Macroscopic Identification Research Articles

Understanding of additively manufactured material cyclic behavior at the grain scale by neutron diffraction and crystal plasticity modeling

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers distinct advantages in terms of complexity, reduced material waste, and shorter production times. However, the microstructures of AM alloys differ significantly from conventionally manufactured ones, and their impact on grain behavior remains uncertain. This study employs neutron diffraction, coupled with Crystal Plasticity Finite Element (CPFE) modeling, to investigate microstructural effects on cyclic behavior in 316L LPBF alloys. Neutron diffraction provides high-resolution strain and stress data at the polycrystalline level during loading, offering valuable insights into grain behavior. The CPFE model is initially validated at the grain scale using neutron diffraction, demonstrating its ability to predict local mechanical behavior in additively manufactured materials. This methodology holds promise for broader applications in various AM alloys, particularly when macroscopic identification of mechanical behavior is insufficient. Furthermore, the comparison between neutron diffraction and CPFE predictions allows to identify the influence of dendrites and dislocation substructures on the mechanical behavior at the grain scale. Notably, the micromechanical anisotropy resulting from dislocation organization along dendritic structures with specific orientations is highlighted. This study shows that despite the observed anisotropy, experimental measurement of intragranular strain distribution are correctly captured with a quantification of the deviation observed on some specific orientations due to the above cited microstructure sub-structures.

465 Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier Permeabilization: A Promising Targeted Approach for Treating Chronic Spinal Cord Injury in Rat Models

INTRODUCTION: Focused ultrasound (FUS) with microbubble contrast agents can temporarily disrupt the blood-brain barrier (BBB), enabling drug delivery. FUS may also offer a minimally invasive method for delivering therapeutic agents to the affected area in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) by transiently opening the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB). METHODS: Nine female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a T9-T11 laminectomy with contusion SCI and were randomly allocated into FUS or control group. Three weeks later, FUS was administered intravenously with microbubbles. A pressure sweep was performed until ultra-harmonics were captured using a wideband hydrophone. We administered 2% Evans blue (EB) immediately after FUS confirmed the BSCB permeability. Transcardial perfusion was performed 2 hours later, and spinal cords were collected. Spectrophotometry was used to determine the EB concentration. Statistical analysis was performed using a student t-test. RESULTS: Five rats were treated with FUS while four were used as controls. Successful feedback control was achieved with FUS, and ultra-harmonics were observed in the FUS group at a mean peak pressure of 0.5 MPa. Macroscopic identification of EB in the spinal cord sections of animals exposed to FUS confirmed the localized opening of the BSCB. Spectrophotometry revealed an increase in EB concentration in the FUS group compared to controls: Mean EB concentration was 0.03 μg in the FUS group versus 0.016 μg in controls at 1-cm above the injury (p < 0.001); 0.27 μg versus 0.093 μg at the injury site (p < 0.001); and 0.25 μg versus 0.18 μg at 1-cm below the injury(p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: FUS increases the permeability of the BSCB in a chronic contusion SCI rat model. This suggests that FUS-mediated BSCB permeabilization may hold promise as a targeted approach for improving therapeutic outcomes in the treatment of chronic SCI.

Species Identification of Inuit Skin and Fur Clothing: Analyses of DNA, Hair Microscopy, and Macroscopical Identification

From approximately 1830 to 1940, through various expeditions to Siberia, Arctic North America, and Greenland, and through donations, the National Museum of Denmark acquired its collection of historical Inuit skin clothing. Unfortunately, original provenance information has been lost for 14% of the garments. In order to document the extensive collection, this study investigates three methods for species identification of animal skin: microscopy of hair, macroscopic identification, and DNA validation. Thus, the present study has two aims: first, to optimise and test hair microscopy for species identification by validating identifications by DNA analyses, and second, to use species identification to estimate the geographic and cultural provenance of Inuit skin clothing. Based on a dataset of well-documented clothing (for positive controls), this study describes an optimised species identification protocol via hair microscopy using transmitted light microscopy (TLM). We demonstrate that the TLM hair protocol is a reliable and inexpensive alternative to molecular approaches when macroscopic identification is doubtful and DNA validation or protein analyses are impossible. In this study we used photomicrographs to document the identifications of caribou (Rangifer tarandus), musk ox (Ovibos moschatus), species of the true seal family (Phocidae), domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), wolf (Canis lupus), Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), polar bear (Ursus maritimus), wolverine (Gulo gulo), ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii richardsonii), ermine (Mustela erminea), and cattle (Bos taurus); these identifications can be used for future reference. We conclude that species identification analyses secure the documentation of garments and allow most objects to be contextualized by culture and geography. The studied garments are accessible at the museum website.

