Fraction Of Samples Research Articles

Human health risk assessment and geochemical mobility of rare earth elements in Amazon soils

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a grouping of elements that encompasses lanthanides, yttrium and scandium due to their similar chemical properties and occurrence in ore deposits. Over the past few decades, economic interest in REEs has increased due to their use in several types of industries such as high-tech, medicine and agriculture. Extraction of REEs has been followed, in general, by incorrect disposal of tailing and waste, creating hazardous conditions in several countries. However, the magnitude of the possible impacts on ecosystem and human health are relatively unknown, especially in tropical systems. Thus, the objectives of this study were to assess the geochemical mobility and the bioaccessibility of REEs based on a series of chemical extractions and in vitro essay. We also tested two promising simple protocols (0.01 mol L−1 CaCl2 and 0.43 mol L−1 HNO3) for measuring REE bioaccessible fractions through a single extraction. Our findings show that the bioavailable fractions represent less than 20% of the ΣREEs fraction in all soil samples examine. Similarly, the oral bioaccessibility obtained by two in vitro methods (Gastric protocol and Gastric-Intestinal protocol) and by the single extraction tests represented less than 20% of the ΣREE contents. The non-carcinogenic risks and the carcinogenic risks associated to REEs oral exposure were low for children and adults. The extractions with 0.01 mol L−1 CaCl2 showed great potential as a method for measuring the REEs bioaccessible fraction.

Speckle Noise Detection and Removal for Laser Speech Measurement Systems

Laser speech measurement is a new sound capture technology based on Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV). It avoids the need for contact, is easily concealed and is ideal for remote speech acquisition, which has led to its wide-scale adoption for military and security applications. However, lasers are easily affected by complex detection environments. Thus, speckle noise often appears in the measured speech, seriously affecting its quality and intelligibility. This paper examines all of the characteristics of impulsive noise in laser measured speech and proposes a novel automatic impulsive noise detection and removal method. This method first foregrounds noise using decorrelation based on a linear prediction (LP) model that improves the noise-to-signal ratio (NSR) of the measured signal. This makes it possible to detect the position of noise through a combination of the average short-time energy and kurtosis. The method not only precisely locates small clicks (with a duration of just a few samples), but also finds the location of longer bursts and scratches (with a duration of up to a hundred samples). The located samples can then be replaced by more appropriate samples whose coding is based on the LP model. This strategy avoids unnecessary processing and obviates the need to compromise the quality of the relatively large fraction of samples that are unaffected by speckle noise. Experimental results show that the proposed automatic speckle noise detection and removal method outperforms other related methods across a wide range of degraded audio signals.

Analysis of composite microplastics in sediment using 3D Raman spectroscopy and imaging method

The threats of microplastic pollution to all habitat have become more and more serious in recent decade, and thus accurate identification of the microplastics from the freshwater to the ocean were necessary. However, the existences of composite plastic products reduced the reliability of traditional 2D Raman spectroscopy and imaging method. Thus, in this study, the advanced 3D Raman spectroscopy and imaging method was developed to determine the composite microplastics in environmental samples, which significantly lower the miss rates (MI) of the plastic identifications (p < 0.05). Moreover, the outstanding advantages of this method include a wide range of applications including the field long-term weathering to microplastic fragments without affecting the accuracy. Then, the established method realized the separate determination of the homogeneous and composite microplastics in the river/mangrove and marine sediment collected from the Beibu Gulf. The abundance of composite fractions in mangrove sediment was one to four orders of magnitude higher than that collected from river and marine sediment (p < 0.05). And, the composite microplastics based on the PE and PP polymer was the most frequently detected fraction in the sediment samples. Results of this work provide an analytical platform for comprehensive analysis of the composite microplastics in field and highlight their important roles in estimating the total microplastic pollution worldwide.

