Small Fluid Research Articles

The reactor-based perspective on finite-rate chemistry in turbulent reacting flows: A review from traditional to low-emission combustion

In flames, turbulence can either limit or enhance combustion efficiency by means of strain and mixing. The interactions between turbulent motions and chemistry are crucial to the behaviour of combustion processes. In particular, it is essential to correctly capture non-equilibrium phenomena such as localised ignition and extinction to faithfully predict pollutant formation. Reactor-based combustion models — such as the Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC) or Partially Stirred Reactor (PaSR) — may account for turbulence-chemistry interactions at an affordable computational cost by calculating combustion rates relying upon canonical reactors of small fluid size and timescale. The models may include multiscale mixing, detailed chemical kinetic schemes and high-fidelity multispecies diffusion treatments. Although originally derived for conventional, highly turbulent combustion, numerous recent efforts have sought to generalise beyond simple empirical correlations using more sophisticated relationships. More recent models incorporate the estimation of scales based on local variables such as turbulent Reynolds and Damköhler numbers, phenomenological descriptions of turbulence based on fractal theory or specific events such as extinction. These modifications significantly broaden the effective range of operating conditions and combustion regimes these models can be applied to, as in the particular case of Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion. MILD combustion is renown for its ability to deliver appealing features such as abated pollutant emissions, elevated thermal efficiency and fuel flexibility. This review describes the development and current state-of-the-art in finite-rate, reactor-based combustion approaches. Recently investigated model improvements and adaptations will be discussed, with specific focus on the MILD combustion regime. Finally, to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale canonical burners and industrial combustion systems, the current directions and the future outlook for development are discussed.

In vitro prebiotic function of oligosaccharides from Schizophyllum commune and its sulfated derivatives

Beta-1,3-glucans have been identified as effective prebiotics. However, their high molecular weight and low water solubility often limit their utilization efficiency by intestinal microbes. In this study, we aimed to address this issue by performing co-culture of Schizophyllum commune and Trichoderma harzianum to produce S. commune oligosaccharide (ScOG) with branched chain structures. Additionally, we obtained its sulfated derivatives (S-ScOG) through the sulfur trioxide-pyridine method and the sulfated curdlan oligosaccharides (S-COS) was used as control. Our findings indicate that both ScOG and S-ScOG demonstrated strong resistance to digestion by saliva, gastric juice, and small intestinal fluid. Moreover, S-COS and S-ScOG exhibited superior scavenging ability for DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. In vitro fermentation of ScOG and its derivatives with healthy human fecal microbiota showed that ScOG increased the abundance of Lactobacillus, while S-ScOG enriched the populations of Bacteroides and butyric acid-producing bacteria compared to the blank group. Notably, S-COS and S-ScOG increased the abundance of Bifidobacteria, and S-ScOG was particularly effective in maintaining microbial community diversity. Furthermore, both S-COS and S-ScOG were easily utilized by intestinal microbiota and significantly enhanced the production of short-chain fatty acids. Overall, ScOG has good prebiotic potential and that sulfation modification can effectively enhance its prebiotic effects.

The role of stress and fluid saturation on the acoustic response of fractured rock

Standard rock physics models are formulated to describe the behavior of porous sedimentary reservoirs, with clean sandstones being the archetypal system; however, many situations demand geophysical monitoring of rocks with significantly different structures, such as low porosity, fractured reservoirs. Conventional models also suggest that these “stiff” reservoirs can be challenging to monitor seismically due to small fluid substitution effects, but the presence of fractures leads to stress dependence which may be leveraged for remote monitoring purposes. Using samples from the Duperow Formation (dolostone) obtained from the Danielson test well in Kevin Dome, MT, we conducted ultrasonic and multi-scale structural (profilometry, synchrotron micro-tomography, pressure sensitive film) measurements on naturally fractured core in order to characterize the effects of fluid substitution and effective stress on the acoustic response of fractured reservoir rock with a focus in particular on the textural and seismic characteristics of natural fractures. We find that changes in effective stress can yield changes in velocity of up to 20% and changes in attenuation up to 200%. Measured fluid substitution effects are resolvable, but stress effects dominate. These measurements provide insight into the physical processes controlling acoustic response of fractured rocks in general and can also be used to inform monitoring efforts in fractured reservoirs.

