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Water scarcity is a particularly severe challenge in arid and desert climates. While a substantial amount of water is present in the form of vapour in the atmosphere, harvesting this water by state-of-the-art dewing technology can be extremely energy intensive and impractical, particularly when the relative humidity (RH) is low (i.e., below ~40% RH). In contrast, atmospheric water generators that utilise sorbents enable capture of vapour at low RH conditions and can be driven by the abundant source of solar-thermal energy with higher efficiency. Here, we demonstrate an air-cooled sorbent-based atmospheric water harvesting device using the metal-organic framework (MOF)-801 [Zr6O4(OH)4(fumarate)6] operating in an exceptionally arid climate (10-40% RH) and sub-zero dew points (Tempe, Arizona, USA) with a  thermal efficiency (solar input to water conversion) of ~14%. We predict that this device delivered over 0.25 L of water per kg of MOF for a single daily cycle.

Transforming atmospheric water vapor into liquid form can be a way to supply water to arid regions for uses such as drinking water, thermal management, and hydrogen generation. Many current methods rely on solid sorbents that cycle between capture and release at slow rates. We envision a radically different approach where water is transformed and directly captured into a liquid salt solution that is suitable for subsequent distillation or other processing using existing methods. In contrast to other methods utilizing hydrogels as sorbents, we do not store water within hydrogels--we use them as a transport medium. Inspired by nature, we capture atmospheric water through a hydrogel membrane "skin" at an extraordinarily high rate of 5.50 kgm-2 d-1 at a low humidity of 35%. and up to 16.9 kgm-2 d-1 at higher humidities. For a drinking-water application, calculated performance of a hypothetical one-square-meter device shows that water could be supplied to two to three people in arid environments. This work is a significant step toward providing new resources and possibilities to water-scarce regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family physicians have a primary role in detecting, diagnosing, and managing diseases especially in a country burdened with Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cases. Unfortunately, the data on their knowledge about nutrition; one of the cornerstones for T2DM management, is missing from India Aims: We aimed to assess the knowledge (K), attitude (A), practices (P), and perceptions (Pr) (KAPP) of Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) in India on nutrition management in patients with T2DM. Method: A self- administered 7 questions-based survey was conducted amongst PCPs to gather from the period of December 2018- January 2019. Findings: A total of 496 PCPs from metros (47%) and non-metro (57%) cities shared their responses. More than 90% (n=488) of the PCPs recommend dietary changes for patients on the diagnosis of T2DM with similar trends across regions. 402 PCPs (81%) recommended ≥ 2 dietary modifications which include; avoidance of sugars (83%), avoidance of foods with high carbohydrates (81%), and increase protein intake (58%), being the common ones. About 93% (n=463) PCPs actively discussed dietary recommendations even during follow-up visits. In terms of knowledge, Glycemic Index (GI)/ Glycemic Load (GL), n=429; was the most familiar nutrition-related term known by the PCPs followed by soluble fibre and Glucagon Like Peptide- 1 (GLP-1). Products promoted as Diabetes Specific Nutrition (DSN) and multivitamins came as the most preferred nutritional supplements with almost 70% and 47% PCPs recommendations, respectively. While majority of the PCPs (>50%) reported giddiness (a symptom of hypoglycaemia) as a complaint in <10% of their patients on oral anti-diabetic drugs, almost 90% PCPs felt DSN could help manage such cases if occurred. Conclusion: PCPs in India do believe strongly in recommending dietary modifications and are keen to implement lifestyle interventions for patients with T2DM, however, they face challenges in doing so. The observed inclination of PCPs towards nutrition calls for further continuous and evidence-based awareness programs on nutrition to empower them on the way of better outcomes among patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor glycemic control in diabetes patients is a major hurdle in the management of disease and its associated comorbidities. Pharmacotherapy alone is not sufficient to curb the risk of associated complications. The role of nutrition along with physical exercise in achieving optimal glycemic control is overlooked for many years in India. Nowadays, medical nutrition therapy (MNT) has evolved as an integral therapy in achieving better glycemic control. However, there is a lack of uniformity in health care practitioner’s perception and lack of recommendations in a structured manner regarding its use. Through a series of regional advisory board meeting, insights were gained into current practices in diabetes management to uncover the gaps in nutrition for better patient outcomes, and understand patient knowledge, attitude and perceptions towards nutrition in general and diabetes-specific formulas (DSF) in particular. The key viewpoints were as follows: i) Good self-care practice and creating awareness inpatients about glycemic variations is important. ii) Experts highlighted the importance of referring patients to a clinical nutritionist or dietician. Patients should be introduced to diabetic educators and education through charts regarding different foods with low glycemic index is advised. iii) Portion control, healthy eating patterns and avoiding a high carbohydrate diet is beneficial. iv) MNT should be included in patients diet plan as a partial if not full meal replacement. Diabetes-specific formulas should be palatable and affordable to ensure patients compliance. These formulas can be taken in combination with meals in proportionate amounts. v) Diabetes-specific nutrition improves multiple health outcomes and the mindset of Indian patients towards nutritious food needs to be changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Intensive-care practices and settings differ for India in comparison to other countries. While guidelines are available to direct the use of enteral nutrition (EN), there are no recommendations specific to nutritional management of EN in dysglycemic patients, specific to patients in Indian critical care settings. Advisory board meetings were arranged to develop the practice guidelines specific to the Indian context, for the use of EN in dysglycemic critically ill patients and to overcome challenges in this field. Materials and methods: Two advisory board meetings were organized to review various existing guidelines, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled trials and review articles, for their contextual relevance and strength. Three rounds of Delphi voting were done to arrive at consensus on certain recommendations. A systematic grading of practice guidelines by the advisory board was done based on strength of the consensus voting and reviewed supporting evidences. Results: Based on the literature review, the recommendations for developing the practice guidelines were made as per the grading criteria agreed upon by the advisory board. The recommendations were to address challenges regarding prediction and assessment of dysglycemia (DG), acceptable glycemic targets in such settings, general nutritional aspects pertaining to DG nutrition, and nutrition in various superspecialty cases in critical care settings, where DG is commonly encountered. Conclusion: This paper summarizes the optimum EN practices for managing DG in critically ill patients. The practical solutions to overcome the challenges in this field are presented as practice guidelines at the end of each section. These guidelines are expected to provide guidance for EN management in dysglycemic critically ill patients. These guidelines also outline the model glycemic control task force and its roles in nutrition care as well as an intensive care unit DG nutrition protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]