Display omitted
•Two-faceted (DAP) ― more favorable configuration than single-faceted (OAP) under UV irradiation.•Bare and modified DAP ― efficient charge carriers’ separation under UV ...irradiation.•Noble metal-modified OAP ― higher activity than respective DAP under vis irradiation.•“Hot” (plasmonic) electron transfer via shallow electron traps in OAP.•Localization of noble metal on DAP – key factor of vis activity.
Octahedral anatase particles (OAP, with eight equivalent {101} facets) and decahedral anatase particles (DAP, with two additional {001} facets) were modified with nanoparticles of noble metals (Au, Ag, Cu). The titania morphology, expressed by the presence of different arrangements of exposed crystal facets, played a key role in the photocatalytic properties of metal-modified faceted titania. In the UV/vis systems, two-faceted configuration of DAP was more favorable for the reaction efficiency than single-faceted OAP because of an efficient charge separation described by the transfer of electrons to {101} facets and holes to {001} facets. Time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) and reversed double-beam photoacoustic spectroscopy (RDB-PAS) confirmed that distribution of electron traps (ET) and mobility of electrons were key-factors of photocatalytic activity. In contrast, metal-modified OAP samples had higher photocatalytic activity than metal-modified DAP and metal-modified commercial titania samples under visible light irradiation. This indicates that the presence of single type of facets ({101}) is favorable for efficient electron transfer via shallow ET, whereas intrinsic properties of DAP result in fast charge carriers’ recombination when gold is deposited on {101} facets (migration of “hot” electrons: Au→{101}→Au).
During the last decade, Deep Neural Networks (DNN) have progressively been integrated on all types of platforms, from data centers to embedded systems including low-power processors and, recently, ...FPGAs. Neural Networks (NN) are expected to become ubiquitous in IoT systems by transforming all sorts of real-world applications, including applications in the safety-critical and security-sensitive domains. However, the underlying hardware security vulnerabilities of embedded NN implementations remain unaddressed. In particular, embedded DNN implementations are vulnerable to Side-Channel Analysis (SCA) attacks, which are especially important in the IoT and edge computing contexts where an attacker can usually gain physical access to the targeted device. A research field has therefore emerged and is rapidly growing in terms of the use of SCA including timing, electromagnetic attacks and power attacks to target NN embedded implementations. Since 2018, research papers have shown that SCA enables an attacker to recover inference models architectures and parameters, to expose industrial IP and endangers data confidentiality and privacy. Without a complete review of this emerging field in the literature so far, this paper surveys state-of-the-art physical SCA attacks relative to the implementation of embedded DNNs on micro-controllers and FPGAs in order to provide a thorough analysis on the current landscape. It provides a taxonomy and a detailed classification of current attacks. It first discusses mitigation techniques and then provides insights for future research leads.
Today, regulations and consumer awareness demand production technologies with minimum impact on the environment and maximum utilization of available resources. In the field of lipids, two well-known ...technologies for avoiding the use of organic solvents and chemicals stand out: supercritical (Sc) fluids and short path distillation (SPD). To date, both technologies involve high operating costs that have limited their application to selected high value-added products which are high temperature sensitive. However, improvements in process control and materials make further implementation of these techniques possible. In this chapter, an integrative review has been carried out with the aim of compiling the literature on the application of these technologies to lipid extraction, micronization and fractionation of liquid mixtures. Special attention has been paid to the separation of compounds by both technologies: deacidification, partial purification of acylglycerol compounds, isolation of unsaponifiable compounds and separation of toxic and polluting compounds.
Background
Breastfeeding care plays a fundamental role in establishing breastfeeding and longer duration after discharge. Practices though vary among professionals involved and are often inconsistent ...with good practices recommended, being a threat to women’s breastfeeding self‐efficacy. Breastfeeding self‐efficacy is considered a predictor for successful breastfeeding and a significant variable amenable to intervention for promoting lactation
Aim
To evaluate the efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of a new breastfeeding self‐efficacy promoting programme (SIALAC) on 6‐month breastfeeding maintenance.
