Stat-Ease Blog

Here's the latest Publication Roundup! In these monthly posts, we'll feature recent papers that cited Design-Expert® or Stat-Ease® 360 software. Please submit your paper to us if you haven't seen it featured yet!

When choosing a featured article for each month, we try to make sure it's available for everyone to read. Unfortunately, none of this month's publications that met our standards are available to the public, so there's no featured article this month. We still recommend checking out the incredible research done by these teams, and congratulations to everyone for publishing!

New publications from September

1. Evaluating the efficacy of nintedanib-invasomes as a therapy for non-small cell lung cancer
   European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Volume 214, September 2025, 114810
   Authors: Tamer Mohamed Mahmoud, Mohamed AbdElrahman, Mary Eskander Attia, Marwa M. Nagib, Amr Gamal Fouad, Amany Belal, Mohamed A.M. Ali, Nisreen Khalid Aref Albezrah, Shatha Hallal Al-Ziyadi, Sherif Faysal Abdelfattah Khalil, Mary Girgis Shahataa, Dina M. Mahmoud
2. Optimization of fermentation conditions for bioethanol production from oil palm trunk sap
   Journal of the Indian Chemical Society, Volume 102, Issue 9, September 2025, 101943
   Authors: Abdul Halim Norhazimah, Teh Ubaidah Noh, Siti Fatimah Mohd Noor
3. Microwave-assisted modification of a solid epoxy resin with a Peruvian oil
   Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 206, September 2025, 109333
   Authors: Daniel Obregón, Antonella Hadzich, Lunjakorn Amornkitbamrung, G. Alexander Groß, Santiago Flores
   Authors: Hüsniye Hande Aydın, Esra Karataş, Zeynep Şenyiğit, Hatice Yeşim Karasulu
4. Development of an innovative method of Salmonella Typhi biofilm quantification using tetrahydrofuran and response surface methodology
   Microbial Pathogenesis, Volume 208, November 2025, 107992
   Authors: Aditya Upadhyay, Dharm Pal, Awanish Kumar
5. Bauhinia monandra derived mesoporous activated carbon for the efficient adsorptive removal of phenol from wastewater
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 31790 (2025)
   Authors: Bhojaraja Mohan, Chikmagalur Raju Girish, Gautham Jeppu, Praveengouda Patil
6. Quality by Design-Driven Development, Greenness, and Whiteness Assessment of a Robust RP-HPLC Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Ellagic, Sinapic, and Syringic Acids
   Separation Science Plus, Volume 8, Issue 9, September 2025, e70126
   Authors: V. S. Mannur, Rahul Koli, Atith Muppayyanamath
7. Dissolution and separation of carbon dioxide in biohydrogen by monoethanolamine-based deep eutectic solvents
   Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Early View, 12 September 2025
   Authors: Xiaokai Zhou, Yanyan Jing, Cunjie Li, Quanguo Zhang, Yameng Li, Tian Zhang, Kai Zhang
8. Strategic Implementation of Analytical Quality by Design in RP-HPLC Method Development for Andrographis paniculata and Chrysopogon zizanioides Extract-Loaded Phytosomes
   Separation Science Plus, Volume 8, Issue 9, September 2025, e70125
   Authors: Abisesh Muthusamy, Vinayak Mastiholimath, Darasaguppe R. Harish, Atith Muppayyanamath, Rahul Koli
9. Improving the bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy of valsartan for the control of cardiotoxicity-associated breast cancer
   Journal of Drug Targeting, Published online: 29 Sep 2025
   Authors: Mary Eskander Attia, Fatma I. Abo El-Ela, Saad M. Wali, Amr Gamal Fouad, Amany Belal, Fahad H. Baali, Nisreen Khalid Aref Albezrah, Mohammed S. Alharthi, Marwa M. Nagib

Here's the latest Publication Roundup! In these monthly posts, we'll feature recent papers that cited Design-Expert® or Stat-Ease® 360 software. Please submit your paper to us if you haven't seen it featured yet!

