Weka Trainable Segmentation Plugin in ImageJ: A Semi-Automatic Tool Applied to Crystal Size Distributions of Microlites in Volcanic Rocks

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charline Lormand ◽  
Georg F. Zellmer ◽  
Károly Németh ◽  
Geoff Kilgour ◽  
Stuart Mead ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Size ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Scattered Electron ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Segmented Images ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Automatic Tool ◽  
Magmatic History

AbstractCrystals within volcanic rocks record geochemical and textural signatures during magmatic evolution before eruption. Clues to this magmatic history can be examined using crystal size distribution (CSD) studies. The analysis of CSDs is a standard petrological tool, but laborious due to manual hand-drawing of crystal margins. The trainable Weka segmentation (TWS) plugin in ImageJ is a promising alternative. It uses machine learning and image segmentation to classify an image. We recorded back-scattered electron (BSE) images of three volcanic samples with different crystallinity (35, 50 and ≥85 vol. %), using scanning electron microscopes (SEM) of variable image resolutions, which we then tested using TWS. Crystal measurements obtained from the automatically segmented images are compared with those of the manual segmentation. Samples up to 50 vol. % crystallinity are successfully segmented using TWS. Segmentation at significantly higher crystallinities fails, as crystal boundaries cannot be distinguished. Accuracy performance tests for the TWS classifiers yield high F-scores (>0.930), hence, TWS is a successful and fast computing tool for outlining crystals from BSE images of glassy rocks. Finally, reliable CSD’s can be derived using a low-cost desktop SEM, paving the way for a wide range of research to take advantage of this new petrological method.

scholarly journals Information and information resources in COVID-19: Awareness, control, and prevention

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062110165
Author(s):  
Mohammadhiwa Abdekhoda ◽  
Fatemeh Ranjbaran ◽  
Asghar Sattari
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Data Collection Instrument ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
And Gender ◽  
And Control

This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the role of information and information resources in the awareness, control, and prevention of COVID-19. This study was a descriptive-analytical survey in which 450 participants were selected for the study. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data through SPSS. The findings show that a wide range of mass media has become well known as information resources for COVID-19. Other findings indicate a significant statistical difference in the rate of using information resources during COVID-19 based on age and gender; however, this difference is not significant regarding the reliability of information resources with regard to age and gender. Health information has an undisputable role in the prevention and control of pandemic diseases such as COVID-19. Providing accurate, reliable, and evidence-based information in a timely manner for the use of resources and information channels related to COVID-19 can be a fast and low-cost strategic approach in confronting this disease.

scholarly journals Advanced mycelium materials as potential self-growing biomedical scaffolds

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Elena Antinori ◽  
Marco Contardi ◽  
Giulia Suarato ◽  
Andrea Armirotti ◽  
Rosalia Bertorelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Dermal Fibroblasts ◽  
Engineering Systems ◽  
Edible Fungi ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
Fibrous Network ◽  
Body Tissues ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractMycelia, the vegetative part of fungi, are emerging as the avant-garde generation of natural, sustainable, and biodegradable materials for a wide range of applications. They are constituted of a self-growing and interconnected fibrous network of elongated cells, and their chemical and physical properties can be adjusted depending on the conditions of growth and the substrate they are fed upon. So far, only extracts and derivatives from mycelia have been evaluated and tested for biomedical applications. In this study, the entire fibrous structures of mycelia of the edible fungi Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum are presented as self-growing bio-composites that mimic the extracellular matrix of human body tissues, ideal as tissue engineering bio-scaffolds. To this purpose, the two mycelial strains are inactivated by autoclaving after growth, and their morphology, cell wall chemical composition, and hydrodynamical and mechanical features are studied. Finally, their biocompatibility and direct interaction with primary human dermal fibroblasts are investigated. The findings demonstrate the potentiality of mycelia as all-natural and low-cost bio-scaffolds, alternative to the tissue engineering systems currently in place.

