bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Physical Properties and Chemical Substitution of Excipient on Compaction and Disintegration Behavior of Tablet: A Case Study of Low-Substituted Hydroxypropyl Cellulose (L-HPC)
Authors: Mishra Saurabh M , Sauer Andreas
Published: March 2022

As final attributes of dosage form largely depend on the properties of excipients used, understanding the effect of physicochemical properties of excipients is important. In the present study, six grades of L-HPC with varying degrees of particle size and hydroxypropyl content and the influence of the grade on compaction as well as disintegration behavior were studied. All grades of L-HPC were compressed at different compression loads to achieve different tablet porosity. Compressibility and compactibility of L-HPC grades were evaluated using a modified Heckel equation and percolation model. Further effects of particle size and hydroxypropyl content of L-HPC on tablet porosity and disintegration time were evaluated using a 32 full-factorial design. From compaction studies, it was found that compressibility of L-HPC largely depends upon the particle size with lower particle size grade showing lower compressibility. Whereas consolidation/bonding behavior of L-HPC is independent of particle size and % hydroxypropyl content. By factorial design, it was found that particle size and % hydroxypropyl content have a significant effect on the disintegration behavior of L-HPC. It was found that smaller particle sizes and higher hydroxypropyl content of L-HPC show longer disintegration time. Thus, careful consideration of excipients selection should be made to achieve desired quality attribute of the product.
Tunable and Sensitive Detection of Cortisol Using Anisotropic Phosphorene with a Surface Plasmon Resonance Technique: Numerical Investigation
Authors: Verma Vipin Kumar , Pal Sarika , Rizal Conrad , Prajapati Yogendra Kumar
Published: March 2022

Tunable and ultrasensitive surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensors are highly desirable for monitoring stress hormones such as cortisol, a steroid hormone formed in the human body’s adrenal glands. This paper describes the detection of cortisol using a bimetallic SPR sensor based on a highly anisotropic two-dimensional material, i.e., phosphorene. Thicknesses of bi-metal layers, such as copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni), are optimized to achieve strong SPR excitation. The proposed sensor is rotated in-plane with a rotation angle (φ) around the z-axis to obtain the phosphorene anisotropic behavior. The performance parameters of the sensor are demonstrated in terms of higher sensitivity (347.78 °/RIU), maximum angular figure of merit (FOM* = 1780.3), and finer limit of detection (0.026 ng/mL). Furthermore, a significant penetration depth (203 nm) is achieved for the proposed sensor. The obtained results of the above parameters indicate that the proposed sensor outperforms the previously reported papers in the literature on cortisol detection using the SPR technique.
Low-Space Bit-Parallel Systolic Structure for AOP-Based Multiplier Suitable for Resource-Constrained IoT Edge Devices
Authors: Ibrahim Atef , Gebali Fayez , Bouteraa Yassine , Tariq Usman , Ahamad Tariq , Nazih Waleed
Published: March 2022

Security and privacy issues with IoT edge devices hinder the application of IoT technology in many applications. Applying cryptographic protocols to edge devices is the perfect solution to security issues. Implementing these protocols on edge devices represents a significant challenge due to their limited resources. Finite-field multiplication is the core operation for most cryptographic protocols, and its efficient implementation has a remarkable impact on their performance. This article offers an efficient low-area and low-power one-dimensional bit-parallel systolic implementation for field multiplication in GF(2n) based on an irreducible all-one polynomial (AOP). We represented the adopted multiplication algorithm in the bit-level form to be able to extract its dependency graph (DG). We choose to apply specific scheduling and projection vectors to the DG to extract the bit-parallel systolic multiplier structure. In contrast with most of the previously published parallel structures, the proposed one has an area complexity of the order O(n) compared to the area complexity of the order of O(n2) for most parallel multiplier structures. The complexity analysis of the proposed multiplier structure shows that it exhibits a meaningful reduction in area compared to most of the compared parallel multipliers. To confirm the results of the complexity analysis, we performed an ASIC implementation of the proposed and the existing efficient multiplier structures using an ASIC CMOS library. The obtained ASIC synthesis report shows that the proposed multiplier structure displays significant savings in terms of its area, power consumption, area-delay product (ADP), and power-delay product (PDP). It offers average savings in space of nearly 33.7%, average savings in power consumption of 39.3%, average savings in ADP of 24.8%, and savings in PDP of 31.2% compared to the competitive existing multiplier structures. The achieved results make the proposed multiplier structure more suitable for utilization in resource-constrained devices such as IoT edge devices, smart cards, and other compact embedded devices.
Networks with Complex Weights: Green Function and Power Series
Authors: Muranova Anna , Woess Wolfgang
Published: March 2022

We introduce a Green function and analogues of other related kernels for finite and infinite networks whose edge weights are complex-valued admittances with positive real part. We provide comparison results with the same kernels associated with corresponding reversible Markov chains, i.e., where the edge weights are positive. Under suitable conditions, these lead to comparison of series of matrix powers which express those kernels. We show that the notions of transience and recurrence extend by analytic continuation to the complex-weighted case even when the network is infinite. Thus, a variety of methods known for Markov chains extend to that setting.
A Novel βSA Ensemble Model for Forecasting the Number of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in the US
Authors: Shih Dong-Her , Wu Ting-Wei , Shih Ming-Hung , Yang Min-Jui , Yen David C.
Published: March 2022

