Simple Measurement Method Research Articles

Corneal Crosslinking Biomechanics Evaluated by a Novel and Easily Implemented Differential Tonometry Method

ABSTRACT Purpose: Evaluate potential corneal biomechanical changes following corneal crosslinking (CXL) by paired differential tonometry intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements with a Goldmann tonometer (GAT) prism and corneal compensating, correcting applanation tonometry surface (CATS) prism. Methods: IOP was measured prospectively on 23 unique eyes undergoing CXL for keratoconus with a GAT using a standard flat GAT prism and a curved corneal error correcting CATS prism before treatment and at 2 weeks, 2 months and 6 months after treatment. Concurrent measurements of central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal hysteresis (CH) were completed. Results: Paired IOP measurements with standard GAT and corneal correcting CATS prisms indicated a significant sustained relative increase in the differential IOP between the two prisms after CXL (p = .002,0.051,0.062). CH initially decreased at two weeks post-CXL then returned to sustained pre-op levels (p = .033,0.20,0.20). CCT progressively decreased following CXL (p = .005). Discussion: Differential tonometry between standard GAT and corneal biomechanical compensating CATS prisms indicates findings consistent with increased corneal rigidity following CXL and may demonstrate a simple and sensitive method for measurement of relative corneal biomechanical changes due to pharmacologic agents and procedures.

Simplified Iohexol-Based Method for Measurement of Glomerular Filtration Rate in Goats and Pigs.

Simple SummaryTo improve the treatment of patients with kidney disease, new therapies are being developed. Before being used on humans, such therapies need to be tested on animals with kidney disease because reduced kidney function may influence the safety and efficacy of the treatment. Using large animals for this purpose is important because they tolerate frequent blood sampling, which allows for repeated monitoring. Goats seem particularly suitable for the evaluation of novel hemodialysis therapies since they are docile, have easily accessible neck veins to obtain blood access and body weights comparable with humans. Currently, no simple method is available to measure kidney function in goats (with or without impaired kidney function). Therefore, we developed a simple method to measure the kidney function in goats and pigs, which is based on a single injection of iohexol and requires three blood samples. Subsequently, kidney function can be calculated using a formula derived from pharmacokinetic modelling. The measurement of kidney function using our simplified method is relatively easy to perform, reduces total blood sampling and eliminates the need for an indwelling bladder catheter as compared to existing methods that require continuous infusion of a substance and timed urine collection.The preclinical evaluation of novel therapies for chronic kidney disease requires a simple method for the assessment of kidney function in a uremic large animal model. An intravenous bolus of iohexol was administered to goats (13 measurements in n = 3 goats) and pigs (23 measurements in n = 5 pigs) before and after induction of kidney failure, followed by frequent blood sampling up to 1440 min. Plasma clearance (CL) was estimated by a nonlinear mixed-effects model (CLNLME) and by a one-compartmental pharmacokinetic disposition model using iohexol plasma concentrations during the terminal elimination phase (CL1CMT). A simple method (CLSM) for the calculation of plasma clearance was developed based on the most appropriate relationship between CLNLME and CL1CMT. CLSM and CLNLME showed good agreement (CLNLME/CLSM ratio: 1.00 ± 0.07; bias: 0.03 ± 1.64 mL/min; precision CLSM and CLNLME: 80.9% and 80.7%, respectively; the percentage of CLSM estimates falling within ±30% (P30) or ±10% (P10) of CLNLME: 53% and 12%, respectively). For mGFRNLME vs. mGFRSM, bias was −0.25 ± 2.24 and precision was 49.2% and 53.6%, respectively, P30 and P10 for mGFR based on CLSM were 71% and 24%, respectively. A simple method for measurement of GFR in healthy and uremic goats and pigs was successfully developed, which eliminates the need for continuous infusion of an exogenous marker, urine collection and frequent blood sampling.

