Processing Steps Research Articles

Primary splenic ectopic pregnancy: A case report and literature review of a rare issue.

Primary splenic pregnancy is a rare form of extratubal ectopic pregnancy, frequently associated with life-threatening abdominal bleeding, with only 51 cases reported in the worldwide literature. The aim of this work, through the proposal of its own index case, is to identify the fundamental steps of the diagnostic process, crucial to reduce the mortality rate, while evaluating the available therapeutic options, through a review of the literature, particularly the more conservative ones, to avoid splenectomy. We present the case of a 22-year-old woman, showing her diagnostic-therapeutic pathway. We searched Pubmed and other sources for all publications in English and all available non-English literature, including historical publications, on this rare topic, to identify the best treatment for these patients. We classified each article by clinical onset, diagnostic and therapeutic strategy, and histological findings, if available. We reviewed all the 43 cases available in the English-language literature (plus another paper in German), finding that 72.7% of patients presented in an emergency setting. Seventy-five percent of patients required splenectomy, 6.8% received pharmacological-only therapy, 11.3% received arterial embolization before definitive treatment. The other ones received non-radical surgical treatment. Primary splenic pregnancy presents challenging diagnostic and therapeutic features. Treatment options (pharmacological, interventional, and/or surgical) should be tailored based on the clinical presentation and hemodynamic status of the patient. Our work would like to stimulate the validation of evidence-based therapeutic strategies validated by clinical experience.

Non-target risk assessment of Cotesia typhae, a potential biological control agent of the Mediterranean corn borer

Biocontrol of exotic insect pests can be achieved by introducing natural enemies from the native range. This method has been successful in controlling many pests worldwide, but negative effects on local non-targets have sometimes occurred. Before the introduction of exotic macro-organisms useful for crop protection, a risk assessment is mandatory under EU regulations. In this study, we assessed the non-target risks of the larval parasitoid Cotesia typhae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), a potential agent for inundative biocontrol of the Mediterranean corn borer Sesamia nonagrioides (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), both natives to Sub-Saharan Africa. The effects of C. typhae on 8 non-target species was determined by sequential analysis under laboratory conditions, including tests of acceptance, development monitoring, olfactory attractiveness and in planta parasitism test. The results varied considerably between species. By multiplying the probability of outcome of the successive steps of the parasitism process, we estimated that non-target species had lower average risks of C. typhae development (1 % of non-target larvae at risk) and of induced mortality (5 %) compared to S. nonagrioides larvae (41 and 42 % respectively). The highest mortality risk in planta was observed for the cattail stemborer, Nonagria typhae (9 %), although it was still lower than for the target species (33 %). These host range results and the low survival capacity of the parasitoid at winter temperatures, suggest a low long-term environmental risk, which is supported by the estimation of the global risk index proposed by van Lenteren et al. (2003). The host range and impact of C. typhae in field conditions will soon be determined.

An in Silico Investigation into Polyester Adsorption onto Alumina toward an Improved Understanding of Hydrogenolysis Catalysts.

Chemical recycling of end-of-life plastic wastes through hydrogenolysis is a promising pathway for achieving a circular plastics economy and reducing overall energy costs. Understanding molecular interactions at the inorganic-organic depolymerization interface is crucial for enhancing catalyst performance and overcoming challenges posed by mixed plastic waste streams. We investigated a fundamental step in the depolymerization process: physisorption of polymers onto the metal oxide support preceding diffusion to and reaction at the catalyst-support junction. Molecular dynamics simulations, augmented with well-tempered metadynamics, were conducted to explore the adsorption of polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) oligomers onto a hydroxylated alumina support surface. Our findings revealed multiple layers of highly oriented solvent molecules (1,4-dioxane) above the surface, creating significant barriers to polyester adsorption. Disrupting and displacing these solvent layers led PET oligomers to adsorb closer to and interact stronger with the surface than PLA oligomers, possibly contributing to the higher reaction temperatures needed to achieve full conversion in PET versus PLA hydrogenolysis. We further suggest an experimental approach to validate our results of solvent layering behavior through predictions of X-ray reflectivity that are consistent with our initial experiments. The insights gained in this study can be leveraged to refine our understanding of catalytic mechanisms to predict depolymerization reactivity and selectivity and improve future hydrogenolysis catalyst designs.