In December 2019, Severe Special Infectious Pneumonia (SARS-CoV-2)–the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)– appeared for the first time, breaking out in Wuhan, China, and the epidemic spread quickly to the world in a very short period time. According to WHO data, ten million people have been infected, and more than one million people have died; moreover, the economy has also been severely hit. In an outbreak of an epidemic, people are concerned about the final number of infections. Therefore, effectively predicting the number of confirmed cases in the future can provide a reference for decision-makers to make decisions and avoid the spread of deadly epidemics. In recent years, the α-Sutte indicator method is an excellent predictor in short-term forecasting; however, the α-Sutte indicator uses fixed static weights. In this study, by adding an error-based dynamic weighting method, a novel β-Sutte indicator is proposed. Combined with ARIMA as an ensemble model (βSA), the forecasting of the future COVID-19 daily cumulative number of cases and the number of new cases in the US are evaluated from the experiment. The experimental results show that the forecasting accuracy of βSA proposed in this study is better than other methods in forecasting with metrics MAPE and RMSE. It proves the feasibility of adding error-based dynamic weights in the β-Sutte indicator in the area of forecasting.
Fractional Growth Model with Delay for Recurrent Outbreaks Applied to COVID-19 Data
Authors: Alcántara-López Fernando , Fuentes Carlos , Chávez Carlos , López-Estrada Jesús , Brambila-Paz Fernando
Published: March 2022

There are a great many epidemiological models that have been implemented to describe COVID-19 data; however, few attempted to reproduce the entire phenomenon due to the complexity of modeling recurrent outbreaks. In this work a fractional growth model with delay is developed that implements the Caputo fractional derivative with 0<β≤1. Furthermore, in order to preserve the nature of the phenomenon and ensure continuity in the derivatives of the function, a method is proposed to construct an initial condition function to implement in the model with delay. This model is analyzed and generalized to model recurrent outbreaks. The model is applied to fit data of cumulative confirmed cases from Mexico, the United States, and Russia, obtaining excellent fitting corroborated by the coefficient of determination, where R2>0.9995 in all cases. Lastly, as a result of the implementation of the delay effect, the global phenomenon was decomposed into its local parts, allowing for directly comparing each outbreak and its different characteristics.
A More Realistic Markov Process Model for Explaining the Disjunction Effect in One-Shot Prisoner’s Dilemma Game
Authors: Xin Xiaoyang , Sun Mengdan , Liu Bo , Li Ying , Gao Xiaoqing
Published: March 2022

The quantum model has been considered to be advantageous over the Markov model in explaining irrational behaviors (e.g., the disjunction effect) during decision making. Here, we reviewed and re-examined the ability of the quantum belief–action entanglement (BAE) model and the Markov belief–action (BA) model in explaining the disjunction effect considering a more realistic setting. The results indicate that neither of the two models can truly represent the underlying cognitive mechanism. Thus, we proposed a more realistic Markov model to explain the disjunction effect in the prisoner’s dilemma game. In this model, the probability transition pattern of a decision maker (DM) is dependent on the information about the opponent’s action, Also, the relationship between the cognitive components in the evolution dynamics is moderated by the DM’s degree of subjective uncertainty (DSN). The results show that the disjunction effect can be well predicted by a more realistic Markov model. Model comparison suggests the superiority of the proposed Markov model over the quantum BAE model in terms of absolute model performance, relative model performance, and model flexibility. Therefore, we suggest that the key to successfully explaining the disjunction effect is to consider the underlying cognitive mechanism properly.
Finite-Time Synchronization Analysis for BAM Neural Networks with Time-Varying Delays by Applying the Maximum-Value Approach with New Inequalities
Authors: Yang Zhen , Zhang Zhengqiu
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we consider the finite-time synchronization for drive-response BAM neural networks with time-varying delays. Instead of using the finite-time stability theorem and integral inequality method, by using the maximum-value method, two new criteria are obtained to ensure the finite-time synchronization for the considered drive-response systems. The inequalities in our paper, applied to obtaining the maximum-valued and designing the novel controllers, are different from those in existing papers.
An 8-Nodes 3D Hexahedral Finite Element and an 1D 2-Nodes Structural Element for Timoshenko Beams, Both Based on Hermitian Intepolation, in Linear Range
Authors: López Machado Nelson Andrés , Vielma Pérez Juan Carlos , López Machado Leonardo Jose , Montesinos Machado Vanessa Viviana
Published: March 2022

