Effects of Different Harvest Times on the Maturity of Polyphenols in Two Red Wine Grape Cultivars (Vitis vinifera L.) in Qingtongxia (China)

Due to the special climate conditions in the Qingtongxia region, grapes are high in sugar and low in titratable acidity from the stages of ripening. Therefore, the common methods used for determining the maturity of grapes, which depend on the ratio of sugar and titratable acidity in other regions, are inappropriate in Qingtongxia. This research was done in order to seek for a simple and convenient method of determining the optimal harvest time of grapes, further providing some theoretical basis for improving the quality of wine in Qingtongxia. Phenolic contents and some basic physico-chemical parameters of Merlot and Pinot Noir were evaluated during different ripening stages. The results showed that a different harvest time significantly affects the phenolic contents and physico-chemical parameters of Merlot and Pinot Noir.  The total contents of anthocyanins in skins and total contents of phenolic in seeds was screen out as two important indexes to evaluate the maturity of polyphenols, in order to better improve the quality of grape and wine

Pattern identification of biomedical images with time series: contrasting THz pulse imaging with DCE-MRIs

Objective We provide a survey of recent advances in biomedical image analysis and classification from emergent imaging modalities such as terahertz (THz) pulse imaging (TPI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (DCE-MRIs) and identification of their underlining commonalities. Methods Both time and frequency domain signal pre-processing techniques are considered: noise removal, spectral analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) and wavelet transforms. Feature extraction and classification methods based on feature vectors using the above processing techniques are reviewed. A tensorial signal processing de-noising framework suitable for spatiotemporal association between features in MRI is also discussed. Validation Examples where the proposed methodologies have been successful in classifying TPIs and DCE-MRIs are discussed. Results Identifying commonalities in the structure of such heterogeneous datasets potentially leads to a unified multi-channel signal processing framework for biomedical image analysis. Conclusion The proposed complex valued classification methodology enables fusion of entire datasets from a sequence of spatial images taken at different time stamps; this is of interest from the viewpoint of inferring disease proliferation. The approach is also of interest for other emergent multi-channel biomedical imaging modalities and of relevance across the biomedical signal processing community

Synthesis and characterization of polypyrrole doped with anionic spherical polyelectrolyte brushes

The procedures for the synthesis of polypyrrole (PPy) doped with anionic spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (ASPB) (PPy/ASPB nanocomposite) by means of in situ chemical oxidative polymerization were presented. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopic analysis suggested the bonding structure of PPy/ASPB nanocomposite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to confirm the morphologies of samples. The crystallographic structure, chemical nature and thermal stability of conducting polymers were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) respectively. Investigation of the electrical conductivity at room temperature showed that the electrical conductivity of PPy/ASPB nanocomposite was 20 S/cm, which was higher than that of PPy (3.6 S/cm)

In Situ Measurement of the Junction Temperature of Light Emitting Diodes Using a Flexible Micro Temperature Sensor

This investigation aimed to fabricate a flexible micro resistive temperature sensor to measure the junction temperature of a light emitting diode (LED). The junction temperature is typically measured using a thermal resistance measurement approach. This approach is limited in that no standard regulates the timing of data capture. This work presents a micro temperature sensor that can measure temperature stably and continuously, and has the advantages of being lightweight and able to monitor junction temperatures in real time. Micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) technologies are employed to minimize the size of a temperature sensor that is constructed on a stainless steel foil substrate (SS-304 with 30 μm thickness). A flexible micro resistive temperature sensor can be fixed between the LED chip and the frame. The junction temperature of the LED can be measured from the linear relationship between the temperature and the resistance. The sensitivity of the micro temperature sensor is 0.059 ± 0.004 Ω/°C. The temperature of the commercial CREE® EZ1000 chip is 119.97 °C when it is thermally stable, as measured using the micro temperature sensor; however, it was 126.9 °C, when measured by thermal resistance measurement. The micro temperature sensor can be used to replace thermal resistance measurement and performs reliably

