Natural Rubber Blend Optimization via Data-Driven Modeling: The Implementation for Reverse Engineering.

Natural rubber formulation methodologies implemented within industry primarily implicate a high dependence on the formulator's experience as it involves an educated guess-and-check process. The formulator must leverage their experience to ensure that the number of iterations to the final blend composition is minimized. The study presented in this paper includes the implementation of blend formulation methodology that targets material properties relevant to the application in which the product will be used by incorporating predictive models, including linear regression, response surface method (RSM), artificial neural networks (ANNs), and Gaussian process regression (GPR).

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Responses in Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome: The Ball State Adult Fitness Longitudinal Lifestyle Study.

The association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is well established. Additional variables derived from cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) have shown prognostic value in some chronic diseases, however, there is limited information on how cardiopulmonary responses to exercise may be altered in individuals with MetSyn. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between cardiopulmonary variables derived from CPET and MetSyn.

Robust tracking control for mechanical systems using only position measurements.

A discontinuous control law is presented to solve the tracking problem for a class of second-order nonlinear systems and fully actuated n degrees of freedom (nDOF) mechanical systems. Moreover, the control algorithm can compensate for viscous friction, Coulomb friction, and bounded external perturbations. Only position measurements are available for feedback.

Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma Without Asbestos Exposure.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm of the serosal linings. Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure, with prior asbestos exposure linked to 33-50% of malignant peritoneal mesotheliomas. We describe a case of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) without any prior exposure to asbestos in a 40-year-old Hispanic female who presented to the emergency department with worsening abdominal pain and distension.

CO exchange and evapotranspiration across dryland ecosystems of southwestern North America.

Global-scale studies suggest that dryland ecosystems dominate an increasing trend in the magnitude and interannual variability of the land CO sink. However, such analyses are poorly constrained by measured CO exchange in drylands. Here we address this observation gap with eddy covariance data from 25 sites in the water-limited Southwest region of North America with observed ranges in annual precipitation of 100-1000 mm, annual temperatures of 2-25°C, and records of 3-10 years (150 site-years in total).

Tools for improving feeding strategies in a SBR with several species.

This paper analyzes feeding strategies in a sequential batch reactor (SBR) with the objective of reaching a given (low) substrate level as quickly as possible for a given volume of water. Inside the SBR, several species compete for a single substrate, which leads to a minimal time control problem in which the control variable is the feeding rate. Following Gajardo et al.

Dose effect evaluation and therapeutic window of the neuro-EPO nasal application for the treatment of the focal ischemia model in the Mongolian gerbil.

Cerebrovascular disease is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in Cuba and in several developed countries. A possible neuroprotective agent is the rHu-EPO, whose effects have been demonstrated in models of brain ischemia. The Neuro-EPO is a derivative of the rHu-EPO that avoids the stimulation of erythropoiesis.

Nasal neuro EPO could be a reliable choice for neuroprotective stroke treatment.

The most common cause of stroke is cerebral ischemia, where blood flow to the brain is interrupted due to a thrombus in a major cerebral artery. Currently, the only therapeutic approach available is thrombolysis. A more recent approach that has started to gain attention is neuroprotection, the ability to prevent neuronal death and enhance endogenous protective mechanisms.

Epidemiology and control of malaria in Colombia.

Malaria is currently one of the most serious public health problems in Colombia with an endemic/epidemic transmission pattern that has maintained endemic levels and an average of 105,000 annual clinical cases being reported over the last five years. Plasmodium vivax accounts for approximately 70% of reported cases with the remainder attributed almost exclusively to Plasmodium falciparum. A limited number of severe and complicated cases have resulted in mortality, which is a downward trend that has been maintained over the last few years.

Different expression patterns of Ngb and EPOR in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus revealed distinctive therapeutic effects of intranasal delivery of Neuro-EPO for ischemic insults to the gerbil brain.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of intranasally delivered recombinant human neuronal erythropoietin (Neuro-EPO) on brain injury induced by unilateral permanent ischemia in the Mongolian gerbil. Expression of EPO receptor (EPOR) and neuroglobin (Ngb) over 5 weeks after intranasal treatment with Neuro-EPO was determined using immunohistochemistry. Mortality of Neuro-EPO-treated gerbils decreased after surgery, and the sensory and motor function was significantly improved.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia in a patient with orthotopic heart transplantation by bicaval anastomosis.

Patients with orthotopic heart transplantation may have a variety of arrhythmias. There are reports of successful radiofrequency catheter ablation of some of them. Two months after orthotopic cardiac transplantation by bicaval anastomosis, a 49-year-old man developed episodes of tachycardia.