Supramolecular hydrogels based on chitosan and monoaldehydes are biomaterials with high potential for a multitude of bioapplications. This is due to the proper choice of the monoaldehyde that can tune the hydrogel properties for specific practices. In this conceptual framework, the present paper deals with the investigation of a hydrogel as bioabsorbable wound dressing. To this aim, chitosan was cross-linked with 2-formylphenylboronic acid to yield a hydrogel with antimicrobial activity. FTIR, NMR, and POM procedures have characterized the hydrogel from a structural and supramolecular point of view. At the same time, its biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties were also determined in vitro. Furthermore, in order to assess the bioabsorbable character, its biodegradation was investigated in vitro in the presence of lysosome in media of different pH, mimicking the wound exudate at different stages of healing. The biodegradation was monitored by gravimetrical measurements, SEM microscopy and fractal analyses of the images. The fractal dimension values and the lacunarity of SEM pictures were accurately calculated. All these successful investigations led to the conclusion that the tested materials are at the expected high standards.
Four medicament delivery formulations based on 5-fluorouracil in a chitosan substantial matrix were realized in situ via 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal element hydrogelation. Representative samples of the final realized compounds were investigated from an analytic, constitutional, and morphological viewpoint via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM images of the formulations were investigated in concordance with fractal analysis, and the fractal dimensions and lacunarity were computed. The developed mathematical multifractal model is necessarily confirmed by the experimental measurements corresponding to the 5-fluorouracil release outside the chitosan-formed matrix.
This article presents two algorithms developed based on two different techniques, from clusterization theory, namely k-means clustering technique and Fuzzy C-means technique, respectively. In this context, the study offers a sustained comparison of the two algorithms in order to properly choose one of them, depending on the image to be analyzed and the solution that is desired. Algorithms are used in image processing, respectively as application of image processing techniques in brain computed tomography image analysis. There were also compared the results obtained by running the algorithms with a different number of centroids, as well as the execution times of each algorithm in part. Image processing and obtaining the results presented in this document was made possible by using the MATLAB R2018b environment. This fact is possible because some components of the brain, such as the blood vessel network or the neural network, have a fractal arrangement, which makes it easy to analyze their structure, in order to provide predictions or treatments to patients in discussion afflicted with a serious brain disease, as accurately as possible. INDEX TERMS Clustering theory, fractal analysis, Fuzzy C-means technique, k-means clustering technique, tomographic image processing.
In this study, we will discuss the engineering construction of a special sixth generation (6G) antenna, based on the fractal called Minkowski’s loop. The antenna has the shape of this known fractal, set at four iterations, to obtain maximum performance. The frequency bands for which this 6G fractal antenna was designed in the current paper are 170 GHz to 260 GHz (WR-4) and 110 GHz to 170 GHz (WR-6), respectively. The three resonant frequencies, optimally used, are equal to 140 GHz (WR-6) for the first, 182 GHz (WR-4) for the second and 191 GHz (WR-4) for the third. For these frequencies the electromagnetic behaviors of fractal antennas and their graphical representations are highlighted.
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