We present a set of software packages that provide uniform access to diverse biological vocabulary resources that are instrumental for current biocuration efforts and tools. The Unified Biological Dictionaries (UniBioDicts or UBDs) provide a single query-interface for accessing the online API services of leading biological data providers. Given a search string, UBDs return a list of matching term, identifier and metadata units from databases (e.g. UniProt), controlled vocabularies (e.g. PSI-MI), and ontologies (e.g. GO, via BioPortal). This can be coupled to for instance the ‘vsm-autocomplete’ module: an input field (user-interface component) that offers autocomplete lookup for these dictionaries. UBDs create a unified gateway for accessing life science concepts, helping curators find annotation terms across resources (based on descriptive metadata and unambiguous identifiers), and data users search and retrieve the right query terms.

The suspension cross-linking technique has been utilized to create the magnetic chitosan nanoparticles, which were then applied to the magnetic carrier method at 80°C. First the FeCl2 and FeCl3 solution co-precipitated and synthesized Fe3O4 for utilization in the formation of magnetic chitosan nanoparticles, it has been characterized by utilizing DLS (Dynamic light scattering), XRD (X-ray diffraction spectrometer), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), which identified structure, size, FE-SEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope) and HR-TEM (High-resolution transmission electron microscopy) which identified structure and particle size whereas magnetic behavior of chitosan nanoparticles was determined by VSM (Vibrating sample magnetometer). According to the results collected, the magnetic chitosan nanoparticles have been spherical in form and size ranging from around 250 to 400 nm.

Hydrotalcites (HTlc) represents a class of nanostructured layered materials that may be employed in a variety of applications, from green to bio technologies. In this paper, we report an investigation on HTlc made of Mg and Fe, recently employed to improve the growth in vitro of osteoblasts within a keratin sponge. We have carried out an analysis of powder materials and of HTlc dispersed in keratin and spin-coated on a Si/SiO2 substrate at different temperatures. A DC magnetic study of the powders has been carried out with a Quantum Design Physical Property Measurement System, equipped with a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. The data gathered prove that these HTlc are fully paramagnetic, and keratin shows a very small magnetic response. Optical and Atomic Force Microscopy analyses of the thin films provide a detailed picture of clusters randomly dispersed in the films with various dimensions. The magnetic properties of these films have been characterized using the Nano Magneto Optical Kerr Effect (NanoMOKE) down to 7.5K. The data collected show that the local magnetic properties can be mapped with a micrometric resolution distinguishing HTlc regions from keratin ones. This approach opens new perspectives in the characterization of these composite materials.

ZnS-CdS composite nano-powder doped with (0.01 mol %) Cobalt has been collected by a co-precipitation process at 300 K. The sample is characterized by structural, combined spectroscopic methods and magnetic studies. The prepared samples were belonging to cubic structure no impurity phases were observed. Doping of cobalt increase the neighborhood strain assessment and a decreases lattice constants decides from x-ray diffraction data. The crystallite size is 10.42nm. From UV-absorption and EPR studies revealed that the energy band gap of Co2+ doped ZnS-CdS composite nanopowder and extension of sp-d exchange interactions and common d-d transitions. The variation in the energy bandgap varies as a function of cobalt concentration is due to structural modification. Photoluminescence spectrum reveals the defect-related emissions and shows the formation of luminescence. FT-IR spectrum confirmed the feature vibrational manner of Zn, Cd, O–H and sulfide ions are in the host lattice. The doping-induced magnetic properties are studied by vibrating sample magnetometer which matches with the theoretical values besides ferromagnetic nature. Magnetic studies confirm the ferromagnetic nature of the material. Surface morphology and chemical homogeneity studies were carried out by using SEM with EDAX. Transmission electron microscope recommends the crystalline nature of nanoparticles, with average particle size is of the order of 20-100nm.

Molecular causal interactions are defined as regulatory connections between biological components. They are commonly retrieved from biological experiments, and can be used for connecting biological molecules into regulatory computational models that represent biological systems. However, including a molecular causal interaction into a model requires assessing its relevance to that model, based on detailed knowledge about the biomolecules, interaction type, and biological context. In order to standardize the representation of this knowledge in ‘causal statements’, we recently developed the MI2CAST guidelines. Here we introduce causalBuilder: an intuitive web-based curation interface for the annotation of molecular causal interactions that comply with the MI2CAST standard. The causalBuilder prototype essentially embeds the MI2CAST curation guidelines in its interface, and makes its rules easy to follow by a curator. In addition, causalBuilder serves as an original application of the VSM general-purpose curation technology, and provides both curators and tool developers with an interface that can be fully configured to allow focusing on selected MI2CAST concepts to annotate. After information is entered, the causalBuilder prototype produces genuine causal statements that can be exported in different formats.

Scientific progress is increasingly dependent on knowledge in computation-ready forms. In the life sciences, among others, many scientists therefore extract and structure knowledge from the literature. In a process called manual curation, they enter knowledge into spreadsheets, or into databases where it serves their and many others' research. Valuable as these curation efforts are, the range and detail of what can practically be captured and shared remains limited, because of the constraints of current curation tools. Many important contextual aspects of observations described in literature simply do not fit in the form defined by these tools, and thus cannot be captured. Here we present the design of an easy-to-use, general-purpose method and interface, that enables the precise semantic capture of virtually unlimited types of information and details, using only a minimal set of building blocks. Scientists from any discipline can use this to convert any complex knowledge into a form that is easily readable and meaningful for both humans and computers. The method VSM forms a universal and high-level language for encoding ideas, and for interacting with digital knowledge.

VSM is a recently introduced method for entering and displaying any type of knowledge, in a form that is both semantically precise for computation and intuitive for human understanding. VSM is the combination of a new semantic model, and the design for a dedicated user interface to support it. Here we present the implementation of this user interface, as a sophisticated HTML-element, <vsm-box>, that can be embedded in any web-based curation app. We show how developers can use it for biocuration projects, customize it to particular end-user needs, and contribute to its growth. Vsm-box is open-source at https://github.com/vsmjs/vsm-box under the AGPL license, as a JavaScript (ES6) Vue.js web-component that runs in all modern web browsers. It is the capstone of the Vsmjs organization at https://github.com/vsmjs that groups its supporting modules. Extensive supplementary material on VSM and vsm-box is available at https://vsmjs.github.io.

The primary purpose of this article is to present a maturity model dealing with environmental manufacturing processes in a company. First, a theoretical approach is presented where evolution from the first industrial revolution to the present (Industry 4.0.) is outlined with a need to implement environmental initiatives. Chapter two contains a detailed literature review, which resulted in the creation of our own maturity model presented in the next chapter. According to some authors, Industry 4.0 is based on characteristics that have already been the focus of “lean and green” concepts. The practical part of the article is a case study that shows which areas of the manufacturing process have “environmental” potential. The goal was to move from resource consumption, pollutant emissions and more extensive manufacturing towards environmentally responsible manufacturing (ERM). Using environmental materials and methods reduces energy consumption, which generates cost savings and higher profits. Here, VSM (Value Stream Mapping) was applied to identify core processes with environmental potential. The final part of the article summarizes the work and presents future possibilities. This paper provides an understanding of the role of environmental manufacturing in the era of the 4th industrial revolution.

Manufacturing corporations has the acceptance of the Outsourcing Process (OP) to improve industrial activities as well as to archive the revenue objectives, and with this, Risk Analysis (RA) tools are constantly used to assure expected results. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is one of preferred RA tools, moreover, it is proven that FMEA adds uncertainty because of the human participation at the RA, afterward it is demonstrated that Pythagorean Fuzzy Dimensional Analysis – FMEA – Value Stream Mapping (PFDA-FMEA-VSM) method removes the uncertainty in RA, likewise it aids to the stakeholders for decision making, giving more advantages improving the use of the resources on the project. This document exhibits a real case scenario in a manufacturing firm applying PFDA-FMEA-VSM method adapted for manufacturing OP. The application of PFDA-FMEA-VSM shows solid RA results, removing the human intervention uncertainty added to the risk ranking, gives advantages to the stakeholders for visualize the main risks in detailed diagram, as well as make easier to take better decisions on where to apply resources and mitigate risks during OP.