Theoretical study on the synthesis of HMX via nitrolysis of TAT promoted by ionic liquids

The synthesis of HMX via the TAT method offers an effective strategy. However, the difficulty in synthesizing HMX is mainly limited by the nitration reaction of TAT. Ionic liquids have been shown to facilitate the nitration of energetic materials. Despite these advancements, the theoretical insight for how ionic liquids enhance the selective nitration is still inadequate. This study indicates that the energy barriers for each rate-determining step of the nitration process in ionic liquid solutions are lower compared to those in aqueous solutions, significantly influencing the formation of complexes at different reaction sites of TAT during the initial nitration stages.

Machine Learning‐Based Estimation of Experimental Artifacts and Image Quality in Fluorescence Microscopy

Reliable characterization of image data is fundamental for imaging applications, FAIR data management, and an objective evaluation of image acquisition, processing, and analysis steps in an image‐based investigation of biological samples. Image quality assessment (IQA) often relies on human visual perception, which is not objective, or reference ground truth images, which are not often available. This study presents a method for a comprehensive IQA of microscopic images, which solves these issues by employing a set of reference‐free metrics that estimate the presence of experimental artifacts. The metrics are jointly validated on a semisynthetic dataset and are tested on experimental images. Finally, the metrics are employed in a machine learning model, demonstrating their effectiveness for automatic artifact classification through multimarker IQA. This work provides a reliable reference‐free method for IQA in optical microscopy, which can be integrated into the experimental workflow and tuned to address specific artifact detection tasks.

De Novo Biosynthesis of a Polyene-Type Ginsenoside Precursor Dammaradienol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Typical dammarane-type ginsenosides are well-known tetracyclic triterpenoids with significant pharmacological effects including antitumor, cardiovascular protection, and neuroprotection. Polyene-type ginsenosides exhibit stronger biological activities than common ginsenosides; however, their contents are low, and most are converted from ginsenosides through a series of processing steps, resulting in higher preparation costs. In this study, a dammaradienol synthase, AarOSC20433, was identified for the first time from Artemisia argyi H. Lév. & Vaniot (A. argyi). The high-yielding squalene strain constructed in this study was used as the chassis strain. Yeast heterologous biosynthesis of the polyene-type ginsenoside precursor dammaradienol was achieved via metabolic engineering strategies, including optimization of the terpene supply, increase in copy number of AarOSC20433, and rational enzyme design. Eventually, through replenishment and batch fermentation, the titer of dammaradienol reached 1.037 g/L (4.3 mg/L/OD), laying a solid foundation for the construction of a polyene-type ginsenoside cell factory.

Effect of substrate misorientation angle on the structural properties of N-polar GaN grown by hot-wall MOCVD on 4H-SiC(000[formula omitted])

The effects of substrate misorientation angle direction and degree on the structural properties of N-polar GaN grown by a novel multi-step temperature epitaxial approach using hot-wall metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on 4H-SiC (0001̄) substrates is investigated. The surface morphology and X-ray diffraction (XRD) rocking curves (RCs) for both symmetric and asymmetric Bragg peaks of the multi-step temperature N-polar GaN are compared to a material obtained in a two-step temperature process. In the latter the temperature in the second step was varied so that it corresponds to the growth temperatures in each of the steps of the multi-step process. Different step-flow patterns are obtained on the substrates with a misorientation angle of 4° depending on whether its direction is towards the a-plane or the m-plane. In contrast, for a misorientation angle of 1° towards the m-plane, the surface morphology of N-polar GaN is dominated by hexagonal hillocks when using the 2-step temperature process and a step meandering growth mode is observed when employing the multi-step temperature process. These results are discussed and explained in terms of kinetic and thermodynamic considerations. As the growth temperature of the GaN layer in the 2-step temperature process increases from 950 °C to 1100 °C, the surface roughness and RCs widths decrease for the three types of substrates indicating improved crystal quality at higher temperature. The multi-step epitaxial approach is shown to be beneficial for achieving smooth surface morphology and low defect density of N-polar GaN layers grown on C-face SiC substrates with a misorientation angle of 4° and an RMS value of 1.5 nm over an area of 20 μm × 20 μm is attained when the substrate mis-cut is towards the m-plane.