Computational and experimental investigations of a microfluidic mixer for efficient iodine extraction using carbon tetrachloride enhanced with gas bubbles

Numerous studies have been conducted on microfluidic mixers in various microanalysis systems, which elucidated the manipulation and control of small fluid volumes within microfluidic chips. These studies have demonstrated the ability to control fluids and samples precisely at the microscale. Microfluidic mixers provide high sensitivity for biochemical analysis due to their small volumes and high surface-to-volume ratios. A promising approach in drug delivery is the rapid microfluidic mixer-based extraction of elemental iodine at the micro level, demonstrating the versatility and the potential to enhance diagnostic imaging and accuracy in targeted drug delivery. Micro-mixing inside microfluidic chips plays a key role in biochemical analysis. The experimental study describes a microfluidic mixer for extraction of elemental iodine using carbon tetrachloride with a gas bubble mixing process. Gas bubbles are generated inside the microcavity to create turbulence and micro-vortices resulting in uniform mixing of samples. The bubble mixing of biochemical samples is analyzed at various pressure levels to validate the simulated results in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The experimental setup includes a high-resolution camera and an air pump to observe the mixing process and volume at different pressure levels with time. The bubble formation is controlled by adjusting the inert gas flow inside the microfluidic chip. Microfluidic chip-based gas bubble mixing effects have been elaborated at various supplied pressures.

Matrine Targets Intestinal Lactobacillus acidophilus to Inhibit Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Infection in Mice.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) has caused huge economic losses to the pig industry across the world. Matrine is a natural compound that has been shown to regulate intestinal flora and has anti-PCV2 activity in mouse models. PCV2 infection can lead to changes in intestinal flora. The intestinal flora has proved to be one of the important pharmacological targets of the active components of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This study aimed to determine whether matrine exerts anti-PCV2 effects by regulating intestinal flora. In this study, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was used to evaluate the effect of matrine on the intestinal flora of PCV2-infected Kunming (KM) mice. The expression of the Cap gene in the liver and the ileum, the relative expression of IL-1β mRNA, and the Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) gene in the ileum of mice were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). ELISA was used to analyze the content of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in small intestinal fluid. L. acidophilus was isolated and identified from the feces of KM mice in order to study its anti-PCV2 effect in vivo. The expression of the Cap gene in the liver and the ileum and the relative expression of L. acidophilus and IL-1β mRNA in the ileum were determined by qPCR. The results showed that matrine could reduce the relative expression of IL-1β mRNA by regulating intestinal flora, and that its pharmacological anti-PCV2 and effect may be related to L. acidophilus. L. acidophilus was successfully isolated and identified from the feces of KM mice. The in vivo experiment revealed that administration of L. acidophilus also reduced the relative expression of IL-1β mRNA, and that it had anti-PCV2 effects in PCV2-infected mice. It was found that matrine could regulate the abundance of L. acidophilus in the gut of mice to exert an anti-PCV2 effect and inhibit PCV2-induced inflammatory response.

A Miniaturized Archimedean Screw Pump for High-Viscosity Fluid Pumping in Microfluidics.

Microfluidic devices have revolutionized the field of lab-on-a-chip by enabling precise manipulation of small fluid volumes for various biomedical applications. However, most existing microfluidic pumps struggle to handle high-viscosity fluids, limiting their applicability in certain areas that involve bioanalysis and on-chip sample processing. In this paper, the design and fabrication of a miniaturized Archimedean screw pump for pumping high-viscosity fluids within microfluidic channels are presented. The pump was 3D-printed and operated vertically, allowing for continuous and directional fluid pumping. The pump's capabilities were demonstrated by successfully pumping polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions that are over 100 times more viscous than water using a basic mini-DC motor. Efficient fluid manipulation at low voltages was achieved by the pump, making it suitable for point-of-care and field applications. The flow rates of water were characterized, and the effect of different screw pitch lengths on the flow rate was investigated. Additionally, the pump's capacity for pumping high-viscosity fluids was demonstrated by testing it with PEG solutions of increasing viscosity. The microfluidic pump's simple fabrication and easy operation position it as a promising candidate for lab-on-a-chip applications involving high-viscosity fluids.

