Neonatal Jaundice-Its Mathematical Model and Treatments

Neonatal jaundice (icterus neonatorium) is caused by the excessive accumulation of bilirubin, a byproduct of the red blood cells decomposition. Shortly after birth, newborn babies carry a very high level of red blood cells and thus a high concentration of bilirubin. If a baby�s liver is premature, it cannot process the bilirubin as quickly as its body produces. The excessive bilirubin then flows out of the bloodstream and permeates to the body surface causing yellow-colored skin and sclera of the eye and inside lining of the mouth. If jaundice is left untreated, the infant can develop Kernicterus, a form of permanent brain damage. In this paper, we derive a mathematical model for the mass transport of the bilirubin concentration in the human body using the Mass Balance Law. We also incorporate into the model three types of treatments: blood transfusion, phototherapy, and medication. Our goal is, by observing the bilirubin concentration in the blood, to find the optimal treatment(s) to bring the concentration of bilirubin down to a normal level. We will also develop a program that automatically chooses the treatments based on the severity of the bilirubin level

Motivation for study abroad in Bangladesh : Learning from the Tokushima University Alumni

バングラデシュは若者が多く、海外への留学ニーズが高まっている。日本に留学したバングラデシュ人は、帰国後に成功したキャリアを積む事例が多いが、バングラデシュでは日本語の人気はなく、日本へ留学するバングラデシュ人も増加はみられない。今回、現在のバングラデシュ人の留学傾向、日本語の教育状況、日本への留学の動機および留学へのハードルを分析した

Development of a Statistical Model to Predict Materials’ Unit Prices for Future Maintenance and Rehabilitation in Highway Life Cycle Cost Analysis

The main objectives of this study are to investigate the trends in primary pavement materials’ unit price over time and to develop statistical models and guidelines for using predictive unit prices of pavement materials instead of uniform unit prices in life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) for future maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) projects. Various socio-economic data were collected for the past 20 years (1997–2018) in California, including oil price, population, government expenditure in transportation, vehicle registration, and other key variables, in order to identify factors affecting pavement materials’ unit price. Additionally, the unit price records of the popular pavement materials were categorized by project size (small, medium, large, and extra-large). The critical variables were chosen after identifying their correlations, and the future values of each variable were predicted through time-series analysis. Multiple regression models using selected socio-economic variables were developed to predict the future values of pavement materials’ unit price. A case study was used to compare the results between the uniform unit prices in the current LCCA procedures and the unit prices predicted in this study. In LCCA, long-term prediction involves uncertainties due to unexpected economic trends and industrial demand and supply conditions. Economic recessions and a global pandemic are examples of unexpected events which can have a significant influence on variations in material unit prices and project costs. Nevertheless, the data-driven scientific approach as described in this research reduces risk caused by such uncertainties and enables reasonable predictions for the future. The statistical models developed to predict the future unit prices of the pavement materials through this research can be implemented to enhance the current LCCA procedure and predict more realistic unit prices and project costs for the future M&R activities, thus promoting the most cost-effective alternative in LCCA

Linear model identification of beetle-mimicking flapping wing micro-air vehicle in hovering flight

This paper presents a linear time invariant model identification for beetle mimicking flapping wing micro air vehicle (FWMAV) in hovering mode. The identification is facilitated by assuming the wings of the beetle rectangular in shape and the body is considered cylindrical. The main thrust is provided by flapping the wings of the FWMAV whereas the trailing-edges-change mechanism was kept off. The measurable aerodynamic forces and moment’s measured data are utilized in the states' reconstruction. The state reconstruction was carried out via the discrete time integration of linear and angular acceleration. Having reconstructed the states, the standard least mean square estimation (LMSE) based estimation approach is used to estimate the system’s stability and control derivatives. The results of the estimation are validated with the experimental data, and show the success of the estimation approach

Health Impact Perceived by University Students at Three Sites in Asia : Two Years Into the Pandemic

Two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, education in universities is still being disrupted. Prolonged exposure to the pandemic situation may result in health-related problems for university students. In January 2022, we conducted an online survey in three universities in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam for a rapid assessment of students’ perceived impacts on their health conditions. In total, 159 students from the three sites responded. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. A third of the respondents reported that their health condition was impacted, while female students perceived more impact on health than males (p<0.001). Over half of the respondents reported experiencing some stress, while students living in the dormitory had a higher tendency to perceive stress (p<0.05). Moreover, students in higher grades tended to have higher perceived stress (p<0.01) and higher perceived worry (p<0.001). There were also significant differences in the level of perceived health impact, stress, and worry for the future among the students from the three sites, probably due to the characteristics of respondents in each site. These findings imply the need to address not only the quality of education but also to improve health support services for students on the campus

The alternatively spliced fibronectin CS1 isoform regulates IL-17A levels and mechanical allodynia after peripheral nerve injury.