Identification of Digestive Tract Worms in Javan Gibbons (Hylobates moloch) at Maharani Zoo

Worm infections in Javan gibbons often do not cause clinical symptoms, but have an impact on the health and performance of Javan gibbons, so a fecal examination is needed to determine the presence of worm infections in Javan gibbons. The aim of this research is to identify digestive tract worms that infect Javan gibbons at Maharani Zoo. The research was conducted on 3 Javan gibbons consisting of 2 males and 1 female with an age range of 6-14 years and a body weight of 4-6 kg. Macroscopic identification of worms in Javan gibbons showed an abnormality in one of the Javan gibbon's feces. The feces abnormality is in the form of a very soft consistency, with a brownish yellow color, and the feces has a foul odor. Microscopic identification of worms in Javan gibbons showed positive results for the presence of eggs and larvae Strongyloides in one of the Javan gibbons. The Strongyloides worm larvae identified were rhabitiform. The cause of worm infections in Javan gibbons was due to the vegetable feed given, namely water spinach and mustard greens, being contaminated with Strongyloides worm eggs. Prevention needs to be done to prevent contamination of worm eggs, including washing the vegetables.

A novel few-shot learning framework for rock images dually driven by data and knowledge

In the field of geosciences, the integration of artificial intelligence is transitioning from perceptual intelligence to cognitive intelligence. The simultaneous utilization of knowledge and data in the geoscience domain is a universally addressed concern. In this paper, based on the interpretability of deep learning models for rock images, rock features such as structure, texture, mineral and macroscopic identification characteristics were selected to extract a rock identification subgraph from the petrographic knowledge graph and carry out rock type similarity reasoning. Comparative experiments were conducted on few-shot learning of rock images under the supervision of rock type similarity knowledge. The results of the few-shot learning comparisons demonstrate that the supervision of rock type similarity knowledge significantly enhances performance. Additionally, rock type similarity knowledge exhibits a marginal effect on improving few-shot learning performance. Given the absence of Chinese word embedding and large-scale Chinese pre-trained language models in the geological domain, graph embedding based on domain-specific knowledge graphs in geosciences can offer computable geoscience knowledge for research dually propelled by data and knowledge.

Isolation and Macroscopic Characterization of Molase and Bacteria from Acanthus sp. Mangrove Sediments

Acanthus sp. grows in mangrove sediments with a muddy texture that contains nutrients, allowing specific bacteria to thrive. This study aims to isolate and characterize bacteria from mangrove sediment (Acanthus sp.) cultured in media with added molasses. Bacteria were cultivated on solid molasses media I and II. The planting process began with the sediment sample being dissolved in distilled water for 30 minutes before undergoing sixfold dilution. Subsequently, the samples were planted on molasses media I and II with different compositions. The planting was carried out using the spread plate method, where 100µL of the final three dilutions was added. The bacteria were then incubated until bacterial colonies that could use molasses as a carbon source for their metabolism grew. Molasses is a residual substance from sugar production in sugarcane plants, which still contains fermentable sugars optimally utilized by bacteria for metabolic processes. The results of bacterial cultivation revealed differences in growth diversity, with media II exhibiting greater diversity than media I. Bacterial diversity was observed using macroscopic identification methods, focusing on the colony's appearance. This suggests that the composition of media II is more suitable for bacterial growth.