Oncom: A Nutritive Functional Fermented Food Made from Food Process Solid Residue

Food security is one of the critical issues in facing the world food crisis. Utilizing food processing residue waste to make nutritious and healthy functional foods should follow a double-merit approach in facing the world food crisis. Oncom, an overlooked traditional fermented product based on local wisdom, might be an example of potential sustainable food to overcome hunger and support the circular economy programme. This review attempts to portray the existence and role of oncom based on a systematic study of hundreds of reports from different angles, mainly focusing on its processing, the microbes involved, its sensory characteristics, nutritional benefits, and promising bioactivities. Oncom can be produced by various raw materials such as tofu dreg (okara), peanut press cake, and tapioca solid waste, involving various microbes, mainly Neurospora sp. or Rhizopus sp., and various processing steps. The products show promising nutritional values. In terms of sensory characteristics, oncom is sensory-friendly due to its umami dominance. Many bioactivity capacities have been reported, including antioxidants, lowering cholesterol effect, and cardiovascular disease prevention, although some findings are still only preliminary. Undoubtedly, oncom has the potential to be developed as a future functional food with standardized quality and reliable bioefficacy. This kind of solid fermented product, based on agricultural residue wastes, is worthy of further development worldwide with full scientific support to create more reliable functional foods with a modern touch to achieve zero hunger.

Effect of Selective Milling on the Concentration Process of Critical Raw Materials from MSW Incinerator Bottom Ash

This research introduces selective milling as a reliable and effective initial concentration process to enable efficient separation and ensure high recovery rates of valuable and critical materials (minerals and metals) from processed incinerator bottom ash (pr.IBA), a treated mineral fraction originating from the conventional municipal solid waste (MSW) incinerator bottom ash (IBA) processing steps. Four different types of pr.IBA (each sample weighing up to three tons) were selectively milled using a demonstration-scale vertical roller mill to produce three distinct products: fine, middle, and coarse fractions. Chemical analysis demonstrated that a concentration step after selective milling could be reliably achieved regardless of the variation in the sources and qualities of the input materials. Specifically, calcium-containing compounds can be enriched in the fine fraction, potentially containing Ca2SiO4, CaSO4, and CaCO3. Complementary to its particle size equivalent to the raw mix, this calcium segregation could be valuable as an alternative material in cement clinker production. Conversely, the segregation of metal-bearing substances, particularly iron and copper, was detected in the coarse fraction. Such segregation is comparable to specific ore grades and enhances the possibility of metal recovery from pr.IBA.

A novel method for optimizing epilepsy detection features through multi-domain feature fusion and selection.

The methods used to detect epileptic seizures using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals suffer from poor accuracy in feature selection and high redundancy. This problem is addressed through the use of a novel multi-domain feature fusion and selection method (PMPSO). Discrete Wavelet Transforms (DWT) and Welch are used initially to extract features from different domains, including frequency domain, time-frequency domain, and non-linear domain. The first step in the detection process is to extract important features from different domains, such as frequency domain, time-frequency domain, and non-linear domain, using methods such as Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) and Welch. To extract features strongly correlated with epileptic classification detection, an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and Pearson correlation analysis are combined. Finally, Support Vector Machines (SVM), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Random Forest (RF) and XGBoost classifiers are used to construct epileptic seizure detection models based on the optimized detection features. According to experimental results, the proposed method achieves 99.32% accuracy, 99.64% specificity, 99.29% sensitivity, and 99.32% score, respectively. The detection performance of the three classifiers is compared using 10-fold cross-validation. Surpassing other methods in detection accuracy. Consequently, this optimized method for epilepsy seizure detection enhances the diagnostic accuracy of epilepsy seizures.