The following article presents the elaboration and results obtained from a 3D finite element, of the 8-node hexahedron type with 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) per node (48 DOF per element) based on third degree Hermitian polynomials, and of a 2-node structural element, with 6 DOF per node (12 DOF per element), based on third degree Hermitian polynomials and the theory of Timoshenko for beams. This article has two purposes; the first one is the formulation of a finite element capable of capturing bending effects, and the second one is to verify whether it is possible to obtain the deformation of the beam’s cross section of a structural member of the beam type, based on the deformations of its axis. The results obtained showed that the 8-node hexahedron FE was able to reproduce satisfactory results by simulating some cases of beams with different contour and load conditions, obtaining errors between 1% and 4% compared to the ANSYS software, educational version. Regarding the structural element of the beam type, it reproduced results that were not as precise as the FE Hexa 8, presenting errors of between 6% and 7% with regard to the axis but with error rounding between 10% and 20%.
Optimal Experimental Design for Parametric Identification of the Electrical Behaviour of Bioelectrodes and Biological Tissues
Authors: Sebastià Bargues Àngela , Polo Sanz José-Luis , Martín Martín Raúl
Published: March 2022

The electrical behaviour of a system, such as an electrode–tissue interface (ETI) or a biological tissue, can be used for its characterization. One way of accomplishing this goal consists of measuring the electrical impedance, that is, the opposition that a system exhibits to an alternating current flow as a function of frequency. Subsequently, experimental impedance data are fitted to an electrical equivalent circuit (EEC model) whose parameters can be correlated with the electrode processes occurring in the ETI or with the physiological state of a tissue. The EEC used in this paper is a reasonable approach for simple bio-electrodes or cell membranes, assuming ideal capacitances. We use the theory of optimal experimental design to identify the frequencies in which the impedance is measured, as well as the number of measurement repetitions, in such a way that the EEC parameters can be optimally estimated. Specifically, we calculate approximate and exact D-optimal designs by optimizing the determinant of the information matrix by adapting two of the most algorithms that are routinely used nowadays (REX random exchange algorithm and KL exchange algorithm). The D-efficiency of the optimal designs provided by the algorithms was compared with the design commonly used by experimenters and it is shown that the precision of the parameter estimates can be increased.
Optimal Constant-Stress Accelerated Life Test Plans for One-Shot Devices with Components Having Exponential Lifetimes under Gamma Frailty Models
Authors: Ling Man-Ho
Published: March 2022

Optimal designs of constant-stress accelerated life test plans is one of the important topics in reliability studies. Many devices produced have very high reliability under normal operating conditions. The question then arises of how to make the optimal decisions on life test plans to collect sufficient information about the corresponding lifetime distributions. Accelerated life testing has become a popular approach to tackling this problem in reliability studies, which attempts to extrapolate from the information obtained from accelerated testing conditions to normal operating conditions. In this paper, we develop a general framework to obtain optimal constant-stress accelerated life test plans for one-shot devices with dependent components, subject to time and budget constraints. The optimal accelerated test plan considers an economical approach to determine the inspection time and the sample size of each accelerating testing condition so that the asymptotic variance of the maximum likelihood estimator for the mean lifetime under normal operating conditions is minimized. This study also investigates the impact of the dependence between components on the optimal designs and provides practical recommendations on constant-stress accelerated life test plans for one-shot devices with dependent components.
Bio-Constrained Codes with Neural Network for Density-Based DNA Data Storage
Authors: Rasool Abdur , Qu Qiang , Wang Yang , Jiang Qingshan
Published: March 2022

DNA has evolved as a cutting-edge medium for digital information storage due to its extremely high density and durable preservation to accommodate the data explosion. However, the strings of DNA are prone to errors during the hybridization process. In addition, DNA synthesis and sequences come with a cost that depends on the number of nucleotides present. An efficient model to store a large amount of data in a small number of nucleotides is essential, and it must control the hybridization errors among the base pairs. In this paper, a novel computational model is presented to design large DNA libraries of oligonucleotides. It is established by integrating a neural network (NN) with combinatorial biological constraints, including constant GC-content and satisfying Hamming distance and reverse-complement constraints. We develop a simple and efficient implementation of NNs to produce the optimal DNA codes, which opens the door to applying neural networks for DNA-based data storage. Further, the combinatorial bio-constraints are introduced to improve the lower bounds and to avoid the occurrence of errors in the DNA codes. Our goal is to compute large DNA codes in shorter sequences, which should avoid non-specific hybridization errors by satisfying the bio-constrained coding. The proposed model yields a significant improvement in the DNA library by explicitly constructing larger codes than the prior published codes.
The Grey Ten-Element Analysis Method: A Novel Strategic Analysis Tool
Authors: Zakeri Shervin , Konstantas Dimitri , Cheikhrouhou Naoufel
Published: March 2022