Serum autotaxin level predicts future cardiac events in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract Background Autotaxin (ATX) has been reported to promote myocardial inflammation and subsequent cardiac remodeling through lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) production. However, the prognostic impact of ATX has not been clarified in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Purpose We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of ATX in patients with DCM. Methods We enrolled 104 DCM patients (49.8 years, 76 males). The subjects underwent blood sampling, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and endomyocardial biopsy. Gender differences in serum ATX levels have been reported, thus we divided the subjects into two groups using median serum ATX levels for men and women: High-ATX group and Low-ATX group. All patients were followed up by expert cardiologists. The cardiac event was defined as a composite of cardiac death and hospitalization for worsening heart failure. Results Eighty-nine percent of the subjects were classified as New York Heart Association functional class I or II. Female patients had higher serum ATX levels than male patients, with median values of 257.0 ng/mL and 203.5 ng/mL, respectively (Figure A). The average left ventricular ejection fraction and brain natriuretic peptide levels were 30.6% and 122.5 pg/mL. In survival analysis, cumulative event-free probability was significantly lower in High ATX group (p=0.007, Figure B). In Cox proportional hazards analysis, High-ATX was one of the independent predictors of composite cardiac events (Hazards Ratio, 2.575; p=0.043). On the other hand, high sensitive C-reactive protein and collagen volume fraction in myocardial samples were not significant predictors. Conclusion High serum ATX level was associated with poor prognosis in patients with DCM. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None. Gender difference in autotaxin levelsSurvival analysis of cardiac events

Cyperus giganteus pruning residues from constructed wetlands: Potential for energy production

The objective of this study was the full characterization of pruning residue from macrophyte Cyperus giganteus from tertiary wastewater treatment plant (WTP), Ponte dos Leites, located in Araruama, RJ, Brazil. Analyses aimed to systematically assess the feasibility of using the pruning residues as an energy resource. To do so, macrophytes were submitted to experimental analyses of their physical properties (real density: 0.44–0.77 g cm−3, bulk density: 0.08–0.09 g cm−3, among other characteristics), chemical and proximate analyses, and thermal analysis. Results of thermal behavior characterized the biomass as a viable energy source (high heat value, 14–16 MJ kg−1). C. giganteus different samples fractions analyses confirmed that molecular structures of the macrophyte (lignin: 17.3–26.8 wt %, cellulose: 27.8–32.6 wt %, hemicellulose: 30.1–31.5 wt %; depending on the plant part) affect thermal decomposition behavior. Maximum mass losses ranged from 83.43 to 75.91%. Energy production potential from biomass pruning residues generated at Ponte dos Leites was estimated to be around 92,400 MJ mês−1. This shows the effectiveness of using pruning residues biomass from macrophyte Cyperus giganteus for energy production, highlighting its energy potential, and support its use as inputs in thermal conversion processes.

The effect of nonthermal plasma on the oxidation and removal of particulate matter under different diesel engine loads

AbstractNonthermal plasma (NTP) can oxidize and decompose particulate matter (PM) of diesel engines at low temperatures (≤200°C), exhibiting good application prospects. PM samples were collected under different diesel engine loads and were oxidized using an NTP method. The volatile fraction (VF) mass fraction of the PM samples decreases under low engine loads (&lt;70%) and increases under high engine loads (≥70%) after the NTP treatment. NTP can remove aldehyde groups in PM and weaken the volatilization of PM. A higher temperature is needed for the VF to reach its maximum volatilization rate after the NTP treatment. The relative content of the small molecules is significantly higher after the NTP treatment.

Sediment Sources and Dispersion on the Western Sunda Shelf, Malay Peninsula, Southern South China Sea

Thirty-nine surface sediment samples collected from the western Sunda Shelf off the Malay Peninsula (WSSMP) in the southern South China Sea (SCS) were analysed for grain size, major and trace elemental compositions, and light/heavy mineral contents to trace the sediment sources and their transport mechanisms in the study area. In the WSSMP, the surface sediments are relatively poorly sorted but transportable. A principal component analysis of 37 elements and grain size fractions indicates that the surface sediments can be grouped into four major assemblages in the study area. Integrating with the light/heavy minerals data in the 63–125 μm fractions of the surface sediment samples, to better trace the sediment sources of the coarse-grained components in the marine environment, the study area can be further divided into four sediment provinces. Province I is located in the northwestern part of the study area. The concentrations of TiO2, Na2O, garnet, siderite, and glauconite in Province I were higher than in the other provinces. The main sediment source for this province originated from the Kelantan River and the Gulf of Thailand transported by the northeastern monsoon current. Province II is located offshore of the Pahang and Endau Rivers. The percentages of TiO2, rare earth elements, Al2O3, quartz, plagioclase, hypersthene, and magnetite in the surface sediments were typically higher in this province than in the other provinces. The Pahang and Endau rivers provide most of the sediments to this province, which are transported by southward coastal currents. Province III is located in the northeastern and eastern parts of the study area, where the coarse-grained sediment fraction had relatively high hornblende and biotite contents. Sediments in this province are mostly transported from the Mekong River during the northeastern monsoon. The other parts of the study area belong to Province IV, where the surface sediment elemental and mineral concentrations were mostly between those of the other three provinces. Therefore, we suggest that Province IV has a mixed source due to inputs from the surrounding rivers.

