Hasil untuk "Miscellaneous systems and treatments"

Sweta Nidhi, U. Anand, Patrik Olekšák et al.

According to Darwin’s theory, endless evolution leads to a revolution. One such example is the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)–Cas system, an adaptive immunity system in most archaea and many bacteria. Gene editing technology possesses a crucial potential to dramatically impact miscellaneous areas of life, and CRISPR–Cas represents the most suitable strategy. The system has ignited a revolution in the field of genetic engineering. The ease, precision, affordability of this system is akin to a Midas touch for researchers editing genomes. Undoubtedly, the applications of this system are endless. The CRISPR–Cas system is extensively employed in the treatment of infectious and genetic diseases, in metabolic disorders, in curing cancer, in developing sustainable methods for fuel production and chemicals, in improving the quality and quantity of food crops, and thus in catering to global food demands. Future applications of CRISPR–Cas will provide benefits for everyone and will save countless lives. The technology is evolving rapidly; therefore, an overview of continuous improvement is important. In this review, we aim to elucidate the current state of the CRISPR–Cas revolution in a tailor-made format from its discovery to exciting breakthroughs at the application level and further upcoming trends related to opportunities and challenges including ethical concerns.

Rishav Sen, Yunuo Zhang, Fangqi Liu et al.

Vehicle-to-building (V2B) systems integrate physical infrastructures, such as smart buildings and electric vehicles (EVs) connected to chargers at the building, with digital control mechanisms to manage energy use. By utilizing EVs as flexible energy reservoirs, buildings can dynamically charge and discharge them to optimize energy use and cut costs under time-variable pricing and demand charge policies. This setup leads to the V2B optimization problem, where buildings coordinate EV charging and discharging to minimize total electricity costs while meeting users' charging requirements. However, the V2B optimization problem is challenging because of: (1) fluctuating electricity pricing, which includes both energy charges ($/kWh) and demand charges ($/kW); (2) long planning horizons (typically over 30 days); (3) heterogeneous chargers with varying charging rates, controllability, and directionality (i.e., unidirectional or bidirectional); and (4) user-specific battery levels at departure to ensure user requirements are met. In contrast to existing approaches that often model this setting as a single-shot combinatorial optimization problem, we highlight critical limitations in prior work and instead model the V2B optimization problem as a Markov decision process (MDP), i.e., a stochastic control process. Solving the resulting MDP is challenging due to the large state and action spaces. To address the challenges of the large state space, we leverage online search, and we counter the action space by using domain-specific heuristics to prune unpromising actions. We validate our approach in collaboration with Nissan Advanced Technology Center - Silicon Valley. Using data from their EV testbed, we show that the proposed framework significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods.

A. Sridhar, D. Kannan, A. Kapoor et al.

Lokesh Nagar, Annu Saini, Sukriti Vishwas et al.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic lung disease which causes obstruction and inflammation in the airways or other parts of the lung. It is often associated with structural changes in the lung due to persistent inflammation caused by prolong exposure to cigarette smoke. Other factors such as oxidative stress, chronic inflammation and cellular senescence also play a major role in the progression of the disease. Chronic inflammation is responsible for cell cycle dysfunction. Cellular senescence is associated in the pathogenesis of COPD, which can accelerate the lung aging process. Cellular senescence can elevate the level inflammatory mediators, which can comprise lung function and structure. This review explores various pathologic mechanisms which are involved in the progression of COPD. It also explores the application of nanostructure-based drug delivery systems such as solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, nanoemulsions, dendrimers and other miscellaneous nanostructures in overcoming challenges associated with current conventional treatments for COPD. This review explores recent advancements in the field of nanostructures-based drug delivery systems for COPD treatment.