In this paper, a new strategic analysis method is introduced, called the ten-element analysis (TEA) method to determine the firm’s strategic position in the market. The new method is grounded on the computation of the reflections of the external factors on the firm’s internal factors through the changes of the values of the internal factors throughout the time when a lack of complete information regarding the environmental factors exists. The TEA method takes ten effective key elements of the firm into account and investigates their changes through a maximum of nine periods and a minimum of two periods. To conduct the model, the paper is mainly focused on four main rubrics, including the detection of the reflection of the firm’s environmental factors on the internal factors, deriving the strategic position of the firm from the reflections, the capability of the existing strategic models in determining the strategic position from the reflections in presence of uncertainty and incomplete information of the external factors. The method is applied to a dairy company in order to find its strategic position in the market. The results showed that the output of the TEA method and SWOT analysis is similar which makes the new method reliable to employ. The TEA method is developed under the grey environment to harness the uncertainty where a new grey comparison method is introduced to compare the grey numbers.
The Biochemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Fucus vesiculosus from the Arctic Region
Authors: Obluchinskaya Ekaterina D. , Pozharitskaya Olga N. , Zakharov Denis V. , Flisyuk Elena V. , Terninko Inna I. , Generalova Yulia E. , Smekhova Irina E. , Shikov Alexander N.
Published: March 2022

Fucus vesiculosus is one of the most prominent brown algae in the shallow waters of the seas of the Arctic region (Barents (BS), White (WS), Norwegian (NS), and Irminger (IS)). The aim of this study was to determine the biochemical composition of F. vesiculosus from the Arctic at different reproductive phases, and to evaluate the antioxidant properties of F. vesiculosus extracts. The amounts of monosaccharides, phlorotannins, flavonoids, and ash and the mineral composition significantly varied in the algae. A strong correlation was established between monosaccharide, phlorotannin, and flavonoid accumulation and water salinity (Pearson’s correlation coefficients r = −0.58, 0.83, and 0.44, respectively; p < 0.05). We noted a negative correlation between the antioxidant activity and the amount of the structural monosaccharides of fucoidan (r = −0.64). A positive correlation of phlorotannins and flavonoids with antioxidant power was confirmed for all samples. The ash accumulation was relatively lower in the sterile phase for the algae from the BS and WS. The correlation between the Metal Pollution Index (MPI) and the reproductive phases was medium with high fluctuation. Meanwhile, the MPI strongly correlated with the salinity and sampling site. The gradient of the MPI values across the sea was in the following ranking order: BS < WS < NS < IS. Taken together, and based on our data on the elemental contents of F. vesiculosus, we believe that this alga does not accumulate toxic doses of elements. Therefore, the Arctic F. vesiculosus could be safely used in food and drug development as a source of active biochemical compounds and as a source of dietary elements to cover the daily nutritional requirements of humans.
Developing a Chromochloris zofingiensis Mutant for Enhanced Production of Lutein under CO2 Aeration
Authors: Ren Yuanyuan , Deng Jinquan , Lin Yan , Huang Junchao , Chen Feng
Published: March 2022

Microalgae are competitive and commercial sources for health-benefit carotenoids. In this study, a Chromochloris zofingiensis mutant (Cz-pkg), which does not shut off its photosystem and stays green upon glucose treatment, was generated and characterized. Cz-pkg was developed by treating the algal cells with a chemical mutagen as N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and followed by a color-based colony screening approach. Cz-pkg was found to contain a dysfunctional cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). By cultivated with CO2 aeration under mixotrophy, the mutant accumulated lutein up to 31.93 ± 1.91 mg L−1 with a productivity of 10.57 ± 0.73 mg L−1 day−1, which were about 2.5- and 8.5-fold of its mother strain. Besides, the lutein content of Cz-pkg could reach 7.73 ± 0.52 mg g−1 of dry weight, which is much higher than that of marigold flower, the most common commercial source of lutein. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that in the mutant Cz-pkg, most of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of lutein and chlorophylls were not down-regulated upon glucose addition, suggesting that PKG may regulate the metabolisms of photosynthetic pigments. This study demonstrated that Cz-pkg could serve as a promising strain for both lutein production and glucose sensing study.
De Novo Detrusor Underactivity and Other Urodynamic Findings after Radical Prostatectomy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Oszczudłowski Maciej , Bilski Konrad , Kozikowski Mieszko , Dobruch Jakub
Published: March 2022

Background and objectives: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the impact of radical prostatectomy (RP) on bladder function, with special attention towards detrusor underactivity investigated with the means of urodynamic evaluation. Materials and Methods: The review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA statement and was registered in the PROSPERO (ID#: CRD42020223480). The studied population was limited to men with prostate cancer who underwent urodynamic study prior to and after radical prostatectomy. Eight hundred twenty-seven studies were screened, with twenty-five finally included. A qualitative analysis was performed. Rates of detrusor underactivity (DU) before surgery were reported in eight studies and ranged from 1.6% to 75% (median of 40.8%). DU occurred de novo after RP in 9.1% to 37% of patients (median of 29.1%). On the other hand, preexisting DU resolved in 7% to 35.5% of affected men. Detrusor overactivity (DO) was the most frequently reported outcome, being assessed in 23 studies. The rate of DO preoperatively was from 5% to 76% (median of 25%). De novo was reported in 2.3–54.4% of patients (median of 15%) and resolved after RP in 19.6% to 87.5% (median of 33%) of affected patients. Baseline rates of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) varied between studies from 19% to 59.3%, with a median of 27.8%. The most pronounced change after surgery was the resolution of BOO in 88% to 93.8% (median of 92%) of affected patients. Results: Rates of de novo impaired bladder compliance (IBC) varied from 3.2% to 41.3% (median of 13.3%), whereas the resolution of IBC was reported with rates ranging from 0% to 47% (median of 4.8%). Conclusions: BOO, DO, and DU are frequently diagnosed in men scheduled for RP. BOO is improved after RP in most patients; however, there is still a substantial rate of patients with de novo DU as well as DO which may impair functional outcomes and quality of life.
Is Device Removal Necessary after Fixed-Angle Locking Plate Osteosynthesis of Proximal Humerus Fractures?
Authors: Kim Beom-Soo , Kim Du-Han , Choi Jung-Hoon , Choi Byung-Chan , Cho Chul-Hyun
Published: March 2022

