Weight Deviation Research Articles

Optimising 3D printed medications for rare diseases: In-line mass uniformity testing in direct powder extrusion 3D printing

Biotinidase deficiency is a rare inherited disorder characterized by biotin metabolism issues, leading to neurological and cutaneous symptoms that can be alleviated through biotin administration. Three-dimensional (3D) printing (3DP) offers potential for personalized medicine production for rare diseases, due to its flexibility in designing dosage forms and controlling release profiles. For such point-of-care applications, rigorous quality control (QC) measures are essential to ensure precise dosing, optimal performance, and product safety, especially for low personalized doses in preclinical and clinical studies. In this work, we addressed QC challenges by integrating a precision balance into a direct powder extrusion pharmaceutical 3D printer (M3DIMAKER™) for real-time, in-line mass uniformity testing, a critical quality control step. Small and large capsule-shaped biotin printlets (3D printed tablets) for immediate- and extended-release were printed. The integrated balance monitored and registered each printlet’s weight, identifying any deviations from acceptable limits. While all large printlet batches met mass uniformity criteria, some small printlet batches exhibited weight deviations. In vitro release studies showed large immediate-release printlets releasing 82% of biotin within 45 min, compared to 100% for small immediate-release printlets. For extended-release formulations, 35% of the drug was released from small printlets, whereas 24% was released from large printlets at the same time point. The integration of process analytical technology tools in 3DP shows promise in enhancing QC and scalability of personalized dosing at the point-of-care, demonstrating successful integration of a balance into a direct powder extrusion 3D printer for in-line mass uniformity testing across different sizes of capsule-shaped printlets.

The effect of phenotyping, adult selection, and mating strategies on genetic gain and rate of inbreeding in black soldier fly breeding programs

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare genetic gain and rate of inbreeding for different mass selection breeding programs with the aim of increasing larval body weight (LBW) in black soldier flies. The breeding programs differed in: (1) sampling of individuals for phenotyping (either random over the whole population or a fixed number per full sib family), (2) selection of adult flies for breeding (based on an adult individual’s phenotype for LBW or random from larvae preselected based on LBW), and (3) mating strategy (mating in a group with unequal male contributions or controlled between two females and one male). In addition, the numbers of phenotyped and preselected larvae were varied. The sex of an individual was unknown during preselection and females had higher LBW, resulting in more females being preselected.ResultsSelecting adult flies based on their phenotype for LBW increased genetic gain by 0.06 genetic standard deviation units compared to randomly selecting from the preselected larvae. Fixing the number of phenotyped larvae per family increased the rate of inbreeding by 0.15 to 0.20% per generation. Controlled mating compared to group mating decreased the rate of inbreeding by 0.02 to 0.03% per generation. Phenotyping more than 4000 larvae resulted in a lack of preselected males due to the sexual dimorphism. Preselecting both too few and too many larvae could negatively impact genetic gain, depending on the breeding program.ConclusionsA mass selection breeding programs in which the adult fly is selected based on their larval phenotype, breeding animals mate in a group and sampling larvae for phenotyping at random over the whole population is recommended for black soldier flies, considering the positive effect on rates of genetic gain and inbreeding. The number of phenotyped and preselected larvae should be calculated based on the expected female weight deviation to ensure sufficient male and female candidates are selected.

Combinatorial algorithms for the minmax robust median subtree problem on tree networks with interval vertex weights

The typical median subtree problem on trees is to locate a (continuous) tree-shaped facility (the leaves of this facility are not necessary vertices) with a specified length to minimize the total weighted distance of all vertices to the new facility. In this paper, each vertex weight can be any value within an interval and the total deviation of weights is limited within a threshold. We want to find a subtree that minimizes the median function in the worst-case scenario. This is the so-called minmax robust median subtree problem on trees. In order to solve the problem, we first consider the minmax robust 1-median problem on trees and solve the problem in [Formula: see text] time. Then, the nestedness property is coined, i.e., any optimal subtree must contain a robust 1-median in the tree. Based on this property, we develop a greedy algorithm that solves the corresponding problem in [Formula: see text] time.