Activation of the Complement and Coagulation Systems in the Small Airways in Asthma

Background: Several studies have shown the importance of the complement and coagulation systems in the pathogenesis of asthma. Objectives: We explored whether we could detect differentially abundant complement and coagulation proteins in the samples obtained from the small airway lining fluid by collection of exhaled particles in patients with asthma and whether these proteins are associated with small airway dysfunction and asthma control. Method: Exhaled particles were obtained from 20 subjects with asthma and 10 healthy controls (HC) with the PExA method and analysed with the SOMAscan proteomics platform. Lung function was assessed by nitrogen multiple breath washout test and spirometry. Results: 53 proteins associated with the complement and coagulation systems were included in the analysis. Nine of those proteins were differentially abundant in subjects with asthma as compared to HC, and C3 was significantly higher in inadequately controlled asthma as compared to well-controlled asthma. Several proteins were associated with physiological tests assessing small airways. Conclusions: The study highlights the role of the local activation of the complement and coagulation systems in the small airway lining fluid in asthma and their association with both asthma control and small airway dysfunction. The findings highlight the potential of complement factors as biomarkers to identify different sub-groups among patients with asthma that could potentially benefit from a therapeutic approach targeting the complement system.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Oil-Water Batch Transport in a Pumpless Virtual Flow Loop

Summary Batch transportation of oil and water is a new transportation method in oil and gas gathering and transportation pipelines. Its corrosion inhibition effect has been preliminarily verified in a horizontal pipe experiment. However, achieving overall visualization in traditional loops is difficult, resulting in limited flow pattern classification and analysis of influencing factors. Combining the advantages of the traditional flow loop and the wheel flow loop, we introduce in this paper a round-head straight pipe loop and analyze the influence of key factors on the evolution of the flow pattern of the oil-water interface and the dimensionless length of the oil-water film (L~o, L~w) on the pipe wall through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation. The results show that the batch transportation of oil and water using the round-head straight pipe loop is more in line with the flow characteristics of oil and water two-phase flow in gathering pipelines. Three distinct three-layered flow patterns were identified, which are Flow Pattern I (oil-in-water in the upper layer, annular flow in the middle layer, and oil as the annular phase, water as the core phase, and oil-in-water in the lower layer, abbreviated as DW/O-AN-DW/O), Flow Pattern II (oil phase in the upper layer, annular flow in the middle layer, water as the annular phase, oil as the core phase, and oil in the lower layer, abbreviated as O-AN-O), and Flow Pattern III (oil phase in the upper layer, water-in-oil dispersion flow in the middle layer, and oil in the lower layer, abbreviated as O-DO/W-O). Additionally, parametric analysis reveals that the velocity of the rigid body (ν) has the greatest influence on the coverage rate of the oil film on the pipe wall, followed by the viscosity of crude oil. The density of crude oil has the least influence. The round-head straight pipe loop model offers an accurate simulation of the process of oil and water batch transportation in actual production pipelines. Therefore, the corrosion mitigation efficiency increases with the increase in oil viscosity when the viscosity of the oil lies within the range of 0.01–1 Pa·s. This increase is due to the formation of a more stable oil film on the pipe wall at higher viscosities. When the speed of the rigid body ranges from 0.5 to 1 m/s, due to the small fluid velocity, the erosion effect on the oil film on the pipe wall is relatively small, and the corrosion mitigation efficiency remains stable within a wide range.

Design and Analysis of Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger Efficiency

The heat pipe has a high thermal conductivity, and its basic working principle is to transfer heat through evaporation and condensation through the working medium inside the pipe. Heat pipe has good thermal conductivity, isotherm and other characteristics, and the heat transfer area at both ends can be changed at will, control the temperature and other advantages. Therefore, the heat pipe heat exchanger has the advantages of high heat transfer efficiency, compact structure, small fluid resistance loss, and beneficial to control dew point corrosion. At present, it has been widely used in metallurgy, chemical industry, oil refining, boiler, ceramics, transportation, light textile, machinery and other industries, as energy saving equipment for waste heat recovery and heat energy utilization in the process, and has achieved remarkable economic benefits. The design of the heat pipe heat exchanger on the development of the current situation, development trend, application, design principle and design process of a simple description, while focusing on the discussion of the heat pipe heat exchanger design process. The main content of the heat exchanger thermodynamic calculation, structural design and material selection. The model of heat pipe heat exchanger is established according to the actual situation and the calculated data.

Evaluation of probiotic properties of Levilactobacillus brevis isolated from hawthorn vinegar.

