Impact of an Innovative Equipment to Monitor and Control Salt Usage during Cooking at Home on Salt Intake and Blood Pressure—Randomized Controlled Trial iMC SALT

(1) Background: Excessive salt consumption is associated with an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and it is essential to reduce it to the level recommended by the World Health Organization (<5 g/day). The main objective of this study is to verify the impact of an intervention, which used the Salt Control H equipment to reducing salt consumption; (2) Methods: The study was an 8-week randomized control trial with 114 workers from a public university. The intervention group (n = 57) used the equipment to monitor and control the use of salt during cooking (Salt Control H) at home for 8 weeks. The primary outcome was 24 h urinary sodium excretion as a proxy of salt intake. Secondary outcomes included changes in 24 h urinary potassium excretion, sodium to potassium ratio (Na:K), and blood pressure. (3) Results: There was a decrease in sodium intake after the intervention but with no statistical significance. When analyzing the results by sex and hypertension status, there was a reduction in sodium (−1009 (−1876 to −142), p = 0.025) and in Na:K ratio (−0.9 (−1.5 to −0.3), p = 0.007) in hypertensive men in the intervention group. (4) Conclusions: Interventions with dosage equipment can be valid approaches in individual salt reduction strategies, especially in hypertensive men.

Aviation simulator software, typical functions and its development prospects

Flight simulators have been used for more than eighty years. The development of aircraft simulators that simulate the pilot’s work in the cockpit, the conditions of take-off, flight, landing, as well as the work of the dispatcher to train and maintain the professional level of aviation specialists is being addressed worldwide[1]. Training complexes can be divided into several parts, one of which is software. The instructor’s workstation software allows him to set various parameters of take-off, flight and landing conditions, as well as monitor and control the simulator subsystems. The article discusses typical functions of simulator software and prospects for the training development on flight simulators.

A comparative study on virology, epidemiology, and clinical features of SARS and COVID-19

In December 2019, an outbreak of an unknown cause of pneumonia [later named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)] occurred in Wuhan, China. This was found to be attributed to a novel coronavirus of zoonotic origin, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; previously named 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV). The SARS-CoV-2, a new type of highly pathogenic human coronavirus related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), spread rapidly worldwide and caused 53,164,803 confirmed infections, including 1,300,576 deaths, by November 13, 2020 (globally, 206,196,367 cases and 4,345,424 deaths as of August 13, 2021). SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV vary in their specific characteristics, regarding epidemics and pathogenesis. This article focuses on the comparison of the virology, epidemiology, and clinical features of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 to reveal their common and distinct properties, to provide an up-to-date resource for the development of advanced systems and strategies to monitor and control future epidemics of highly pathogenic human coronaviruses.

Low Cost Bubble CPAP Machine with Pressure Monitoring and Controlling System

Background Africa contributed to one-third of the world’s neonatal mortality burden. In the Sub-Saharan region, preterm birth complications are the leading, in which a neonate is a higher risk of developing respiratory distress syndrome that will require extra oxygen and help with breathing. When compared to other respiratory supportive methods for treating infants in respiratory distress, bubble continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) is a safe, and effective system that is appealing to many resource-limited neonatal units in low and middle income countries. However, despite of its benefit, the accumulation of condensate in the patient's circuit's exhalation limb during a bubble CPAP can significantly increase pressure delivered to the serious physical consequences that can potentially lead to respiratory failure. Currently, existing technology in developing nations is expensive, and they will not control the accumulation of condensate in the exhalation limb. This quietly increases the mortality rate of neonates. Therefore, the objective of this project was to design, and develop a bubble CPAP device that able to monitor and control pressure delivered to the infant. Methods In this project, a low-cost bubble CPAP machine with a pressure monitoring and controlling system has been developed. When the neonate expires, the pressure sensor inserted into the expiratory tube reads the instant positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) and sends it to the microcontroller. The microcontroller decides whether to turn the relay (controls the electric power to the 2 - solenoid valve) to switch the way of expiration between the two expiratory tubes connected to the valves of two outlets. This depends on the pressure reading and the cutoff pressure value manually inserted by the physician. Results The prototype was built and subjected to various tests and iterations to determine the device's effectiveness. The developed prototype was tested for accuracy, safety, cost, ease of use, and durability. The prototype was accurate in 10 iterations that had been made to monitor and control the pressure. It was safe and provided accurate pressure for the neonate, and it was built for less than 193 USD. Conclusion The proposed design allows physicians, especially those in low resource settings, to easily monitor and control the accumulation of condensate in the exhalation limb of the CPAP machine accurately and safely. This helps to reduce the neonate mortality rate that may occur due to respiratory distress syndrome.