Improving adaptive noise reduction performance of body sound auscultation through linear preprocessing

Adaptive filtering methods based on least-mean-square (LMS) error criterion have been commonly used in auscultation to reduce ambient noise. For non-Gaussian signals containing pulse components, such methods are prone to weights misalignment. Unlike the commonly used variable step-size methods, this paper introduced linear preprocessing to address this issue. The role of linear preprocessing in improving the denoising performance of the normalized least-mean-square (NLMS) adaptive filtering algorithm was analyzed. It was shown that, the steady-state mean square weight deviation of the NLMS adaptive filter was proportional to the variance of the body sounds and inversely proportional to the variance of the ambient noise signals in the secondary channel. Preprocessing with properly set parameters could suppress the spikes of body sounds, and decrease the variance and the power spectral density of the body sounds, without significantly reducing or even with increasing the variance and the power spectral density of the ambient noise signals in the secondary channel. As a result, the preprocessing could reduce weights misalignment, and correspondingly, significantly improve the performance of ambient-noise reduction. Finally, a case of heart-sound auscultation was given to demonstrate how to design the preprocessing and how the preprocessing improved the ambient-noise reduction performance. The results can guide the design of adaptive denoising algorithms for body sound auscultation.

Gestational weight gain and body mass index in Asian Indian women: Impact of timing and amount on fetomaternal outcomes

ABSTRACT Background: The aim of the study was to describe pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), total gestational weight gain (TGWG), and trimester-specific gestational weight gain (TSGWG) among Asian Indians and examine their association with adverse fetomaternal outcomes (AFMO). Methods: Using a prospective cohort study design, 557 pregnant women were recruited in the first trimester and followed up until delivery. Maternal BMI, TGWG and TSGWG were assessed and categorised according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Asia Pacific BMI guidelines and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations, respectively. Maternal clinical characteristics and pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were assessed to predict AFMO. Logistic regression models in univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to estimate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The median BMI was 23.5 kg/m2. Moreover, 24.6% were overweight and 31.2% were obese, according to WHO Asia Pacific BMI cut points. The mean TGWG was 10.8 ± 1.9 kg and the mean TSGWG in the first, second and third trimesters were 1.7 ± 0.7 kg, 4.3 ± 1.1 kg and 4.8 ± 1.2 kg, respectively. We found a significant association of BMI, TGWG and TSGWG with various AFMO. Furthermore, excess third-trimester GWG has been demonstrated as a predictor of adverse maternal outcomes like hypertension and gestational diabetes mellitus. Conclusions: Our study reinforces the importance of optimal BMI and TGWG and further emphasises on assessment of TSGWG, which allows for early diagnosis of weight deviations, when prompt interventions can still improve pregnancy outcomes. We also suggest the adoption of BMI categories and GWG recommendations, specific to the socio-demographic characteristics of the population, to optimise the prevention, early diagnosis, and timely management of AFMO.