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether device removal in symptomatic patients following locking plate osteosynthesis of a proximal humerus fracture improves the clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: Seventy-one patients who underwent fixed-angle locking plate osteosynthesis of a proximal humerus fracture were included. Thirty-three patients underwent device removal at a mean time of 10.4 months after index surgery (removal group). Thirty-eight patients who retained the device after index surgery (retention group) were included in the control group. Visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and range of motion (ROM) were evaluated pre- and postoperatively. Results: At the final follow-up, mean UCLA score, ASES score, and all ROMs were significantly higher in the removal group compared to the retention group (p < 0.001). However, no significant difference in mean VAS pain score was observed between the two groups. Comparison of the clinical outcomes before and after device removal surgery showed significant improvement in all clinical scores and ROMs after device removal (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Device removal surgery in symptomatic patients following locking plate osteosynthesis of a proximal humerus fracture can result in significant improvement in functional outcomes.
Serum Sclerostin Level Is Negatively Associated with Bone Mineral Density in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Lu Jing-Wun , Syu Ru-Jiang , Wang Chih-Hsien , Hsu Bang-Gee , Tsai Jen-Pi
Published: March 2022

Background and Objectives: Sclerostin and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) modulate osteoblastogenesis, but their role in bone loss in hemodialysis (HD) patients is inconclusive. This study investigated relationships among lumbar bone mineral density (BMD), serum sclerostin, and DKK1 in HD patients. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 75 HD patients. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured lumbar BMD of the lumbar vertebrae (L2–L4). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed serum sclerostin and DKK1 concentrations. Results: There were 10 (13.3%), 20 (26.7%), and 45 (60%) patients defined as presenting with osteoporosis, osteopenia, or normal BMD, respectively. Age, alkaline phosphatase, urea reduction rate, fractional clearance index for urea, sclerostin level, and percentage of female patients are significantly negatively associated with the lumbar BMD and T-score, while the body mass index and waist circumference significantly positively associated with the lumbar BMD and T-score. Multivariate forward stepwise linear regression analysis indicated that serum sclerostin (β = −0.546, adjusted R2 change = 0.454; p < 0.001), age (β = −0.216, adjusted R2 change = 0.041; p = 0.007), and percentage of female HD patients (β = −0.288, adjusted R2 change = 0.072; p = 0.0018) were significantly negatively associated with lumbar BMD in HD patients. Conclusions: Advanced age, female gender, and serum sclerostin level, but not DKK1, were negatively associated with BMD in HD patients.
The Need for Standardizing Diagnosis, Treatment and Clinical Care of Cholecystitis and Biliary Colic in Gallbladder Disease
Authors: Doherty Gerard , Manktelow Matthew , Skelly Brendan , Gillespie Paddy , Bjourson Anthony J. , Watterson Steven
Published: March 2022

Gallstones affect 20% of the Western population and will grow in clinical significance as obesity and metabolic diseases become more prevalent. Gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) is a common treatment for diseases caused by gallstones, with 1.2 million surgeries in the US each year, each costing USD 10,000. Gallbladder disease has a significant impact on the logistics and economics of healthcare. We discuss the two most common presentations of gallbladder disease (biliary colic and cholecystitis) and their pathophysiology, risk factors, signs and symptoms. We discuss the factors that affect clinical care, including diagnosis, treatment outcomes, surgical risk factors, quality of life and cost-efficacy. We highlight the importance of standardised guidelines and objective scoring systems in improving quality, consistency and compatibility across healthcare providers and in improving patient outcomes, collaborative opportunities and the cost-effectiveness of treatment. Guidelines and scoring only exist in select areas of the care pathway. Opportunities exist elsewhere in the care pathway.
A Pilot Study to Explore a Correlation between Inflammatory Markers and the Wound Healing Rate in Diabetic Patients
Authors: Song Yukwan , Jo Yongkyu , Sohn Jeongeun , Kim Robert
Published: March 2022

