Dynamic Compression of in situ Grown Living Polymer Brush: Simulation and Experiment

A comparative dynamic Monte Carlo simulation study of polydisperse living polymer brushes, created by surface initiated living polymerization, and conventional polymer monodisperse brush, comprising linear polymer chains, grafted to a planar substrate under good solvent conditions, is presented. The living brush is created by end-monomer (de)polymerization reaction after placing an array of initiators on a grafting plane in contact with a solution of initially non-bonded segments (monomers). At equilibrium, the monomer density profile \phi(z) of the LPB is found to decline as \phi(z) ~ z^{-\alpha} with the distance from the grafting plane z, while the distribution of chain lengths in the brush scales as c(N) ~ N^{-\tau}. The measured values \alpha = 0.64 and \tau = 1.70 are very close to those, predicted within the framework of the Diffusion-Limited Aggregation theory, \alpha = 2/3 and \tau = 7/4. At varying mean degree of polymerization (from L = 28 to L = 170) and effective grafting density (from \sigma_g = 0.0625 to \sigma_g = 1.0), we observe a nearly perfect agreement in the force-distance behavior of the simulated LPB with own experimental data obtained from colloidal probe AFM analysis on PNIPAAm brush and with data obtained by Plunkett et. al., [Langmuir 2006, 22, 4259] from SFA measurements on same polymer

Comparison of ATP simulation and micro‐processor based fault location using DFT

This paper evaluates the results of a microprocessor based fault locator employed on a laboratory power system model with those obtained within EMTP/ATP simulations. The Discrete Fourier Transform concept is used to extract the fundamental frequency components of the voltage and current waveforms under fault and the reactance based method to locate the fault. The results suggest a close correlation between the experimental and simulation studies for all fault types

Replacement of dietary fish meal with plant sources in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss); effect on growth performance, immune responses, blood indices and disease resistance

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of replacing fish meal with plant sources on growth performance, immune responses, hematological parameters and disease resistance in rainbow trout. In this study, mean of initial body weight of fish was 15±2 g and the experiment was carried out for a period of 60 days. Four experimental diets were formulated to replace 0, 40, 70 and 100% fish meal with plant protein sources (wheat gluten, corn gluten and soybean meal). According to results, higher plant protein inclusions (70 and 100%) resulted in undesirable effects on growth, nutritional indices, serum total immunoglobulin and alternative complement activity (P 0.05). Furthermore, replacement of fish meal with plant sources in all treatments had no significant effects on blood parameters (hematocrit, hemoglobin, white blood cells, hetrophil and lymphocytes count). Finally, no significant differences were observed in fish mortality after 15 days of challenges with Yersinia ruckeri among treatments (P > 0.05)

GenoMetric Query Language: A novel approach to large-scale genomic data management

Motivation: Improvement of sequencing technologies and data processing pipelines is rapidly providing sequencing data, with associated high-level features, of many individual genomes in multiple biological and clinical conditions. They allow for data-driven genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic characterizations, but require state-of-the-art ‘big data’ computing strategies, with abstraction levels beyond available tool capabilities. Results: We propose a high-level, declarative GenoMetric Query Language (GMQL) and a toolkit for its use. GMQL operates downstream of raw data preprocessing pipelines and supports queries over thousands of heterogeneous datasets and samples; as such it is key to genomic ‘big data’ analysis. GMQL leverages a simple data model that provides both abstractions of genomic region data and associated experimental, biological and clinical metadata and interoperability between many data formats. Based on Hadoop framework and Apache Pig platform, GMQL ensures high scalability, expressivity, flexibility and simplicity of use, as demonstrated by several biological query examples on ENCODE and TCGA datasets. Availability and implementation: The GMQL toolkit is freely available for non-commercial use at http://www.bioinformatics.deib.polimi.it/GMQL/. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

Proactive Management with Cal/BD Foam in Patients with Plaque Psoriasis prolongs Time with improved health-related Quality of Life when compared with reactive Management