217 Effect of within-litter competition on lamb survivability

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of lamb and littermate competition on lamb survivability to weaning. Litter sex composition and litter birth weight variation were the primary considerations for influencing competition. Records from maternal dual-purpose (Polypay, Rambouillet, and Targhee) and terminal breeds [Suffolk and Paternal Composite (PC; 3/8 Columbia, 3/8 Suffolk, 1/4 Texel)] were used, with 18,654 single and 56,324 twin records from all breeds and 11,082 triplet records from the 3 maternal breeds. Records were reported from 1980 to 2023, except for the PC, which began inter se mating in 2009. Lamb survivability to 90 d was analyzed using a Bayesian logistic regression model with the logit link function. Lamb survivability was assumed binomially distributed and influenced by age of dam, birth year, lamb sex, and sex of littermates as fixed effects. The relationship among littermates was also accounted for. Least squares means were transformed from the log odds scale to the probability scale. Birth weight was assumed normally distributed and influenced by the same fixed effects as lamb survival and was analyzed using a linear mixed model. Lamb survivability was also analyzed using the same model described above but including mean litter weight and individual birth weight deviation as linear covariates. Accounting for mean litter birth weight and individual birth weight deviation removed the birth weight differences between the sexes, leaving only true sex differences between lambs for survivability. For single births, females tended to have greater survivability than males when adjusted for birth weight for all breeds but was only significant (P < 0.05) for Rambouillet and Targhee. For maternal breeds, females in twin litters had significantly greater survivability (P < 0.05) than their male counterparts when adjusted for birth weight; differences in terminal breeds were not significant (Table 1). Males in twin litters had heavier birth weights than females (P < 0.05) for all breeds. Triplet born females for all litter-sex combinations had significantly higher survival than males (P < 0.05) for Polypay when adjusted for birth weight. Females in female-female-male (FFM) litters had 76.4% survival versus 58.9% for males while females in female-male-male (FMM) litters had 75.9% versus 66.7% for males. When lamb survivability was adjusted for birth weight, Rambouillet females in FFM litters had 72.2% survival compared with 59.9% for males (P < 0.05) and females in FMM litters had 73.0% survival compared with 63.8% for males. Similar significant differences were observed for FFM and FMM Targhee litters. This study suggests lamb performance is influenced by its littermate(s). Changes in postnatal management of mixed-sex litters may benefit overall lamb survival. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

6-Substituted benzo[d]thiazole linked 2-(2-(bis (1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl) methylene) hydrazineyl compounds: Synthesis, computational studies, and in-vitro anticancer assessment

In this study, four novel 6-substituted benzothiazole-linked bis-benzimidazoles (3a–d) were synthesized and characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR, and HRMS techniques. The physicochemical properties of these compounds were examined, and experimental data validated the computed values. The absorption and emission properties were also investigated using carbonate, acetate, and phosphate buffers at various pH levels.In-silico studies revealed that methoxy derivative (3c) possesses the highest docking affinity for tyrosine kinase. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that, like the marketed drug erlotinib, none of the compounds act as substrates for p-glycoprotein, and all except compound 3d do not inhibit CYP-2C9. The gastrointestinal absorption profiles, including blood-brain barrier permeability, were also studied. Drug-likeness assessments based on Lipinski's rule of five and Ghose criteria suggested favourable properties, though some compounds showed deviations in molecular weight and logP values. In-vitro anticancer study via MTT assay includes its potency against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, including 3c as the most potent against MCF-7 cells, which coincides with the In-silico study.

Growth in Children After a Kidney Transplant: A Retrospective, Observational Single-Center Study.

Kidney transplantation (KTX) is the best treatment for children with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). It greatly improves their quality of life. Children's growth is one of the chronic issues that is known to be compromised during ESKD; therefore, catch-up growth is usually expected to be seen after KTX. We aimed to evaluate children's catchup growth after KTX and assess the impact of children's age at the time of KTX on catchup growth. We performed a retrospective analysis of weight and height data for children pre-KTX, at 12 months, and 24 months post KTX. We stratified them into five percentile categories for weight and height and counted the number of KTX patients in each category at the same three time points. We also stratified them into three different age groups: two to five, six to 10, and 11 to 12 years, and estimated the mean and standard deviation of both weight and height of each one. Between 2009 and 2019, we identified 37 children who underwent KTX. The mean weight pre-KTX was 21 kg. It increased to 28 and 34 kg post KTX at 12 and 24 months, respectively. The mean height pre-KTX was 115 cm. It increased to 126 and 134 cm post KTX at 12 and 24 months, respectively. There was a significant crossing of both weight and height percentiles when we stratified them based on different initial percentiles. There was a significant change in both weight and height when we stratified them into three age groups: two to five, six to 10, and 11 to 14 years. The growth patterns of children after a KTX can vary among children. However, our retrospective observational study showed positive results, suggesting gradual improvement in weight and height gain post KTX. Factors such as age at the time of KTX, duration of kidney disease, medication regimens, and overall health status can influence a child's growth trajectory. Close monitoring, proper nutrition, and a multidisciplinary approach are essential in supporting a child's growth after a KTX. Our findings are limited by the small sample size and retrospective design, therefore a well-structured prospective study with a large sample size is required.

