Distributed Holistic Clustering on Linked Data

Link discovery is an active field of research to support data integration in the Web of Data. Due to the huge size and number of available data sources, efficient and effective link discovery is a very challenging task. Common pairwise link discovery approaches do not scale to many sources with very large entity sets. We here propose a distributed holistic approach to link many data sources based on a clustering of entities that represent the same real-world object. Our clustering approach provides a compact and fused representation of entities, and can identify errors in existing links as well as many new links. We support a distributed execution of the clustering approach to achieve faster execution times and scalability for large real-world data sets. We provide a novel gold standard for multi-source clustering, and evaluate our methods with respect to effectiveness and efficiency for large data sets from the geographic and music domains

Effect of mitigation on the catastrophic failure of storage tanks

This work investigates the effect of incorporating mitigation techniques on the catastrophic collapse of above-ground storage tanks in terms of dynamic pressures and overtopping fractions using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Catastrophic Overtopping Alleviation of Storage Tanks (COAST) and Mitigation of Tank Instantaneous Failure (MOTIF) protection measures are implemented. COAST is a deflector fitted to the top of the bund wall that is a structure surrounding a storage tank and MOTIF is a baffle fitted inside the storage tank. An optimisation study has been conducted to select the optimum mitigation technique and the optimum inclination angle of COAST. Subsequently, the effect of incorporating mitigation techniques using different capacities and shapes of bund wall is investigated along with the effect of using various heights of the fluid within the tank. Results show that COAST alone is more effective than combining the two mitigation techniques and the optimum inclination angle giving the lowest dynamic pressures and overtopping fractions is 80°. COAST significantly reduces the overtopping fractions ranging between 93% and 98% for the various capacities investigated. The highest reduction corresponds to a bund wall capacity of 200% of the capacity of the tank. The effect of COAST in reducing the overtopping fractions is more significant for circular shapes than square, rectangular, and triangular walls. Regarding the height of the fluid, COAST is more effective for tall tanks compared to middle and squat tanks

Health promoting potential of herbal teas and tinctures from Artemisia campestris subsp maritima: from traditional remedies to prospective products

This work explored the biotechnological potential of the medicinal halophyte Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima (dune wormwood) as a source of health promoting commodities. For that purpose, infusions, decoctions and tinctures were prepared from roots and aerial-organs and evaluated for in vitro antioxidant, anti-diabetic and tyrosinase-inhibitory potential, and also for polyphenolic and mineral contents and toxicity. The dune wormwood extracts had high polyphenolic content and several phenolics were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass-spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS). The main compounds were quinic, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, coumarin sulfates and dicaffeoylquinic acids; several of the identified phytoconstituents are here firstly reported in this A. campestris subspecies. Results obtained with this plant's extracts point to nutritional applications as mineral supplementary source, safe for human consumption, as suggested by the moderate to low toxicity of the extracts towards mammalian cell lines. The dune wormwood extracts had in general high antioxidant activity and also the capacity to inhibit a-glucosidase and tyrosinase. In summary, dune wormwood extracts are a significant source of polyphenolic and mineral constituents, antioxidants and a-glucosidase and tyrosinase inhibitors, and thus, relevant for different commercial segments like the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and/or food industries.FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]; Portuguese National Budget; FCT [IF/00049/2012, SFRH/BD/94407/2013]; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [12M8315N]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Crystal structure of tarocystatin–papain complex: implications for the inhibition property of group-2 phytocystatins

Tarocystatin (CeCPI) from taro (Colocasia esculenta cv. Kaohsiung no. 1), a group-2 phytocystatin, shares a conserved N-terminal cystatin domain (NtD) with other phytocystatins but contains a C-terminal cystatin-like extension (CtE). The structure of the tarocystatin–papain complex and the domain interaction between NtD and CtE in tarocystatin have not been determined. We resolved the crystal structure of the phytocystatin–papain complex at resolution 2.03 Å. Surprisingly, the structure of the NtD–papain complex in a stoichiometry of 1:1 could be built, with no CtE observed. Only two remnant residues of CtE could be built in the structure of the CtE–papain complex. Therefore, CtE is easily digested by papain. To further characterize the interaction between NtD and CtE, three segments of tarocystatin, including the full-length (FL), NtD and CtE, were used to analyze the domain–domain interaction and the inhibition ability. The results from glutaraldehyde cross-linking and yeast two-hybrid assay indicated the existence of an intrinsic flexibility in the region linking NtD and CtE for most tarocystatin molecules. In the inhibition activity assay, the glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-fused FL showed the highest inhibition ability without residual peptidase activity, and GST-NtD and FL showed almost the same inhibition ability, which was higher than with NtD alone. On the basis of the structures, the linker flexibility and inhibition activity of tarocystatins, we propose that the overhangs from the cystatin domain may enhance the inhibition ability of the cystatin domain against papain