Ewelina Waglewska, J. Kulbacka, U. Bazylińska

Background Vesicular drug delivery systems, including bilosome-based nanoparticles containing bile salts, have revolutionized the field of colloid chemistry, nanomedicine, and nanobiotechnology. Due to their versatility and adaptability to various applications, they have gained considerable attention among researchers, thus offering a promising pathway to achieve effective and targeted delivery of miscellaneous drugs. Purpose This study presents a novel class of positively charged bilosomes with surface-associated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-lipid, co-entrapped the anionic xanthene dye (Rose Bengal), and natural carotenoid pigment derived from the mold Blakeslea trispora (astaxanthin), as a safe and effective transdermal drug delivery system. Methods Bilosomal nanosystems were prepared using thin film hydration combined with sonication. The physicochemical properties of the vesicles were characterized, including particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and morphology. Cellular uptake, cyto- and phototoxicity experiments were investigated in vitro against human melanoma cancer cells. Results The multidrug bilosome formulation exhibited a particle size of less than 100 nm and a zeta potential of more than +40 mV, indicating beneficial properties for potential transdermal administration. In vitro biological experiments have shown remarkable antitumor efficacy against human skin epithelial (A375) and malignant (Me45) melanoma cell lines. After irradiating the samples with green light at a wavelength of 520–560 nm (10 J/cm2 of total light dose), we observed a significant decrease in mitochondrial metabolic activity, ie, a reduction in cell viability below 30% compared to the control. Higher phototherapeutic activity, in contrast to the administration of non-encapsulated active agents, indicates shared synergistic effects through the simultaneous action of advanced bilosome-derived nanophotosensitizers and phyto-photodynamic therapy. Conclusion Our encouraging results provide new potential candidates for preclinical development in innovative photodynamic therapy targeting melanoma and also pave the way for future therapeutic strategies with broad applications in many biological fields.

Adrien Banse, Giannis Delimpaltadakis, Luca Laurenti et al.

With the increasing ubiquity of safety-critical autonomous systems operating in uncertain environments, there is a need for mathematical methods for formal verification of stochastic models. Towards formally verifying properties of stochastic systems, methods based on discrete, finite Markov approximations -- abstractions -- thereof have surged in recent years. These are found in contexts where: either a) one only has partial, discrete observations of the underlying continuous stochastic process, or b) the original system is too complex to analyze, so one partitions the continuous state-space of the original system to construct a handleable, finite-state model thereof. In both cases, the abstraction is an approximation of the discrete stochastic process that arises precisely from the discretization of the underlying continuous process. The fact that the abstraction is Markov and the discrete process is not (even though the original one is) leads to approximation errors. Towards accounting for non-Markovianity, we introduce memory-dependent abstractions for stochastic systems, capturing dynamics with memory effects. Our contribution is twofold. First, we provide a formalism for memory-dependent abstractions based on transfer operators. Second, we quantify the approximation error by upper bounding the total variation distance between the true continuous state distribution and its discrete approximation.

Luke Williamson, Yanjie Hao, C. Basnayake et al.

OBJECTIVES To comprehensively assess and present the evidence for treatments used in the management of the gastrointestinal manifestations of SLE. METHODS A systematic search of the literature from January 1990 to June 2022 was performed using the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane. Key words relating to the gastrointestinal system, SLE, and treatment were used. Where there was sufficient evidence for the treatment of a manifestation, we excluded case series with <10 cases and case reports. However, for rarer manifestations with insufficient higher-level evidence, smaller case series and case reports were included. RESULTS A total of 29 studies including 767 patients were included in the review; six cohort studies, 11 case-control studies, and 11 case series. Specific gastrointestinal manifestations included enteritis (5 studies), mesenteric vasculitis (3 studies), acute pancreatitis (5 studies), chronic pancreatitis (1 study), intestinal pseudo-obstruction (IPO) (2 studies), hepatitis (4 studies), protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) (6 studies), acute acalculous cholecystitis (2 studies), and Budd-Chiari Syndrome (1 study). Evidence for the treatment of Ascites (13 case reports), peritonitis (3 case reports), and miscellaneous GI manifestations (11 case reports) are included as a supplemental file. Most studies demonstrated a benefit from pulsed intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) in severe or life-threatening manifestations, and oral prednisolone for less severe manifestations. However, the quality of evidence was low, with a high risk of bias in all studies. CONCLUSION This review highlights the need for standardised disease definitions and terminology, as well as consideration of including gastrointestinal manifestations in disease scoring systems. There is a significant need for high-quality clinical trials in the treatment of the gastrointestinal manifestations of SLE, which will likely need to be multi-centre. We hope that this review will promote awareness of the gastrointestinal manifestations of SLE, and serve as a practical guide for evidence-based treatment.

