TF Values Research Articles

Bioaccumulated Mercury by Several Types of Plants in Ex-Traditional Gold Processing Area, Gogorea Village, Buru Island

This study examines the accumulation of metallic mercury by several types of plants in the traditional gold processing area in the village of Gogore, Buru district. The plants that were sampled in this study were guava, lempuyang gajah, and harendong bulu. These three plant species were chosen because they dominate the vegetation in the gold processing area. The analysis results showed that the lempuyang gajah was the plant that accumulated the highest mercury metal, namely in the roots of 16.79 ppm and the leaves of 15.03 ppm. Guava plants accumulated metal mercury in the roots and leaves of 11.73 ppm and 9.90 ppm, respectively. Meanwhile, harendong plants accumulated mercury in the roots and leaves of 2.59 ppm and 10.39 ppm, respectively. The BCF values ​​of guava, lempuyang gajah, and harendong bulu plants were 1.58, 0.41, and 0.39, respectively. Meanwhile, the TF values ​​of the three plants were 0.84, 0.89, and 4.01, respectively. From these results, it can be concluded that the three plants can accumulate mercury in high enough concentrations, so these three types of plants are categorized as hyper tolerant plants and accumulators.

Phenolic Composition of Grape Stems from Different Spanish Varieties and Vintages.

Grape stems are a by-product from the wine industry that has been underused to date despite having great potential for the agro-food and cosmetic industries. The aim of the present work was to characterize grape stem extracts obtained from different grape varieties from two vintages (2016 and 2018). Both spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods were used for sample characterization. The results showed that there exist significant differences in antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TF) among grape stems from different varieties in each vintage and from different vintage for the same variety. Catechin was the most abundant phenolic compound in all extracts from both vintages. In general, Mazuelo presented higher concentration values of the different phenolic compounds than Garnacha and Tempranillo. It was observed than extreme temperatures and accumulated precipitations, which were higher in the 2016 vintage, had an impact on the polyphenol synthesis. Therefore, grape stems from the 2018 vintage presented higher TPC and TF values than their counterparts from the 2016 vintage. In addition, the statistical analysis revealed that the influence of environmental factor such as light, temperature and precipitations have different impact on the synthesis of polyphenols depending on the family of the specific compound.

Transfer parameters of radionuclides from soil to plants at the area of craters produced by underground nuclear explosions at the Semipalatinsk test site

A study to determine 137Cs, 90Sr, 241Am, 239+240Pu radionuclides in vegetation cover of the area of craters produced by underground nuclear explosions at the Semipalatinsk test site (STS) is summarised in this paper.Transfer factors (Tf) required for the quantitative description of the radionuclides transition from the soil to aboveground plant parts were found to be highest for sagebrush (Artemisia sublessingiana), Tf values for 90Sr were gradually decreasing with increasing distance from the dump zone.When arranging the radionuclide transferring factors in descending order, the following sequence was obtained: 90Sr Tf > 137Cs Tf > 241Am Tf > 239+240Pu Tf, which is consistent with International data. All Tf derived are much higher than those ones derived earlier for epicenters of aboveground nuclear tests and are closest to values for conventionally “background” areas at the Semipalatinsk test site.

Prediction of Electrical Energy Consumption Using LSTM Algorithm with Teacher Forcing Technique

Electrical energy is an important foundation in world economic growth, therefore it requires an accurate prediction in predicting energy consumption in the future. The methods that are often used in previous research are the Time Series and Machine Learning methods, but recently there has been a new method that can predict energy consumption using the Deep Learning Method which can process data quickly for training and testing. In this research, the researcher proposes a model and algorithm which contained in Deep Learning, that is Multivariate Time Series Model with LSTM Algorithm and using Teacher Forcing Technique for predicting electrical energy consumption in the future. Because Multivariate Time Series Model and LSTM Algorithm can receive input with various conditions or seasons of electrical energy consumption. Teacher Forcing Technique is able lighten up the computation so that it can training and testing data quickly. The method used in this study is to compare Teacher Forcing LSTM with Non-Teacher Forcing LSTM in Multivariate Time Series model using several activation functions that produce significant differences. TF value of RMSE 0.006, MAE 0.070 and Non-TF has RMSE and MAE values of 0.117 and 0.246. The value of the two models is obtained from Sigmoid Activation and the worst value of the two models is in the Softmax activation function, with TF values is RMSE 0.423, MAE 0.485 and Non-TF RMSE 0.520, MAE 0.519.