Parts-Per-Million Level Loading Cyclometalated Ru(II)-NHC Catalyzed Selective Oxidation of Olefins to Carbonyls.

Oxidative cleavage of olefins is a useful reaction in organic synthesis. The most well-known catalytic system is the osmium based Lemieux-Johnson catalyst, which generally requires high catalyst loading and tends to suffer from rapid overoxidation to produce the acid predominantly. Hence, the development of a mild, general, and selective method toward the oxidative cleavage of alkenes to carbonyl compounds is highly desired. In this work, a highly efficient ruthenium-based catalyst for olefin oxidation has been demonstrated by employing a fused π-conjugated imidazo[1,5-a]quinoxaline (ImQx) based NHC ligand with bidentate C(carbanion) CNHC motif. Strong C-donor ligands, paired with a rigid backbone and ruthenium redox activity, provided exceptionally high catalytic activity and a long lifetime for olefin oxidation. Complex showed high catalytic activity and a long lifetime, TONs are several million. The catalyst tolerates numerous functional groups and can be applicable to challenging biomass, natural products, sugar, amino acids, and fatty acid-derived substrates. Based on kinetic studies, thermodynamic activation parameters, and DFT study, the mechanistic finding demonstrated that [3+2] cycloaddition reaction is the key step in the oxidation process. The use of the by-product NaIO3 in the catalytic efficiency has been disclosed for the first time.

The colonial face casts of Nello Puccioni: an emblematic case from Italy's fascist period

This article focuses, for the first time, on an in depth and systematic study of the face casts production of the Florentine anthropologist Nello Puccioni. The face casts are housed at the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology of the University of Florence. Puccioni took the face casts in the course of his expeditions to Somalia (1924 and 1935) and Libya (1928 and 1929) during the Italian colonial occupation in Africa. This collection represents an emblematic case study of sensitive artefacts created, displayed and disseminated during fascism. This research represents an essential step in the well-needed process of decolonization of the Florentine museum and its contents.

Artificial Intelligence Signal Control in Electronic Optocoupler Circuits Addressed on Industry 5.0 Digital Twin

The paper is focused on the modeling of a digital twin (DT) through a circuit simulation and artificial intelligence (AI) analysis to determine the effects of disturbances and noise in optocoupler devices integrated into programmable logic controller (PLC) systems. Specifically, the DT analyzes the parametric and the predicted simulations about the sensitivity of the optocouplers versus noise and interference to provide possible corrective actions, compensating for the distortion of the output signal. The model is structured into two main data processing steps: the first is based on the circuit simulation of the optocoupler noise coupling by highlighting the time-domain sensitivity aspects and the frequency behavior of the coupled signals; the second one estimates the predicted disturbed signal by means of supervised random forest (RF) and unsupervised K-Means algorithms to provide further elements to prevent corrective solutions by means of risk maps. This work is suitable for Industry 5.0 scenarios involving machine control supported by AI-based DT platforms. The innovative elements of the proposed model are the DT features of scalability and modularity; the spatial multidimensionality, able to couple the effects of different undesired signals; and the possibility to simulate the whole PLC system, including its control circuits.

Fraudulent Food Products Outbreak in South Africa: a Conundrum for Food Control Authorities

The concept of food fraud or food adulteration has become increasingly important in recent years, as it not only serves as a means for perpetrators to make quick money but also poses significant risks to consumer health. This threat is often fuelled by the use of unmonitored or unregulated ingredients. The rise in food fraud can be attributed to various factors, including the demand for specific food products, inadequate monitoring of food production, poor border management for food control, and the opportunities presented by free trade and entrepreneurship. To gain insights into the extent of food fraud, a review of reported cases from 2015 to 2024 was conducted, focusing on well-known cases in South Africa during this period. The review also examined the products typically implicated in food fraud, and identified the responsible authorities tasked with regulating the manufacturing, handling, and distribution of these products in South Africa. The findings indicate that food fraud is on the rise, with fraudsters becoming increasingly adept at concealing the illegitimacy of their products. While food adulteration may involve the use of uncertified ingredients, the most fraudulent activities occur in uncertified facilities and during processing steps. One of the challenges in controlling food fraud is the fragmentation of regulations and responsible authorities for enforcing these regulations. Over 94% of regulatory requirements identified in six regulatory authorities were found to be duplicated in some way, resulting in an unclear mandate for the industry. To address this issue, a new approach is needed to centralize food control plans in South Africa. This approach should facilitate proper recording, investigation, and resolution of complaints. Additionally, unified regulations, capacity building for authorities, and consumer awareness plans are necessary. A similar approach to the blitz inspection by bringing together food authorities, consumers, and the industry in a single forum to conduct inspection and enforcement and act against food fraud. While this is a good proactive response, however, keeping its momentum could not always be available. Key words: Foods fraud, regulations, illegal, adulteration, food, facilities, food control, fragmentation

