Inspection plan for COVID-19 patients for Weibull distribution using repetitive sampling under indeterminacy.

BACKGROUND: This research work is elaborated investigation of COVID-19 data for Weibull distribution under indeterminacy using time truncated repetitive sampling plan. The proposed design parameters like sample size, acceptance sample number and rejection sample number are obtained for known indeterminacy parameter. METHODS: The plan parameters and corresponding tables are developed for specified indeterminacy parametric values. The conclusion from the outcome of the proposed design is that when indeterminacy values increase the average sample number (ASN) reduces. RESULTS: The proposed repetitive sampling plan methodology application is given using COVID-19 data belong to Italy. The efficiency of the proposed sampling plan is compared with the existing sampling plans. CONCLUSIONS: Using the tables and COVID-19 data illustration, it is concluded that the proposed plan required a smaller sample size as examined with the available sampling plans in the literature.

Comparing the efficacy of coefficient of variation control charts using generalized multiple dependent state sampling with various run-rule control charts.

This paper aimed to develop a coefficient of variation (CV) control chart utilizing the generalized multiple dependent state (GMDS) sampling approach for CV monitoring. We conducted a comprehensive examination of this designed control chart in comparison to existing control charts based on multiple dependent state sampling (MDS) and the Shewhart-type CV control chart, with a focus on average run lengths. The results were then compared to run-rule control charts available in the existing literature. Additionally, we elucidated the implementation of the proposed control chart through concrete examples and a simulation study. The findings clearly demonstrated that the GMDS sampling control chart shows significantly superior accuracy in detecting process shifts when compared to the MDS sampling control chart. As a result, the control chart approach presented in this paper holds significant potential for applications in textile and medical industries, particularly when researchers seek to identify minor to moderate shifts in the CV, contributing to enhanced quality control and process monitoring in these domains.

Correction: Hybrid optimal-FOPID based UPQC for reducing harmonics and compensate load power in renewable energy sources grid connected system.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300145.].

Hybrid optimal-FOPID based UPQC for reducing harmonics and compensate load power in renewable energy sources grid connected system.

Integration of renewable energy sources (RES) to the grid in today's electrical system is being encouraged to meet the increase in demand of electrical power and also overcome the environmental related problems by reducing the usage of fossil fuels. Power Quality (PQ) is a critical problem that could have an effect on utilities and consumers. PQ issues in the modern electric power system were turned on by a linkage of RES, smart grid technologies and widespread usage of power electronics equipment. Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) is widely employed for solving issues with the distribution grid caused by anomalous voltage, current, or frequency. To enhance UPQC performance, Fractional Order Proportional Integral Derivative (FOPID) is developed; nevertheless, a number of tuning parameters restricts its performance. The best solution for the FOPID controller problem is found by using a Coati Optimization Algorithm (COA) and Osprey Optimization Algorithm (OOA) are combined to make a hybrid optimization CO-OA algorithm approach to mitigate these problems. This paper proposes an improved FOPID controller to reduce PQ problems while taking load power into account. In the suggested model, a RES is connected to the grid system to supply the necessary load demand during the PQ problems period. Through the use of an enhanced FOPID controller, both current and voltage PQ concerns are separately modified. The pulse signal of UPQC was done using the optimal controller, which analyzes the error value of reference value and actual value to generate pulses. The integrated design mitigates PQ issues in a system at non-linear load and linear load conditions. The proposed model provides THD of 12.15% and 0.82% at the sag period, 10.18% and 0.48% at the swell period, and 10.07% and 1.01% at the interruption period of non-linear load condition. A comparison between the FOPID controller and the traditional PI controller was additionally taken. The results showed that the recommended improved FOPID controller for UPQC has been successful in reducing the PQ challenges in the grid-connected RESs system.

Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) as an early marker for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), a metalloproteinase plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Recent studies have reported that elevated levels of PAPP-A, signal the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We, therefore, proposed to study the analytical competence of PAPP-A in patients admitted to the emergency department with chest pain and finally diagnosed as ACS. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 485 patients admitted to emergency care unit, of which 89 patients were diagnosed as Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP). Elevated levels of PAPP-A were observed in patients diagnosed as ACS on comparison with the controls. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed PAPP-A to be a good discriminator between ischaemic and non-ischaemic patients. The area under the curve was found to be 0.904, 95% CI (0.874-0.929) with 90% sensitivity and 85% specificity (P< 0.0001). The cut-off value from the ROC curve was 0.55 µg/mL above which PAPP-A was considered to be positive. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy associated plasma protein-A seems to be a promising biomarker for identification and risk stratification for patients with ACS.

Influence of multi valent states of vanadium ions in ZnO doped novel calcium fluoro phosphate bio glasses.

