Optimal response and covariate-adaptive biased-coin designs for clinical trials with continuous multivariate or longitudinal responses

Adaptive randomization of the sequential construction of optimum experimental designs is used to derive biased-coin designs for longitudinal clinical trials with continuous responses. The designs, coming from a very general rule, target pre-specified allocation proportions for the ranked treatment effects. Many of the properties of the designs are similar to those of well understood designs for univariate responses. A numerical study illustrates this similarity in a comparison of four designs for longitudinal trials. Designs for multivariate responses can likewise be found, requiring only the appropriate information matrix. Some new results in the theory of optimum experimental design for multivariate responses are presented

An observational study to compare Muhtaseb's and Habib's scoring systems in patients undergoing phacoemulsification to predict risk in cataract at a tertiary centre in West Bengal

Background: Cataract is derived from the Latin ‘cataracta’, meaning ‘waterfall’ as rapidly running water turns white, so term may have been used metaphorically to describe similar appearance of mature ocular opacities.1 Methods: This observational study with prospective study design has been conducted in the college of medicine and JNM hospital, department of ophthalmology, COMJNMH, Kalyani-741235, Nadia District, West Bengal which catering mostly the rural and also urban population. The study was done spread over a period of 18 months starting from July 2018 to December 2019, i.e., 1 year for research and 6 months for analysis. It included all patients, irrespective of age, undergoing Phacoemulsification surgery for cataract admitted in our hospital fulfilling the laid criteria for the study. Results: The study consisted of total 147 cases in these 14 (9.52%) cases complicated with PCR, 10 (6.80%) striate keratopathy and 4 (2.72%) cases complicated with both PCR and striate keratopathy. Though sample size derived was 126 cases, 147 cases were studied during the research period of 1 year. Out of 10.89% cases of miscellaneous risk (ex: poor position of the eye/patient) risk factor, posterior capsule rupture (12.5%), striate keratopathy (12.5%), cases having both complication (00.0%) and total complicated cases (25%) which is 1.36%, 1.36%, 0% and 2.72% of total cases respectively. Out of 8.84% cases of unable to lie flat risk factor, posterior capsule rupture (15.38%), striate keratopathy (7.69%), and total complicated cases (23.07%) which is 1.36%, 0.68% and 2.04% of total cases respectively. Conclusions: The current study tries to validate two scoring systems to predict complications during phacoemulsification surgerylike risk of posterior capsule rupture and striate keratopathy and to predict the potential difficulty of a case

Effects of Storage Conditions on Chemistry and Technological Properties of Different Cultivars of Chickpea

The impact of storage conditions, such as 40 °C, high humidities (55% and 65%), and storage (360 days), on the nutritional value, pasting, and functional properties, color differences, and quality of protein and starch in five Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) cultivars (Crown, Royal, Sierra, Orion, and Frontier) was determined. The Sierra cultivar had the highest initial moisture content (MC, 7.7 ± 0.01%), and MC increased over time for all samples stored at 55% and 65% RH and 21 °C. Protein (PC), total starch (TSC), and fat (FC) contents changed in all cultivars during storage. Under the same storage conditions (65% RH and 40 °C treatment), the Frontier variety had significantly higher PC at day zero (24.0 ± 0% dwb) and 360 (23.9 ± 0.2% dwb) compared to other cultivars, while no significant differences existed between other cultivars. A general upward trend in the pasting data was observed for all cultivars of the 360-day stored samples. In contrast, the gel firmness of the gels formed during Rapid Visco Analysis (RVA) was lower for the 360-day samples. Emulsion capacity (EC) and Foaming capacity (FC) changed significantly in all samples over time under the effects of different variables. Color analysis revealed reduced yellowness in all samples during storage. Also, lightness values decreased over time, indicating seed darkening during storage. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed the disappearance of major protein bands around 37 and 55 kDa after 360 days, indicating protein aggregation and structural alterations. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of amide II structures indicated interactions and differences in the secondary structure of proteins in the samples stored for 360 days. Starch analysis via SEM revealed protein-coated starch granules, indicating protein-starch interactions occurred during storage. Harsh storage conditions (65% RH and 40 °C) significantly affected nutritional quality, functional and pasting properties, and protein chemistry of chickpeas and should be avoided for extended storage

More assistance of entanglement, less rounds of classical communication

Classical communication plays a crucial role to distinguish locally a class of quantum states. Despite considerable advances, we have very little knowledge about the number of measurement and communication rounds needed to implement a discrimination task by local quantum operations and classical communications (in short, LOCC). In this letter, we are able to show the relation between round numbers with the local discrimination of a set of pure bipartite orthogonal quantum states. To demonstrate the possible strong dependence on the round numbers, we consider a class of orthogonal product states in $d\otimes d$, which require at least $2d-2$ round of classical communications. Curiously the round number can be reduced to $d$ by the assistance of one-ebit of entanglement as resource and can be reduced further by assistance of more entanglement. We are also able to show that the number of LOCC rounds needed for a discrimination task may depend on the amount of entanglement assistances.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, revtex, comments welcom

Irreversible Hemichorea–Hemiballism in a Case of Nonketotic Hyperglycemia Presenting as the Initial Manifestation of Diabetes Mellitus