Background and objectives: We examined whether there is a significant correlation between inflammatory markers and the wound healing rate (WHR) in diabetic patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients were divided into two groups depending on the completion of wound healing (WH) at 5 weeks: the early WH group (period of WH < 5 weeks; n = 27) and the late WH group (period of WH > 5 weeks; n = 33). The baseline characteristics and wound measurements were compared between the two groups. To identify the correlation between inflammatory markers (e.g., white blood cell counts (WBCs), serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)) and WHR, we performed a Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The WHR was 8.06 ± 4.02 mm2/day in the early WH group and 2.71 ± 0.88 mm2/day in the late group. This difference reached statistical significance (p < 0.001). Moreover, WBC counts were significantly higher and serum levels of CRP and ESR were significantly lower in the early WH group than in the late group (p = 0.027, 0.036 and 0.043, respectively). Conclusions: Our results indicate that WBC as well as serum CRP and ESR levels have a significant correlation with WHR in diabetic patients.
Ameliorative Potential of L-Alanyl L-Glutamine Dipeptide in Colon Cancer Patients Receiving Modified FOLFOX-6 Regarding the Incidence of Diarrhea, the Treatment Response, and Patients’ Survival: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Sabry Nesreen M. , Naguib Tamer M. , Kabel Ahmed M. , Khafagy El-Sayed , Arab Hany H. , Almorsy Walid A.
Published: March 2022

Background and Objectives: Diarrhea induced by chemotherapy may represent a life-threatening adverse effect in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. FOLFOX, an effective treatment for colon cancer, has been associated with diarrhea with high severity, particularly with higher doses. Management of diarrhea is crucial to increase the survival of cancer patients and to improve the quality of life. Glutamine is an abundant protein peptide found in blood and has a crucial role in boosting immunity, increasing protein anabolism, and decreasing the inflammatory effects of chemotherapy on the mucosal membranes, including diarrhea. This study aimed to provide evidence that parenteral L-alanyl L-glutamine dipeptide may have a positive influence on the incidence of diarrhea, treatment response, and the overall survival in colon cancer patients treated with modified FOLFOX-6 (mFOLFOX-6). Materials and Methods: Forty-four stage II and III colon cancer patients were included in this study where they were treated with the standard colon cancer chemotherapy mFOLFOX-6 and were randomly allocated into glutamine group and placebo group, each of 22 patients. Results: L-alanyl L-glutamine dipeptide was found to be significantly effective in decreasing the frequency and severity of diarrhea when compared to the placebo group, particularly after four and six cycles of mFOLFOX-6. There was no significant difference between the studied groups regarding to the overall survival. Conclusion: L-alanyl L-glutamine dipeptide can be considered as an add-on with chemotherapy to improve the quality of life and the overall survival of colon cancer patients.
Review of History of Basic Principles of Burn Wound Management
Authors: Kim Hyunjin , Shin Seongmee , Han Donghoon
Published: March 2022

Thermal energy is an essential and useful resource to humans in modern society. However, a consequence of using heat carelessly is burns. Burn injuries have various causes, such as exposure to flame, radiation, electrical, and chemical sources. In this study, we reviewed the history of burn wound care while focusing on the basic principles of burn management. Through this review, we highlight the need for careful monitoring and customization when treating burn victims at each step of wound care, as their individual needs may differ. We also propose that future research should focus on nanotechnology-based skin grafts, as this is a promising area for further improvement in wound care.
Wen Dan Tang: A Potential Jing Fang Decoction for Headache Disorders?
Authors: Pradhan Saroj K. , Li Yiming , Gantenbein Andreas R. , Angst Felix , Lehmann Susanne , Shaban Hamdy
Published: March 2022

Background: Chinese herbal medicine is considered relatively safe, inexpensive, and easily accessible. Wen Dan Tang (WDT), a Jing Fang ancient classical Chinese herbal formula with a broad indication profile has been used for several centuries in China to treat various illnesses. Question: Are there evidence-based clinical trials that show that WDT has a significant impact on the treatment of various diseases, especially in patients with migraine and tension-type headaches (TTH)? Methods: This study is based on an online database search using PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, AcuTrials, Embase, Semantic Scholar, Jstor, internet research, and review of ancient and modern Chinese medical textbooks regarding WDT and its compounds. Results: There were no studies on WDT in migraine and TTH; therefore, this work gathers and describes data for every single compound in the formula. Conclusion: This study suggests that the bioactive compounds found in WDT composition show potential in treating patients with neurological, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and digestive disorders. Some coherence between WDT in headache reduction and improvements in the quality of life in patients with migraines and TTH could be evaluated, showing positive results of WDT in these patients.
Optimization and Evaluation of Polymer Inclusion Membranes Based on PVC Containing Copoly-EDVB 4% as a Carrier for the Removal of Phenol Solutions
Authors: Kiswandono Agung Abadi , Nusantari Candra Saka , Rinawati Rinawati , Hadi Sutopo
Published: March 2022

