The 15th Chinese Society of Gynecologic Oncology National Conference and the 6th Southern China Ovarian Cancer Summit, March 10-13, 2016, Guangzhou

Ashvin Soochit,Chuyao Zhang,Jihong Liu 대한부인종양학회 2016 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.27 No.5

FILTRATION OF WATER THROUGH NANOSTRUCTURES PRESENT IN CARBONATED CALCIUM PHOSPHATE BIOCERAMIC POWDER FROM FISH BONES

Ashvin Praveen Karunakaran 국제과학영재학회 2015 APEC Youth Scientist Journal Vol.7 No.2

This paper presents a study on filtration of water through nanostructures present in calcined carbonated calcium phosphate bioceramic powder derived from fish bones in terms of improving the clarity of water. In this study, fish bones were extracted, dried, calcined for 2 hours at a constant 900°C and then powdered. The powder was then tested using samples from the Baong River in Miri for turbidity and total suspended solids (TSS) tests, as well as particle retention of a premixed sample of starch suspension. The results indicate that the filter can effectively remove starch molecules from 0.05 mol dm-3 starch suspension. This study also indicated that the filter had been effective in reducing the turbidity and TSS levels from 4.00NTU to 0.90NTU and 110mg/L to 102mg/L respectively. This study concludes that the nanostructures present in the hydroxylapatite powder can effectively improve the clarity of water sampled and it has a significant potential to be used with other filtration materials to remove impurities in water to safe values effectively and cost efficiently.

Analysis of ammonium nitrate detonation destruction in Beirut city using geospatial techniques

Shiva Kumar,Ashvin Wickramasooriya,Sathya Dilini 대한공간정보학회 2022 Spatial Information Research Vol.30 No.6

Applications of geospatial techniques plays an important role in disaster management and mitigation. This study focuses to analyze how can geospatial technology could have been utilized to minimize the destruction created by the Ammonium Nitrate detonation in Beirut city. Firstly, the disaster impacts on the build-up area were demarcated using Google Earth-based survey, Remote Sensing, and ArcGIS applications. According to the analysis, it was identified that the Ammonium Nitrate detonation incident in the Beirut port has extensively damaged the built-up area within a 2 km buffer zone from the explosion. Among them, fully demolished constructions are bounded to a 1 km buffer area while partially damage and less damage to buildings were encompassed within 5 km from the epicenter of the incident. The Quantity Distance Mapping Tool results depicted more as similar results to the results obtained through the aforementioned geospatial techniques in post-disaster impact analysis. Therefore, proper planning to locate built-up areas considering vulnerable places away from the possible disaster-induced location utilizing spatial techniques like Quantity Distance Mapping Tool would be more effective in pre-disaster preparedness as we all live in a hidden catastrophic environment. Thus, lessons learned from this Ammonium Nitrate detonation incident of the Beirut city, especially the importance of risk assessment and adherence to precaution measures are needed in any chemical operation sites as well as chemical storing sites.

Age-related changes in hematological and biochemical profiles of Wistar rats

Suresh Patel,Satish Patel,Ashvin Kotadiya,Samir Patel,Bhavesh Shrimali,Nikita Joshi,Tushar Patel,Harshida Trivedi,Jitendra Patel,Amit Joharapurkar,Mukul Jain 한국실험동물학회 2024 Laboratory Animal Research Vol.40 No.1

Background: Wistar rats are extensively used as the model for assessing toxicity and efficacy in preclinical research. Hematological and biochemical laboratory data are essential for evaluating specific variations in the physiological and functional profile of a laboratory animal. Establishing hematological and biochemical reference values for Wistar (han) rats at various age intervals was the goal of this work. Male and female Wistar rats (n = 660) of ages 6–8 weeks, 10–14 weeks and > 6 months were used in the experiment. Blood and serum were collected from these rats under fasting conditions. Results: We observed that the majority of hematological and biochemical parameters were significantly influenced by sex and age. Hematological changes were significantly correlated to aging were increased red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, neutrophils, monocytes and eosinophils in both sexes, as well as decreased platelet, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and lymphocytes in both sexes. White blood cells of male rats were considerably higher than those of female rats in all age ranges. For biochemistry, increase in glucose, total protein and creatinine were seen in both sexes, along with increases in urea in females and alanine aminotransferase in males. Age was significantly associated with decreased alkaline phosphatase in both sexes. Conclusions: When using Wistar rats as a model, these reference values may be useful in evaluating the results.