ZnO-CaF2-P2O5 glasses doped with different concentrations of V2O5 (ranging from 0 to 1.0 mol %) were prepared. The prepared bio glasses are soaked in SBF for duration of 2, 3, 7 and 10 days in separate plastic containers and then kept in incubator maintained at body temperature 36.5 °C. The influence of valence states of vanadium ions (V4+/V5+) with respect to the structural aspects by means of FTIR and Raman Spectra, elastic properties by means of relevant parameters, the thermal stability by means of DTA studies and other spectroscopic properties by using OA and ESR studies are studied. The raise in wavenumber and comparative areas of the two absorption bands corresponding to electronic transitions 2B2g → E2g, 2B2g → 2B1g respectively in optical absorption spectra of these CZPV glasses clearly indicate that vanadium ions have octahedral co-ordination with tetragonal compression due to modifier action of V2O5in the glass network. The optical absorption and ESR studies have revealed that vanadium ions exist in V4+ states. The characteristic temperatures of these prepared glasses obtained from DTA curves explain modifications taking place in the structure of glass network. The structural changes are explained with the aid of FTIR and Raman studies. The bio active nature of the titled glasses is evident from dissociation and pH studies by SEM &EDS of these glasses before and after immersion into SBF.

Progress in Alternative Strategies to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance: Focus on Antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance, and, in a broader perspective, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), continues to evolve and spread beyond all boundaries. As a result, infectious diseases have become more challenging or even impossible to treat, leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality. Despite the failure of conventional, traditional antimicrobial therapy, in the past two decades, no novel class of antibiotics has been introduced. Consequently, several novel alternative strategies to combat these (multi-) drug-resistant infectious microorganisms have been identified. The purpose of this review is to gather and consider the strategies that are being applied or proposed as potential alternatives to traditional antibiotics. These strategies include combination therapy, techniques that target the enzymes or proteins responsible for antimicrobial resistance, resistant bacteria, drug delivery systems, physicochemical methods, and unconventional techniques, including the CRISPR-Cas system. These alternative strategies may have the potential to change the treatment of multi-drug-resistant pathogens in human clinical settings.

Monitoring Mortality Caused by COVID-19 Using Gamma-Distributed Variables Based on Generalized Multiple Dependent State Sampling.

More recently in statistical quality control studies, researchers are paying more attention to quality characteristics having nonnormal distributions. In the present article, a generalized multiple dependent state (GMDS) sampling control chart is proposed based on the transformation of gamma quality characteristics into a normal distribution. The parameters for the proposed control charts are obtained using in-control average run length (ARL) at specified shape parametric values for different specified average run lengths. The out-of-control ARL of the proposed gamma control chart using GMDS sampling is explored using simulation for various shift size changes in scale parameters to study the performance of the control chart. The proposed gamma control chart performs better than the existing multiple dependent state sampling (MDS) based on gamma distribution and traditional Shewhart control charts in terms of average run lengths. A case study with real-life data from ICU intake to death caused by COVID-19 has been incorporated for the realistic handling of the proposed control chart design.

Anticancer efficacy of 6-thioguanine loaded chitosan nanoparticles with or without curcumin.

6-Thioguanine encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles (6-TG-CNPs) has formulated by the ionic-gelation method. Morphologically, the 6-TG-CNPs were spherical and showed mean size, PDI, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency of 261.63 ± 6.01 nm, 0.34 ± 0.10, +15.97 ± 0.46 mV and 44.27%, respectively. The IR spectra confirmed the 6-TG complex with chitosan. The in vitro drug release profile of 6-TG-CNPs revealed an increase in sustained-release (91.40 ± 1.08% at 48 h) at pH 4.8 compared to less sustained-release (73.96 ± 1.12% at 48 h) at pH 7.4. The MTT assay was conducted on MCF-7 and PA-1 cell lines at 48 h incubation to determine % cell viability. The IC50 values of 6-TG, 6-TG-CNPs, and curcumin for MCF-7 were 23.09, 17.82, and 15.73 µM, respectively. Likewise, IC50 values of 6-TG, 6-TG-CNPs, and curcumin for PA-1 were 5.81, 3.92, and 12.89 µM, respectively. A combination of 6-TG-CNPs (IC25) with curcumin (IC25) on PA-1 and MCF-7 showed % cell viability of 43.67 ± 0.02 and 49.77 ± 0.05, respectively. The in vitro cytotoxicity potential in terms of % cell viability, early apoptosis, G2/M phase arrest, and DNA demethylating activity of 6-TG-CNPs alone and combination with curcumin proved to be more effective than that of 6-TG on PA-1 cells.

Studies on the development of colon targeted oral drug delivery systems for ornidazole in the treatment of amoebiasis.

The aim of the present study is to develop colon-targeted drug delivery systems for ornidazole using guar gum as a carrier. The core formulation containing ornidazole was directly compressed. Compression-coated tablets of ornidazole containing various proportions of guar gum in the coat were prepared. All the formulations were evaluated for hardness and drug content uniformity and were subjected to in vitro drug release studies. The amount of ornidazole released from tablets at different time intervals was estimated by the HPLC method. The compression-coated formulations released less than 8% of ornidazole in the physiological environment of stomach and small intestine. The compression-coated tablets with 85%, 75%, and 65% of guar gum coat released about 21%, 38%, and 73% of ornidazole, respectively, in simulated colonic fluids indicating the susceptibility of the guar gum formulations to the rat caecal contents. The results of the study show that compression-coated ornidazole tablets with either 65% (OLV-65) or 75% (OLV-75) of guar gum coat are most likely to provide targeting of ornidazole for local action in the colon owing to its minimal release of the drug in the first 5 hr. The ornidazole compression-coated tablets showed no change in physical appearance, drug content, or in dissolution pattern after storage at 40 degrees C/75% relative humidity for 6 months.

