Retrospective Review of Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy Outcomes in Pediatric Patients: Complications and Recurrence Rates.

Objective: This retrospective review aimed to analyze the outcomes of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T and A) procedures in pediatric patients, focusing on complications and recurrence rates. Methods: Medical records of pediatric patients who underwent T and A were retrospectively reviewed. Data on patient demographics, preoperative indications, surgical techniques, intraoperative findings, postoperative complications, and recurrence rates were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 240 pediatric patients were included in the study. Postoperative complications occurred with postoperative bleeding being the most common (5.2%). Other complications included infection (3.1%), respiratory compromise (1.7%), and velopharyngeal insufficiency (0.6%). Recurrence of tonsillitis and adenoiditis was observed in 6.7% of cases, respectively. Conclusion: This retrospective review provides valuable insights into the outcomes of T and A procedures in pediatric patients. Postoperative complications, including bleeding and infection, underscore the importance of meticulous surgical technique and postoperative care. Recurrence rates of tonsillitis and adenoiditis highlight the need for long-term follow-up and surveillance in pediatric patients undergoing T and A.

Efficiency of Different Approaches in Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Comparative Study.

Objective: Current research compared traditional FESS, balloon sinuplasty, and powered instruments for CRS efficiency. Methods: A prospective comparison analysis of 150 CRS patients who received FESS. The surgical method divided the patients into three groups: Group A (conventional FESS, n = 50), Group B (balloon sinuplasty, n = 50), and Group C (powered instrumentation, n = 50). Primary outcome measures included symptom alleviation, measured preoperatively and six months postoperatively using the "22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22)". Preoperative and six-month postoperative "Short Form 36 (SF-36)" Health Surveys assessed postoperative complications and the quality of life. Results: Balloon sinuplasty relieved symptoms better than FESS and powered instrumentation. Mean SNOT-22 scores reduced by 62.1% in the balloon sinuplasty group, much higher than the standard FESS and powered instrumentation groups (49.1% and 45.8%, respectively) (P < 0.001). Balloon sinuplasty had fewer postoperative problems than FESS and powered instrumentation, including bleeding, infection, and synechia. Conclusion: Balloon sinuplasty treats CRS better than FESS and powered instrumentation and has fewer postoperative sequelae. These data imply that balloon sinuplasty may be a preferred FESS surgical strategy for CRS, but patient-specific characteristics and disease severity must be considered. Current findings need to be confirmed by larger studies with longer follow-up periods to determine the best FESS surgical strategy for CRS.

Data-driven dentistry: Computational revelations redefining pulp capping.

Introduction: Pulpal and periradicular diseases stem from immune reactions to microbiota, causing inflammation. Limited blood supply hampers dental pulp self-healing. Managing inflammation involves eliminating bacteria and reducing pro-inflammatory mediators especially MMP-9, which has a significant correlation with pulpitis. s. Flavonoids like Hesperidin, Baicalein, Epigallocatechin gallate, Genistein, Icariin, and Quercetin show potential for pulp capping. Aim: This in-silico study compares various Flavonoids for their anti-inflammatory effects on MMP-9, with Chlorhexidine as a control, a known MMP-9 inhibitor. Materials and Methods: Protein and Ligand Preparation: The human MMP-9 catalytic domain (PDB ID: 4XCT) structure was retrieved, and necessary modifications were made. Flavonoids from PubChem database were prepared for docking using AutoDock Vina. A grid for docking was created, and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted using Gromacs-2019.4 with GROMOS96 force field. Trajectory analysis was performed, and MM-PBSA calculation determined binding free energies. Results: Analysis of MMP-9 and ligand interactions revealed Hesperidin's high binding affinity, forming numerous hydrogen bonds with specific amino acids. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed stability, with RMSD, RMSF, Rg, and SASA indicating consistent complex behaviour over 100 ns. MM-PBSA calculation affirmed favourable energy contributions in MMP-9-Hesperidin interactions. Conclusion: MMP-9 plays a crucial role in prognosis of pulpitis. Incorporating MMP-9 inhibitors into pulp capping agents may enhance therapeutic efficacy. Hesperidin emerges as a potent MMP-9 inhibitor, warranting further in vivo validation against other agents.

Is core knowledge a natural subdivision of infant cognition?