Prostaglandin E2 regulates senescence and post-senescence neoplastic escape in primary human keratinocytes.

Aging of the epidermis partially occurs as a consequence of epidermal cell senescence, a non-proliferative state in which cells remain metabolically active and acquire changes in their secretome. We previously reported that senescent normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) have two opposite outcomes: either cell death by excess of autophagic activity or escape from senescence to give rise to post-senescence neoplastic emerging (PSNE) cells. In this study, we investigated the role of PTGS2, the inducible enzyme of the prostaglandin biosynthesis pathway, in the onset of NHEK senescence and in the switch from senescence to pre-transformation. We provide evidence that the PTGS2/PGE2/EP4 pathway plays a critical role in NHEK senescence as well as in senescence escape. We show that treating proliferating NHEKs with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) or with an agonist of one of its receptors, EP4, induced the establishment of the senescent phenotype, according to several markers including the senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity. Conversely, treating already senescent NHEKs with an antagonist of EP4, or knocking-down PTGS2 by siRNA resulted in the decrease of the percentage of senescence-associated β-galactosidase-positive cells. We also demonstrate that the PSNE frequency was significantly decreased upon PTGS2 silencing by siRNA, pharmacological PTGS2 inhibition, or treatment by an EP4 antagonist, while on the contrary treatments with PGE2 or EP4 agonist increased the PSNE frequency. These results indicate that the PTGS2/PGE2/EP4 pathway is required to induce and maintain the senescent phenotype of NHEKs, and that PGE2 level is a potential determinant of the initial steps of the age-related oncogenic process.

Sample Article for Pree Reviewer

Background Large research consortia can generate tremendous amounts of biological information, including high-resolution soil, vegetation, and climate data. While this knowledge stock holds invaluable potential for answering evolutionary and ecological questions, making these data exploitable for modelling remains a daunting task due to the many processing steps required for synthesis. This might result in many researchers to fall back to a handful of ready-to-use data sets, potentially at the expense of statistical power and scientific rigour. In a push for a more stringent approach, we introduce BEpipeR, an R pipeline that allows for the streamlined synthesis of plot-based Biodiversity Exploratories data. Methods BEpipeR was designed with flexibility and ease of use in mind. For instance, users simply choose between aggregating forest or grassland data, or a combination thereof, effectively allowing them to process any experimental plot data of this research consortium. Additionally, instead of coding, they parse most processing information in a user-friendly way through parameter sheets. Processing includes, among others, the creation of a spatially explicit plot-ID template, data wrangling, quality control, plot-wise aggregations, the calculation of derived metrics, data joining to a large composite data set, and metadata compilation. Results With BEpipeR, we provide a feature-rich pipeline that allows users to process Biodiversity Exploratories data in a flexible and reproducible way. This pipeline might serve as a starting point for aggregating the numerous data sets of this and potentially similar research consortia. In this way, it might be a primer for the construction of consortia-wide composite data sets that take full advantage of the consortia’s rich information stocks, ultimately boosting the visibility and participation of individual research projects. Conclusions The BEpipeR permits the user-friendly processing and plot-wise aggregation of Biodiversity Exploratories data. With modifications, this framework may be easily adopted by other research consortia.

