Analysis of the mechanical behavior of adobe walls without reinforcement through computational modelling

The construction of civil structures on land has played an important role for centuries, however, due to the seismic requirements and the minimum safety standards that are currently required for any structure, this type of construction has been lagged, it is denoted that the related regulations they are widely dispersed and in most cases. In developed countries, numerous technical and legal problems arise to carry out construction with these materials. In relation to this work, a set of models of raw earth type walls are presented, through the SAP 2000 software, having as a supply of the mechanical properties of this material the Peruvian regulation E.080. For the analysis of these models, a static linear analysis for finite elements and a stress analysis of the service limit state concept were studied. Finally, the models with their respective stress studies, management and design recommendations are presented under the criteria of the analyses carried out, leaving open the possibility of both carrying out an experimental phase to develop the analogy with the postulates and proposed results, as well as such as the option to perform a static pressure analysis by finite elements in order to achieve greater precision and calibration of the model with respect to what can be evidenced in laboratory tests.

LC-HRMS Studies on Ruxolitinib Degradation: A Comprehensive Approach during Drug Development

Ruxolitinib a kinases inhibitor, was subjected to stress studies as described in ICH Q1A(R2) guideline. Solution state hydrolytic and solid state oxidative and thermal stress studies were carried out to...

Predicting transitions between longitudinal classes of post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorder and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: protocol of a latent transition model in a general Dutch sample

BackgroundA growing body of literature shows profound effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, among which increased rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and adjustment disorder (AD). However, current research efforts have largely been unilateral, focusing on psychopathology and not including well-being, and are dominated by examining average psychopathology levels or on disorder absence/presence, thereby ignoring individual differences in mental health. Knowledge on individual differences, as depicted by latent subgroups, in the full spectrum of mental health may provide valuable insights in how individuals transition between health states and factors that predict transitioning from resilient to symptomatic classes. Our aim is to (1) identify longitudinal classes (ie, subgroups of individuals) based on indicators of PTSD, AD and well-being in response to the pandemic and (2) examine predictors of transitioning between these subgroups.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a three-wave longitudinal online survey study of n≥2000 adults from the general Dutch population. The first measurement occasion takes place 6 months after the start of the pandemic, followed by two follow-up measurements with 6 months of intervals. Latent transition analysis will be used for data analysis.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval has been obtained from four Dutch universities. Longitudinal study designs are vital to monitor mental health (and predictors thereof) in the pandemic to develop preventive and curative mental health interventions. This study is carried out by researchers who are board members of the Dutch Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and is part of a pan-European study (initiated by the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies) examining the impact of the pandemic in 11 countries. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated at conferences, via newsletters, and media appearance among (psychotrauma) professionals and the general public.

Role of Selenium in Viral Infections with a Major Focus on SARS-CoV-2

Viral infections have afflicted human health and despite great advancements in scientific knowledge and technologies, continue to affect our society today. The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put a spotlight on the need to review the evidence on the impact of nutritional strategies to maintain a healthy immune system, particularly in instances where there are limited therapeutic treatments. Selenium, an essential trace element in humans, has a long history of lowering the occurrence and severity of viral infections. Much of the benefits derived from selenium are due to its incorporation into selenocysteine, an important component of proteins known as selenoproteins. Viral infections are associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species and may result in oxidative stress. Studies suggest that selenium deficiency alters immune response and viral infection by increasing oxidative stress and the rate of mutations in the viral genome, leading to an increase in pathogenicity and damage to the host. This review examines viral infections, including the novel SARS-CoV-2, in the context of selenium, in order to inform potential nutritional strategies to maintain a healthy immune system.

Stability indicating RP-HPLC method for the determination of Tenofovir in pharmaceutical formulation

Stability indicating high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the assay of Tenofovir in bulk and solid dose formulation. The HPLC separation was achieved on kromasil C18 (100mm × 4.6mm, 5 μm) column using a mobile phase of Methanol: Potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate buffer (30:70,v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml min-1 and UV detection at 260 nm. Peak elutes at 7.33 appropriate. The method was validated for linearity, repeatability, accuracy, precision, robustness, limit of detection and limit of quantification. The accuracy was between 99.14 - 99.97%. The highest R.S.D. amongst interday and Intraday precision was found 0.808 and 0.473 respectively.The assay was linear over the concentration range of 10-50 μg/ml (R≈0. 999). The method was robust as no significant change in chromatographic parameters. LOD and LOQ was found to be 0.90 and 2.71 respectively. The stress studies were performed per ICH guidelines to confirm its Stress testing was carried out in presence of acid, base, hydrogen peroxide, heat and light to demonstrate specificity of the method as per ICH guidelines. The developed method could separate the potential degradation products from the Tenofovir peak. It was concluded that highest degradation occurs in basic condition. This proposed method was suitable and practical for analysis the content of Tenofovir in pharmaceutical products and could be of benefit for the prediction shelf life of Tenofovir in marketed formulations.

