solutions, Raspberry Pi represents one of the most used SBCs.

Detection of unamplified genomic DNA by a PNA-based microstructured optical fiber (MOF) Bragg-grating optofluidic system.

Microstructured optical fibers containing microchannels and Bragg grating inscribed were internally functionalized with a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe specific for a gene tract of the genetically modified Roundup Ready soy. These fibers were used as an optofluidic device for the detection of DNA by measuring the shift in the wavelength of the reflected IR light. Enhancement of optical read-out was obtained using streptavidin coated gold-nanoparticles interacting with the genomic DNA captured in the fiber channels (0%, 0.

Buprenorphine versus tramadol as perineural adjuvants for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair under middle interscalene block: a retrospective study.

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare buprenorphine and tramadol, in order to assess their different efficacy in prolonging postoperative analgesia and their associated side effects when used as perineural adjuvants with a local anesthetic.

Methods: The clinical records of 161 consecutive ASA 1-2 adult patients scheduled for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and fulfilling the inclusion/exclusion criteria were reviewed retrospectively. The anaesthesia was performed using the middle interscalene block (MIB).

Label-free DNA biosensor based on a peptide nucleic acid-functionalized microstructured optical fiber-Bragg grating.

We describe a novel sensing approach based on a functionalized microstructured optical fiber-Bragg grating for specific DNA target sequences detection. The inner surface of a microstructured fiber, where a Bragg grating was previously inscribed, has been functionalized by covalent linking of a peptide nucleic acid probe targeting a DNA sequence bearing a single point mutation implicated in cystic fibrosis (CF) disease. A solution of an oligonucleotide (ON) corresponding to a tract of the CF gene containing the mutated DNA has been infiltrated inside the fiber capillaries and allowed to hybridize to the fiber surface according to the Watson-Crick pairing.

Optofluidic magnetometer developed in a microstructured optical fiber.

A directional, in-fiber optofluidic magnetometer based on a microstructured optical fiber (MOF) Bragg-grating infiltrated with a ferrofluidic defect is presented. Upon application of a magnetic field, the ferrofluidic defect moves along the length of the MOF Bragg grating, modifying its reflection spectrum. The magnetometer is capable of measuring magnetic fields from 317 to 2500 G.

Phase-shifted Bragg microstructured optical fiber gratings utilizing infiltrated ferrofluids.

Results are presented on the efficient spectral manipulation of uniform and chirped Bragg reflectors inscribed in microstructured optical fibers utilizing short lengths of ferrofluids infiltrated in their capillaries. The infiltrated ferrofluidic defects can generate either parasitic reflection notch features in uniform Bragg reflectors of up to 80% visibility and ~0.1 nm spectral shift or tunability of the bandwidth and strength reflection up to 100% when introduced into chirped gratings.

A spectrally tunable microstructured optical fibre Bragg grating utilizing an infiltrated ferrofluid.

The spectral response of a Bragg grating reflector inscribed in a microstructured optical fibre is tuned by employing an infiltrated ferrofluid, while modifying the overlap of the ferrofluidic medium with the grating length. Significant spectral changes in terms of Bragg grating wavelength shift and extinction ratio were obtained under static magnetic field actuation. Spectral measurements revealed non-bidirectional propagation effects dependent upon the relative position between the ferrofluid and the grating.

Rotation of antimicrobial therapy in the intensive care unit: impact on incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

The development of antibiotic resistance is associated with high morbidity and mortality, particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. We evaluated the effect of an antibiotic rotation programme on the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. We conducted a 2-year before-and-after study at two medical-surgical ICUs at two different tertiary referral hospitals.

Role of the infectious diseases specialist consultant on the appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy prescription in an intensive care unit.

Background: Use of routine microbiologic surveillance, antibiotic practice guidelines, and infectious diseases (ID) specialist consultation might contribute to achieve an early diagnosis and an appropriate antibiotic treatment of infections, particularly in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in an ICU over a period of 4 years (2001-2004). We studied all patients with a possible or definite diagnosis of infection who received antimicrobial treatment, analyzing the appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy prescription before (P1) and after (P2) the implementation (January 1, 2003) of a systematic ID specialist consultation program.

The early phase of critical illness is a progressive acidic state due to unmeasured anions.