Varying optimal power for height-standardisation of childhood weight, fat mass and fat-free mass across the obesity epidemic.

Childhood adiposity markers can be standardised for height in the form of indices (marker/heightp) to make meaningful comparisons of adiposity patterns within and between individuals of differing heights. The optimal value of p has been shown to differ by birth year, sex, age, and ethnicity. We investigated whether height powers for childhood weight and fat mass (FM) differed by birth year, sex, or age over the period before and during the child obesity epidemic in Copenhagen. Population-based cross-sectional study of 391,801 schoolchildren aged 7 years, 10 years and 13 years, born between 1930 and 1996, from the Copenhagen School Health Records Register. Sex- and age-specific estimates of the height powers for weight and FM were obtained using log-log regression, stratified by a decade of birth. For weight, amongst children born 1930-39, optimal height powers at 7 years were 2.20 (95% CI: 2.19-2.22) for boys and 2.28 (95% CI: 2.26-2.30) for girls. These increased with birth year to 2.82 (95% CI: 2.76-2.87) and 2.92 (95% CI: 2.87-2.97) for boys and girls born in 1990-96, respectively. For FM, amongst those born 1930-39, powers at 7 years were 2.46 (95% CI: 2.42-2.51) and 2.58 (95% CI: 2.53-2.63) for boys and girls, respectively, and increased with birth year reaching 3.89 (95% CI: 3.75-4.02) and 3.93 (95% CI: 3.80-4.06) for boys and girls born 1990-96, respectively. Powers within birth cohort groups for weight and FM were higher at 10 years than at 7 years, though similar increases across groups were observed at both ages. At 13 years, height powers for weight and FM initially increased with the birth year before declining from the 1970s/80s. Due to increases in the standard deviation of weight and FM during the obesity epidemic, optimal height powers needed to standardise childhood weight and FM varied by birth year, sex, and age. Adiposity indices using a uniform height power mean different things for different birth cohort groups, sexes, and ages thus should be interpreted with caution. Alternative methods to account for height in epidemiological analyses are needed.

Predicting weight dispersion in seabass aquaculture using Discrete Event System simulation and Machine Learning modeling

Marine aquaculture, particularly in the Mediterranean region, faces the challenge of minimizing growth dispersion, which has a direct impact on the production cycle, market value and sustainability of the sector. Conventional grading methods are resource intensive and potentially detrimental to fish health. The current study presented an innovative approach in predicting fish weight dispersion in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) aquaculture. Seabass is one of the two major fish species cultivated on the Mediterranean coast, with a fattening cycle of 18–24 months. During this period, several grading operations are carried out to minimize growth dispersion. The intricate feed-fish-water system, characterized by complex interactions among feeding regimes, fish behavior, individual metabolism and environmental factors, is the focus of the study. The comprehensive, five-step methodology addresses this complexity. The process begins with a Discrete Event System (DES) model that simulates the feed-fish-water dynamics, taking into account individual fish metabolism. This is followed by the development of a surrogate machine learning (ML) regressor model, which is trained on DES simulation data to efficiently predict growth distribution. The model is then calibrated and customized for specific fish stocks and production tanks. The preliminary results from 21 tanks in two trials with European seabass (D. labrax) showed the effectiveness of the method. The results from the simulation models achieved a R2 of 99.9 % and a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 1.1 % for the prediction of mean final weight and a R2 of 90.3 % with a MAPE of 8.1 % for the standard deviation of final weight. In summary, this study represents a significant advance in the planning and management of seabass aquaculture. Given the lack of effective prediction tools in the aquaculture industry, the proposed methodology has the potential to reduce risks and inefficiencies, thus possibly optimizing aquaculture practices by increasing sustainability and profitability.

Sequence variants associated with resilient responses in growing pigs.