Distribution of marine sponges based on depth area of Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) in North Lombok Waters, NTB Province

North Lombok Waters have a fairly high level of diversity. Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs) are light-dependent coral reef communities ranging from 30-40 meters and extending to the bottom of the photic zone to a depth of 150 meters. Sponges are the main constituent of MCEs that have many benefits, but their existence is poorly understood. This study aims to determine the distribution of marine sponges in Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems (MCEs). Data was taken in September 2020 using the Underwater Photo Transect (UPT) method. Pictures were taken at a depth of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 meters at 3 stations. Macroscopic identification of sponges based on underwater photos. The identification results found 32 genera of sponges spread over 3 stations in the waters of North Lombok. The deeper you go, the more genera are found at the three research stations. Out of 32 genera, sponge abundance dependent on depth only influences 5 genera. We anticipate additional factors affecting the 27 genera of sponges, but further research is necessary. The ANOVA test results showed that several sponges genera were significantly different between depths, namely Callyspongia, Theonella, Clathria, Stylotella, and Spirastrella.

Archaeometallurgical research into the ironworking activities of the Medieval Harbour at Hoeke (Belgium)

ABSTRACTArchaeological research at Hoeke, a Late Medieval outer harbour of Bruges (Belgium), has revealed large quantities of iron slags, fuel and other remains of iron working. Archaeometrical study has provided an enhanced insight into the historic iron working process, a craft activity which had up till now remained completely unknown in one of the largest economic hubs of medieval Europe. Several petrological, mineralogical and geochemical analytical methods have been applied for this purpose. The metallographic analysis was performed using reflected light optical microscopy, while the mineralogical composition of the slags was characterized X-ray Diffraction (XRD) Spectrometry. Macroscopic identification of plano-convex bottom slag and hammerscales, combined with the geochemical data pointed out that the examined slag is indicating smithing activity, while no traces for iron ore melting were discovered.

Is tree-ring anatomy the key? searching for an optimal dendrogeomorphic approach to distinguish shallow creep and true slide movements

Tree-ring based chronologies of slide movements can serve as an important basis for determining landslide activity, assessing risk and triggers, or potentially predicting future landslide behaviour. Unfortunately, however, the landslide areas studied are often affected by another type of slope movement, namely creep, which can introduce a considerable amount of noise into the resulting chronology. Thus, this study focused on testing different dendrogeomorphic approaches for the extraction of landslide signal from tree-ring series with respect to their ability to filter out the influence of creep movements and slide movements. For this purpose, 45 trees (Fagus sylvatica L. and Acer pseudoplatanus L.) growing on the steep slope of a sub-landslide block whose movement has been monitored for a long time and for which a single landslide event is known (second half of 2010) were sampled.The first tested approach was based on changing tree-ring eccentricity values and has shown its very high sensitivity to all slope movements and is therefore not applicable for creep filtering and slide movements unsuitable on steep slopes. The second approach, using macroscopic identification of the tension tree, proved to be the most suitable, accurately detecting the slide event and successfully filtering out all creep-induced noise. A final approach based on the detection of sudden anatomical changes in tree rings (independent of the presence of tension wood) also captured high amounts of noise and also slide event. Its use would be possible in the case of a suitably set event-response index threshold. The study also includes a discussion of the general effect of creep movements on tree growth, the limitations and advantages of each approach, and recommendations for future research.

Detection of Mildewed Nutmeg Internal Quality during Storage Using an Electronic Nose Combined with Chemical Profile Analysis.