Methods
In this exploratory multi‐centre controlled trial, participants were allocated into control and intervention groups sequentially. Professionals in charge of the treatment groups were trained in between, with an especial focus on reducing practice variability. Control and intervention group women received usual care, and the intervention group received in addition SIALAC, a three‐stage breastfeeding self‐efficacy promoting programme. Primary outcome was breastfeeding maintenance up to 6 months analysed by Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Student’s t‐test or chi‐square tests were also used for continuous and categorical variables. Data on breastfeeding status and breastfeeding self‐efficacy were collected at baseline, and 4, 8 and 24 weeks after birth.
Results
From May 2014 through November 2015, participants were enrolled. The sample consisted of 112 women. No relevant socio‐demographic or obstetric difference was found between groups. The intervention achieved a significant difference between groups in breastfeeding survival (X2 = 4.94, p = 0.026). Six‐month breastfeeding maintenance was significantly higher in the intervention group (67% vs. 55%; X2 = 5.384, p = 0.020). Breastfeeding dropout in the control group was 3.3 (CI 1.1, 10.1) times higher than that of the intervention group at 6 months. Breastfeeding self‐efficacy scores were higher in the intervention group although without significant statistical difference. The programme showed good acceptability.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding self‐efficacy promoting programme SIALAC was beneficial in fostering 6‐month breastfeeding survival. Full‐scale trial should consider feasibility‐related issues identified.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of an education short course on professional’ self-efficacy in the area of breastfeeding care. The intervention had a pre-post design. A total ...of 43 healthcare professionals attended the course. The Kirkpatrick model for the development, implementation and evaluation of education actions was used for a 4.5-h course. The aspects evaluated included professionals’ satisfaction and learning regarding confidence to support lactating mothers, perceived transfer of knowledge to the workplace and organizational changes. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires (participants, unit managers, and education planners), before and after the intervention. Participants' satisfaction with the education action was high in all of the aspects measured (greater than 3.9 in scores of 0–5). Professionals showed a significant increase in self-efficacy levels for supporting breastfeeding (Wilcoxon test p-value = < 0.05, before intervention: median = 55, IQR = 11; after intervention: median = 60, IQR = 14). Participants, managers and organizers of the course identified changes in the way that professionals cared for breastfeeding mothers. In conclusion, this educational intervention enhanced professional self-efficacy and performance in breastfeeding care.
•Professionals' self-efficacy for BF care increased after the course.•No differences were found regarding specialty, prior training or experience.•Knowledge, quality of personal experience and BF duration affected self-efficacy.•Transfer of learning was high, improving BF care and having organizational effects.
An array of electrochemical quartz crystal electrodes (EQCM) modified with nanostructured films based on phthalocyanines was developed and used to discriminate musts prepared from different varieties ...of grapes. Nanostructured films of iron, nickel and copper phthalocyanines were deposited on Pt/quartz crystals through the Layer by Layer technique by alternating layers of the corresponding phthalocyanine and poly-allylamine hydrochloride. Simultaneous electrochemical and mass measurements were used to study the mass changes accompanying the oxidation of electroactive species present in must samples obtained from six Spanish varieties of grapes (Juan García, Prieto Picudo, Mencía Regadío, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha and Tempranillo). The mass and voltammetric outputs were processed using three-way models. Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was successfully used to discriminate the must samples according to their variety. Multi-way partial least squares (N-PLS) evidenced the correlations existing between the voltammetric data and the polyphenolic content measured by chemical methods. Similarly, N-PLS showed a correlation between mass outputs and parameters related to the sugar content. These results demonstrated that electronic tongues based on arrays of EQCM sensors can offer advantages over arrays of mass or voltammetric sensors used separately.