K. Okiy, Joseph Nwabanne Tagbo, Walter Peter Echeng

Environmental pollution from chemicals utilized in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and chemical process industries is of serious concern nowadays due to the contamination that ensues when these chemicals are discharged into water bodies. Activated carbon adsorption provides an efficient and economically viable means for mitigation of toxic chemicals (i.e., heavy metals, dyes, pharmaceutics, and antibiotics). However, the exorbitant cost of commercial activated carbons has resulted in the search for low-cost alternatives for the treatment of contaminated effluents. An exhaustive literature survey in this area is necessary to know the extent of work done in this area and seek out the gaps that future research will provide answers to. In this review, various works on activated carbon utilization, batch adsorption, fixed-bed adsorption (experimental and numerical studies) are summarized. This review elucidates the different kinetic and isotherm models of agrowastes-derived activated carbon materials in context with pollutants (dyes, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, miscellaneous adsorbates) removal through batch and column methods. In addition, fixed-bed column adsorption/regeneration methods using various activated carbons derived from agrowastes are discussed. Among these methods, heavy metal adsorption from aqueous solutions by the activated carbons is the most efficient. The deployment of mathematical and machine learning approaches (ANN and novel GMDH algorithms) in optimization of batch and continuous adsorption processes are also highlighted. Numerical simulation of fixed-column adsorption systems for more improved industrial-scale column designs is described. Conclusions and future challenges of chemicals removal from polluted wastewater utilizing agrowaste-derived activated carbons are also presented.

A. Ubhe

Lalesca Faria Zanoti, Giovanna Bardi

Em 2011, a terapia ocupacional foi reconhecida como uma das categorias que podem compor a equipe de referência e a gestão dos equipamentos do SUAS, havendo um aumento de terapeutas ocupacionais neste setor no cenário nacional. Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo mapear a inserção de terapeutas ocupacionais nas unidades socioassistenciais do Espírito Santo de 2012 a 2019, apreendendo dados gerais acerca do trabalho desenvolvido e dos profissionais. Trata-se de uma pesquisa quanti-qualitativa, descritiva e analítica, realizada através da base de dados pública “Censo SUAS”. Em 2019, existiam 34 profissionais em unidades socioassistenciais no Espírito Santo, sendo que a maior parte atuava nos Centros Dia e nos CREAS. Os vínculos de trabalho mais frequentes (67,6%) foram de empregados do setor privado, servidores temporários e trabalhadores de empresa/cooperativa/entidade. A maioria dos profissionais eram técnicos de nível superior (85,2%), com carga horária semanal de trabalho entre 21 e 30 horas (50%), do sexo feminino (91,1%) e com idade entre 21 e 30 anos (50%). Apesar do aumento de terapeutas ocupacionais no SUAS no estado, ainda é necessária organização profissional para maior inserção, sobretudo na proteção social básica, tendo como princípio o trabalho multiprofissional para atender às necessidades da população brasileira.

Liza I Ibrahim, Abeer M. ElDeeb, Hamed M. Elkozamy et al.

