Optimization of Reaction Conditions in the Production of Gadolinium Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetate-Folate

A previous study has performed the laboratory-scale synthesis and characterization of Gadolinium Diethylenetriaminepentaacetate-Folate. Some parameters associated with the synthesis have been defined. In current study was focused on establishment the parameters for scaling up the production of Gadolinium Diethylenetriaminepentaacetate-Folate as a targeted MRI contrast agent. For the purpose of subsequent scaling up the synthesis, the parameters particularly those determining the yield of the reaction product should be established. This report presents the use of The Placket Burman Design and the Response Surface Methodology in establishing the parameters. Thus, following the Placket Burman Design, a number of synthesis reactions were carried out, each with different reaction conditions, with respect to parameters to include: mole ratio of reactants (i.e mole of Gd3+ to DTPA-Folate), time of reaction, temperature, stirring rate, pH and solvent volume. Using this method, a conclusion could be drawn that the three factors were found to be significant. To get final conclusions on the optimal synthesis reaction conditions, the Response Surface Methodology was then applied. For this purpose, again, some synthesis reactions experiments were performed. These were done, in accordance to the Response Surface Methodology, verified by analysis of countour plots, helped to locate the optimal value of the factors. The resulted data showed that for optimal yield of the synthesis reaction there were three dominant parameters. They were mole ratio of reactants, stirring rate process, and the volume of water

Modeling the effects of high strain rate loading on RC columns using Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) technique

In recent years, many studies have been conducted by governmental and nongovernmental organizations across the world in an attempt to better understand the effect of explosive loads on buildings in order to better design against specific threats. This study is intended to contribute to increase the knowledge about how explosions affect reinforced concrete (RC) columns. In this study, a nonlinear model is developed to study the blast response of RC columns subjected to explosive loads. Numerical modeling of RC column under explosive load is presented using advanced finite element code LS DYNA. The obtained numerical model is validated with the experimental test and the results are in substantial agreement with the experimental data. ALE method for blast analysis is presented in the current research. The effects of scaled distance on the damage profile of RC columns are investigated. The results demonstrate that the level of damage increased with describing the scaled distance. Also the results shown duration for the blast loading, and hence the impulse, varies with charge masses at the specified scaled distance. Higher magnitude charge masses produced longer blast loading durations than lower magnitude charge masses. This means that at the same scaled distance, a charge mass of higher magnitude produced a higher impulse than the lower magnitude charge mass. The findings of this research represent the scaled distance is an important parameter that should be taken into account when analyzing the behavior of RC columns under explosive effects. The data collected from this research are being used to improve the knowledge of how structures will respond to a blast event, and improve finite element models for predicting the blast performance of concrete structures.Peer Reviewe

Temperature and Stretching Effects on Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) Conformation and Stability of Nimotuzumab F(ab)-Fragment

Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb), a potential anticancer against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)overexpressed by glioma, head and neck, lung, ovarium, and colon cancers. The combination of its use with both external and internal beam radiotherapies showed improvement of the therapeutic effect. However, the high molecular weight slows its uptake on tumor cells. In a recent development, nimotuzumab has been fragmented and then labeled using diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides, such as gallium-68, yttrium-90, lutetium-177, and holmium-166. In that preparation, nimotuzumab is often conditioned in various environments with variations of pH, temperature and the presence of other compounds. In this research, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation have been carried out to study the CDRs conformational change of nimotuzumab due to the effect of temperature, and also steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulation to study the stability of nimotuzumab domain as a result of external forces. The simulations were performed using the Not Just Another Molecular Dynamics (NAMD) program package and the analysis was performed with the Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) program package. Based on the stability analysis of each residue on the heavy chain, the active site (CDR3 region) that is at residues numbered 98 (Tryptophan) and 99 (Phenylalanine) has the highest conformational changes. On the light chain, the change occurs at residues numbered 1 (Aspartat), 127 (Serin), and 186 (Tyrosine); and that none of that residues is part of active site or CDRs region of the light chain. The SMD simulation was carried out by fixing the N-terminal end of the heavy chain and applying external forces to the C-terminal end. The pulling was set at a constant velocity of 0.5 Å/ps. The force peak arising at the beginning of the unfolding process is 1226 pN. This force was allegedly caused by the rupture of hydrogen bonds between the heavy chain residue VAL211 (Valine) and the heavy chain residue TYR194 (Tyrosine).Received: 04 October 2014; Revised: 13 March 2015; Accepted 23 March 201

Bimanual coordination during a physically coupled task in unilateral spastic cerebral palsy children

Mutalib SA, Mace M, Burdet E. Bimanual coordination during a physically coupled task in unilateral spastic cerebral palsy children. Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation. 2019;16(1): 1

Multiple input modality mobile application for pilgrims

Hajj consists of several rituals, which require the pilgrims to recite specific dua and zikr for each of them.Since there are so many dua and zikr involved, pilgrims who are not well versed in Arabic have difficulties to memorize them. This paper discusses the incorporation of voice recognition in an application that helps pilgrims to recite dua and zikr while performing all Hajj rituals, called Mobile Doa and Zikir for Hajj (MDZ4H).Android platform has been chosen due to the dramatic increased in the Android mobile phone users worldwide.MDZ4H displays the Arabic text, the translation in Malay and also the Arabic audio files of the dua and zikr, which has been gathered, compiled, and verified before the application could be developed using J2ME. After that it has been evaluated by experts.The findings show some of the limitations of incorporation the Google speech to text function and suggest the solutions and the future work.It is hoped that the developed application could be made available in order to help Hajj pilgrims to easily and conveniently recite the dua and zikr towards achieving Hajj Mabrur

Compressive Behaviour Of Syntactic Foam Filled With Epoxy Hollow Spheres Having Different Wall Thickness.

An innovative approach of producing epoxy syntactic foams was developed by incorporating single-coated and double-coated of epoxy hollow spheres within epoxy resin matrix