Addressing electrocatalytic activity and stability of LnBaCo2O5+δ perovskites for hydrogen evolution reaction by structural and electronic features

Herein the structural versatility is allowed to correlate with electrocatalytic properties of the perovskites. We report LnBaCo2O5+δ (Ln = lanthanide) perovskites as highly active electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The tolerance factor (tf) and O p/Co d-band centers are proposed to be efficient descriptors for addressing their electrochemical performance. The tf endows the HER activity/stability with a volcano shape for our synthesized double/simple perovskites. The O p/Co d-band centers locating far from the Fermi level (EF) results in the best activity of LaBaCo2O5+δ among the LnBaCo2O5+δ perovskites. The outstanding stability can be explained by having the O p/Co d-band centers neither close to nor far from the EF. The maximum HER activity benefits from optimal free energy combination for the adsorption/dissociation of H2O and desorption of –OH/H*. The proper tf values and O p/Co d-band centers may realize synergistic interplay, which is crucial to reasonably design the oxide materials.

Analysis of microstructure, kinetics of isothermal solidification and mechanical properties of IN718/MBF-20/SS316L TLP joints

ABSTRACT In this research, transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding of IN718 and SS316L dissimilar alloys was carried out using MBF-20 amorphous interlayer. The effects of bonding temperature and time ranging from 1030°C to 1110°C and 1–30 min on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the bonded samples were studied. The mechanism of the microstructure formation and the solidification sequence at the joint area were discussed. Two diffusion models assuming stationary and moving solid/liquid interface were used to study the isothermal solidification kinetics and the time required for the complete isothermal solidification (tf) at different temperatures was predicted. The results suggest that the tf values obtained by the moving interface approach are closer to those of the experiments. The minimum difference between the experimental value of tf and that calculated by the moving interface approach was about 26%, while it was about 106% by considering the stationary interface approach. A more uniform hardness distribution across the joint area and the highest shear strength values were observed in the samples with complete isothermal solidification. The maximum shear strength of 440 MPa was obtained for the sample bonded at 1030°C for 30 min. This was attributed to the formation of a eutectic-free joint in these samples.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the soil-plant system: Sorption, root uptake, and translocation.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are ubiquitous in the environment but pose potential risks to ecosystems and human health. The soil-plant system plays an important role in the bioaccumulation of PFASs. Because most PFASs in the natural environment are anionic and amphiphilic (both lipophilic and hydrophilic), their sorption and accumulation behaviors differ from those of neutral organic and common ionic compounds. In this review, we discuss processes affecting the availability of PFASs in soil after analyzing the potential mechanisms underlying the sorption and uptake of PFASs in the soil-plant system. We also summarize the current knowledge on root uptake and translocation of PFASs in plants. We found that the root concentration factor of PFASs for plants grown in soil was not significantly correlated with hydrophobicity, whereas the translocation factor was significantly and negatively correlated with PFAS hydrophobicity regardless of whether plants were grown hydroponically or in soil. Further research on the cationic, neutral, and zwitterionic forms of diverse PFASs is urgently needed to comprehensively understand the environmental fates of PFASs in the soil-plant system. Additional research directions are suggested, including the development of more accurate models and techniques to evaluate the bioavailability of PFASs, the effects of root exudates and rhizosphere microbiota on the bioavailability and plant uptake of PFASs, and the roles of different plant organelles, lipids, and proteins in the accumulation of PFASs by plants.

