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Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy is a continuously growing approach to stimulating healing and reducing inflammation and pain. However, its effects in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering are still under investigation. Studying PBM effects on the regenerative capacity of zebrafish can allow the application of novel clinical approaches where the impact of PBM will be cross‐linked with the stem‐cell therapeutic approaches. This study was done to establish an in‐vivo experimental setup for studying the effects of laser and ultraviolet therapy on zebrafish caudal‐fin regeneration and vascularization. Thirty zebrafish were randomly and equally allocated into three groups. The caudal‐fins of all zebrafish were amputated under anaesthesia. In the first control group, the caudal‐fin was only monitored until fully regenerated. In the second group, the amputated‐fin was irradiated with ultraviolet. Finally, in the third group, the amputated‐fin was irradiated with laser. Caudal‐fin regeneration and vascularization were assessed at days 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 in all fish. In terms of regeneration, the results indicated that it is possible to discriminate the regenerative effect of laser with the experimental setup as laser therapy showed a statistically significant difference when compared to control‐group. It was also found that regenerative stimulation of the group that received ultraviolet therapy showed significant difference when compared to the control group. In terms of vascularization, there was a statistically significant difference in all groups of the study, which may suggest that laser as well as ultraviolet have limited effects in terms of improving vascularization. This study presented a novel, simple and inexpensive method for the assessment of PBM effects on zebrafish. Laser and ultraviolet therapy appeared to act as regenerative stimulators for caudal‐fin regeneration of zebrafish. However, laser therapy results were, to some extent, better than ultraviolet therapy. This novel in‐vivo design of the experiment led to more rapid and reproducible results than in‐vitro experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plant‐Based Milk (PBM) alternatives have been a hype recently, drawing the high focus of investors, developers, and researchers. However, despite this surge in interest, the market size and potential of these products remain unclear. While several studies explored consumer perspectives on these alternatives, the variability in findings remains poorly understood. This systematic review aims to investigate consumer perceptions of PBM and to identify the factors associated with higher acceptance. Adhering to the PRISMA‐P methodology, searches on two major databases – Scopus and Web of Science – were conducted. Research papers published between 2019 and 2024 were screened to capture the most recent insights, resulting in thirty‐one articles. Among these studies, 71% were surveys, 50% were conducted in Europe and 46% in America. Additionally, 78% of the studies had a sample size of 500 participants or fewer, 71% assessed the perception of PBM alternative in general, while equally, 12.9% focused on soy‐based milk and 12.9% on coconut‐based milk. Overall, the studies evaluated preference for PBM over dairy milk, motives for consumption and other relevant factors. The research describes the socio‐demographic criteria associated with the high adoption rates of these products, the reasons for choosing dairy substitutes (such as curiosity, health benefits, or social influence), and the perceived advantages and barriers to their use. The expected outcomes of this study can provide valuable insights for designing effective marketing strategies for PBM and fostering the development of sustainable and healthy food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indicators are important tools that help monitor and assess sustainability, providing crucial information for public management. This study aimed to analyze the behavior of municipalities in eastern amazon (State of Pará), through sustainability indicators that cover social, economic, environmental and basic sanitation dimensions, applying the statistical method of multivariate analysis. For the selection of indicators, a checklist of academic papers on sustainability was carried out. For the composition of the clusters, the Ward method was applied. To validate the number of groups, the Pakhira‐Bandyopadhyay‐Maulik (PBM) index was used, obtaining 2 groups for the sanitation and general dimensions, 3 for environmental and social and 7 groups for economic. In this study, it was possible to demonstrate that several municipalities have deficiencies related to access to water supply and mainly sewage collection and treatment, causing various consequences for the population, as they do not comply with the commitments of the Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three‐dimensional numerical simulation of gas–liquid flow in bubble columns was realized by using the computation fluid dynamics (CFD)–population balance model (PBM). The new drag model improves the stability‐constrained multi‐fluid (SCMF‐C) model because of the consideration of the wake accelerating and the hindering effects for calculating the drag correction factor. The gas holdup, axial liquid velocity, and bubble size distribution (BSD) predicted by four drag models at 0.02 and 0.1 m/s were compared. The results revealed that the proposed drag model can provide excellent predictions for both bubbly and heterogeneous flows. Because the wake accelerating and the hindering effects were