scholarly journals How research reproducibility challenges librarians’ skill sets. A French librarian’s perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Granger
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Scientific Computing ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Reproducible Research ◽  
Technical Expertise ◽  
Initial Training ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Wide Range

Reproducible research requires to dive into a wide range of subjects (e.g.: statistics, study design, scientific computing) that are quite far from French librarians practices and/or initial training. Librarians do have a technical expertise, but horror stories pinpoint that even seasoned experts seem to lose track. In such context, what could be the added value of librarians?

scholarly journals Palladium and Copper: Advantageous Nanocatalysts for Multi-Step Transformations

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1891
Author(s):  
Antonio Reina ◽  
Trung Dang-Bao ◽  
Itzel Guerrero-Ríos ◽  
Montserrat Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Solid Supports ◽  
Nanosized Materials ◽  
Nano Structures ◽  
Liquid Phases ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Synthetic Methodologies ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
A Current

Metal nanoparticles have been deeply studied in the last few decades due to their attractive physical and chemical properties, finding a wide range of applications in several fields. Among them, well-defined nano-structures can combine the main advantages of heterogeneous and homogenous catalysts. Especially, catalyzed multi-step processes for the production of added-value chemicals represent straightforward synthetic methodologies, including tandem and sequential reactions that avoid the purification of intermediate compounds. In particular, palladium- and copper-based nanocatalysts are often applied, becoming a current strategy in the sustainable synthesis of fine chemicals. The rational tailoring of nanosized materials involving both those immobilized on solid supports and liquid phases and their applications in organic synthesis are herein reviewed.

scholarly journals Multiparametric MRI Texture Analysis in Prediction of Glioma Biomarker Status: Added Value of MR Diffusion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shingo Kihira ◽  
Nadejda Tsankova ◽  
Adam Bauer ◽  
Yu Sakai ◽  
Keon Mahmoudi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Texture Analysis ◽  
Diffusion Mri ◽  
Test Group ◽  
Multiparametric Mri ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Conventional Mri ◽  
Mri Features ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Mr Diffusion ◽  
And Diffusion

Abstract Background Early identification of glioma molecular phenotypes can lead to understanding of patient prognosis and treatment guidance. We aimed to develop a multiparametric MRI texture analysis model using a combination of conventional and diffusion MRI to predict a wide range of biomarkers in patients with glioma. Methods In this retrospective study, patients were included if they 1) had diagnosis of gliomas with known IDH1, EGFR, MGMT, ATRX, TP53 and PTEN status from surgical pathology and 2) had preoperative MRI including FLAIR, T1c+ and diffusion for radiomic texture analysis. Statistical analysis included logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine the optimal model for predicting glioma biomarkers. A comparative analysis between ROCs (conventional only vs. conventional + diffusion) was performed. Results From a total of 111 patients included, 91 (82%) were categorized to training and 20 (18%) to test datasets. Constructed cross-validated model using a combination of texture features from conventional and diffusion MRI resulted in overall AUC/accuracy of 1/79% for IDH1, 0.99/80% for ATRX, 0.79/67% for MGMT, and 0.77/66% for EGFR. The addition of diffusion data to conventional MRI features significantly (p<0.05) increased predictive performance for IDH1, MGMT and ATRX. The overall accuracy of the final model in predicting biomarkers in the test group was 80% (IDH1), 70% (ATRX), 70% (MGMT) and 75% (EGFR). Conclusion Addition of MR diffusion to conventional MRI features provides added diagnostic value in preoperative determination of IDH1, MGMT, and ATRX in patients with glioma.

scholarly journals From Residues to Added-Value Bacterial Biopolymers as Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1492
Author(s):  
Francisco G. Blanco ◽  
Natalia Hernández ◽  
Virginia Rivero-Buceta ◽  
Beatriz Maestro ◽  
Jesús M. Sanz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Nanoscale Systems ◽  
Chemical Structures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Peptide Functionalization ◽  
Metabolic Strategies ◽  
Drug Nanocarriers