Abstract Background Idiopathic scoliosis is a common musculoskeletal disorder that affects spinal and pelvic alignment and exacerbates menstrual discomfort in young females. Studies have reported the importance of involving myofascial components in treating scoliotic patients; however, few studies have been conducted. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of adding myofascial release (MFR) to corrective stabilizing exercise on spinal curvature, premenstrual symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in young females with idiopathic scoliosis. Methods Fifty-two females with idiopathic scoliosis, aged 18–25 years, and with a body mass index (BMI) of 18.5–24.9 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to two groups equal in number. The control group received corrective stabilizing exercises two sessions/week for 8 weeks. The MFR group received the same exercises and MFR therapy two sessions/week for 8 weeks. The scoliometer was used to evaluate thoracic and lumbar angles, Italian Spine Youth Quality of Life (ISYQOL) to assess HRQOL, and menstrual symptoms questionnaire (MSQ) to evaluate premenstrual symptoms before and after the treatment. Results There was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the thoracic and lumbar angles, menstrual backache, and PMS score and a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the HRQOL score in the control and MFR groups. However, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between both groups after treatment. Conclusion Corrective stabilizing exercises with or without MFR effectively improve thoracic and lumbar angles, HRQOL, menstrual backache, and premenstrual symptoms. The addition of MFR to stabilizing exercises produced changes that are clinically important for females with idiopathic scoliosis.

Justin H. Porter, Matthew R. W. Brake

Modern engineering structures exhibit nonlinear vibration behavior as designs are pushed to reduce weight and energy consumption. Of specific interest here, joints in assembled structures introduce friction, hysteresis, and unilateral contact resulting in nonlinear vibration effects. In many cases, it is impractical to remove jointed connections necessitating, the understanding of these behaviors. This work focuses on superharmonic and internal resonances in hysteretic and jointed systems. Superharmonic resonances occur when a nonlinear system is forced at an integer fraction of a natural frequency resulting in a large (locally maximal) response at an integer multiple of the forcing frequency. When a second vibration mode simultaneously responds in resonance at the forcing frequency, the combined phenomena is termed an internal resonance. First, variable phase resonance nonlinear modes (VPRNM) is extended to track superharmonic resonances in multiple degree of freedom systems exhibiting hysteresis. Then a novel reduced order model based on VPRNM (VPRNM ROM) is proposed to reconstruct frequency response curves faster than utilizing the harmonic balance method (HBM). The VPRNM ROM is demonstrated for a 3 degree of freedom system with a 3:1 internal resonance and for the jointed Half Brake-Reuss Beam (HBRB), which exhibits a 7:1 internal resonance. For the HBRB, new experimental results are used to validate the modeling approaches, and a previously developed physics-based friction model is further validated, achieving frequency predictions within 3%. For the considered cases, VPRNM ROM construction is up to 4 times faster than HBM, and the evaluation of the VPRNM ROM is up to 780,000 times faster than HBM. The modeling shows that both tangential slipping and normal direction clapping of the joint play important roles in exciting the superharmonic resonances in the HBRB.

Devansh R. Agrawal, Hardik Parwana, Ryan K. Cosner et al.

We present a multi-rate control architecture that leverages fundamental properties of differential flatness to synthesize controllers for safety-critical nonlinear dynamical systems. We propose a two-layer architecture, where the high-level generates reference trajectories using a linear Model Predictive Controller, and the low-level tracks this reference using a feedback controller. The novelty lies in how we couple these layers, to achieve formal guarantees on recursive feasibility of the MPC problem, and safety of the nonlinear system. Furthermore, using differential flatness, we provide a constructive means to synthesize the multi-rate controller, thereby removing the need to search for suitable Lyapunov or barrier functions, or to approximately linearize/discretize nonlinear dynamics. We show the synthesized controller is a convex optimization problem, making it amenable to real-time implementations. The method is demonstrated experimentally on a ground rover and a quadruped robotic system.

Yang Li

This chapter addresses the increasing vulnerability of coastal regions to typhoons and the consequent power outages, emphasizing the critical role of power transmission systems in disaster resilience. It introduces a framework for assessing and enhancing the resilience of these systems against typhoon impacts. The approach integrates a hybrid-driven model for system failure analysis and resilience assessment, employing both data-driven and model-driven techniques. It includes a unique method to identify system vulnerabilities and optimal strategies for resilience enhancement, considering cost-effectiveness. The efficacy of this method is demonstrated through simulations on the IEEE RTS-79 system under realistic typhoon scenarios, showcasing its potential to guide planners in making informed decisions for disaster resilience.

Jie Cheng, ChuanDong Dang, Xiao Li et al.