Featured Article

Design and optimization of imageable microspheres for locoregional cancer therapy
Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 27487 (2025)
Authors: Brenna Kettlewell, Andrea Armstrong, Kirill Levin, Riad Salem, Edward Kim, Robert J. Lewandowski, Alexander Loizides, Robert J. Abraham, Daniel Boyd

Mark's comments: This is a great application of mixture design for optimal formulation of a medical-grade glass. The researchers used Stat-Ease software tools to improve the properties of microspheres to an extent that their use can be extended to cancers beyond the current application to those located in the liver. Well done!

Be sure to check out this important study, and the other research listed below!

More new publications from August

1. Use of experimental design for screening and optimization of variables influencing photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in aqueous media: A review of chemometrics tools
   Chemical Engineering Research and Design, Volume 220, August 2025, Pages 270-291
   Authors: Pedro César Quero–Jiménez, Aracely Hernández–Ramírez, Jorge Luis Guzmán–Mar, Jorge Basilio de la Torre–López, Matheus Silva–Gigante, Laura Hinojosa–Reyes
2. Analytical Quality by Design-Based Stability-Indicating UHPLC Method for Determination of Inavolisib in Bulk and Formulation
   Separation Science Plus, no. 8 (2025): 8, e70110
   Authors: Ashwinkumar Matta, Raja Sundararajan
3. Enhanced anti-infective activities of sinapic acid through nebulization of lyophilized protransferosomes
   Frontiers in Nanotechnology | Biomedical Nanotechnology, Volume 7 - 2025
   Authors: Hani A. Alhadrami, Amr Gamal, Ngozi Amaeze, Ahmed M. Sayed, Mostafa E. Rateb, and Demiana M. Naguib
4. Optimizing Anti-Corrosive Properties of Polyester Powder Coatings Through Montmorillonite-Based Nanoclay Additive and Film Thickness
   Corrosion and Materials Degradation, 2025, 6(3), 39
   Authors: Marshall Shuai Yang, Chengqian Xian, Jian Chen, Yolanda Susanne Hedberg, James Joseph Noël
5. Regulatory mechanism and multi-index coordinated optimization of pipeline transportation performance of coarse-grained gangue slurry: Experimental and simulation investigation
   Physics of Fluids 37, 073343 (2025)
   Authors: Jianfei Xu (许健飞); Jixiong Zhang (张吉雄); Nan Zhou (周楠); Hao Yan (闫浩); Wenfu Zhou (周文福); Qian Chen (陈乾); Jiarun Chen (陈嘉润)
6. Optimization of clayey soil parameters with aeolian sand through response surface methodology and a desirability function
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 30831 (2025)
   Authors: Ghania Boukhatem, Messaouda Bencheikh, Mohammed Benzerara, Mehmet Serkan Kırgız, N. Nagaprasad, Krishnaraj Ramaswamy, Souhila Rehab-Bekkouche, R. Shanmugam
7. Development of electromagnetic drop weight release mechanism for human occupied vehicle
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 30663 (2025)
   Authors: Sathia Narayanan Dharmaraj, Karthikeyan Shanmugam, Jothi Chithiravel, Ramesh Sethuraman
8. Operating parameter optimization and experiment of spiral outer grooved wheel seed metering device based on discrete element method
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 30762 (2025)
   Authors: Tao Zhang, Xinglong Tang, Cong Dai, Guiying Ren
9. Parameter optimization of key components in seed-metering device for pre-cut seed stems of Pennisetum hydridum
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 31318 (2025)
   Authors: Chong Liu, Xiongfei Chen, Qiang Xiong, Muhua Liu, Junan Liu, Jiajia Yu, Peng Fang, Yihan Zhou, Chuanhong Zhan, Yao Xiao
10. Optimization of new and thermally aged natural monoesters blends for a sustainable management of power transformers
    Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 235, 1 November 2025, 121741
    Authors: Gerard Ombick Boyekong, Gabriel Ekemb, Emeric Tchamdjio Nkouetcha, Ghislain Mengata Mengounou, Adolphe Moukengue Imano

Here's the latest Publication Roundup! In these monthly posts, we'll feature recent papers that cited Design-Expert® or Stat-Ease® 360 software. Please submit your paper to us if you haven't seen it featured yet!

