Comparison of a New Cobinamide-Based Method to a Standard Laboratory Method for Measuring Cyanide in Human Blood

PubMed Central

Swezey, Robert; Shinn, Walter; Green, Carol; Drover, David R.; Hammer, Gregory B.; Schulman, Scott R.; Zajicek, Anne; Jett, David A.; Boss, Gerry R.

2013-01-01

Most hospital laboratories do not measure blood cyanide concentrations, and samples must be sent to reference laboratories. A simple method is needed for measuring cyanide in hospitals. The authors previously developed a method to quantify cyanide based on the high binding affinity of the vitamin B12 analog, cobinamide, for cyanide and a major spectral change observed for cyanide-bound cobinamide. This method is now validated in human blood, and the findings include a mean inter-assay accuracy of 99.1%, precision of 8.75% and a lower limit of quantification of 3.27 µM cyanide. The method was applied to blood samples from children treated with sodium nitroprusside and it yielded measurable results in 88 of 172 samples (51%), whereas the reference laboratory yielded results in only 19 samples (11%). In all 19 samples, the cobinamide-based method also yielded measurable results. The two methods showed reasonable agreement when analyzed by linear regression, but not when analyzed by a standard error of the estimate or paired t-test. Differences in results between the two methods may be because samples were assayed at different times on different sample types. The cobinamide-based method is applicable to human blood, and can be used in hospital laboratories and emergency rooms. PMID:23653045

A Comparison of DNA Extraction Methods using Petunia hybrida Tissues

PubMed Central

Tamari, Farshad; Hinkley, Craig S.; Ramprashad, Naderia

2013-01-01

Extraction of DNA from plant tissue is often problematic, as many plants contain high levels of secondary metabolites that can interfere with downstream applications, such as the PCR. Removal of these secondary metabolites usually requires further purification of the DNA using organic solvents or other toxic substances. In this study, we have compared two methods of DNA purification: the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method that uses the ionic detergent hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and chloroform-isoamyl alcohol and the Edwards method that uses the anionic detergent SDS and isopropyl alcohol. Our results show that the Edwards method works better than the CTAB method for extracting DNA from tissues of Petunia hybrida. For six of the eight tissues, the Edwards method yielded more DNA than the CTAB method. In four of the tissues, this difference was statistically significant, and the Edwards method yielded 27–80% more DNA than the CTAB method. Among the different tissues tested, we found that buds, 4 days before anthesis, had the highest DNA concentrations and that buds and reproductive tissue, in general, yielded higher DNA concentrations than other tissues. In addition, DNA extracted using the Edwards method was more consistently PCR-amplified than that of CTAB-extracted DNA. Based on these results, we recommend using the Edwards method to extract DNA from plant tissues and to use buds and reproductive structures for highest DNA yields. PMID:23997658

Noise Reduction Design of the Volute for a Centrifugal Compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Zhen; Wen, Huabing; Hong, Liangxing; Jin, Yudong

2017-08-01

In order to effectively control the aerodynamic noise of a compressor, this paper takes into consideration a marine exhaust turbocharger compressor as a research object. According to the different design concept of volute section, tongue and exit cone, six different volute models were established. The finite volume method is used to calculate the flow field, whiles the finite element method is used for the acoustic calculation. Comparison and analysis of different structure designs from three aspects: noise level, isentropic efficiency and Static pressure recovery coefficient. The results showed that under the concept of volute section model 1 yielded the best result, under the concept of tongue analysis model 3 yielded the best result and finally under exit cone analysis model 6 yielded the best results.

Random Forests for Global and Regional Crop Yield Predictions.

PubMed

Jeong, Jig Han; Resop, Jonathan P; Mueller, Nathaniel D; Fleisher, David H; Yun, Kyungdahm; Butler, Ethan E; Timlin, Dennis J; Shim, Kyo-Moon; Gerber, James S; Reddy, Vangimalla R; Kim, Soo-Hyung

2016-01-01

Accurate predictions of crop yield are critical for developing effective agricultural and food policies at the regional and global scales. We evaluated a machine-learning method, Random Forests (RF), for its ability to predict crop yield responses to climate and biophysical variables at global and regional scales in wheat, maize, and potato in comparison with multiple linear regressions (MLR) serving as a benchmark. We used crop yield data from various sources and regions for model training and testing: 1) gridded global wheat grain yield, 2) maize grain yield from US counties over thirty years, and 3) potato tuber and maize silage yield from the northeastern seaboard region. RF was found highly capable of predicting crop yields and outperformed MLR benchmarks in all performance statistics that were compared. For example, the root mean square errors (RMSE) ranged between 6 and 14% of the average observed yield with RF models in all test cases whereas these values ranged from 14% to 49% for MLR models. Our results show that RF is an effective and versatile machine-learning method for crop yield predictions at regional and global scales for its high accuracy and precision, ease of use, and utility in data analysis. RF may result in a loss of accuracy when predicting the extreme ends or responses beyond the boundaries of the training data.

Use of Drought Index and Crop Modelling for Drought Impacts Analysis on Maize (Zea mays L.) Yield Loss in Bandung District

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniasih, E.; Impron; Perdinan

2017-03-01

Drought impacts on crop yield loss depend on drought magnitude and duration and on plant genotype at every plant growth stages when droughts occur. This research aims to assess the difference calculation results of 2 drought index methods and to study the maize yield loss variability impacted by drought magnitude and duration during maize growth stages in Bandung district, province of West Java, Indonesia. Droughts were quantified by the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at 1- to 3-month lags for the January1986-December 2015 period data. Maize yield responses to droughts were simulated by AquaCrop for the January 1986-May 2016 period of growing season. The analysis showed that the SPI and SPEI methods provided similar results in quantifying drought event. Droughts during maize reproductive stages caused the highest maize yield loss.

Generation of the neutron response function of an NE213 scintillator for fusion applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binda, F.; Eriksson, J.; Ericsson, G.; Hellesen, C.; Conroy, S.; Nocente, M.; Sundén, E. Andersson; JET Contributors

2017-09-01

In this work we present a method to evaluate the neutron response function of an NE213 liquid scintillator. This method is particularly useful when the proton light yield function of the detector has not been measured, since it is based on a proton light yield function taken from literature, MCNPX simulations, measurements of gamma-rays from a calibration source and measurements of neutrons from fusion experiments with ohmic plasmas. The inclusion of the latter improves the description of the proton light yield function in the energy range of interest (around 2.46 MeV). We apply this method to an NE213 detector installed at JET, inside the radiation shielding of the magnetic proton recoil (MPRu) spectrometer, and present the results from the calibration along with some examples of application of the response function to perform neutron emission spectroscopy (NES) of fusion plasmas. We also investigate how the choice of the proton light yield function affects the NES analysis, finding that the result does not change significantly. This points to the fact that the method for the evaluation of the neutron response function is robust and gives reliable results.

Evaluation of preservation methods for improving biogas production and enzymatic conversion yields of annual crops

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The use of energy crops and agricultural residues is expected to increase to fulfil the legislative demands of bio-based components in transport fuels. Ensiling methods, adapted from the feed sector, are suitable storage methods to preserve fresh crops throughout the year for, for example, biogas production. Various preservation methods, namely ensiling with and without acid addition for whole crop maize, fibre hemp and faba bean were investigated. For the drier fibre hemp, alkaline urea treatment was studied as well. These treatments were also explored as mild pretreatment methods to improve the disassembly and hydrolysis of these lignocellulosic substrates. Results The investigated storage treatments increased the availability of the substrates for biogas production from hemp and in most cases from whole maize but not from faba bean. Ensiling of hemp, without or with addition of formic acid, increased methane production by more than 50% compared to fresh hemp. Ensiling resulted in substantially increased methane yields also from maize, and the use of formic acid in ensiling of maize further enhanced methane yields by 16%, as compared with fresh maize. Ensiled faba bean, in contrast, yielded somewhat less methane than the fresh material. Acidic additives preserved and even increased the amount of the valuable water-soluble carbohydrates during storage, which affected most significantly the enzymatic hydrolysis yield of maize. However, preservation without additives decreased the enzymatic hydrolysis yield especially in maize, due to its high content of soluble sugars that were already converted to acids during storage. Urea-based preservation significantly increased the enzymatic hydrolysability of hemp. Hemp, preserved with urea, produced the highest carbohydrate increase of 46% in enzymatic hydrolysis as compared to the fresh material. Alkaline pretreatment conditions of hemp improved also the methane yields. Conclusions The results of the present work show that ensiling and alkaline preservation of fresh crop materials are useful pretreatment methods for methane production. Improvements in enzymatic hydrolysis were also promising. While all three crops still require a more powerful pretreatment to release the maximum amount of carbohydrates, anaerobic preservation is clearly a suitable storage and pretreatment method prior to production of platform sugars from fresh crops. PMID:21771298

A comprehensively quantitative method of evaluating the impact of drought on crop yield using daily multi-scale SPEI and crop growth process model.

PubMed

Wang, Qianfeng; Wu, Jianjun; Li, Xiaohan; Zhou, Hongkui; Yang, Jianhua; Geng, Guangpo; An, Xueli; Liu, Leizhen; Tang, Zhenghong

2017-04-01

The quantitative evaluation of the impact of drought on crop yield is one of the most important aspects in agricultural water resource management. To assess the impact of drought on wheat yield, the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) crop growth model and daily Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), which is based on daily meteorological data, are adopted in the Huang Huai Hai Plain. The winter wheat crop yields are estimated at 28 stations, after calibrating the cultivar coefficients based on the experimental site data, and SPEI data was taken 11 times across the growth season from 1981 to 2010. The relationship between estimated yield and multi-scale SPEI were analyzed. The optimum time scale SPEI to monitor drought during the crop growth period was determined. The reference yield was determined by averaging the yields from numerous non-drought years. From this data, we propose a comprehensive quantitative method which can be used to predict the impact of drought on wheat yields by combining the daily multi-scale SPEI and crop growth process model. This method was tested in the Huang Huai Hai Plain. The results suggested that estimation of calibrated EPIC was a good predictor of crop yield in the Huang Huai Hai Plain, with lower RMSE (15.4 %) between estimated yield and observed yield at six agrometeorological stations. The soil moisture at planting time was affected by the precipitation and evapotranspiration during the previous 90 days (about 3 months) in the Huang Huai Hai Plain. SPEI G90 was adopted as the optimum time scale SPEI to identify the drought and non-drought years, and identified a drought year in 2000. The water deficit in the year 2000 was significant, and the rate of crop yield reduction did not completely correspond with the volume of water deficit. Our proposed comprehensive method which quantitatively evaluates the impact of drought on crop yield is reliable. The results of this study further our understanding why the adoption of counter measures against drought is important and direct farmers to choose drought-resistant crops.

Material and methods to increase plant growth and yield

DOEpatents

Kirst, Matias

2015-09-15

The present invention relates to materials and methods for modulating growth rates, yield, and/or resistance to drought conditions in plants. In one embodiment, a method of the invention comprises increasing expression of an hc1 gene (or a homolog thereof that provides for substantially the same activity), or increasing expression or activity of the protein encoded by an hc1 gene thereof, in a plant, wherein expression of the hc1 gene or expression or activity of the protein encoded by an hc1 gene results in increased growth rate, yield, and/or drought resistance in the plant.

Materials and methods to increase plant growth and yield

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kirst, Matias

The present invention relates to materials and methods for modulating growth rates, yield, and/or resistance to drought conditions in plants. In one embodiment, a method of the invention comprises increasing expression of an hc1 gene (or a homolog thereof that provides for substantially the same activity), or increasing expression or activity of the protein encoded by an hc1 gene thereof, in a plant, wherein expression of the hc1 gene or expression or activity of the protein encoded by an hc1 gene results in increased growth rate, yield, and/or drought resistance in the plant.

Ammonia synthesis using magnetic induction method (MIM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puspitasari, P.; Razak, J. Abd; Yahya, N.

2012-09-01

The most challenging issues for ammonia synthesis is to get the high yield. New approach of ammonia synthesis by using Magnetic Induction Method (MIM) and the Helmholtz Coils has been proposed. The ammonia detection was done by using Kjeldahl Method and FTIR. The system was designed by using Autocad software. The magnetic field of MIM was vary from 100mT-200mT and the magnetic field for the Helmholtz coils was 14mT. The FTIR result shows that ammonia has been successfully formed at stretching peaks 1097,1119,1162,1236, 1377, and 1464 cm-1. UV-VIS result shows the ammonia bond at 195nm of wavelength. The ammonia yield was increase to 244.72μmole/g.h by using the MIM and six pairs of Helmholtz coils. Therefore this new method will be a new promising method to achieve the high yield ammonia at ambient condition (at 25δC and 1atm), under the Magnetic Induction Method (MIM).

The long-term strength of Europe and its implications for plate-forming processes.

PubMed

Pérez-Gussinyé, M; Watts, A B

2005-07-21

Field-based geological studies show that continental deformation preferentially occurs in young tectonic provinces rather than in old cratons. This partitioning of deformation suggests that the cratons are stronger than surrounding younger Phanerozoic provinces. However, although Archaean and Phanerozoic lithosphere differ in their thickness and composition, their relative strength is a matter of much debate. One proxy of strength is the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere, Te. Unfortunately, spatial variations in Te are not well understood, as different methods yield different results. The differences are most apparent in cratons, where the 'Bouguer coherence' method yields large Te values (> 60 km) whereas the 'free-air admittance' method yields low values (< 25 km). Here we present estimates of the variability of Te in Europe using both methods. We show that when they are consistently formulated, both methods yield comparable Te values that correlate with geology, and that the strength of old lithosphere (> or = 1.5 Gyr old) is much larger (mean Te > 60 km) than that of younger lithosphere (mean Te < 30 km). We propose that this strength difference reflects changes in lithospheric plate structure (thickness, geothermal gradient and composition) that result from mantle temperature and volatile content decrease through Earth's history.

Preparation of DNA from cytological material: effects of fixation, staining, and mounting medium on DNA yield and quality.

PubMed

Dejmek, Annika; Zendehrokh, Nooreldin; Tomaszewska, Malgorzata; Edsjö, Anders

2013-07-01

Personalized oncology requires molecular analysis of tumor cells. Several studies have demonstrated that cytological material is suitable for DNA analysis, but to the authors' knowledge there are no systematic studies comparing how the yield and quality of extracted DNA is affected by the various techniques used for the preparation of cytological material. DNA yield and quality were compared using cultured human lung cancer cells subjected to different preparation techniques used in routine cytology, including fixation, mounting medium, and staining. The results were compared with the outcome of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genotyping of 66 clinical cytological samples using the same DNA preparation protocol. All tested protocol combinations resulted in fragment lengths of at least 388 base pairs. The mounting agent EcoMount resulted in higher yields than traditional xylene-based medium. Spray and ethanol fixation resulted in both a higher yield and better DNA quality than air drying. In liquid-based cytology (LBC) methods, CytoLyt solution resulted in a 5-fold higher yield than CytoRich Red. Papanicolaou staining provided twice the yield of hematoxylin and eosin staining in both liquid-based preparations. Genotyping outcome and quality control values from the clinical EGFR genotyping demonstrated a sufficient amount and amplifiability of DNA in both spray-fixed and air-dried cytological samples. Reliable clinical genotyping can be performed using all tested methods. However, in the cell line experiments, spray- or ethanol-fixed, Papanicolaou-stained slides provided the best results in terms of yield and fragment length. In LBC, the DNA recovery efficiency of the preserving medium may differ considerably, which should be taken into consideration when introducing LBC. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2013;121:344-353. © 2013 American Cancer Society. © 2013 American Cancer Society.

Strategies for narrowing the maize yield gap of household farms through precision fertigation under irrigated conditions using CERES-Maize model.

PubMed

Liu, Jiangang; Wang, Guangyao; Chu, Qingquan; Chen, Fu

2017-07-01

Nitrogen (N) application significantly increases maize yield; however, the unreasonable use of N fertilizer is common in China. The analysis of crop yield gaps can reveal the limiting factors for yield improvement, but there is a lack of practical strategies for narrowing yield gaps of household farms. The objectives of this study were to assess the yield gap of summer maize using an integrative method and to develop strategies for narrowing the maize yield gap through precise N fertilization. The results indicated that there was a significant difference in maize yield among fields, with a low level of variation. Additionally, significant differences in N application rate were observed among fields, with high variability. Based on long-term simulation results, the optimal N application rate was 193 kg ha -1 , with a corresponding maximum attainable yield (AY max ) of 10 318 kg ha -1 . A considerable difference between farmers' yields and AY max was observed. Low agronomic efficiency of applied N fertilizer (AE N ) in farmers' fields was exhibited. The integrative method lays a foundation for exploring the specific factors constraining crop yield gaps at the field scale and for developing strategies for rapid site-specific N management. Optimization strategies to narrow the maize yield gap include increasing N application rates and adjusting the N application schedule. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Facile mechanical shaking method is an improved isolation approach for islet preparation and transplantation.

PubMed

Yin, Nina; Chen, Tao; Yu, Yuling; Han, Yongming; Yan, Fei; Zheng, Zhou; Chen, Zebin

2016-12-01

Successful islet isolation is crucial for islet transplantation and cell treatment for type 1 diabetes. Current isolation methods are able to obtain 500-1,000 islets per rat, which results in a waste of ≥50% of total islets. In the present study, a facile mechanical shaking method for improving islet yield (up to 1,500 per rat) was developed and summarized, which was demonstrated to be more effective than the existing well-established stationary method. The present results showed that isolated islets have a maximum yield of 1,326±152 when shaking for 15 min for the fully-cannulated pancreas. For both fully-cannulated and half-cannulated pancreas in the presence of rat DNAse inhibitor, the optimal shaking time was amended to 20 min with a further increased yield of 1,344±134 and 1,286±124 islets, respectively. Furthermore, the majority of the isolated islets were morphologically intact with a well-defined surface and almost no central necrotic zone, which suggested that the condition of islets obtained via the mechanical shaking method was consistent with the stationary method. Islet size distribution was also calculated and it was demonstrated that islets from the stationary method exhibited the same size distribution as the non-cannulated group, which had more larger islets than the fully-cannulated and half-cannulated groups isolated via the shaking method. In addition, the results of glucose challenge showed that the refraction index of each group was >2.5, which indicated the well-preserved function of isolated islets. Furthermore, the transplanted islets exhibited a therapeutic effect after 1 day of transplantation; however, they failed to control blood glucose levels after ~7 days of transplantation. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that the facile mechanical shaking method may markedly improve the yield of rat islet isolation, and in vitro and in vivo investigation demonstrated the well-preserved function of isolated islets in the control of blood glucose. Therefore, the facile mechanical shaking method may be an alternative improved procedure to obtain higher islet yield for islet preparation and transplantation in the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

Prediction of Enzyme Mutant Activity Using Computational Mutagenesis and Incremental Transduction

PubMed Central

Basit, Nada; Wechsler, Harry

2011-01-01

Wet laboratory mutagenesis to determine enzyme activity changes is expensive and time consuming. This paper expands on standard one-shot learning by proposing an incremental transductive method (T2bRF) for the prediction of enzyme mutant activity during mutagenesis using Delaunay tessellation and 4-body statistical potentials for representation. Incremental learning is in tune with both eScience and actual experimentation, as it accounts for cumulative annotation effects of enzyme mutant activity over time. The experimental results reported, using cross-validation, show that overall the incremental transductive method proposed, using random forest as base classifier, yields better results compared to one-shot learning methods. T2bRF is shown to yield 90% on T4 and LAC (and 86% on HIV-1). This is significantly better than state-of-the-art competing methods, whose performance yield is at 80% or less using the same datasets. PMID:22007208

Satellite-based assessment of grassland yields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, K.; Siegmund, R.; Wagner, M.; Hartmann, S.