We examine Spelke's core knowledge taxonomy and test its boundaries. We ask whether Spelke's core knowledge is a distinct type of cognition in the sense that the cognitive processes it includes and excludes are biologically and mechanically coherent.

Conventional and frugal methods of estimating COVID-19-related excess deaths and undercount factors.

Across the world, the officially reported number of COVID-19 deaths is likely an undercount. Establishing true mortality is key to improving data transparency and strengthening public health systems to tackle future disease outbreaks. In this study, we estimated excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Pune region of India. Excess deaths are defined as the number of additional deaths relative to those expected from pre-COVID-19-pandemic trends. We integrated data from: (a) epidemiological modeling using pre-pandemic all-cause mortality data, (b) discrepancies between media-reported death compensation claims and official reported mortality, and (c) the "wisdom of crowds" public surveying. Our results point to an estimated 14,770 excess deaths [95% CI 9820-22,790] in Pune from March 2020 to December 2021, of which 9093 were officially counted as COVID-19 deaths. We further calculated the undercount factor-the ratio of excess deaths to officially reported COVID-19 deaths. Our results point to an estimated undercount factor of 1.6 [95% CI 1.1-2.5]. Besides providing similar conclusions about excess deaths estimates across different methods, our study demonstrates the utility of frugal methods such as the analysis of death compensation claims and the wisdom of crowds in estimating excess mortality.

Estimating the Effect of Genital vs Extragenital Warts on Immunocompetent Indian Adult Patients; Quality of Life: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Extragenital warts, often known as EGWs, affect between 7% and 10% of the population. Despite the plethora of research on the impact of genital warts (GWs) on "Quality Of Life", EGWs have received little attention. The purpose of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional investigation with the objective of contrasting the effects of GWs and EGWs on the health-related quality of life and other characteristics. Participants and Procedures: A cross-sectional clinical study was piloted at a tertiary care center. Participants in the study included two groups of healthy adults, each group consisting of 100 adult subjects. Those diagnosed with EGWs were included in group A, while patients diagnosed with GWs made up group B. The "Dermatology Life Quality Index" questionnaire was used to evaluate various parameters. Observations were compared for significance. Results: The majority of the subjects in both the groups were observed to have less than 10 warts. The Dermatology Life Quality Index score for the EGWs had an average of 8.66 ± 2.31 score; GWs had an average of 5.12 ± 3.25. This mean variance was statistically significant. The level of the dissatisfaction was highly significantly different among the groups and the subjects being more in the EGW group dissatisfied. Conclusion: The findings of this investigation indicate that EGWs have a significant and detrimental effect on the Quality Of Life. Medical experts must teach people how to prevent the disease's spread and recurrence due to its persistence. They must also consider the psychological and societal repercussions of the disease while discussing therapy choices.

Evaluation of Efficacy of Different Plating Systems in ZMC Fractures: An Original Research.

Objective: This study's objective was to assess and contrast the performance of several plating techniques in the treatment of zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures. Group A (Microplate System), Group B (Titanium Mesh System), and Group C (Absorbable Plate System) plating systems were the ones that were studied. Materials and Methods: With 10 patients in each group, a retrospective analysis of 30 patients with ZMC fractures was done. The following information was gathered: fracture reduction, stable fixation, complications, and patient satisfaction. Analysis was done on patient-reported outcomes, surgical outcomes, and demographic factors. Results: Group B (Titanium Mesh System) came in second with rates of 70% and 80%, respectively, while Group A (Microplate System) showed the highest rates of fracture reduction (90%) and stable fixation (100%). For fracture reduction and stable fixation, Group C (Absorbable Plate System) demonstrated rates of 80% and 90%, respectively. For Groups A, B, and C, the complication rates were 20%, 30%, and 10%, respectively. For Groups A, B, and C, the patient satisfaction levels were 90%, 80%, and 70%, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results, the Microplate System (Group A) is better than the Titanium Mesh System (Group B) and the Absorbable Plate System (Group C) in terms of fracture reduction and stable fixation when treating ZMC fractures. All plating systems had acceptable complication rates, and overall patient satisfaction ratings were high. Fracture features and patient-specific considerations should be taken into account while making individualized treatment options.

Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying Recursive Pattern Processing in Human Adults.

