Optimum Number Of Cycles Research Articles

A sensitive and selective voltammetric method for the detection of pyrogallol in tomato and water samples using platinum electrode modified with alizarin red S film.

In contrast to the hyperactive platinum electrode, ARS modified platinum electrode presents a remarkable inertness toward adsorption and surface processes and lends it for further voltammetric applications. Measuring pyrogallol levels in samples is significant for assessing their antioxidant activity, which is crucial for understanding their potential health benefits and ability to combat oxidative stress. In addition, the excess consumption of pyrogallol can have significant negative effects on human health. A voltammetric sensor has been developed for the determination of pyrogallol using ARS modified platinum electrode. The electrode was prepared by electrodeposition of alizarin red S on a platinum electrode using cyclic voltammetry with a potential scan range of - 0.4 to 1.2V against an Ag/AgCl quasi reference electrode for 60 cycles as optimum number of cycles. The modified electrode was characterized by CV and SEM techniques. This modified alizarin red S platinum electrode showed remarkable electrocatalytic performance and stability, resulting in a significant increase in pyrogallol oxidation current by 11.05% compared to the pyrogallol oxidative current at the unmodified platinum electrode. A well-defined oxidation peak was observed at ~ 0.40V. The sensor exhibited a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.28µM and a linear standard curve covering the ranges of 1.0-40µM and 0.01-10.0mM pyrogallol. Extensive studies were performed to evaluate possible interferences from various organic and inorganic compounds and yielded satisfactory results that confirm the selectivity of the developed sensor for pyrogallol determination. In addition, the ARS-Pt electrode provided consistently reliable results for the accurate detection of pyrogallol in water and tomato samples.

Correlation between the number of false positive variants and the quality of results using Ion Torrent PGM™ sequencing to screen BRCA genes

Introduction: Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) is cost-effective and a faster method to study genes, but its protocol is challenging.Objective: To analyze different adjustments to the protocol for screening the BRCA genes using Ion Torrent PGM sequencing and correlate the results with the number of false positive (FP) variants.Material and methods: We conducted a library preparation process and analyzed the number of FP InDels, the library concentration, the number of cycles in the target amplification step, the purity of the nucleic acid, the input, and the number of samples/Ion 314 chips in association with the results obtained by NGS.Results: We carried out 51 reactions and nine adjustments of protocols and observed eight FP InDels in homopolymer regions. No FP Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism variant was observed; 67.5% of protocol variables were jointly associated with the quality of the results obtained (p<0.05). The number of FP InDels decreased when the quality of results increased.Conclusion: The Ion AmpliSeq BRCA1/BRCA2 Community Panel had a better performance using four samples per Ion-314 chip instead of eight and the optimum number of cycles in the amplification step, even when using high-quality DNA, was 23. We observed better results with the manual equalization process and not using the Ion Library Equalizer kit. These adjustments provided a higher coverage of the variants and fewer artifacts (6.7-fold). Laboratories must perform internal validation because FP InDel variants can vary according to the quality of results while the NGS assay should be validated with Sanger.

Simultaneous injection of chemical agents and carbon dioxide to enhance the sweep efficiency from fractured tight core samples

Foams would play a substantial role in mobility control and are considered an efficient chemical agent to improve the oil recovery factor. Co-injection of foam and carbon dioxide (CO2) would be one of the optimum injectivity scenarios in fractured tight core samples. This paper aimed to experimentally investigate the surfactant alternating gas injection and CO2-foam injection and how to determine the optimum parameters like foam quality, flow rate, and the number of cycles. It is observed that 0.65 is the optimum foam quality for the fractured tight core samples, and by the increase of foam quality, the pressure drop has been decreased. By increasing foam quality, pressure drop increases up to a specific value (fg=0.65), and after this point, pressure drop has been decreased. Moreover, by the increase of injectivity cycles, pressure drop has increased subsequently. It is observed that five cycles are the optimum number of cycles, and after that, there is no pressure drop decrease in the system. Due to the surfactant property to control the mobility ratio, CO2 breakthrough has occurred at 1.2 PV. Its oil recovery factor at breakthrough is about 48%, and the total oil recovery factor is about 65%. CO2-foam were injected into the system, and due to the presence of a foaming agent in CO2, a CO2 breakthrough occurred at 1.8 PV. The total oil recovery factor is about 83% that indicated the efficiency of this scenario.