SERS-Active Smart Hydrogels With Modular Microdomains: From pH to Glucose Sensing

You, Yil-Hwan,Nagaraja, Ashvin T.,Biswas, Aniket,Hwang, Jin-Ha,Cote, Gerard L.,McShane, Michael J. IEEE 2017 IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL Vol.17 No.4

<P>A sensing hydrogel was demonstrated using pH-sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) reporters embedded in modular microdomains. The gold nanoparticle-based pH probes capped with 4-mercaptobenzonic acid (MBA-AuNPs) were encapsulated within polyelectrolyte multilayer microcapsules within a surrounding hydrogel matrix. The materials were fully characterized for pH sensitivity and reproducibility of Raman scattering, which revealed low background (hydrogel) signals and a sigmoidal response curve for ratiometric intensity changes at 1430 and 1078 cm(-1), respectively. The analytical range was pH 4.43-8.07 (pKa similar to 5.80) with an average sensitivity of 0.07 pH-1. To assess the potential for sensing enzymatic substrates, hydrogels were prepared with the MBA-AuNPs co-encapsulated with glucose oxidase. Raman spectra recorded from hydrogels exposed to physiological glucose levels (0-400 mg/dL) exhibited apparent trends of decreasing pH from pH similar to 6.50 to pH similar to 4.50 due to glucose oxidization within the microdomains. The glucose diffusion into the capsules was controlled by crosslinking the polyelectrolyte multilayers with glutaraldehyde, showing an approach to adjust the balance of oxygen and glucose flux into the microcavities, yielding a tunable sensitivity of the glucose-proportional change at steady-state pH. These findings illustrate the potential of hydrogel hosts for a flexible approach to pseudo-solid-state SERS sensing devices for multiple small molecule targets.</P>

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-disk accurately predicts the daily life burden and parallels disease activity in patients with IBD

( Arshdeep Singh ),( Yogesh Kumar Gupta ),( Ashvin Singh Dhaliwal ),( Bhavjeet Kaur Kahlon ),( Vasu Bansal ),( Ramit Mahajan ),( Varun Mehta ),( Dharmatma Singh ),( Ramandeep Kaur ),( Namita Bansal ) 대한장연구학회 2023 Intestinal Research Vol.21 No.3

Background/Aims: The inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-disk is a validated, visual, 10-item, self-administered questionnaire used to evaluate IBD-related disability. The present study aimed to evaluate IBD-disk in assessment of IBD daily life burden and its relation with disease activity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2021 and December 2021. Patients with IBD were asked to complete the IBD-disk and a visual analogue scale of IBD daily-life burden (scored from 0-10, score >5 indicative of high burden). The internal consistency of IBD-disk, correlation with IBD daily life burden and disease activity (assessed by partial Mayo score and Harvey Bradshaw Index in patients with ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn’s disease [CD], respectively) and diagnostic performance of IBD-disk to detect high burden were analyzed. Results: Out of the 546 patients (mean age 40.33±13.74 years, 282 [51.6%] males) who completed the IBD-disk, 464 (84.98%) had UC and the remaining (n=82, 15.02%) had CD. A total of 311 patients (291 UC and 20 CD; 56.95%) had active disease. The mean IBD-disk total score and IBD daily life burden were 18.39±15.23 and 2.45±2.02, respectively. The IBD-disk total score correlated strongly with the IBD daily life burden (ρ=0.94, P< 0.001), moderately with partial Mayo score (ρ=0.50) and weakly with Harvey Bradshaw Index (ρ=0.34). The IBD-disk total score >30 predicted high IBD daily-life burden. Conclusions: The IBD-disk accurately predicts the daily life burden and parallels disease activity in patients with IBD and can be applied in clinical practice. (Intest Res 2023;21:375-384)

Multidomain-Based Responsive Materials with Dual-Mode Optical Readouts

You, Yil-Hwan,Biswas, Aniket,Nagaraja, Ashvin T.,Hwang, Jin-Ha,Coté,, Gerard L.,McShane, Michael J. American Chemical Society 2019 ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Vol.11 No.15

<P>Responsive materials designed to generate signals for both surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and phosphorescence lifetime-“dual-mode”-measurements are described. To demonstrate this concept, we incorporated pH-sensitive and oxygen-sensitive microdomains into a single hydrogel that could be interrogated via SERS and phosphorescence lifetime, respectively. Microdomains consisted two populations of discrete microcapsules containing either (1) gold nanoparticles capped with pH-sensitive Raman molecules or (2) oxygen-sensitive benzoporphyrin phosphors. While the microdomain-embedded hydrogels presented an expected background luminescence, the pH-sensitive SERS signal was distinguishable for all tested conditions. Response characteristics of the dual sensor showed no significant difference when compared to standalone single-mode pH and oxygen sensors. In addition, the feasibility of redundant multimode sensing was proven by observing the reaction produced by glucose oxidase chemically cross-linked within the corresponding alginate matrix. Each optical mode showed a signal change proportional to glucose concentration with an opposite signal directionality. These results support the promise of micro-/nanocomposite materials to improve measurement accuracy using intrinsic multimode responses and built-in redundancy, concepts that have broad appeal in the chemical sensing and biosensing fields.</P> [FIG OMISSION]</BR>