Comparing noninvasive sampling techniques with standard cannula sampling method for ruminal microbial analysis

Rumen microbes play an important role in the conversion of indigestible plant material to energy and protein in dairy cows. Sampling for ruminal contents via cannula is considered the gold standard technique for microbial analysis, but the technique requires ruminally cannulated animals and specialized animal facilities. The purpose of this study was to determine whether other sampling methods and locations along the digestive tract may serve as noninvasive proxies to the cannula method for microbial analysis. Six ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein dairy cows were adapted to a standard total mixed ration for 2 wk and sampled during the third week. Sampling locations and methods included salivary content, rumination bolus (regurgitated digesta collected from the cow's mouth), feces, and rumen contents via stomach tube and cannula. Stomach tube and cannula samples differ in proportions of solid and liquid material and were therefore separated into whole (as collected), liquid, and solid fractions. Samples were collected at 0 (before feeding), 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h after feeding over 2 d. All samples were extracted for total genomic DNA and selected samples for metabolically active DNA (RNA), PCR-amplified for the V1-V2 region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene, and analyzed for bacterial diversity using the QIIME2 pipeline followed by statistical analysis in R (https://www.R-project.org/). In DNA-based analysis, at the community level, saliva, rumination bolus, and fecal samples clustered in separate groups, whereas all fractions of stomach tube and cannula samples clustered together, indicating that microbial communities of stomach tube and cannula samples were homogeneous. Rumination bolus samples at 6, 8, and 12 h after feeding clustered with stomach tube and cannula samples, indicating that rumination bolus samples may be an alternative for cannula samples; however, time of sampling is critical for sampling of bolus digesta. Results of the RNA-based analysis of rumination bolus samples and solid samples from cannula and stomach tube at 0 and 6 h after feeding were similar. We concluded that the solid fraction of samples obtained via the stomach tube method may serve as a proxy for the solid fraction of whole ruminal contents obtained via cannula for DNA-based microbial investigations. Both rumination bolus and stomach tube solid samples may serve as proxies for cannula solid samples for RNA-based microbial analysis.

Pooling size sorted Malaise trap fractions to maximize taxon recovery with metabarcoding.

BackgroundSmall and rare specimens can remain undetected when metabarcoding is applied on bulk samples with a high specimen size heterogeneity. This is especially critical for Malaise trap samples, where most of the biodiversity is contributed by small taxa with low biomass. The separation of samples in different size fractions for downstream analysis is one possibility to increase detection of small and rare taxa. However, experiments systematically testing different size sorting approaches and subsequent proportional pooling of fractions are lacking, but would provide important information for the optimization of metabarcoding protocols. We set out to find a size sorting strategy for Malaise trap samples that maximizes taxonomic recovery but remains scalable and time efficient.MethodsThree Malaise trap samples were sorted into four size classes using dry sieving. Each fraction was homogenized and lysed. The corresponding lysates were pooled to simulate unsorted samples. Pooling was additionally conducted in equal proportions and in four different proportions enriching the small size fraction of samples. DNA from the individual size classes as well as the pooled fractions was extracted and metabarcoded using the FwhF2 and Fol-degen-rev primer set. Additionally, alternative wet sieving strategies were explored.ResultsThe small size fractions harboured the highest diversity and were best represented when pooling in favour of small specimens. Metabarcoding of unsorted samples decreases taxon recovery compared to size sorted samples. A size separation into only two fractions (below 4 mm and above) can double taxon recovery compared to not size sorting. However, increasing the sequencing depth 3- to 4-fold can also increase taxon recovery to levels comparable with size sorting, but remains biased towards biomass rich taxa in the sample.ConclusionWe demonstrate that size fractionation of Malaise trap bulk samples can increase taxon recovery. While results show distinct patterns, the lack of statistical support due to the limited number of samples processed is a limitation. Due to increased speed and lower risk of cross-contamination as well as specimen damage we recommend wet sieving and proportional pooling of the lysates in favour of the small size fraction (80–90% volume). However, for large-scale projects with time constraints, increasing sequencing depth is an alternative solution.