The current work aimed to identify genomic regions and candidate genes associated with resilience in pigs. In previous work, we proposed the body weight deviation from the expected growth curve (ΔBW) and the increase of the positive acute-phase protein haptoglobin (ΔHP) after a vaccine challenge as resilience indicators which may be improved through selective breeding in pigs. Individuals with steady growth rate and minor activation of haptoglobin (high ΔBW and low ΔHP values) were considered resilient. In contrast, pigs with perturbed growth rate and high activation of haptoglobin (low ΔBW and high ΔHP values) were considered susceptible. Both ∆BW and ∆HP were simultaneously considered to select the most resilient (N = 40) and susceptible (N = 40) pigs. A genome-wide association study was carried out for the pigs' response classification to the challenge test using whole-genome sequence data (7,760,720 variants). Eleven associated genomic regions were identified, harbouring relevant candidate genes related to the immune response (such as pro- and anti-inflammatory responses) and growth pathways. These associated genomic regions harboured 41 potential functional mutations (frameshift, splice donor, splice acceptor, start loss and stop loss/gain) in candidate genes. Overall, this study advances our knowledge about the genetic determinism of resilience, highlighting its polygenic nature and strong relationship with immunity and growth.

Association of amblyopia and body mass index in children and adolescents

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore any association between body mass index (BMI) and anthropometric parameters and amblyopia in children and adolescents. Materials and Methods: A total of 82 participants, aged 4–18 years, were included in this cross-sectional, observational study. The anthropometric parameters, which included height, weight, and BMI Z score, were assessed in a subset of amblyopic children and adolescents. We compared these parameters with the healthy age and gender-matched control group. Results: The results revealed that out of all 82 participants, the mean age of 55 amblyopes was 9.11 ± 4.06 years (range, 4–18 years), and that of controls was 8.44 ± 3.69 years (range, 4–17 years). The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of height (cm) and weight (kg) in amblyopia was 129.69 ± 19.01 cm and 29.27 ± 12.01 kg, respectively, and in controls, it was 124.43 ± 13.83 cm (P = 0.159) and 27.01 ± 9.89 kg (P = 0.399). The median (25th–75th percentile) of the BMI Z score in the amblyopia group was -0.27 (-1.365 to 0.885), and in controls was 0.00.01 (-0.85885; P = 0.399). We did not find any clinically or statistically significant difference in the above parameters between cases and controls. Conclusion: This study concludes that amblyopes do not have deranged BMI and anthropometric parameters in the early years of life. Ophthalmologists are the primary healthcare professionals who have a crucial role in prompt identification and intervention to prevent long-term vision impairments in patients with amblyopia. Enhancements in visual acuity are expected to improve their overall quality of life and social well-being, which may reduce the other negative consequences in the form of deranged BMI and other related morbidities in their adulthood.

Breeding for resilience in finishing pigs can decrease tail biting, lameness and mortality

BackgroundPrevious research showed that deviations in longitudinal data are heritable and can be used as a proxy for pigs’ general resilience. However, only a few studies investigated the relationship between these resilience traits and other traits related to resilience and welfare. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between resilience traits derived from deviations in longitudinal data and traits related to animal resilience, health and welfare, such as tail and ear biting wounds, lameness and mortality.ResultsIn our experiment, 1919 finishing pigs with known pedigree (133 Piétrain sires and 266 crossbred dams) were weighed every 2 weeks and scored for physical abnormalities, such as lameness and ear and tail biting wounds (17,066 records). Resilience was assessed via deviations in body weight, deviations in weighing order and deviations in observed activity during weighing. The association between these resilience traits and physical abnormality traits was investigated and genetic parameters were estimated. Deviations in body weight had moderate heritability estimates (h2 = 25.2 to 36.3%), whereas deviations in weighing order (h2 = 4.2%) and deviations in activity during weighing (h2 = 12.0%) had low heritability estimates. Moreover, deviations in body weight were positively associated and genetically correlated with tail biting wounds (rg = 0.22 to 0.30), lameness (rg = 0.15 to 0.31) and mortality (rg = 0.19 to 0.33). These results indicate that events of tail biting, lameness and mortality are associated with deviations in pigs’ body weight evolution. This relationship was not found for deviations in weighing order and activity during weighing. Furthermore, individual body weight deviations were positively correlated with uniformity at the pen level, providing evidence that breeding for these resilience traits might increase both pigs’ resilience and within-family uniformity.ConclusionsIn summary, our findings show that breeding for resilience traits based on deviations in longitudinal weight data can decrease pigs’ tail biting wounds, lameness and mortality while improving uniformity at the pen level. These findings are valuable for pig breeders, as they offer evidence that these resilience traits are an indication of animals’ general health, welfare and resilience. Moreover, these results will stimulate the quantification of resilience via longitudinal body weights in other species.