Triangular cyclic accelerated degradation zero-failure test plan

Purpose Zero-failure reliability testing aims at demonstrating whether the product has achieved the desired reliability target with zero failure and high confidence level at a given time. Incorporating accelerated degradation testing in zero-failure reliability demonstration test (RDT) facilitates early failure in high reliability items developed within short period of time to be able to survive in fiercely competitive market. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The triangular cyclic stress uses one test chamber thus saving experimental cost. The parameters in model are estimated using maximum likelihood methods. The optimum plan consists in finding out optimum number of cycles, optimum specimens, optimum stress change point(s) and optimum stress rates. Findings The optimum plan consists in finding out optimum number of cycles, optimum specimens, optimum stress change point(s) and optimum stress rates by minimizing asymptotic variance of estimate of quantile of the lifetime distribution at use condition subject to the constraint that total testing or experimental cost does not exceed a pre-specified budget. Confidence intervals of the design parameters have been obtained and sensitivity analysis carried out. The results of sensitivity analysis show that the plan is robust to small deviations from the true values of baseline parameters. Originality/value For some highly reliable products, even accelerated life testing yields little failure data of units in a feasible amount of time. In such cases accelerated degradation testing is carried out, wherein the failure termed as soft failure is defined in terms of performance characteristic of the product exceeding its critical (threshold) value.

The Impact of Cumulative Dose of Cytarabine Consolidation on Outcomes in Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Introduction: The optimum number of cycles and dose of Cytarabine consolidation in older patients (age 60 and above) with AML in first remission remains unclear.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed electronic medical records of patients. We identified 81 patients that were diagnosed with AML ( at age 60 and above) and received induction chemotherapy followed by Cytarabine consolidation between 2008 and 2017.Results: We reviewed the outcomes of 81 patients and report overall survival (OS) and relapse free survival (RFS) for the 69 patients reaching a landmark of 120 days from diagnosis without relapse or death (to exclude patients who would not be amenable to extended consolidation). Median follow up was 19.4 months (range 4.2-105.7). The median age at diagnosis was 65 (range 60-77); 86% were White. The majority were men (66%) ; 60% received daunorubicin-based induction [dose range 45 mg - 90 mg/m2] and 19% received re-induction chemotherapy.The cytogenetics based on ELN 2017 criteria were 71% intermediate, 13% favorable,10% adverse and for 6% not available (N/A.) From the 69 patients 16 were documented to be FLT3 ITD positive and 17 NPM1 positive.Twenty out of 69 patients (29%) received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). From those transplanted 5 patients were transplanted at CR2, one patient with relapse disease and the rest at CR1.Thirty patients relapsed and 27 patients died. At time of last follow up or death 56% of patients were on CR1, 13% on CR2 while the rest had relapsed disease [up to 3 relapses].The median number of Cytarabine consolidation cycles was 2 (range 1-4 cycles) with Cytarabine total dose per cycle ranging between 6 gr/m2-18 gr/m2. The median cumulative dose from all cycles of consolidation was 18 gr/m2. We considered a cumulative dose ≤18 gr/m2 to be “low intensity (LI)” and > 18 gr/m2 “high intensity (HI)”.OS was superior for HI patients [(Median not reached vs. 20.3 months, P=0.04), Figure 1a]. However there was no difference in RFS between groups [ median 14.3 Vs 14.8 months, p=0.6, Figure 1b]. When data were censored at the time of alloHCT, the OS advantage for HI was no longer statistically significant (p=0.07). In multivariate analysis for OS HI consolidation, intermediate and favorable risk cytogenetics had a favorable impact. Black race was associated with inferior OS. Since HI was associated with improved OS but not RFS we hypothesized that HI had better post relapse survival. In fact, there was a trend towards better post relapse survival among HI patients (N=15) compared to LI patients (N=15) [( median 12.4 vs. 5.2 months, p=0.070), Figure 1c].Conclusion: The intensity of Cytarabine consolidation for older AML patients in CR1 was associated with improved OS but not RFS. Although the selection of LI or HI by the treating physician did not affect risk of relapse, our data suggest that HI consolidation is likely a surrogate for factors that make patients more amenable to successful post relapse therapy. [Display omitted] DisclosuresCosta:Amgen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Sanofi: Honoraria. Erba:Janssen: Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Research Funding; MacroGenics: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Astellas: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Juno: Research Funding; Immunogen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda/Millenium: Research Funding; Glycomimetics: Consultancy, Other: Chair, Data and Safety Monitoring Committee; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; MacroGenics: Consultancy; MacroGenics: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Agios: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Astellas: Research Funding; Juno: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda/Millenium: Research Funding; Glycomimetics: Consultancy, Other: Chair, Data and Safety Monitoring Committee; Jazz: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Research Funding; Jazz: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Immunogen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Other: grant; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Takeda/Millenium: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Other: grant; Agios: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Immunogen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Consultancy, Other: grant; Immunogen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Consultancy, Other: grant; Celgene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Takeda/Millenium: Research Funding; MacroGenics: Consultancy; Juno: Research Funding; Juno: Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Glycomimetics: Consultancy, Other: Chair, Data and Safety Monitoring Committee; Celgene: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Research Funding; Glycomimetics: Consultancy, Other: Chair, Data and Safety Monitoring Committee; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Research Funding. Papadantonakis:Agios pharmaceuticals: Honoraria, Other: advisory board.