The capacity to generate recursive sequences is a marker of rich, algorithmic cognition, and perhaps unique to humans. Yet, the precise processes driving recursive sequence generation remain mysterious. We investigated three potential cognitive mechanisms underlying recursive pattern processing: hierarchical reasoning, ordinal reasoning, and associative chaining. We developed a Bayesian mixture model to quantify the extent to which these three cognitive mechanisms contribute to adult humans' performance in a sequence generation task. We further tested whether recursive rule discovery depends upon relational information, either perceptual or semantic. We found that the presence of relational information facilitates hierarchical reasoning and drives the generation of recursive sequences across novel depths of center embedding. In the absence of relational information, the use of ordinal reasoning predominates. Our results suggest that hierarchical reasoning is an important cognitive mechanism underlying recursive pattern processing and can be deployed across embedding depths and relational domains.

A silicone-based support material eliminates interfacial instabilities in 3D silicone printing.

Among the diverse areas of 3D printing, high-quality silicone printing is one of the least available and most restrictive. However, silicone-based components are integral to numerous advanced technologies and everyday consumer products. We developed a silicone 3D printing technique that produces precise, accurate, strong, and functional structures made from several commercially available silicone formulations. To achieve this level of performance, we developed a support material made from a silicone oil emulsion. This material exhibits negligible interfacial tension against silicone-based inks, eliminating the disruptive forces that often drive printed silicone features to deform and break apart. The versatility of this approach enables the use of established silicone formulations in fabricating complex structures and features as small as 8 micrometers in diameter.

Origins of Hierarchical Logical Reasoning.

Hierarchical cognitive mechanisms underlie sophisticated behaviors, including language, music, mathematics, tool-use, and theory of mind. The origins of hierarchical logical reasoning have long been, and continue to be, an important puzzle for cognitive science. Prior approaches to hierarchical logical reasoning have often failed to distinguish between observable hierarchical behavior and unobservable hierarchical cognitive mechanisms. Furthermore, past research has been largely methodologically restricted to passive recognition tasks as compared to active generation tasks that are stronger tests of hierarchical rules. We argue that it is necessary to implement learning studies in humans, non-human species, and machines that are analyzed with formal models comparing the contribution of different cognitive mechanisms implicated in the generation of hierarchical behavior. These studies are critical to advance theories in the domains of recursion, rule-learning, symbolic reasoning, and the potentially uniquely human cognitive origins of hierarchical logical reasoning.

Biotribological behaviour, biodegradability and osteocompatibility of Mg-3Zn/HA composite based intramedullary inserts in avian model.

Bioactivity, structural integrity and tribological behaviour of biodegradable orthopaedic fracture fixing accessories considerably impact their actual performance in the body environment. Immune system in the living body quickly responds to the wear debris as foreign material and begins a complex inflammatory response. Magnesium (Mg) based biodegradable implants are widely studied for temporary orthopaedic applications, due to their similar elastic modulus and density to natural bones. However, Mg is highly vulnerable to corrosion and tribological damage in actual service conditions. To address these challenges via a combined approach, the Mg-3 wt% Zinc (Zn)/x hydroxyapatite (HA, x = 0, 5 and 15 wt%) based composites (fabricated via spark plasma sintering route) are evaluated in terms of biotribocorrosion and in-vivo biodegradation and osteocompatibility behaviour in an avian model. The addition of 15 wt% HA in the Mg-3Zn matrix has significantly enhanced the wear and corrosion resistance in the physiological environment. X-ray radiograph analysis of the Mg-HA-based intramedullary inserts implanted in the humerus bone of birds showed consistent progression of degradation and positive tissue response up to 18 weeks. The 15 wt% HA reinforced composites have shown better bone regeneration properties than other inserts. This study provides new insights into developing next-generation Mg-HA-based biodegradable composites for temporary orthopaedic implants, with excellent biotribocorrosion behaviour.

Biomimicking Nature-Inspired Design Structures-An Experimental and Simulation Approach Using Additive Manufacturing.