Effect of measurement procedure errors on assessing lung fluid via remote dielectric sensing system

The study assessed the impact of procedural errors on the remote dielectric sensing system (ReDS), a non-invasive lung fluid assessment technology, in an Asian cohort. Healthy volunteers underwent ReDS measurements following manufacturer’s instructions, with two consecutive measurements one minute apart. A subset of 20 participants had modified procedure settings. Reliability was measured using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The study included 86 healthy volunteers, and all ReDS measurements fell within the recommended normal range. The intra-rater reliability of ReDS measurements was excellent, with an ICC of 0.968. Among the subset of 20 subjects, deviations in height and weight did not significantly affect ReDS values. However, deviations in chest size by ± 3 cm had a noticeable impact on ReDS measures, and incorrect station selection led to fluctuations in ReDS readings. In conclusion, the ReDS system demonstrated excellent intra-rater reliability and applicability in an Asian cohort. Procedural errors, such as chest size measurement and station selection, significantly influenced ReDS measurements. Adherence to standardized operating procedures is crucial to ensure accurate and consistent results. These findings highlight the importance of adherence to manufacturer instructions when utilizing ReDS for lung fluid assessment, thereby enhancing its reliability and clinical applicability.

Prediction of large-for-gestational-age at birth using fetal biometry in type 1 and type 2 diabetes: A retrospective cohort study.

To compare ultrasound-assessed fetal head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC), HC/AC ratio, and estimated fetal weight (EFW) in prediction of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) at birth in pregnancies affected by type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM) diabetes. This retrospective cohort study included all women with T1DM and T2DM giving birth to singletons between 2010 and 2019 at Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark. Ultrasound scans were performed at 16, 20, 28 and 34 weeks of pregnancy. LGA was defined as birth weight deviation of 15% or greater from the expected for gestational age (≥90th centile). Prediction of LGA was assessed by logistic regression adjusted for maternal characteristics and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). Among 180 T1DM pregnancies, 118 (66%) had an LGA neonate at birth. At 28 weeks of pregnancy, they were predicted with AUCHC/AC = 0.67, AUCAC = 0.85, and AUCEFW = 0.86. The multivariate analysis did not improve the predictive performance of the HC/AC ratio or AC. Among 87 T2DM pregnancies, 36 (41%) had an LGA neonate at birth. At 28 weeks, they were predicted with AUCHC/AC = 0.73, AUCAC = 0.83, and AUCEFW = 0.87. In T2DM, the multivariate analysis significantly improved the predictive performance for both HC/AC ratio and AC from 20 weeks of pregnancy. In T1DM and T2DM pregnancies, LGA is characterized by a general fetal overgrowth including both AC and HC. Therefore, AC and EFW perform better than the HC/AC ratio in the prediction of LGA. In T2DM, as opposed to T1DM, the predictive performance was improved by the inclusion of maternal characteristics and HbA1c in the analysis.