Early Cessation of Docetaxel Chemotherapy may Compromise Survival Benefit in Advanced Prostate Cancer

Introduction: The Trapeze/TAX327/SWOG9916 trials delivered 6/10/12 cycles of 3-weekly docetaxel chemotherapy to patients with CRPC. The optimum number of cycles is not known. Newer treatments such as abiraterone are of proven clinical benefit and have a more favourable toxicity profile. If fewer cycles of docetaxel were delivered patients could be changed to a less toxic treatment sooner. We compared the outcomes of patients who electively received only 6 cycles of docetaxel with those who were planned to receive up to 10 cycles.

The effect of thermal-cycle treatment parameters on the mechanical properties of hot-stamped powdered steel

In order to improve the properties of powdered carbon steels and grain refinement, thermal-cycle treatment was performed with the use of both induction and furnace heating. This resulted in an extra-fine-grain structure and it increased the values of strength, plasticity, and impact strength. The optimum number of cycles is 3–10.

Effect of Prior Cold Work on Grain Refinement in ST 44-2 Mild Steel by Cyclic Re-Austenitizing

The effect of prior cold work on grain refinement in mild steel by cyclic re-austenization has been studied. Cyclic re-austenization consists of repeated heating to the austenite range, soaking for a short time at the peak temperature and then quenching in water. A steel grade, ST 44-2 (0.14-0.20%C, 0.18-0.28%Si, 0.40-0.60%Mn), was cold worked to various degrees of deformation and subjected to various isothermal heat treatments, keeping the holding time constant while the peak temperature was varied and vice-versa for a number of cycles. The higher the degree of cold work the finer the average grain size for a given number of cycles. Average grain size decreases with increasing number of cycles up to an optimum number and the optimum number of cycles decreases with increasing degree of cold work. The effect of cold work is more pronounced at lower temperature, shorter time and smaller number of austenitizing cycles. For a given condition of temperature and time, the higher the degree of cold work, the smaller the number of cycles required for optimum grain refinement. Keywords : Mild Steel, Grain Refinement, Cyclic Re-Austenitization, Cold-Work Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology Vol. 6 (1) 2006 pp. 48-55

Modified Porphyrinic Sensor for Nitric Oxide Monitoring

Carbon fiber, covered with nickel(II)poly-tetrakis(3-methoxy-4- hydroxyphenyl) porphyrin and Nafion® layers - porphyrinic sensor is one of the most widely used nitric oxide selective electrodes. It is also the earliest design of coated wire type nitric oxide sensor, suggested by Malinski et al. in the early 1990s. Electrocatalytical properties of poly-NiTMHPP are well documented in the literature but the poly-NiTMHPP layer has not been considered as an anti-interference barrier. In this contribution we describe that by careful adjustment of conditions used during the process of nickel porphyrin electropolymerization (the use of cyclic potential scanning regime for polymerization, optimum number of cycles, optimum porphyrin monomer concentration), and by modification of the Nafion coating process the sensors which are very selective for nitric oxide can be fabricated, without the need to compromise between selectivity and detection limit.

Proposed Methodology of Optimizing Transitioning Between Time-of-Day Timing Plans

Timing plans for coordinated signals are developed online using real-time traffic data collected by detectors or offline using traffic data previously collected but still representative of the period in which the timing plan is to be implemented. The timing plans developed using offline techniques are generally known as time-of-day (TOD) timing plans as they are generally implemented during a specific time of the day. One downside of the TOD timing technique is the handling of coordination parameters--defined by cycle length, phase split, and offset--when one plan is transitioning to the next plan. This paper presents a methodology to optimize traffic flow during the transition period. The methodology, based on dynamic quadratic optimization, achieves synchronization of coordination parameters through an optimum number of cycles and an optimum number of increments (or decrements) of the coordination parameters. The proposed transition period optimization method has the advantage that the user does not need to specify minimum and maximum cycle lengths in the optimization process, as is the case with current methods. Preliminary simulation results that compared the proposed methodology to transition methods embedded in CORSIM showed that it has the potential of reducing queue delay, particularly on minor street approaches. The delays on major street approaches were comparable and similar in both scenarios in which traffic volumes were increasing or decreasing between the succeeding plans. Additional simulation runs involving various scenarios of geometric, traffic, and signalization conditions as well as field evaluation are needed before the efficacy of this method over current methods used in practice can be ascertained.

Optimization of the Number of Cycles and Intensity of Selection, and Population Size in Mass Selection: Selection for Single Traits in Outcrossing Plant Populations.

Optimum number of cycles and rate of selection and optimum population size to give the highest cost efficiency in mass selection for allogamous crop plants were investigated. The optimum values of these variables were obtained based on the numerical calculations of a new selection efficiency index, S/C, where S stands for the probability that the desired genetic improvement is achieved in the target population, and C is the cost expended for that end. Selection procedures that maximize S/C will give the greatest opportunity of success under a certain total resource investment. The index S/C was calculated based on Monte Carlo simulations with a model in which the target population was initiated as a hybrid population of two cultivar lines that were genetically fixed for the trait concerned, and populations of a constant size were generated for subsequent selection cycles via random crossing between the plants selected with a constant rate in each cycle. The genes involved were assumed to be inherited independently and have to epistatic interaction. The calculations over practically possible ranges of the related variables led to the following conclusions. If, as would be the case in most selection projecrts for breeding a new commercial variety, the expenditure of time (years) rather than resource expense for managing the selection is important, a few to several cycles of selection with a rate of around 1%, testing a few thousand plants per cycle, should be nearly if not exactly the optimum. If the desired improvement is not achieved in these cycles, the population should be discarded and a new one should be tested. By contrast, if the time expenditure is not important, as in the case of the selection for new breeding stock lines, selection with several or more cycles, a rate in the range of 10 to 20% and a population size smaller than 100 should be costefficient. Dominance is not an important modifier of the optimum values unless the desirable genes are dominant or recessive unidirectionally at the majority of the loci involved.