Background: Central nervous system infection (CNSI) treatment in hospital neurosurgery emphasizes the importance of optimizing antimicrobial therapy. Timely and appropriate empiric antibiotic treatment is critical for managing patients with bacterial meningitis. Objectives: To evaluate the activities of clinical pharmacists in the anti-infective treatment of patients with CNSI in neurosurgery. Method: A single-center retrospective cohort study was carried out from January 2021 to March 2023 at a tertiary teaching hospital in China. The study sample included a group that received pharmacy services and a group that did not. In the pharmacy services group, the anti-infective treatment plan was led and developed by pharmacists. Pharmaceutical care, including medication therapy and all CNSI treatment regimens, was administered in daily unit rounds by pharmacists. Baseline demographics, treatment outcomes, and rational use of antibiotics were compared between the two groups, and the impact of a antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program was evaluated. Results: Of the 306 patients assessed according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 151 patients were included, and 155 patients were excluded due to abnormal data and missing information on antibiotic costs or antimicrobial use. Eventually, 73 were included in the pharmacy services group and 78 in the group without pharmacist participation. The antibiotic use density (AUD) of the pharmacy services group decreased from 167.68 to 127.63 compared to the group without pharmacist participation. After the pharmacist services, the AUD for linezolid decreased from 9.15% to 5.23% and that for miscellaneous agents decreased from 17.91% to 6.72%. The pharmacy services group had better improvement (p < 0.05) and a significantly higher score for the rational use of antibiotics (p < 0.05) than the group without pharmacist participation. Conclusion: The clinical pharmacist services evaluation results demonstrated an essential role of clinical pharmacist-led AMS programs in the effective and appropriate use of anti-infective treatments in neurosurgery with patients with CNSI.

E. Garbayo, S. Pascual-Gil, C. Rodríguez-Nogales et al.

Nanomedicine and drug delivery technologies play a prominent role in modern medicine, facilitating better treatments than conventional drugs. Nanomedicine is being increasingly used to develop new methods of cancer diagnosis and treatment, since this technology can modulate the biodistribution and the target site accumulation of chemotherapeutic drugs, thereby reducing their toxicity. Regenerative medicine provides another area where innovative drug delivery technology is being studied for improved tissue regeneration. Drug delivery systems can protect therapeutic proteins and peptides against degradation in biological environments and deliver them in a controlled manner. Similarly, the combination of drug delivery systems and stem cells can improve their survival, differentiation, and engraftment. The present review summarizes the most important steps carried-out by the group of Prof Blanco-Prieto in nanomedicine and drug delivery technologies. Throughout her scientific career, she has contributed to the area of nanomedicine to improve anticancer therapy. In particular, nanoparticles loaded with edelfosine, doxorubicin, or methotrexate have demonstrated great anticancer activity in preclinical settings of lymphoma, glioma, and pediatric osteosarcoma. In regenerative medicine, a major focus has been the development of drug delivery systems for brain and cardiac repair. In this context, several microparticle-based technologies loaded with biologics have demonstrated efficacy in clinically relevant animal models such as monkeys and pigs. The latest research by this group has shown that drug delivery systems combined with cell therapy can achieve a more complete and potent regenerative response. Cutting-edge areas such as noninvasive intravenous delivery of cardioprotective nanomedicines or extracellular vesicle-based therapies are also being explored. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Yuanzheng Li, Xinxin Long, Yang Li et al.

Industrial demand response (IDR) plays an important role in promoting the utilization of renewable energy (RE) in power systems. However, it will lead to power adjustments on the supply side, which is also a non-negligible factor in affecting RE utilization. To comprehensively analyze this impact while enhancing RE utilization, this paper proposes a power demand-supply cooperative response (PDSCR) strategy based on both day-ahead and intraday time scales. The day-ahead PDSCR determines a long-term scheme for responding to the predictable trends in RE supply. However, this long-term scheme may not be suitable when uncertain RE fluctuations occur on an intraday basis. Regarding intraday PDSCR, we formulate a profit-driven cooperation approach to address the issue of RE fluctuations. In this context, unreasonable profit distributions on the demand-supply side would lead to the conflict of interests and diminish the effectiveness of cooperative responses. To mitigate this issue, we derive multi-individual profit distribution marginal solutions (MIPDMSs) based on satisfactory profit distributions, which can also maximize cooperative profits. Case studies are conducted on an modified IEEE 24-bus system and an actual power system in China. The results verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy for enhancing RE utilization, via optimizing the coordination of IDR flexibility with generation resources.

Ruiqi Liu, Meng Hua, Ke Guan et al.

With the emergence of communication services with stringent requirements such as autonomous driving or on-flight Internet, the sixth-generation (6G) wireless network is envisaged to become an enabling technology for future transportation systems. In this paper, two ways of interactions between 6G networks and transportation are extensively investigated. On one hand, the new usage scenarios and capabilities of 6G over existing cellular networks are firstly highlighted. Then, its potential in seamless and ubiquitous connectivity across the heterogeneous space-air-ground transportation systems is demonstrated, where railways, airplanes, high-altitude platforms and satellites are investigated. On the other hand, we reveal that the introduction of 6G guarantees a more intelligent, efficient and secure transportation system. Specifically, technical analysis on how 6G can empower future transportation is provided, based on the latest research and standardization progresses in localization, integrated sensing and communications, and security. The technical challenges and insights for a road ahead are also summarized for possible inspirations on 6G enabled advanced transportation.

Yubo Cai, Gleb Pogudin

Quadratization refers to a transformation of an arbitrary system of polynomial ordinary differential equations to a system with at most quadratic right-hand side. Such a transformation unveils new variables and model structures that facilitate model analysis, simulation, and control and offers a convenient parameterization for data-driven approaches. Quadratization techniques have found applications in diverse fields, including systems theory, fluid mechanics, chemical reaction modeling, and mathematical analysis. In this study, we focus on quadratizations that preserve the stability properties of the original model, specifically dissipativity at given equilibria. This preservation is desirable in many applications of quadratization including reachability analysis and synthetic biology. We establish the existence of dissipativity-preserving quadratizations, develop an algorithm for their computation, and demonstrate it in several case studies.

T. Koca, Ozer Erzurumluoglu, B. Koçyiğit

We have completed the 3rd year of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the early stages of the disease, we were faced with a wide variety of symptoms and signs, including the neuromuscular system, as well as life-threatening cardiopulmonary, neurovascular and immun complications. In our study, we questioned fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, dyspnea, headache, dizziness, neck pain, back pain, low back pain, knee-hip-foot joint pain, vascular claudication (lower extremity pain/cramp), neuropathic pain, morning stiffness, joint swelling, pernio, imbalance in walking in patients (N=111; 65 female, 29 male) aged 20-59 years, who applied to our outpatient clinic in the last 1 year and had Covid-19. The mean time after Covid-19 was 5.8 ±2.1 months. The duration of Covid-19 treatment was a minimum of 5 days and a maximum of 12 days (median=5 days). Weight loss in 14.4% (median=3.5 kg), anorexia 17.1%, myalgia 41.4% (visual analog scale, VAS=5.1±1.9 cm), arthralgia 24.3% (VAS=5.1±2 cm), fatigue 63.1%, joint swelling 1.8%, pernio sign 0.9%, morning stiffness 7.2% (median=15 min, min 5-maximum 60 min), headache 39.6%, neuropathic pain 15.3%, effort dyspnea 38.7%, 30 second chair stand test= 14.9 ±3.6, vascular claudication symptom 11.7%, neck pain 27.0%, low back pain 30.6%, back pain 36%, hip-knee-foot pain 18.0%, gait imbalance 1.8%, dizziness 18.9% were observed. While fatigue (p=0.05), headache (p=0.04), and dyspnea (p=0.021) complaints were higher in males; VAS (arthralgia) was found higher in females (p=0.026). In the post-Covid-19 period, we see many neuromuscular symptoms and signs, especially fatigue, myalgia, headache and back pain. In addition, lower extremity vascular claudication and neuropathic pain related with chronic pain should not be overlooked in these patients.