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The implications of the future implementation of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technologies on carbon dioxide utilisation (CDU) are briefly examined. Two examples of CDU applications are reviewed, namely electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to produce fuels and CO 2 transformation into carbonates and polymers. While chemical transformation of carbon dioxide into fuels is in the demonstration phase, high pressure electrochemical reduction is still in the infancy of the art, but, as an integrated technology, it is a promising alternative to store electric energy in liquid (methanol) or gaseous (methane) form. The production of organic carbonates or polycarbonates from carbon dioxide is a well-known field, but novel catalysts and new raw materials will continue to provide useful chemicals and polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining and handling measurementuncertainty information is stilla challenge in the chemical processing industries (CPI). From ourexperience, among the variables most affected by uncertainty, onetypically finds the process outputs, comprising concentrations (mainproduct and subproducts, reactants, etc.), measurements of qualityproperties (mechanical, chemical, etc.), or other relevant informationabout the end use of the product. With the increasing flexibilityof processing units, these quantities can easily span different ordersof magnitude and present rather different uncertainties associatedwith their measurements. This means that heteroscedasticity in theprocess outputs is a rather prevalent feature in CPI, which must beproperly managed and integrated in all the tasks that make use ofprocess data. In this article we address this critical problem, byconsidering two challenges: (i) specifying measurement uncertaintyin heteroscedastic contexts; (ii) integrating uncertainty informationon the outputs in model development. We present a critical reviewof the relevant literature regarding both challenges, and we addressthem through industrial case studies as well as an extensive MonteCarlo simulation study. For the first challenge, we provide solutionsto handle the problem of specifying measurement uncertainties nearphysical limits (namely at very low concentrations, where intervalscan easily include negative concentrations) and how to develop uncertaintymodels for heteroscedastic measurement devices spanning several ordersof magnitude of the measurand. Regarding the second challenge, weconclude that prediction performance can be significantly improvedby replacing tacitly homoscedastic modeling methodologies (ordinaryleast squares, partial least squares, and principal components regression)by alternative approaches that are able to explicitly handle the uncertaintyin the outputs. Several important aspects of model development underheteroscedastic noisy conditions in the outputs are also highlightedand discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual appearance is an important feature in the quality assessment of food products, since it plays a key role in the decisions made by consumers. Frequently, its evaluation is carried out by a panel of experts from the quality department who analyze, by visual inspection, samples of product taken from the process. It is well-known that such methodologies of assessment suffer from several drawbacks, such as subjectivity, limited precision, and lack of stability over time, even for well-trained personnel, although extensive training programs can improve assessment performance. In this context, we present in this paper results regarding the development of an automated methodology for assessing the visual appearance of cereal flakes, in what concerns a particular quality feature, relative to the existence of regions where cereal coating is inadequate. The proposed procedure is able to extract the necessary information from images taken from product samples, leading to an objective, stable, and quantitative quality control measurement system for this property. The developed algorithm essentially consists of implementing a supervised classification methodology, based on the estimated Mahalanobis distance for assessing proximity in the color space, while incorporating the natural variability and color correlations found in cereal flakes. This procedure also integrates fuzzy logic reasoning for samples falling under regions closer to the classes’ boundaries. Results obtained from a real industrial plant indicate that it is indeed possible to classify different samples of flakes according to classes previously defined. They also provide a sound basis for further developments, in particular regarding the generation of metrics for quality assessment and the implementation of a similar procedure online and in situ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ΔN-p63 isoforms may act as oncogenes owing to their ability to bind to p53-reporter genes without inciting their transcription, thus blocking the p53-driven cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. A novel mechanism linking p63 and Wnt pathways has recently been proposed. Briefly, in vitro