Quantification of vitamin D receptor mRNA in tissue sections demonstrates the relative limitations of in situ-reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

In situ-reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (IS-RT-PCR) is a recently described technique that is used to localize low levels of mRNA within cells and tissue sections. One of the major criticisms levelled at this technique is that positive results may be meaningless, as amplification is required to demonstrate the transcripts of interest. The use of IS-RT-PCR to demonstrate mRNA for receptors for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VDR) in sections of human kidney and bone has previously been described. To ascertain whether the levels of VDR mRNA detected following IS-RT-PCR were transcriptionally significant, computerized image analysis was used to determine the mean silver grain density in human kidney and bone cells following conventional in situ hybridization and after various cycles of IS-RT-PCR. Only a few cycles of PCR were needed to produce an optimum signal, but amplification of signal following IS-RT-PCR was found to be relatively inefficient. Following the optimum number of cycles of IS-RT-PCR in kidney sections, there was a less than four-fold increase in signal. Similarly, in bone, the optimum signal detected was only approximately five times greater than that found with conventional in situ hybridization. These results clearly demonstrate that the increase in signal following IS-RT-PCR follows a more linear pattern and is relatively inefficient, compared with the usual exponential increase with conventional solution phase RT-PCR.

An Evaluation of CO2 Huff 'n' Puff Tests in Texas

Summary Field experience in 28 Texas CO2 huff ‘n’ puff projects is presented and discussed. In the absence of mechanical problems, CO2 huff presented and discussed. In the absence of mechanical problems, CO2 huff ‘n’ puff can recover oil from 23- to 30 degrees API [0.92- to 0.88-g/cm3] Texas gulf coast Miocene reservoirs. Shorter soak times (10 to 17 days) recovered as much oil, or more, as longer soak times for 2- to 3-cp [2- to 3-mPas] crudes. Injection of larger volumes of CO2 (8 MMscf [230 × 10(3) m3] instead of 4 MMscf [110 × 10(3) m3]) resulted in greater incremental oil recovery of a 33-cp [33-mPas] crude. Oil-cut response can guide in the selection of wells to receive multiple cycles of CO2. Two simple predictive methods are presented for estimating incremental oil recovery from CO2 huff ‘n’ puff. One is from the literature and the other was developed for the Texas reservoirs, where oil swelling and viscosity reduction are important oil recovery mechanisms. Although predictions from both methods show modest agreement with field production, predictions from both methods show modest agreement with field production, the method developed specifically for the Texas cases has the advantage of being based only on fluid properties, which are easy to measure or to estimate accurately. Introduction Although most of today's CO2 EOR projects involve large-scale continuous injection of CO2 solvent, there is increasing interest in cyclic CO2 injection into single wells. Typically, the rapid injection of CO2 (or CO2/hydrocarbon blends) is followed by a shutin period. The well is then returned to production and the response monitored. In reservoirs with poor interwell communication, this single-well approach may afford the only means of recovering tertiary oil by a CO2 process. In reservoirs where interwell communication is not a problem, CO2 huff ‘n’ puff offers a fast, inexpensive alternative to traditional EOR methods. The engineer faced with designing a CO2 huff ‘n’ puff project can find only a limited amount of prior experience in the literature. Laboratory studies in two different 14 degrees API [0.97-g/cm3] crudes have indicated that CO2 huff ‘n’ puff will recover oil. The addition of nitrogen or methane as contaminants to the CO2 is not desirable because it reduces oil recovery. The optimum number of cycles is reported to be two or three, judging from field experience in Arkansas and a simulation study of California crudes. Bottomwater reservoirs and vertical fractures through which CO2 migration can occur should be avoided. Numerical simulation has been used to design and to interpret projects. This is appropriate but is cost-effective only for large projects. This is appropriate but is cost-effective only for large projects. Low-cost predictive methods based on minimal input data projects. Low-cost predictive methods based on minimal input data are more suitable for the small field with a brief project life. To increase our data base of field experience, this paper presents the results of 28 Texas wells stimulated by CO2 huff ‘n’ puff. The effects of reservoir parameters and design variables are discussed. Two simple predictive methods, one developed by Patton et al. and the other developed by us, will be evaluated.

Peak and cycle capacity of recycling chromatography

Numerical calculations were carried out to determine the number of separable components as well as the optimum cycle number in recycling gel chromatography. Equations and the proper recycling system are suggested for the cases when one, two or more components are to be isolated.