Creation of Consistent Burn Wounds: A Rat Model

Cai, Elijah Zhengyang,Ang, Chuan Han,Raju, Ashvin,Tan, Kong Bing,Hing, Eileen Chor Hoong,Loo, Yihua,Wong, Yong Chiat,Lee, Hanjing,Lim, Jane,Moochhala, Shabbir M.,Hauser, Charlotte A.E.,Lim, Thiam Chye Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surge 2014 Archives of Plastic Surgery Vol.41 No.4

Background Burn infliction techniques are poorly described in rat models. An accurate study can only be achieved with wounds that are uniform in size and depth. We describe a simple reproducible method for creating consistent burn wounds in rats. Methods Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and dorsum shaved. A 100 g cylindrical stainless-steel rod (1 cm diameter) was heated to $100^{\circ}C$ in boiling water. Temperature was monitored using a thermocouple. We performed two consecutive toe-pinch tests on different limbs to assess the depth of sedation. Burn infliction was limited to the loin. The skin was pulled upwards, away from the underlying viscera, creating a flat surface. The rod rested on its own weight for 5, 10, and 20 seconds at three different sites on each rat. Wounds were evaluated for size, morphology and depth. Results Average wound size was $0.9957cm^2$ (standard deviation [SD] 0.1845) (n=30). Wounds created with duration of 5 seconds were pale, with an indistinct margin of erythema. Wounds of 10 and 20 seconds were well-defined, uniformly brown with a rim of erythema. Average depths of tissue damage were 1.30 mm (SD 0.424), 2.35 mm (SD 0.071), and 2.60 mm (SD 0.283) for duration of 5, 10, 20 seconds respectively. Burn duration of 5 seconds resulted in full-thickness damage. Burn duration of 10 seconds and 20 seconds resulted in full-thickness damage, involving subjacent skeletal muscle. Conclusions This is a simple reproducible method for creating burn wounds consistent in size and depth in a rat burn model.

Medical students’ pattern of self-directed learning prior to and during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic period and its implications for Free Open Access Meducation within the United Kingdom

Jack Barton,Kathrine Sofia Rallis,Amber Elyse Corrigan,Ella Hubbard,Antonia Round,Greta Portone,Ashvin Kuri,Tien Tran,Yu Zhi Phuah,Katie Knight,Jonathan Round 한국보건의료인국가시험원 2021 보건의료교육평가 Vol.18 No.-

Purpose: Self-directed learning (SDL) has been increasingly emphasized within medical education. However, little is known about the SDL resources medical students use. This study aimed to identify patterns in medical students’ SDL behaviors, their SDL resource choices, factors motivating these choices, and the potential impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on these variables. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey comprising multiple-choice, ranked, and free-text response questions were disseminated to medical students across all 41 UK medical schools between April and July 2020. Independent study hours and sources of study materials prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared. Motivational factors guiding resource choices and awareness of Free Open Access Meducation were also investigated. Results: The target sample was 75 students per medical school across a total of 41 medical schools within the United Kingdom (3,075 total students), and 1,564 responses were analyzed. University-provided information comprised the most commonly used component of independent study time, but a minority of total independent study time. Independent study time increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (P<0.001). All sub-cohorts except males reported a significant increase in the use of resources such as free websites and question banks (P<0.05) and paid websites (P<0.05) as a result of the pandemic. Accessibility was the most influential factor guiding resource choice (Friedman’s μrank=3.97, P<0.001). Conclusion: The use of learning resources independent of university provision is increasing. Educators must ensure equitable access to such materials while supporting students in making informed choices regarding their independent study behaviors.

CRUNCH CFD<SUP>®</SUP> Turbulent Combustion Modeling Capabilities for Rocket Engine Applications

Jongmin Kim(김종민),Hyungchul Jeon(전형철),Sungtae Kim(김성태),Balaji Muralidhar,Andrea C. Zambon,Ashvin Hosangadi,William H. Calhoon, Jr. 한국추진공학회 2018 한국추진공학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2018 No.12

This paper provides an overview of the implementation and validation of the Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) combustion model into CRUNCH CFD®, CRAFT Tech’s unstructured, high-fidelity CFD solver. The implementation extends over an existing Laminar Flamelet Model (LFM) based lookup approach that has been successfully employed in the past for investigating combustion and wall heat transfer under high-pressure conditions, e.g., in liquid rocket engines. Robustness and accuracy of the FGM approach are demonstrated by studying two canonical flame configurations: (i) a piloted methane/air flame and (ii) a lifted methane flame. Simulation data are compared with past experimental results for validation of the developed approach. As a demonstration of the application of FGM to high-pressure conditions, a simplified setup of a gaseous H₂ and liquid O₂ supercritical combustor is investigated. This study indicates that FGM captures more flame unsteadiness since finite rate chemistry effects are resolved.