The Law-Making Process in the Legal System of Afghanistan

The legislative process in Afghanistan, which is a thorough and multi-phase process with roots in both historical and modern frameworks, is examined in this paper. To guarantee efficient governance and social fairness, the Afghan legal system integrates ideas from Islamic jurisprudence and constitutional law. Drafting, review, approval, endorsement, publication, deadline, and enforcement are all steps in the process that are intended to create laws that meet both domestic and global requirements. From Amir Shir Ali Khan's rule to the organized processes of the current National Assembly, Afghanistan's legislative process has undergone substantial changes over the years. Every step of the legislative process ensures compliance with the Constitution and Islamic Sharia by addressing particular-legal, social, and administrative issues. The paper identifies the legislative system's shortcomings and accomplishments and offers recommendations for enhancing the law-making process to promote good governance and the rule of law.

The description of the steps of the Q&A test and detector module assembly of the CBM-STS

The Silicon Tracking System (STS) is the core detector system of the Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiment at FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research). The CBM will study matter at the highest baryonic densities in collisions of nuclear beams with a stationary target. The expected long latency for identification and the changing signature of the events drive us to use self-triggered streaming readout. The CBM data collection will be based on time-stamped detector data into a compute farm. Event reconstruction and physics analysis are performed online at up to 10 MHz collision rates. In the presented work, we will discuss step-by-step how the CBM-STS detector components are rigorously selected and prepared for assembly. It starts with carefully testing the readout ASICs. The various parameters are recorded to select the chip. The next step is to test the micro cable’s TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) bonding quality on the ASIC. Later, the 16-chip cables are bonded to the silicon strip sensor. All test results are stored and available for later use in a specially designed database using custom software applied to each step in the assembly process. After assembly of 1/3 of the modules (896), we will overview the acquired experience.

Identifying Facilitators and Barriers to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Visitation in Mothers of Low Socioeconomic Status: A Qualitative Investigation.

The experience of parenting in a highly medicalized, unnatural environment can result in impaired mother-infant bonding, but increased maternal presence at the infant's bedside has been associated with improved infant and maternal outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators during the NICU Experience in regard to maternal presence in an NICU. We interviewed 12 mothers (7 Black, 5 white) of low socioeconomic status (SES) whose preterm infants (average birth gestational age of 27 weeks) were currently hospitalized in an NICU. We engaged the NICU Family Advisory Board in all steps of the research process. Barriers and facilitators to maternal presence spanned all levels of the Socioecological Model; however, barriers were mostly at the societal, community, and institutional levels, while facilitators varied based on interpersonal and individual-level factors. Assets that mothers accessed to facilitate visits, such as free housing and shuttle services, were not available to all mothers based on individual circumstances (e.g., caregiving responsibilities). While a few mothers identified negative interactions with health care practitioners, these encounters were not attributed to racism or described as barriers to visitation. Hospitals can support families with infants in an NICU by providing free or inexpensive short-term sibling support, alleviating the burden of parking costs, and communicating early and frequently about available institutional resources during the hospital stay.

Novel Insights into the Enrichment Pattern of Aroma and Taste in Cooked Marinated Meat Products of Black Pork via Typical Process Steps.

This study aims to reveal the evolution mechanism of odour and taste active compounds in cooked marinated pork knuckles via typical process steps; among them, the brine soup stage was the most important part due to spices' enriching flavours. These results revealed that the content and diversity of volatile compounds increased due to the addition of spices and heating temperature, imparting a unique aroma. Aldehydes played the main role in the overall odour. Benzaldehyde, hexanal, 1-octen-3-ol, levulinic acid, hydroxyacetone, ethyl octanoate, and 2-pentyl-furan were identified as the most important odour-active compounds. The key taste-active amino acids were glutamine, leucine, valine, and lysine. The IMP, AMP, and GMP provided a strong umami taste. Taste nucleotides and Val, Leu, Ile, and Phe were important precursor substances for aldehydes. The high responses of the electronic nose indicated that the gas component contained alkanes, alcohols, and aldehydes. The synergistic effects between umami-free amino acids and nucleotides correlated well with umami, as assessed by the electronic tongue. These results could be a starting point for the manufacturing industry, contributing to a better understanding of product performance.