Evaluation of the Mechanical Strength of Bund Walls under the Catastrophic Failure of Storage Tanks via Fluid Structure Interaction

The catastrophic failure of storage tanks is a serious problem that can have disastrous effects on the environment, local community and the economy. Bund walls are structures used around storage tanks where hazardous substances are stored and handled for the purpose of retaining the losses in materials. This study investigates the performance of bund wall structures under the impact loading caused by the collapse of storage tanks. Research on this subject has taken place at Liverpool John Moores University over two decades. Studies have included investigating the dynamic pressures exerted on the bund wall, the overtopping fractions of the material representing the ratio of the quantity of fluid that escapes the bunded area to the quantity of fluid that was initially in the tank, and mitigation measures to reduce the incurred losses. These previous studies along with other publications indicate clearly that bund walls are not designed to withstand dynamic loading that arises in the wake of sudden collapse of storage tanks. The novelty of this research lies in studying the performance of bund walls under the impact loading exerted by the sudden release of the stored material and proposing a new design of bund walls using Ultra-High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHP-FRC). The investigation was carried out using the Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) approach. InterFOAM solver in OpenFOAM software was used to model the multiphase flow of the sudden release of the fluid. The available experimental data sets were used to validate the performance of the solver in terms of the prediction of dynamic pressures and overtopping fractions. The solver gives good results for many of the simulations investigated. An optimisation study on the optimum configuration of mitigation technique was conducted. FSI modelling was used to study the behaviour of the bund wall by coupling the explicit solver of Abaqus 2017 to InterFOAM via the MpCCI coupling environment. Bund walls with different shapes and under different loading conditions were simulated. Results show that bund walls made of plain concrete fail with the exception of circular bund walls. The use of UHP-FRC with the incorporation of Catastrophic Overtopping Alleviation of Storage Tanks (COAST) mitigation technique allows the reduction of the overtopping fractions and minimises the damage to the bund wall. Results of the research allow the operators and site managers to gain an insight into the behaviour of bund walls under impact loading and perform more meaningful risk assessments

Les extractions à visée orthodontique ont-elles une influence sur le profil cutané ?

Les traitements orthodontiques peuvent avoir une répercussion sur les tissus mous et plus particulièrement sur le profil cutané. L'objectif de notre étude est d'évaluer les modifications des tissus mous du profil esthétique des patients suite au traitement orthodontique avec et sans extraction. Matériels et méthodes : Notre étude a porté sur 90 patients sélectionnés d'une façon randomisée au sein du service d'orthopédie dentofaciale de Monastir (Tunisie). Les téléradiographies de profil de début et de fin de traitement orthodontique ont été comparées en utilisant comme axes de référence le plan SN-7° et le plan orthogonal à SN-7° passant par le point S (POSN- 7°). Le test de Student a permis d'évaluer les variations des mesures céphalométriques. Le test de Pearson a été utilisé pour étudier la corrélation entre les déplacements horizontaux des incisives et ces modifications profilaires. Résultats : Nous avons noté un recul significatif du labral supérieur (LS) (p=0.049) et du labral inférieur (Li) (p=0.048) ainsi qu'une ouverture significative de l'angle labio-mentonnier (p=0.025) chez les patients traités avec extractions des prémolaires. Une corrélation positive entre les déplacements des incisives et la réduction de la protrusion labiale a été mise en évidence. Conclusion : les résultats de cette étude ont montré que les déplacements des incisives consécutifs aux extractions, peuvent avoir des effets tangibles sur le profil cutané. Nous suggérons de pousser l'investigation pour pouvoir éclaircir la relation entre le mouvement dentaire et les tissus mous

Do orthodontic extractions have an impact on the cutaneous profile?

Orthodontic treatments can have an impact on the soft tissues and more particularly on the cutaneous profile. The aim of this work was to evaluate profile changes following orthodontic treatment. Material and methods: This study concerned 90 patients randomly selected in the orthodontic department of Monastir (Tunisia). Profile headfilms at the start and at the end of orthodontic treatment were compared using, as reference lines, the SN-7° plane and the orthogonal to SN-7° plane going through the S-point (POSN- 7°). The Student test was applied to evaluate the variations in the cephalometric measurements. The Pearson test was used to study the correlation between the horizontal tooth movements and facial profile changes. Results: We noted a significant decrease in the upper labral (Ls) (p=0.049) and lower labral (p=0.048) as well as a significant increase in the labio-mental angle (p=0.025) in patients treated with extractions of premolars. A positive correlation between the incisor movements and the reduction of the labial protrusion was observed. Conclusion: The results of this study have shown that the movements of the incisors consecutive to extractions can have tangible effects on the cutaneous profile. Further investigations should be carried out to highlight the relationship between tooth movement and soft tissue

3-Dimensional Fluid and White Matter Suppression Magnetic Resonance Imaging Sequence Accelerated With Compressed Sensing Improves Multiple Sclerosis Cervical Spinal Cord Lesion Detection Compared With Standard 2-Dimensional Imaging.