Internal mildewed nutmeg is difficult to perceive without cutting the nutmeg open and examining it carefully, which poses a significant risk to public health. At present, macroscopic identification and chromatographic analysis are applied to determine whether nutmeg is moldy or not. However, the former relies on a human panel, with the disadvantages of subjectivity and empirical dependence, whilst the latter is generally time-consuming and requires organic solvents. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a rapid and feasible approach for evaluating the quality and predicting mildew in nutmeg. In this study, the quality and odor characteristics of five groups of nutmeg samples with different degrees of mildew were analyzed by using the responses of an electronic nose combined with chemical profiling. The main physicochemical indicators, such as the levels of α-pinene, β-pinene, elemicin, and dehydro-di-isoeugenol, were determined. The results revealed that the contents of α-pinene, β-pinene, and elemicin changed significantly with the extension of storage time. Through the use of an electronic nose and HS-GC-MS technology to assess the overall odor characteristics of nutmeg samples, it was found that the production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as ammonia/organic amines, carbon monoxide, ethanol, and hydrogen sulfide, as well as changes in the terpene and phenylpropene components of the nutmeg itself, may be the material basis for the changes in odor. The accuracy of the qualitative classification model for the degree of mildew in nutmeg was higher than 90% according to the electronic nose data combined with different machine learning algorithms. Quantitative models were established for predicting the contents of the chemical components, and models based on a BP neural network (BPNN), the support vector machine (SVM), and the random forest algorithm (RF) all showed good performance in predicting the concentrations of these chemical components, except for dehydro-di-isoeugenol. The BPNN performed effectively in predicting the storage time of nutmeg on the basis of the E-nose's responses, with an RMSE and R2 of 0.268 and 0.996 for the training set, and 0.317 and 0.993 for the testing set, respectively. The results demonstrated that the responses of the electronic nose (E-nose) had a high correlation with the internal quality of nutmeg. This work proposes a quick and non-destructive evaluation method for the quality of nutmeg, which has high accuracy in discriminating between different degrees of mold in nutmeg and is conducive to early detection and warning of moldy phenomena.

Identification and count of bacteria on the palms of fried food sellers

The palm is the part of the body that is most often used daily to carry out various activities, which makes hands very easily contaminated by bacteria. This causes the palm of the hand can act as a medium for transmission of various types of diseases. This study aims to identify and count the number of bacteria on the palms of fried food sellers. This research technique was carried out by laboratory observation with the object of research being the palms of 10 fried food sellers in Rappocini District, Makassar City. Based on the results of research that has been carried out from 10 samples, it has been identified microscopically the form of gram-negative bacilli is red and clustered and macroscopic identification shows the shape of bacterial colonies is round, jagged with small to large sizes, while the results of calculating the number of bacteria for all samples obtained the number of bacteria in large numbers (TBUD). It can be concluded that the palms of fried food sellers in Rappocini District, Makassar City are positive for gram-negative bacilli with an amount that cannot be counted (TBUD).

Prevalence Of Intestinal Parasites And Associated Demograhic Risk Factors Among Patients Attending State Specialist Hospital, Gombe

Background: Parasitic infections caused by intestinal helminthes and protozoan are among the most prevalent infections in humans in developing countries. High prevalence of parasitic infections may be due to one of the risk factors including low levels of environmental sanitation, lack of safe water supply, poor hygiene, low socio-economic status, poverty, improper garbage disposal and impoverished health services. Objective: The study aimed to determine the Prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated demographic risk factors among patients attending specialist hospital Gombe, Nigeria. Methods:The study was conducted in state specialist hospital Gombe. Faecal samples were collected from two hundred and thirty-three (233) patients. The stool specimens were subjected to direct saline and iodine mount for microscopic and macroscopic identification. Result: The overall prevalence of intestinal parasite was 36 (15.45%) and the most commonly isolated intestinal parasite from patients stool was Entamaeba histolytica (6.44%) based on the laboratory findings. Statistically, age was associated with the Intestinal parasitic infection. Difference in prevalence values of intestinal helminthes parasites between sexes were not statistically significant. Furthermore, the percentage of infection in both male and female patients was equal. Patients within the child age group had the highest prevalence 32(13.73%) followed by Adolescent age 3 (1.28%) and Adult 1(0.42%). Conclusion: The prevalence of intestinal parasite among patients attending state specialist hospital Gombe was 15.45%. The infestation was more prevalent in children, and the age range of 1-12 was a significant risk factor.