2015-04-01

Cutting date and frequency are important parameters determining grassland yields in addition to the effects of weather, soil conditions, plant composition and fertilisation. Because accurate and area-wide data of grassland yields are currently not available, cutting frequency can be used to estimate yields. In this project, a method to detect cutting dates via surface changes in radar images is developed. The combination of this method with a grassland yield model will result in more reliable and regional-wide numbers of grassland yields. For the test-phase of the monitoring project, a study area situated southeast of Munich, Germany, was chosen due to its high density of managed grassland. For determining grassland cutting robust amplitude change detection techniques are used evaluating radar amplitude or backscatter statistics before and after the cutting event. CosmoSkyMed and Sentinel-1A data were analysed. All detected cuts were verified according to in-situ measurements recorded in a GIS database. Although the SAR systems had various acquisition geometries, the amount of detected grassland cut was quite similar. Of 154 tested grassland plots, covering in total 436 ha, 116 and 111 cuts were detected using CosmoSkyMed and Sentinel-1A radar data, respectively. Further improvement of radar data processes as well as additional analyses with higher sample number and wider land surface coverage will follow for optimisation of the method and for validation and generalisation of the results of this feasibility study. The automation of this method will than allow for an area-wide and cost efficient cutting date detection service improving grassland yield models.

Multi-approach assessment of the spatial distribution of the specific yield: application to the Crau plain aquifer, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seraphin, Pierre; Gonçalvès, Julio; Vallet-Coulomb, Christine; Champollion, Cédric

2018-06-01

Spatially distributed values of the specific yield, a fundamental parameter for transient groundwater mass balance calculations, were obtained by means of three independent methods for the Crau plain, France. In contrast to its traditional use to assess recharge based on a given specific yield, the water-table fluctuation (WTF) method, applied using major recharging events, gave a first set of reference values. Then, large infiltration processes recorded by monitored boreholes and caused by major precipitation events were interpreted in terms of specific yield by means of a one-dimensional vertical numerical model solving Richards' equations within the unsaturated zone. Finally, two gravity field campaigns, at low and high piezometric levels, were carried out to assess the groundwater mass variation and thus alternative specific yield values. The range obtained by the WTF method for this aquifer made of alluvial detrital material was 2.9- 26%, in line with the scarce data available so far. The average spatial value of specific yield by the WTF method (9.1%) is consistent with the aquifer scale value from the hydro-gravimetric approach. In this investigation, an estimate of the hitherto unknown spatial distribution of the specific yield over the Crau plain was obtained using the most reliable method (the WTF method). A groundwater mass balance calculation over the domain using this distribution yielded similar results to an independent quantification based on a stable isotope-mixing model. This agreement reinforces the relevance of such estimates, which can be used to build a more accurate transient hydrogeological model.

Multi-approach assessment of the spatial distribution of the specific yield: application to the Crau plain aquifer, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seraphin, Pierre; Gonçalvès, Julio; Vallet-Coulomb, Christine; Champollion, Cédric

2018-03-01

Spatially distributed values of the specific yield, a fundamental parameter for transient groundwater mass balance calculations, were obtained by means of three independent methods for the Crau plain, France. In contrast to its traditional use to assess recharge based on a given specific yield, the water-table fluctuation (WTF) method, applied using major recharging events, gave a first set of reference values. Then, large infiltration processes recorded by monitored boreholes and caused by major precipitation events were interpreted in terms of specific yield by means of a one-dimensional vertical numerical model solving Richards' equations within the unsaturated zone. Finally, two gravity field campaigns, at low and high piezometric levels, were carried out to assess the groundwater mass variation and thus alternative specific yield values. The range obtained by the WTF method for this aquifer made of alluvial detrital material was 2.9- 26%, in line with the scarce data available so far. The average spatial value of specific yield by the WTF method (9.1%) is consistent with the aquifer scale value from the hydro-gravimetric approach. In this investigation, an estimate of the hitherto unknown spatial distribution of the specific yield over the Crau plain was obtained using the most reliable method (the WTF method). A groundwater mass balance calculation over the domain using this distribution yielded similar results to an independent quantification based on a stable isotope-mixing model. This agreement reinforces the relevance of such estimates, which can be used to build a more accurate transient hydrogeological model.

A photometric method for the estimation of the oil yield of oil shale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cuttitta, Frank

1951-01-01

A method is presented for the distillation and photometric estimation of the oil yield of oil-bearing shales. The oil shale is distilled in a closed test tube and the oil extracted with toluene. The optical density of the toluene extract is used in the estimation of oil content and is converted to percentage of oil by reference to a standard curve. This curve is obtained by relating the oil yields determined by the Fischer assay method to the optical density of the toluene extract of the oil evolved by the new procedure. The new method gives results similar to those obtained by the Fischer assay method in a much shorter time. The applicability of the new method to oil-bearing shale and phosphatic shale has been tested.

9 CFR 149.6 - Slaughter facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... result based on an ELISA method and is confirmed positive by further testing using the digestion method... decertified. (C) If a test sample yields a positive test result based on an ELISA method, but is not confirmed...

9 CFR 149.6 - Slaughter facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... result based on an ELISA method and is confirmed positive by further testing using the digestion method... decertified. (C) If a test sample yields a positive test result based on an ELISA method, but is not confirmed...

9 CFR 149.6 - Slaughter facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... result based on an ELISA method and is confirmed positive by further testing using the digestion method... decertified. (C) If a test sample yields a positive test result based on an ELISA method, but is not confirmed...

9 CFR 149.6 - Slaughter facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... result based on an ELISA method and is confirmed positive by further testing using the digestion method... decertified. (C) If a test sample yields a positive test result based on an ELISA method, but is not confirmed...

9 CFR 149.6 - Slaughter facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... result based on an ELISA method and is confirmed positive by further testing using the digestion method... decertified. (C) If a test sample yields a positive test result based on an ELISA method, but is not confirmed...

40 CFR 1065.720 - Liquefied petroleum gas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... CONTROLS ENGINE-TESTING PROCEDURES Engine Fluids, Test Fuels, Analytical Gases and Other Calibration....720—Test Fuel Specifications for Liquefied Petroleum Gas Property Value Reference procedure 1 Propane... methods yield different results, use the results from ASTM D1267. 3 The test fuel must not yield a...

Method for factor analysis of GC/MS data

DOEpatents

Van Benthem, Mark H; Kotula, Paul G; Keenan, Michael R

2012-09-11

The method of the present invention provides a fast, robust, and automated multivariate statistical analysis of gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS) data sets. The method can involve systematic elimination of undesired, saturated peak masses to yield data that follow a linear, additive model. The cleaned data can then be subjected to a combination of PCA and orthogonal factor rotation followed by refinement with MCR-ALS to yield highly interpretable results.

Temperature increase reduces global yields of major crops in four independent estimates

PubMed Central

Zhao, Chuang; Piao, Shilong; Wang, Xuhui; Lobell, David B.; Huang, Yao; Huang, Mengtian; Yao, Yitong; Bassu, Simona; Ciais, Philippe; Durand, Jean-Louis; Elliott, Joshua; Ewert, Frank; Janssens, Ivan A.; Li, Tao; Lin, Erda; Liu, Qiang; Martre, Pierre; Peng, Shushi; Wallach, Daniel; Wang, Tao; Wu, Donghai; Liu, Zhuo; Zhu, Yan; Zhu, Zaichun; Asseng, Senthold

2017-01-01

Wheat, rice, maize, and soybean provide two-thirds of human caloric intake. Assessing the impact of global temperature increase on production of these crops is therefore critical to maintaining global food supply, but different studies have yielded different results. Here, we investigated the impacts of temperature on yields of the four crops by compiling extensive published results from four analytical methods: global grid-based and local point-based models, statistical regressions, and field-warming experiments. Results from the different methods consistently showed negative temperature impacts on crop yield at the global scale, generally underpinned by similar impacts at country and site scales. Without CO2 fertilization, effective adaptation, and genetic improvement, each degree-Celsius increase in global mean temperature would, on average, reduce global yields of wheat by 6.0%, rice by 3.2%, maize by 7.4%, and soybean by 3.1%. Results are highly heterogeneous across crops and geographical areas, with some positive impact estimates. Multimethod analyses improved the confidence in assessments of future climate impacts on global major crops and suggest crop- and region-specific adaptation strategies to ensure food security for an increasing world population. PMID:28811375

Temperature increase reduces global yields of major crops in four independent estimates.

PubMed

Zhao, Chuang; Liu, Bing; Piao, Shilong; Wang, Xuhui; Lobell, David B; Huang, Yao; Huang, Mengtian; Yao, Yitong; Bassu, Simona; Ciais, Philippe; Durand, Jean-Louis; Elliott, Joshua; Ewert, Frank; Janssens, Ivan A; Li, Tao; Lin, Erda; Liu, Qiang; Martre, Pierre; Müller, Christoph; Peng, Shushi; Peñuelas, Josep; Ruane, Alex C; Wallach, Daniel; Wang, Tao; Wu, Donghai; Liu, Zhuo; Zhu, Yan; Zhu, Zaichun; Asseng, Senthold

2017-08-29

Wheat, rice, maize, and soybean provide two-thirds of human caloric intake. Assessing the impact of global temperature increase on production of these crops is therefore critical to maintaining global food supply, but different studies have yielded different results. Here, we investigated the impacts of temperature on yields of the four crops by compiling extensive published results from four analytical methods: global grid-based and local point-based models, statistical regressions, and field-warming experiments. Results from the different methods consistently showed negative temperature impacts on crop yield at the global scale, generally underpinned by similar impacts at country and site scales. Without CO 2 fertilization, effective adaptation, and genetic improvement, each degree-Celsius increase in global mean temperature would, on average, reduce global yields of wheat by 6.0%, rice by 3.2%, maize by 7.4%, and soybean by 3.1%. Results are highly heterogeneous across crops and geographical areas, with some positive impact estimates. Multimethod analyses improved the confidence in assessments of future climate impacts on global major crops and suggest crop- and region-specific adaptation strategies to ensure food security for an increasing world population.

Comparison of various RNA extraction methods, cDNA preparation and isolation of calmodulin gene from a highly melanized isolate of apple leaf blotch fungus Marssonina coronaria.

PubMed

Chauhan, Arjun; Sharma, J N; Modgil, Manju; Siddappa, Sundaresha

2018-05-29

Marssonina coronaria causes apple blotch disease resulting in severe premature defoliation, and is distributed in many leading apple-growing areas in the world. Effective, reliable and high-quality RNA extraction is an indispensable procedure in any molecular biology study. No method currently exists for RNA extraction from M. coronaria that produces a high quantity of melanin-free RNA. Therefore, we evaluated eight RNA extraction methods including manual and commercial kits, to yield a sufficient quantity of high-quality and melanin-free RNA. Manual methods used here resulted in low quality and black colored RNA pellets showing the presence of melanin, despite all the modifications employed to original procedures. However, these methods when coupled with clean up resulted in melanin-free RNA. On the other hand, all commercial kits used were able to yield high-quality melanin-free RNA having variable yields. TRIzol™ Reagent + RNA Clean & Concentrator™-5 and Ambion-PureLink® RNA Mini Kit were found to be the best methods as the RNA extracted with these methods from 15 day old fungal culture grown on solid medium were free of melanin with good yield. RNA extracted by this improved methodology was applied for RT-PCR, subsequent PCR amplification, and isolation of calmodulin gene sequences from M. coronaria and infected apple leaf pieces. These methods are more time effective than traditional methods and take only an hour to complete. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the method of isolation of high-quality RNA for cDNA synthesis as well as isolation of the calmodulin gene sequence from this fungus. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increasing ion and fusion yield in a dense plasma focus by combination of pre-ionization and heavy ion gas admixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farmanfarmaei, B.; Yousefi, H. R.; Salem, M. K.; Sari, A. H.

2018-04-01

The results of an experimental study of pre-ionization and heavy gas introduced into driven gas in a plasma focus device are reported. To achieve this purpose, we made use of two methods: first, the pre-ionization method by applying the shunt resistor and second, the admixture of heavy ions. We applied the different shunt resistors and found the optimum amount to be 200 MΩ at an optimum pressure of 0.5 Torr. Ion yield that was measured by array of Faraday cups and the energy of fast ions that was calculated by using the time-of-flight method were raised up to 22% and 45%, and the impurity caused by anode's erosion was reduced approximately by 67% in comparison to when there was no pre-ionization. Also, we have used the admixture of 5% argon ions with nitrogen (working gas) to improve the ion yield up to 45% in comparison with pure nitrogen. Finally, for the first time, we have utilized the combination of these methods together and have, consequently, reached the maximum ion yield and fusion yield. With this new method, ion yield raised up to 70% greater than that of the previous condition, i.e., without pre-ionization and heavy ion admixture.

Evaluation of microtiter-plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the analysis of triazine and chloroacetanilide herbicides in rainfall

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pomes, M.L.; Thurman, E.M.; Aga, D.S.; Goolsby, D.A.

1998-01-01

Triazine and chloroacetanilide concentrations in rainfall samples collected from a 23-state region of the United States were analyzed with microtiter-plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty-six percent of rainfall samples (2072 out of 5691) were confirmed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to evaluate the operating performance of ELISA as a screening test. Comparison of ELISA to GC/MS results showed that the two ELISA methods accurately reported GC/MS results (m = 1), but with more variability evident with the triazine than with the chloroacetanilide ELISA. Bayes's rule, a standardized method to report the results of screening tests, indicated that the two ELISA methods yielded comparable predictive values (80%), but the triazine ELISA yielded a false- positive rate of 11.8% and the chloroacetanilide ELISA yielded a false- negative rate of 23.1%. The false-positive rate for the triazine ELISA may arise from cross reactivity with an unknown triazine or metabolite. The false-negative rate of the chloroacetanilide ELISA probably resulted from a combination of low sensitivity at the reporting limit of 0.15 ??g/L and a distribution characterized by 75% of the samples at or below the reporting limit of 0.15 ??g/L.Triazine and chloroacetanilide concentrations in rainfall samples collected from a 23-state region of the United States were analyzed with microtiter-plate enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Thirty-six percent of rainfall samples (2072 out of 5691) were confirmed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to evaluate the operating performance of ELISA as a screening test. Comparison of ELISA to GC/MS results showed that the two ELISA methods accurately reported GC/MS results (m = 1), but with more variability evident with the triazine than with the chloroacetanilide ELISA. Bayes's rule, a standardized method to report the results of screening tests, indicated that the two ELISA methods yielded comparable predictive values (80%), but the triazine ELISA yielded a false-positive rate of 11.8% and the chloroacetanilide ELISA yielded a false-negative rate of 23.1%. The false-positive rate for the triazine ELISA may arise from cross reactivity with an unknown triazine or metabolite. The false-negative rate of the chloroacetanilide ELISA probably resulted from a combination of low sensitivity at the reporting limit of 0.15 ??g/L and a distribution characterized by 75% of the samples at or below the reporting limit of 0.15 ??g/L.

A new economic assessment index for the impact of climate change on grain yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Wenjie; Chou, Jieming; Feng, Guolin

2007-03-01

The impact of climate change on agriculture has received wide attention by the scientific community. This paper studies how to assess the grain yield impact of climate change, according to the climate change over a long time period in the future as predicted by a climate system model. The application of the concept of a traditional “yield impact of meteorological factor (YIMF)” or “yield impact of weather factor” to the grain yield assessment of a decadal or even a longer timescale would be suffocated at the outset because the YIMF is for studying the phenomenon on an interannual timescale, and it is difficult to distinguish between the trend caused by climate change and the one resulting from changes in non-climatic factors. Therefore, the concept of the yield impact of climatic change (YICC), which is defined as the difference in the per unit area yields (PUAY) of a grain crop under a changing and an envisaged invariant climate conditions, is presented in this paper to assess the impact of global climate change on grain yields. The climatic factor has been introduced into the renowned economic Cobb-Douglas model, yielding a quantitative assessment method of YICC using real data. The method has been tested using the historical data of Northeast China, and the results show that it has an encouraging application outlook.

On correct evaluation techniques of brightness enhancement effect measurement data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukačka, Leoš; Dupuis, Pascal; Motomura, Hideki; Rozkovec, Jiří; Kolář, Milan; Zissis, Georges; Jinno, Masafumi

2017-11-01

This paper aims to establish confidence intervals of the quantification of brightness enhancement effects resulting from the use of pulsing bright light. It is found that the methods used so far may yield significant bias in the published results, overestimating or underestimating the enhancement effect. The authors propose to use a linear algebra method called the total least squares. Upon an example dataset, it is shown that this method does not yield biased results. The statistical significance of the results is also computed. It is concluded over an observation set that the currently used linear algebra methods present many patterns of noise sensitivity. Changing algorithm details leads to inconsistent results. It is thus recommended to use the method with the lowest noise sensitivity. Moreover, it is shown that this method also permits one to obtain an estimate of the confidence interval. This paper neither aims to publish results about a particular experiment nor to draw any particular conclusion about existence or nonexistence of the brightness enhancement effect.

Calculating the nutrient composition of recipes with computers.

PubMed

Powers, P M; Hoover, L W

1989-02-01

The objective of this research project was to compare the nutrient values computed by four commonly used computerized recipe calculation methods. The four methods compared were the yield factor, retention factor, summing, and simplified retention factor methods. Two versions of the summing method were modeled. Four pork entrée recipes were selected for analysis: roast pork, pork and noodle casserole, pan-broiled pork chops, and pork chops with vegetables. Assumptions were made about changes expected to occur in the ingredients during preparation and cooking. Models were designed to simulate the algorithms of the calculation methods using a microcomputer spreadsheet software package. Identical results were generated in the yield factor, retention factor, and summing-cooked models for roast pork. The retention factor and summing-cooked models also produced identical results for the recipe for pan-broiled pork chops. The summing-raw model gave the highest value for water in all four recipes and the lowest values for most of the other nutrients. A superior method or methods was not identified. However, on the basis of the capabilities provided with the yield factor and retention factor methods, more serious consideration of these two methods is recommended.

Estimating variability in grain legume yields across Europe and the Americas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cernay, Charles; Ben-Ari, Tamara; Pelzer, Elise; Meynard, Jean-Marc; Makowski, David

2015-06-01

Grain legume production in Europe has recently come under scrutiny. Although legume crops are often promoted to provide environmental services, European farmers tend to turn to non-legume crops. It is assumed that high variability in legume yields explains this aversion, but so far this hypothesis has not been tested. Here, we estimate the variability of major grain legume and non-legume yields in Europe and the Americas from yield time series over 1961-2013. Results show that grain legume yields are significantly more variable than non-legume yields in Europe. These differences are smaller in the Americas. Our results are robust at the level of the statistical methods. In all regions, crops with high yield variability are allocated to less than 1% of cultivated areas. Although the expansion of grain legumes in Europe may be hindered by high yield variability, some species display risk levels compatible with the development of specialized supply chains.