Spatial Variability and Optimal Number of Rain Gauges for Sampling Throughfall under Single Oak Trees during the Leafless Period

This study examined the spatial variability of throughfall (Tf) and its implications for sampling throughfall during the leafless period of oak trees. To do this, we measured Tf under five single Brant’s oak trees (Quercus brantii var. Persica), in the Zagros region of Iran, spanning a six-month-long study period. Overall, the Tf amounted to 85.7% of gross rainfall. The spatial coefficient of variation (CV) for rainstorm total Tf volumes was 25%, on average, and it decreased as the magnitude of rainfall increased. During the leafless period, Tf was spatially autocorrelated over distances of 1 to 3.5 m, indicating the benefits of sampling with relatively elongated troughs. Our findings highlight the great variability of Tf under the canopies of Brant’s oaks during their leafless period. We may also conclude that the 29 Tf collectors used in the present study were sufficient to robustly estimate tree-scale Tf values within a 10% error of the mean at the 95% confidence level. Given that a ±10% uncertainty in Tf is associated with a ±100% uncertainty in interception loss, this underscores the challenges in its measurement at the individual tree level in the leafless season. These results are valuable for determining the number and placement of Tf collectors, and their expected level of confidence, when measuring tree-level Tf of scattered oak trees and those in forest stands.

Enhancement of EAPR Treatment Using Double Aeration System and Uptake by Pakcoy (<i>Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis</i>)

This study was aimed at investigating the effect of electro-assisted and double aeration (EAPR-DA) system to enhance the lead removal in water and uptake by Pakcoy (Brassica rapa subsp. Chinensis). Variable regimes were created by 2 V of constant DC voltage using 2D stainless steel cathode-pot and Ti anode electrode, and aeration level of 10 L/min. The effectiveness of EAPR-DA, EAPR, phyto-aeration, and phytoremediation on the treatment was compared and evaluated by measuring the decrease of lead concentration in the water and accumulated in the plant using flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Plant stress was evaluated by phytomorphology changed and measurement chlorophyll content using UV-Vis Spectroscopy after the acetone extraction. The results showed that the EAPR-DA system using Pakcoy has a great ability to decrease the lead concentration in water compared with the EAPR, phyto-aeration, and phytoremediation. The removal ability in each reactor was 82.5%, 78.75%, 72.5%, and 61.875% respectively for EAPR-DA, EAPR, phytoremediation. and phyto-aeration. Excessive aeration in the root zone might inhibit lead adsorption by a plant in the phyto-aeration system. In general, the accumulation of lead in plant growth hydroponically has a large concentration in the roots compared to the shoot except for the EAPR-DA system which high adsorption of lead concentration in the shoot part. The BC (1.13) and TF (1.97) value of the EAPR-DA system was higher than the other systems, showing aeration can enhance high adsorption of lead in the root and then transported it into the shoots part. High chlorophyll total (54.89±14.31 mg/mL) and low chlorophyll a/b ratio (1.21±0.38) in the plant under the EAPR-DA system showed that the double aeration in the electro-assisted system encourages the high tolerance of the plant to the lead concentration.

Accumulation of Chrom (Cr) Contaminant in Rice Plant Around The Area Opak River Flow, Bantul Regency

Development of the leather tanning industry in the village of Banyakan, Piyungan, Bantul had a negative impact on the environment. The industrial waste from the leather tanning plant mixed with Cr metal enters the Opak River and is distributed to various places. River water is used as irrigation water which carries heavy metals that result in the accumulation of soil and plants, as well as another biota. The purpose of this study was to determine the profile and level of chromium accumulation in plants along the Opak River. The study was conducted at 6 stations in 6 different districts consisting of samples of irrigation water, sediment, stem roots, leaves, and rice plants. Heavy metal analysis on the sample was carried out using the AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry) method. The results of the analysis of heavy metal concentrations that are distributed to the environment show that the plants that are the highest are 2,470 ppm, then sediment is 1,161 ppm, and irrigation water is 0.235 ppm. The highest accumulation of heavy metal Cr in the planting section of rice was consecutively in the grain > leaves > roots > stems. Results of the analysis of the BCF value of rice plant were categorized as a moderate accumulator plant, while the analysis of the TF value of rice plant was categorized as a phytoextraction plant. Health risk analysis HQ > 1, which means that rice from all stations is hazardous to health. Rice and water samples exceeded the established quality standard threshold, except for sediment which was still at a critical level.