Background: Hemichorea–hemiballism (HCHB) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder with features of both chorea and ballism occurring on the same side. Case report: We present a case of HCHB due to nonketotic hyperglycemia (NKH) that was the initial presentation of diabetes and was irreversible clinically even after 6 months of optimal blood sugar control. Discussion: Although HCHB due to hyperglycemia is a potentially reversible condition in the majority of patients, prolonged uncontrolled hyperglycemia may cause ischemic insult and persistent symptoms. Hyperglycemia should always be kept in the list of differentials while dealing with patients who are newly diagnosed with HCHB

Kratki pregled metoda mikroinkapsulacije biljnih ulja: principi, stabilnost i primjena

In addition to being used in food, fuel and lubricants, vegetable oils are promising in many other applications such as food additives, nutritional supplements, cosmetics and biomedicine; however, their low oxidative stability can limit their use. Microencapsulation is a well-established method for the preservation of oil against degradation, controlled release of active ingredients, protection against external factors during storage, and enhanced durability. In this article, microencapsulation methods for vegetable oil are reviewed, including physical methods (spray-drying and freeze-drying), physicochemical methods (complex coacervation, ionic gelation and electrostatic layer-by-layer deposition), and chemical methods (interfacial/in situ polymerization). This article also provides information on the principles, parameters, advantages, disadvantages and applications of these methods.Biljna ulja se osim u prehrani te kao goriva i maziva, mogu koristiti kao dodaci hrani, nutraceutici, u proizvodnji kozmetike i biomedicini, no primjena im je ograničena zbog slabe oksidacijske stabilnosti. Mikroinkapsulacija je uobičajena metoda zaštite ulja od razgradnje i vanjskih čimbenika tijekom skladištenja, kojom se kontrolira otpuštanje aktivnih sastojaka i produljuje trajnost ulja. U ovom je radu dan kratki pregled metoda mikroinkapsulacije biljnih ulja, uključujući fizikalne (sušenje raspršivanjem i zamrzavanjem), fizikalno-kemijske (kompleksna koacervacija, ionsko geliranje i slojeviti elektrostatski premazi) i kemijske (međufazna i in situ polimerizacija) postupke. Osim toga, ovaj rad donosi informacije o principima, parametrima, prednostima i nedostacima, te mogućim primjenama ovih metoda

Amending the anisotropy barrier and luminescence behavior of heterometallic trinuclear linear M-II-Ln(III)-M-II (Ln(III)=Gd, Tb, Dy; M-II=Mg/Zn) complexes by change from divalent paramagnetic to diamagnetic metal ions

The sequential reaction of a multisite coordinating compartmental ligand LH4 [2-(2-hydroxy-3-(hydroxymethyl)-5-methylbenzylideneamino)-2-methylpropane-1,3-diol] with appropriate lanthanide salts followed by the addition of Mg(NO3)2·6H2O or Zn(NO3)2·6H2O in a 4:1:2 stoichiometric ratio in the presence of triethylamine affords a series of isostructural heterometallic trinuclear complexes containing [Mg2Ln]3+ [Ln = Dy (1), Gd (2) and Tb (3)] and [Zn2Ln]3+ [Ln = Dy (4), Gd (5) and Tb (6)] cores. The formation of 1-6 is demonstrated by X-ray crystallography as well as ESI-MS spectra. All complexes are isostructural possessing a linear trimetallic core with a central lanthanide ion. In this article we have discussed the comprehensive studies, involving synthesis, structure, magnetism and photophysical properties on this family of trinuclear [Mg2Ln]3+ and [Zn2Ln]3+ heterometallic complexes. Complexes 1 and 4 show slow relaxation of the magnetization below 12 K under zero applied direct-current field, but without reaching a neat maximum which is due to the overlapping with a faster quantum tunnelling relaxation mediated through dipole-dipole and hyperfine interactions. Under a small applied direct-current field of 1000 Oe the quantum tunneling was almost suppressed and temperature and frequency dependent peaks were observed, thus confirming the SMM behavior of complexes 1 and 4. The fit of the high-temperature relaxation times to the Arrhenius equation affords an effective energy barrier for the reversal of the magnetization of Ueff =72(2) K with o = 8 x 10-9 s for the SR process and Ueff = 61(2) K with o = 4 x 10-7 s for the FR process for 1 whereas for 4, an effective energy barrier for the reversal of the magnetization Ueff = 67(3) K with o = 4.5 x 10-8 s. To rule out the involvement of intermolecular collaborative interactions in the dynamic of relaxation, we have performed ac susceptibility measurements on 1:10 Dy:Y magnetic diluted samples of of 1 and 4, named as 1' and 4'. Interestingly, the diluted compounds 1' and 4' exhibits SMM behavior under zero magnetic field, thus suggesting that their relaxation processes are single molecular in origin and arise from the M-Dy-M unit. Ab initio CASSCF+RASSI calculations carried out on 1 and 4 confirm that the magnetic anisotropy is axial along the M-Dy-M axis and that the relaxation process occurs through the first excited energy level. Furthermore, the chromophoric [LH3]2- ligand is able to act as an 'antenna' group which was found to be effective in the selective sensitization of the emissions of TbIII-based complexes 3 and 6. The emission quantum yields and the luminescence lifetimes at room temperature are 11.7 % and 0.606 ms for 3, 22.7 % and 0.799 ms for 6