Bacterial biopolymers are naturally occurring materials comprising a wide range of molecules with diverse chemical structures that can be produced from renewable sources following the principles of the circular economy. Over the last decades, they have gained substantial interest in the biomedical field as drug nanocarriers, implantable material coatings, and tissue-regeneration scaffolds or membranes due to their inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability into nonhazardous disintegration products, and their mechanical properties, which are similar to those of human tissues. The present review focuses upon three technologically advanced bacterial biopolymers, namely, bacterial cellulose (BC), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), and γ-polyglutamic acid (PGA), as models of different carbon-backbone structures (polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides) produced by bacteria that are suitable for biomedical applications in nanoscale systems. This selection models evidence of the wide versatility of microorganisms to generate biopolymers by diverse metabolic strategies. We highlight the suitability for applied sustainable bioprocesses for the production of BC, PHA, and PGA based on renewable carbon sources and the singularity of each process driven by bacterial machinery. The inherent properties of each polymer can be fine-tuned by means of chemical and biotechnological approaches, such as metabolic engineering and peptide functionalization, to further expand their structural diversity and their applicability as nanomaterials in biomedicine.

scholarly journals Automating Finite Element Methods for Geodynamics via Firedrake

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Rhodri Davies ◽  
Stephan C. Kramer ◽  
Siavash Ghelichkhan ◽  
Angus Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Code Generation ◽  
Automated System ◽  
Plate Motion ◽  
Reproducible Research ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
Problem Size ◽  
Mantle Dynamics ◽  
Research Software ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. Firedrake is an automated system for solving partial differential equations using the finite element method. By applying sophisticated performance optimisations through automatic code-generation techniques, it provides a means to create accurate, efficient, flexible, easily extensible, scalable, transparent and reproducible research software, that is ideally suited to simulating a wide-range of problems in geophysical fluid dynamics. Here, we demonstrate the applicability of Firedrake for geodynamical simulation, with a focus on mantle dynamics. The accuracy and efficiency of the approach is confirmed via comparisons against a suite of analytical and benchmark cases of systematically increasing complexity, whilst parallel scalability is demonstrated up to 12288 compute cores, where the problem size and the number of processing cores are simultaneously increased. In addition, Firedrake's flexibility is highlighted via straightforward application to different physical (e.g. complex nonlinear rheologies, compressibility) and geometrical (2-D and 3-D Cartesian and spherical domains) scenarios. Finally, a representative simulation of global mantle convection is examined, which incorporates 230 Myr of plate motion history as a kinematic surface boundary condition, confirming its suitability for addressing research problems at the frontiers of global mantle dynamics research.

scholarly journals Solubility parameters analysis of Eucalyptus urograndis kraft lignin

BioResources ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 8577-8600
Author(s):  
William C. O. Ribeiro ◽  
Vinícius Lobosco ◽  
Patrícia F. M. Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Organic Solvents ◽  
Kraft Lignin ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Solubility Parameters ◽  
Direct Production ◽  
Solvent Fractionation ◽  
Statistical Relevance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Effective Development ◽  
Eucalyptus Urograndis

Lignin has gained momentum as a renewable material because it is the largest natural source that can provide aromatic compounds in a wide range of applications. However, its heterogeneity in terms of high polydispersity molar mass distribution and variety of functional groups has limited the direct production of added-value lignin-derivatives. Among the alternatives to obtain more homogeneous lignin cuts is solvent fractionation. However, it is not well understood how different solvents influence lignin partition, and thus it is difficult to establish a rational solvent order to perform it. Thus, the purpose of this work was to understand Eucalyptus urograndis kraft lignin partition in organic solvents through the application of three solubility parameter theories: Hildebrand, Hansen (HSP), and Functional (FSP). Through the theories studied, FSP provided the best representation of lignin partition in organic solvents. In addition, the influence of solvents’ solubility parameters on lignin solubility was investigated by multiregression analyses, which revealed that only the polar solvent parameter showed statistical relevance to describe lignin solubility. The results of this work may contribute to the effective development of technical lignins’ fractionation, allowing the production of higher-value lignin derivatives, increasing the profitability of biorefineries, and establishing a sustainable bio-based economy.

scholarly journals Boosting Rural Areas Revitalization in the Mediterranean through Cross-cutting Approach Based on Ecological and Social Resilience

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
C. Echave ◽  
A. Palladus ◽  
M. Boy-Roura ◽  
M. Cacciutolo ◽  
S. Niavis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Social Resilience ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Urban Contexts ◽  
The Mediterranean

Urban areas have been identified as one of the key challenges to tackle in the next decades. Most of the environmental impacts associated to urban contexts are linked to an unsustainable use of resources basically due to urban planning and society’s consumption behaviour. Currently, the paradigm of sustainable cities brought out in the past years situates urban contexts as an opportunity to reduce these impacts. There is a wide range of strategies focused on cities and their transition to a more sustainable urban model: compactness, sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, waste management and greening are some of the most relevant approaches with clear indicators and implementation plans. However, rural areas are still pending for  a precise strategy that highlights their ecological added value avoiding to be defined only as “not urban”. Rural areas should be emphasized from their productivity perspective and their key role in terms of resilience and adaptation to Climate Change. In the framework of the Interreg Med Programme, Thematic Communities are working on the capitalisation of projects from different kind of approaches of application in the Mediterranean Area. Four of these communities - Renewable Energy, Green Growth, Sustainable Tourism and Efficient Buildings - have several projects that present rural areas as one common territory of intervention. The aim of this paper is to expose the standards and goals proposed by the Interreg Med Thematic Communities for Rural Areas Revitalization as a resilience strategy in the Mediterranean Region, using a cross-cutting approach. The cross-cutting approach stresses the relation among the environment, society and economy: rural liveability, increasing RES production with sharing microgrid systems & efficient buildings, as well as green economy based on sectors such as agricultural & tourism activities. These standards and results will provide reference values to shape final policies recommendations. Consequently, the present paper is based on the joint cross-thematic effort and work from four thematic communities of the Interreg MED programme, previously mentioned. It includes some references to existing research studies, but the aim is to open the path to identify new challenges of Mediterranean rural areas and find potential solutions from a holistic approach.

Cell Block in Cytological Diagnostics: Review of Preparatory Techniques

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leena Krogerus ◽  
Ivana Kholová
Keyword(s):  
Targeted Therapy ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Cell Block ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Blood Clots ◽  
The Future ◽  
Golden Standard ◽  
Agar Method ◽  
Cytological Diagnostics

Objective: The cell block (CB) technique refers to the processing of sediments, blood clots, or grossly visible tissue fragments from cytological specimens into paraffin blocks that can be cut and stained by the same methods used for histopathology. The technique brings additional tissue architectural information. CB can be used for ancillary techniques such as immunocytochemistry and molecular techniques. Study Design: We reviewed the literature on the various preparatory techniques of CBs. Results: There is a wide range of preparatory techniques for CBs and no golden standard for CBs exists: tens of methods are used in various institutions. The majority of the methods are modified in house techniques with a few commercially available kits. The techniques most commonly used are the plasma/thrombin method, the agar method, and commercially available Histogel- and Cellient CB-methods. Dissatisfaction with the cellular yield of the CBs is common. Conclusions: In the CBs, the cytological material is preserved for future use, which is a tremendous advantage in the era of targeted therapy and biobanking. The CB is thus central to the future of cytology: more can be done with less material and with less invasiveness to the patient.

scholarly journals Sol-Gel Immobilisation of Lipases: Towards Active and Stable Biocatalysts for the Esterification of Valeric Acid

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 2283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soledad Cebrián-García ◽  
Alina Balu ◽  
Araceli García ◽  
Rafael Luque
Keyword(s):  
Microwave Irradiation ◽  
Sol Gel ◽  
Valeric Acid ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Conventional Heating ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Acid Esterification