Polymer inclusion membrane (PIM) is a method for separating liquid membranes into thin, stable, and flexible film forms. In this study, the PIM was made using polyvinyl chloride (PVC), dibenzyl ether (DBE), and 4% copoly-eugenol divinyl benzene (co-EDVB) as a supporting polymer, plasticizer, and carrier compound, respectively. Furthermore, a phenol transport test was carried out using the parameters of pH influence, the effect of NaOH concentration, and transport time. The PIM membrane was also evaluated using the parameters affecting the concentration of plasticizer, the effect of salt concentration, and the lifetime of the PIM membrane. The results show that the optimum pH obtained to transport phenol to the receiving phase was 5.5, with a concentration of 0.1 M of the NaOH receiving phase and a transport time of 72 h. Furthermore, it was found that the use of plasticizers and salts affected the ability and resistance of the membranes. The membrane lifetime increased up to 60 days with the addition of 0.1 M NaNO3 or NaCl salt in the source phase.
Comparison of Acetaminophen Degradation by Laccases Immobilized by Two Different Methods via a Continuous Flow Microreactor Process Scheme
Authors: Sotelo Laura D. , Sotelo Diana C. , Ornelas-Soto Nancy , Cruz Juan C. , Osma Johann F.
Published: March 2022

The presence of micropollutants in wastewater is one of the most significant environmental challenges. Particularly, pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues present high stability and resistance to conventional physicochemical and biological degradation processes. Thus, we aimed at immobilizing a laccase enzyme by two different methods: the first one was based on producing alginate-laccase microcapsules through a droplet-based microfluidic system; the second one was based on covalent binding of the laccase molecules on aluminum oxide (Al2O3) pellets. Immobilization efficiencies approached 92.18% and 98.22%, respectively. Laccase immobilized by the two different methods were packed into continuous flow microreactors to evaluate the degradation efficiency of acetaminophen present in artificial wastewater. After cyclic operation, enzyme losses were found to be up to 75 µg/mL and 66 µg/mL per operation cycle, with a maximum acetaminophen removal of 72% and 15% and a retention time of 30 min, for the laccase-alginate microcapsules and laccase-Al2O3 pellets, respectively. The superior catalytic performance of laccase-alginate microcapsules was attributed to their higher porosity, which enhances retention and, consequently, increased the chances for more substrate–enzyme interactions. Finally, phytotoxicity of the treated water was lower than that of the untreated wastewater, especially when using laccase immobilized in alginate microcapsules. Future work will be dedicated to elucidating the routes for scaling-up and optimizing the process to assure profitability.
Retention and Fouling during Nanoparticle Filtration: Implications for Membrane Purification of Biotherapeutics
Authors: Chu Liang-Kai , Wickramasinghe S. Ranil , Qian Xianghong , Zydney Andrew L.
Published: March 2022

One major challenge in the development of nanoparticle-based therapeutics, including viral vectors for the delivery of gene therapies, is the development of cost-effective purification technologies. The objective of this study was to examine fouling and retention behaviors during the filtration of model nanoparticles through membranes of different pore sizes and the effect of solution conditions. Data were obtained with 30 nm fluorescently labeled polystyrene latex nanoparticles using both cellulosic and polyethersulfone membranes at a constant filtrate flux, and both pressure and nanoparticle transmission were evaluated as a function of cumulative filtrate volume. The addition of NaCl caused a delay in nanoparticle transmission and an increase in fouling. Nanoparticle transmission was also a function of particle hydrophobicity. These results provide important insights into the factors controlling transmission and fouling during nanoparticle filtration as well as a framework for the development of membrane processes for the purification of nanoparticle-based therapeutics.
Failure Modeling for QP980 Steel by a Shear Ductile Fracture Criterion
Authors: Wang Songchen , Wang Yue , Yu Long , Ji Kang , Liu Xiaochuan , Lou Yanshan
Published: March 2022

The wide application of advanced high strength steels with high specific strength in the automotive industry can significantly reduce energy consumption and contribute to carbon neutrality. Accurate prediction of the ductile fracture behavior of advanced high strength steels under complex stress states is of great significance for its application in automobile industry. In this study, the ductile fracture behavior of QP980 under complex stress states, covering shear, uniaxial tension, and plane strain tension, is investigated by conducting the hybrid experiment and simulation. The pressure-coupled Drucker yield function is chosen to characterize the effect of stress states on yielding for QP980, considering its high accuracy compared with the von Mises yield function. Failure limit of the stress states is modelled by five uncoupled ductile fracture criteria (Brozzo, Oh, Rice-Tracey, Ko-Huh, and DF2012). To improve the numerical prediction accuracy, the parameters of the constitutive model are optimized by using the inverse engineering approach. The numerical predicted results are compared with the experimental load-stroke curves with the onset of fracture. The comparison indicates that the prediction error of the DF2012 criterion is significantly lower than those of the other four criteria. In addition, the prediction accuracy is greatly improved with the parameters of the constitutive model optimized by the inverse engineering.
Comparison of Two Automated Targeted Metabolomics Programs to Manual Profiling by an Experienced Spectroscopist for 1H-NMR Spectra
Authors: Wang Xiangyu , Mickiewicz Beata , Thompson Graham C. , Joffe Ari R. , Blackwood Jaime , Vogel Hans J. , Kopciuk Karen A.
Published: March 2022

