Mining Flickr to Better Understand Tourist Behavior

The aim of this chapter is to present an automated instrument collecting the enormous amount of information available online allowing urban planners, public administrations, tourism services suppliers, and researchers to easily understand the spatial and temporal distribution of tourist behaviors towards tourist attractions in a specific area. Geo-located photos provided by Flickr are used to identify points of interest (POIs). The developed application has been tested with data automatically retrieved and collected in L'Aquila province (Italy) during the years 2005-2018. Given the richness of information, these data are able to show how POIs changed over time and how tourists reacted to the 2009 earthquake. Results demonstrate the importance of using analytics and big data in tourism research. Moreover, by using the province of L'Aquila as pilot study, it emerges that tourist behaviors change over time and space, varying among different typologies of tourists: residents, domestic, and international visitors.

Increase of Non-Albicans Candida Species and Their Antifungal Susceptibility in Intensive Care Unit Patients (Mexico)

In Mexico little is known about candidemia by non-albicans Candida species and regarding their antifungal susceptibility. Besides without antifungal tests, fluconazole is one of the most used in empirical therapy. In the present study, we included patients from intensive care unit of one hospital in Mexico (2019–2020) with compatible yeast infection clinical signs, symptoms. Based on cultivable isolates, yeasts were identified by automated instrument and by molecular method (PCR), and their susceptibilities to six antifungals were characterized at different concentrations. From 105 patients, yeast cultures were recovered and identified mainly non-albicans Candida species (57.2%); and the most prevalent was C. glabrata (41.9%). Followed by C. albicans, C. krusei, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis and Cryptococcus neoformans. The most common infection site was urine (56%), followed by the bronchial aspirate (30%). Mostly the isolated fungi were susceptible to 5-flucytosine (98%) and to amphotericin B. Mainly C. glabrata followed by C. krusei and C. tropicalis were resistant to different concentrations of itraconazole, miconazole, and fluconazole. The present investigation contributes to the knowledge of non-albicans Candida species infections in patients and, opens the possibility for a better understanding and management in antifungal empirical therapy.in Mexico.

DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTELLIGENT AUTOMATED INSTRUMENT STORAGE COMPLEX

Автоматизация производственных процессов на предприятии помогает максимально эффективно организовать работу производства, существенно снизить нагрузку на отдельных людей. Целью работы является разработка интеллектуального автоматизированного комплекса хранения инструментов. Актуальность разработки обусловлена необходимостью повышения эффективности производства за счет правильной организации и планирования производственных процессов и площадей, приведения данных процессов в соответствие с современными требованиями к информационно-измерительным системам. В данной статье рассматривается концепция создания интеллектуального автоматизированного комплекса хранения инструментов, описываются основные составляющие комплекса, рассматриваются принципы их взаимодействия, приводится алгоритм работы пользователя с ячейками системы хранения при выполнении операции внесения инструмента.Результатом исследования является разработка оригинального комплекса хранения инструмента, который применим на промышленных предприятиях различного профиля. Automation of production processes at an enterprise helps to organize the work of production as efficiently as possible, significantly reduce the workload on individual people. The aim of the work is to develop an intelligent automated complex for storing tools. The relevance of the development is due to the need to improve production efficiency through the correct organization and planning of production processes and areas, bringing these processes in line with modern requirements for information and measurement systems. This article discusses the concept of creating an intelligent automated complex for storing tools, describes the main components of the complex, discusses the principles of their interaction, provides an algorithm for the user's work with the cells of the storage system during the operation of inserting the tool.The result of the research is the development of an original tool storage complex, which is applicable at industrial enterprises of various profiles.

A semi-automated instrument for cellular oxidative potential evaluation (SCOPE) of water-soluble extracts of ambient particulate matter

Several automated instruments exist to measure the acellular oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter (PM). However, cellular OP of the ambient PM is still measured manually, which severely limits the comparison between two types of assays. Cellular assays could provide a more comprehensive assessment of the PM-induced oxidative stress, as they incorporate more biological processes involved in the PM-catalyzed reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Considering this need, we developed a semi-automated instrument, the first of its kind, for measuring the cellular OP based on a macrophage ROS assay using rat alveolar macrophages. The instrument named SCOPE – semi-automated instrument for cellular oxidative potential evaluation – uses dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) as a probe to detect the OP of PM samples extracted in water. SCOPE is capable of analyzing a batch of six samples (including one negative and one positive control) in 5 h and is equipped to operate continuously for 24 h with minimal manual intervention after every batch of analysis, i.e., after every 5 h. SCOPE has a high analytical precision as assessed from both positive controls and ambient PM samples (coefficient of variation (CoV)<17 %). The results obtained from the instrument were in good agreement with manual measurements using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) as the positive control (slope =0.83 for automated vs. manual, R2=0.99) and ambient samples (slope =0.83, R2=0.71). We further demonstrated the ability of SCOPE to analyze a large number of both ambient and laboratory samples and developed a dataset on the intrinsic cellular OP of several compounds, such as metals, quinones, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and inorganic salts, commonly known to be present in ambient PM. This dataset is potentially useful in future studies to apportion the contribution of key chemical species in the overall cellular OP of ambient PM.

A Semi-automated Instrument for Cellular Oxidative Potential Evaluation (SCOPE) of Water-soluble Extracts of Ambient Particulate Matter

Several automated instruments exist to measure the acellular oxidative potential (OP) of ambient particulate matter (PM). However, cellular OP of the ambient PM is still measured manually, which severely limits the comparison between two types of assays. Cellular assays could provide a more comprehensive assessment of the PM-induced oxidative stress, as they incorporate more biological processes involved in the PM-catalyzed reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Considering this need, we developed a first of its kind semi-automated instrument for measuring the cellular OP based on a macrophage ROS assay using rat alveolar macrophages. The instrument named SCOPE – Semi-automated instrument for Cellular Oxidative Potential Evaluation, uses dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) as a probe to detect the OP of PM samples extracted in water. SCOPE is capable of analyzing a batch of six samples (including one negative and one positive control) in five hours and is equipped to operate continuously for 24-hours with minimal manual intervention after every batch of analysis, i.e., after every five hours. SCOPE has a high analytical precision as assessed from both positive controls and ambient PM samples (CoV < 17 %). The results obtained from the instrument were in good agreement with manual measurements using tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) as the positive control (slope = 0.83 for automated vs. manual, R2 = 0.99) and ambient samples (slope = 0.83, R2 = 0.71). We further demonstrated the ability of SCOPE to analyze a large number of both ambient and laboratory samples, and developed a dataset on the intrinsic cellular OP of several compounds, such as metals, quinones, PAHs and inorganic salts, commonly known to be present in ambient PM. This dataset is potentially useful in future studies to apportion the contribution of key chemical species in the overall cellular OP of ambient PM.

Evaluation of Erythrocytes Magnetized Technology for Measurement of ABO Isoagglutinin Titers

Background A variation in the measurement of ABO antibody titer has been seen among different laboratories due to lack of standardization. In our study, we aim to evaluate automated ABO isoagglutinin titer measurements by erythrocytes magnetized technology (EMT) and compare with conventional tube technique (TT). Methods We performed ABO isoagglutinin titration on samples received in a reference laboratory during a period of 2 months. A total of 134 tests for immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer and 116 for immunoglobulin M (IgM) for anti-A or anti-B were included in the study. Samples were processed for ABO isoagglutination titers by both TT and EMT by QWALYS-3 (Diagast, France). Microsoft Excel was used to compile data, for all calculations, and to draw graphs and plots. The number and percentage of cases within ±1, ±2, or ±3 titer difference (TT-EMT) were calculated. Results Median titers and their ranges obtained by EMT were higher or equal to those by TT for all IgM and IgG ABO-antibodies in all blood group (BGs), except anti-A IgM in (BG) O that was lower by EMT (32 [4:128]) than TT (48 [8:256]). One twenty one (121/134, 90.3%) cases of IgG titer showed an agreement by both methods (within ± one titer difference). One hundred seven cases (107/116, 92.2%) for IgM titer were within one titer difference by both the methods. Conclusion Results of titration by EMT-based automated instrument QWALYS-3 and conventional TT may vary by one titer dilution in the majority of cases. Use of consistent method for patient management is, therefore, advised.