Stability Indicating HPLC Method for Estimation of Thymoquinone in Nasal Simulated Fluid: Method Development and Validation

Introduction: A simple rapid and precise HPLC method was developed for estimation of TH in nasal simulated fluid and stability was assessed in various stressed conditions. Methods: Chromatographic separation of TH in nasal simulated fluid was done using HPLC AS-4050 coupled with Jasco UV 2075 Plus detector, Jasco LC-Net 11/ADC valve, Jasco PU-2080 pump and hypersil gold C18 (250x6x5 µm) column, ChromNAV 2.0 Chromatography Data System software with mobile phase as acetonitrile: water (65:35) and acetonitrile: NSF (60:40) at a flow rate of 1ml/min and having run time of 10 min with loop volume of 20 µl and detection wavelength of 252 nm. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, linearity, specificity, and sensitivity in accordance with ICH (Q2B) guidelines. Results: The results of all the validation parameters were found to be within the acceptable limits. The calibration plots were linear over the concentration ranges from 2 to 14µg/ml. The accuracy and precision were found to be between 97.04±0.112 to101.081±0.0191and ≤2% for three drugs. Developed method was successfully applied for the determination TH in nasal simulated fluid and recovery was found to be >98% for three drugs. The degradation products produced as a result of stress studies did not interfere with drug peak. Conclusion: The developed method was found to be simple, specific, economic, reliable, accurate, precise, and reproducible used as a quality control tool for analysis of pure thymoquinone in nasal simulated fluid.

Quantitative Myocardial Perfusion with 2D and 3D Sequences Alternating Every Heartbeat

PurposeTo evaluate a myocardial perfusion acquisition that alternates 2D simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) and 3D stack-of-stars (SoS) acquisitions each heartbeat. MethodsA hybrid saturation recovery radial 2D SMS and a saturation recovery 3D SoS sequence were created for the quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF). Initial studies were done to study the effects of using only every other beat for the 2D SMS in two subjects, and for the 3D SoS in two subjects. Alternating heartbeat 2D SMS and 3D SoS were then performed in ten dog studies at rest, four dog studies at adenosine stress, and two human resting studies. 2D SMS acquisition acquired three slices and 3D SoS acquired six slices. An arterial input function (AIF) for 2D SMS was obtained using the first 24 rays. For 3D, the AIF was obtained in a 2D slice prior to each 3D SoS readout. Quantitative MBF analysis was performed for 2D SMS and 3D SoS separately, using a two-compartment model. ResultsAcquiring every-other-beat data resulted in 5-20% perfusion changes at rest for both 2D SMS and 3D SoS methods. For alternating acquisitions, 2D SMS and 3D SoS quantitative perfusion values were comparable for both the twelve rest studies (2D SMS: 0.68±0.15 vs 3D: 0.69±0.15 ml/g/min, p=0.85) and the four stress studies (2D SMS: 1.28±0.22 vs 3D: 1.30±0.24 ml/g/min, p=0.66).ConclusionEvery-other-beat acquisition changed estimated perfusion values relatively little for both sequences. 2D SMS and 3D SoS gave similar quantitative perfusion estimates when used in an alternating every-other-heartbeat acquisition. Such an approach allows consideration of more diverse perfusion acquisitions that could have complementary features, although testing in a cardiac disease population is needed.

Performance of Heat Tolerant Maize Genotypes under Moisture Stress during Rainy Season in Karnataka

This research was formulated to study the response of heat tolerant genotypes to prolonged period of water stress prevalent under rainfed situation. The trial was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Dhadesugur, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India, during rainy season (kharif) 2019. The present study comprised of three stress tolerant genotypes (RCRMH 2, RCRMH 3 and RCRMH 4) with four moisture stress stages (imposed between 20-40, 40-60, 60-80 and 80-100 DAS) which were sown during June, July and August, and the design employed was Randomized complete block design. The results revealed that superior performance of RCRMH 3 (5321 kg ha-1) over other genotypes whether stressed or not, but all the genotypes were on par with each other in terms of physiological parameters viz., proline accumulation, relative water content, canopy temperature, NDVI, relative chlorophyll content and ASI, and these parameters exhibited good correlation with yield and hence found ideal for stress studies. The present study indicated that these cultivars sustain maize production under moisture stress condition and therefore, are suitable to semiarid region characterized by inclement weather.

Assessing the Structural and Functional Similarity of Insulin Glargine Biosimilars

Background: A biosimilar product is expected to exhibit similar safety, efficacy, and quality as that of the approved reference product. Only a few reports of thorough evaluation of the quality of insulin glargine biosimilars are available in literature. Here, we examine the structural and functional similarity of biosimilars of insulin glargine, the first basal long-acting insulin analogue with respect to its innovator product (Lantus® from Sanofi Aventis). Methods: Structural similarity was established using mass spectrometry, chromatographic, and spectroscopic techniques. Stability was compared by performing accelerated thermal stress studies. Functional similarity was established via in vitro assay. Results: Biosimilar 4 exhibited greater content of high molecular weight species (HMWs) (0.80%) and related substances (RS) (0.45±0.06%) vs others (HMWs of 0.04% and RS of 0.17%). Biosimilars 1 and 3 exhibited higher rate of impurity generation (0.78% and 0.73% per week, respectively), as compared with other drug products (0.02% to 0.43% per week). Furthermore, %aggregation at 14 days was found to statistically correlate ( R2= 0.99, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.095) with %aggregation at 0 day (linearly) and the number of months from expiry (nonlinearly), highlighting the overpowering impact of the latter. Conclusions: While an overall structural and functional similarity was observed across insulin glargine biosimilars with respect to the innovator product, low amounts of product-related variants were seen in some biosimilars and these impact product stability. The %aggregation at 14 days exhibits statistical correlation with %aggregation at 0 day and the number of months from expiry. The order of biosimilarity was denoted as Lantus®>Biosimilar 2>Biosimilar 4>Biosimilar 1>Biosimilar 3.