Automated programs that carry out targeted metabolite identification and quantification using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra can overcome time and cost barriers that limit metabolomics use. However, their performance needs to be comparable to that of an experienced spectroscopist. A previously analyzed pediatric sepsis data set of serum samples was used to compare results generated by the automated programs rDolphin and BATMAN with the results obtained by manual profiling for 58 identified metabolites. Metabolites were selected using Student’s t-tests and evaluated with several performance metrics. The manual profiling results had the highest performance metrics values, especially for sensitivity (76.9%), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.90), precision (62.5%), and testing accuracy based on a neural net (88.6%). All three approaches had high specificity values (77.7–86.7%). Manual profiling by an expert spectroscopist outperformed two open-source automated programs, indicating that further development is needed to achieve acceptable performance levels.
Relationship between Urinary Calcium Excretion and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
Authors: Matsuo Tomohiro , Ito Hidenori , Mitsunari Kensuke , Ohba Kojiro , Miyata Yasuyoshi
Published: March 2022

To date, few detailed studies have been conducted on the convenient and useful markers for the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), including overactive bladder (OAB) and nocturia. A high level of calcium (Ca) excretion (hypercalciuria) is indicative of lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, which are associated with the onset of LUTS. Hence, in this study we attempted to clarify the relationship between urinary Ca excretion and OAB, nocturia, and nocturnal polyuria in adults. The present study showed that patients with hypercalciuria frequently experienced OAB, nocturia, and nocturnal polyuria. In addition, this study revealed that the severity of LUTS is significantly associated with urinary Ca excretion and that hypercalciuria is an important risk factor for OAB, nocturia, and nocturnal polyuria.
Modelling the Photodegradation of Marine Microplastics by Means of Infrared Spectrometry and Chemometric Techniques
Authors: Sorasan Carmen , Ortega-Ojeda Fernando E. , Rodríguez Antonio , Rosal Roberto
Published: March 2022

This work investigated the structural and chemical changes of plastics undergoing accelerated ageing upon irradiation that simulated the ultraviolet component of solar radiation for a five-year period. The plastics selected were polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) microplastic debris sampled from a sandy beach as well as pure pellets and fragments of objects made of the same polymers. We recorded Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra at prescribed intervals during the irradiation procedure. The spectra were used to study the evolution of the absorption peaks usually associated with the environmental ageing of polyolefins, namely the peaks of hydroxyl and carbonyl stretching, the peaks relating to the presence of double bonds, and those associated with the crystallinity of PE and the tacticity of PP. The results showed that none of the usual degradation indexes followed a clear trend with increasing exposure and that the evolution of absorption peaks was not consistent among different fragments. We used the Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) method to process the whole information contained in the FTIR spectra in response to the chemical changes occurring during photochemical ageing. The results showed that the FTIR spectra contained sufficient information to cluster samples according to the irradiation received. Variable Importance of the Projection (VIP) analyses showed that the information for discriminating among different exposures was mainly contained in the absorption peaks corresponding to the hydroxyl and carbonyl stretching absorptions. The chemometric models had large determination coefficients, despite the large number of variables involved and could be applied to assess the environmental fate of plastics under environmental stressors.
Relationship of Microplastics to Body Size for Two Estuarine Fishes
Authors: Gad Ahmed K. , Midway Stephen R.
Published: March 2022

In the northern Gulf of Mexico, microplastics are reported in very high concentrations, which are thought to be partly sourced from the Mississippi River. This study sought to quantify microplastics across body size in two fish species, the hardhead catfish (Ariopsis felis) and southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma), common to Gulf of Mexico estuaries. We hypothesized that counts of ingested microplastics would be higher in smaller fishes than larger fishes. Fish were sampled in 2018 and 2019 across coastal Louisiana and represented a balanced range of length classes. Both species in our study ingested microplastics—25% of southern flounder and 15% of hardhead catfish. There was a significant positive effect of total length on microplastic loads in hardhead catfish. Due to the biological importance and management relevance of fish length, the study of microplastic loads and effects on fish may need to move beyond aggregating a species to considerations of individual size.
Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Commune of Coronel, Chile
Authors: Maurelia Jorge , Cornejo Oscar , Tume Pedro , Roca Núria
Published: March 2022

Anthropogenic activities often produce different emanations, some of them excessive, producing contamination of the soil, water, and/or air. This article analyzes soil conditions in Coronel, Chile, a commune with a large industrial presence, identifying the sources emitting potentially toxic elements, the degree of soil contamination, and the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks in the area. Ninety-four samples in the study area were analyzed using different methods. Three factors were identified through a principal component analysis (PCA) that explain 83.27% of the variability of the elements. Four factors were identified through the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model, making it possible to identify the polluting sources according to the pattern of elements they contain. The sources of these factors were then identified. The most common elements in the soil with a particularly high degree of contamination are nickel, vanadium, and chromium, the latter of which being the element that poses the greatest carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk to children and adults. Additionally, the highest concentrations of chromium and vanadium were identified near industrial areas of the commune.