In-site and Ex-site Date Palm Exposure to Heavy Metals Involved Infra-Individual Biomarkers Upregulation.

As a tree of considerable importance in arid regions—date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. survival in contaminated areas of Sfax city has drawn our attention. Leaf samples of the plants grown in the study area showed high levels of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and chromium (Cr). On the basis of this finding, the cellular mechanisms that explain these metal accumulations were investigated in controlled conditions. After four months of exposure to Cd, Cr, or Cu, high bioconcentration and translocation factor (TF > 1) have been shown for date palm plantlets exposed to Cd and low TF values were obtained for plantlets treated with Cr and Cu. Moreover, accumulation of oxidants and antioxidant enzyme activities occurred in exposed roots to Cu and Cd. Secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, were enhanced in plants exposed at low metal concentrations and declined thereafter. Accumulation of flavonoids in cells may be correlated with the expression of the gene encoding Pdmate5, responsible for the transport of secondary metabolites, especially flavonoids. Other transporter genes responded positively to metal incorporation, especially Pdhma2, but also Pdabcc and Pdnramp6. The latter would be a new candidate gene sensitive to metallic stress in plants. Expressions of gene coding metal chelators were also investigated. Pdpcs1 and Pdmt3 exhibited a strong induction in plants exposed to Cr. These modifications of the expression of some biochemical and molecular based-markers in date palm helped to better understand the ability of the plant to tolerate metals. They could be useful in assessing heavy metal contaminations in polluted soils and may improve accumulation capacity of other plants.

Phytoremediation Potential of Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria Zizanioides) in Two Mixed Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils from the Zoundweogo and Boulkiemde Regions of Burkina Faso (West Africa)

In the agricultural regions of Burkina Faso, urban solid waste fertilizers were usually applied. This activity is likely to contaminate the soils and expose populations to serious diseases. This study aims to assess rate of heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr) contamination in both agricultural lixisol and vertisol and to evaluate the removal efficiency of heavy metals using Vetiver grass on different two mixed heavy metal contaminated soils. A pot experiment was conducted to compare the metal accumulation and overall efficiency of metal uptake by different plant parts (roots and shoots) on both tropical soils. After 3 and 6 months growing on laboratory conditions, Vetiver grass plants were harvested and heavy metal concentrations in shoot and root parts determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy. The results indicate that at 3 and 6 moths, the shoot and root concentrations of heavy metals in Vetiver grass harvested in lixisol were higher than vertisol. For different plant parts, all metal concentrations were higher in root than in shoot, except Cu and Pb. At the 3 and 6 months, the BCF values > 1 for Cd, Cu and Zn in both soils showed Vetiver grass as an effective phyto-stabilizer for these metals. However, the TF values > 1 for Cd (lixisol), Mn, Zn Ni and Cr (vertisol) indicated the efficiency of Vetiver for phytoextraction. The results of this study showed that Vetiver is more effective in lixisol, but it can be used for remediation of both studied tropical soils from agricultural region of Burkina Faso. Nevertheless, considering the special limitations of the experimental conditions, further field monitoring is necessary to demonstrate the phytoremediation efficiency of Vetiver in agricultural soils under the climatic conditions of Burkina Faso.