Specific yield: compilation of specific yields for various materials

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, A.I.

1967-01-01

Specific yield is defined as the ratio of (1) the volume of water that a saturated rock or soil will yield by gravity to (2) the total volume of the rock or soft. Specific yield is usually expressed as a percentage. The value is not definitive, because the quantity of water that will drain by gravity depends on variables such as duration of drainage, temperature, mineral composition of the water, and various physical characteristics of the rock or soil under consideration. Values of specific yields nevertheless offer a convenient means by which hydrologists can estimate the water-yielding capacities of earth materials and, as such, are very useful in hydrologic studies. The present report consists mostly of direct or modified quotations from many selected reports that present and evaluate methods for determining specific yield, limitations of those methods, and results of the determinations made on a wide variety of rock and soil materials. Although no particular values are recommended in this report, a table summarizes values of specific yield, and their averages, determined for 10 rock textures. The following is an abstract of the table. [Table

Specific Yield--Column drainage and centrifuge moisture content

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, A.I.; Prill, R.C.; Morris, D.A.

1963-01-01

The specific yield of a rock or soil, with respect to water, is the ratio of (1) the volume of water which, after being saturated, it will yield by gravity to (2) its own volume. Specific retention represents the water retained against gravity drainage. The specific yield and retention when added together are equal to the total interconnected porosity of the rock or soil. Because specific retention is more easily determined than specific yield, most methods for obtaining yield first require the determination of specific retention. Recognizing the great need for developing improved methods of determining the specific yield of water-bearing materials, the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Department of Water Resources initiated a cooperative investigation of this subject. The major objectives of this research are (1) to review pertinent literature on specific yield and related subjects, (2) to increase basic knowledge of specific yield and rate of drainage and to determine the most practical methods of obtaining them, (3) to compare and to attempt to correlate the principal laboratory and field methods now commonly used to obtain specific yield, and (4) to obtain improved estimates of specific yield of water-bearing deposits in California. An open-file report, 'Specific yield of porous media, an annotated bibliography,' by A. I. Johnson, D. A. Morris, and R. C. Prill, was released in 1960 in partial fulfillment of the first objective. This report describes the second phase of the specific-yield study by the U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Laboratory at Denver, Colo. Laboratory research on column drainage and centrifuge moisture equivalent, two methods for estimating specific retention of porous media, is summarized. In the column-drainage study, a wide variety of materials was packed into plastic columns of 1- to 8-inch diameter, wetted with Denver tap water, and drained under controlled conditions of temperature and humidity. The effects of cleaning the porous media; of different column diameters; of dye and time on drainage; and of different methods of drainage, wetting, and packing were all determined. To insure repeatability of porosity in duplicate columns, a mechanical technique of packing was developed. In the centrifuge moisture-content study, the centrifuge moisture-equivalent (the moisture content retained by a soil that has been first saturated and then subjected to a force equal to 1,000 times the force of gravity for 1 hour) test was first reviewed and evaluated. It was determined that for reproducible moisture-retention results the temperature and humidity should be controlled by use of a controlled-temperature centrifuge. In addition to refining this standard test, the study determined the effect of length of period of centrifuging and of applied tension on the drainage results. The plans for future work require the continuation of the laboratory standardization study qith emphasis on investigation of soil-moisture tension and unsaturated-permeability techniques. A detailed study in the field then will be followed by correlation and evaluation of laboratory and field methods.

Efficient SRAM yield optimization with mixture surrogate modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhongjian, Jiang; Zuochang, Ye; Yan, Wang

2016-12-01

Largely repeated cells such as SRAM cells usually require extremely low failure-rate to ensure a moderate chi yield. Though fast Monte Carlo methods such as importance sampling and its variants can be used for yield estimation, they are still very expensive if one needs to perform optimization based on such estimations. Typically the process of yield calculation requires a lot of SPICE simulation. The circuit SPICE simulation analysis accounted for the largest proportion of time in the process yield calculation. In the paper, a new method is proposed to address this issue. The key idea is to establish an efficient mixture surrogate model. The surrogate model is based on the design variables and process variables. This model construction method is based on the SPICE simulation to get a certain amount of sample points, these points are trained for mixture surrogate model by the lasso algorithm. Experimental results show that the proposed model is able to calculate accurate yield successfully and it brings significant speed ups to the calculation of failure rate. Based on the model, we made a further accelerated algorithm to further enhance the speed of the yield calculation. It is suitable for high-dimensional process variables and multi-performance applications.

Measurement of hydroxyl radical production in ultrasonic aqueous solutions by a novel chemiluminescence method.

PubMed

Hu, Yufei; Zhang, Zhujun; Yang, Chunyan

2008-07-01

Measurement methods for ultrasonic fields are important for reasons of safety. The investigation of an ultrasonic field can be performed by detecting the yield of hydroxyl radicals resulting from ultrasonic cavitations. In this paper, a novel method is introduced for detecting hydroxyl radicals by a chemiluminescence (CL) reaction of luminol-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-K5[Cu(HIO6)2](DPC). The yield of hydroxyl radicals is calculated directly by the relative CL intensity according to the corresponding concentration of H2O2. This proposed CL method makes it possible to perform an in-line and real-time assay of hydroxyl radicals in an ultrasonic aqueous solution. With flow injection (FI) technology, this novel CL reaction is sensitive enough to detect ultra trace amounts of H2O2 with a limit of detection (3sigma) of 4.1 x 10(-11) mol L(-1). The influences of ultrasonic output power and ultrasonic treatment time on the yield of hydroxyl radicals by an ultrasound generator were also studied. The results indicate that the amount of hydroxyl radicals increases with the increase of ultrasonic output power (< or = 15 W mL(-1)). There is a linear relationship between the time of ultrasonic treatment and the yield of H2O2. The ultrasonic field of an ultrasonic cleaning baths has been measured by calculating the yield of hydroxyl radicals.

A versatile method for the determination of photochemical quantum yields via online UV-Vis spectroscopy.

PubMed

Stadler, Eduard; Eibel, Anna; Fast, David; Freißmuth, Hilde; Holly, Christian; Wiech, Mathias; Moszner, Norbert; Gescheidt, Georg

2018-05-16

We have developed a simple method for determining the quantum yields of photo-induced reactions. Our setup features a fibre coupled UV-Vis spectrometer, LED irradiation sources, and a calibrated spectrophotometer for precise measurements of the LED photon flux. The initial slope in time-resolved absorbance profiles provides the quantum yield. We show the feasibility of our methodology for the kinetic analysis of photochemical reactions and quantum yield determination. The typical chemical actinometers, ferrioxalate and ortho-nitrobenzaldehyde, as well as riboflavin, a spiro-compound, phosphorus- and germanium-based photoinitiators for radical polymerizations and the frequently utilized photo-switch azobenzene serve as paradigms. The excellent agreement of our results with published data demonstrates the high potential of the proposed method as a convenient alternative to the time-consuming chemical actinometry.

Characterizing bias correction uncertainty in wheat yield predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, Andrea Monica; Jones, Julie; Freckleton, Robert; Scaife, Adam

2017-04-01

Farming systems are under increased pressure due to current and future climate change, variability and extremes. Research on the impacts of climate change on crop production typically rely on the output of complex Global and Regional Climate Models, which are used as input to crop impact models. Yield predictions from these top-down approaches can have high uncertainty for several reasons, including diverse model construction and parameterization, future emissions scenarios, and inherent or response uncertainty. These uncertainties propagate down each step of the 'cascade of uncertainty' that flows from climate input to impact predictions, leading to yield predictions that may be too complex for their intended use in practical adaptation options. In addition to uncertainty from impact models, uncertainty can also stem from the intermediate steps that are used in impact studies to adjust climate model simulations to become more realistic when compared to observations, or to correct the spatial or temporal resolution of climate simulations, which are often not directly applicable as input into impact models. These important steps of bias correction or calibration also add uncertainty to final yield predictions, given the various approaches that exist to correct climate model simulations. In order to address how much uncertainty the choice of bias correction method can add to yield predictions, we use several evaluation runs from Regional Climate Models from the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment over Europe (EURO-CORDEX) at different resolutions together with different bias correction methods (linear and variance scaling, power transformation, quantile-quantile mapping) as input to a statistical crop model for wheat, a staple European food crop. The objective of our work is to compare the resulting simulation-driven hindcasted wheat yields to climate observation-driven wheat yield hindcasts from the UK and Germany in order to determine ranges of yield uncertainty that result from different climate model simulation input and bias correction methods. We simulate wheat yields using a General Linear Model that includes the effects of seasonal maximum temperatures and precipitation, since wheat is sensitive to heat stress during important developmental stages. We use the same statistical model to predict future wheat yields using the recently available bias-corrected simulations of EURO-CORDEX-Adjust. While statistical models are often criticized for their lack of complexity, an advantage is that we are here able to consider only the effect of the choice of climate model, resolution or bias correction method on yield. Initial results using both past and future bias-corrected climate simulations with a process-based model will also be presented. Through these methods, we make recommendations in preparing climate model output for crop models.

Yield strength measurement of shock-loaded metal by flyer-impact perturbation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiaojuan; Shi, Zhan

2018-06-01

Yield strength is one of the most important physical properties of a solid material, especially far from its melting line. The flyer-impact perturbation method measures material yield strength on the basis of correlation between the yield strength under shock compression and the damping of oscillatory perturbations in the shape of a shock front passing through the material. We used flyer-impact experiments on targets with machined grooves on the impact surface of shock 6061-T6 aluminum to between 32 and 61 GPa and recorded the evolution of the shock front perturbation amplitude in the sample with electric pins. Simulations using the elastic-plastic model can be matched to the experiments, explaining well the form of the perturbation decay and constraining the yield strength of 6061-T6 aluminum to be 1.31-1.75 GPa. These results are in agreement with values obtained from reshock and release wave profiles. We conclude that the flyer-impact perturbation method is indeed a new means to measure material strength.

Optimization of focused ultrasonic extraction of propellant components determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fryš, Ondřej; Česla, Petr; Bajerová, Petra; Adam, Martin; Ventura, Karel

2012-09-15

A method for focused ultrasonic extraction of nitroglycerin, triphenyl amine and acetyl tributyl citrate presented in double-base propellant samples following by the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis was developed. A face-centered central composite design of the experiments and response surface modeling was used for optimization of the time, amplitude and sample amount. The dichloromethane was used as the extractant solvent. The optimal extraction conditions with respect to the maximum yield of the lowest abundant compound triphenyl amine were found at the 20 min extraction time, 35% amplitude of ultrasonic waves and 2.5 g of the propellant sample. The results obtained under optimal conditions were compared with the results achieved with validated Soxhlet extraction method, which is typically used for isolation and pre-concentration of compounds from the samples of explosives. The extraction yields for acetyl tributyl citrate using both extraction methods were comparable; however, the yield of ultrasonic extraction of nitroglycerin and triphenyl amine was lower than using Soxhlet extraction. The possible sources of different extraction yields are estimated and discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methods to determine the relative value of genetic traits in dairy cows to reduce greenhouse gas emissions along the chain.

PubMed

van Middelaar, C E; Berentsen, P B M; Dijkstra, J; van Arendonk, J A M; de Boer, I J M

2014-01-01

Current decisions on breeding in dairy farming are mainly based on economic values of heritable traits, as earning an income is a primary objective of farmers. Recent literature, however, shows that breeding also has potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The objective of this paper was to compare 2 methods to determine GHG values of genetic traits. Method 1 calculates GHG values using the current strategy (i.e., maximizing labor income), whereas method 2 is based on minimizing GHG per kilogram of milk and shows what can be achieved if the breeding results are fully directed at minimizing GHG emissions. A whole-farm optimization model was used to determine results before and after 1 genetic standard deviation improvement (i.e., unit change) of milk yield and longevity. The objective function of the model differed between method 1 and 2. Method 1 maximizes labor income; method 2 minimizes GHG emissions per kilogram of milk while maintaining labor income and total milk production at least at the level before the change in trait. Results show that the full potential of the traits to reduce GHG emissions given the boundaries that were set for income and milk production (453 and 441kg of CO2 equivalents/unit change per cow per year for milk yield and longevity, respectively) is about twice as high as the reduction based on maximizing labor income (247 and 210kg of CO2 equivalents/unit change per cow per year for milk yield and longevity, respectively). The GHG value of milk yield is higher than that of longevity, especially when the focus is on maximizing labor income. Based on a sensitivity analysis, it was shown that including emissions from land use change and using different methods for handling the interaction between milk and meat production can change results, generally in favor of milk yield. Results can be used by breeding organizations that want to include GHG values in their breeding goal. To verify GHG values, the effect of prices and emissions factors should be considered, as well as the potential effect of variation between farm types. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of infrared and 3D digital image correlation techniques applied for mechanical testing of materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krstulović-Opara, Lovre; Surjak, Martin; Vesenjak, Matej; Tonković, Zdenko; Kodvanj, Janoš; Domazet, Željko

2015-11-01

To investigate the applicability of infrared thermography as a tool for acquiring dynamic yielding in metals, a comparison of infrared thermography with three dimensional digital image correlation has been made. Dynamical tension tests and three point bending tests of aluminum alloys have been performed to evaluate results obtained by IR thermography in order to detect capabilities and limits for these two methods. Both approaches detect pastification zone migrations during the yielding process. The results of the tension test and three point bending test proved the validity of the IR approach as a method for evaluating the dynamic yielding process when used on complex structures such as cellular porous materials. The stability of the yielding process in the three point bending test, as contrary to the fluctuation of the plastification front in the tension test, is of great importance for the validation of numerical constitutive models. The research proved strong performance, robustness and reliability of the IR approach when used to evaluate yielding during dynamic loading processes, while the 3D DIC method proved to be superior in the low velocity loading regimes. This research based on two basic tests, proved the conclusions and suggestions presented in our previous research on porous materials where middle wave infrared thermography was applied.

[Regional scale remote sensing-based yield estimation of winter wheat by using MODIS-NDVI data: a case study of Jining City in Shandong Province].

PubMed

Ren, Jianqiang; Chen, Zhongxin; Tang, Huajun

2006-12-01

Taking Jining City of Shandong Province, one of the most important winter wheat production regions in Huanghuaihai Plain as an example, the winter wheat yield was estimated by using the 250 m MODIS-NDVI data smoothed by Savitzky-Golay filter. The NDVI values between 0. 20 and 0. 80 were selected, and the sum of NDVI value for each county was calculated to build its relation with winter wheat yield. By using stepwise regression method, the linear regression model between NDVI and winter wheat yield was established, with the precision validated by the ground survey data. The results showed that the relative error of predicted yield was between -3.6% and 3.9%, suggesting that the method was relatively accurate and feasible.

Method Of Making Closed End Ceramic Fuel Cell Tubes

DOEpatents

Borglum, Brian P.

2002-04-30

A method of manufacturing closed end ceramic fuel cell tubes with improved properties and higher manufacturing yield is disclosed. The method involves bonding an unfired cap to a hollow unfired tube to form a compound joint. The assembly is then fired to net shape without subsequent machining. The resultant closed end tube is superior in that it provides a leak-tight seal and its porosity is substantially identical to that of the tube wall. The higher manufacturing yield associated with the present method decreases overall fuel cell cost significantly.

Study on paddy rice yield estimation based on multisource data and the Grey system theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Wensheng; Wang, Wei; Liu, Hai; Li, Chen; Ge, Yimin; Zheng, Xianghua

2009-10-01

The paddy rice is our important crops. In study of the paddy rice yield estimation, compared with the scholars who usually only take the remote sensing data or meteorology as the influence factors, we combine the remote sensing and the meteorological data to make the monitoring result closer reality. Although the gray system theory has used in many aspects, it is applied very little in paddy rice yield estimation. This study introduces it to the paddy rice yield estimation, and makes the yield estimation model. This can resolve small data sets problem that can not be solved by deterministic model. It selects some regions in Jianghan plain for the study area. The data includes multi-temporal remote sensing image, meteorological and statistic data. The remote sensing data is the 16-day composite images (250-m spatial resolution) of MODIS. The meteorological data includes monthly average temperature, sunshine duration and rain fall amount. The statistical data is the long-term paddy rice yield of the study area. Firstly, it extracts the paddy rice planting area from the multi-temporal MODIS images with the help of GIS and RS. Then taking the paddy rice yield as the reference sequence, MODIS data and meteorological data as the comparative sequence, computing the gray correlative coefficient, it selects the yield estimation factor based on the grey system theory. Finally, using the factors, it establishes the yield estimation model and does the result test. The result indicated that the method is feasible and the conclusion is credible. It can provide the scientific method and reference value to carry on the region paddy rice remote sensing estimation.

The loss of essential oil components induced by the Purge Time in the Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) procedure of Cupressus sempervirens.

PubMed

Dawidowicz, Andrzej L; Czapczyńska, Natalia B; Wianowska, Dorota

2012-05-30

The influence of different Purge Times on the effectiveness of Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) of volatile oil components from cypress plant matrix (Cupressus sempervirens) was investigated, applying solvents of diverse extraction efficiencies. The obtained results show the decrease of the mass yields of essential oil components as a result of increased Purge Time. The loss of extracted components depends on the extrahent type - the greatest mass yield loss occurred in the case of non-polar solvents, whereas the smallest was found in polar extracts. Comparisons of the PLE method with Sea Sand Disruption Method (SSDM), Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion Method (MSPD) and Steam Distillation (SD) were performed to assess the method's accuracy. Independent of the solvent and Purge Time applied in the PLE process, the total mass yield was lower than the one obtained for simple, short and relatively cheap low-temperature matrix disruption procedures - MSPD and SSDM. Thus, in the case of volatile oils analysis, the application of these methods is advisable. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A simple and rapid method to isolate purer M13 phage by isoelectric precipitation.

PubMed

Dong, Dexian; Sutaria, Sanjana; Hwangbo, Je Yeol; Chen, P

2013-09-01

M13 virus (phage) has been extensively used in phage display technology and nanomaterial templating. Our research aimed to use M13 phage to template sulfur nanoparticles for making lithium ion batteries. Traditional methods for harvesting M13 phage from Escherichia coli employ polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based precipitation, and the yield is usually measured by plaque counting. With this method, PEG residue is present in the M13 phage pellet and is difficult to eliminate. To resolve this issue, a method based on isoelectric precipitation was introduced and tested. The isoelectric method resulted in the production of purer phage with a higher yield, compared to the traditional PEG-based method. There is no significant variation in infectivity of the phage prepared using isoelectric precipitation, and the dynamic light scattering data indirectly prove that the phage structure is not damaged by pH adjustment. To maximize phage production, a dry-weight yield curve of M13 phage for various culture times was produced. The yield curve is proportional to the growth curve of E. coli. On a 200-mL culture scale, 0.2 g L(-1) M13 phage (dry-weight) was produced by the isoelectric precipitation method.

Comparative Effectiveness of Frame-based, Frameless and Intraoperative MRI Guided Brain Biopsy Techniques

PubMed Central

Lu, Yi; Yeung, Cecil; Radmanesh, Alireza; Wiemann, Robert; Black, Peter M.; Golby, Alexandra J.

2015-01-01

Objective Intraoperative MRI (IoMRI) guided brain biopsy provides a real time visual feedback of the lesion that is sampled during surgery. The objective of the study is to compare the diagnostic yield and safety profiles of ioMRI needle brain biopsy with two traditional brain biopsy methods: frame-based and frameless stereotactic brain biopsies. Methods A retrospective analysis from 288 consecutive needle brain biopsies in 277 patients undergoing stereotactic brain biopsy with any of the three biopsy methods at Brigham and Women's Hospital from 2000 to 2008 was performed. Variables such as age, sex, history of radiation and previous surgery, pathology results, complications and postoperative stays were analyzed. Results Over the course of eight years, 288 brain biopsies were performed. 253 (87.8%) biopsies yielded positive diagnostic tissue. Young age (<40 years), history of brain radiation or surgery were significant negative predictors for a positive biopsy diagnostic yield. Excluding patients with prior radiation or surgeries, no significant difference in diagnostic yield was detected among the three groups, with frame-based, frameless and ioMRI guided needle biopsies yield 96.9%, 91.8% and 89.9% positive diagnostic yield, respectively. 19 biopsies (6.6%) were complicated by serious adverse events. The ioMRI-guided brain biopsy was associated with less serious adverse events and the shortest postoperative hospital stay. Conclusions Frame-based, frameless stereotactic and ioMRI guided brain needle biopsy have comparable diagnostic yield for patients with no prior treatments (either radiation or surgery). IoMRI guided brain biopsy is associated with fewer serious adverse events and shorter hospital stay. PMID:25088233

Estimating rice yield from MODIS-Landsat fusion data in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C. R.; Chen, C. F.; Nguyen, S. T.

2017-12-01

Rice production monitoring with remote sensing is an important activity in Taiwan due to official initiatives. Yield estimation is a challenge in Taiwan because rice fields are small and fragmental. High spatiotemporal satellite data providing phenological information of rice crops is thus required for this monitoring purpose. This research aims to develop data fusion approaches to integrate daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat data for rice yield estimation in Taiwan. In this study, the low-resolution MODIS LST and emissivity data are used as reference data sources to obtain the high-resolution LST from Landsat data using the mixed-pixel analysis technique, and the time-series EVI data were derived the fusion of MODIS and Landsat spectral band data using STARFM method. The LST and EVI simulated results showed the close agreement between the LST and EVI obtained by the proposed methods with the reference data. The rice-yield model was established using EVI and LST data based on information of rice crop phenology collected from 371 ground survey sites across the country in 2014. The results achieved from the fusion datasets compared with the reference data indicated the close relationship between the two datasets with the correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.75 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 338.7 kgs, which were more accurate than those using the coarse-resolution MODIS LST data (R2 = 0.71 and RMSE = 623.82 kgs). For the comparison of total production, 64 towns located in the west part of Taiwan were used. The results also confirmed that the model using fusion datasets produced more accurate results (R2 = 0.95 and RMSE = 1,243 tons) than that using the course-resolution MODIS data (R2 = 0.91 and RMSE = 1,749 tons). This study demonstrates the application of MODIS-Landsat fusion data for rice yield estimation at the township level in Taiwan. The results obtained from the methods used in this study could be useful to policymakers; and thus, the methods can be transferable to other regions in the world for rice yield estimation.

Spectral estimates of intercepted solar radiation by corn and soybean canopies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallo, K. P.; Brooks, C. C.; Daughtry, C. S. T.; Bauer, M. E.; Vanderbilt, V. C.

1982-01-01

Attention is given to the development of methods for combining spectral and meteorological data in crop yield models which are capable of providing accurate estimates of crop condition and yields throughout the growing season. The present investigation is concerned with initial tests of these concepts using spectral and agronomic data acquired in controlled experiments. The data were acquired at the Purdue University Agronomy Farm, 10 km northwest of West Lafayette, Indiana. Data were obtained throughout several growing seasons for corn and soybeans. Five methods or models for predicting yields were examined. On the basis of the obtained results, it is concluded that estimating intercepted solar radiation using spectral data is a viable approach for merging spectral and meteorological data in crop yield models.

Blackleg (Leptosphaeria maculans) Severity and Yield Loss in Canola in Alberta, Canada

PubMed Central

Hwang, Sheau-Fang; Strelkov, Stephen E.; Peng, Gary; Ahmed, Hafiz; Zhou, Qixing; Turnbull, George

2016-01-01

Blackleg, caused by Leptosphaeria maculans, is an important disease of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in Canada and throughout the world. Severe epidemics of blackleg can result in significant yield losses. Understanding disease-yield relationships is a prerequisite for measuring the agronomic efficacy and economic benefits of control methods. Field experiments were conducted in 2013, 2014, and 2015 to determine the relationship between blackleg disease severity and yield in a susceptible cultivar and in moderately resistant to resistant canola hybrids. Disease severity was lower, and seed yield was 120%–128% greater, in the moderately resistant to resistant hybrids compared with the susceptible cultivar. Regression analysis showed that pod number and seed yield declined linearly as blackleg severity increased. Seed yield per plant decreased by 1.8 g for each unit increase in disease severity, corresponding to a decline in yield of 17.2% for each unit increase in disease severity. Pyraclostrobin fungicide reduced disease severity in all site-years and increased yield. These results show that the reduction of blackleg in canola crops substantially improves yields. PMID:27447676

A Survey of Xenon Ion Sputter Yield Data and Fits Relevant to Electric Propulsion Spacecraft Integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yim, John T.

2017-01-01

A survey of low energy xenon ion impact sputter yields was conducted to provide a more coherent baseline set of sputter yield data and accompanying fits for electric propulsion integration. Data uncertainties are discussed and different available curve fit formulas are assessed for their general suitability. A Bayesian parameter fitting approach is used with a Markov chain Monte Carlo method to provide estimates for the fitting parameters while characterizing the uncertainties for the resulting yield curves.

Extracting DNA from 'jaws': high yield and quality from archived tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) skeletal material.

PubMed

Nielsen, E E; Morgan, J A T; Maher, S L; Edson, J; Gauthier, M; Pepperell, J; Holmes, B J; Bennett, M B; Ovenden, J R

2017-05-01

Archived specimens are highly valuable sources of DNA for retrospective genetic/genomic analysis. However, often limited effort has been made to evaluate and optimize extraction methods, which may be crucial for downstream applications. Here, we assessed and optimized the usefulness of abundant archived skeletal material from sharks as a source of DNA for temporal genomic studies. Six different methods for DNA extraction, encompassing two different commercial kits and three different protocols, were applied to material, so-called bio-swarf, from contemporary and archived jaws and vertebrae of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier). Protocols were compared for DNA yield and quality using a qPCR approach. For jaw swarf, all methods provided relatively high DNA yield and quality, while large differences in yield between protocols were observed for vertebrae. Similar results were obtained from samples of white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Application of the optimized methods to 38 museum and private angler trophy specimens dating back to 1912 yielded sufficient DNA for downstream genomic analysis for 68% of the samples. No clear relationships between age of samples, DNA quality and quantity were observed, likely reflecting different preparation and storage methods for the trophies. Trial sequencing of DNA capture genomic libraries using 20 000 baits revealed that a significant proportion of captured sequences were derived from tiger sharks. This study demonstrates that archived shark jaws and vertebrae are potential high-yield sources of DNA for genomic-scale analysis. It also highlights that even for similar tissue types, a careful evaluation of extraction protocols can vastly improve DNA yield. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How Big Was It? Getting at Yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasyanos, M.; Walter, W. R.; Ford, S. R.

2013-12-01

One of the most coveted pieces of information in the wake of a nuclear test is the explosive yield. Determining the yield from remote observations, however, is not necessarily a trivial thing. For instance, recorded observations of seismic amplitudes, used to estimate the yield, are significantly modified by the intervening media, which varies widely, and needs to be properly accounted for. Even after correcting for propagation effects such as geometrical spreading, attenuation, and station site terms, getting from the resulting source term to a yield depends on the specifics of the explosion source model, including material properties, and depth. Some formulas are based on assumptions of the explosion having a standard depth-of-burial and observed amplitudes can vary if the actual test is either significantly overburied or underburied. We will consider the complications and challenges of making these determinations using a number of standard, more traditional methods and a more recent method that we have developed using regional waveform envelopes. We will do this comparison for recent declared nuclear tests from the DPRK. We will also compare the methods using older explosions at the Nevada Test Site with announced yields, material and depths, so that actual performance can be measured. In all cases, we also strive to quantify realistic uncertainties on the yield estimation.

Parallel tempering for the traveling salesman problem

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Percus, Allon; Wang, Richard; Hyman, Jeffrey

We explore the potential of parallel tempering as a combinatorial optimization method, applying it to the traveling salesman problem. We compare simulation results of parallel tempering with a benchmark implementation of simulated annealing, and study how different choices of parameters affect the relative performance of the two methods. We find that a straightforward implementation of parallel tempering can outperform simulated annealing in several crucial respects. When parameters are chosen appropriately, both methods yield close approximation to the actual minimum distance for an instance with 200 nodes. However, parallel tempering yields more consistently accurate results when a series of independent simulationsmore » are performed. Our results suggest that parallel tempering might offer a simple but powerful alternative to simulated annealing for combinatorial optimization problems.« less

Dalitz Plot Analyses of B- to D+ Pi- Pi-, B+ to Pi+ Pi- Pi+ and D(S)+ to Pi+ Pi- Pi+ at BaBar

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong, Liaoyuan; /Iowa State U.

We report on the Dalitz plot analyses of B{sup -} {yields} D{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup -}, B{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup +} and D{sub s}{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{sup +}. The Dalitz plot method and the most recent BABAR results are discussed.

Estimation of groundwater consumption by phreatophytes using diurnal water table fluctuations: A saturated‐unsaturated flow assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loheide, Steven P.; Butler, James J.; Gorelick, Steven M.

2005-01-01

Groundwater consumption by phreatophytes is a difficult‐to‐measure but important component of the water budget in many arid and semiarid environments. Over the past 70 years the consumptive use of groundwater by phreatophytes has been estimated using a method that analyzes diurnal trends in hydrographs from wells that are screened across the water table (White, 1932). The reliability of estimates obtained with this approach has never been rigorously evaluated using saturated‐unsaturated flow simulation. We present such an evaluation for common flow geometries and a range of hydraulic properties. Results indicate that the major source of error in the White method is the uncertainty in the estimate of specific yield. Evapotranspirative consumption of groundwater will often be significantly overpredicted with the White method if the effects of drainage time and the depth to the water table on specific yield are ignored. We utilize the concept of readily available specific yield as the basis for estimation of the specific yield value appropriate for use with the White method. Guidelines are defined for estimating readily available specific yield based on sediment texture. Use of these guidelines with the White method should enable the evapotranspirative consumption of groundwater to be more accurately quantified.

Methods of analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory; comparison of a nitric acid in-bottle digestion procedure to other whole-water digestion procedures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garbarino, John R.; Hoffman, Gerald L.

1999-01-01

A hydrochloric acid in-bottle digestion procedure is used to partially digest wholewater samples prior to determining recoverable elements by various analytical methods. The use of hydrochloric acid is problematic for some methods of analysis because of spectral interference. The inbottle digestion procedure has been modified to eliminate such interference by using nitric acid instead of hydrochloric acid in the digestion. Implications of this modification are evaluated by comparing results for a series of synthetic whole-water samples. Results are also compared with those obtained by using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1994) (USEPA) Method 200.2 total-recoverable digestion procedure. Percentage yields that use the nitric acid inbottle digestion procedure are within 10 percent of the hydrochloric acid in-bottle yields for 25 of the 26 elements determined in two of the three synthetic whole-water samples tested. Differences in percentage yields for the third synthetic whole-water sample were greater than 10 percent for 16 of the 26 elements determined. The USEPA method was the most rigorous for solubilizing elements from particulate matter in all three synthetic whole-water samples. Nevertheless, the variability in the percentage yield by using the USEPA digestion procedure was generally greater than the in-bottle digestion procedure, presumably because of the difficulty in controlling the digestion conditions accurately.

Spectrum-shape method and the next-to-leading-order terms of the β -decay shape factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haaranen, M.; Kotila, J.; Suhonen, J.

2017-02-01

Effective values of the axial-vector coupling constant gA have lately attracted much attention due to the prominent role of gA in determining the half-lives of double β decays, in particular their neutrinoless mode. The half-life method, i.e., comparing the calculated half-lives to the corresponding experimental ones, is the most widely used method to access the effective values of gA. The present paper investigates the possibilities offered by a complementary method: the spectrum-shape method (SSM). In the SSM, comparison of the shapes of the calculated and measured β electron spectra of forbidden nonunique β decays yields information on the magnitude of gA. In parallel, we investigate the impact of the next-to-leading-order terms of the β -decay shape function and the radiative corrections on the half-life method and the SSM by analyzing the fourfold forbidden decays of 113Cd and 115In by using three nuclear-structure theory frameworks; namely, the nuclear shell model, the microscopic interacting boson-fermion model, and the microscopic quasiparticle-phonon model. The three models yield a consistent result, gA≈0.92 , when the SSM is applied to the decay of 113Cd for which β -spectrum data are available. At the same time the half-life method yields results which are in tension with each other and the SSM result.

Efficient production of recombinant adeno-associated viral vector, serotype DJ/8, carrying the GFP gene.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Haruo; Mizushima, Tomoko; Chijiwa, Tsuyoshi; Nakamura, Masato; Suemizu, Hiroshi

2017-06-15

The purpose of this study was to establish an efficient method for the preparation of an adeno-associated viral (AAV), serotype DJ/8, carrying the GFP gene (AAV-DJ/8-GFP). We compared the yields of AAV-DJ/8 vector, which were produced by three different combination methods, consisting of two plasmid DNA transfection methods (lipofectamine and calcium phosphate co-precipitation; CaPi) and two virus DNA purification methods (iodixanol and cesium chloride; CsCl). The results showed that the highest yield of AAV-DJ/8-GFP vector was accomplished with the combination method of lipofectamine transfection and iodixanol purification. The viral protein expression levels and the transduction efficacy in HEK293 and CHO cells were not different among four different combination methods for AAV-DJ/8-GFP vectors. We confirmed that the AAV-DJ/8-GFP vector could transduce to human and murine hepatocyte-derived cell lines. These results show that AAV-DJ/8-GFP, purified by the combination of lipofectamine and iodixanol, produces an efficient yield without altering the characteristics of protein expression and AAV gene transduction. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resonant vibrations of a submerged beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achenbach, J. D.; Qu, J.

1986-03-01

Forced vibration of a simply supported submerged beam of circular cross section is investigated by the use of two mathematical methods. In the first approach the problem formulation is reduced to a singular integro-differential equation for the transverse deflection. In the second approach the method of matched asymptotic expansions is employed. The integro-differential equation is solved numerically, to yield an exact solution for the frequency response. Subsequent use of a representation integral yields the radiated far field acoustic pressure. The exact results for the beam deflection are compared with approximate results that are available in the literature. Next, a matched asymptotic expansion is worked out by constructing "inner" and "outer" expansions for frequencies near and not near resonance frequencies, respectively. The two expansions are matched in an appropriate manner to yield a uniformly valid solution. The leading term of the matched asymptotic solution is compared with exact numerical results.

Interaction Between Phosphorus and Zinc on the Biomass Yield and Yield Attributes of the Medicinal Plant Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana)

PubMed Central

Das, Kuntal; Dang, Raman; Shivananda, T. N.; Sur, Pintu

2005-01-01

A greenhouse experiment was conducted at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore to study the interaction effect between phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) on the yield and yield attributes of the medicinal plant stevia. The results show that the yield and yield attributes have been found to be significantly affected by different treatments. The total yield in terms of biomass production has been increased significantly with the application of Zn and P in different combinations and methods, being highest (23.34 g fresh biomass) in the treatment where Zn was applied as both soil (10 kg ZnSO4/ha) and foliar spray (0.2% ZnSO4). The results also envisaged that the different yield attributes viz. height, total number of branches, and number of leaves per plant have been found to be varied with treatments, being highest in the treatment where Zn was applied as both soil and foliar spray without the application of P. The results further indicated that the yield and yield attributes of stevia have been found to be decreased in the treatment where Zn was applied as both soil and foliar spray along with P suggesting an antagonistic effect between Zn and P. PMID:15915292

Low cost drip irrigation: Impact on sugarcane yield, water and energy saving in semiarid tropical agro ecosystem in India.

PubMed

Surendran, U; Jayakumar, M; Marimuthu, S

2016-12-15

Low cost drip irrigation (LCDI) has been a recent introduction to India and it may be an inexpensive means of expanding irrigation into uncultivated areas, thereby increasing land productivity. This paper is structured into two phases. The first phase, presents an assessment of different irrigation methods (LCDI, conventional drip irrigation (CDI) with single row and paired row, siphon and flood irrigation) on sugarcane production. The results showed that cane yield and water productivity was significantly increased in both plant and ratoon crop of sugarcane owing to the methods of irrigation. Among the methods, LCDI recorded 118.6tha -1 of cane yield and it was on par with the single row CDI, which recorded the highest mean yield of 120.4tha -1 and both are found to be significantly superior to the rest of the treatments. The lowest yield was recorded in the treatment of flood irrigation (94.40tha -1 ). Benefit Cost Ratio analysis confirmed that LCDI performed better compared to other irrigation methods. The second phase deals with the farmer participatory research demonstrations at multi location on evaluation of LCDI with flood irrigation. LCDI out performed flood irrigation under all the locations in terms of sugarcane yield, soil moisture content, postharvest soil fertility, reduction in nutrient transport to surface and ground water, water and energy saving. These results suggest that LCDI is a feasible option to increase the sugarcane production in water scarcity areas of semiarid agro ecosystems, and have long-term sustained economic benefits than flood irrigation in terms of water productivity, energy saving and environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Yield: it's now an entitlement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

George, Bill

1994-09-01

Only a few years ago, the primary method of cost reduction and productivity improvement in the semiconductor industry was increasing manufacturing yields throughout the process. Many of the remarkable reliability improvements realized over the past decade have come about as a result of actions that were originally taken primarily to improve device yields. Obviously, the practice of productivity improvement through yield enhancement is limited to the attainment of 100% yield, at which point some other mechanism must be employed. Traditionally, new products have been introduced to manufacturing at a point of relative immaturity, and semiconductor producers have relied on the traditional `learning curve' method of yield improvement to attain profitable levels of manufacturing yield. Recently, results of a survey of several fabs by a group of University of California at Berkeley researchers in the Competitive Semiconductor Manufacturing Program indicate that most factories learn at about the same rate after startup, in terms of both line yield and defectivity. If this is indeed generally true, then the most competitive factor is the one that starts with the highest yield, and it is difficult to displace a leader once his lead has been established. The two observations made above carry enormous implications for the semiconductor development or manufacturing professional. First, one must achieve very high yields in order to even play the game. Second, the achievement of competitive yields over time in the life of a factory is determined even before the factory is opened, in the planning and development phase. Third, and perhaps most uncomfortable for those of us who have relied on yield improvement as a cost driver, the winners of the nineties will find new levers to drive costs down, having already gotten the benefit of very high yield. This paper looks at the question of how the winners will achieve the critical measures of success, high initial yield and utilization of other cost reduction levers.

Estimates of genetic and environmental (co)variances for first lactation on milk yield, survival, and calving interval.

PubMed

Dong, M C; van Vleck, L D

1989-03-01

Variance and covariance components for milk yield, survival to second freshening, calving interval in first lactation were estimated by REML with the expectation and maximization algorithm for an animal model which included herd-year-season effects. Cows without calving interval but with milk yield were included. Each of the four data sets of 15 herds included about 3000 Holstein cows. Relationships across herds were ignored to enable inversion of the coefficient matrix of mixed model equations. Quadratics and their expectations were accumulated herd by herd. Heritability of milk yield (.32) agrees with reports by same methods. Heritabilities of survival (.11) and calving interval(.15) are slightly larger and genetic correlations smaller than results from different methods of estimation. Genetic correlation between milk yield and calving interval (.09) indicates genetic ability to produce more milk is lightly associated with decreased fertility.

Effects of Controlled-Release Fertilizer on Leaf Area Index and Fruit Yield in High-Density Soilless Tomato Culture Using Low Node-Order Pinching

PubMed Central

Kinoshita, Takafumi; Yano, Takayoshi; Sugiura, Makoto; Nagasaki, Yuji

2014-01-01

To further development of a simplified fertigation system using controlled-release fertilizers (CRF), we investigated the effects of differing levels of fertilizers and plant density on leaf area index (LAI), fruit yields, and nutrient use in soilless tomato cultures with low node-order pinching and high plant density during spring-summer (SS), summer-fall (SF), and fall-winter (FW) seasons. Plants were treated with 1 of 3 levels of CRF in a closed system, or with liquid fertilizer (LF) with constant electrical conductivity (EC) in a drip-draining system. Two plant densities were examined for each fertilizer treatment. In CRF treatments, LAI at pinching increased linearly with increasing nutrient supply for all cropping seasons. In SS, both light interception by plant canopy at pinching and total marketable fruit yield increased linearly with increasing LAI up to 6 m2·m−2; the maximization point was not reached for any of the treatments. In FW, both light interception and yield were maximized at an LAI of approximately 4. These results suggest that maximizing the LAI in SS and FW to the saturation point for light interception is important for increasing yield. In SF, however, the yield maximized at an LAI of approximately 3, although the light interception linearly increased with increasing LAI, up to 4.5. According to our results, the optimal LAI at pinching may be 6 in SS, 3 in SF, and 4 in FW. In comparing LAI values with similar fruit yield, we found that nutrient supply was 32−46% lower with the CRF method than with LF. In conclusion, CRF application in a closed system enables growers to achieve a desirable LAI to maximize fruit yield with a regulated amount of nutrient supply per unit area. Further, the CRF method greatly reduced nutrient use without decreasing fruit yield at similar LAIs, as compared to the LF method. PMID:25402478

[Effect of near infrared spectrum on the precision of PLS model for oil yield from oil shale].

PubMed

Wang, Zhi-Hong; Liu, Jie; Chen, Xiao-Chao; Sun, Yu-Yang; Yu, Yang; Lin, Jun

2012-10-01

It is impossible to use present measurement methods for the oil yield of oil shale to realize in-situ detection and these methods unable to meet the requirements of the oil shale resources exploration and exploitation. But in-situ oil yield analysis of oil shale can be achieved by the portable near infrared spectroscopy technique. There are different correlativities of NIR spectrum data formats and contents of sample components, and the different absorption specialities of sample components shows in different NIR spectral regions. So with the proportioning samples, the PLS modeling experiments were done by 3 formats (reflectance, absorbance and K-M function) and 4 regions of modeling spectrum, and the effect of NIR spectral format and region to the precision of PLS model for oil yield from oil shale was studied. The results show that the best data format is reflectance and the best modeling region is combination spectral range by PLS model method and proportioning samples. Therefore, the appropriate data format and the proper characteristic spectral region can increase the precision of PLS model for oil yield form oil shale.

Modelling and Computation in the Valuation of Carbon Derivatives with Stochastic Convenience Yields

PubMed Central

Chang, Shuhua; Wang, Xinyu

2015-01-01

The anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission has risen dramatically during the last few decades, which mainstream researchers believe to be the main cause of climate change, especially the global warming. The mechanism of market-based carbon emission trading is regarded as a policy instrument to deal with global climate change. Although several empirical researches about the carbon allowance and its derivatives price have been made, theoretical results seem to be sparse. In this paper, we theoretically develop a mathematical model to price the CO2 emission allowance derivatives with stochastic convenience yields by the principle of absence of arbitrage opportunities. In the case of American options, we formulate the pricing problem to a linear parabolic variational inequality (VI) in two spatial dimensions and develop a power penalty method to solve it. Then, a fitted finite volume method is designed to solve the nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) resulting from the power penalty method and governing the futures, European and American option valuation. Moreover, some numerical results are performed to illustrate the efficiency and usefulness of this method. We find that the stochastic convenience yield does effect the valuation of carbon emission derivatives. In addition, some sensitivity analyses are also made to examine the effects of some parameters on the valuation results. PMID:26010900

Modelling and computation in the valuation of carbon derivatives with stochastic convenience yields.

PubMed

Chang, Shuhua; Wang, Xinyu

2015-01-01

The anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission has risen dramatically during the last few decades, which mainstream researchers believe to be the main cause of climate change, especially the global warming. The mechanism of market-based carbon emission trading is regarded as a policy instrument to deal with global climate change. Although several empirical researches about the carbon allowance and its derivatives price have been made, theoretical results seem to be sparse. In this paper, we theoretically develop a mathematical model to price the CO2 emission allowance derivatives with stochastic convenience yields by the principle of absence of arbitrage opportunities. In the case of American options, we formulate the pricing problem to a linear parabolic variational inequality (VI) in two spatial dimensions and develop a power penalty method to solve it. Then, a fitted finite volume method is designed to solve the nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) resulting from the power penalty method and governing the futures, European and American option valuation. Moreover, some numerical results are performed to illustrate the efficiency and usefulness of this method. We find that the stochastic convenience yield does effect the valuation of carbon emission derivatives. In addition, some sensitivity analyses are also made to examine the effects of some parameters on the valuation results.

Material strength measured by flyer-impact perturbation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Xiaojuan; Asimow, Paul; Fatyanov, Oleg; Liu, Fusheng

2017-06-01

Yield strength is one of the most important physical properties of a solid material, especially far from its melting line. The flyer-impact perturbation method measures material yield strength on the basis of correlation between the yield strength under shock compression and the damping of oscillatory perturbations in the shape of a shock front passing through the material. We used flyer-plate impacts experiments on targets with machined grooves on the impact surface to shock aluminum to between 32 and 71 GPa and recorded the evolution of the shock front perturbation amplitude in the sample with electric pins and fibers. Simulations using the elastic-plastic model can be matched to the experiments, explaining well the form of the perturbation decay and constraining the yield strength of aluminum to be 1.3-3.1 GPa. These results are in agreement with values obtained from reshock and release wave profiles as well as the result deduced from the SCG model. We conclude that the flyer-impact perturbation method is indeed a reliable means to measure material strength. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41674088) and the State Scholarship Fund of China Scholarship Council.

Average M shell fluorescence yields for elements with 70≤Z≤92

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahoul, A.; Deghfel, B.; Aylikci, V.; Aylikci, N. K.; Nekkab, M.

2015-03-01

The theoretical, experimental and analytical methods for the calculation of average M-shell fluorescence yield (ω¯M ) of different elements are very important because of the large number of their applications in various areas of physical chemistry and medical research. In this paper, the bulk of the average M-shell fluorescence yield measurements reported in the literature, covering the period 1955 to 2005 are interpolated by using an analytical function to deduce the empirical average M-shell fluorescence yield in the atomic range of 70≤Z≤92. The results were compared with the theoretical and fitted values reported by other authors. Reasonable agreement was typically obtained between our result and other works.

Assessment of cluster yield components by image analysis.

PubMed

Diago, Maria P; Tardaguila, Javier; Aleixos, Nuria; Millan, Borja; Prats-Montalban, Jose M; Cubero, Sergio; Blasco, Jose

2015-04-01

Berry weight, berry number and cluster weight are key parameters for yield estimation for wine and tablegrape industry. Current yield prediction methods are destructive, labour-demanding and time-consuming. In this work, a new methodology, based on image analysis was developed to determine cluster yield components in a fast and inexpensive way. Clusters of seven different red varieties of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) were photographed under laboratory conditions and their cluster yield components manually determined after image acquisition. Two algorithms based on the Canny and the logarithmic image processing approaches were tested to find the contours of the berries in the images prior to berry detection performed by means of the Hough Transform. Results were obtained in two ways: by analysing either a single image of the cluster or using four images per cluster from different orientations. The best results (R(2) between 69% and 95% in berry detection and between 65% and 97% in cluster weight estimation) were achieved using four images and the Canny algorithm. The model's capability based on image analysis to predict berry weight was 84%. The new and low-cost methodology presented here enabled the assessment of cluster yield components, saving time and providing inexpensive information in comparison with current manual methods. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of the diagnostic yield of dental radiography and cone-beam computed tomography for the identification of anatomic landmarks in small to medium-sized brachycephalic dogs.

PubMed

Döring, Sophie; Arzi, Boaz; Barich, Catherine R; Hatcher, David C; Kass, Philip H; Verstraete, Frank J M

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diagnostic yield of dental radiography (Rad method) and 3 cone-beam CT (CBCT) methods for the identification of predefined anatomic landmarks in brachycephalic dogs. ANIMALS 19 client-owned brachycephalic dogs admitted for evaluation and treatment of dental disease. PROCEDURES 26 predefined anatomic landmarks were evaluated separately by use of the RAD method and 3 CBCT software modules (serial CBCT slices and custom cross sections, tridimensional rendering, and reconstructed panoramic views). A semiquantitative scoring system was used, and mean scores were calculated for each anatomic landmark and imaging method. The Friedman test was used to evaluate values for significant differences in diagnostic yield. For values that were significant, the Wilcoxon signed rank test was used with the Bonferroni-Holm multiple comparison adjustment to determine significant differences among each of the 6 possible pairs of diagnostic methods. RESULTS Differences of diagnostic yield among the Rad and 3 CBCT methods were significant for 19 of 26 anatomic landmarks. For these landmarks, Rad scores were significantly higher than scores for reconstructed panoramic views for 4 of 19 anatomic landmarks, but Rad scores were significantly lower than scores for reconstructed panoramic views for 8 anatomic landmarks, tridimensional rendering for 18 anatomic landmarks, and serial CBCT slices and custom cross sections for all 19 anatomic landmarks. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE CBCT methods were better suited than dental radiography for the identification of anatomic landmarks in brachycephalic dogs. Results of this study can serve as a basis for CBCT evaluation of dental disorders in brachycephalic dogs.

Improved modified energy ratio method using a multi-window approach for accurate arrival picking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Minho; Byun, Joongmoo; Kim, Dowan; Choi, Jihun; Kim, Myungsun

2017-04-01

To identify accurately the location of microseismic events generated during hydraulic fracture stimulation, it is necessary to detect the first break of the P- and S-wave arrival times recorded at multiple receivers. These microseismic data often contain high-amplitude noise, which makes it difficult to identify the P- and S-wave arrival times. The short-term-average to long-term-average (STA/LTA) and modified energy ratio (MER) methods are based on the differences in the energy densities of the noise and signal, and are widely used to identify the P-wave arrival times. The MER method yields more consistent results than the STA/LTA method for data with a low signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. However, although the MER method shows good results regardless of the delay of the signal wavelet for signals with a high S/N ratio, it may yield poor results if the signal is contaminated by high-amplitude noise and does not have the minimum delay. Here we describe an improved MER (IMER) method, whereby we apply a multiple-windowing approach to overcome the limitations of the MER method. The IMER method contains calculations of an additional MER value using a third window (in addition to the original MER window), as well as the application of a moving average filter to each MER data point to eliminate high-frequency fluctuations in the original MER distributions. The resulting distribution makes it easier to apply thresholding. The proposed IMER method was applied to synthetic and real datasets with various S/N ratios and mixed-delay wavelets. The results show that the IMER method yields a high accuracy rate of around 80% within five sample errors for the synthetic datasets. Likewise, in the case of real datasets, 94.56% of the P-wave picking results obtained by the IMER method had a deviation of less than 0.5 ms (corresponding to 2 samples) from the manual picks.

Effect of chemical and mechanical weed control on cassava yield, soil quality and erosion under cassava cropping system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islami, Titiek; Wisnubroto, Erwin; Utomo, Wani

2016-04-01

Three years field experiments were conducted to study the effect of chemical and mechanical weed control on soil quality and erosion under cassava cropping system. The experiment were conducted at University Brawijaya field experimental station, Jatikerto, Malang, Indonesia. The experiments were carried out from 2011 - 2014. The treatments consist of three cropping system (cassava mono culture; cassava + maize intercropping and cassava + peanut intercropping), and two weed control method (chemical and mechanical methods). The experimental result showed that the yield of cassava first year and second year did not influenced by weed control method and cropping system. However, the third year yield of cassava was influence by weed control method and cropping system. The cassava yield planted in cassava + maize intercropping system with chemical weed control methods was only 24 t/ha, which lower compared to other treatments, even with that of the same cropping system used mechanical weed control. The highest cassava yield in third year was obtained by cassava + peanuts cropping system with mechanical weed control method. After three years experiment, the soil of cassava monoculture system with chemical weed control method possessed the lowest soil organic matter, and soil aggregate stability. During three years of cropping soil erosion in chemical weed control method, especially on cassava monoculture, was higher compared to mechanical weed control method. The soil loss from chemical control method were 40 t/ha, 44 t/ha and 54 t/ha for the first, second and third year crop. The soil loss from mechanical weed control method for the same years was: 36 t/ha, 36 t/ha and 38 t/ha. Key words: herbicide, intercropping, soil organic matter, aggregate stability.

Sediment yield estimation in mountain catchments of the Camastra reservoir, southern Italy: a comparison among different empirical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazzari, Maurizio; Danese, Maria; Gioia, Dario; Piccarreta, Marco

2013-04-01

Sedimentary budget estimation is an important topic for both scientific and social community, because it is crucial to understand both dynamics of orogenic belts and many practical problems, such as soil conservation and sediment accumulation in reservoir. Estimations of sediment yield or denudation rates in southern-central Italy are generally obtained by simple empirical relationships based on statistical regression between geomorphic parameters of the drainage network and the measured suspended sediment yield at the outlet of several drainage basins or through the use of models based on sediment delivery ratio or on soil loss equations. In this work, we perform a study of catchment dynamics and an estimation of sedimentary yield for several mountain catchments of the central-western sector of the Basilicata region, southern Italy. Sediment yield estimation has been obtained through both an indirect estimation of suspended sediment yield based on the Tu index (mean annual suspension sediment yield, Ciccacci et al., 1980) and the application of the Rusle (Renard et al., 1997) and the USPED (Mitasova et al., 1996) empirical methods. The preliminary results indicate a reliable difference between the RUSLE and USPED methods and the estimation based on the Tu index; a critical data analysis of results has been carried out considering also the present-day spatial distribution of erosion, transport and depositional processes in relation to the maps obtained from the application of those different empirical methods. The studied catchments drain an artificial reservoir (i.e. the Camastra dam), where a detailed evaluation of the amount of historical sediment storage has been collected. Sediment yield estimation obtained by means of the empirical methods have been compared and checked with historical data of sediment accumulation measured in the artificial reservoir of the Camastra dam. The validation of such estimations of sediment yield at the scale of large catchments using sediment storage in reservoirs provides a good opportunity: i) to test the reliability of the empirical methods used to estimate the sediment yield; ii) to investigate the catchment dynamics and its spatial and temporal evolution in terms of erosion, transport and deposition. References Ciccacci S., Fredi F., Lupia Palmieri E., Pugliese F., 1980. Contributo dell'analisi geomorfica quantitativa alla valutazione dell'entita dell'erosione nei bacini fluviali. Bollettino della Società Geologica Italiana 99: 455-516. Mitasova H, Hofierka J, Zlocha M, Iverson LR. 1996. Modeling topographic potential for erosion and deposition using GIS. International Journal of Geographical Information Systems 10: 629-641. Renard K.G., Foster G.R., Weesies G.A., McCool D.K., Yoder D.C., 1997. Predicting soil erosion by water: a guide to conservation planning with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), USDA-ARS, Agricultural Handbook No. 703.

A comparison of essential oils obtained from lavandin via different extraction processes: Ultrasound, microwave, turbohydrodistillation, steam and hydrodistillation.

PubMed

Périno-Issartier, Sandrine; Ginies, Christian; Cravotto, Giancarlo; Chemat, Farid

2013-08-30

A total of eight extraction techniques ranging from conventional methods (hydrodistillation (HD), steam distillation (SD), turbohydrodistillation (THD)), through innovative techniques (ultrasound assisted extraction (US-SD) and finishing with microwave assisted extraction techniques such as In situ microwave-generated hydrodistillation (ISMH), microwave steam distillation (MSD), microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG), and microwave steam diffusion (MSDf)) were used to extract essential oil from lavandin flowers and their results were compared. Extraction time, yield, essential oil composition and sensorial analysis were considered as the principal terms of comparison. The essential oils extracted using the more innovative processes were quantitatively (yield) and qualitatively (aromatic profile) similar to those obtained from the conventional techniques. The method which gave the best results was the microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) method which gave reduced extraction time (30min against 220min for SD) and gave no differences in essential oil yield and sensorial perception. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spermatozoa input concentrations and RNA isolation methods on RNA yield and quality in bull (Bos taurus).

PubMed

Parthipan, Sivashanmugam; Selvaraju, Sellappan; Somashekar, Lakshminarayana; Kolte, Atul P; Arangasamy, Arunachalam; Ravindra, Janivara Parameswaraiah

2015-08-01

Sperm RNA can be used to understand the past spermatogenic process, future successful fertilization, and embryo development. To study the sperm RNA composition and function, isolation of good quality RNA with sufficient quantity is essential. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of sperm input concentrations and RNA isolation methods on RNA yield and quality in bull sperm. The fresh semen samples from bulls (n = 6) were snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 °C. The sperm RNA was isolated using membrane-based methods combined with TRIzol (RNeasy+TRIzol and PureLink+TRIzol) and conventional methods (TRIzol, Double TRIzol, and RNAzol RT). Based on fluorometric quantification, combined methods resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) higher total RNA yields (800-900 ng/30-40 × 10(6)) as compared with other methods and yielded 20 to 30 fg of RNA/spermatozoon. The quality of RNA isolated by membrane-based methods was superior to that isolated by conventional methods. The sperm RNA was observed to be intact as well as fragmented (50-2000 bp). The study revealed that the membrane-based methods with a cocktail of lysis solution and an optimal input concentration of 30 to 40 million sperm were optimal for maximum recovery of RNA from bull spermatozoa. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A novel method to augment extraction of mangiferin by application of microwave on three phase partitioning.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Vrushali M; Rathod, Virendra K

2015-06-01

This work reports a novel approach where three phase partitioning (TPP) was combined with microwave for extraction of mangiferin from leaves of Mangifera indica . Soxhlet extraction was used as reference method, which yielded 57 mg/g in 5 h. Under optimal conditions such as microwave irradiation time 5 min, ammonium sulphate concentration 40% w/v, power 272 W, solute to solvent ratio 1:20, slurry to t -butanol ratio 1:1, soaking time 5 min and duty cycle 50%, the mangiferin yield obtained was 54 mg/g by microwave assisted three phase partitioning extraction (MTPP). Thus extraction method developed resulted into higher extraction yield in a shorter span, thereby making it an interesting alternative prior to down-stream processing.

A method for in situ absolute DD yield calibration of neutron time-of-flight detectors on OMEGA using CR-39-based proton detectors.

PubMed

Waugh, C J; Rosenberg, M J; Zylstra, A B; Frenje, J A; Séguin, F H; Petrasso, R D; Glebov, V Yu; Sangster, T C; Stoeckl, C

2015-05-01

Neutron time of flight (nTOF) detectors are used routinely to measure the absolute DD neutron yield at OMEGA. To check the DD yield calibration of these detectors, originally calibrated using indium activation systems, which in turn were cross-calibrated to NOVA nTOF detectors in the early 1990s, a direct in situ calibration method using CR-39 range filter proton detectors has been successfully developed. By measuring DD neutron and proton yields from a series of exploding pusher implosions at OMEGA, a yield calibration coefficient of 1.09 ± 0.02 (relative to the previous coefficient) was determined for the 3m nTOF detector. In addition, comparison of these and other shots indicates that significant reduction in charged particle flux anisotropies is achieved when bang time occurs significantly (on the order of 500 ps) after the trailing edge of the laser pulse. This is an important observation as the main source of the yield calibration error is due to particle anisotropies caused by field effects. The results indicate that the CR-39-nTOF in situ calibration method can serve as a valuable technique for calibrating and reducing the uncertainty in the DD absolute yield calibration of nTOF detector systems on OMEGA, the National Ignition Facility, and laser megajoule.

A method for in situ absolute DD yield calibration of neutron time-of-flight detectors on OMEGA using CR-39-based proton detectors

DOE PAGES

Waugh, C. J.; Rosenberg, M. J.; Zylstra, A. B.; ...

2015-05-27

Neutron time of flight (nTOF) detectors are used routinely to measure the absolute DD neutron yield at OMEGA. To check the DD yield calibration of these detectors, originally calibrated using indium activation systems, which in turn were cross-calibrated to NOVA nTOF detectors in the early 1990s, a direct in situ calibration method using CR-39 range filter proton detectors has been successfully developed. By measuring DD neutron and proton yields from a series of exploding pusher implosions at OMEGA, a yield calibration coefficient of 1.09 ± 0.02 (relative to the previous coefficient) was determined for the 3m nTOF detector. In addition,more » comparison of these and other shots indicates that significant reduction in charged particle flux anisotropies is achieved when bang time occurs significantly (on the order of 500 ps) after the trailing edge of the laser pulse. This is an important observation as the main source of the yield calibration error is due to particle anisotropies caused by field effects. The results indicate that the CR-39-nTOF in situ calibration method can serve as a valuable technique for calibrating and reducing the uncertainty in the DD absolute yield calibration of nTOF detector systems on OMEGA, the National Ignition Facility, and laser megajoule.« less

A method for in situ absolute DD yield calibration of neutron time-of-flight detectors on OMEGA using CR-39-based proton detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Waugh, C. J.; Rosenberg, M. J.; Zylstra, A. B.

Neutron time of flight (nTOF) detectors are used routinely to measure the absolute DD neutron yield at OMEGA. To check the DD yield calibration of these detectors, originally calibrated using indium activation systems, which in turn were cross-calibrated to NOVA nTOF detectors in the early 1990s, a direct in situ calibration method using CR-39 range filter proton detectors has been successfully developed. By measuring DD neutron and proton yields from a series of exploding pusher implosions at OMEGA, a yield calibration coefficient of 1.09 ± 0.02 (relative to the previous coefficient) was determined for the 3m nTOF detector. In addition,more » comparison of these and other shots indicates that significant reduction in charged particle flux anisotropies is achieved when bang time occurs significantly (on the order of 500 ps) after the trailing edge of the laser pulse. This is an important observation as the main source of the yield calibration error is due to particle anisotropies caused by field effects. The results indicate that the CR-39-nTOF in situ calibration method can serve as a valuable technique for calibrating and reducing the uncertainty in the DD absolute yield calibration of nTOF detector systems on OMEGA, the National Ignition Facility, and laser megajoule.« less

A method for in situ absolute DD yield calibration of neutron time-of-flight detectors on OMEGA using CR-39-based proton detectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Waugh, C. J., E-mail: cjwaugh@mit.edu; Zylstra, A. B.; Frenje, J. A.

2015-05-15

Neutron time of flight (nTOF) detectors are used routinely to measure the absolute DD neutron yield at OMEGA. To check the DD yield calibration of these detectors, originally calibrated using indium activation systems, which in turn were cross-calibrated to NOVA nTOF detectors in the early 1990s, a direct in situ calibration method using CR-39 range filter proton detectors has been successfully developed. By measuring DD neutron and proton yields from a series of exploding pusher implosions at OMEGA, a yield calibration coefficient of 1.09 ± 0.02 (relative to the previous coefficient) was determined for the 3m nTOF detector. In addition,more » comparison of these and other shots indicates that significant reduction in charged particle flux anisotropies is achieved when bang time occurs significantly (on the order of 500 ps) after the trailing edge of the laser pulse. This is an important observation as the main source of the yield calibration error is due to particle anisotropies caused by field effects. The results indicate that the CR-39-nTOF in situ calibration method can serve as a valuable technique for calibrating and reducing the uncertainty in the DD absolute yield calibration of nTOF detector systems on OMEGA, the National Ignition Facility, and laser megajoule.« less

Improving yield of PZT piezoelectric devices on glass substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson-Wilke, Raegan L.; Wilke, Rudeger H. T.; Cotroneo, Vincenzo; Davis, William N.; Reid, Paul B.; Schwartz, Daniel A.; Trolier-McKinstry, Susan

2012-10-01

The proposed SMART-X telescope includes adaptive optics systems that use piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films deposited on flexible glass substrates. Several processing constraints are imposed by current designs: the crystallization temperature must be kept below 550 °C, the total stress in the film must be minimized, and the yield on 1 cm2 actuator elements should be < 90%. For this work, RF magnetron sputtering was used to deposit films since chemical solution deposition (CSD) led to warping of large area flexible glass substrates. A PZT 52/48 film that wasdeposited at 4 mTorr and annealed at 550 °C for 24 hours showed no detectable levels of either PbO or pyrochlore second phases. Large area electrodes (1cm x 1 cm) were deposited on 4" glass substrates. Initially, the yield of the devices was low, however, two methods were employed to increase the yield to near 100 %. The first method included a more rigorous cleaning to improve the continuity of the Pt bottom electrode. The second method was to apply 3 V DC across the capacitor structure to burn out regions of defective PZT. The result of this latter method essentially removed conducting filaments in the PZT but left the bulk of the material undamaged. By combining these two methods, the yield on the large area electrodes improved from < 10% to nearly 100%.

Genomic prediction using an iterative conditional expectation algorithm for a fast BayesC-like model.

PubMed

Dong, Linsong; Wang, Zhiyong

2018-06-11

Genomic prediction is feasible for estimating genomic breeding values because of dense genome-wide markers and credible statistical methods, such as Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (GBLUP) and various Bayesian methods. Compared with GBLUP, Bayesian methods propose more flexible assumptions for the distributions of SNP effects. However, most Bayesian methods are performed based on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms, leading to computational efficiency challenges. Hence, some fast Bayesian approaches, such as fast BayesB (fBayesB), were proposed to speed up the calculation. This study proposed another fast Bayesian method termed fast BayesC (fBayesC). The prior distribution of fBayesC assumes that a SNP with probability γ has a non-zero effect which comes from a normal density with a common variance. The simulated data from QTLMAS XII workshop and actual data on large yellow croaker were used to compare the predictive results of fBayesB, fBayesC and (MCMC-based) BayesC. The results showed that when γ was set as a small value, such as 0.01 in the simulated data or 0.001 in the actual data, fBayesB and fBayesC yielded lower prediction accuracies (abilities) than BayesC. In the actual data, fBayesC could yield very similar predictive abilities as BayesC when γ ≥ 0.01. When γ = 0.01, fBayesB could also yield similar results as fBayesC and BayesC. However, fBayesB could not yield an explicit result when γ ≥ 0.1, but a similar situation was not observed for fBayesC. Moreover, the computational speed of fBayesC was significantly faster than that of BayesC, making fBayesC a promising method for genomic prediction.

Influence of Extraction Methods on the Yield of Steviol Glycosides and Antioxidants in Stevia rebaudiana Extracts.

PubMed

Periche, Angela; Castelló, Maria Luisa; Heredia, Ana; Escriche, Isabel

2015-06-01

This study evaluated the application of ultrasound techniques and microwave energy, compared to conventional extraction methods (high temperatures at atmospheric pressure), for the solid-liquid extraction of steviol glycosides (sweeteners) and antioxidants (total phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity) from dehydrated Stevia leaves. Different temperatures (from 50 to 100 °C), times (from 1 to 40 min) and microwave powers (1.98 and 3.30 W/g extract) were used. There was a great difference in the resulting yields according to the treatments applied. Steviol glycosides and antioxidants were negatively correlated; therefore, there is no single treatment suitable for obtaining the highest yield in both groups of compounds simultaneously. The greatest yield of steviol glycosides was obtained with microwave energy (3.30 W/g extract, 2 min), whereas, the conventional method (90 °C, 1 min) was the most suitable for antioxidant extraction. Consequently, the best process depends on the subsequent use (sweetener or antioxidant) of the aqueous extract of Stevia leaves.

Improving yield and performance in ZnO thin-film transistors made using selective area deposition.

PubMed

Nelson, Shelby F; Ellinger, Carolyn R; Levy, David H

2015-02-04

We describe improvements in both yield and performance for thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated by spatial atomic layer deposition (SALD). These improvements are shown to be critical in forming high-quality devices using selective area deposition (SAD) as the patterning method. Selective area deposition occurs when the precursors for the deposition are prevented from reacting with some areas of the substrate surface. Controlling individual layer quality and the interfaces between layers is essential for obtaining good-quality thin-film transistors and capacitors. The integrity of the gate insulator layer is particularly critical, and we describe a method for forming a multilayer dielectric using an oxygen plasma treatment between layers that improves crossover yield. We also describe a method to achieve improved mobility at the important interface between the semiconductor and the gate insulator by, conversely, avoiding oxygen plasma treatment. Integration of the best designs results in wide design flexibility, transistors with mobility above 15 cm(2)/(V s), and good yield of circuits.

Diagnostic yield of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration for mediastinal staging in lung cancer*

PubMed Central

Fernández-Bussy, Sebastián; Labarca, Gonzalo; Canals, Sofia; Caviedes, Iván; Folch, Erik; Majid, Adnan

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive diagnostic test with a high diagnostic yield for suspicious central pulmonary lesions and for mediastinal lymph node staging. The main objective of this study was to describe the diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA for mediastinal lymph node staging in patients with suspected lung cancer. METHODS: Prospective study of patients undergoing EBUS-TBNA for diagnosis. Patients ≥ 18 years of age were recruited between July of 2010 and August of 2013. We recorded demographic variables, radiological characteristics provided by axial CT of the chest, location of the lesion in the mediastinum as per the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer classification, and definitive diagnostic result (EBUS with a diagnostic biopsy or a definitive diagnostic method). RESULTS: Our analysis included 354 biopsies, from 145 patients. Of those 145 patients, 54.48% were male. The mean age was 63.75 years. The mean lymph node size was 15.03 mm, and 90 lymph nodes were smaller than 10.0 mm. The EBUS-TBNA method showed a sensitivity of 91.17%, a specificity of 100.0%, and a negative predictive value of 92.9%. The most common histological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: EBUS-TBNA is a diagnostic tool that yields satisfactory results in the staging of neoplastic mediastinal lesions. PMID:26176519

Comparison of three methods for the detection of Trichinella spiralis infections in pigs by five European laboratories*

PubMed Central

Kohler, G.; Ruitenberg, E. J.

1974-01-01

Three methods employed in the diagnosis of trichinosis (trichinoscopy, digestion method, and immunofluorescence technique) were compared by laboratories in 5 countries of the European economic community. For this purpose, material from 32 pigs infected with 50, 150, 500, and 1 500 T. spiralis larvae was examined. With none of the three methods was it possible to detect with sufficient reliability a T. spiralis infection in pigs infected with 50 larvae. The digestion method and the immunofluorescence technique yielded more reliable results when the infection dose was 150 larvae or more. With trichinoscopy, reliable results were obtained in pigs infected with 500 and 1 500 larvae. With the digestion method and trichinoscopy, the onset of infections was detectable from 3 weeks post infection, the digestion method being more reliable; the immunofluorescence technique yielded positive results from approximately 4-6 weeks post infection. The immunofluorescence technique is applicable for epidemiological surveys. As a routine diagnostic procedure in the slaughterhouse, trichinoscopy and the digestion method are possible alternatives, the latter being more sensitive. PMID:4616776

Using a time-series statistical framework to quantify trends and abrupt change in US corn, soybean, and wheat yields from 1970-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Ives, A. R.; Turner, M. G.; Kucharik, C. J.

2017-12-01

Previous studies have identified global agricultural regions where "stagnation" of long-term crop yield increases has occurred. These studies have used a variety of simple statistical methods that often ignore important aspects of time series regression modeling. These methods can lead to differing and contradictory results, which creates uncertainty regarding food security given rapid global population growth. Here, we present a new statistical framework incorporating time series-based algorithms into standard regression models to quantify spatiotemporal yield trends of US maize, soybean, and winter wheat from 1970-2016. Our primary goal was to quantify spatial differences in yield trends for these three crops using USDA county level data. This information was used to identify regions experiencing the largest changes in the rate of yield increases over time, and to determine whether abrupt shifts in the rate of yield increases have occurred. Although crop yields continue to increase in most maize-, soybean-, and winter wheat-growing areas, yield increases have stagnated in some key agricultural regions during the most recent 15 to 16 years: some maize-growing areas, except for the northern Great Plains, have shown a significant trend towards smaller annual yield increases for maize; soybean has maintained an consistent long-term yield gains in the Northern Great Plains, the Midwest, and southeast US, but has experienced a shift to smaller annual increases in other regions; winter wheat maintained a moderate annual increase in eastern South Dakota and eastern US locations, but showed a decline in the magnitude of annual increases across the central Great Plains and western US regions. Our results suggest that there were abrupt shifts in the rate of annual yield increases in a variety of US regions among the three crops. The framework presented here can be broadly applied to additional yield trend analyses for different crops and regions of the Earth.

Calculation of K-shell fluorescence yields for low-Z elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nekkab, M.; Kahoul, A.; Deghfel, B.; Aylikci, N. Küp; Aylikçi, V.

2015-03-01

The analytical methods based on X-ray fluorescence are advantageous for practical applications in a variety of fields including atomic physics, X-ray fluorescence surface chemical analysis and medical research and so the accurate fluorescence yields (ωK) are required for these applications. In this contribution we report a new parameters for calculation of K-shell fluorescence yields (ωK) of elements in the range of 11≤Z≤30. The experimental data are interpolated by using the famous analytical function (ωk/(1 -ωk)) 1 /q (were q=3, 3.5 and 4) vs Z to deduce the empirical K-shell fluorescence yields. A comparison is made between the results of the procedures followed here and those theoretical and other semi-empirical fluorescence yield values. Reasonable agreement was typically obtained between our result and other works.

Swab Protocol for Rapid Laboratory Diagnosis of Cutaneous Anthrax

PubMed Central

Marston, Chung K.; Bhullar, Vinod; Baker, Daniel; Rahman, Mahmudur; Hossain, M. Jahangir; Chakraborty, Apurba; Khan, Salah Uddin; Hoffmaster, Alex R.

2012-01-01

The clinical laboratory diagnosis of cutaneous anthrax is generally established by conventional microbiological methods, such as culture and directly straining smears of clinical specimens. However, these methods rely on recovery of viable Bacillus anthracis cells from swabs of cutaneous lesions and often yield negative results. This study developed a rapid protocol for detection of B. anthracis on clinical swabs. Three types of swabs, flocked-nylon, rayon, and polyester, were evaluated by 3 extraction methods, the swab extraction tube system (SETS), sonication, and vortex. Swabs were spiked with virulent B. anthracis cells, and the methods were compared for their efficiency over time by culture and real-time PCR. Viability testing indicated that the SETS yielded greater recovery of B. anthracis from 1-day-old swabs; however, reduced viability was consistent for the 3 extraction methods after 7 days and nonviability was consistent by 28 days. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the PCR amplification was not impacted by time for any swab extraction method and that the SETS method provided the lowest limit of detection. When evaluated using lesion swabs from cutaneous anthrax outbreaks, the SETS yielded culture-negative, PCR-positive results. This study demonstrated that swab extraction methods differ in their efficiency of recovery of viable B. anthracis cells. Furthermore, the results indicated that culture is not reliable for isolation of B. anthracis from swabs at ≥7 days. Thus, we recommend the use of the SETS method with subsequent testing by culture and real-time PCR for diagnosis of cutaneous anthrax from clinical swabs of cutaneous lesions. PMID:23035192

[Optimization of cultivation conditions in se-enriched Spirulina platensis].

PubMed

Huang, Zhi; Zheng, Wen-Jie; Guo, Bao-Jiang

2002-05-01

Orthogonal combination design was adopted in examining the Spirulina platensis (S. platensis) yield and the influence of four factors (Se content, Se-adding method, S content and NaHCO3 content) on algae growth. The results showed that Se content, Se-adding method and NaHCO3 content were key factors in cultivation conditions of Se-enriched S. platensis with the optimal combination being Se at 300 mg/L, Se-adding amount equally divided into three times and NaHCO3 at 16.8 g/L. Algae yield had a remarkable correlation with OD560 and floating rate by linear regression analysis. There was a corresponding relationship between effects of the four factors on algae yield and on OD560, floating rate too. In conclusion, OD560 and floating rate could be served as yield-forming factors.

Average M shell fluorescence yields for elements with 70≤Z≤92

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kahoul, A., E-mail: ka-abdelhalim@yahoo.fr; LPMRN laboratory, Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Mohamed El Bachir El Ibrahimi University, Bordj-Bou-Arreridj 34030; Deghfel, B.

2015-03-30

The theoretical, experimental and analytical methods for the calculation of average M-shell fluorescence yield (ω{sup ¯}{sub M}) of different elements are very important because of the large number of their applications in various areas of physical chemistry and medical research. In this paper, the bulk of the average M-shell fluorescence yield measurements reported in the literature, covering the period 1955 to 2005 are interpolated by using an analytical function to deduce the empirical average M-shell fluorescence yield in the atomic range of 70≤Z≤92. The results were compared with the theoretical and fitted values reported by other authors. Reasonable agreement wasmore » typically obtained between our result and other works.« less

Economic impacts of climate change on agriculture: a comparison of process-based and statistical yield models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Frances C.; Baldos, Uris Lantz C.; Hertel, Thomas

2017-06-01

A large number of studies have been published examining the implications of climate change for agricultural productivity that, broadly speaking, can be divided into process-based modeling and statistical approaches. Despite a general perception that results from these methods differ substantially, there have been few direct comparisons. Here we use a data-base of yield impact studies compiled for the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (Porter et al 2014) to systematically compare results from process-based and empirical studies. Controlling for differences in representation of CO2 fertilization between the two methods, we find little evidence for differences in the yield response to warming. The magnitude of CO2 fertilization is instead a much larger source of uncertainty. Based on this set of impact results, we find a very limited potential for on-farm adaptation to reduce yield impacts. We use the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) global economic model to estimate welfare consequences of yield changes and find negligible welfare changes for warming of 1 °C-2 °C if CO2 fertilization is included and large negative effects on welfare without CO2. Uncertainty bounds on welfare changes are highly asymmetric, showing substantial probability of large declines in welfare for warming of 2 °C-3 °C even including the CO2 fertilization effect.

[Contrast of Z-Pinch X-Ray Yield Measure Technique].

PubMed

Li, Mo; Wang, Liang-ping; Sheng, Liang; Lu, Yi

2015-03-01

Resistive bolometer and scintillant detection system are two mainly Z-pinch X-ray yield measure techniques which are based on different diagnostic principles. Contrasting the results from two methods can help with increasing precision of X-ray yield measurement. Experiments with different load material and shape were carried out on the "QiangGuang-I" facility. For Al wire arrays, X-ray yields measured by the two techniques were largely consistent. However, for insulating coating W wire arrays, X-ray yields taken from bolometer changed with load parameters while data from scintillant detection system hardly changed. Simulation and analysis draw conclusions as follows: (1) Scintillant detection system is much more sensitive to X-ray photons with low energy and its spectral response is wider than the resistive bolometer. Thus, results from the former method are always larger than the latter. (2) The responses of the two systems are both flat to Al plasma radiation. Thus, their results are consistent for Al wire array loads. (3) Radiation form planar W wire arrays is mainly composed of sub-keV soft X-ray. X-ray yields measured by the bolometer is supposed to be accurate because of the nickel foil can absorb almost all the soft X-ray. (4) By contrast, using planar W wire arrays, data from scintillant detection system hardly change with load parameters. A possible explanation is that while the distance between wires increases, plasma temperature at stagnation reduces and spectra moves toward the soft X-ray region. Scintillator is much more sensitive to the soft X-ray below 200 eV. Thus, although the total X-ray yield reduces with large diameter load, signal from the scintillant detection system is almost the same. (5) Both Techniques affected by electron beams produced by the loads.

Shearlet-based edge detection: flame fronts and tidal flats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Emily J.; Reisenhofer, Rafael; Kiefer, Johannes; Lim, Wang-Q.; Li, Zhen; Heygster, Georg

2015-09-01

Shearlets are wavelet-like systems which are better suited for handling geometric features in multi-dimensional data than traditional wavelets. A novel method for edge and line detection which is in the spirit of phase congruency but is based on a complex shearlet transform will be presented. This approach to detection yields an approximate tangent direction of detected discontinuities as a byproduct of the computation, which then yields local curvature estimates. Two applications of the edge detection method will be discussed. First, the tracking and classification of flame fronts is a critical component of research in technical thermodynamics. Quite often, the flame fronts are transient or weak and the images are noisy. The standard methods used in the field for the detection of flame fronts do not handle such data well. Fortunately, using the shearlet-based edge measure yields good results as well as an accurate approximation of local curvature. Furthermore, a modification of the method will yield line detection, which is important for certain imaging modalities. Second, the Wadden tidal flats are a biodiverse region along the North Sea coast. One approach to surveying the delicate region and tracking the topographical changes is to use pre-existing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Unfortunately, SAR data suffers from multiplicative noise as well as sensitivity to environmental factors. The first large-scale mapping project of that type showed good results but only with a tremendous amount of manual interaction because there are many edges in the data which are not boundaries of the tidal flats but are edges of features like fields or islands. Preliminary results will be presented.

Strategy For Yield Control And Enhancement In VLSI Wafer Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neilson, B.; Rickey, D.; Bane, R. P.

1988-01-01

In most fully utilized integrated circuit (IC) production facilities, profit is very closely linked with yield. In even the most controlled manufacturing environments, defects due to foreign material are a still major contributor to yield loss. Ideally, an IC manufacturer will have ample engineering resources to address any problem that arises. In the real world, staffing limitations require that some tasks must be left undone and potential benefits left unrealized. Therefore, it is important to prioritize problems in a manner that will give the maximum benefit to the manufacturer. When offered a smorgasbord of problems to solve, most people (engineers included) will start with what is most interesting or the most comfortable to work on. By providing a system that accurately predicts the impact of a wide variety of defect types, a rational method of prioritizing engineering effort can be made. To that effect, a program was developed to determine and rank the major yield detractors in a mixed analog/digital FET manufacturing line. The two classical methods of determining yield detractors are chip failure analysis and defect monitoring on drop in test die. Both of these methods have short comings: 1) Chip failure analysis is painstaking and very time consuming. As a result, the sample size is very small. 2) Drop in test die are usually designed for device parametric analysis rather than defect analysis. To provide enough wafer real estate to do meaningful defect analysis would render the wafer worthless for production. To avoid these problems, a defect monitor was designed that provided enough area to detect defects at the same rate or better than the NMOS product die whose yield was to be optimized. The defect monitor was comprehensive and electrically testable using such equipment as the Prometrix LM25 and other digital testers. This enabled the quick accumulation of data which could be handled statistically and mapped individually. By scaling the defect densities found on the monitors to the known sensitivities of the product wafer, the defect types were ranked by defect limiting yield. (Limiting yield is the resultant product yield if there were no other failure mechanisms other than the type being considered.) These results were then compared to the product failure analysis results to verify that the monitor was finding the same types of defects in the same proportion which were troubling our product. Finally, the major defect types were isolated and reduced using the short loop capability of the monitor.

Comparison of spot esculin hydrolysis with the PathoTec strip test for rapid differentiation of anaerobic bacteria.

PubMed Central

Qadri, S M; Johnson, S; Smith, J C; Zubairi, S; Gillum, R L

1981-01-01

The ability of several anaerobic bacteria to hydrolyze esculin to esculetin is used by clinical microbiologists and taxonomists in the differentiation and identification of both gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms. Conventional methods used for determining esculin hydrolysis by anaerobic bacteria require 24 to 48 h for completion. In this paper we evaluate two procedures which yield rapid results. A total of 738 anaerobic bacteria were used in this study. A total of 99% of the esculin-hydrolyzing anaerobic bacteria gave positive results with the spot test in 1 h, whereas the other test method, the PathoTec strip test (General Diagnostics, Morris Plains, N.J.), required 4 h for 96% of the strains tested to yield positive reactions. Both tests showed a 100% specificity when compared with the standard broth test and are easy to perform, accurate, and economical. The spot test is superior to the PathoTec strip test in yielding results more rapidly. PMID:7016896

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stark, Christopher C.; Roberge, Aki; Mandell, Avi

ExoEarth yield is a critical science metric for future exoplanet imaging missions. Here we estimate exoEarth candidate yield using single visit completeness for a variety of mission design and astrophysical parameters. We review the methods used in previous yield calculations and show that the method choice can significantly impact yield estimates as well as how the yield responds to mission parameters. We introduce a method, called Altruistic Yield Optimization, that optimizes the target list and exposure times to maximize mission yield, adapts maximally to changes in mission parameters, and increases exoEarth candidate yield by up to 100% compared to previousmore » methods. We use Altruistic Yield Optimization to estimate exoEarth candidate yield for a large suite of mission and astrophysical parameters using single visit completeness. We find that exoEarth candidate yield is most sensitive to telescope diameter, followed by coronagraph inner working angle, followed by coronagraph contrast, and finally coronagraph contrast noise floor. We find a surprisingly weak dependence of exoEarth candidate yield on exozodi level. Additionally, we provide a quantitative approach to defining a yield goal for future exoEarth-imaging missions.« less

The effects of temperature and frequencies in ultrasound assisted extraction of phycocyanin from microalgae Spirulina sp

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadiyanto, Suttrisnorhadi, Sutanto, Heri; Suzery, Meiny; Soetrisnanto, Danny; Azizah, Nur

2015-12-01

Microalgae Spirulina sp has been identified as source of protein and other high added value compounds. One of the compounds is phycocyanin as also known for antioxidant use. The extraction of this compound by using conventional method (soxhlet extraction) resulted low yield and longer processing time. This research was aimed to extract phycocyanin by using an extraction assisted by ultrasound irradiation. The extraction was performed by using variable of ultrasound frequency and extraction temperature and ethanol was used as a solvent. The result showed that yield of phycocyanin extracted by conventional method was 11.13% while the ultrasound irradiation could increase the yield up to 15.61% at constant frequency of 42 kHz, while the optimum temperature was obtained at 45°C. The analysis of variable interactions showed that both temperature and time has an interaction and temperature was the highest variable in increasing the yield. The conclusion of this research was the ultrasound could improve significantly the efficiency of extraction as well as activity of phycocyanin extracted from microalgae.

The effects of temperature and frequencies in ultrasound assisted extraction of phycocyanin from microalgae Spirulina sp

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hadiyanto,, E-mail: hadiyanto@live.undip.ac.id; Suttrisnorhadi,; Soetrisnanto, Danny

Microalgae Spirulina sp has been identified as source of protein and other high added value compounds. One of the compounds is phycocyanin as also known for antioxidant use. The extraction of this compound by using conventional method (soxhlet extraction) resulted low yield and longer processing time. This research was aimed to extract phycocyanin by using an extraction assisted by ultrasound irradiation. The extraction was performed by using variable of ultrasound frequency and extraction temperature and ethanol was used as a solvent. The result showed that yield of phycocyanin extracted by conventional method was 11.13% while the ultrasound irradiation could increasemore » the yield up to 15.61% at constant frequency of 42 kHz, while the optimum temperature was obtained at 45°C. The analysis of variable interactions showed that both temperature and time has an interaction and temperature was the highest variable in increasing the yield. The conclusion of this research was the ultrasound could improve significantly the efficiency of extraction as well as activity of phycocyanin extracted from microalgae.« less

Determination of carrier yields for neutron activation analysis using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, R.G.; Wandless, G.A.

1984-01-01

A new method is described for determining carrier yield in the radiochemical neutron activation analysis of rare-earth elements in silicate rocks by group separation. The method involves the determination of the rare-earth elements present in the carrier by means of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis, eliminating the need to re-irradiate samples in a nuclear reactor after the gamma ray analysis is complete. Results from the analysis of USGS standards AGV-1 and BCR-1 compare favorably with those obtained using the conventional method. ?? 1984 Akade??miai Kiado??.

Simulating large-scale crop yield by using perturbed-parameter ensemble method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iizumi, T.; Yokozawa, M.; Sakurai, G.; Nishimori, M.

2010-12-01

Toshichika Iizumi, Masayuki Yokozawa, Gen Sakurai, Motoki Nishimori Agro-Meteorology Division, National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Japan Abstract One of concerning issues of food security under changing climate is to predict the inter-annual variation of crop production induced by climate extremes and modulated climate. To secure food supply for growing world population, methodology that can accurately predict crop yield on a large scale is needed. However, for developing a process-based large-scale crop model with a scale of general circulation models (GCMs), 100 km in latitude and longitude, researchers encounter the difficulties in spatial heterogeneity of available information on crop production such as cultivated cultivars and management. This study proposed an ensemble-based simulation method that uses a process-based crop model and systematic parameter perturbation procedure, taking maize in U.S., China, and Brazil as examples. The crop model was developed modifying the fundamental structure of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to incorporate the effect of heat stress on yield. We called the new model PRYSBI: the Process-based Regional-scale Yield Simulator with Bayesian Inference. The posterior probability density function (PDF) of 17 parameters, which represents the crop- and grid-specific features of the crop and its uncertainty under given data, was estimated by the Bayesian inversion analysis. We then take 1500 ensemble members of simulated yield values based on the parameter sets sampled from the posterior PDF to describe yearly changes of the yield, i.e. perturbed-parameter ensemble method. The ensemble median for 27 years (1980-2006) was compared with the data aggregated from the county yield. On a country scale, the ensemble median of the simulated yield showed a good correspondence with the reported yield: the Pearson’s correlation coefficient is over 0.6 for all countries. In contrast, on a grid scale, the correspondence is still high in most grids regardless of the countries. However, the model showed comparatively low reproducibility in the slope areas, such as around the Rocky Mountains in South Dakota, around the Great Xing'anling Mountains in Heilongjiang, and around the Brazilian Plateau. As there is a wide-ranging local climate conditions in the complex terrain, such as the slope of mountain, the GCM grid-scale weather inputs is likely one of major sources of error. The results of this study highlight the benefits of the perturbed-parameter ensemble method in simulating crop yield on a GCM grid scale: (1) the posterior PDF of parameter could quantify the uncertainty of parameter value of the crop model associated with the local crop production aspects; (2) the method can explicitly account for the uncertainty of parameter value in the crop model simulations; (3) the method achieve a Monte Carlo approximation of probability of sub-grid scale yield, accounting for the nonlinear response of crop yield to weather and management; (4) the method is therefore appropriate to aggregate the simulated sub-grid scale yields to a grid-scale yield and it may be a reason for high performance of the model in capturing inter-annual variation of yield.

Effects of total solids concentrations of poultry, cattle, and piggery waste slurries on biogas yield

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Itodo, I.N.; Awulu, J.O.

1999-12-01

The effects of total solids concentrations of poultry, cattle and piggery waste slurries on biogas yield was investigated. Twelve laboratory-size anaerobic batch digesters with 25 L volume were constructed and used for the experiments. Three replicates of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% TS concentrations of poultry, cattle, and piggery waste slurries were anaerobically digested for a 30-day detention period and gas yield was measured by the method of water displacement. Temperature variation within the digesters was measured with a maximum and minimum thermometer. Anaerobic digestion of the slurries was undertaken in the mesophilic temperature range (20--40 C). The carbon:nitrogen ratiomore » of each of the slurries digested was determined. The carbon content was determined using the wackley-Black method, and nitrogen content was determined by the regular kjeldhal method. The pH was measured weekly during the period of digestion from a digital pH meter. Gas quality (% methane fraction) was also measured weekly from an analyzer. Coefficient of variation was computed to ascertain the status of the digestion process. Analysis of variance was used to determine the significant difference in gas yield at p < 0.05. Duncan's New Multiple Range Test at p < 0.05 was used to analyze the difference in gas yield among the various TS concentrations of the slurries investigated. The results indicate that biogas yield is of the order: 5% TS > 10% TS > 15% TS > 20% TS. This result shows that gas yield increases with decreasing TS concentration of the slurries. The ANOVA showed that the gas yield from the various TS % was significantly different (p < 0.05). DNMRT showed that there was significant difference in gas yield from the slurries and wastetypes investigated. Poultry waste slurries had the greatest gas yield (L CH4/kg TS) as the gas yield from the waste types was of the order: Poultry > Piggery > Cattle. The pH of the slurries was of the range 5.5 to 6.8 (weakly acidic). The C:N of the slurries varied between 6:1 and 9:1. The Coefficient of Variation (CV) for 10 consecutive days of digestion was less than 10% indicating a steady state in all the digesters.« less

Evaluation of mailed pediatric buccal cytobrushes for use in a case-control study of birth defects.

PubMed

Gallagher, Margaret L; Sturchio, Cynthia; Smith, Ashley; Koontz, Deborah; Jenkins, Mary M; Honein, Margaret A; Rasmussen, Sonja A

2011-07-01

Buccal cell collection is a convenient DNA collection method; however, little attention has been given to the quality of DNA obtained from pediatric populations. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a modified cytobrush collection method on the yield and quality of infant buccal DNA collected as part of a population-based case-control study of birth defects. METHODS Cytobrushes were collected from infants, mothers, and fathers using a standard collection method in 1997 to 2003 and a modified protocol that allows air-drying of the cytobrushes after collection from 2003 to the present. Yield and quality of DNA from 1057 cytobrushes was assessed by quantitative PCR and short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping, respectively. RESULTS Air-dried cytobrushes from infants had higher median DNA yields (1300 ng) and STR completion rates (99.5%) than standard collection method cytobrushes (60 ng and 59.5%, respectively). A subset of DNA aliquots was genotyped for six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Aliquots from both collection methods that passed the quality protocol (DNA concentration >1 ng/μl, and successful amplification of ≥1 STR) had high genotype completion rates (99-100%). The median DNA yield following whole genome amplification was more than twofold higher for air-dried than standard collection specimens (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Yield and quality of buccal DNA collected from infants are improved by using a method that incorporates air-drying; however, DNA collected by both methods is suitable for genotyping if stringent quality control procedures are instituted. These findings may be helpful for future epidemiologic studies of birth defects and other adverse pediatric outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Assessing DNA recovery from chewing gum.

PubMed

Eychner, Alison M; Schott, Kelly M; Elkins, Kelly M

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate which DNA extraction method yields the highest quantity of DNA from chewing gum. In this study, several popular extraction methods were tested, including Chelex-100, phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol (PCIA), DNA IQ, PrepFiler, and QIAamp Investigator, and the quantity of DNA recovered from chewing gum was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction with Quantifiler. Chewed gum control samples were submitted by anonymous healthy adult donors, and discarded environmental chewing gum samples simulating forensic evidence were collected from outside public areas (e.g., campus bus stops, streets, and sidewalks). As expected, results indicate that all methods tested yielded sufficient amplifiable human DNA from chewing gum using the wet-swab method. The QIAamp performed best when DNA was extracted from whole pieces of control gum (142.7 ng on average), and the DNA IQ method performed best on the environmental whole gum samples (29.0 ng on average). On average, the QIAamp kit also recovered the most DNA from saliva swabs. The PCIA method demonstrated the highest yield with wet swabs of the environmental gum (26.4 ng of DNA on average). However, this method should be avoided with whole gum samples (no DNA yield) due to the action of the organic reagents in dissolving and softening the gum and inhibiting DNA recovery during the extraction.

Correlation of two bioadhesion assays: the everted sac technique and the CAHN microbalance.

PubMed

Santos, C A; Jacob, J S; Hertzog, B A; Freedman, B D; Press, D L; Harnpicharnchai, P; Mathiowitz, E

1999-08-27

This contribution correlates two in vitro methods utilized to determine bioadhesion. One method, the everted intestinal sac technique, is a passive test for bioadhesion involving several polymer microspheres and a section of everted intestinal tissue. The other method, the CAHN microbalance, employs a CAHN dynamic contact angle analyzer with modified software to record the tensile forces measured as a single polymer microsphere is pulled from intestinal tissue. This study demonstrates that CAHN and everted sac experiments yield similar results when used to quantify the bioadhesive nature of polymer microsphere systems. A polymer showing high adhesion in one method also demonstrates high bioadhesion in the other method; polymers that exhibit high fracture strength and tensile work measurements with the CAHN microbalance also yield high binding percentages with the everted sac method. The polymers tested and reported here are poly(caprolactone) and different copolymer ratios of poly(fumaric-co-sebacic anhydride). The results of this correlation demonstrate that each method alone is a valuable indicator of bioadhesion.

