Kaas Alford (pyjamasheep1)

Objective The purpose of this study is to understand the impact of the biopolymer chitosan on the rheological behavior of the biosurfactant sophorolipid as well as the effects of ionization and electrolyte addition on the chitosan-sophorolipid system. Methods Rotation mechanical Rheometry was used to study the rheological response of the chitosan-SL systems. Frequency sweeps were conducted to analyze the rheological properties of the system at low frequency ranges and bulk viscosity of the system was studied at high shear rates for each sample. Results The biosurfactant sophorolipid on its own has very low viscosity. The bulk rheology results show that the addition of chitosan enhances the viscosity and viscoelastic properties of the chitosan-sophorolipid system indicating the presence of synergistic interactions between the two systems. Electrolyte addition had a significant impact on the system's rheological response. Addition of salt built the viscosity of pure chitosan. However due to charge screening effects, it resulted in a decrease in viscosity for the chitosan-sophorolipid system. On further increasing the salt concentration, an increase in viscosity was observed but not beyond the value obtained for the chitosan-SL system without any salt. An increase in pH results in increased ionization of the carboxylic acid groups in acidic SL, which in turn enhances the synergistic interactions between chitosan and SL. Conclusion The strong charge interactions between chitosan and sophorolipid leads to formation of an integrated gel like network, thus building the viscosity of the system. A variation in parameters like biopolymer concentration, electrolyte and ionic strength has the potential to modify the bulk rheological properties of the chitosan-SL system.Unprecedented opportunities and daunting difficulties are anticipated in the future of pediatric pulmonary medicine. To address these issues and optimize pediatric pulmonary training, a group of faculty from various institutions met in 2019 and proposed specific, long-term solutions to the emerging problems in the field. Input on these ideas was then solicited more broadly from faculty with relevant expertise and from recent trainees. This proposal is a synthesis of these ideas. Pediatric pulmonology was among the first pediatric specialties to be grounded deliberately in science, requiring its fellows to demonstrate expertise in scientific inquiry (1). In the future, we will need more training in science, not less. Specifically, the scope of scientific inquiry will need to be broader. The proposal outlined below is designed to help optimize the practices of current providers and to prepare the next generation to be leaders in pediatric care in the future. We are optimistic that this can be accomplished. Our broad objectives are (a) to meet the pediatric subspecialty workforce demand by increasing interest and participation in pediatric pulmonary training; (b) to modernize training to ensure that future pediatric pulmonologists will be prepared clinically and scientifically for the future of the field; (c) to train pediatric pulmonologists who will add value in the future of pediatric healthcare, complemented by advanced practice providers and artificial intelligence systems that are well-informed to optimize quality healthcare delivery; and (d) to decrease the cost and improve the quality of care provided to children with respiratory diseases.Purpose Data completion is commonly employed in dual-source, dual-energy computed tomography (CT) when physical or hardware constraints limit the field of view (FoV) covered by one of two imaging chains. Practically, dual-energy data completion is accomplished by estimating missing projection data based on the imaging chain with the full FoV and then by appropriately truncating the analytical reconstruction of the data with the smaller FoV. While this approach works well in many clinical applications, there are applications which wo