Alkyl esters are high added value products useful in a wide range of industrial sectors. A methodology based on a simple sol-gel approach (biosilicification) is herein proposed to encapsulate enzymes in order to design highly active and stable biocatalysts. Their performance was assessed through the optimization of valeric acid esterification evaluating the effect of different parameters (biocatalyst load, presence of water, reaction temperature and stirring rate) in different alcoholic media, and comparing two different methodologies: conventional heating and microwave irradiation. Ethyl valerate yields were in the 80–85% range under optimum conditions (15 min, 12% m/v biocatalyst, molar ratio 1:2 of valeric acid to alcohol). Comparatively, the biocatalysts were slightly deactivated under microwave irradiation due to enzyme denaturalisation. Biocatalyst reuse was attempted to prove that good reusability of these sol-gel immobilised enzymes could be achieved under conventional heating.

scholarly journals Adjusting for non-response in the Finnish Drinking Habits Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Tolonen ◽  
Miika Honkala ◽  
Jaakko Reinikainen ◽  
Tommi Härkänen ◽  
Pia Mäkelä
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Random Forest ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Random Forest Models ◽  
Survey Estimates ◽  
Design Weights

Aim: We aim to compare four different weighting methods to adjust for non-response in a survey on drinking habits and to examine whether the problem of under-coverage of survey estimates of alcohol use could be remedied by these methods in comparison to sales statistics. Method: The data from a general population survey of Finns aged 15–79 years in 2016 ( n=2285, response rate 60%) were used. Outcome measures were the annual volume of drinking and prevalence of hazardous drinking. A wide range of sociodemographic and regional variables from registers were available to model the non-response. Response propensities were modelled using logistic regression and random forest models to derive two sets of refined weights in addition to design weights and basic post-stratification weights. Results: Estimated annual consumption changed from 2.43 litres of 100% alcohol using design weights to 2.36–2.44 when using the other three weights and the estimated prevalence of hazardous drinkers changed from 11.4% to 11.4–11.8%, correspondingly. The use of weights derived by the random forest method generally provided smaller estimates than use of the logistic regression-based weights. Conclusions: The use of complex non-response weights derived from the logistic regression model or random forest are not likely to provide much added value over more simple weights in surveys on alcohol use. Surveys may not catch heavy drinkers and therefore are prone for under-reporting of alcohol use at the population level. Also, factors other than sociodemographic characteristics are likely to influence participation decisions.

scholarly journals Recent Advances in Glycerol Catalytic Valorization: A Review

Catalysts ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1279
Author(s):  
Manuel Checa ◽  
Sergio Nogales-Delgado ◽  
Vicente Montes ◽  
José María Encinar
Keyword(s):  
Activated Carbon ◽  
Carboxylic Acids ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Biodiesel Production ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Scale Production ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Large Scale Production ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Technological Limitations

Once a biorefinery is ready to operate, the main processed materials need to be completely evaluated in terms of many different factors, including disposal regulations, technological limitations of installation, the market, and other societal considerations. In biorefinery, glycerol is the main by-product, representing around 10% of biodiesel production. In the last few decades, the large-scale production of biodiesel and glycerol has promoted research on a wide range of strategies in an attempt to valorize this by-product, with its transformation into added value chemicals being the strategy that exhibits the most promising route. Among them, C3 compounds obtained from routes such as hydrogenation, oxidation, esterification, etc. represent an alternative to petroleum-based routes for chemicals such as acrolein, propanediols, or carboxylic acids of interest for the polymer industry. Another widely studied and developed strategy includes processes such as reforming or pyrolysis for energy, clean fuels, and materials such as activated carbon. This review covers recent advances in catalysts used in the most promising strategies considering both chemicals and energy or fuel obtention. Due to the large variety in biorefinery industries, several potential emergent valorization routes are briefly summarized.

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