Featured Articles

Microwave-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Urtica dioica using solvent-based process optimization and characterization
Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 25375 (2025)
Authors: Anjali Sahal, Afzal Hussain, Ritesh Mishra, Sakshi Pandey, Ankita Dobhal, Waseem Ahmad, Vinod Kumar, Umesh Chandra Lohani, Sanjay Kumar

Mark's comments: Kudos to this team for deploying a Box-Behnken response-surface-method design--convenient by only requiring 3 levels of each of their 3 factors (power, time and sample-to-solvent ratio)--to optimize their process. Given all the raw data I was able to easily copy it out and import it into my Stat-Ease software and check into the modeling--no major issues uncovered. The authors did well by diagnosing residuals and making use of our numerical optimization tools to find the most desirable factor combination for their multiple-response goals.

Be sure to check out this important study, and the other research listed below!

More new publications from July

1. Improving the heterotrophic media of three Chlorella vulgaris mutants toward optimal color, biomass and protein productivity
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 23325 (2025)
   Authors: Mafalda Trovão, Miguel Cunha, Gonçalo Espírito Santo, Humberto Pedroso, Ana Reis, Ana Barros, Nádia Correia, Lisa Schüler, Monya Costa, Sara Ferreira, Helena Cardoso, Márcia Ventura, João Varela, Joana Silva, Filomena Freitas, Hugo Pereira
2. Calibration and establishment for the discrete element simulation parameters of pepper stem during harvest period
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 21143 (2025)
   Authors: Jiaxuan Yang, Jin Lei, Xinyan Qin, Zhi Wang, Jianglong Zhang, Lijian Lu
3. Design Expert Software Being Used to Explore the Factors Affecting the “Water Garden”
   American Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 16, 107-116
   Authors: Zelin Miu, Yichen Lu
4. Quality improvement of recycled carbon black from waste tire pyrolysis for replacing carbon black N330
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 23726 (2025)
   Authors: Tawan Laithong, Tarinee Nampitch, Peerapon Ourapeepon, Natacha Phetyim
5. Development and in vitro characterization of embelin bilosomes for enhanced oral bioavailability
   Journal of Research in Pharmacy, Year 2025, Volume: 29 Issue: 4, 1616 - 1626, 05.07.2025
   Authors: Shreya Firake Devanshi Pethani Jeet Patil Avinash Bhujbal Rahul Gondake Dhanashree Sanap , Sneha Agrawal
6. Performance optimization and mechanism research of C20 coal gangue concrete based on response surface and water resistance
   AIP Advances, 15, 075316 (2025)
   Authors: Yong Cui, Xiwen Yin, Qiuge Yu
7. Multi-objective optimization of boiler combustion efficiency and emissions using genetic algorithm and recurrent neural network in 660-MW coal-fired power plant
   Eastern-European Journal of Enterprise Technologies, 3(8 (135), 23–33
   Authors: Mohamad Arwan Efendy, Ahmad Syihan Auzani, Sholahudin Sholahudin
8. Optimization and characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate produced by Vreelandella piezotolerans using orange peel waste
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 25873 (2025)
   Authors: Mahmoud H. Hendy, Amr M. Shehabeldine, Amr H. Hashem, Ahmed F. El-Sayed, Hussein H El-Sheikh
9. Multi-functional electrodialysis process to treat hyper-saline reverse osmosis brine: producing high value-added HCl, NaOH and energy consumption calculation
   Environmental Sciences Europe volume 37, Article number: 121 (2025)
   Authors: Haia M. Elsayd, Gamal K. Hassan, Ahmed A. Affy, M. Hanafy, Tamer S. Ahmed
10. Quality by Design-Based Method for Simultaneous Determination of Glimepiride and Lovastatin in Self-Nano Emulsifying Drug Delivery System
    Separation Science Plus, 8: e70097
    Authors: Priyanka Paul, Raj Kamal, Thakur Gurjeet Singh, Ankit Awasthi, Rohit Bhatia
11. Sustainable Adsorbents for Wastewater Treatment: Template-Free Mesoporous Silica from Coal Fly Ash
    Chemical Engineering & Technology, 48: e70077
    Authors: Thapelo Manyepedza, Emmanuel Gaolefufa, Gaone Koodirile, Dr. Isaac N. Beas, Dr. Joshua Gorimbo, Bakang Modukanele, Dr. Moses T. Kabomo

Here's the latest Publication Roundup! In these monthly posts, we'll feature recent papers that cited Design-Expert® or Stat-Ease® 360 software. Please submit your paper to us if you haven't seen it featured yet!