Preclinical Identification Of Tumor-Draining Lymph Nodes Using a Multimodal Non-invasive In vivo Imaging Approach

PurposeResection of the tumor-draining lymph -node (TDLN) represents a standard method to identify metastasis for several malignancies. Interestingly, recent preclinical studies indicate that TDLN resection diminishes the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor-based cancer immunotherapies. Thus, accurate preclinical identification of TDLNs is pivotal to uncovering the underlying immunological mechanisms. Therefore, we validated preclinically, and clinically available non-invasive in vivo imaging approaches for precise TDLN identification.ProceduresFor visualization of the lymphatic drainage into the TDLNs by non-invasive in vivo optical imaging, we injected the optical imaging contrast agents Patent Blue V (582.7 g mol−1) and IRDye® 800CW polyethylene glycol (PEG; 25,000–60,000 g mol−1), subcutaneously (s.c.) in close proximity to MC38 adenocarcinomas at the right flank of experimental mice. For determination of the lymphatic drainage and the glucose metabolism in TDLNs by non-invasive in vivo PET/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI), we injected the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer (2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) [181.1 g mol−1]) in a similar manner. For ex vivo cross-correlation, we isolated TDLNs and contralateral nontumor-draining lymph nodes (NTDLNs) and performed optical imaging, biodistribution, and autoradiography analysis.ResultsThe clinically well-established Patent Blue V was superior for intraoperative macroscopic identification of the TDLNs compared with IRDye® 800CW PEG but was not sensitive enough for non-invasive in vivo detection by optical imaging. Ex vivo Patent Blue V biodistribution analysis clearly identified the right accessory axillary and the proper axillary lymph node (LN) as TDLNs, whereas ex vivo IRDye® 800CW PEG completely failed. In contrast, functional non-invasive in vivo18F-FDG PET/MRI identified a significantly elevated uptake exclusively within the ipsilateral accessory axillary TDLN of experimental mice and was able to differentiate between the accessory axillary and the proper LN. Ex vivo biodistribution and autoradiography confirmed our in vivo18F-FDG PET/MRI results.ConclusionsWhen taken together, our results demonstrate the feasibility of 18F-FDG-PET/MRI as a valid method for non-invasive in vivo, intraoperative, and ex vivo identification of the lymphatic drainage and glucose metabolism within the TDLNs. In addition, using Patent Blue V provides additive value for the macroscopic localization of the lymphatic drainage both visually and by ex vivo optical imaging analysis. Thus, both methods are valuable, easy to implement, and cost-effective for preclinical identification of the TDLN.

Prevalence of Multidrug Resistance Gram Negative Bacteria among Patients with Bacteremia in Erbil, Iraq

Background: The presence of microorganisms in a patient's blood is a critical determinant of the severity of the patient's illness and its complication is one of the main infective causes of mortality and morbidity. Early and prompt antibiotic therapy based on the knowledge of the prevalent microorganisms can help reduce this rate.
 Objectives: Our study aimed to carry out prevalence study on bacteremia isolated from blood samples among patients in Erbil city and analyze its antibiotics susceptibility pattern test and multi-drug resistance.
 Materials and Methods: A total of 1023 from 2015 until 2021 bacteremia were isolated from patients blood samples attending (Nanakali, Raparin, Maryamana) hospitals and BIO lab from both male and female. Only 57 cases had been identified as bacteremia isolates which were identified by using microscopical, macroscopical identification, cultural, BacT/ALERT and vitek 2 compact system. Also antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by vitek 2 compact on 13 antibiotics.
 Results: Only 57 bacteremia isolates were isolated from 1023 samples from (2015-2021), in our study the percentage of females infected with bacteremia were more than the males, females being 29/1023 (2.84%) and males being 28/1023 (2.74%), about the age groups in (2015-2021) infections by bacteremia were increased in (21-30) age people being 13/57 ( 22.81%) in total, in (2015-2021) the most common bacteria that cause bacteremia were Escherichia coli being 28/57(49.12%) followed by Klebsiella pneumonia being 11/57 (19.3%) , Enterobacter spp. being 7/57 (12.28%) , Salmonella typhi and Serratia marcescens both had 1/57 (1.75%) , Acinetobacter baumanni had 7/57 (12.3%) and finally Pseudomonas aeruginosa had 2/57 (3.5%) . Escherichia coli this bacteria mainly found in females 16/28 (57.14%), in ( 2015-2021), for cancer patients with bacteremia Escherichia coli was the most common isolated bacteria being 24/732 (3.30%), bacteremia mostly infected patients with acute myeloid leukemia were 12/38(31.58%) in Nanakali hospital, the bacteria that isolated from patients with bacteremia had resistance to more than three classes of antibiotics they were highly resistance to vancomycin 15 (100%), tetracycline12 (80%) followed by sulfamethoxazole 11 (73.33%) then to erythromycin 9 (60%) and both amoxicillin and clindamycin had 8 (53.33%) antibiotic resistance.
 Conclusions: The study showed that the rate of bacteremia increased in last few years in Erbil city especially in cancer patient and those having weak immunity, bacteria acquired resistance to antibiotics and this due to frequent use of antibiotics, morbidity attribute to antibiotic resistant is significant, if prevailing resistance trends continue, high societal and economic costs can be expected. Better management of antibiotic use, and infection control is needed to avoid infections that caused by drug resistant pathogens bacteremia.