Streamflow Changes of Small and Large Rivers in the Aldan River Basin, Eastern Siberia

The flow of large northern rivers has increased, but regional patterns of changes are not well understood. The aim of this study is the estimation of monthly discharge changes of the 11 river catchments in the Aldan River basin in Eastern Siberia, the largest Lena River tributary and the sixth largest river in Russia. We considered the trend dependence on month, number of years in the sample, finish and start years, and basin area. The median fraction of samples with no trend, positive and negative trends are 70.5%, 28.5%, and 1%, respectively. Longer samples tend to show more positive trends than shorter ones. There is an increasing fraction of samples with positive trends as a function of later sample end year, whereas the start year does not result in a similar pattern. The larger basins, with one exception, have more positive trends than smaller ones. The trends in monthly streamflow have prominent seasonality with absence of positive trends in June and increasing fraction of samples with positive trends from October till April. The study reports the recent streamflow changes on the rarely analyzed rivers in Eastern Siberia, where air temperature rises faster than in average on the globe. The study results are important for water resources management in the region and better understanding of current environmental changes.

ANTIMICROBIAL, ANTIOXIDANT AND CYTOTOXIC EVALUATION OF VARIOUS EXTRACTS OF IFLOGA SPICATA (FORSSK.) SCH.BIP

The current study reveals the pharmacological and phytochemical potential of different solvent fractions of Ifloga spicata. Antimicrobial and free radical scavenging activities, DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay, and cytotoxic effects of plant samples on lymphocytes stressed with hydrogen were performed. Ifloga spicata ethyl acetate fraction markedly showed higher antibacterial potential against P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) and E. Coli (ATCC 25922) bacteria. While higher antifungal potential was shown by the chloroform fraction against all three different a strain A. fumigates (ATCC 204305), A. flavus (ATCC 9643) and A. niger (ATCC 16404) as compared to others fractions of sample. DPPH maximum antioxidant potential was noted for methanolic extract followed by ethyl acetate and chloroform. Similarly, hydrogen peroxide effect was significantly decreased by ethyl acetate fraction. In blood lymphocytes the raise in ROS and TBARS level due to stress given by H2O2 was also recovered by different extracts of I. spicata. The decrease level of CAT, SOD and POD was also restored

Netrin-1 expression and targeting in multiple myeloma

Deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) and uncoordinated-5 (UNC5) receptors, play a key role in tumor progression of several solid tumors by inducing apoptosis when unbound to their ligand netrin-1. Netrin 1 is currently being evaluated as a therapeutic target. These receptors, known as dependence receptors, and their ligands, have not yet been extensively explored in hematological malignancies. Here, we performed a screening of various human myeloma cell lines and bone marrow samples from multiple myeloma patients for netrin-1 and its receptors to determine the expression of netrin 1 and its receptors in multiple myeloma as well as to assess the potential anti-myeloma activity of a novel anti-netrin-1 treatment (NP137). Our results showed heterogeneous expression of netrin-1 and its receptors DCC and UNC5H2(B) in six human myeloma lines. Additionally, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry showed expression of these molecules in a majority of myeloma patient samples. In vitro NP137 did not induce apoptosis of myeloma cell lines yet enhanced the cytotoxicity of bortezomib and dexamethasone. In vivo, NP137 treatment of SCID mice with established RPMI8226 myeloma tumors led to a reduction of tumor size compared to controls. Ex vivo, NP137 lowered the plasma cells percentage in bone marrow aspirates in a fraction of the patient samples analyzed. These results suggest that netrin signaling could constitute a novel therapeutic target in multiple myeloma.

Analytical strategies for chemical exposomics: exploring limits and feasibility

Abstract Tackling the challenges of chemical exposomics will require the implementation of diverse analytical strategies and technological advancements. Herein, high-resolution mass spectrometry-based methods applied in current chemical exposome studies have been surveyed and are shown to be limited. Notably, liquid chromatography separations almost exclusively employ reversed-phase C18 columns using water-methanol gradients with formic acid additive, whilst gas chromatography is underexploited in the field at this stage. A systematic evaluation of strategies applied in related disciplines (i.e. metabolomics, proteomics, multi-residue trace analysis) was undertaken to provide practical guidance for the development of chemical exposomics. The approaches were assessed on the basis of their costs (i.e. capital expenditure, overhead and maintenance fees, expertise required, consumables) and potential benefits (i.e. improvements to sensitivity, coverage, reproducibility, throughput, ease of use) to prioritize those with promise for chemical exposomics application. Alongside a need for technological investments (e.g. advanced hardware updates), numerous low cost strategies showed high potential benefits (e.g. different column phases, enhanced sample fractionation) and are feasible for rapid adoption.

