Clustering Algorithms: Their Application to Gene Expression Data

Gene expression data hide vital information required to understand the biological process that takes place in a particular organism in relation to its environment. Deciphering the hidden patterns in gene expression data proffers a prodigious preference to strengthen the understanding of functional genomics. The complexity of biological networks and the volume of genes present increase the challenges of comprehending and interpretation of the resulting mass of data, which consists of millions of measurements; these data also inhibit vagueness, imprecision, and noise. Therefore, the use of clustering techniques is a first step toward addressing these challenges, which is essential in the data mining process to reveal natural structures and iden-tify interesting patterns in the underlying data. The clustering of gene expression data has been proven to be useful in making known the natural structure inherent in gene expression data, understanding gene functions, cellular processes, and subtypes of cells, mining useful information from noisy data, and understanding gene regulation. The other benefit of clustering gene expression data is the identification of homology, which is very important in vaccine design. This review examines the various clustering algorithms applicable to the gene expression data in order to discover and provide useful knowledge of the appropriate clustering technique that will guarantee stability and high degree of accuracy in its analysis procedure

Laser Cladding on Titanium Alloys: A Review of Surface Modification Technique

<p><span>Surface modification techniques are critical in enhancing the performance and extending the lifespan of materials, particularly in industries where extreme conditions are commonplace. Titanium alloys have gained prominence due to their exceptional properties, such as high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of laser cladding as a surface modification technique for titanium alloys, discussing its advantages over conventional methods and highlighting the key equipment and materials involved. Subsequently, the properties and applications of titanium alloys are explored, Recognizing the unique challenges that titanium alloys face in demanding environments, this delves into the specific requirements for surface modification, including enhanced wear resistance and corrosion protection. Advancements in laser cladding techniques are investigated, including innovations in multi-material cladding and additive manufacturing... Real-world applications across various industries are showcased, demonstrating the economic and practical advantages of laser cladding on titanium alloys. </span></p&gt

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy

Nowadays, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the most essential research tools in material science and engineering. It received a considerable interest in membrane technology that offers structural information [1], blend miscibility [2], blend phase morphology [3], and purity of polymers [4]. It provides details about the stability and degradation of the polymers such as degree of acetylation, degree of amination, and degree of sulfonation [5-8]. It is also used to predict the pore size distributions of the polymer matrix [9]. The main objective of this book chapter is to increase our knowledge of using NMR spectroscopy on membrane technology. In addition, the chemical nature and the surface features of polymeric membranes and their proton conductivity properties were correlated

Isolation, identification, Pb(II) biosorption isotherms and kinetics of a lead adsorbing Penicillium sp. MRF-1 from South Korean mine soil

10.1016/S1001-0742(09)60216-3Journal of Environmental Sciences2271049-105

On-demand guided bone regeneration with microbial protection of ornamented SPU scaffold with bismuth-doped single crystalline hydroxyapatite: augmentation and cartilage formation

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) scaffolds are futile in many clinical applications due to infection problems. In this work, we fabricated GBR with an anti-infective scaffold by ornamenting 2D single crystalline bismuth-doped nanohydroxyapatite (Bi-nHA) rods onto segmented polyurethane (SPU). Bi-nHA with high aspect ratio was prepared without any templates. Subsequently, it was introduced into an unprecedented synthesized SPU matrix based on dual soft segments (PCL-b-PDMS) of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), by an in situ technique followed by electrospinning to fabricate scaffolds. For comparison, undoped pristine nHA rods were also ornamented into it. The enzymatic ring-opening polymerization technique was adapted to synthesize soft segments of PCL-b-PDMS copolymers of SPU. Structure elucidation of the synthesized polymers is done by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Sparingly, Bi-nHA ornamented scaffolds exhibit tremendous improvement (155%) in the mechanical properties with excellent antimicrobial activity against various human pathogens. After confirmation of high osteoconductivity, improved biodegradation, and excellent biocompatibility against osteoblast cells (in vitro), the scaffolds were implanted in rabbits by subcutaneous and intraosseous (tibial) sites. Various histological sections reveal the signatures of early cartilage formation, endochondral ossification, and rapid bone healing at 4 weeks of the critical defects filled with ornamented scaffold compared to SPU scaffold. This implies osteogenic potential and ability to provide an adequate biomimetic microenvironment for mineralization for GBR of the scaffolds. Organ toxicity studies further confirm that no tissue architecture abnormalities were observed in hepatic, cardiac, and renal tissue sections. This finding manifests the feasibility of fabricating a mechanically adequate nanofibrous SPU scaffold by a biomimetic strategy and the advantages of Bi-nHA ornamentation in promoting osteoblast phenotype progression with microbial protection (on-demand) for GBR applications