Whether it is a plant- or animal-based bio-inspiration design, it has always been able to address one or more product/component optimisation issues. Today's scientists or engineers look to nature for an optimal, economically viable, long-term solution. Similarly, a proposal is made in this current work to use seven different bio-inspired structures for automotive impact resistance. All seven of these structures are derived from plant and animal species and are intended to be tested for compressive loading to achieve load-bearing capacity. The work may even cater to optimisation techniques to solve the real-time problem using algorithm-based generative shape designs built using CATIA V6 in unit dimension. The samples were optimised with Rhino 7 software and then simulated with ANSYS workbench. To carry out the comparative study, an experimental work of bioprinting in fused deposition modelling (3D printing) was carried out. The goal is to compare the results across all formats and choose the best-performing concept. The results were obtained for compressive load, flexural load, and fatigue load conditions, particularly the number of life cycles, safety factor, damage tolerance, and bi-axiality indicator. When compared to previous research, the results are in good agreement. Because of their multifunctional properties combining soft and high stiffness and lightweight properties of novel materials, novel materials have many potential applications in the medical, aerospace, and automotive sectors.

Flow-Induced Concentration Nonuniformity and Shear Banding in Entangled Polymer Solutions.

Recent models have predicted entangled polymer solutions could shear band due to unstable flow-induced demixing. This work provides the first experimental probe of the in situ concentration profile of entangled polymer solutions under shear. At shear rates above a critical value, we show that the concentration and velocity profiles can develop bands, in quantitative agreement with steady-state model predictions. These findings highlight the critical importance of flow-concentration coupling in entangled polymer solutions.

Clinical Profile and Outcome of Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pneumonia in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Single-center Study from Western India.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has become a public health concern and global threat with high morbidity and mortality among kidney transplant recipients. However, risk factors and manifestations in this group of patients remain poorly understood. We aimed to study the clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and disease course of kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19 pneumonia. We enrolled 35 kidney transplant patients with COVID-19 pneumonia from March 2020 to November 2020 and studied their clinical records, laboratory results, radiological characteristics, and outcome. Their mean age was 44.82 ± 11.69 years (range: 17-65). The most common symptom was fever (94.28%) followed by cough (54.28%), fatigue (48.57%), shortness of breath (34.28%), and diarrhea/nausea/vomiting (22.85%). Leukopenia was seen in two patients (20.8%), and three patients had leukocytosis, while 75% of the patients had a white cell count in the normal range. Lymphopenia (<1100 per mm3) was seen in 23 patients (79%). All patients had elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) with a range of 6-239.9 mg/L. An increase in serum creatinine from the baseline was seen in 25 patients (71.42%) with a mean of 2.62 mg/dL. Computerized tomography scan of the chest of 30 patients (85.71%) showed typical findings of multifocal ground glass shadows in both lung fields. Injection remdesivir was given in 28 patients (80%), and tocilizumab was given to three patients. Mortality was seen in six patients (17.14%), higher in those with O2 saturation <95% on admission (odds ratio: 6.29). Patients with kidney transplants display a high risk of mortality. The presence of multiple coexisting comorbidities, hypoxia at the time of admission, and high level of inflammatory markers (lactate dehydrogenase, CRP, D-dimer, and ferritin) is predictive of poorer outcomes.

Robotic Complete Mesocolic Excision with Central Vascular Ligation for Right Colon Cancer: Surgical Technique and Short-term Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive colorectal surgery has demonstrated to have the same oncological results as open surgery, with better clinical outcomes. Robotic assistance is an evolution of minimally invasive technique. PURPOSE: The study aims to present technical details and short-term oncological outcomes of robotic-assisted complete mesocolic excision (CME) with central vascular ligation (CVL) for right colon cancer. METHODOLOGY: Fifty-two consecutive patients affected by right colon cancer were operated between May 2016 and February 2020 with da Vinci Xi platform. Data regarding surgical and short-term oncological outcomes were systematically collected in a colorectal specific database for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-seven (71.15%) and 15 (28.85%) patients underwent right and extended right hemicoletomy with an extracorporeal anastomosis. Median age was 55 years. Mean operative time was 182 ± 36 min. Mean blood loss was 110 ± 90 ml. Conversion rate was 3.84% (two cases). 78.84% (41 cases) were pT3 and mean number of harvested lymph nodes was 28 ± 4. 1/52 (1.92%) had a documented anastomotic leak requiring exploratory laparotomy and diversion proximal ileostomy. Surgery-related grade IIIa-IIIb Calvien Dindo morbidity were noted in 9.61% and 1.92%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Robotic assistance allows performance of oncological adequate dissection of the right colon with radical lymphadenectomy as in open surgery, confirming the safety and oncological adequacy of this technique, with acceptable results and short-term outcomes.