Development and attestation of a standard sample of calcium nadroparin

Introduction. The widespread use of heparin preparations for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolic complications is known. One of the low molecular weight heparin drugs successfully used in clinical practice is calcium nadroparin. The modern approach to assessing the quality of medicines involves the use of standards, in comparison with which the quality control of the drug is carried out – standard samples (SS). The most important specific parameter in assessing the authenticity of low molecular weight heparins is the characteristic of the fractional composition.Aim. The aim of the work was to develop, attestation and determine the stability during the shelf life of a secondary standard sample to determine the authenticity of calcium nadroparin as part of improving the quality control system of the enterprise with the prospect of creating a domestic pharmacopoeia standard sample.Materials and methods. The object of development and attestation was the standard sample of the enterprise – low molecular weight heparin, obtained on the basis of the Technology implementation center of Siberian state medical university. The certified standard sample was obtained by purification of calcium nadroparin by solid-phase extraction. The completeness of the purification was confirmed by comparing the chromatograms of the purified samples with the chromatograms of the international standard sample. The characteristics of the molecular weight distribution were determined chromatographically. The stability of the certified SSE (the standard sample of the enterprise) was studied under two storage conditions – at a temperature below 8 °C in a dry state for 16 months and in solution at –40 °C for 6 months by evaluating trends in molecular weight distribution.Results and discussion. For each batch of the certified standard sample, the molecular weight and molecular weight characteristics are calculated in 2 parallel definitions, and a representative chromatogram is presented. The values of the relative standard deviation of the molecular weight of the samples and the content of the controlled fractions did not exceed 2.5 %. A detailed analysis of the molecular weight distribution showed the "classical" dependence of RSD (relative standard deviation) from the average value with a significant increase up to 30 % for small fraction values (less than 0.5 %). It was found that during 16 months at a storage temperature below 8 ºC, the molecular weight and molecular weight characteristics of standard samples of low molecular weight heparin did not significantly change. However, in the SSE solution at a storage temperature of minus 40 °C for 6 months, they degraded by more than 10 %.Conclusion. According to the results of the study, a protocol has been developed for obtaining a standard sample of low-molecular-weight heparin for the standardization of the calcium nadroparin substance according to the indicator "molecular weight distribution". The established shelf life of the sample is at least 16 months at temperatures below 8 °C. The stability of solutions of the standard sample at a storage temperature of –40 °C for 3 months is shown.

Influence of distance section classes on aesthetic gymnastics on the physical condition of students of 18-19 years of higher education institution

The article deals with the possibility of using aesthetic gymnastics in the program of remote section classes among students of 18-19 years of higher education. The relevance and practical significance of this study is due to the need to improve the overall physical condition of the student youth, especially in recent years, which are characterized by the unjustified transition of many universities of Ukraine mainly to the sectional form of work with students, the consequences of the world pandemic at the Covid-19 and the military condition. In connection with the above, an evaluation of the use of aesthetic gymnastics tools was used in the program of sectional distance classes of students of higher education. It is proved that the use of the studio girls of the said program contributed to a significant improvement in their overall physical condition. The completion of the study was a significant increase in the levels of functional state of circulatory systems and external respiration (respectively by 36.37%and 26.33%), physical health (by 27.97%), physical work capacity (by 33.13%), weight loss (by 3.74%), values of deviation of body weight from proper values (by 7.63%), fat component (by 20.27%) and score for the type of body construction (by 15.57%). The results testified to the high efficiency of the use of aesthetic gymnastics in the program of section remote classes for students of higher education institution and the possibility of practical use in the boiling process of higher education in physical education.

BDHE-Net: A Novel Building Damage Heterogeneity Enhancement Network for Accurate and Efficient Post-Earthquake Assessment Using Aerial and Remote Sensing Data