BackgroundMechanical pain hypersensitivity associated with physical trauma to peripheral nerve depends on T-helper (Th) cells expressing the algesic cytokine, interleukin (IL)-17A. Fibronectin (FN) isoform alternatively spliced within the IIICS region encoding the 25-residue-long connecting segment 1 (CS1) regulates T cell recruitment to the sites of inflammation. Herein, we analyzed the role of CS1-containing FN (FN-CS1) in IL-17A expression and pain after peripheral nerve damage.MethodsMass spectrometry, immunoblotting, and FN-CS1-specific immunofluorescence analyses were employed to examine FN expression after chronic constriction injury (CCI) in rat sciatic nerves. The acute intra-sciatic nerve injection of the synthetic CS1 peptide (a competitive inhibitor of the FN-CS1/α4 integrin binding) was used to elucidate the functional significance of FN-CS1 in mechanical and thermal pain hypersensitivity and IL-17A expression (by quantitative Taqman RT-PCR) after CCI. The CS1 peptide effects were analyzed in cultured primary Schwann cells, the major source of FN-CS1 in CCI nerves.ResultsFollowing CCI, FN expression in sciatic nerve increased with the dominant FN-CS1 deposition in endothelial cells, Schwann cells, and macrophages. Acute CS1 therapy attenuated mechanical allodynia (pain from innocuous stimulation) but not thermal hyperalgesia and reduced the levels of IL-17A expression in the injured nerve. CS1 peptide inhibited the LPS- or starvation-stimulated activation of the stress ERK/MAPK pathway in cultured Schwann cells.ConclusionsAfter physical trauma to the peripheral nerve, FN-CS1 contributes to mechanical pain hypersensitivity by increasing the number of IL-17A-expressing (presumably, Th17) cells. CS1 peptide therapy can be developed for pharmacological control of neuropathic pain

Synthesis of 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazoles in water via a [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of nitrile oxides and 1,3-diketones, β-ketoesters, or β-ketoamides

Herein we report a method for the synthesis of 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazoles in water under mild basic conditions at room temperature via a [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of nitrile oxides and 1,3-diketones, β-ketoesters, or β-ketoamides. We optimized the reaction conditions to control the selectivity of the production of isoxazoles and circumvent other competing reactions, such as O-imidoylation or hetero [3 + 2]-cycloaddition. The reaction happens fast in water and completes within 1-2 hours, which provides an environmentally friendly access to 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazoles, an important class of structures found in numerous bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, we optimized the reaction conditions to produce trifluoromethyl-substituted isoxazoles, a prevalent scaffold in biomedical research and drug discovery programs. We also proposed a plausible mechanism for the selectivity of the [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction to produce 3,4,5-trisubstituted isoxazoles. Not to be overlooked are our optimized reaction conditions for the dimerization of hydroximoyl chlorides to form furoxans also known as 1,2,5-oxadiazole 2-oxides, a class of structures with important biological activities due to their unique electronic nature and coordination ability

Monitoring System-Based Flying IoT in Public Health and Sports Using Ant-Enabled Energy-Aware Routing.

In recent decades, the Internet of flying networks has made significant progress. Several aerial vehicles communicate with one another to form flying ad hoc networks. Unmanned aerial vehicles perform a wide range of tasks that make life easier for humans. However, due to the high frequency of mobile flying vehicles, network problems such as packet loss, latency, and perhaps disrupted channel links arise, affecting data delivery. The use of UAV-enabled IoT in sports has changed the dynamics of tracking and working on player safety. WBAN can be merged with aerial vehicles to collect data regarding health and transfer it to a base station. Furthermore, the unbalanced energy usage of flying things will result in earlier mission failure and a rapid decline in network lifespan. This study describes the use of each UAV's residual energy level to ensure a high level of safety using an ant-based routing technique called AntHocNet. In health care, the use of IoT-assisted aerial vehicles would increase operational performance, surveillance, and automation optimization to provide a smart application of flying IoT. Apart from that, aerial vehicles can be used in remote communication for treatment, medical equipment distribution, and telementoring. While comparing routing algorithms, simulation findings indicate that the proposed ant-based routing protocol is optimal

Wigner-Seitz cells in neutron star crust with finite range interactions

The structure of Wigner-Seitz cells in the inner crust of neutron stars is investigated using a microcospic Hartree-Fock-BCS approach with finite range D1S and M3Y-P4 interactions. Large effects on the densities are found compared to previous predictions using Skyrme interactions. Pairing effects are found to be small, and they are attenuated by the use of finite range interactions in the mean field.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure