Using EmotiBlog to annotate and analyse subjectivity in the new textual genres

Thanks to the increasing amount of subjective data on the Web 2.0, tools to manage and exploit such data become essential. Our research is focused on the creation of EmotiBlog, a fine-grained annotation scheme for labelling subjectivity in non-traditional textual genres. We also present the EmotiBlog corpus; a collection of blog posts composed by 270,000 tokens about 3 topics and in 3 languages: Spanish, English and Italian. Additionally, we carry out a series of experiments focused on checking the robustness of the model and its applicability to Natural Language Processing tasks with regards to the 3 languages. The experiments for the inter-annotator agreement, as well as for feature selection, provided satisfactory results, which have given an impetus to continue working with the model and extend the annotated corpus. In order to check its applicability, we tested different Machine Learning models created using the annotation in EmotiBlog on other corpora in order to see if the obtained annotation is domain and genre independent, obtaining positive results. Finally, we also applied EmotiBlog to Opinion Mining, proving that our resource allows an improvement the performance of systems built for this task.     

Combined acid‐ and rennet‐induced gelation of a mixed soya milk–cow's milk system

The objective of this study was to better understand the gelation behaviour of a mixed soya milk–cow's milk system, by forming different reactive protein particles using rennet and glucono‐δ‐lactone. The formation of the structure of these mixed gels was followed, for the first time, using diffusing wave spectroscopy and rheology. When only one protein source was induced to gel, protein aggregation was hindered, as shown by the slower increase in apparent radius after the gel point. Confocal microscopy analysis of the gel networks suggested that while milk gels exhibited large pores with interconnecting strands of protein, soya gels appeared as densely packed protein aggregates, and mixed soya milk gels appeared as a network of aggregated proteins. This study demonstrated that by modulating the reactivity of the building blocks, it is possible to fine‐tune structure formation of these mixed protein gels.     

Characterization of Micro and Nano-Scaled Co/Ni Bi-Layered Films Electrodeposited Under Influence of Magnetic Field:Effects on Structure and Morphology

In this study,the possibility of obtaining micro and nano-scaled Co/Ni bi-layered films by use of the electrochemical method was investigated.The electrodeposition process was performed with presence and absence of a uniform external magnetic field up to 1T to examine its influence on structure and morphology of the obtained thin films.Afterwards,each sample was annealed under high magnetic field with strength up to 12 T at 623 K,what allowed compare and determine the changes in morphology and structure,before and after heat treatment.The Co/Ni bi-layered thin films were deposited onto an indium-doped tin oxide(ITO)-coated conducting glass substrate from sulfate baths with boric acid as an additive.The results show drastic changes in the morphology between macro and nano-scaled films which were strongly affected by an introduction of the magnetic field to the electrodeposition process.The annealing process allowed to determine the nucleus transition and showed that under the high temperature treatment it is possible to control the growth mode as well as the phase composition changes.     

Inorganic Nanoparticles and Composite Films for Antimicrobial Therapies

The development of drug-resistant microorganisms has become a critical issue for modern medicine and drug discovery and development with severe socio-economic and ecological implications. Since standard and conventional treatment options are generally inefficient, leading to infection persistence and spreading, novel strategies are fundamentally necessary in order to avoid serious global health problems. In this regard, both metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) demonstrated increased effectiveness as nanobiocides due to intrinsic antimicrobial properties and as nanocarriers for antimicrobial drugs. Among them, gold, silver, copper, zinc oxide, titanium oxide, magnesium oxide, and iron oxide NPs are the most preferred, owing to their proven antimicrobial mechanisms and bio/cytocompatibility. Furthermore, inorganic NPs can be incorporated or attached to organic/inorganic films, thus broadening their application within implant or catheter coatings and wound dressings. In this context, this paper aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the most recent studies investigating inorganic NPs and their integration into composite films designed for antimicrobial therapies.     

ERα36–GPER1 Collaboration Inhibits TLR4/NFκB-Induced Pro-Inflammatory Activity in Breast Cancer Cells

Inflammation is important for the initiation and progression of breast cancer. We have previously reported that in monocytes, estrogen regulates TLR4/NFκB-mediated inflammation via the interaction of the Erα isoform ERα36 with GPER1. We therefore investigated whether a similar mechanism is present in breast cancer epithelial cells, and the effect of ERα36 expression on the classic 66 kD ERα isoform (ERα66) functions. We report that estrogen inhibits LPS-induced NFκB activity and the expression of downstream molecules TNFα and IL-6. In the absence of ERα66, ERα36 and GPER1 are both indispensable for this effect. In the presence of ERα66, ERα36 or GPER1 knock-down partially inhibits NFκB-mediated inflammation. In both cases, ERα36 overexpression enhances the inhibitory effect of estrogen on inflammation. We also verify that ERα36 and GPER1 physically interact, especially after LPS treatment, and that GPER1 interacts directly with NFκB. When both ERα66 and ERα36 are expressed, the latter acts as an inhibitor of ERα66 via its binding to estrogen response elements. We also report that the activation of ERα36 leads to the inhibition of breast cancer cell proliferation. Our data support that ERα36 is an inhibitory estrogen receptor that, in collaboration with GPER1, inhibits NFκB-mediated inflammation and ERα66 actions in breast cancer cells.