Voltammetric quantification of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent diflunisal based on the enhancement effect of cationic surfactant on boron-doped diamond electrode

The present work describes a simple, fast, and inexpensive voltammetric method for diflunisal measurement using a non-modified boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. The oxidation of the agent was irreversible and presented a diffusion‐controlled process. The sensitivity of the square wave voltammetric measurements were significantly improved when the cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), was present in the supporting electrolyte solution. Using square-wave mode, a linear response was obtained for diflunisal quantification in 0.1 mol L-1 phosphate buffer solution (pH 2.5) solution containing 5×10-5 mol L-1 CTAB at +1.07 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) (after 30 s accumulation under open-circuit conditions). Linearity was found for 0.05 to 2.0 μg mL-1 (2.0×10-7-8.0×10-6 mol L-1) with a detection limit 0.013 μg mL-1 (5.2×10-8 mol L-1). The developed approach could be used for the quantification of diflunisal in pharmaceutical formulations.

Water vapour condensation on the surface of bulky fruit: Some basics and a simple measurement method

In the postharvest chain of fruit and vegetables, temperature fluctuations frequently occur in the surrounding air, which can lead to condensation of water vapour on the surface of fresh produce. Such processes can have a negative impact on the shelf life of horticultural products. Available sensors for measuring condensation phenomena, in particular on the curved surfaces of bulky fruit, are not suitable or can only be used to a very limited extent. The aim of the present study was to measure condensation on curved surfaces of bulky fruit and to evaluate the influence of the process parameters involved. Some fundamental aspects of condensation on the surface of single apples were analysed using the standard methods of condensation measurement that involve the continuous weighing of the product and measuring the dew-point undershoot. In the context of two typical postharvest scenarios, an in-house developed sensor based on the electrical resistance was tested and validated. The wetness sensor allowed reliable determination of the condensation retention time during re-warming and in both uniform and non-uniform temperature fluctuations on apple fruit. While the retention time of condensed water on the fruit surface was successfully measured, only qualitative statements can be made regarding the intensity of the condensation. • Some basic principles of condensation on the surface of bulky fruits have been studied. • Three independent methods were used to measure condensation processes on individual apples. • An in-house developed sensor to determine the retention time of condensed water was tested and validated successfully. . • We measured condensation on fruit surfaces in two typical post-harvest scenarios.

Refractive Index Measurement of Glass with Arbitrary Shape Based on Brewster’s Law and a Focusing Probe Beam

The refractive index is one of the most important parameters of optical glasses and has a significant effect on optical properties. The measurement of optical glasses, especially for optical elements such as lenses, is urgently needed. However, several presented methods require the immersion of the sample in liquid and provide indirect measurements, while others require structural parameters as priori knowledge, which is complex and time-consuming. In this study, a Brewster-Law-based direct and simple measurement method for the refractive index of glasses with arbitrary shapes is proposed, and a laser beam is focused on the surface of the sample as a probe. The incident angle of the chief ray is close to the Brewster angle. The reflected light is collected by an array detector. The refractive index is calculated from the minimum intensity position obtained with image processing. Additionally, a symmetric measurement scheme is proposed to improve the accuracy. Using these methods, a prism and four spherical lens samples with different refractive indices or radii of curvature are tested and error analyses are carried out. Results indicate that the accuracy can reach 10−4.

The efficacy and safety of itopride in feeding intolerance of critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition: a randomized, double-blind study