Fluid and white matter suppression (FLAWS) is a recently proposed magnetic resonance sequence derived from magnetization-prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient-echo providing 2 coregistered datasets with white matter- and cerebrospinal fluid-suppressed signal, enabling synthetic imaging with amplified contrast. Although these features are high potential for brain multiple sclerosis (MS) imaging, spinal cord has never been evaluated with this sequence to date. The objective of this work was therefore to assess diagnostic performance and self-confidence provided by compressed-sensing (CS) 3-dimensional (3D) FLAWS for cervical MS lesion detection on a head scan that includes the cervical cord without changing standard procedures. Prospective 3 T scans (MS first diagnosis or follow-up) acquired between 2019 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent 3D CS-FLAWS (duration: 5 minutes 40 seconds), axial T 2 turbo spin echo covering cervical spine from cervicomedullary junction to the same inferior level as FLAWS, and sagittal cervical T 2 /short tau inversion recovery imaging. Two readers performed a 2-stage double-blind reading, followed by consensus reading. Wilcoxon tests were used to compare the number of detected spinal cord lesions and the reader's diagnostic self-confidence when using FLAWS versus the reference 2D T 2 -weighted imaging. Fifty-eight patients were included (mean age, 40 ± 13 years, 46 women, 7 ± 6 years mean disease duration). The CS-FLAWS detected significantly more lesions than the reference T 2 -weighted imaging (197 vs 152 detected lesions, P < 0.001), with a sensitivity of 98% (T 2 -weighted imaging sensitivity: 90%) after consensual reading. Considering the subgroup of patients who underwent sagittal T2 + short tau inversion recovery imaging (Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Multiple Sclerosis subgroup), +250% lesions were detected with FLAWS (63 vs 25 lesions detected, P < 0.001). Mean reading self-confidence was significantly better with CS-FLAWS (median, 5 [interquartile range, 1] [no doubt for diagnosis] vs 4 [interquartile range, 1] [high confidence]; P < 0.001). Imaging with CS-FLAWS provides an improved cervical spinal cord exploration for MS with increased self-confidence compared with conventional T 2 -weighted imaging, in a clinically acceptable time

Accurate Diagnosis of Cortical and Infratentorial Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis Using Accelerated Fluid and White Matter Suppression Imaging.

The precise location of multiple sclerosis (MS) cortical lesions can be very challenging at 3 T, yet distinguishing them from subcortical lesions is essential for the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. Compressed sensing-accelerated fluid and white matter suppression imaging (CS-FLAWS) is a new magnetic resonance imaging sequence derived from magnetization-prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient echo with promising features for the detection and classification of MS lesions. The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic performances of CS-FLAWS (evaluated imaging) and phase sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR; reference imaging) for classification of cortical lesions (primary objective) and infratentorial lesions (secondary objective) in MS, in combination with 3-dimensional (3D) double inversion recovery (DIR). Prospective 3 T scans (MS first diagnosis or follow-up) acquired between March and August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All underwent 3D CS-FLAWS, axial 2D PSIR, and 3D DIR. Double-blinded reading sessions exclusively in axial plane and final consensual reading were performed to assess the number of cortical and infratentorial lesions. Wilcoxon test was used to compare the 2 imaging datasets (FLAWS + DIR and PSIR + DIR), and intraobserver and interobserver agreement was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Forty-two patients were analyzed (38 with relapsing-remitting MS, 29 women, 42.7 ± 12.6 years old). Compressed sensing-accelerated FLAWS allowed the identification of 263 cortical lesions versus 251 with PSIR ( P = 0.74) and 123 infratentorial lesions versus 109 with PSIR ( P = 0.63), corresponding to a nonsignificant difference between the 2 sequences. Compressed sensing-accelerated FLAWS exhibited fewer false-negative findings than PSIR either for cortical lesions (1 vs 13; P < 0.01) or infratentorial lesions (1 vs 15; P < 0.01). No false-positive findings were found with any of the 2 sequences. Diagnostic confidence was high for each contrast. Three-dimensional CS-FLAWS is as accurate as 2D PSIR imaging for classification of cortical and infratentorial MS lesions, with fewer false-negative findings, opening the way to a reliable full brain MS exploration in a clinically acceptable duration (5 minutes 15 seconds)