scholarly journals Rheology and Water Absorption Properties of Alginate–Soy Protein Composites

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 1807
Author(s):  
Estefanía Álvarez-Castillo ◽  
José Manuel Aguilar ◽  
Carlos Bengoechea ◽  
María Luisa López-Castejón ◽  
Antonio Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Soy Protein ◽  
Water Solubility ◽  
Divalent Cations ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Soy Protein Isolate ◽  
Protein Isolate ◽  
Guluronic Acid ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Anionic Polysaccharides ◽  
Porous Matrices

Composite materials based on proteins and carbohydrates normally offer improved water solubility, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, which make them attractive for a wide range of applications. Soy protein isolate (SPI) has shown superabsorbent properties that are useful in fields such as agriculture. Alginate salts (ALG) are linear anionic polysaccharides obtained at a low cost from brown algae, displaying a good enough biocompatibility to be considered for medical applications. As alginates are quite hydrophilic, the exchange of ions from guluronic acid present in its molecular structure with divalent cations, particularly Ca2+, may induce its gelation, which would inhibit its solubilization in water. Both biopolymers SPI and ALG were used to produce composites through injection moulding using glycerol (Gly) as a plasticizer. Different biopolymer/plasticizer ratios were employed, and the SPI/ALG ratio within the biopolymer fraction was also varied. Furthermore, composites were immersed in different CaCl2 solutions to inhibit the amount of soluble matter loss and to enhance the mechanical properties of the resulting porous matrices. The main goal of the present work was the development and characterization of green porous matrices with inhibited solubility thanks to the gelation of alginate.

scholarly journals Optically transparent and very thin structure against electromagnetic pulse (EMP) using metal mesh and saltwater for shielding windows

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duy Tung Phan ◽  
Chang Won Jung
Keyword(s):  
Electromagnetic Pulse ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Metal Plate ◽  
Optical Transparency ◽  
Shielding Effectiveness ◽  
Concrete Wall ◽  
Metal Mesh ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Optically Transparent

AbstractAn electromagnetic pulse (EMP) with high energy can damage electronic equipment instantly within a wide range of thousands of kilometers. Generally, a metal plate placed inside a thick concrete wall is used against an EMP, but it is not suitable for an EMP shielding window, which requires not only strong shielding effectiveness (SE) but also optical transparency (OT). In this paper, we propose a very thin and optically transparent structure with excellent SE for EMP shielding window application. The proposed structure consists of a saltwater layer held between two glass substrates and two metal mesh layers on the outside of the glass, with a total thickness of less than 1.5 cm. The SE and OT of the structure are above 80 dB and 45%, respectively, which not only meet the requirement of EMP shielding for military purposes but also retain the procedure of good observation. Moreover, the OT of the structure can be significantly improved using only one metal mesh film (MMF) layer, while the SE is still maintained high to satisfy the required SE for home applicants. With the major advantages of low cost, optical transparency, strong SE, and flexible performance, the proposed structure can be considered a good solution for transparent EMP shielding windows.

scholarly journals Photocatalytic three-component asymmetric sulfonylation via direct C(sp3)-H functionalization

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi Cao ◽  
Wei Hong ◽  
Ziqi Ye ◽  
Lei Gong
Keyword(s):  
Asymmetric Catalysis ◽  
Organic Synthesis ◽  
Photochemical Reaction ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Atom Economy ◽  
Mild Conditions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Unsaturated Carbonyl Compound ◽  
Direct Functionalization

AbstractThe direct and selective C(sp3)-H functionalization of cycloalkanes and alkanes is a highly useful process in organic synthesis owing to the low-cost starting materials, the high step and atom economy. Its application to asymmetric catalysis, however, has been scarcely explored. Herein, we disclose our effort toward this goal by incorporation of dual asymmetric photocatalysis by a chiral nickel catalyst and a commercially available organophotocatalyst with a radical relay strategy through sulfur dioxide insertion. Such design leads to the development of three-component asymmetric sulfonylation involving direct functionalization of cycloalkanes, alkanes, toluene derivatives or ethers. The photochemical reaction of a C(sp3)-H precursor, a SO2 surrogate and a common α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compound proceeds smoothly under mild conditions, delivering a wide range of biologically interesting α-C chiral sulfones with high regio- and enantioselectivity (>50 examples, up to >50:1 rr and 95% ee). This method is applicable to late-stage functionalization of bioactive molecules, and provides an appealing access to enantioenriched compounds starting from the abundant hydrocarbon compounds.