Assessing raw material diversity at Poverty Point (16WC5) using non‐destructive reflectance spectroscopy

AbstractLithic raw material variation is valuable for assessing the scale of human mobility, differential access to and from raw material sources, and prehistoric exchange patterns. Recent advancements in non‐destructive reflectance spectroscopy have proven to be more accurate in provenance investigations compared with the macroscopic (visual) identification technique for lithic artifacts. Here, we use visible/near‐infrared reflectance and Fourier transform reflectance spectroscopy on a collection of 845 lithic bifaces at Poverty Point (16WC5) site in northeastern Louisiana, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is well‐known for the presence of nonlocal materials, including stone tools. This study describes the first systematic approach to analyzing and interpreting hyperspectral reflectance data for cryptocrystalline silicate (e.g., chert and flint) artifacts at Poverty Point site. The chert materials identified in this study reaffirm the idea that tool stones arriving at the Poverty Point site came from diverse geologic sources, covering an expansive geographic area.

An Ethnopharmaceutical Study on the Hypolipidemic Formulae in Taiwan Issued by Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacies.

Globally, approximately one-third of ischemic heart diseases are due to hyperlipidemia, which has been shown to cause various metabolic disorders. This study was aimed to disassemble and analyze hypolipidemic formulae sold by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacies. Using commonly used statistical parameters in ethnopharmacology, we identified the core drug combination of the hypolipidemic formulae, thereby exploring the strategy by which the Taiwanese people select hypolipidemic drugs. Most important of all, we preserved the inherited knowledge of TCM. We visited 116 TCM pharmacies in Taiwan and collected 91 TCM formulae. The formulae were mainly disassembled by macroscopical identification, and the medicinal materials with a relative frequency of citation (RFC) >0.2 were defined as commonly used medicinal materials. Subsequently, we sorted the information of medicinal materials recorded in the Pharmacopeia, searched for modern pharmacological research on commonly used medicinal materials using PubMed database, and visualized data based on the statistical results. Finally, the core hypolipidemic medicinal materials used in folk medicine were obtained. Of the 91 TCM formulae collected in this study, 80 traditional Chinese medicinal materials were used, belonging to 43 families, predominantly Lamiaceae. Roots were the most commonly used part as a medicinal material. There were 17 commonly used medicinal materials. Based on medicinal records in Pharmacopeia, most flavors and properties were warm and pungent, the majority traditional effects were “tonifying and replenishing” and “blood-regulating.” Besides, the targeted diseases searching from modern pharmacological studies were diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia. The core medicinal materials consisted of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge, and the core formulae were Bu-Yang-Huan-Wu-Tang and Xie-Fu-Zhu-Yu-Tang. In addition, 7 groups of folk misused medicinal materials were found. Although these TCMs have been used for a long period of time, their hypolipidemic mechanisms remain unclear, and further studies are needed to validate their safety and efficacy.