Inter-study repeatability of circumferential strain and diastolic strain rate by CMR tagging, feature tracking and tissue tracking in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Strain assessment allows accurate evaluation of myocardial function and mechanics in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Strain using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has traditionally been assessed with tagging but limitations of this technique have led to more widespread use of alternative methods, which may be more robust. We compared the inter-study repeatability of circumferential global peak-systolic strain (Ecc) and peak-early diastolic strain rate (PEDSR) derived by tagging with values obtained using novel cine-based software: Feature Tracking (FT) (TomTec, Germany) and Tissue Tracking (TT) (Circle cvi42, Canada) in patients following STEMI. Twenty male patients (mean age 56 ± 10 years, mean infarct size 13.7 ± 7.1% of left ventricular mass) were randomised to undergo CMR 1-5 days post-STEMI at 1.5 T or 3.0 T, repeated after ten minutes at the same field strength. Ecc and PEDSR were assessed using tagging, FT and TT. Inter-study repeatability was evaluated using Bland-Altman analyses, coefficients of variation (CoV) and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Ecc (%) was significantly lower with tagging than with FT or TT at 1.5 T (- 9.5 ± 3.3 vs. - 17.5 ± 3.8 vs. -15.5 ± 5.2, respectively, p < 0.001) and 3.0 T (- 13.1 ± 1.8 vs. - 19.4 ± 2.9 vs. - 17.3 ± 2.1, respectively, p = 0.001). This was similar for PEDSR (.s-1): 1.5 T (0.6 ± 0.2 vs. 1.5 ± 0.4 vs. 1.0 ± 0.4, for tagging, FT and TT respectively, p < 0.001) and 3.0 T (0.6 ± 0.2 vs. 1.5 ± 0.3 vs. 0.9 ± 0.3, respectively, p < 0.001). Inter-study repeatability for Ecc at 1.5 T was good for tagging and excellent for FT and TT: CoV 16.7%, 6.38%, and 8.65%, respectively. Repeatability for Ecc at 3.0 T was good for all three techniques: CoV 14.4%, 11.2%, and 13.0%, respectively. However, repeatability of PEDSR was generally lower than that for Ecc at 1.5 T (CoV 15.1%, 13.1%, and 34.0% for tagging, FT and TT, respectively) and 3.0 T (CoV 23.0%, 18.6%, and 26.2%, respectively). Following STEMI, Ecc and PEDSR are higher when measured with FT and TT than with tagging. Inter-study repeatability of Ecc is good for tagging, excellent for FT and TT at 1.5 T, and good for all three methods at 3.0 T. The repeatability of PEDSR is good to moderate at 1.5 T and moderate at 3.0 T. Cine-based methods to assess Ecc following STEMI may be preferable to tagging.

Randomized Controlled Study Using Ropivacaine with Intravenous Adjuvants in Spinal Anaesthesia In Lower Limb Surgeries.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, several adjuvants have been used to prolong the duration of the subarachnoid block. These adjuvants have either been used via intrathecal route or intravenous (i.v.) route. Dexmedetomidine and clonidine have been used as adjuvants to local anesthetic drugs by intrathecal, epidural, caudal, and i.v. routes and for peripheral nerve blocks. In this study, we endeavored at finding the efficacy of dexmedetomidine and clonidine in improving the analgesia quality and duration of the subarachnoid block. SETTING AND DESIGN: A prospective, double-blind, randomized control trial comprising 70 subjects posted for elective lower limb surgeries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy patients were selected at random and were allocated to two groups (Group C and Group D) of 35 each. In Group C, the patients received isobaric ropivacaine with clonidine 1.0 µg.kg-1 intravenously. In Group D, the patients received isobaric ropivacaine with dexmedetomidine 0.5 µg.kg-1 intravenously. Perioperatively, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and oxygen saturation were recorded and documented every 5 min till the end of surgery. Time of onset, level of sensory blockade, and duration of sensory blockade were recorded. Motor block was assessed using modified Bromage scale. Data validation and analysis were carried out by SPSS version 16. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Time of onset of sensory block in Dexmedetomidine group and Clonidine group was 2.70 ± 1.25 minutes and 3.50 ± 1.23 minutes respectively (P = 0.021). Time of onset of motor block in Dexmedetomidine group and Clonidine group was 3.55 ± 1.60 minutes and 4.30 ± 1.45 minutes respectively (P = 0.034). Time for 2 segment regressions of sensory block in Dexmedetomidine group and Clonidine group was 140.30 ± 12.32 minutes and 125.65±14.33minutes respectively (P = 0.047). Time of regressions of motor blockade to Bromage Scale 1 in Dexmedetomidine group and Clonidine group was 148.65 ± 15.23 minutes and 129.70 ± 19.35 minutes respectively (P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: The use of i.v. dexmedetomidine perioperatively prolongs the duration of sensory and motor block significantly when compared to i.v. clonidine.