Probiotic microorganisms are increasing their interest today due to the benefits they provide to humans. Vinegar is the process of processing foods containing carbohydrates that can be fermented by acetic acid bacteria and yeasts. Hawthorn vinegar is also important in terms of amino acids, aromatic compounds, organic acids, vitamins and minerals it contains. Depending on the variety of microorganisms in it, the content of hawthorn vinegar changes, especially its biological activity. Bacteria were isolated from handmade hawthorn vinegar obtained in this study. After performing its genotypic characterization, it has been tested that it can grow in low pH environment, survive in artificial gastric and small intestinal fluid, survive against bile acids, surface adhesion characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility, adhesion, and degrade various cholesterol precursors. According to the results obtained, the studied isolate is Levilactobacillus brevis, it can reproduce best at pH 6.3, survives 72.22% in simulated gastric juice, 69.59% in small intestinal fluid, and 97% adhesion to HTC-116. Partially reproduces even in the presence of 2% ox-bile, surface hydrophobicity is 46.29% for n-hexadecane. It has been determined that it can degrade 4 different cholesterol precursors except for Sodium thioglycolate and is generally resistant to antibiotics except for CN30 and N30. Considering the experimental findings of Levilactobacillus brevis isolated from hawthorn vinegar for the first time, it can be said that Levilactobacillus brevis has probiotic properties.

A fully coupled thermo-poro-elastic model predicting the stability of wellbore in deep-sea drilling. Part B: Sensitivity analysis

A good understanding of the mechanical behavior around the wellbore is important for predicting wellbore stability in deep-sea drilling (DSD) for oil and gas production. In Part A of the companion papers, a fully coupled thermo-poro-elastic (THM) model has been developed by combining fluid circulation in the wellbore and rock deformation in the reservoir to predict the mechanical behaviors of a wellbore/reservoir system during DSD, and the analytical solution is obtained in Laplace space. In this paper, a comparison is made first to show the difference between land drilling (LD) and DSD. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to study the effect of different parameters, i.e. drilling depth, rock permeability, density and injection rate of drilling fluid, on the mechanical behaviors of wellbore/reservoir system. The results show that (1) The injection rate plays a dominant role in affecting the BHT. In the case studied, the BHT decreases by around 9 °C when the injection rate increases by 4 kg/s (3.64 × 10−3 m3/s). This will lead to a large temperature decrease after long time circulation. The injection rate does not have a significant effect on the pressure evolution; (2) Due to existence of the geothermal gradient, when the drilling depth varies, the change of temperature and pressure in the rock formation is approximately linearly proportional to the change in the drilling depth. The larger the drilling depth is, the larger the absolute value of the displacement and failure risk at the wellbore; (3) When the rock permeability varies from k = 4 × 10−8 D to 4 × 10−5 D, the hoop stress and failure index (FI) distribution change at small time; (4) Too large and too small fluid densities may cause wellbore instability; (5) The DSD model is degenerated into the LD model when the depth of seawater approaches 0 m. The difference in the temperature and pressure changes between the two models are relatively small. While the magnitude of radial and hoop stresses in LD is larger than that in DSD due to the in-situ stress fields and the failure index in LD is lower than that in DSD around the wellbore, but larger in the far field.

Evaluation of Propellant/Stimgun Stimulation Works Using Geomechanical Analysis Based on Well Logging Data in an Effort to Increase Production at the EYP-211 YNK Structure Well in the Jambi Field

The oil production flow rate of the EYP-211 well is relatively small, only 12.75 BOPD. The small fluid flow rate is caused by the small formation permeability which is only 2.1 mD. Currently the EYP-211 well has been stimulated with Propellant/Stimgun, but not all of the formation layers can be carried out by Stimgun work so that it is necessary to evaluate it with Geomechanical analysis to determine the success of the stimulation work by calculating the Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus which will be analyzed based on well-logging data.Based on the results of the brittleness index and fracability index analysis, the EYP-211 well is recommended to be stimulated at a depth of 632.92 m to 635.46 m. Stimgun work on the EYP-211 well resulted in a fracture with an average fracture width of 0.02035 in, a fracture height of 9.81 ft and a fracture length of 481.09 ft. The formation permeability increased from 2.1 mD to 14.07 mD due to fractures produced by the stimulus. The flow rate of oil production in the EYP-211 well increased from 12.75 bopd to 140 bopd due to the increased permeability generated by the fracture.

Characterization of Aspirated Duodenal Fluids from Parkinson's Disease Patients.

Parkinson's disease, one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, may not only affect the motor system, but also the physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. Delayed gastric emptying, impaired motility and altered intestinal bacteria are well-established consequences of the disease, which can have a pronounced effect on the absorption of orally administered drugs. In contrast, no studies have been performed into the composition of intestinal fluids. It is not unlikely that Parkinson's disease also affects the composition of intestinal fluids, a critical factor in the in vitro and in silico simulation of drug dissolution, solubilization and absorption. In the current study, duodenal fluids were aspirated from Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and age-matched healthy controls (healthy controls, HC) consecutively in fasted and fed conditions. The fluids were then characterized for pH, buffer capacity, osmolality, total protein, phospholipids, bile salts, cholesterol and lipids. In a fasted state, the intestinal fluid composition was highly similar in PD patients and healthy controls. In general, the same was true for fed-state fluids, apart from a slightly slower and less pronounced initial change in factors directly affected by the meal (i.e., buffer capacity, osmolality, total protein and lipids) in PD patients. The absence of a fast initial increase for these factors immediately after meal intake, as was observed in healthy controls, might result from slower gastric emptying in PD patients. Irrespective of the prandial state, a higher relative amount of secondary bile salts was observed in PD patients, potentially indicating altered intestinal bacterial metabolism. Overall, the data from this study indicate that only minor disease-specific adjustments in small intestinal fluid composition should be considered when simulating intestinal drug absorption in PD patients.

Designing a novel microfluidic sensor based on Cu(OH)2/Ni(OH)2 core–shell nanostructural arrays on the surface of SPCE as a flow injection amperometric sensor for regular insulin measurement

Herein, a novel microfluidic sensor with a small size and low dialysis fluid consumption is designed for continuous insulin measurement. The sensor is based on core–shell nanostructures consisting of Ni(OH)2 layers shelled on Cu(OH)2 nanowires which grow on screen-printed carbon electrode (Ni(OH)2/Cu(OH)2@SPCE), which is created through a simple three-step in situ technique. As a result, the sensor illustrated good electron transfer, suitable active surface area, and acceptable electrocatalytic performances. The proposed microfluidic system, including a fluid channel with a depth of about 60 μm, a modified SPCE underneath, and the experiments were carried out pumping the dialysis fluid at the flow rate of 0.3 ml min−1. It resulted in satisfactory reproducibility and acceptable repeatability with a good concentration range of 10–110 pM, considered as an appropriate candidate for practical application due to its little fluid consumption and small channel size.

Numerical modeling and quantification of droplet mixing using mechanowetting

Capillary forces are often found in nature to drive fluid flow, and methods have been developed aimed to exploiting these forces in microfluidic systems to move droplets or mix droplet contents. Mixing of small fluid volumes, however, is challenging due to the laminar nature of the flow. Here, we show that mechanowetting, i.e., the capillary interaction between droplets and deforming surfaces, can effectively mix droplet contents. By concentrically actuating the droplet, vortex-like flow patterns are generated that promote effective mixing. To quantify the degree of mixing, we introduce two strategies that are able to determine mixer performance independent of the initial solute distribution within a droplet, represented by single scalars derived from a matrix-based method. We compare these strategies to existing measures and demonstrate the full decoupling from the initial condition. Our results can be used to design efficient mixers, featuring mechanowetting as a new enabling technology for future droplet mixers.

Inertial and viscous dynamics of jump-to-contact between fluid drops under van der Waals attraction

When two small fluid drops are sufficiently close, the van der Waals force overcomes surface tension and deforms the surfaces into contact, initiating coalescence. The dynamics of surface deformation across an inviscid gap falls into two distinct regimes (Stokes and inertial–viscous) characterized by the forces that balance the van der Waals attraction at leading order (viscosity, and both inertia and viscosity). The previously studied Stokes regime holds for very viscous drops but fails for less viscous drops as inertia becomes significant before contact is reached. We show that the subsequent inertial–viscous dynamics is self-similar as contact is approached, with the gap width decreasing as $t{'^{3/8}}$ and the radial scale of the deformed region decreasing as $t{'^{1/2}}$ as $t{'}\to 0$ , for time until contact $t'$ . The self-similar behaviour is universal and is the generic asymptotic behaviour observed in time-dependent simulations. The unique self-similar gap profile of the inertial–viscous regime suggests new initial conditions for the coalescence of the drops after contact.

A Numerical Investigation of Sloshing in a 3D Prismatic Tank with Various Baffle Types, Filling Rates, Input Amplitudes and Liquid Materials

Partially filled liquid-carrying tanks have been used in many engineering applications, such as ships, vehicle fuel tanks, rockets, and drink or petroleum tankers. Liquid sloshing is an exciting phenomenon that researchers are investigating because of its complex behavior specifications. In this study, the sloshing responses of a prismatic tank with the approximate volume of an automobile fuel tank under different laterally harmonic excitation amplitudes, baffle structures, filling rates, and different types of liquid were investigated numerically. The computational fluid dynamics method (CFD) was used to solve fluid dynamics equations, and the volume of fluid method was applied to simulate two-phase flow in the tank. A validation study was performed by a literature study. Later, the effect of large and small excitation amplitudes, filling rates and fluid types on sloshing behavior were investigated and comparatively analyzed in the tank system with various baffle types.

Numerical and experimental study of convergent integral embedded magnetic fluid seal

To enhance the pressure resistance of small clearance magnetic fluid seals, a new convergent integral embedded magnetic fluid seal (CIEMFS) structure was proposed. The magnetic field distributions in the radial sealing clearance and axial sealing clearance were studied, and the theoretical pressure resistance capability values were obtained. The effects of magnetic fluid injection volumes, pole tooth (PT) heights and sealing clearance on the pressure resistance capability of the CIEMFS were experimentally investigated and compared with that of the ordinary magnetic fluid seal (OMFS). The results showed that the experimental pressure resistance capability of the CIEMFS was in good agreement with the theoretical pressure resistance, and both of them were better than the OMFS. The pressure resistance capability of the CIEMFS is not only affected by the radial sealing clearance but also limited by the axial seal clearance. The height of the pole tooth and the magnetic fluid (MF) injection volume will also have an impact on the pressure resistance capability, the higher the pole tooth, the higher the pressure resistance capability of the magnetic fluid sealing (MFS) structure. As the magnetic fluid injection volume increases, the pressure resistance capability of the CIEMFS increases and then plateaus.

Managing the adverse effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy at the level of primary healthcare

Background: Despite the increased incidence of cancer, more effective cancer drugs are being developed and cancer patient survival expectancy has been prolonged. Here, we discuss the contribution of primary healthcare clinics to managing the side effects of cytotoxic chemotherapy and provide a compilation of what is currently being used in this field.Current Concepts: Loperamide is recommended for active use when diarrhea occurs. In severe cases, octreotide can help control diarrhea by reducing small bowel fluid secretion. Mouthwash mixed with salt and sodium bicarbonate is helpful for controlling mucositis, and transdermal fentanyl patches can be used for severe pain. Limited evidence suggests that pilocarpine may be helpful for xerostomia. Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists, serotonin receptor antagonists, glucocorticoids, metoclopramide, and olanzapine are used for nausea and vomiting. Opioid-related constipation can be relieved without counteracting the analgesic effect of opioids via peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonists. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is recommended to treat neutropenic fever. In cases with neutropenia but no fever, the decision to use it should be based on the patient’s condition. Minoxidil can be used for hair loss, and scalp cooling can also be considered, but its practical applications are limited. Topical steroid ointments are used to treat hand-foot syndrome. Selective serotonin re uptake inhibitors are recommended for depression in cancer patients because they have little interaction with other drugs and are well tolerated.Discussion and Conclusion: Due to an increased cancer patient management burden and limited medical resources, primary healthcare practitioners should know these management strategies for cancer patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Curcumin and whey protein concentrate binding: Thermodynamic and structural approach

The molecular interaction between curcumin (CCM), and whey protein concentrate (WPC), was studied by using fluorescence measurements. The binding number (n), binding constant (KS) and thermodynamic parameters (ΔG0, ΔH0 and ΔS0) were determined at different temperatures and various pH values. Thermodynamic approach revealed the highest stability of the 1CCM-1WPC complex in acidic medium (e.g., stomach fluid of pH 1.5), decreasing at alkaline pH (e.g., small intestine fluid of pH 7.4 to 8.0). The CCM-WPC complex as spray-dried powder was further investigated by XRD, FTIR and AFM imaging. X-ray powder diffractions show that due to the chemical interaction between CCM and WPC a new amorphous compound is formed. FTIR spectra give strong evidence for the interaction of CCM with WPC and the formation of this CCM-WPC complex. AFM images revealed the nanostructure of CCM, WPC, and of the CCM-WPC complex. Docking studies revealed hydrophobic interactions between CCM and WPC, in agreement with entropic driven formation of this 1CCM-1WPC complex leading to a better understanding of binding mechanism between these components. Therefore, this work confirmed that the WPC is a promising carrier for CCM. Lastly, the development of the 35CCM-1WPC complex, characterized by XRD, FTIR and AFM, is potentially leading to natural and safe functional foods through incorporation, distribution and high stability of these bioactive compounds jointly enhancing their biological effects for human health benefits.