BackgroundEnteral feeding intolerance (EFI) is a frequent problem in the Intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with poor clinical outcomes leading to worse prognosis in terms of mortality and ICU stay. Nowadays, prokinetic drugs are the mainstay of therapy in EFI. However, available prokinetics have uncertain efficacy and safety profiles. Itopride, is a prokinetic agent which is different and unique from the available prokinetics because of its dual mode of action as well as its tolerability and safety. The current study compared the efficacy and safety of Itopride against metoclopramide for EFI in critically ill patients. Moreover, it tested the utility and applicability of ultrasonography to measure gastric residual volume (GRV) in this population.MethodsThis randomized, double-blind study included 76 EFI patients who were randomly assigned to either Itopride or metoclopramide group. The primary outcome was to measure GRV by ultrasonography. Secondary outcomes included the percentage ratio of enteral feed volume, energy and protein received by patients over 7 days of treatment, ICU length of stay, safety parameters and occurrence of infectious complications or vomiting.ResultsThirty-five patients of each group completed the study. At day 7, itopride significantly decreased GRV compared with metoclopramide group (p = 0.001). Moreover, there was a significant increase in the ratios of received enteral nutrition feed volume, calories, and protein after the one-week therapy in the itopride group more than the metoclopramide group (p = 0.001), (p = 0.002), (p = 0.01), respectively and there were no differences in any secondary outcomes or adverse events between the two groups.ConclusionIn critically ill patients with EFI, itopride was well tolerated with superior efficacy to metoclopramide. In addition, we demonstrated that ultrasonography is a simple, non-invasive, inexpensive, and undemanding method for GRV measurements and can offer reliable assessments in the gastric emptying modality.Trial registrationThe trial was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03698292). Date: October 5, 2018

Simple Pretreatment Method for Tritium Measurement in Environmental Water Samples using a Liquid Scintillation Counter

Simple Pretreatment Method for Tritium Measurement in Environmental Water Samples using a Liquid Scintillation Counter

A Simple Approach for Thickness Measurements Using Electron Probe Microanalysis.

A simple and fast method for thickness measurements using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is described. The method is applicable on samples with a thickness smaller than the electron depth range and does not require any knowledge of instrumental parameters. The thickness is determined by means of the distance that electrons travel inside the sample before crossing through it. Samples are first deposited on a substrate that, when reached by the transmitted electrons, produces an X-ray signal. The measured characteristic X-ray line intensity of the substrate is later used to determine the energy of transmitted electrons, which is proportional to the distance that electrons travel inside the sample. The study was performed on spherical K411 glass particles and cylindrical particles of U–Ce oxide with a size ranging from 0.2 to 4 μm. The measured thicknesses of all the studied particles showed good agreements with the real values. Although the method is only validated on particles with usual shapes, it can be applied to determine a local thickness of thin samples with irregular morphologies. This can help solving multiple issues in analysis with EPMA of non-bulk samples exhibiting complex geometries. Three dimensional microscopic imaging could also find a good utility in the described method.

Quantitative determination of dextran sulfate and pentosan polysulfate and their binding with protamine using chronopotentiometry with polyion-selective electrodes

We report for the first time a chronopotentiometric measurement of polyanions based on localized ion depletion at the sample/membrane interface at a characteristic transition time τ, using polymer membrane polyanion-selective electrodes. Chronopotentiometric transduction of polyions based on the measurement of transition time has analytically more attractive applications compared to the controlled-current reversible pulsed chronopotentiometric transduction based on electromotive force (emf) measurement. This is because traditional polyion-selective electrodes based on emf measurement intrinsically give nonlinear (sigmoidal) calibration curves. While these can be used for indirect determination of polyions via polyanion-polycation titrations, they are not convenient for direct quantitation. However, under chronopotentiometric measurement based on the measurement of transition time, the square root of the transition time τ is linearly related to the concentration of the polyion according to the Sand equation and can be used for a direct calibration-free rapid determination. In this work, we have measured the concentrations of dextran sulfate (DS) and pentosan polysulfate (PPS) using polyanion selective electrodes under chronopotentiometric method where the transition time was measured and controlled-current pulsed chronopotentiometric transductions, where the phase boundary potential (emf) was measured. In addition, the protamine–DS and the protamine–PPS binding ratios have been determined using both transductions. The protamine–PPS binding ratio was determined to be 1.51:1 by the titration method and 1.54:1 by chronopotentiometry. The protamine–DS binding ratio was determined to be 1.37:1 by the titration method and 1.41:1 by chronopotentiometry, showing excellent agreement between the two methods. These simple measurement methods of binding ratios between polysaccharides and polypeptides may become important tools for screening safer and more reliable antidotes for the newer and safer anticoagulants such as Low Molecular Weight Heparins(LMWHs) and also to determine the dosages of antidotes needed to neutralize the anticoagulant activity.

A Simple Measurement Method for Verifying the Accuracy of the Displayed Dose on an Over-couch-type X-ray Fluoroscopic System

The purpose of this study was to establish a simple measurement method to verify the accuracy of incident air kerma (Ka, r) and air kerma area product (PKA) displayed on an over-couch-type X-ray fluoroscopy system. A dosimeter was located at the patient entrance reference point, and the irradiation field size was set to 10×10 cm. A lead plate was placed on the couchtop to protect the image receptor, and the duration of fluoroscopy was set to 1 min. The Ka, r was measured with the proposed method and the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) method on three X-ray fluoroscopy units of different manufactures. The effect of backscattered X-rays from the lead plate was calculated using Monte Carlo methods. The errors of the displayed Ka, r and PKA to the measured Ka, r and PKA with our proposed method were calculated. There was no significant difference in the measured Ka, r between the proposed method and the JIS method in all units. The effect of backscattered X-ray was ≤0.5%. The errors of displayed Ka, r and PKA to those measured were in the range of 3.4 to 15.7% and -4.1 to 20.3%, respectively, which met the tolerance for accuracy of ±35% in accordance with the JIS method. We found that our proposed method was simple and that the accuracy of measured values was comparable to that of the JIS method.

Complex Permittivity Extraction of Planar Dielectrics Using a Noninvasive Microwave Transmission Line Resonant Technique

This article presents a novel planar resonant method for complex permittivity measurement of planar dielectric substrates. Conventional planar dielectric sensors are composed of resonant structures, such as metamaterials, annular rings, and patch coupled to transmission lines to generate resonance. Here, we demonstrate a simple microstrip line resonator for complex permittivity measurement, and the generated resonant modes in the microstrip line are much like in 3-D conventional microwave cavities. The proposed prototype is distinguished from regular planar resonators due to the presence of a number of distinct electric and magnetic perturbable resonant modes and the absence of additional resonating structures in the design. The use of test samples in the commercially available thickness eliminates extensive sample preparation and possible air gaps or errors introduced due to the stacking of multiple dielectric layers. The microstrip line resonator fabricated on the FR4 substrate shows good agreement in measured permittivity and loss tangent values compared with the manufacturer’s datasheets. The proposed technique is a simple, fast, compact, and cost-effective measurement method for dielectric characterization, and it could be extended for other microwave transmission lines also.

Diastatic power and maltose value: a method for the measurement of amylolytic enzymes in malt

A simple method for measurement of the amylolytic activity of malt has been developed and fully evaluated. The method, termed the Maltose Value (MV) is an extension of previously reported work. Here, the MV method has been studied in detail and all aspects of the assay (sample grinding and extraction, starch hydrolysis, maltose hydrolysis and determination as glucose) have been optimised. The method is highly correlated with other dextrinising power methods. The MV method involves extraction of malt in 0.5% sodium chloride at 30°C for 20 minutes followed by filtration; incubation of an aliquot of the undiluted filtrate with starch solution (pH 4.6) at 30°C for 15 min; termination of reaction with sodium hydroxide solution; dilution of sample in an appropriate buffer; hydrolysis of maltose with a specific α-glucosidase; glucose determination and activity calculation. Unlike all subsequent reducing sugar methods, the maltose value method measures a defined reaction product, maltose, with no requirement to use equations to relate analytical values back to Lintner units. The maltose value method is the first viable method in 130 years that could effectively replace the 1886 Lintner method. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of the Institute of Brewing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Institute of Brewing & Distilling.

Establishment and Validation of a Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for the Determination of Tigecycline in Critically Ill Patients.

Utilizing tigecycline-d9 as an internal standard (IS), we establish and validate a simple, effective, and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the quantitative measurement of tigecycline (TGC) in patient plasma. Acetonitrile was used as a precipitant to process plasma samples by a protein precipitation method. The analyte and IS were separated on an HSS T3 (2.1 × 100 mm, 3.5 μm) chromatographic column using isocratic program with a mobile phase comprising of 80% solvent A (water containing 0.1% formic acid (v/v) with 5 mM ammonium acetate) and 20% solvent B (acetonitrile) with a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The mass spectrometer, scanning in multireaction monitoring (MRM) mode and using an electrospray ion source (ESI), operated in the positive-ion mode. The ion pairs used for quantitative analysis were m/z 586.4 ⟶ 513.3 and m/z 595.5 ⟶ 514.3 for TGC and the IS, respectively. The range of the linear calibration curve obtained with this approach was 50–5000 ng/ml. Intra- and interbatch precision for TGC quantitation were less than 7.2%, and the accuracy ranged from 93.4 to 101.8%. The IS-normalized matrix effect was 87 to 104%. Due to its high precision and accuracy, this novel method allows for fast quantitation of TGC with a total analysis time of 2 min. This approach was effectively applied to study the pharmacokinetics of TGC in critically ill adult patients.

A Study on coupling Coefficients Between Adjacent Earth Systems

This paper proposes a calculation method and a measurement method of coupling coefficients between adjacent earth systems. We consider the different earth systems which are installed nearby. An abnormal current such as a power fault current flowing into one earth system may raise the potential of another earth system and damage the equipment connected to it. For this reason, it is necessary to make the earth potential rise between earth systems more clear. Therefore, we have derived a method for calculating the coupling coefficients between adjacent earth systems composed of complicated electrode arrangement. We applied the current superposition method for the calculation. We also propose two simple and accurate measurement methods of them. As a result of measuring the actual earth systems in the fields, it was confirmed that the calculated values and the measured values are in good agreement.

Fast and simple model generation for superjunction power MOSFETs

This paper describes a new way to create a behavioral model for power MOSFETs with highly nonlinear parasitic capacitances like those based on superjunction (SJ) principles. The process ranges from a simple measurement to the final model for SPICE simulations. One of the benefits of the proposed modeling technique is that it does not require any information about the voltage-dependent capacitances of the MOSFET from the data sheet but instead relies on a simple measurement method using a vector network analyzer. The measurement data can be used for modeling all parasitic capacitances and inductances in the SPICE model. Compared to existing simulation models by the manufacturer, the proposed model promises better convergence, more accurate high-frequency behavior and faster simulation time. The advantages and disadvantages of this modeling technique are discussed.

Temperature measurement of carbon dioxide using emission spectroscopy

This paper presents a relatively simple method for temperature measurement of hot carbon dioxide gas using an emission spectroscopy setup. The ν3 band emission at 4.3 µm is detected using an optical band-pass filter and a mercury cadmium telluride detector. A conversion methodology is introduced that calculates the detector voltage from the spectral radiance considering the spectral sensitivities of the optical components and the non-linear characteristics of the detector. Two radiation models, a line-by-line model and a random statistical narrow band model, are employed to calculate the spectral radiance at given flow conditions. Black body radiation is considered for radiance calculation for optically thick conditions. Temperatures under test conditions in a shock tube are determined using the proposed conversion methodology and are compared with the temperatures obtained from a computational fluid dynamics simulation. The accuracy and efficiency of the temperature measurement using the two radiation models and the black body curve are compared. It is confirmed that the proposed method is a reliable way to determine the temperature while using a relatively simple experimental setup. Detector voltages are presented for a wide range of temperature, pressure, and beam path length for applications under different test conditions.