Accurate and efficient post-earthquake building damage assessment methods enable key building damage information to be obtained more quickly after an earthquake, providing strong support for rescue and reconstruction efforts. Although many methods have been proposed, most have limited effect on accurately extracting severely damaged and collapsed buildings, and they cannot meet the needs of emergency response and rescue operations. Therefore, in this paper, we develop a novel building damage heterogeneity enhancement network for pixel-level building damage classification of post-earthquake unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and remote sensing data. The proposed BDHE-Net includes the following three modules: a data augmentation module (DAM), a building damage attention module (BDAM), and a multilevel feature adaptive fusion module (MFAF), which are used to alleviate the weight deviation of intact and slightly damaged categories during model training, pay attention to the heterogeneous characteristics of damaged buildings, and enhance the extraction of house integrity contour information at different resolutions of the image. In addition, a combined loss function is used to focus more attention on the small number of severely damaged and collapsed classes. The proposed model was tested on remote sensing and UAV images acquired from the Afghanistan and Baoxing earthquakes, and the combined loss function and the role of the three modules were studied. The results show that compared with the state-of-the-art methods, the proposed BDHE-Net achieves the best results, with an F1 score improvement of 6.19–8.22%. By integrating the DBA, BDAM, and MFAF modules and combining the loss functions, the model’s classification accuracy for severely damaged and collapsed categories can be improved.

50 Feeding a multi-carbohydrase improves mortality, morbidity and variability of growing pigs fed varying levels of dried distiller’s grains with solubles

Abstract The objective was to determine the effects of Rovabio Advance 10 P, a multi-carbohydrase, on growth performance, mortality, and morbidity of growing pigs fed 15% or 35% dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS). In the trial, 1,220 DNA pigs were fed from 32 kg to 134 kg body weight (BW). Four diets were fed: 15% DDGS (LO), 15% DDGS with Rovabio Advance (LO+), 35% DDGS (HI), and 35% DDGS with Rovabio Advance (HI+). Each pen had approximately 30 pigs each with 10 pens per dietary treatment. Pig BW and feed were measured as were the number and BW of dead pigs (mortality) and other pig removals (morbidity). Pigs were harvested beginning on d 105 and weekly thereafter through d 126. No significant (P > 0.16) interactions between DDGS level and Rovabio Advance were observed. Feeding greater levels of DDGS tended to reduce average daily gain (ADG), final BW and carcass weight (P < 0.09) and reduced mortality and morbidity (P = 0.1). Greater levels of DDGS also reduced cost of gain and improved income over feed (P < 0.04). Feeding Rovabio Advance reduced mortality and morbidity (P = 0.08), reduced standard deviation of carcass weight (P = 0.02), improved carcass price (P = 0.02), and improved income over feed (P = 0.02). Feeding greater levels DDGS slowed growth rate but improved cost of gain and profitability. Rovabio Advance improved mortality and morbidity and reduced variability resulting in improved profitability.

Spectroscopic Determination and In vitro Bioequivalence Studies of Different Amoxicillin Capsule Brands

Amoxicillin is an aminopenicillin antibiotic, used in the treatment of several infections resulting from susceptible Gram-positive and Gram-negative, such as pneumonia, acute otitis media, acne vulgaris, bacterial endocarditis, streptococcal pharyngitis, urinary tract, Lyme borreliosis, Salmonella, Helicobacter pylori, chlamydia, and odontogenic infections. The study aimed to determine the in-vitro bioequivalence of amoxicillin capsules from various brands using physicochemical and spectroscopic parameters. Weight uniformity, friability, disintegration, dissolving tests, and UV spectroscopy were used to determine the in-vitro bioequivalence of different brands of amoxicillin capsules. The weight variation for all the capsules showed compliance with the USP specifications (≤10% weight deviation). All brands complied with the USP/BP specification for the disintegration test, as disintegration time ranged from 7 to 12 minutes. The dissolution profile of the innovator and the generic brands showed a percentage release from 80.81 – 89.11% within 30 minutes. The first-order kinetics, t1/2 and k of amoxicillin released ranged from 16.01 – 27.11 min and 2.56 – 4.33 x 10-2 min-1 respectively. A straight-line graph was obtained as a calibration curve of amoxicillin. UV absorption spectrum showed four distinctive peaks at 240, 275, 320, and 360 nm, with the maximum at 240 nm, while the percentage content of amoxicillin ranged from 90.58 ± 1.38 to 98.74 ± 0.97%. This result complied with the BP and USP specifications. Hence, there was a strong correlation between the release rate constant, k, and time since values were ≥ 0.8087 compared with the innovator and other brands.