considered, reliable predictions were achieved for the gas holdup, and the problem of uniform gas holdup distribution was mitigated. Therefore, the SCMF‐C model can be extended for nonuniform BSD. The gas holdup and liquid velocity increased, and the nonuniformity of radial results became pronounced at 0.1 m/s. The profiles of four drag models were similar at a low height, whereas the difference between the simulations of the four models became obvious with the variation of heights. The results of the four models were accurate, and the BSD was wide at 0.1 m/s. Subsequently, the feasibility of the four drag models was evaluated at 0.2 and 0.4 m/s. The results of the comparison revealed that the proposed drag model exhibited excellent feasibility at higher gas velocities and was powerful for the simulation of bubble columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the software Fluent, computational fluid dynamic simulations of bubble column flows were carried out in a 3D, unsteady, Euler‐Euler framework, combined with a population balance model (PBM), and discussed in connection with laboratory‐scale bubble columns, with special attention to two‐phase turbulent modalities (TPTMs) representing gas‐liquid turbulent interaction. Based on both time‐averaged and instantaneous characteristics of the flow fields, including four typical modalities (single‐phase, single‐phase and bubble‐induced turbulence (BIT), mixture, and per‐phase) and two rare modalities (mixture‐and‐BIT, and per‐phase‐and‐BIT), overall, six different TPTMs were comprehensively investigated. The results reveal that the single‐phase‐and‐BIT modality is suitable for simulating bubble column flows. However, the utilities of the single‐phase and per‐phase modalities are highly consistent, and it is recommended to use them with BIT modification. Besides, the mixture modality is unique compared with the three other typical modalities, and can be used as an acceptable simplified approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stem cell transplantation has shown promising regenerative effects against neural injury, and photobiomodulation (PBM) can aid tissue recovery. This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) and laser alone or combined on spinal cord injury (SCI). The animals were divided into SCI, hUCMSCs, laser treatment (LASER) and combination treatment (hUCMSCs + LASER) groups. Cell‐enriched grafts of hUCMSCs (1 × 106 cells/ml) were injected at the site of antecedent trauma in SCI model rats. A 2 cm2 damaged area was irradiated with 630 nm laser at 100 mW/cm2 power for 20 min. Locomotion was evaluated using Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan (BBB) scores, and neurofilament repair were monitored by histological staining and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). First, after SCI, the motor function of each group was restored with different degrees, the combination treatment significantly increased the BBB scores compared to either monotherapy. In addition, Nissl bodies were more numerous, and the nerve fibers were longer and thicker in the combination treatment group. Consistent with this, the in situ expression of NF‐200 and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the damaged area was the highest in the combination treatment group. Finally, DTI showed that the combination therapy optimally improved neurofilament structure and arrangement. These results may show that the combination of PBM and hUCMSCs transplantation is a feasible strategy for reducing secondary damage and promoting functional recovery following SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid‐liquid two‐phase flow in a mixer of mixer‐settler has been studied via a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation combined with the population balance model (PBM) and verified with particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiments. The simulation was performed using the multiple reference frame (MRF) approach, the Eulerian‐Eulerian two‐fluid model, and the standard k‐ϵ model. The effects of impeller speed, flow ratio, and impeller type on flow field, droplet diameter, and dispersed phase holdup were investigated. The results showed that CFD simulation combined with PBM could predict droplet size distribution (DSD). The smaller droplets were mainly in the bottom region of the mixer, larger ones were in the top part of the mixer, and the largest droplets appeared in the impeller centre region. The DSD and holdup were more sensitive to impeller speed than to the organic/aqueous flow ratio. A dual‐impeller mixer configuration was designed to enhance the mixing performance. Compared with single‐impeller, the installation of dual‐impellers could effectively avoid the dispersed phase dead zone above the lower impeller. When hc /T = 0.3, the best dispersing effect, such as uniform DSD and high mixing chamber space utilization, could be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three‐phase Eulerian model incorporating slag‐steel interactions to predict the rate of hydrogen removal from molten steel in a full‐scale industrial vacuum arc degasser (VAD) has been developed. The interfacial area for hydrogen transfer is calculated using a bubble population balance model. This accounts for bubble growth due to changes in hydrostatic pressure as well as coalescence and breakup. The predicted velocity field and bubble distribution are compared with experimental data in the literature. The bubble size predictions under atmospheric pressure conditions are sensitive to the initial bubble size, while under vacuum conditions they are relatively independent of the initial size. The omission of the slag layer from the model