Clinical significance of time to positivity for yeast in candidemia

PurposeCandidemia is an important issue of nosocomial bloodstream infections, and is associated with a high mortality rate. However, little information is available before final species identification, which takes days after the episode of candidemia. This study tried to determine whether time to positivity (TTP) for yeast helps in predicting the species of candidemia.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted in Taiwan, which included 434 episodes of nonduplicated candidemia during the period between 2006 and 2009. The demographic features, clinical characteristics, TTP for yeast, and acute illness scores were included for analysis.ResultsThe mean age of patients with candidemia was 70.4 ± 15.2 years, and the 30-day crude mortality rate was 48.2%. Forty-five percent of patients suffered from shock status with a mean Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II score of 27.0 ± 8.7 and a mean Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score of 9.7 ± 4.5, whereas 50% were admitted to the intensive care units. Candida albicans was still the most commonly identified pathogen (58.1%), followed by C. tropicalis (14.7%), C. parapsilosis (13.1%), and C. glabrata (8.3%). Results of multivariate logistic regression showed that TTP for yeast within 48 hours would more favor C. tropicalis (p = 0.044), and less favor C. glabrata (p = 0.025) and C. parapsilosis (p < 0.001). Patients with parenteral nutrition usage were more frequently associated with a TTP for yeast within 48 hours, whereas those with previous exposure to an antifungal agent had a longer TTP for yeast.ConclusionThe TTP for yeast might provide a hint of the responsible Candida species before final identification among critical patients with candidemia. The association between antifungal agents and TTP would need more evidence for elucidation

Quantum entanglement enabled ellipsometer for phase retardance measurement

An ellipsometer is a vital precision tool used for measuring optical parameters with wide applications in many fields, including accurate measurements in film thickness, optical constants, structural profiles, etc. However, the precise measurement of photosensitive materials meets huge obstacles because of the excessive input photons, therefore the requirement of enhancing detection accuracy under low incident light intensity is an essential topic in the precision measurement. In this work, by combining a polarization-entangled photon source with a classical transmission-type ellipsometer, the quantum ellipsometer with the PSA (Polarizer-Sample-Analyzer) and the Senarmount method is constructed firstly to measure the phase retardation of the birefringent materials. The experimental results show that the accuracy can reach to nanometer scale at extremely low input intensity, and the stability are within 1% for all specimens tested with a compensator involved. Our work paves the way for precision measurement at low incident light intensity, with potential applications in measuring photosensitive materials, active-biological samples and other remote monitoring scenarios.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. This work has been submitted for possible publicatio

Varying association of nutrient intakes with quality of life in patients receiving different modes of dialysis

BackgroundNutrients are crucial for dialysis patients, especially elderly patients. Nutrition-related complications in dialysis patients are often closely related to cardiovascular aging. However, we know little about the effect of different nutrients on the commonly used outcome predictor, health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Therefore, this study investigated the associations between different nutrients and HRQOL among dialysis patients.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 123 dialysis adults at multiple dialysis centers. The Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) assesses HRQOL. Modified quantitative subjective global assessment (MQSGA) evaluates nutritional status. A 3-day dietary record evaluated nutrient intakes.ResultsAmong the 123 participants, 79 received hemodialysis (HD), and 44 were on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Patients with PD had a higher SF-36 score than HD (525 ± 136 vs. 375 ± 179, P &lt; 0.001). A negative association between nutrition status and HRQOL was observed in HD (regression coefficient β = −17.4, P &lt; 0.001) but not in PD (β = −12.3, P = 0.07). For HD patients, the nutrition status was negatively correlated with intakes of carbohydrates, fiber, selenium, copper, and Manganese (β = −0.02, P = 0.032; β = −0.3, P = 0.031; β = −0.1, P = 0.006; β = −2.3, P = 0.025; β = −1.3, P = 0.003, respectively). Their HRQOL was positively associated with calories, fat, niacin, and vitamin E (β = 2.19, P = 0.035; β = 2.4, P = 0.043; β = 8.5, P = 0.044; β = 6.9, P = 0.017, respectively). Conversely, for patients with PD, only vitamin B2 was found to be adversely correlated with their nutritional status (β = −5.2, P = 0.037), and increased intakes of vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber (β = 0.1, P = 0.031; β = 0.8, P = 0.028; β = 15.8, P = 0.045, respectively) were associated with a better HRQOL.ConclusionsThe nutritional intake of PD patients and HD patients affects their quality of life differently. Macronutrients significantly impact HRQOL in HD patients, while vitamins have a more substantial impact on PD patients