Comparison between macroscopic identification and DNA barcoding identification of Amomi Fructus

This study aims to explore the consistency between macroscopic identification and DNA barcoding identification of Amomi Fructus. With the DNA barcoding identification results, we evaluated the reliability of identifying Amomi Fructus quality by combining macroscopic traits with main volatile chemical components. Thirteen batches of Amomi Fructus samples were collected for identification. Firstly, the morphological and sensory characteristics of each sample were observed and recorded according to the standard in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition). The 100-fruit weight, longitudinal diameter, transverse diameter, and longitudinal diameter-to-transverse diameter ratio were measured, which correspond to large, solid, and full kernel representing good quality in the sensory evaluation. The odor value detected by electronic nose and major volatile components(borneol, camphor, limonene, and borneol acetate) correspond to the sensory evaluation of strong odor representing good quality. Secondly, DNA barcoding was employed to identify the 13 batches of samples. Finally, clustering analysis was performed for the main volatile components and macroscopic traits, and the identification results were compared with those of DNA barcoding. Except two batches of samples(No.6 and No.10), the macroscopic identification showed the results consistent with those of DNA barcoding, with an identification rate of 84.62%. The clustering results of the content of four volatile chemical components and macroscopic traits were also consistent with the DNA barcoding identification results. DNA barcoding can verify the results of macroscopic identification and provide a scientific basis for the inheritance and development of macroscopic identification. Moreover, the combination of macroscopic traits and chemical components demonstrates higher accuracy in the quality evaluation of Chinese medicinal materials.

The origin of chert in the Aurignacian of Vogelherd Cave investigated by infrared spectroscopy.

The analyses of raw material provenance offers the possibility of tracing short and long-distance raw material transport. So far, most studies of raw material of flint and chert in Europe have been based on macroscopic analyses. We apply infrared spectroscopy to Aurignacian assemblages from Vogelherd cave and to the Magdalenian site Randecker Maar in southwestern Germany. We compare raw material samples from three chert-bearing areas in Germany with archaeological samples from Vogelherd. Our results show that infrared spectroscopy can distinguish between different raw materials. Our archaeological samples from Vogelherd correspond to the sampled geological cherts in terms of their spectral signature. Our comparison of reference samples and archaeological samples highlights problems in commonly used macroscopic identifications of chert raw materials.

Archaeometric analysis of the ‘greco scritto’ marble slabs from the Edificio dei Triclinii at Murecine (Pompeii, Italy)

AbstractThis paper presents the results of the archaeometric analysis of the greco scritto marble slabs from the Edificio dei Triclinii, an inn or statio negotiatorum discovered at Murecine in Pompeii’s suburbs in 1999–2000. A total of 14 samples were collected and subjected to standard X‐ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM) on thin sections and stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA) to assess the stone’s identity and provenance. The results of this study substantiate the hypothesis (already put forward and based on a macroscopic identification by Perna and Scognamiglio) that the stone originates from the Hasançavuşlar quarries near Ephesus in Asia Minor, and represent the first step towards a systematic contextual and geochemical study of Ephesian greco scritto in Roman contexts and its respective contribution to the Roman stone trade.

Standardized Rat Coronary Ring Preparation and Real-Time Recording of Dynamic Tension Changes Along Vessel Diameter

As a key event of cardiovascular system diseases, coronary artery disease (CAD) has been widely regarded as the main culprit of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and angina pectoris, which seriously threaten the life and health of people all over the world. However, how to record the dynamic biomechanical characteristics of isolated blood vessels has long puzzled people. Meanwhile, precise positioning and isolation of coronary arteries to measure in vitro dynamic vascular tension changes have become a trend in CAD drug development. The present protocol describes the macroscopic identification and microscopic separation of rat coronary arteries. The contraction and dilation function of the coronary artery ring along the vessel diameter was monitored using the established multi myograph system. The standardized and programmed protocols of coronary ring tension measurement, from sampling to data acquisition, tremendously improve the repeatability of the experimental data, which ensures the authenticity of vascular tension records after physiological, pathological, and drug intervention.