Rapidoxy® 100: A Solvent-Free Pre-treatment for Production of Canolol

RapidOxy® 100 is an automated instrument originally designed for measuring the oxidative stability of both solid and liquid samples. The compact and portable design of RapidOxy® 100, and its built-in pressurized heating chamber, provides a suitable environment for studying processing conditions. The feasibility of using oxygen or an inert atmosphere provides the ideal environment to study the effect of dry heat pre-treatment on canola antioxidants. The current study used RapidOxy® 100 to examine the impact of pressurized dry heat pre-treatment, under nitrogen, on the ultrasonic extraction of phenolic compounds. The effect of different pre-treatment temperature-time combinations of 120, 140, 160, and 180°C for 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min on the subsequent extraction of canola phenolic compounds was examined. The major sinapates identified by HPLC were sinapine, sinapic acid, and canolol. The optimum RapidOxy® condition for the maximum recovery of canolol was 160°C for 10 min. RapidOxy® 100 proved to be a novel and versatile instrument for enhancing the extraction of phenolic compounds.

PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF PRO-ADM BIOMARKER IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19.

This study was performed at the analytical laboratory of the Hospital SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo" Hospital in Alessandria (AL) in the period March-June 2020. This is an observational, prospective, single-center study carried out on a cohort of patients diagnosed with ARDS secondary to SARS-CoV2 infection admitted in the first wave of the pandemic at the Sub-Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital of Alessandria. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess plasma concentrations of the regional mean proadrenomedullin biomarker (MR-proADM) at the time of patient access to the Emergency Department and subsequently 1, 3 and 5 days after admission, to verify its prognostic value in terms of short-term mortality. The second objective of the study was to compare this biomarker with other commonly used biomarkers such as PCR and Procalcitonin, to evaluate the effectiveness of MR-proADM in risk stratification in these patients. METHODOLOGY Samples used in this study were collected in a tube containing the anticoagulant EDTA, and measurements were performed using a fully automated instrument: the Kryptor Compact Plus. RESULTS Among the various Biomarkers assayed only MR-proADM and LDH concentrations were significantly higher in deceased patients than in surviving patients while no statistically significant difference was observed for PCR PCT concentrations. Increasing levels of MRproADM between the second and fifth day of admission to the intensive care unit represent the key to determining mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS Mr-proADM was found to be a more effective biomarker than other commonly used biomarkers (PCR, WBC, Procalcitonin) in identifying Covid-19 patients with poor prognosis at an early stage. This study allowed clinicians to routinely include the assay of this biomarker, useful in the stratification of these patients and in predicting a higher or lower risk of mortality, in the second wave of the epidemic.

CLASSIFICATION OF AUTOMATED STABILIZATION INSTRUMENT COMPLEXES

The article is devoted to automated instrument stabilization systems. The authors systematized and presented the classification of modern stabilizers. High-precision automated instrument stabilization systems are used in light armoured vehicles, performing the functions of search acceleration, determining the coordinates of moving objects in extreme conditions; observation of ground, air and surface targets. Also promising is the use of automated instrumentation stabilization systems in aviation gravimetry for the exhibition of the axes of sensitivity of navigation sensing elements (gravimeters). A characteristic feature of the development of modern technology is the improvement of technical characteristics of all instrumentation systems that are part of the product management system, including stabilizers. This process is due to the transition to a digital element base, the use of new information sensors, new optoelectronic surveillance devices and the development of new circuit design solutions, which, in turn, increases the speed of equipment and its manoeuvrability due to greater automation. The article reveals the principle of classification of stabilizers: by object of stabilization, by number of stabilization planes, by type of measured coordinate, by gyroscope function, by type of actuator, by type of regulation, by type of circuit design. The functioning of the digital instrumental system for measuring mechanical parameters and stabilization by means of functional and structural diagrams of the channel of the automated instrumental stabilization complex is shown. The above is a new, more detailed classification of automated instrumentation stabilization systems, which systematizes the principles of construction of modern stabilizers.