Search Results (5)

Background: Continuous rise of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) global prevalence, has led to a subsequent increase in the prevalence of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). DKD is associated with higher levels of inflammation and impaired kidney function. Many patients do not receive adequate treatment for this condition. This research aims to evaluate the therapeutic impact of autologous dendritic cell transfer by examining its effects on renal microstructural changes as assessed through Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) MRI, alongside the analysis of key inflammatory biomarkers, namely Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Methods: A clinical trial with an open-label design was performed with 25 DKD patients receiving outpatient care at Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital. Each participant was administered a single injection of autologous dendritic cells. Evaluations were conducted both prior to and one month following the treatment. The primary measurements included Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) MRI-derived Fractional Anisotropy (FA) scans and the inflammatory biomarker MMP-9. Results: A notable increase in FA was observed, rising from 242.57 ± 63.97 at baseline to 305.61 ± 152.32 one month after the dendritic cell injection. However, there were no significant changes in MMP-9 and ICAM-1 levels. Additionally, a negative correlation was found between FA and MMP-9 (r = −0.324, p = 0.025). Conclusion: The transfer of autologous dendritic cells significantly enhanced FA, which correlates with a reduction in the inflammatory biomarker MMP-9, suggesting a potential impact on renal repair in DKD. Full article

Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a significant risk factor for End-Stage Renal Disease, with a high global incidence and mortality rate. Hyperglycemia in DKD induces inflammation, contributing to glomerular hyperfiltration, fibrosis, and impaired renal function. Current therapies, including SGLT2 inhibitors, ACE inhibitors, and ARBs, show limited efficacy. Autologous dendritic cells (DCs) offer potential anti-inflammatory effects by reducing cytokine activity and fibrosis biomarkers. Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–post-test design was conducted involving 29 DKD patients. Baseline blood and urine samples were collected for MMP-9, TGF-β, and Doppler ultrasound (PSV, EDV) measurements. The subjects received subcutaneous injections of autologous DCs, and follow-up measurements were conducted four weeks after treatment. The statistical analyses included paired t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and linear regression. Results: After treatment, there were a significant decrease in PSV (from 47.1 ± 23.87 cm/s to 27.85 ± 20.53 cm/s, p = 0.044) and a significant increase in EDV (from 13 ± 5.32 cm/s to 15.7 ± 12.55 cm/s, p = 0.039). A strong correlation was observed between the TGF-β and MMP-9 levels (p = 0.001). Linear regression analysis showed reduced MMP-9 influence on the TGF-β after treatment, suggesting potential fibrosis reduction. Gender and UACR subgroup analyses revealed significant PSV and EDV improvements in females and the microalbuminuria group. Conclusion: Autologous dendritic cell therapy significantly improved renal hemodynamics and showed potential to reduce fibrosis by modulating TGF-β and MMP-9 levels in DKD patients, warranting further investigation. Full article

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health challenge with a severe health burden. Approximately 40% of diabetic patients develop diabetic kidney disease (DKD), leading to kidney failure. Autologous dendritic cell therapy may enhance renal function by modulating vascular markers. Methods: Involving 35 patients, this quasi-experimental study assessed the pulsatility index (PI), resistive index (RI), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and endothelin levels before and four weeks following autologous dendritic cell administration. Results: A significant reduction in median PI was found from 1.61 ± 0.63 to 1.21 ± 0.26 (p < 0.001). The increase in mean RI was insignificant from 0.74 ± 0.07 to 0.75 ± 0.06 (p = 0.17). The median VEGF showed a slight reduction from 522.10 ± 608.6 to 473.70 ± 550 (p = 0.589) and endothelin from 1.74 ± 0.71 to 1.63 ± 0.76 (p = 0.554). Conclusions: This study shows that autologous dendritic cell therapy may improve kidney perfusion in DKD patients, indicated by a significant reduction in the PI. These findings suggest potential therapeutic benefits for renal perfusion in DKD. Full article

Recycling of waste plastics has become vital due to the threat to the environment the huge piles of those wastes represent, with research revealing High-Density Polyethylene (HDPEs) as the most dominant waste plastics. Because of their dominance and significant environmental impact, this paper reports the economic potential of recycling HDPE waste plastic into liquid fuels via pyrolysis. A risk and benefit assessment are presented to highlight whether the process has reasonable potential prior to the analysis of its corresponding finances. Aspen HYSYS simulation models were used as the basis for the analysis. From this, preliminary cost estimations for the net present value (NPV) of the process, its economic viability, were determined. It is shown that 100 kg/h of waste is not financially sustainable. Retailing the fuel product at a competitive price of £60/barrel would ultimately bankrupt the business. This is a consequence of the extremely high production cost of £198.40/barrel inducing the complete absence of profitability. Furthermore, the operating expenditure is found to be the root cause of the consequential financial decline, totalling £1.46 million per annum. The two most detrimental expenditures for the production cost of the pyrolysis oils were the wages of the skilled operating labour and higher utility fees incurred by the extreme temperature conditions. In addition, an unrealistically optimistic sale price of £300/barrel was also applied to ascertain a positive economic incentive. Even with the increased retail price, the process’ profits are negligible and further highlight the detrimental effect of the undesirably high operational expenditures, once more signifying that the process should not commence in its current state. However, executing such a project in developing countries such as Sierra Leone, Senegal, or Kenya where utilities and manpower, among other operational components, are cheaper, is believed to complement the immense opportunity underlying pyrolysis oil production regarding production quantity and quality. Full article

This work models the effect of an impact phenomenon—namely the interaction between seabed rock and a ship during its operations—on the ship structure. The collision between a tanker vessel with a conical rock is simulated, a scenario that is similar to the famous grounding of the Exxon Valdez oil tanker. The study uses finite element analysis to simulate numerical parameters that are related to structural response and the contours of the ship hull under impact loading. The traditional element-length-to-thickness (ELT) ratio of 10 is recommended in this work. ELT ratios in the range of 11 to 13 are shown to produce similar results in terms of internal energy, contact force, and structural acceleration. Additionally, the analysis time is reduced by approximately 20% for the recommended ELT ratio. This result is very helpful for researchers using finite element analysis to simulate ship accidents, since the mesh size or length of complex structures is used to maintain the efficiency and accuracy of the simulation results. Full article