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Utilizing sorbitol to improve properties of cellulose-based biodegradable hydrogels

Adler et al. | Jan 06, 2025

Utilizing sorbitol to improve properties of cellulose-based biodegradable hydrogels

Hydrogels are commonly used in medicine, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture. Hydrogels absorb water by swelling and re-release this water by diffusion. This study sought to synthesize a biodegradable, cellulose-based hydrogel that is more effective at absorbing and re-releasing water than those produced by current methods. We tested the compressive strength of both the dry and swollen gels and the tensile strength of the swollen gels to elucidate the gel structure.

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Part of speech distributions for Grimm versus artificially generated fairy tales

Arvind et al. | Nov 16, 2024

Part of speech distributions for Grimm versus artificially generated fairy tales
Image credit: Nayalia Y.

Here, the authors wanted to explore mathematical paradoxes in which there are multiple contradictory interpretations or analyses for a problem. They used ChatGPT to generate a novel dataset of fairy tales. They found statistical differences between the artificially generated text and human produced text based on the distribution of parts of speech elements.

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The impact of attending a more selective college on future income

Ho et al. | Oct 16, 2024

The impact of attending a more selective college on future income

Debates around legacy preferences, recruited athletes, and affirmative action in U.S. college admissions often focus on the belief that graduating from a more selective institution leads to higher future earnings. The study hypothesized a positive correlation between college selectivity and future income due to enhanced resources and opportunities.

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Near-infrared activation of environmentally-friendly gold and silver nanoparticles for unclogging arteries

Gill et al. | Sep 06, 2024

Near-infrared activation of environmentally-friendly gold and silver nanoparticles for unclogging arteries

Coronary artery disease, the leading cause of death worldwide, results from cholesterol build-up in coronary arteries, limiting blood and oxygen flow to the heart. This study investigated the use of gold and silver nanoparticles coated with aspirin and activated by near-infrared light to improve blood flow in a clogged artery model. The nanoparticles increased simulated blood flow rates, demonstrating potential as a less invasive and more targeted treatment for cardiovascular disease.

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Machine learning for retinopathy prediction: Unveiling the importance of age and HbA1c with XGBoost

Ramachandran et al. | Sep 05, 2024

Machine learning for retinopathy prediction: Unveiling the importance of age and HbA1c with XGBoost

The purpose of our study was to examine the correlation of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure (BP) readings, and lipid levels with retinopathy. Our main hypothesis was that poor glycemic control, as evident by high HbA1c levels, high blood pressure, and abnormal lipid levels, causes an increased risk of retinopathy. We identified the top two features that were most important to the model as age and HbA1c. This indicates that older patients with poor glycemic control are more likely to show presence of retinopathy.

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