The Study on the Heavy Metal Concentrations and Translocations in Moringa Oleifera (Moringaceae) Plants and Soil of Potiskum Metropolis, North Eastern Nigeria

In recent times, the heavy metals pollution in the environment through soil, plant and air has increasingly gathered global concern. The aims of this study is to determine the heavy metals concentrations in the root, stems and leaves of Moringa oleifera plants and the soil sample of Potiskum metropolis as the plant is widely getting popularity and acceptance for used medicinally to cure different ailments in humans and also to compute the translocation factor from different sites. The heavy metals such as (lead, cadmium, zinc and iron) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry method. Results from different sample of M. oleifera showed the highest mean concentrations of the following heavy metals from different parts of M. oleifera , for cadmium root (Jigawa Cd= 0.007±0.001 ppm),lead leaves (Nahuta Pb = 0.100 ±0.021 ppm), Zinc and Iron from the leaves and stem of samples (Arikeme Zn = 0.063±0.001 ppm and Fe =2.464±2.393ppm) respectively. Also, the soil samples, with the highest mean concentrations of cadmium and lead was obtained from Jigawa soil and were (Cd = 0.007±0.000 ppm and Pb = 0.080±0.009 ppm) respectively. Also for the Zinc and Iron recorded at Mamudo soils were (Zn =0.032±0.014 ppm and Fe= 5.468±0.753 ppm) respectively. Moreover, the translocation factor (Tf ), for the Cd in all the study areas were recorded (Tf ≤1) except in Jigawa (Tf ≥1), the lead Tf values reported for all study sites was (Tf < 1) and that of Arikeme site (Tf ≥1). While for the Zn and Fe Tf values of all study sites were recorded reciprocal as (Tf ≥1) and (Tf ≤1) respectively. It was concluded that the heavy metals in M. oleifera plants and soil samples of all the study areas are safe for humans as outlined by FAO/WHO.

The Improvement of Phytomediation on the Treatment Effectiveness of Heavy Metals with Energy Sunflower Plants with Calcium Peroxide and Phytohormones

Phytomediation is an environmentally friendly green rehabilitation technology that is often incorporated with an application to improve calcium peroxide and phytohormones required for the growth of agricultural plants with the expectation to improve the effectiveness of plant rehabilitation. This study mainly consists of two parts: (1) water culture experiment and (2) pot culture experiment. In the water culture experiment, we attempt to understand the influence of the addition of calcium peroxide, phytohormones (IAA and GA3) and a chelating agent on the growth of sunflower plants. However, in the pot culture experiment, when hormones and the chelating agent EDTA are introduced to different plant groups at the same time, if the nutrition in the water required by plants is not available, the addition of the hormone cannot negate the toxicity caused by EDTA. In terms of calcium peroxide, due to quick release of oxygen in water, this study fails to apply calcium peroxide to the water culture experiment.When the pot culture experiment is used to examine the influence of hormones at different concentration levels on the growth of sunflowers, GA3 10-8 M is reported to have the optimal effectiveness, followed by IAA 10-8 M; IAA 10-12 M has the lowest effectiveness. According to an accumulation analysis of heavy metals at different levels, GA3 concentrates in leaves to transport nutrition in soil to leaves. This results in an excellent TF value of 2.329G of GA3 than 1.845 of the control group indicating that the addition of the hormone and chelating agent to GA3 increases the TF value and the chelating agent is beneficial to the sunflower plant. If we examine phytoattenuation ability, the one-month experiment was divided into three stages for ten days each. The concentration level of heavy metals in the soil at each stage dropped continuously while that of the control group decreased from 31.63 mg/kg to 23.96 mg/kg, GA3 from 32.09 mg/kg to 23.04 mg/kg and EDTA from 30.65 mg/kg to 25.93 mg/kg indicating the quickest growth period of the sunflowers from the formation of the bud to blossom. During the stage, the quick upward transportation of nutrition results in quick accumulation of heavy metals; the accumulated speed of heavy metals is found higher than that of directly planted plants. This study shows an improvement in the effectiveness of the addition of hormones on plant extraction and when rehabilitation is incorporated with sunflowers with the beginning bud formation, better treatment effectiveness can be reached.

Investigation on an Innovative Internally Cooled Smart Cutting Tool with the Built-in Cooling-Control System

There is a growing demand for sustainable and health-friendly chip removal applications in manufacturing industries. Internally cooled cutting tool (ICCT) designs promise low cost, eco-friendly cooling and no hazardous health effects. However, the ICCTs neither can estimate insert tip temperature (Ttip) precisely nor fix Ttip in determined temperature range by operator with controlling cooling of the insert. Within this, the machining quality of metallic materials can improve. For this reason, a new internally cooled smart cutting tool built-in cooling-control system (ICSCT) has been designed and manufactured for the turning operations. In this framework, a cutting tool has been modified with a new self-designed seat which has an inclined gap to spray the cutting fluid below the insert tip. Then, an innovative cooling-control system has been integrated to the cutting tool. An original and developable computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-statistic calibration method has been revealed to estimate Ttip. According to the calibration method enhanced with coding self-working strategy, the ICSCT can calculate Ttip by measuring the flank surface temperature (Tf), inlet temperature (Tinlet) and inlet velocity (vf). In conclusion, the ICSCT could decrease Ttip by up to 107 °C compared to no cooling in experiments. Whilst vf went up, Tf showed a decreasing trend. Whilst Tinlet went up, Tf values increased. Moreover, 1040 steel workpieces were machined and the average surface roughness from turning with the ICSCT was measured significantly less than dry turning under the same cutting parameters.

Impacts of bamboo biochar on the phytoremediation potential of Salix psammophila grown in multi-metals contaminated soil

We investigated the effects of bamboo biochar (BBC) as soil amendment on growth and phytoremediation potential of Salix psammophila in soil heavily polluted by Cd and Zn. Bamboo biochar was added to soil at ratios ranging from 1 to 7% (w/w), which significantly increased the organic matter, available potassium (K) content, while decreased the hydrolyzable nitrogen (N) content and the levels of total and bioavailable HMs in soil. The BBC amendment at ratios of 1% to 5% showed little effect on growth of plant, whereas at 7% ratio significantly decreased biomass compared to the control. BBC amendment stimulated the accumulation of Cu, Cd and Zn in plant tissues, meanwhile, Cd and Zn accumulation were more evident, especially in the BBC-3% treatment. BBC amendment improved the TF and BCF values of Cd, Zn and Cu compared to control. Higher BCF for Cd (BCF >1) and TF for Zn (TF >1) values indicate Salix psammophila have considerable potential for phytoremediation efficiency in BBC amended soil treatment. This study provides practical evidence of the efficient BBC–assisted phytoremediation capability of Salix psammophila and highlights its potential as a viable and inexpensive approach for in situ remediation.

Role of passivators for Cd alleviation in rice-water spinach intercropping system

Soil pollution with cadmium (Cd) has posed a threat to our food safety. And rice consumption is the main source of Cd intake in China. Rice intercropping with water spinach is an efficient way for crop production and phytoremediation in Cd-contaminated soil. However, few people work on the Cd remediation by a combination of the passivation and intercropping. In this study, two passivators (the Si–Ca–Mg ameliorant and the Fe-modified biochar with microbial inoculants) were used in the monoculture and intercropping systems to evaluate the potential of co-effect of passivators and cropping systems on the plant growth and Cd phytoremediation. Results showed that the highest rice biomass and rice yield were presented in the intercropping system with the passivator additions, however, relatively lower biomass was showed in water spinach due to the competition with rice. And more Cd accumulated in water spinach while lower Cd in that of different rice parts. The intercropping system with the addition of the Si–Ca–Mg ameliorant and the microbial Fe-modified biochar significantly reduced the Cd contents in brown rice by 58.86% and 63.83%, while notably enhanced the Cd accumulation of water spinach by 32.0% and 22.0%, compared with the monoculture without passivation, respectively. This probably due to the increased pH, the lowered Cd availability in soil, and the reduced TF and BCF values in rice plants with passivator applications. Collectively, this study indicated that rice-water spinach intercropping, especially with the passivator additions, may function as an effective way for Cd remediation and guarantee rice grain safety.

A new hybrid immunocapture bioassay with improved reproducibility to measure tissue factor-dependent procoagulant activity of microvesicles from body fluids

BackgroundThe procoagulant activity of tissue factor-bearing microvesicles (MV-TF) has been associated with the risk of developing venous thrombosis in cancer patients. However, MV-TF assays are limited either by i) a lack of specificity, ii) a low sensitivity, or iii) a lack of repeatability when high-speed centrifugation (HS-C) is used to isolate MV. Therefore, our objective was to develop a new hybrid “capture-bioassay” with improved reproducibility combining MV immunocapture from biofluids and measurement of their TF activity. Materials and methodsFactor Xa generation and flow cytometry assays were used to evaluate IMS beads performance, and to select the most effective capture antibodies. The analytical performance between IMS-based and HS-C-based assays was evaluated with various models of plasma samples (from LPS-activated blood, spiked with tumoral MV, or with saliva MV) and different biofluids (buffer, plasma, saliva, and pleural fluid). ResultsCombining both CD29 and CD59 antibodies on IMS beads was as efficient as HS-C to isolate plasmatic PS+ MV. The IMS-based strategy gave significantly higher levels of MV-TF activity than HS-C in tumor MV spiked buffer, and both pleural fluids and saliva samples. Surprisingly, lower TF values were measured in plasma due to TFPI (TF pathway inhibitor) non-specifically adsorbed onto beads. This was overcome by adding a TFPI-blocking antibody. After optimization, the new IMS-based assay significantly improved reproducibility of MV-TF bioassay versus the HS-C-based assay without losing specificity and sensitivity. In addition, this approach could identify the cellular origin of MV-TF in various biological fluids. ConclusionCompared to HS-C, the IMS-based measurement of MV-TF activity in body fluids improves reproducibility and makes the assay compatible with clinical practice. It can facilitate future automation.

Web-based methodology for extracting technology words in Chinese process patents

PurposeThe purpose of constructing the technology/function matrix is to analyze the patents in the target domain. The extraction of technology words is an important part of the construction of technology/function matrix. This algorithm is used to solve the problem of low efficiency of traditional Chinese process patents technology words extraction.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose a Chinese process patents technology words extraction method based on the improved term frequency–inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) algorithm to help technicians obtain the technology words in the target domain. According to the characteristics of Chinese process patents technology words, the TF value of candidate technology words is divided into four parts, and the corpus of IDF value calculation of candidate technology words is selected.FindingsThrough the test of Chinese process patents in the domain of path planning, this study shows that the method is feasible and practical. It can help users quickly and accurately obtain the technology words of Chinese process patents in the target domain.Practical implicationsWith the increasing number of patents on the network-based patent information platform, patent analysis of massive Chinese process patents has become a research focus. The method proposed in this paper can facilitate users to extract technology words from massive Chinese process patents for patent analysis.Originality/valueThis paper aims to improve the efficiency of Chinese process patents technology words extraction. The authors hope that the proposed method can reduce the labor and time cost of Chinese process patents technology words extraction.

Magnetic properties of icosahedral quasicrystals and their cubic approximants in the Cd–Mg–RE (RE = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm) systems

A systematic investigation has been performed to elucidate effects of rare earth type and structural complexity on magnetic properties of icosahedral quasicrystal (iQC) and their cubic approximants (APs) in the ternary Cd–Mg–RE (RE = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm) systems. At low temperatures, iQCs and 2/1 APs exhibit spin-glass-like freezing for RE = Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho, while for Er and Tm they do not show freezing behavior down to the base temperature ∼2 K. The 1/1 APs exhibit either spin-glass-like freezing or antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering depending on their constituent Mg content. The Tf values show increasing trend from iQC to 2/1 and 1/1 APs. In contrast, the absolute values of Weiss temperature for iQCs are larger than those in 2/1 and 1/1 APs, indicating that the total AFM interactions between the neighboring spins are larger in aperiodic, rather than periodic systems. Competing spin interactions originating from the long-range Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yoshida mechanism along with chemical disorder of Cd/Mg ions presumably account for the observed spin-glass-like behavior in Cd-Mg-RE iQCs and APs.