studies using squamous cell carcinoma cell lines have suggested that ΔN-p63 may block the phosphorylation of β-catenin, leading to its nuclear accumulation and triggering β-catenin-responsive transcription of genes related to proliferation and oncogenic biological behavior. To test this new mechanism, the co-expression of ΔN-p63 and β-catenin was evaluated in a large cohort of human neoplasms. Two serial sections of TARP-4 multi-tumor tissue microarray, composed of 51 normal tissue cores and 400 human neoplasms [breast (n=75), colon (n=75), lung (n=75), prostate (n=75) and ovary (n=50) neoplasms, melanoma (n=25), and glioblastoma (n=25)] were subjected to immunohistochemistry with ΔN-p63 and β-catenin monoclonal antibodies. p63 nuclear expression and β-catenin membranous, cytoplasmic, membranous+cytoplasmic, and nuclear localization were evaluated. ΔN-p63 expression and β-catenin nuclear localization were found in 92.6% and 0% of squamous cell carcinomas, 8.9% and 0% of breast carcinomas, 13.8% and 0% of lung adenocarcinomas, 1.4% and 23.2% of colon adenocarcinomas, 0% and 4.8% of prostate adenocarcinomas, 11.1% and 5% of ovary carcinomas, 9.0% and 9.1% of malignant melanomas, and 12.5% and 40.0% of glioblastomas, respectively. No statistically significant association between ΔN-p63 and nuclear β-catenin expression was found for all tumors. At variance with squamous cell carcinoma cell lines, p63-driven nuclear accumulation of β-catenin is an unusual phenomenon in human neoplasms. Caution should be exercised when translating the results of studies performed on cell lines to human neoplasms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On November 5th, 2015, a mining dam spilled a huge plume of mining waste in the Doce River. Even though many studies have reported the environmental impact from the Doce River's tragedy, the transport of potentially toxic elements (PTE) by kinetic modeling to determine how long the basin takes to achieve the natural balance has not been described. Therefore, samples of sludge, sediment, and water were collected along the Doce River basin, to assess the elements' total leaching by kinetic modeling. The elements Fe, Al, Mn, Cu, Ag, Pb, Cd, and As were evaluated. An innovative mobilization factor (F S / D) indicated that Mn2+, Ag+, and Cd2+ can be mobilized about 80, 89, and 57 times more than its initial concentration. Besides, in low pH, the Al and Pb ions can be mobilized. The desorption kinetics showed a lower rate constant (k) and higher initial desorption constant (h) for Mn2+ than Cd2+ and Ag+, suggesting both high- and low-affinity interaction sites for Mn2+. The exponential decay demonstrated that metals can leach for months or years. Thus, the long-lasting release of metals from mining tailing waste in concentrations that endanger the ecosystem and human health makes clear the need for long-term monitoring. [Display omitted] • A new mobilization factor describes the transport of toxic elements in the basin. • Even with specific interactions, Pb, Al, and As ions mobilized in low pH. • Kinetics allowed to estimate the half-life in the Mn2+, Ag+, and Cd2+ mobilization. • Exponential decay indicated long-lasting metal mobilization through the basin. • The recovery time of the Doce River can endure months or years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Methods capable of handling multiple blocks of data have increased in popularity both in industry and academia, namely, in the fields of chemistry, food and beverages, pharmacology, and biology. Among the multiblock methodologies, sequential orthogonalized partial least squares (SO‐PLS) has been attracting great interest, given its interpretation capabilities (eg, the possibility to estimate the relative additional contributions of each block to predict the response and the degree of mutual overlap, ie, the blocks' communalities) associated to desirable modeling features, such as the independence from the relative scaling of the different data blocks and the flexibility to handle blocks with different dimensionalities and pseudo‐ranks. Given the sequential nature of SO‐PLS, it is critically dependent on the order of the blocks used. When a priori knowledge exists about the natural ordering of the blocks (eg, data arising from sequential operations in a production process), this specification is straightforward. However, in the absence of such knowledge or in cases where no order should be preferred a priori (as happens in the case study of this article), SO‐PLS faces the problem of having to find the most adequate one through the exhaustive search of all permutations. This problem is particularly relevant when the number of blocks is larger than 3, getting exponentially worse as this number increases. Situations where the number of natural data blocks is significant are already quite frequent (eg in multistage batch operations) and will tend to occur more often in the future, as Manufacturing 4.0 takes its course and data sources from the entire value chain become more abundant. Therefore, more efficient and systematic approaches are required to retain the benefits of SO‐PLS while coping with the increasing demands for data processing and analysis in Big Data applications. In this article, we introduce Stepwise SO‐PLS as an efficient algorithm for selecting the blocks ordering when performing SO‐PLS, with capabilities of block exclusion (a feature not shared by other current multiblock approaches). A robust statistical comparison framework based on Monte Carlo cross‐validation is employed to compare the proposed stepwise SO‐PLS formulation with the current systematic approach for selecting the block order and its new variant allowing for blocks selection, in their prediction capabilities. A real case study of the prediction of Madeira wine age will be used for establishing the comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is recommended in the management of individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS), and recent studies have suggested whole-body vibration exercise (WBVe) for this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functionality through the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) in individuals with MetS after WBVe. The SPPB evaluates the balance, the gait speed, and the lower limb strength (five-chair stand [5CS] test). Forty-four individuals with MetS were divided into WBVe (WBVeG) and control (CG) groups. The individuals of the WBVeG performed 10 sessions of WBVe in an oscillating/vibratory platform (OVP), barefoot, for 3 minutes at the peak-to-peak displacements of 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mm, with a resting period of 1 minute (total time: 18 minutes/session). The frequencies ranged from 5 up to 14 Hz. The individuals of the CG performed all the steps of the study, but the OVP was turned off. Before the first and after the tenth session, the individuals performed the SPPB. Significant responses were found in the WBVeG, analyzing the total score of the SPPB (P ¼ .005), the balance test (P ¼ .01), the gait speed (P ¼ .006), and the 5CS test (P ¼ .03), resulting in the improvement of the functionality of individuals with MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphophysiological changes related to germination and initial seedling growth of different Hevea brasiliensis genotypes (wild and cultivated) were investigated. The seeds were sterilised before their biometric analyses were performed and the imbibition curve was mapped. Parallel to these assays, the morphology of the germination/post-germination stages and seed health testing were monitored from seeds germinated in washed sand and on filter paper respectively. The wild and cultivated (PB260) genotypes showed different behaviour patterns during the events of germination and post-germination. The seeds and seedlings could be differentiated by morphological characteristics associated with the size and colour of the seeds, as well as by the rapid imbibition of water, germination, and initial growth. Germination was characterised as being of a hypogeal, cryptocotyledonous type, with root protrusion between 6 and 8 days, and complete seedling formation at 23 and 25 days for wild and cultivated seeds respectively. The morphophysiological variables in seeds and seedlings of H. brasiliensis are useful in breeding programmes where seed selection and seedling performance evaluation focus on wild genotypes, which can add functional characteristics in favour of clones currently used in rubber tree plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian lung development proceeds during the postnatal period and continues throughout life. Intricate tubular systems of airways and vessels lined by epithelial cells are developed during this process. All cells, and particularly epithelial cells, carry an array of glycans on their surfaces. N-acetylneuraminic (Neu5Ac) and N-glycolylneuraminic (Neu5Gc) acids, two most frequently-occurring sialic acid residues, are essential determinants during development and in the homeostasis of cells and organisms. However, systematic data about the presence of cell surface sialic acids in the postnatal lung and their content is still scarce. In the present study, we addressed the histochemical localization of Neu5Ac > Neu5Gc in 0-day-old rat lungs. Furthermore, both residues were separated, identified and quantified in lung membranes isolated from 0-day-old rat lungs using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methodologies. Finally, we compared these results with those previously reported by us for adult rat lungs. The Neu5Ac > Neu5Gc residues were located on the surface of ciliated and non-ciliated cells and the median values for both residues in the purified lung membranes of newborn rats were 5.365 and 1.935 μg/mg prot., respectively. Comparing these results with those reported for the adults, it was possible to observe a significant difference between the levels of Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc (p < 0.001). A more substantial change was found for the case of Neu5Ac. The preponderance of Neu5Ac and its expressive increase during the postnatal development points towards a more prominent role of this residue. Bearing in mind that sialic acids are negatively charged molecules, the high content of Neu5Ac could contribute to the formation of an anion "shield" and have a role in pulmonary development and physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We consider a network topology according to the cortico-cortical connection network of the human brain, where each cortical area is composed of a random network of adaptive exponential integrate-and-fire neurons. Approach: Depending on the parameters, this neuron model can exhibit spike or burst patterns. As a diagnostic tool to identify spike and burst patterns we utilise the coefficient of variation of the neuronal inter-spike interval. Main results: In our neuronal network, we verify the existence of spike and burst synchronisation in different cortical areas. Significance: Our simulations show that the network arrangement, i.e. its rich-club organisation, plays an important role in the transition of the areas from desynchronous to synchronous behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the autonomic activity of an adolescent with a single ventricle without surgical correction who participated in a physical therapy program. Methods: This was a 14-year-old female patient with a left-type single ventricle who had not undergone any surgical intervention. The autonomic activity was evaluated according to the heart rate variability in the supine and seated positions and by means of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia accentuation maneuver (RSA-M) in the beginning of the first, second and third years of outpatient cardiovascular physical therapy treatment. The RR intervals and beat-to-beat heart rate were calculated and stored for subsequent analysis. The heart rate variability was evaluated by means of the RMSSD and RMSM indexes and in the frequency domain with high and low frequency bands in normalized units (HFnu and LFnu, respectively) and using the LF/HF ratio. The cardiovascular physical therapy consisted of respiratory exercises associated with active and general resistance exercises, for two years. Results: From the first to the third year, the RMSM decreased (14.5%), LFnu band increased (42.2%), LF/HF ratio increased (117.0%) and HFnu decreased (35.2%). In all of the situations, the LFnu band was higher and HFnu was lower in the seated position. Additionally, the parasympathetic response to RSA-M increased from the first to the third years in 7.4% and 47.3%, respectively. Conclusions: We concluded that, for the patient studied, the reduction in heart rate variability seemed to be associated with the advance of the disease. Nevertheless, there was no damages related to postural change. In addition, the cardiovascular physical therapy proposed increased the parasympathetic response during RSA-M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Dynamic hyperinflation (DH) is one of the ventilatory mechanisms that may contribute towards limiting the activities of daily living (ADLs) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the presence of DH, by means of inspiratory capacity (IC), IC/ total lung capacity (TLC) ratio and by the sensation of dyspnea, following an ADL performed using the upper limbs. Method: The participants were 32 individuals aged 54 to 87 years (69.4 ± 7.4) who presented moderate-to-severe COPD. The patients selected underwent pulmonary function tests, spirometry and whole-body plethysmography. For the spirometric and pulmonary volume maneuvers, a conventional system was used (Vmax22 Autobox). The IC was determined using a Vmax229d ventilatory measurement system. The patients were asked to lift up pots weighing between 0.5 and 5.0 kg over a five-minute period, picking up the pots from a surface at waist level and putting them onto a shelf above head height. All the patients were evaluated regarding IC and using the Borg scale for dyspnea. The data were analyzed using Student's t test for paired samples, Pearson's correlation and the Wilcoxon test (p< 0.05). Results: There were reductions in IC and IC/TLC (p= 0.0001) following the ADL. The dyspnea increased after the exercise (p< 0.05). Conclusion: The ADL using the upper limbs caused DH, as shown by the reductions in IC and 1C/TLC and also by the increase in dyspnea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ferromagnetically coupled cobalt ion is observed to create a magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the PrNi5[?]xCox structure above a critical composition of x = 2. The competition of the anisotropy energies between Co and Pr sublattices gives rise to a spin reorientation (SR) phenomenon in PrNi5[?]xCox compounds at a low temperature ([?]150 K) which is then followed by a magnetic transition at a higher temperature. Co-doping has a strong influence on the Curie temperature, changing it from [?]60 K (x = 1.95) to [?]537 K (x = 3). The magnetic entropy change is associated with SR as well as a magnetic transition, and correspondingly a large full width at half maximum (dTFWHM) is obtained for this series of compounds. For example, the PrNi2.85Co2.15 compound presents dTFWHM = 166 K at a 1 T field. This series therefore has an appreciable relative cooling power, which makes this material a suitable magnetic refrigerant over a large temperature span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]