Glycans in scaffold design in tissue reconstruction

2021 ◽  
pp. 088391152199784
Author(s):  
Nipun Jain ◽  
Shashi Singh
Keyword(s):  
Cell Attachment ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Growth Conditions ◽  
Downstream Signaling ◽  
Cell Carrier ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Proliferation And Differentiation ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Tissue Reconstruction ◽  
A Cell

Development of an artificial tissue by tissue engineering is witnessed to be one of the long lasting clarified solutions for the damaged tissue function restoration. To accomplish this, a scaffold is designed as a cell carrier in which the extracellular matrix (ECM) performs a prominent task of controlling the inoculated cell’s destiny. ECM composition, topography and mechanical properties lead to different types of interactions between cells and ECM components that trigger an assortment of cellular reactions via diverse sensing mechanisms and downstream signaling pathways. The polysaccharides in the form of proteoglycans and glycoproteins yield better outcomes when included in the designed matrices. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains present on proteoglycans show a wide range of operations such as sequestering of critical effector morphogens which encourage proficient nutrient contribution toward the growing stem cells for their development and endurance. In this review we discuss how the glycosylation aspects are of considerable importance in everyday housekeeping functions of a cell especially when placed in a controlled environment under ideal growth conditions. Hydrogels made from these GAG chains have been used extensively as a resorbable material that mimics the natural ECM functions for an efficient control over cell attachment, permeability, viability, proliferation, and differentiation processes. Also the incorporation of non-mammalian polysaccharides can elicit specific receptor responses which authorize the creation of numerous vigorous frameworks while prolonging the low cost and immunogenicity of the substance.

scholarly journals Burkholderia thailandensis E264 as a promising safe rhamnolipids’ producer towards a sustainable valorization of grape marcs and olive mill pomace

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alif Chebbi ◽  
Massimiliano Tazzari ◽  
Cristiana Rizzi ◽  
Franco Hernan Gomez Tovar ◽  
Sara Villa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Source ◽  
Olive Oil ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Burkholderia Thailandensis ◽  
Rhamnolipid Production ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Long Chain ◽  
Olive Mill

Abstract Within the circular economy framework, our study aims to assess the rhamnolipid production from winery and olive oil residues as low-cost carbon sources by nonpathogenic strains. After evaluating various agricultural residues from those two sectors, Burkholderia thailandensis E264 was found to use the raw soluble fraction of nonfermented (white) grape marcs (NF), as the sole carbon and energy source, and simultaneously, reducing the surface tension to around 35 mN/m. Interestingly, this strain showed a rhamnolipid production up to 1070 mg/L (13.37 mg/g of NF), with a higher purity, on those grape marcs, predominately Rha-Rha C14-C14, in MSM medium. On olive oil residues, the rhamnolipid yield of using olive mill pomace (OMP) at 2% (w/v) was around 300 mg/L (15 mg/g of OMP) with a similar CMC of 500 mg/L. To the best of our knowledge, our study indicated for the first time that a nonpathogenic bacterium is able to produce long-chain rhamnolipids in MSM medium supplemented with winery residues, as sole carbon and energy source. Key points • Winery and olive oil residues are used for producing long-chain rhamnolipids (RLs). • Both higher RL yields and purity were obtained on nonfermented grape marcs as substrates. • Long-chain RLs revealed stabilities over a wide range of pH, temperatures, and salinities

scholarly journals Applicability of Cork as Novel Modifiers to Develop Electrochemical Sensor for Caffeine Determination

