Bonding Performance of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bars under the Influence of Deformation Characteristics.

Glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) of high performance, as a relatively ideal partial or complete substitute for steel, could increase the possibility of adapting structures to changes in harsh weather environments. While GFRP is combined with concrete in the form of bars, the mechanical characteristics of GFRP cause the bonding behavior to differ significantly from that of steel-reinforced members. In this paper, a central pull-out test was applied, according to ACI440.

A low dimensional surrogate model for a fast estimation of strain in the thrombus during a thrombectomy procedure.

Background: Intra-arterial thrombectomy is the main treatment for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusions and can consist in mechanically removing the thrombus with a stent-retriever. A cause of failure of the procedure is the fragmentation of the thrombus and formation of micro-emboli, difficult to remove. This work proposes a methodology for the creation of a low-dimensional surrogate model of the mechanical thrombectomy procedure, trained on realizations from high-fidelity simulations, able to estimate the evolution of the maximum first principal strain in the thrombus.

A multiparametric advection-diffusion reduced-order model for molecular transport in scaffolds for osteoinduction.

Scaffolds are microporous biocompatible structures that serve as material support for cells to proliferate, differentiate and form functional tissue. In particular, in the field of bone regeneration, insertion of scaffolds in a proper physiological environment is known to favour bone formation by releasing calcium ions, among others, triggering differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts. Computational simulation of molecular distributions through scaffolds is a potential tool to study the scaffolds' performance or optimal designs, to analyse their impact on cell differentiation, and also to move towards reduction in animal experimentation.

A Data-Driven Learning Method for Constitutive Modeling: Application to Vascular Hyperelastic Soft Tissues.

We address the problem of machine learning of constitutive laws when large experimental deviations are present. This is particularly important in soft living tissue modeling, for instance, where large patient-dependent data is found. We focus on two aspects that complicate the problem, namely, the presence of an important dispersion in the experimental results and the need for a rigorous compliance to thermodynamic settings.

On the Modeling of Patient-Specific Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Fluid-Structure Interaction Approach.

Purpose: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive treatment for high-risk patients with aortic diseases. Despite its increasing use, many influential factors are still to be understood and require continuous investigation. The best numerical approach capable of reproducing both the valves mechanics and the hemodynamics is the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) modeling.

The Effect of Cell Morphology on the Permeability of the Nuclear Envelope to Diffusive Factors.

A recent advance in understanding stem cell differentiation is that the cell is able to translate its morphology, i.e., roundish or spread, into a fate decision.

Development of an UPLC-MS/MS micromethod for quantitation of cinitapride in plasma and its application in a pharmacokinetic interaction trial.

Aim: Cinitapride (CIN) is a benzamide-derived molecule used for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux and dyspepsia. Its pharmacokinetics are controversial due to the use of supratherapeutic doses and the lack of sensitive methodology. Therefore, a sensitive and accurate micromethod was developed for its quantitation in human plasma.

Development of a UPLC-MS/MS method for the quantification of sildenafil by DBS, and its use on pediatric pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Sildenafil is used for the treatment of pediatric pulmonary hypertension. A dried blood spot (DBS)-based LC-MS method for sildenafil quantitation was developed and applied to a group of patients.

Results: DBS showed high portability and stability of samples, and the method was selective and linear for quantitation of sildenafil (5-3,000 ng/ml) and N-desmethyl-sildenafil (3-1,500 ng/ml).

Development of a method by UPLC-MS/MS for the quantification of tizoxanide in human plasma and its pharmacokinetic application.

Background: Nitazoxanide (NTZ) is used for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract colonization by anaerobic bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that represent a major cause of morbidity in Latin America. The aim of the present work was to develop and validate a UPLC-MS/MS method for the selective quantification of tizoxanide (TZN, the major metabolite of NTZ) in human plasma using niclosamide as internal standard; and examine its pharmacokinetic application in healthy volunteers. Nine male subjects received a single oral dose of a NTZ 500-mg tablet under fasting conditions.

Comparison of fasting bioavailability among 100-mg commercial, 100-mg generic, and 50-mg chewable generic sildenafil tablets in healthy male Mexican volunteers: a single-dose, 3-period, crossover study.

Background: Sildenafil citrate (SIL) was the first oral drug registered in Mexico for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. However, succinct pharmacokinetic data are available in the Mexican population.

Objective: The goals of the present work were: (1) to design a specific method to quantify SIL plasma levels by using UPLC-MS/MS; (2) to compare oral SIL bioavailability in Mexican men with pharmacokinetic data in other populations; (3) to fulfill local regulatory requests; and (4) to describe the relative tolerability of a new 50-mg chewable tablet.

Pharmacokinetics of diphenylboroxazolidones of L-α-amino acids with activity on the CNS: quantification in rat DBS by UPLC-MS/MS.

Background: A growing number of boron-containing compounds exhibit many important biological activities; of particular interest are the α-amino acid borinic derivatives with activity in the CNS. A validated, sensitive and specific UPLC-MS/MS technique for quantification of the diphenylboroxazolidones of glycine (DBPX-gly), L-aspartate (DPBX-L-asp) and L-glutamate (DPBX-L-glu) in dried blood spots (DBSs) is presented.

Results: The most intense signal corresponds to compounds with (11)B.

Finite-element simulation of flexor digitorum longus or flexor digitorum brevis tendon transfer for the treatment of claw toe deformity.

Claw toe deformity sometimes leads to dorsiflexion of the metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ) and plantar flexion of the proximal (PIPJ) and distal interphalangeal (DIPJ) joints. Flexor digitorum longus tendon transfer (FDL) is currently the gold standard for the correction of this problem. Transfer of the flexor digitorum brevis (FDB) has been recently proposed as an alternative method to treat such deformity.

Development of an ultra-performance liquid chromatography technique coupled with mass spectrometry for the measurement of tacrolimus in micro-samples of whole blood, and its application on a pharmacokiinetic trial.

Objective: The aim was to develop a rapid, specific, sensitive and accurate chromatographic technique coupled with mass spectrometry for the measurement of tacrolimus (CAS 104987-11-3) in microsamples of whole blood, and its application on a pharmacokinetic pilot trial.

Methods: A fast gradient was designed in an ultra-performance liquid chromatography, and coupled with a mass spectrometer for the quantification of tacrolimus in 100 microl samples of EDTA whole blood. Multiple reaction monitoring was used for the measurement of tacrolimus (m/z(+1) 821.