Application of response surface method to evaluate the cytotoxic potency of Ulva fasciata Delile, a marine macro alga.

Bioprospecting of marine natural products has recently produced a substantial number of drug candidates. Ulva fasciata Delile, belonging to the family Ulvaceae, is a green marine macro alga that grows profusely on the coastal seashore of South India. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro cytotoxic potential of a methanolic extract of U . fasciata Delile (MEUF) using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against human colon carcinoma (HT-29), human hepatocyte carcinoma (Hep-G2), and human breast carcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied using central-composite experimental design (CCD) to obtain optimum combined effect of concentration and cancer cells with highest cytotoxicity. The effect of concentration, cancer cell lines as independent variables on absorbance (OD), percent cell survival and percent cell inhibition as dependent variables was investigated. Maximum cytotoxic activity of MEUF was established for Hep-G2 with lowest OD or percent cell survival; highest percent cell inhibition with significant difference (p > 0.05) was compared to HT-29 and MCF-7.

The clinical and biochemical parameters in relation to the serum neopterin levels in Indian children and adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: An adverse pattern of blood lipids and cardiovascular abnormalities starts in obese children during childhood and neopterin serves as a marker for cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, the data for children and adolescents, particularly, in the Indian population, are scarce. The present study aimed at evaluating the levels of serum neopterin in obese and overweight children and adolescents of the Indian population. METHODS: The study groups included 296 school going children and adolescents. (96 obese and 97 overweight subjects were compared with 103 normal controls who were aged between 10-17 years). The anthropometric variables, the lipid profile, the fasting serum glucose which was analyzed by using an autoanalyzer and the serum neopterin levels were assayed by HPLC (Shimazdu) by using the method of Palfrey et al., 1993. The serum insulin levels were measured by using ELISA kits. RESULTS: The serum neopterin levels (nmol/l) were elevated significantly in the obese (7.4±1.4) and overweight (6.4±0.8) (p<0.001) children and adolescents than in the controls (4.9±0.9). The serum neopterin levels showed a positive correlation with the BMI (r=0.79), WHR (r=0.5), systolic (r=0.44) and diastolic blood pressures (r= 0.25), insulin (r=0.57), HOMAIR (r=0.55), total cholesterol (r=0.35), triglycerides (r=0.20) and LDL-C (r=0.27) and they showed a negative correlation with HDL-C (r=-0.15) and fasting glucose (r= -0.3). CONCLUSION: This study revealed a good relationship between serum neopterin and the anthropometric and biochemical parameters. We, therefore, aim to conduct regular camps at schools to counsel and advise the identified overweight and obese children to go for physical exercise and a balanced diet. The implementation of preventive measures from early childhood will have far reaching benefits, as even the prevalence of other obesity related disorders could decline.

Interaction study on garlic and atorvastatin with reference to nephrotoxicity in dyslipidaemic rats.

A total of 56 male Sprague dawley rats of uniform weight and age were randomly divided into seven groups consisting of eight rats in each group. Groups 1, 2, and 3 served as plain control, dyslipidaemic control (DL), and atorvastatin control, respectively. Groups 4, 5, 6, and 7 received 1, 0.5, 0.25, and 0.75% fresh garlic w/w in feed, respectively in addition to the high-fat and high-cholesterol diet and administered with atorvastatin orally for 12 weeks at the rate of 10, 5, 7.5, and 2.5 mg/kg b.wt., respectively. Plasma creatinine was estimated at 4-week intervals, whereas histopathology, electron microscopy, and estimation of TBARS concentration in kidney were conducted at the end of experiment. The TBARS concentration in DL was significantly (P<0.05) increased when compared with groups 1, 3, 6, and 7. On histopathological examination, kidney sections of group 3 had mild degenerative changes in the tubules with fatty change in few tubules, while groups 4 and 5 exhibited mild-to-moderate degenerative and fatty changes in tubules with inter tubular hemorrhages. The electron microscopy of group 2 showed hypertrophy of Bowman's capsule, while that of group 4 showed secretary deposits in the cytoplasm. The interaction studies on kidney indicated that high dose of atorvastatin + garlic has negative safety profile when compared with groups having low dose of statin and high dose of garlic.

PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDIES ON Gisekia Pharnaceoides Linn.

Gisekia Pharnaceoides Linn is a diffuse subsucculent, glabrous herb. It is aromatic, aperient and act as powerful anthelmintic in cases of taenia. The plant possesses antibacterial, CNS depressant and anthelmintic activity. The present communication deals with the morphology, anatomy, microscopic constants, Physicochemical constants preliminary phytochemical studies and fluorescence Linn.