Featured Article

Enhanced 4-chlorophenol adsorption from aqueous solution using eco-friendly nanocomposite
Ecological Engineering & Environmental Technology, 26(5), pp.174-189
Authors: Fadia A. Sulaiman, Rasha Khalid Sabri Mhemid, Noor A. Mohammed

Mark's comments: It is great to see the application of response surface methods (RSM) to reduce the release of toxic chlorophenols to our environment, particularly via such an eco-friendly process utilizing a natural polymer--xanthan gum.  The 3D graphics are compelling and well supported by the reported statistics.  I also appreciate that all the raw data is including, making it possible for me to reproduce the results.

Be sure to check out this important study, and the other research listed below!

More new publications from May

1. Design of Experiments Assisted Formulation Optimization and Evaluation of Efavirenz Solid Dispersion Adsorbate for Improvement in Dissolution and Flow Properties
   Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 2025;19:3715-3734
   Authors: Mujtaba MA, Rashid MA, Alhamhoom Y, Gangane P, Jagtap MJ, Akbar MJ, Wathore SA, Kaleem M, Elhassan GO, Khalid M
   
2. Design of Experiments Approach for the Development of a Validated UPLC-Q-ToF/MS Method to Quantitate Soy-Derived Bioactive Peptide Lunasin in Rabbit Plasma: Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study
   Biomedical Chromatography, 2025, 39: e70098
   Authors: Kowmudi, G., Anoop, K., Varshini, M., Nagappan, K., Konanki, S., Praveen, T
   
3. Development of a Stability-Indicating RP-HPLC Method for Pioglitazone in Cubosomal and Biological Matrices: A Quality by Design-Driven, Lean Six Sigma, and Green Chemistry Approach
   Separation Science Plus, 2025, 8: e70055
   Authors: Vaibhavi D. Torgal, Vinayak Mastiholimath, Rahul Koli
   
4. Optimization process of coffee pulp wines combined with the artificial neural network and response surface methodology
   Scientific Reports, volume 15, Article number: 16684 (2025)
   Authors: Rongsuo Hu, Fei Xu, Liyan Zhao, Wenjiang Dong
   
5. Formulation optimization of furosemide floating-bioadhesive matrix tablets using waste-derived Citrus aurantifolia peel pectin as a polymer
   Scientific Reports, volume 15, Article number: 16704 (2025)
   Authors: Ebrahim Abdela Siraj, Yohannes Mulualem, Fantahun Molla, Ashagrachew Tewabe Yayehrad, Anteneh Belete
   
6. Bio-induced overproduction of heterocycloanthracin-like bacteriocin in Lysinibacillus macroides by Aspergillus austroafricanus: optimization of medium conditions and evaluation of potential applications
   BMC Biotechnology volume 25, Article number: 41 (2025)
   Authors: Philomena Edet, Maurice Ekpenyong, Atim Asitok, David Ubi, Cecilia Echa, Uwamere Edeghor, Sylvester Antai
   
7. Structural characterization, gelling properties, and beef preservation applications of pectin extracted from sweetpotato residue using a hydrothermal method
   International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 314, 2025, 144348
   Authors: Linchong Hui, Chan Zhang, Junjie Yu, Man Liu, Kunlong Yang, Ling Shen, Bingqian Hu, Jun Tian, Yong-xin Li
   
8. Calibration of soil contact parameters for planting sand shrubs in the desert regions of Inner Mongolia
   Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 17231 (2025)
   Authors: Zhang Nannan, Pei Chenghui, Zhang Yantang, Cui Shaoyu, Liang Lingzhi, Liu Zhigang
   
9. Development of a novel tailor-made cocktail from recombinant crude enzymes for efficient saccharification of pretreated elephant grass
   International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 26 May 2025, 144645
   Authors: Aishwarya Aishwarya, Arun Goyal
   
10. Sustainable discharge printing of marigold-dyed cotton with eucalyptus wood ash extract and its optimisation by response surface methodology
    Coloration Technology, first published: 27 May 2025
    Authors: Harshal Patil, Devansh Chaudhari, Ashok Athalye
    