Use of chia seed on regular and low-fat crackers, their antioxidant properties, and in-vitro bioaccessibility

Although having functional properties, fat is known to be adversely effective in case of high consumption. High fat consumption causes health disorders such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure, insulin balance disorders and cancer. For this reason, it is important to reduce fat consumption and create food formulations rich in bioactive components. In the scope of this study, CS (Chia seed) was replaced with wheat flour 10%, 20%, and 30% (w/w) and the fat amount was decreased in 25%, 50%, 75% (w/w) ratios for formulating low-fat crackers, and the antioxidative potential of the samples was evaluated. Extractable, hydrolysable, bioaccessible phenolic fractions of samples were analyzed in terms of TEACABTS, TEACCUPRAC, TEACDPPH and Total Phenolic Content (TPC) (Folin Ciocalteu’s method). CS replacement was determined to be more effective than a fat reduction on AC and TPC results of samples. By 25, 50 and 100% fat reduction of extractable, hydrolysable and bioaccessible phenolic fractions, TEACABTS values increased respectively as 5.87%, 9.33% and 12.11%. 75% fat reduced-30% CS supplemented sample was 91.0% higher than 100% fat including-30% CS supplemented sample and 143.4% higher than the control sample in terms of TEACABTS for bioaccessible phenolic fractions. The dietary fiber, protein content and fatty acid composition are thought to be effective in the potential of CS. It is proved that CS could be expressed as a convenient pseudo-cereal for functional food formulations.

Nanopore Assay Reveals Cell-Type-Dependent Gene Expression of Vesicular Stomatitis Indiana Virus and Differential Host Cell Response.

Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV) of genus Vesiculovirus, species Indiana Vesiculovirus (formerly as Vesicular stomatitis virus, VSV) causes a disease in livestock that is very similar to the foot and mouth disease, thereby an outbreak may lead to significant economic loss. Long-read sequencing (LRS) -based approaches already reveal a hidden complexity of the transcriptomes in several viruses. This technique has been utilized for the sequencing of the VSIV genome, but our study is the first for the application of this technique for the profiling of the VSIV transcriptome. Since LRS is able to sequence full-length RNA molecules, it thereby provides more accurate annotation of the transcriptomes than the traditional short-read sequencing methods. The objectives of this study were to assemble the complete transcriptome of using nanopore sequencing, to ascertain cell-type specificity and dynamics of viral gene expression, and to evaluate host gene expression changes induced by the viral infection. We carried out a time-course analysis of VSIV gene expression in human glioblastoma and primate fibroblast cell lines using a nanopore-based LRS approach and applied both amplified and direct cDNA sequencing (as well as cap-selection) for a fraction of samples. Our investigations revealed that, although the VSIV genome is simple, it generates a relatively complex transcriptomic architecture. In this study, we also demonstrated that VSIV transcripts vary in structure and exhibit differential gene expression patterns in the two examined cell types.

X-Ray Tomographic Study of Pore Volume Fraction in Samples of Polymer Composite Materials. Scanning and Reconstruction of Tomographic Data

X-Ray Tomographic Study of Pore Volume Fraction in Samples of Polymer Composite Materials. Scanning and Reconstruction of Tomographic Data

Atacama Cosmology Telescope measurements of a large sample of candidates from the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey

Context.Galaxy clusters are an important tool for cosmology, and their detection and characterization are key goals for current and future surveys. Using data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), the Massive and Distant Clusters of WISE Survey (MaDCoWS) located 2839 significant galaxy overdensities at redshifts 0.7 ≲ z ≲ 1.5, which included extensive follow-up imaging from theSpitzerSpace Telescope to determine cluster richnesses. Concurrently, the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) has produced large area millimeter-wave maps in three frequency bands along with a large catalog of Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ)-selected clusters as part of its Data Release 5 (DR5).Aims.We aim to verify and characterize MaDCoWS clusters using measurements of, or limits on, their thermal SZ effect signatures. We also use these detections to establish the scaling relation between SZ mass and the MaDCoWS-defined richness.Methods.Using the maps and cluster catalog from DR5, we explore the scaling between SZ mass and cluster richness. We do this by comparing cataloged detections and extracting individual and stacked SZ signals from the MaDCoWS cluster locations. We use complementary radio survey data from the Very Large Array, submillimeter data fromHerschel, and ACT 224 GHz data to assess the impact of contaminating sources on the SZ signals from both ACT and MaDCoWS clusters. We use a hierarchical Bayesian model to fit the mass-richness scaling relation, allowing for clusters to be drawn from two populations: one, a Gaussian centered on the mass-richness relation, and the other, a Gaussian centered on zero SZ signal.Results.We find that MaDCoWS clusters have submillimeter contamination that is consistent with a gray-body spectrum, while the ACT clusters are consistent with no submillimeter emission on average. Additionally, the intrinsic radio intensities of ACT clusters are lower than those of MaDCoWS clusters, even when the ACT clusters are restricted to the same redshift range as the MaDCoWS clusters. We find the best-fit ACT SZ mass versus MaDCoWS richness scaling relation has a slope ofp1= 1.84−0.14+0.15, where the slope is defined asMλ ∝15p1andλ15is the richness. We also find that the ACT SZ signals for a significant fraction (∼57%) of the MaDCoWS sample can statistically be described as being drawn from a noise-like distribution, indicating that the candidates are possibly dominated by low-mass and unvirialized systems that are below the mass limit of the ACT sample. Further, we note that a large portion of the optically confirmed ACT clusters located in the same volume of the sky as MaDCoWS are not selected by MaDCoWS, indicating that the MaDCoWS sample is not complete with respect to SZ selection. Finally, we find that the radio loud fraction of MaDCoWS clusters increases with richness, while we find no evidence that the submillimeter emission of the MaDCoWS clusters evolves with richness.Conclusions.We conclude that the original MaDCoWS selection function is not well defined and, as such, reiterate the MaDCoWS collaboration’s recommendation that the sample is suited for probing cluster and galaxy evolution, but not cosmological analyses. We find a best-fit mass-richness relation slope that agrees with the published MaDCoWS preliminary results. Additionally, we find that while the approximate level of infill of the ACT and MaDCoWS cluster SZ signals (1–2%) is subdominant to other sources of uncertainty for current generation experiments, characterizing and removing this bias will be critical for next-generation experiments hoping to constrain cluster masses at the sub-percent level.

Comparison on the microstructure, aqueous corrosion behavior and hydrogen uptake of a new Zr-Sn-Nb alloy prepared by different hot rolling temperature

The Zr-1.0Sn-0.25Nb-0.2Fe-0.1Cr alloys are prepared by low temperature processing (LTP) and high temperature processing (HTP), respectively. The microstructure, aqueous corrosion behavior and hydrogen uptake of the two different samples are investigated. The results show that higher hot rolling temperature causes the growth of the second phase particles (SPPs), which remain in the final microstructure of the Zr matrix. Presence of large SPPs promotes the formation and propagation of cracks in the oxide scale, leading to the higher corrosion rate and higher hydrogen uptake fraction of the HTP samples than LTP samples in the later stage of the corrosion test.

Misused terms in analytical chemistry with emphasis on ultrasound application.

A wide number of analytical terms have been applied erroneously for many years by analytical chemists, and they apply at present yet, by considering the time makes their use correct. The question is, may precedents validate the present use of incorrect scientific terms? Misused terms are found along the analytical process, starting with giving the name of the sample to the exiguous fraction of the original sample that reaches the detector or the high-resolution equipment after sample pretreatment and sample preparation. All the steps of the analytical process are considered in this article, with special emphasis on sample preparation and, within this, on the use of ultrasound, mainly for assisting extraction more unequivocally named as leaching or lixiviation. A call of attention in this respect is considered by the author to be of help to the analytical community.

Robust Prediction and Protein Selection with Adaptive PENSE.

Adaptive PENSE is a method that can be used to build models for predicting clinical outcomes from a small subset of a potentially large number of candidate proteins. Adaptive PENSE is designed to give reliable results under two common challenges often encountered in these kinds of studies: (1) the number of samples with known clinical outcome and proteomic data is small, while the number of candidate proteins is large and/or (2) proteomic data and the clinical outcome measurements suffer from data quality issues in a small fraction of samples. Even in the presence of these challenges, adaptive PENSE reliably identifies proteins relevant for prediction and estimates accurate predictive models. Adaptive PENSE is designed to be resilient to data quality issues in up to 50% of samples. Almost half of the samples could have aberrant values in the measured protein levels and clinical outcome values without causing severe detrimental effects to the estimated predictive model. The method is implemented as an R package and supports the user in the model selection process by automating most steps and providing diagnostic visualizations to guide the user. Users can choose among several predictive models to select the model with high prediction accuracy and an appropriate number of selected proteins.