Hintergrund: Die Phase-III-Studie PSO-LONG (NCT02899962) zeigte, dass ein proaktives Management (PM) mit Cal/BD-Schaum (Calcipotriol 0,005 %/Betamethason Dipropionat 0,064 %) gegenüber einem reaktiven (RM) über bis zu 52 Wochen bei Erwachsenen mit Psoriasis zu einer überlegenen Wirksamkeit führt. [1] Der von Patienten angegebene DLQI [2] bewertet deren Wahrnehmung der Psoriasis hinsichtlich der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität (HRQoL). Diese Post-hoc-Analyse von PSO-LONG untersucht, ob das initiale DLQI-Ansprechen nach Cal/BD-Schaumbehandlung in der Open-Label-Phase besser durch anschließendes PM oder RM gehalten werden konnte. Ziele: 1) Hervorheben, dass eine 1x tgl. offene Behandlung mit Cal/BD-Schaum über 4 Wo. die HRQoL von Plaque-Psoriasis-Patienten verbessert 2) Zeigen, dass ein PM mit Cal/BD-Schaum über bis zu 52 Wo. die anfängliche HRQoL-Response, die nach einer 4-wöch. offenen Cal/BD-Schaum-Behandlung erreicht wurde, im Vergleich zum RM bei Plaque-Psoriasis-Patienten signifikant verlängert Methoden: PSO-LONG beinhaltete eine initiale 4-wöchige Open-Label-Phase (OLP) (1x tgl. Cal/BD-Schaum) und eine 52-wöchige doppelblinde Erhaltungsphase (EP), in der Patienten randomisiert zweimal wöchentlich Cal/BD- oder Vehikel-Schaum (PM bzw. RM) anwendeten. Bei Rezidiven (Physician’s Global Assessment [PGA] ≥2) wurde über 4 Wo. 1x tgl. Cal/BD-Schaum gegeben. Der Anteil der Patienten mit einem DLQI = 0/1 nach der OLP wurde während der EP weiter beobachtet, um festzustellen, wie lange anfänglich erzielte Ergebnisse anhielten. Pro Gruppe wurden Kaplan-Meier-Kurven und Hazard Ratios (HR) für die Zeit mit Ansprechen ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Die Analyse umfasste 521 Patienten mit überwiegend PGA-moderater Psoriasis (85,2 %). Während der OLP erreichten 49 % der Patienten einen DLQI = 0/1. Während der EP war das RM versus PM mit fast doppelt so hohem Risiko assoziiert, den DLQI = 0/1 zu verlieren (HR: 1,92; p\u3c0,001), und die mediane Zeit bis zum Ansprechverlust war fast 3,5x kürzer (57 bzw. 197 Tage). Fazit: Bei einer Untergruppe von Patienten, die nach initialer Behandlung mit Cal/BD-Sprühschaum ein DLQI = 0/1 HRQoL-Ansprechen erreichten, verlängerte das anschließende PM mit Cal/BD-Schaum die Zeit mit DLQI-Ansprechen signifikant gegenüber RM

Morphine Suppository versus Indomethacin Suppository in the Management of Renal Colic: Randomized Clinical Trial

Background. Renal colic is a medical emergency due to the rapid onset and devastating nature of its pain. Opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are both used as first-line choices in its management. Aim. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of opioids and NSAIDs in the management of acute renal colic. Methods. One hundred and fifty-eight patients were divided into two groups (n=79) and received either 10 mg morphine or 100 mg indomethacin suppositories. The severity of pain was measured using verbal numeric rating scale at baseline and 20, 40, 60, and 90 minutes after the administration of analgesics. Drug side effects as well as patients' vital signs were also recorded. Results. The mean decrease in the pain score during the first 20 minutes was significantly higher among those who received morphine suppository. However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the mean decrease in pain score during the first 40, 60, and 90 minutes after the admission. Prevalence of drug side effects or changes in the vital signs was not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions. Morphine suppositories seem to be more efficient in achieving rapid pain relief comparing to indomethacin. © 2016 Forough Zamanian et al

Obstacles and Challenges in the Use of Probiotics

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Probiotics are living microorganisms whose adequate intake has shown healthful effects in the host body and have been suggested to have beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the obstacles and challenges of probiotic products in the production process and their effects on human health. METHODS: For data collection in this review article, articles containing one of the terms “probiotic”, “lactobacillus”, “bifidobacterium”, “biogenic amine” and “antibiotic resistance” from 1990 to 2017 were searched and reviewed at Thomson Reuters, Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct and Islamic World Science Citation Center(ISC). FINDING: Research has shown that systematic infections and chronic diseases, over-stimulation of the immune system, transfer of antibiotic resistance genes, production of biogenic amines and D-lactic acidosis, lack of survival and sustainability of microorganisms and ultimately the change in the taste and flavor of probiotic products are among the obstacles and challenges facing the production of probiotics. The use of bifidobacterium to transfer antibiotic resistance genes is safer than other microorganisms for the production of probiotic products. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, probiotics are only safe in healthy people, although they are very useful for human health, but their use in children, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system causes infection

A rare presentation of late right coronary artery spasm following aortic valve replacement

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is defined as a reversible, sudden epicardial coronary artery stenosis that causes vessel occlusion or near occlusion. CASE REPORT: In this article, we present a clinical case of CAS in a 48-year-old woman undergoing elective aortic valve replacement surgery for aortic stenosis. On the 3rd post-operative day, the patient suffered from chest pain and dyspnea. Emergent coronary angiography demonstrated a significant spasm of the ostium portion of the right coronary artery. CONCLUSION: This case shows that delayed coronary spasm should be considered as a cause of hemodynamic instability after valvular surgery. © 2015, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved