This paper introduces novel vacuum/compression valves (VCVs) utilizing paraffin wax. A VCV is implemented by sealing the venting channel/hole with wax plugs (for normally-closed valve), or to be sealed by wax (for normally-open valve), and is activated by localized heating on the CD surface. We demonstrate that the VCV provides the advantages of avoiding unnecessary heating of the sample/reagents in the diagnostic process, allowing for vacuum sealing of the CD, and clear separation of the paraffin wax from the sample/reagents in the microfluidic process. As a proof of concept, the microfluidic processes of liquid flow switching and liquid metering is demonstrated with the VCV. Results show that the VCV lowers the required spinning frequency to perform the microfluidic processes with high accuracy and ease of control.
We study the reduced dynamics of a pair of nondegenerate oscillators coupled collectively to a thermal bath. The model is related to the trilinear boson model where the idler mode is promoted to a field. Due to nonlinear coupling, the Markovian master equation for the pair of oscillators admits non-Gaussian equilibrium states, where the modes distribute according to the Bose-Einstein statistics. These states are metastable before the nonlinear coupling is taken over by linear coupling between the individual oscillators and the field. The Gibbs state for the individual modes lies in the subspace with infinite occupation quantum number. We present the time evolution of a few states to illustrate the behaviors of the system.
This study presents a novel application of near infrared (NIR) spectral linearisation for measuring the soluble solids content (SSC) of carambola fruits. NIR spectra were measured using reflectance and interactance methods. In this study, only the interactance measurement technique successfully generated a reliable measurement result with a coefficient of determination of (R2) = 0.724 and a root mean square error of prediction for (RMSEP) = 0.461° Brix. The results from this technique produced a highly accurate and stable prediction model compared with multiple linear regression techniques.
Dengue is of major concern around the world. Having no pathognomonic features that reliably distinguish it from other febrile illnesses, laboratory diagnosis is important for confirmation. Ideally, a dengue diagnostic test should be sensitive, specific and applicable from the onset of disease to 10 days post-infection.
Unilateral pulmonary artery agenesis (UPAA) is a rare congenital anomaly usually diagnosed in infancy due to associated cardiovascular malformations. We report a rare case of isolated right UPAA that presented atypically in adulthood with massive haemoptysis requiring a pneumonectomy. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high clinical suspicion, the role of CT angiography and a multi disciplinary approach. Optimal management is often surgical however bronchial artery embolization (BAE) remains a useful adjunct.
Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), which has received much interest in its use and further development for industrial applications, is a method that offers some advantages over conventional methods, especially for the palm oil industry. SC-CO₂ refers to supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) that uses carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a solvent which is a nontoxic, inexpensive, nonflammable, and nonpolluting supercritical fluid solvent for the extraction of natural products. Almost 100% oil can be extracted and it is regarded as safe, with organic solvent-free extracts having superior organoleptic profiles. The palm oil industry is one of the major industries in Malaysia that provides a major contribution to the national income. Malaysia is the second largest palm oil and palm kernel oil producer in the World. This paper reviews advances in applications of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) extraction of oils from natural sources, in particular palm oil, minor constituents in palm oil, producing fractionated, refined, bleached, and deodorized palm oil, palm kernel oil and purified fatty acid fractions commendable for downstream uses as in toiletries and confectionaries.
Piroxicam is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with low aqueous solubility which exhibits polymorphism. The present study was carried out to develop polymorphs of piroxicam with enhanced solubility and dissolution rate by the crystal modification technique using different solvent mixtures prepared with PEG 4000 and PVP K30. Physicochemical characteristics of the modified crystal forms of piroxicam were investigated by X-ray powder diffractometry, FT-IR spectrophotometry and differential scanning calorimetry. Dissolution and solubility profiles of each modified crystal form were studied and compared with pure piroxicam. Solvent evaporation method (method I) produced both needle and cubic shaped crystals. Slow crystallization from ethanol with addition of PEG 4000 or PVP K30 at room temperature (method II) produced cubic crystal forms. Needle forms produced by method I improved dissolution but not solubility. Cubic crystals produced by method I had a dissolution profile similar to that of untreated piroxicam but showed better solubility than untreated piroxicam. Cubic shaped crystals produced by method II showed improved dissolution, without a significant change in solubility. Based on the XRPD results, modified piroxicam crystals obtained by method I from acetone/benzene were cube shaped, which correlates well with the FTIR spectrum; modified needle forms obtained from ethanol/methanol and ethanol/acetone showed a slight shift of FTIR peak that may be attributed to differences in the internal structure or conformation.
Functional analysis of neutrophils requires isolation of these cells in the laboratory. Current isolation procedures are time consuming and can potentially activate the resting neutrophils. Thus, in this present study, we have optimised an existing laboratory protocol for human neutrophil isolation from peripheral blood. Twenty ml of blood samples were subjected to optimised density gradient separation and dextran sedimentation to obtain a pure population of neutrophils. The efficacy of the optimised manual post isolation of neutrophils was compared with pre isolation count performed by an automated haematology analyzer. The recovery of neutrophils via our optimised methods was 65.5% in comparison with neutrophils counts at pre-isolation. The morphological analysis of isolated neutrophils indicated the purity level more than 95% using Leishman staining. Our optimised laboratory procedures for neutrophils isolation successfully harvested neutrophils with good viability, purity and post recovery yield. This procedure provides an ideal platform to separate neutrophils for in vitro studies.
Biohydrogen is regarded as an attractive future clean energy carrier due to its high energy content and environmental-friendly conversion. It has the potential for renewable biofuel to replace current hydrogen production which rely heavily on fossil fuels. While biohydrogen production is still in the early stage of development, there have been a variety of laboratory- and pilot-scale systems developed with promising potential. This work presents a review of advances in bioreactor and bioprocess design for biohydrogen production. The state-of-the art of biohydrogen production is discussed emphasizing on production pathways, factors affecting biohydrogen production, as well as bioreactor configuration and operation. Challenges and prospects of biohydrogen production are also outlined.
Red fruit (Pandanus conoideus Lam) is endemic plant of Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The price of its oil (red fruit oil, RFO) is 10-15 times higher than that of common vegetable oils; consequently, RFO is subjected to adulteration with lower price oils. Among common vegetable oils, canola oil (CaO) and rice bran oil (RBO) have similar fatty acid profiles to RFO as indicated by the score plot of principal component analysis; therefore, CaO and RBO are potential adulterants in RFO.
(i) To explore any discrepancies in intervention effects between a set of Cochrane reviews that includes trials with liberal criteria and a set with restrictive criteria in which trials with liberal design have been removed from the review, and (ii) to suggest ways to improve the quality of evidence.
Matched MeSH terms: Clinical Trials as Topic/methods*
Computed tomography (CT) is widely used in assessing clinically stable patients with blunt abdominal trauma. In these patients, liver is one of the commonest organs being injured and CT can accurately identify and assess the extent of the injury. The CT features of blunt liver trauma include laceration, subcapsular or parenchymal haematomas, active haemorrhage and vascular injuries. Widespread use of CT has notably influenced the management of blunt liver injury from routine surgical to nonsurgical management. We present pictorial illustrations of various liver injuries depicted on CT in patients with blunt trauma.
A novel design of nanoscopic volume transmitter and receiver for drug delivery system using a PANDA ring resonator is proposed. By controlling some suitable parameters, the optical vortices (gradient optical fields/wells) can be generated and used to form the trapping tools in the same way as the optical tweezers. By using the intense optical vortices generated within the PANDA ring resonator, the nanoscopic volumes (drug) can be trapped and moved (transport) dynamically within the wavelength router or network. In principle, the trapping force is formed by the combination between the gradient field and scattering photons, which is reviewed. The advantage of the proposed system is that a transmitter and receiver can be formed within the same system (device), which is called a transceiver, which is available for nanoscopic volume (drug volume) trapping and transportation (delivery).
Matched MeSH terms: Drug Delivery Systems/methods*
A century ago, tigers (Panthera tigris Linnaeus, 1758) were so common in parts of Southeast Asia as to be considered pests, and governments sponsored their killing. Habitat loss and fragmentation, market-driven poaching and loss of prey have since led to the disappearance of Indochinese tigers from most their former range. Despite 15 years of dedicated tiger conservation funding, national estimates of Indochinese tiger subpopulations can at best only be roughly approximated. The future for the subspecies appears grim unless very focused efforts can be applied to stabilize and recover subpopulations. On a regional scale, the 2 proposed subspecies Panthera tigris corbetti and P. tigris jacksoni are effectively managed as separate conservation units. Evaluating where to place conservation efforts should consider the vulnerability (likelihood of extinction) and irreplaceability (likelihood that an area contributes uniquely to regional conservation) of tiger subpopulations. Only 1 site in Thailand supporting <200 individuals (Huai Kha Khaeng-Thung Yai) is considered low vulnerability, and is irreplaceable. Five sites in Lao, Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia are medium vulnerability and irreplaceable. Priorities at these 6 sites are to double tiger numbers within 10 years through protection and monitoring. Seven sites in Lao, Thailand and Myanmar are high vulnerability and irreplaceable, and might be recovered if government commitment to tigers, staff capacity and legal frameworks for tiger protection are established. Tigers are extremely vulnerable or even extinct in Cambodia's Eastern Plains and the site is irreplaceable for tigers because it represents the only large (>10,000 km(2) ) block of dry forest habitat available in the region. A reintroduction program is the only option to recover tigers there.
Matched MeSH terms: Conservation of Natural Resources/methods*
Since its discovery in the 1940s, retinal photocoagulation has evolved immensely. Although the first photocoagulators utilised incandescent light, it was the invention of laser that instigated the widespread use of photocoagulation for treatment of retinal diseases. Laser permits choice of electromagnetic wavelength in addition to temporal delivery methods such as continuous and micropulse modes. These variables are crucial for accurate targeting of retinal tissue and prevention of detrimental side effects such as central blind spots. Laser photocoagulation is the mainstay of treatment for proliferative diabetic retinopathy amongst many other retinal conditions. Considering the escalating prevalence of diabetes mellitus, it is important for physicians to grasp the basic principles and be aware of new developments in retinal laser therapy.
The objective of the study is to determine the level of agreement between measured total carbon dioxide (TCO2) and calculated bicarbonate (HCO3-) in our laboratory.
Many of the conventional similarity methods assume that molecular fragments that do not relate to biological activity carry the same weight as the important ones. One possible approach to this problem is to use the Bayesian inference network (BIN), which models molecules and reference structures as probabilistic inference networks. The relationships between molecules and reference structures in the Bayesian network are encoded using a set of conditional probability distributions, which can be estimated by the fragment weighting function, a function of the frequencies of the fragments in the molecule or the reference structure as well as throughout the collection. The weighting function combines one or more fragment weighting schemes. In this paper, we have investigated five different weighting functions and present a new fragment weighting scheme. Later on, these functions were modified to combine the new weighting scheme. Simulated virtual screening experiments with the MDL Drug Data Report (23) and maximum unbiased validation data sets show that the use of new weighting scheme can provide significantly more effective screening when compared with the use of current weighting schemes.
Matched MeSH terms: Drug Evaluation, Preclinical/methods*
Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were successfully synthesized in the natural polymeric matrix. Silver nitrate, gelatin, glucose, and sodium hydroxide have been used as silver precursor, stabilizer, reducing agent, and accelerator reagent, respectively. This study investigated the role of NaOH as the accelerator. The resultant products have been confirmed to be Ag-NPs using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The colloidal sols of Ag-NPs obtained at different volumes of NaOH show strong and different surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks, which can be explained from the TEM images of Ag-NPs and their particle size distribution. Compared with other synthetic methods, this work is green, rapid, and simple to use. The newly prepared Ag-NPs may have many potential applications in chemical and biological industries.
Matched MeSH terms: Green Chemistry Technology/methods*
A gel imaging method was employed to quantitate the GFP that had been subjected to denaturation and degradation treatments. This method is able to differentiate the nativity of GFP by relating the observed changes in the position of fluorescent bands which is unable to be detected using the spectrofluorometric method.