11. Chitosan-coated nanostructured lipid carriers of amantadine for nose-to-brain delivery: formulation optimization, in vitro-ex vivo characterization, and in vivo anti-parkinsonism assessment
    International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Volume 316, Part 2, June 2025, 144497
    Authors: Archita Kapoor, Abdul Hafeez, Poonam Kushwaha, Nargis Ara

Next in our 40th anniversary “Ask an Expert” blog series is John "Jay" Davies, who's an absolute rock star when it comes to teaching and implementing DOE. He's lent us his expertise before - see this talk from our 2022 Online DOE Summit - and he shared an anecdote with our statistical experts about how he approaches switching to DOE methods when working with new groups in the Army. He kindly agreed to let us publish it as part of this series.

For the past 14 years, I’ve been a Research Physicist with the U.S. Army DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD as a member of the Decontamination Sciences Branch, which specializes in developing techniques/chemistries to neutralize chemical warfare agents. I’m dedicated to applied statistical analysis ranging from multi-laboratory precision studies to design of experiments (DOE). The Decontamination Sciences Branch has been integrating DOE methods into many of their chemical agent decontamination research programs.

I’m happy to report that the DOE methods here at the Chemical Biological Center are really catching on. I collaborated on 24 DOEs from 2014 through 2021. Then, in 2021-22, we completed 26 DOEs across 10 different programs. I’ve been doing a lot of mixture-process DOEs with the Bio Sciences groups for synthetic biology and bio manufacturing applications, and once the other groups saw the information that we were getting from just a single day’s worth of data, they too wanted to try DOE.

Lately, I’ve changed the formula that I use for the initial consultations when visiting a group that has expressed an interest in DOE but has never used DOE before. Previously we’d go right into their project, and I’d tell them how we might construct a DOE for their application. However, I’ve found that it’s too much of a culture shock if we go right into talking about what a DOE for their application might look like. Instead, especially if I’m working with a group that has no DOE experience at all, I now devote about 1 hour to discuss DOE methods in general before we even mention their actual application. In this discussion, I reveal the major differences that they are going to see with a DOE, which are:

• We’re not going to replicate every sample, we may even have zero exact replication.
• We’re not going to test every possible combination of factors.
• Sample sizes are going to be 70% to 95% smaller than what they are used to doing.
• We are not going to change “one factor at a time”, in fact we’ll be changing all factors at once.
• The designs might look chaotic, but they are strategically created to contain a hidden orthogonal structure, along with hidden replication, that is not apparent.
• You will see that many of the DOE samples contain factor combinations that don’t seem to make sense. This is because each sample is not designed as a stand-alone shot at optimization. Rather, the samples cumulatively are working in concert to tease out the influences of each factor. This will let us fit a predictive model that we will then use to predict the optimal settings of factors.

Recently, I was following this format with a group that had never used DOE before. We had a great back-and-forth dialog as I went through the bullets above and explained a bit about each point. They asked many questions and were really following along. Then, after about an hour we got into their application and I just sketched out a prototype quadratic mixture-process DOE that I thought would give them a good idea of what the initial DOE might look like, with 30 samples in total. I then went over what some simulated outputs for the DOE generated prediction model might look like. At this point one of them stopped me and with a very perplexed look on his face, said “hold on, hold on…wait a minute here. Are you telling us that if we run just those 30 samples, we would be able to predict the optimal formulation and the optimal process setting for this system?“

This scientist had been following along, asking questions and really absorbing the information in the past hour as we walked through the DOE basics, but I could see that at that moment things were just sinking in. He realized the ramifications of what we had just discussed – typically, this group might have had to run several hundreds of samples to characterize similar systems, but with DOE they would only need about 30 samples. I responded to his question saying, “Yes that’s exactly what I’m telling you. We’ve run dozens of these mixture-process DOEs, many of them much more complex than this system, and they do work.” This individual, a mid-career researcher, then responded, “How is it possible that we have not heard of this stuff before?” I told him, “I can’t give you a good answer to that one.”

And there you have it! Let us know if you want to talk about saving time & money with DOE: our statistical experts and first-in-class software make it easier than ever.

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