Background And Objective: Stewart's and Fencl's methods have recently been proposed to interpret acid-base disorders where traditional theory has proven inadequate. Our objectives were to evaluate: (1) the occurrence of acid-base disturbances in critically ill patients and their trend over the first 3 intensive care unit days, (2) whether Stewart's theory offers advantages over the traditional theory in the diagnosis of acid-base metabolic disturbances and (3) whether variables derived from Stewart's and Fencl's methods offer advantages over the traditional method to predict patient mortality.

Methods: A prospective cohort study in a general intensive care unit.

Simplified electrophysiological evaluation of peripheral nerves in critically ill patients: the Italian multi-centre CRIMYNE study.

Introduction: Critical illness myopathy and/or neuropathy (CRIMYNE) is frequent in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Although complete electrophysiological tests of peripheral nerves and muscles are essential to diagnose it, they are time-consuming, precluding extensive use in daily ICU practice. We evaluated whether a simplified electrophysiological investigation of only two nerves could be used as an alternative to complete electrophysiological tests.

Effect of tidal volume and respiratory rate on the power of breathing calculation.

Background: The power of breathing (PoB) is used to estimate the mechanical workload of the respiratory system. Aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different tidal volume-respiratory rate combinations on the PoB when the elastic load is constant. In order to assure strict control of the experimental conditions, the PoB was calculated on an airway pressure-volume curve in mechanically ventilated patients.

Antibiotic prophylaxis of early onset pneumonia in critically ill comatose patients. A randomized study.

Objective: To evaluate if a 3-day ampicillin-sulbactam prophylaxis can reduce the occurrence of early-onset pneumonia (EOP) in comatose mechanically-ventilated patients.

Design: This was a single-centre, prospective, randomised, open study.

Setting: A 10-bed general-neurological ICU in a 2,000-bed university hospital.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of a new active heat moisture exchanger.

Introduction: In order to improve the efficiency of heat moisture exchangers (HMEs), new hybrid humidifiers (active HMEs) that add water and heat to HMEs have been developed. In this study we evaluated the efficiency, both in vitro and in vivo, of a new active HME (the Performer; StarMed, Mirandola, Italy) as compared with that of existing HMEs (Hygroster and Hygrobac; Mallinckrodt, Mirandola, Italy).

Methods: We tested the efficiency by measuring the temperature and absolute humidity (AH) in vitro using a test lung ventilated at three levels of minute ventilation (5, 10 and 15 l/min) and at two tidal volumes (0.

Effect of breathing pattern on the pressure-time product calculation.

Background: The pressure-time product (PTP) is often used to compare conditions with different breathing patterns. Being the pressure-time product calculated with pressures changes over a minute, mechanical load and inspiration time per minute should be its main determinants. The aim of this study was to investigate if the method of PTP computation is affected by the breathing pattern when mechanical load and inspiratory time per minute are constant.

The pathophysiology of propofol infusion syndrome: a simple name for a complex syndrome.

Propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS) is a rare and often fatal syndrome described in critically ill children undergoing long-term propofol infusion at high doses. Recently several cases have been reported in adults, too. The main features of the syndrome consist of cardiac failure, rhabdomyolysis, severe metabolic acidosis and renal failure.

Bedside burr hole for intracranial pressure monitoring performed by anaesthetist-intensive care physicians. Extending the practice to the entire ICU team.

Background: To evaluate the effects of extending the practice of bedside burr hole for intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring to the entire ICU team.

Design: a 10-year observational cohort study.

Setting: A general-neurologic 12-bed ICU of a University Hospital with 10 full-time specialists in anaesthesia-intensive care.

Work of breathing-tidal volume relationship: analysis on an in vitro model and clinical implications.

Objective: Work of breathing (WoB) is currently employed to assess the afterload on the respiratory muscles and to estimate the energy expenditure for breathing. Since WoB depends on the ventilated tidal volume (TV), WoB*L(-1), the indicized form of WoB has been employed as a measure of WoB which is independent of TV. Actually, the independence of WoB*L(-1) from the ventilated TV has never been demonstrated.

Quality of reporting of randomised controlled trials in the intensive care literature. A systematic analysis of papers published in Intensive Care Medicine over 26 years.

Objective: To assess the number and quality of the reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in Intensive Care Medicine.

Design: Systematic revision.

Setting: Randomised controlled trials published in Intensive Care Medicine.