results in a 12% increase in the hydrogen removal rate. Variation in the slag eye diameter as a function of argon flowrate is simulated and compared with empirical correlations in the literature. Hydrogen measurements from a full‐scale VAD unit at Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd. steelworks are compared to the model predictions for a series of melts of varying initial hydrogen content. Based on the initial hydrogen content of the liquid steel, the model predicts the amount of hydrogen removed to within ±20% of final experimental measurements obtained from the melt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Biological synthesis of platinum nanoparticles ( PtNPs) with Cacumen platycladi ( C. platycladi) in a microfluidic chip and numerical simulation of formation processes were studied. The effect of volumetric flow rate on PtNPs' size distribution was investigated in detail not only by experimental methods but also by means of numerical simulation. Computational fluid dynamics ( CFD) and a population balance model ( PBM) combined with reactive kinetics were employed to simulate PtNPs' formation and to calculate the particle size distributions ( PSD). RESULTS The experimental results confirmed the validity of the model and its practicality in predicting the formation of PtNPs and PSD evolution in the microfluidic chip. In addition, the numerical simulation results also tested and verified the accuracy of the results and conclusions acquired from the experiment. CONCLUSION It is concluded that PSD was influenced not only by mixing efficiency but also by residence time in the microfluidic chip, and that the two factors were determined by volumetric flow rate. There is a specific volumetric flow rate to achieve equilibrium (optimal mixing and residence time) that results in the average particle size reaching its maximum value. This work provides useful insight into the microfluidic biological synthesis of PtNPs and the influence of volumetric flow rate on size distribution in a microfluidic chip. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of several library search algorithms (against EI mass spectral databases) implemented in commercial software products (ACD/SPECDB, CHEMSTATION, GC/MS SOLUTION and MS SEARCH) was estimated. Test set contained 1000 mass spectra, which were randomly selected from NIST'08 (RepLib) mass spectral database. It was shown that composite (also known as identity) algorithm implemented in MS SEARCH (NIST) software gives statistically the best results: the correct compound occupied the first position in the list of possible candidates in 81% of cases; the correct compound was within the list of top ten candidates in 98% of cases. It was found that use of presearch option can lead to rejection of the correct answer from the list of possible candidates (therefore presearch option should not be used, if possible). Overall performance of library search algorithms was estimated using receiver operating characteristic curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a Population Balance Model (PBM) for a pharmaceutical granule drying process requires a continuous growth term; the latter actually represents the drying process as the moisture content is the internal coordinate of the PBM. To establish such a PBM, a complex drying model for a single granule needs reduction in complexity. The starting point is a detailed model that describes the drying behavior of single pharmaceutical granules. A Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) was performed to detect the most sensitive degrees of freedom in the model as these need to be retained in the reduced model. Simulations of the complex drying model were, in a next phase, used to develop the reduced model, which describes the decrease of the moisture content in function of the gas temperature. The developed reduced model was then included in a Population Balance Equation (PBE) to describe the drying behavior of a population of granules. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1127-1138, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) on upper molar intrusion movement, regarding acceleration of orthodontic movement and its molecular effects. The sample consisted of 30 patients with indication of tooth intrusion for oral rehabilitation. Teeth were divided into three different groups: G1 (n = 10) pre‐molars without force or laser application (control); G2 (n = 10) upper molar intrusion; and G3 (n = 10) upper molar intrusion and PBM. On PBM treated molars, the teeth were irradiated with a low‐power diode laser (808 nm, 100 mW), receiving 1 J per point, density of 25 J/cm2, with application of 10 s per point, 10 points (5 per vestibular and 5 per palatal region). Orthodontic force of intrusion applied every 30 days and PBM was performed immediately, 3 and 7 days after force application for 3 months. Gingival crevicular fluid was collected at the same time periods as the laser applications and interleukins (IL) 1‐β, ‐6 and ‐8 were evaluated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical measures were performed monthly to verify the amount of intrusion. The levels of IL‐6, IL‐8 and IL‐1β increased under orthodontic force (G2 and G3) when compared to control group (G1), however, the cytokines levels were significantly higher after PBM (G3). The mean intrusion velocity was 0.26 mm/month in the irradiated group (G3), average duration of 8 months vs 0.17 mm/month for the non‐irradiated group (G2), average duration of 12 months. This study suggests that PBM accelerates tooth movement during molar intrusion, due to modulation of IL‐6, IL‐8 and IL‐1β during bone remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]