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Mayra K. S. Monteiro ◽  
Djalma R. Da Silva ◽  
Marco A. Quiroz ◽  
Vítor J. P. Vilar ◽  
Carlos A. Martínez-Huitle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrochemical Sensor ◽  
Linear Response ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pharmaceutical Formulations ◽  
Caffeine Concentration ◽  
Real Samples ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Potential Use

This study aims to investigate the applicability of a hybrid electrochemical sensor composed of cork and graphite (Gr) for detecting caffeine in aqueous solutions. Raw cork (RAC) and regranulated cork (RGC, obtained by thermal treatment of RAC with steam at 380 °C) were tested as modifiers. The results clearly showed that the cork-graphite sensors, GrRAC and GrRGC, exhibited a linear response over a wide range of caffeine concentration (5–1000 µM), with R2 of 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD), estimated at 2.9 and 6.1 µM for GrRAC and GrRGC, suggest greater sensitivity and reproducibility than the unmodified conventional graphite sensor. The low-cost cork-graphite sensors were successfully applied in the determination of caffeine in soft drinks and pharmaceutical formulations, presenting well-defined current signals when analyzing real samples. When comparing electrochemical determinations and high performance liquid chromatography measurements, no significant differences were observed (mean accuracy 3.0%), highlighting the potential use of these sensors to determine caffeine in different samples.

scholarly journals Multidimensional Ln-Aminophthalate Photoluminescent Coordination Polymers

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1786
Author(s):  
Carla Queirós ◽  
Chen Sun ◽  
Ana M. G. Silva ◽  
Baltazar de Castro ◽  
Juan Cabanillas-Gonzalez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Coordination Polymers ◽  
Metal Ion ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Microwave Assisted Synthesis ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ft Ir ◽  
Ft Ir Spectroscopy

The development of straightforward reproducible methods for the preparation of new photoluminescent coordination polymers (CPs) is an important goal in luminescence and chemical sensing fields. Isophthalic acid derivatives have been reported for a wide range of applications, and in addition to their relatively low cost, have encouraged its use in the preparation of novel lanthanide-based coordination polymers (LnCPs). Considering that the photoluminescent properties of these CPs are highly dependent on the existence of water molecules in the crystal structure, our research efforts are now focused on the preparation of CP with the lowest water content possible, while considering a green chemistry approach. One- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) LnCPs were prepared from 5-aminoisophthalic acid and Sm3+/Tb3+ using hydrothermal and/or microwave-assisted synthesis. The unprecedented LnCPs were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCRXD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and their photoluminescence (PL) properties were studied in the solid state, at room temperature, using the CPs as powders and encapsulated in poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA) films, envisaging the potential preparation of devices for sensing. The materials revealed interesting PL properties that depend on the dimensionality, metal ion, co-ligand used and water content.

scholarly journals Diagnostic Capabilities of a Smartphone- Based Low-Cost Microscope

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 522-525
Author(s):  
Dorina Hasselbeck ◽  
Max B. Schäfer ◽  
Kent W. Stewart ◽  
Peter P. Pott
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Field Of View ◽  
Parasitic Diseases ◽  
Optical Parameters ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Diagnostic Applications ◽  
Diagnostic Capabilities

AbstractMicroscopy enables fast and effective diagnostics. However, in resource-limited regions microscopy is not accessible to everyone. Smartphone-based low-cost microscopes could be a powerful tool for diagnostic and educational purposes. In this paper, the imaging quality of a smartphone-based microscope with four different optical parameters is presented and a systematic overview of the resulting diagnostic applications is given. With the chosen configuration, aiming for a reasonable trade-off, an average resolution of 1.23 μm and a field of view of 1.12 mm2 was achieved. This enables a wide range of diagnostic applications such as the diagnosis of Malaria and other parasitic diseases.

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