Background Inflammasomes are cytosolic multiprotein complexes in macrophages. They assemble after infection- or stress-associated stimuli, activating both caspase-1–mediated inflammatory cytokine ...secretion and pyroptosis. Increased inflammasome activity resulting from gene mutations is related to monogenic autoinflammatory syndromes. However, variable penetrance among patients with the same gene mutations suggests involvement of additional mechanisms associated with inflammasome gene regulation. Objective We sought to investigate the role of DNA demethylation in activating inflammasome genes during macrophage differentiation and monocyte activation in healthy control subjects and patients with autoinflammatory syndrome. Methods Inflammasome-related genes were tested for DNA methylation and mRNA levels by using bisulfite pyrosequencing and quantitative RT-PCR in monocytes in vitro differentiated to macrophages and exposed to inflammatory conditions. The contribution of Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) and nuclear factor κB to DNA demethylation was tested by using chromatin immunoprecipitation, small interfering RNA–mediated downregulation, and pharmacologic inhibition. Results We observed that inflammasome-related genes are rapidly demethylated in both monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and on monocyte activation. Demethylation associates with increased gene expression, and both mechanisms are impaired when TET2 and nuclear factor κB are downregulated. We analyzed DNA methylation levels of inflammasome-related genes in patients with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS) and familial Mediterranean fever, 2 archetypical monogenic autoinflammatory syndromes. Under the above conditions, monocytes from untreated patients with CAPS undergo more efficient DNA demethylation than those of healthy subjects. Interestingly, patients with CAPS treated with anti–IL-1 drugs display methylation levels similar to those of healthy control subjects. Conclusion Our study is the first to demonstrate the involvement of DNA methylation–associated alterations in patients with monogenic autoinflammatory disease and opens up possibilities for novel clinical markers.
Current economic downturn encourages extensive research into economic growth engines, with entrepreneurship as one of the key drivers of growth. Although crucial, determining which variables ...stimulate entrepreneurial activity constitutes a difficult task due to interrelated factors. This study analyzes three groups of factors affecting entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs' perceptions of opportunity: social, cultural, and economic variables. Therefore, this study employs the partial least squares method for two groups of countries: (1) European countries, and (2) Latin-American and Caribbean countries. This approach identifies how these factors' effects differ across different countries.
Three experiments were conducted to determine influence of the bovine corpus luteum (CL) on morphometric and functional characteristics of oocytes, and subsequent embryonic development. ...Cumulus-oocyte complexes were aspirated from two types of cows: 1) with a CL in one ovary (CL+) and without a CL in the contralateral ovary (CL-), 2) and from cows without CL in either ovary (C). Intracellular activity of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), oocyte diameter and thickness of the zona pellucida were determined (Experiment 1). Then, the rate of in vitro oocyte maturation for each ovarian category was evaluated and oocyte diameter and zona pellucida thickness were measured after maturation (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, in vitro embryo production and cryotolerance were assessed. The oocyte diameter was greater (P < 0.01) and the zona pellucida was thinner in CL+ than in CL- (P > 0.05) or C (P = 0.0131) ovaries. Activity of G6PDH was lower in oocytes from CL+ than CL- (P < 0.01) and C (P = 0.0148) ovaries. Rate of oocyte maturation, oocyte diameter and thickness of the zona pellucida after maturation did not differ among groups. Rate of cleavage was greater in zygotes from CL+ than from CL- or C (P < 0.01); and CL+ ovaries produced more total embryos on day 7 (P < 0.05) and more blastocysts (P < 0.01) than CL- and C ovaries. Rate of expansion and hatching of day-7 vitrified-warmed blastocysts at 24 and 48 h of culture did not differ among groups. In conclusion, oocytes collected from CL+ ovaries were larger and metabolically more prepared to continue maturation than those from ovaries lacking a CL. Also, rates of cleavage and yield of blastocysts were greater for oocytes from CL+ ovaries than from CL- and C ovaries. These findings indicate that a CL influenced oocyte developmental competence and embryonic development, presumably through intraovarian interactions.
•The influence of the bovine CL on oocyte morphometric and functional characteristics and embryo development was assessed.•Oocytes from CL ovaries were larger, with thinner zona pellucida, and shown lower activity of G6PDH than ovaries lacking a CL.•Corpus luteum did not influence nuclear maturation rate, oocyte diameter and zona pelucida thickness after maturation.•Presence of a CL was associated with a greater cleavage rate and yielded more total embryos and blastocysts.•Embryo cryotolerance was unaffected by the presence of a CL.•Corpus luteum influenced oocyte developmental competence and embryo development presumably through intraovarian interactions.
PDF