Review of a Case of Paraquat Poisoning in a Tertiary Care Rural-based ICU.

Paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4, 4'-dipyridylium) is a broad-spectrum liquid herbicide associated with both accidental and intentional ingestion leading to severe and often fatal toxicity.1 Paraquat is actively taken up against a concentration gradient into lung tissue leading to pneumonitis and lung fibrosis. Paraquat also causes renal and liver injury.2 There are few case publications of paraquat poisoning and only few of them have reported that renal failure has ensued before acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Our patient presented with above lethal dose intake of paraquat containing substance and we did gastric lavage followed by charcoal hemoperfusion and hemodialysis but patient could not be saved despite optimum efforts suggesting the high fatality of this kind of poisoning. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Sharma DS, Prajapati AM, Shah DM. Review of a Case of Paraquat Poisoning in a Tertiary Care Rural-based ICU. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019;23(6):284-286. KEY MESSAGES: Acute renal injury with hypoperfusion state due to toxicity at cellular level, redox cycling and intracellular reactive oxidative stress generation may also cause death in early stages in paraquat poisoning despite optimal management.

Enhancing photocatalytic degradation of the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR with the addition of sulfate-radical generating oxidants.

This study investigated the coupling of sulfate radical generating oxidants, (persulfate, PS and peroxymonosulfate, PMS) with TiO2 photocatalysis for the degradation of microcystin-LR (MC-LR). Treatment efficiency was evaluated by estimating the electrical energy per order (EEO). Oxidant addition at 4 mg/L reduced the energy requirements of the treatment by 60% and 12% for PMS and PS, respectively compared with conventional photocatalysis. Quenching studies indicated that both sulfate and hydroxyl radicals contributed towards the degradation of MC-LR for both oxidants, while Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) studies confirmed that the oxidants prolonged that lifetime of both radicals (concentration maxima shifted from 10 to 20 min), allowing for bulk diffusion and enhancing cyanotoxin removal. Structural identification of transformation products (TPs) formed during all treatments, indicated that early stage degradation of MC-LR occurred mainly on the aromatic ring and conjugated carbon double bonds of the ADDA amino acid. In addition, simultaneous hydroxyl substitution of the aromatic ring and the conjugated double carbon bonds of ADDA (m/z = 1027.5) are reported for the first time. Oxidant addition also increased the rates of formation/degradation of TPs and affected the overall toxicity of the treated samples. The detoxification and degradation order of the treatments was UVA/TiO2/PMS > UVA/TiO2/PS>> UVA/TiO2.

Descriptive Modeling of the Dynamical Systems and Determination of Feedback Homeostasis at Different Levels of Life Organization.

The state-of-art research in the field of life's organization confronts the need to investigate a number of interacting components, their properties and conditions of sustainable behaviour within a natural system. In biology, ecology and life sciences, the performance of such stable system is usually related to homeostasis, a property of the system to actively regulate its state within a certain allowable limits. In our previous work, we proposed a deterministic model for systems' homeostasis. The model was based on dynamical system's theory and pairwise relationships of competition, amensalism and antagonism taken from theoretical biology and ecology. However, the present paper proposes a different dimension to our previous results based on the same model. In this paper, we introduce the influence of inter-component relationships in a system, wherein the impact is characterized by direction (neutral, positive, or negative) as well as its (absolute) value, or strength. This makes the model stochastic which, in our opinion, is more consistent with real-world elements affected by various random factors. The case study includes two examples from areas of hydrobiology and medicine. The models acquired for these cases enabled us to propose a convincing explanation for corresponding phenomena identified by different types of natural systems.