Vibration measurement of a steel building with viscoelastic dampers using acceleration sensors

With the rapid development of sensor technology, wireless measurement systems are applied to various fields, such as safety monitoring and health evaluation of existing buildings. This study aims to develop a vibration measurement based on wireless acceleration sensors. This paper presents a simple response evaluation method of a steel structure with a stud-type damper composed of viscoelastic material and two steel columns. The series of measurements consists of micro-tremor measurements and seismic motion monitoring before and after seismic retrofitting. The changes in vibrational properties indicate the damping effect. To obtain the vibrational properties of the structure correctly, we investigated the natural frequency, deformation mode, and restoring force characteristics. The effectiveness of using a wireless system in the evaluation of existing buildings and the feasibility of the evaluation method can be obtained using the results of this experiment. Despite being the result of only one structure, this simple vibration measurement method's effectiveness is demonstrated.

Simple Measurement of Carbon Films on Copper Tubes and Their Effects on Corrosion

It has been reported that pitting corrosion in copper tubes occurs due to the effect of a carbon film produced by the influence of undergoing an oil and heat treatment. As a quantitative method for determining the residual carbon amount, it has been reported that the inner surface of a copper tube can be dissolved with a mixed acid to collect and analyze the adhering carbon; however, this method is dangerous and difficult. Therefore, two methods were examined as a simple quantitative method for obtaining the residual carbon amount using copper tubes with known residual carbon amounts. One method utilizes X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the other method utilizes the potential difference between the carbon film-adhered surface and carbon film-removed surface. In regard to XPS measurement, a linear correlation was found between the spectral intensity of C and the residual carbon amount; therefore, XPS measurements were considered to be effective as a simple measurement method for the carbon film on the inner surface of a copper tube. In the evaluation method by measuring the corrosion potential, a correlation was observed between the potential difference ΔE and the residual carbon amount of the inner surface of the tube and the outer surface of the polished tube. It is considered possible to estimate the residual carbon amount from the prepared calibration curve. Through these studies, it is suggested that the carbon film was non-uniformly present on the surface of the copper tube. Therefore, the galvanic current was measured, and the effect of a non-uniform carbon film on corrosion behavior was investigated. As a result, in the measurement of galvanic current, the current flowed from the copper tube with a large amount of residual carbon (cathode) to the copper tube with a small amount of residual carbon (anode). In addition, the higher the area ratio of the carbon film was, the larger the galvanic current tended to be.

Proton-induced X-ray emission analysis of the Chinese yam

The Chinese yam is a major component of the Japanese diet consumed in raw and cooked form. It is important to determine the nutrient contents of yam, which contains high potassium levels; a simple measurement method is required. We performed proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analysis of fully grown and immature yams. Analysis of the yam trunk, skin, and hair roots revealed that the skin potassium concentration was 10-fold higher than that of the trunk; consumption of the skin is thus recommended. Longitudinal measurements of mineral concentrations in a growing yam revealed that the concentrations increased in the growth direction.

A rapid and simple measurement method for biofilm formation inhibitory activity using 96-pin microtiter plate lids.

The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid and simple measurement method for biofilm formation inhibitory activity, and to screen food additives and foodstuffs that inhibit biofilm formation. The measurement method for biofilm formation inhibitory activity was developed by combining biofilm formation on pins of microtiter plate lids and staining using crystal violet. The optimum conditions for biofilm formation on the pins were established for seven Gram-positive and six Gram-negative bacteria by investigations of media, incubation time, and pin materials. Minimum concentrations of food additives required to inhibit biofilm formation were determined using the proposed method. The values obtained by the proposed and conventional methods agreed well. In addition, by sequential measurements of minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations using the proposed method, mechanisms of inhibition of biofilm formation were assessed. Furthermore, inhibitory activities of the water extracts of 498 different plant foodstuffs on biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans were measured; five of the extracts showed potent inhibitory activities. The method proposed here circumvents the tedious and time-consuming conventional method in which biofilms are cultivated on the bottom of wells of microtiter plates.