Evaluation of simulated corn yields and associated uncertainty in different climate zones of China using Daycent Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, A.; Xue, Y.

2017-12-01

Corn is one of most important agricultural production in China. Research on the simulation of corn yields and the impacts of climate change and agricultural management practices on corn yields is important in maintaining the stable corn production. After climatic data including daily temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind speed from 1948 to 2010, soil properties, observed corn yields, and farmland management information were collected, corn yields grown in humidity and hot environment (Sichuang province) and cold and dry environment (Hebei province) in China in the past 63 years were simulated by Daycent, and the results was evaluated based on published yield record. The relationship between regional climate change, global warming and corn yield were analyzed, the uncertainties of simulation derived from agricultural management practices by changing fertilization levels, land fertilizer maintenance and tillage methods were reported. The results showed that: (1) Daycent model is capable to simulate corn yields under the different climatic background in China. (2) When studying the relationship between regional climate change and corn yields, it has been found that observed and simulated corn yields increased along with total regional climate change. (3) When studying the relationship between the global warming and corn yields, It was discovered that newly-simulated corn yields after removing the global warming trend of original temperature data were lower than before.

The Effect of Acid Pre-Treatment using Acetic Acid and Nitric Acid in The Production of Biogas from Rice Husk during Solid State Anaerobic Digestion (SS-AD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugraha, Winardi Dwi; Syafrudin; Keumala, Cut Fadhila; Matin, Hasfi Hawali Abdul; Budiyono

2018-02-01

Pretreatment during biogas production aims to assist in degradation of lignin contained in the rice husk. In this study, pretreatment which is used are acid and biological pretreatment. Acid pretreatment was performed using acetic acid and nitric acid with a variety levels of 3% and 5%. While biological pretreatment as a control variable. Acid pretreatment was conducted by soaking the rice straw for 24 hours with acid variation. The study was conducted using Solid State Anaerobic Digestion (SS-AD) with 21% TS. Biogas production was measured using water displacement method every two days for 60 days at room temperature conditions. The results showed that acid pretreatment gave an effect on the production of biogas yield. The yield of the biogas produced by pretreatment of acetic acid of 5% and 3% was 43.28 and 45.86 ml/gr.TS. While the results without pretreatment biogas yield was 29.51 ml/gr.TS. The results yield biogas produced by pretreatment using nitric acid of 5% and 3% was 12.14 ml/gr.TS and 21.85 ml/gr.TS. Results biogas yield with acetic acid pretreatment was better than the biogas yield results with nitric acid pretreatment.

Soils Activity Mobility Study: Methodology and Application

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2014-09-29

This report presents a three-level approach for estimation of sediment transport to provide an assessment of potential erosion risk for sites at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) that are posted for radiological purposes and where migration is suspected or known to occur due to storm runoff. Based on the assessed risk, the appropriate level of effort can be determined for analysis of radiological surveys, field experiments to quantify erosion and transport rates, and long-term monitoring. The method is demonstrated at contaminated sites, including Plutonium Valley, Shasta, Smoky, and T-1. The Pacific Southwest Interagency Committee (PSIAC) procedure is selected asmore » the Level 1 analysis tool. The PSIAC method provides an estimation of the total annual sediment yield based on factors derived from the climatic and physical characteristics of a watershed. If the results indicate low risk, then further analysis is not warranted. If the Level 1 analysis indicates high risk or is deemed uncertain, a Level 2 analysis using the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) is proposed. In addition, if a sediment yield for a storm event rather than an annual sediment yield is needed, then the proposed Level 2 analysis should be performed. MUSLE only provides sheet and rill erosion estimates. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) provides storm peak runoff rate and storm volumes, the inputs necessary for MUSLE. Channel Sediment Transport (CHAN-SED) I and II models are proposed for estimating sediment deposition or erosion in a channel reach from a storm event. These models require storm hydrograph associated sediment concentration and bed load particle size distribution data. When the Level 2 analysis indicates high risk for sediment yield and associated contaminant migration or when there is high uncertainty in the Level 2 results, the sites can be further evaluated with a Level 3 analysis using more complex and labor- and data-intensive methods. For the watersheds analyzed in this report using the Level 1 PSIAC method, the risk of erosion is low. The field reconnaissance surveys of these watersheds confirm the conclusion that the sediment yield of undisturbed areas at the NNSS would be low. The climate, geology, soils, ground cover, land use, and runoff potential are similar among these watersheds. There are no well-defined ephemeral channels except at the Smoky and Plutonium Valley sites. Topography seems to have the strongest influence on sediment yields, as sediment yields are higher on the steeper hill slopes. Lack of measured sediment yield data at the NNSS does not allow for a direct evaluation of the yield estimates by the PSIAC method. Level 2 MUSLE estimates in all the analyzed watersheds except Shasta are a small percentage of the estimates from PSIAC because MUSLE is not inclusive of channel erosion. This indicates that channel erosion dominates the total sediment yield in these watersheds. Annual sediment yields for these watersheds are estimated using the CHAN-SEDI and CHAN-SEDII channel sediment transport models. Both transport models give similar results and exceed the estimates obtained from PSIAC and MUSLE. It is recommended that the total watershed sediment yield of watersheds at the NNSS with flow channels be obtained by adding the washload estimate (rill and inter-rill erosion) from MUSLE to that obtained from channel transport models (bed load and suspended sediment). PSIAC will give comparable results if factor scores for channel erosion are revised towards the high erosion level. Application of the Level 3 process-based models to estimate sediment yields at the NNSS cannot be recommended at this time. Increased model complexity alone will not improve the certainty of the sediment yield estimates. Models must be calibrated against measured data before model results are accepted as certain. Because no measurements of sediment yields at the NNSS are available, model validation cannot be performed. This is also true for the models used in the Level 2 analyses presented in this study. The need to calibrate MUSLE to local conditions has been discussed. Likewise, the transport equations of CHAN-SEDI and CHAN-SEDII need to be calibrated against local data to assess their applicability under semi-arid conditions and for the ephemeral channels at the NNSS. Before these validations and calibration exercises can be undertaken, a long-term measured sediment yield data set must be developed. Development of long-term measured sediment yield data cannot be overemphasized. Long-term monitoring is essential for accurate characterization of watershed processes. It is recommended that a long-term monitoring program be set up to measure watershed erosion rates and channel sediment transport rates.« less

Comparison between Bactec Peds Plus F Broth and Conventional Medium for Vitreous Culture.

PubMed

Tabatabaei, Seyed Ali; Tabatabaei, Seyed Mehdi; Soleimani, Mohammad; Hejrati, Bahman; Mirshahi, Ahmad; Khadabandeh, Alireza; Ahmadraji, Aliasghar; Valipour, Niloofar

2018-05-10

To evaluate the yield of Bactec Peds Plus F broth for vitreous sample culture in cases with infectious endophthalmitis in comparison to conventional medium. Consecutive cases of clinically suspected endophthalmitis were prospectively enrolled in this study. Cultures of the vitreous sample were performed in both Bactec Peds Plus F broth and conventional mediums. Forty eyes of 40 patients who were clinically suspected of infectious endophthalmitis with different etiologies were enrolled in this study. The positive culture yield was 50% and 35% in Bactec Peds Plus F broth and conventional mediums, respectively (p = 0.07). The result of Bactec group was not significantly different among patients who had a history of intravitreal antibiotic injection (p > 0.05) (Table 2). However, results of the conventional method were significantly negative in the previous intravitreal antibiotic injection group (p = 0.02). There was no correlation between the methods of vitreous sampling in both culture methods. Although the difference between two culture methods was not statistically significant in this study, Bactec Peds Plus F broth showed higher positive culture yield in patients with a history of intravitreal antibiotic injection.

Ultrasound assisted co-precipitation of nanostructured CuO-ZnO-Al2O3 over HZSM-5: effect of precursor and irradiation power on nanocatalyst properties and catalytic performance for direct syngas to DME.

PubMed

Allahyari, Somaiyeh; Haghighi, Mohammad; Ebadi, Amanollah; Hosseinzadeh, Shahin

2014-03-01

Nanostructured CuO-ZnO-Al2O3/HZSM-5 was synthesized from nitrate and acetate precursors using ultrasound assisted co-precipitation method under different irradiation powers. The CuO-ZnO-Al2O3/HZSM-5 nanocatalysts were characterized using XRD, FESEM, BET, FTIR and EDX Dot-mapping analyses. The results indicated precursor type and irradiation power have significant influences on phase structure, morphology, surface area and functional groups. It was observed that the acetate formulated CuO-ZnO-Al2O3/HZSM-5 nanocatalyst have smaller CuO crystals with better dispersion and stronger interaction between components in comparison to nitrate based nanocatalysts. Ultrasound assisted co-precipitation synthesis method resulted in nanocatalyst with more uniform morphology compared to conventional method and increasing irradiation power yields smaller particles with better dispersion and higher surface area. Additionally the crystallinity of CuO is lower at high irradiation powers leading to stronger interaction between metal oxides. The nanocatalysts performance were tested at 200-300 °C, 10-40 bar and space velocity of 18,000-36,000 cm(3)/g h with the inlet gas composition of H2/CO = 2/1 in a stainless steel autoclave reactor. The acetate based nanocatalysts irradiated with higher levels of power exhibited better reactivity in terms of CO conversion and DME yield. While there is an optimal temperature for CO conversion and DME yield in direct synthesis of DME, CO conversion and DME yield both increase with the pressure increase. Furthermore ultrasound assisted co-precipitation method yields more stable CuO-ZnO-Al2O3/HZSM-5 nanocatalyst while conventional precipitated nanocatalyst lost their activity ca. 18% and 58% in terms of CO conversion and DME yield respectively in 24 h time on stream test.

Microbial electrolysis cells for high yield hydrogen gas production from organic matter.

PubMed

Logan, Bruce E; Call, Douglas; Cheng, Shaoan; Hamelers, Hubertus V M; Sleutels, Tom H J A; Jeremiasse, Adriaan W; Rozendal, René A

2008-12-01

The use of electrochemically active bacteria to break down organic matter, combined with the addition of a small voltage (> 0.2 V in practice) in specially designed microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), can result in a high yield of hydrogen gas. While microbial electrolysis was invented only a few years ago, rapid developments have led to hydrogen yields approaching 100%, energy yields based on electrical energy input many times greater than that possible by water electrolysis, and increased gas production rates. MECs used to make hydrogen gas are similar in design to microbial fuel cells (MFCs) that produce electricity, but there are important differences in architecture and analytical methods used to evaluate performance. We review here the materials, architectures, performance, and energy efficiencies of these MEC systems that show promise as a method for renewable and sustainable energy production, and wastewater treatment.

Fractionation and physicochemical characterization of lignin from waste jute bags: Effect of process parameters on yield and thermal degradation.

PubMed

Ahuja, Dheeraj; Kaushik, Anupama; Chauhan, Ghanshyam S

2017-04-01

In this work lignin was extracted from waste jute bags using soda cooking method and effect of varying alkali concentration and pH on yield, purity, structure and thermal degradation of lignin were studied. The Lignin yield, chemical composition and purity were assessed using TAPPI method and UV-vis spectroscopy. Yield and purity of lignin ranged from 27 to 58% and 50-94%, respectively for all the samples and was maximum for 8% alkali concentration and at pH 2 giving higher thermal stability. Chemical structure, thermal stability and elementary analysis of lignin were studied using FTIR, H NMR, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and Elemental analyzer. FTIR and H NMR results showed that core structure of lignin starts breaking beyond 10% alkali concentration. S/G ratio shows the dominance of Syringyl unit over guaiacyl unit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards a Probabilistic Preliminary Design Criterion for Buckling Critical Composite Shells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arbocz, Johann; Hilburger, Mark W.

2003-01-01

A probability-based analysis method for predicting buckling loads of compression-loaded laminated-composite shells is presented, and its potential as a basis for a new shell-stability design criterion is demonstrated and discussed. In particular, a database containing information about specimen geometry, material properties, and measured initial geometric imperfections for a selected group of laminated-composite cylindrical shells is used to calculate new buckling-load "knockdown factors". These knockdown factors are shown to be substantially improved, and hence much less conservative than the corresponding deterministic knockdown factors that are presently used by industry. The probability integral associated with the analysis is evaluated by using two methods; that is, by using the exact Monte Carlo method and by using an approximate First-Order Second- Moment method. A comparison of the results from these two methods indicates that the First-Order Second-Moment method yields results that are conservative for the shells considered. Furthermore, the results show that the improved, reliability-based knockdown factor presented always yields a safe estimate of the buckling load for the shells examined.

Isotopic Ratio, Isotonic Ratio, Isobaric Ratio and Shannon Information Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Chun-Wang; Wei, Hui-Ling

2014-11-01

The isoscaling and the isobaric yield ratio difference (IBD) probes, both of which are constructed by yield ratio of fragment, provide cancelation of parameters. The information entropy theory is introduced to explain the physical meaning of the isoscaling and IBD probes. The similarity between the isoscaling and IBD results is found, i.e., the information uncertainty determined by the IBD method equals to β - α determined by the isoscaling (α (β) is the parameter fitted from the isotopic (isotonic) yield ratio).

Comparison of the DNA extraction methods for polymerase chain reaction amplification from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues.

PubMed

Sato, Y; Sugie, R; Tsuchiya, B; Kameya, T; Natori, M; Mukai, K

2001-12-01

To obtain an adequate quality and quantity of DNA from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue, six different DNA extraction methods were compared. Four methods used deparaffinization by xylene followed by proteinase K digestion and phenol-chloroform extraction. The temperature of the different steps was changed to obtain higher yields and improved quality of extracted DNA. The remaining two methods used microwave heating for deparaffinization. The best DNA extraction method consisted of deparaffinization by microwave irradiation, protein digestion with proteinase K at 48 degrees C overnight, and no further purification steps. By this method, the highest DNA yield was obtained and the amplification of a 989-base pair beta-globin gene fragment was achieved. Furthermore, DNA extracted by means of this procedure from five gastric carcinomas was successfully used for single strand conformation polymorphism and direct sequencing assays of the beta-catenin gene. Because the microwave-based DNA extraction method presented here is simple, has a lower contamination risk, and results in a higher yield of DNA compared with the ordinary organic chemical reagent-based extraction method, it is considered applicable to various clinical and basic fields.

Transforming information from silicon testing and design characterization into numerical data sets for yield learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Thomas; Shen, Yang; Zhang, Yifan; Sweis, Jason; Lai, Ya-Chieh

2017-03-01

Silicon testing results are regularly collected for a particular lot of wafers to study yield loss from test result diagnostics. Product engineers will analyze the diagnostic results and perform a number of physical failure analyses to detect systematic defects which cause yield loss for these sets of wafers in order to feedback the information to process engineers for process improvements. Most of time, the systematic defects that are detected are major issues or just one of the causes for the overall yield loss. This paper will present a working flow for using design analysis techniques combined with diagnostic methods to systematically transform silicon testing information into physical layout information. A new set of the testing results are received from a new lot of wafers for the same product. We can then correlate all the diagnostic results from different periods of time to check which blocks or nets have been highlighted or stop occurring on the failure reports in order to monitor process changes which impact the yield. The design characteristic analysis flow is also implemented to find 1) the block connections on a design that have failed electrical test or 2) frequently used cells that been highlighted multiple times.

Nondestructive methods for the structural evaluation of wood floor systems in historic buildings : preliminary results : [abstract

Treesearch

Zhiyong Cai; Michael O. Hunt; Robert J. Ross; Lawrence A. Soltis

1999-01-01

To date, there is no standard method for evaluating the structural integrity of wood floor systems using nondestructive techniques. Current methods of examination and assessment are often subjective and therefore tend to yield imprecise or variable results. For this reason, estimates of allowable wood floor loads are often conservative. The assignment of conservatively...

Decreased mass specific respiration under experimental warming is robust to the microbial biomass method employed.

Treesearch

Mark A. Bradford; Matthew D. Wallenstein; Steven D. Allison; Kathleen K. Treseder; Serita D. Frey; Brian W. Watts; Christian A. Davies; Thomas R. Maddox; Jerry M. Melillo; Jacqueline E. Mohan; James F. Reynolds

2009-01-01

Hartley et al. question whether reduction in Rmass, under experimental warming, arises because of the biomass method. We show the method they treat as independent yields the same result. We describe why the substrate-depletion hypothesis may not...

Using pre-screening methods for an effective and reliable site characterization at megasites.

PubMed

Algreen, Mette; Kalisz, Mariusz; Stalder, Marcel; Martac, Eugeniu; Krupanek, Janusz; Trapp, Stefan; Bartke, Stephan

2015-10-01

This paper illustrates the usefulness of pre-screening methods for an effective characterization of polluted sites. We applied a sequence of site characterization methods to a former Soviet military airbase with likely fuel and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) contamination in shallow groundwater and subsoil. The methods were (i) phytoscreening with tree cores; (ii) soil gas measurements for CH4, O2, and photoionization detector (PID); (iii) direct-push with membrane interface probe (MIP) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) sensors; (iv) direct-push sampling; and (v) sampling from soil and from groundwater monitoring wells. Phytoscreening and soil gas measurements are rapid and inexpensive pre-screening methods. Both indicated subsurface pollution and hot spots successfully. The direct-push sensors yielded 3D information about the extension and the volume of the subsurface plume. This study also expanded the applicability of tree coring to BTEX compounds and tested the use of high-resolution direct-push sensors for light hydrocarbons. Comparison of screening results to results from conventional soil and groundwater sampling yielded in most cases high rank correlation and confirmed the findings. The large-scale application of non- or low-invasive pre-screening can be of help in directing and focusing the subsequent, more expensive investigation methods. The rapid pre-screening methods also yielded useful information about potential remediation methods. Overall, we see several benefits of a stepwise screening and site characterization scheme, which we propose in conclusion.

Validation of a T1 and T2* leakage correction method based on multi-echo DSC-MRI using MION as a reference standard

PubMed Central

Stokes, Ashley M.; Semmineh, Natenael; Quarles, C. Chad

2015-01-01

Purpose A combined biophysical- and pharmacokinetic-based method is proposed to separate, quantify, and correct for both T1 and T2* leakage effects using dual-echo DSC acquisitions to provide more accurate hemodynamic measures, as validated by a reference intravascular contrast agent (CA). Methods Dual-echo DSC-MRI data were acquired in two rodent glioma models. The T1 leakage effects were removed and also quantified in order to subsequently correct for the remaining T2* leakage effects. Pharmacokinetic, biophysical, and combined biophysical and pharmacokinetic models were used to obtain corrected cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF), and these were compared with CBV and CBF from an intravascular CA. Results T1-corrected CBV was significantly overestimated compared to MION CBV, while T1+T2*-correction yielded CBV values closer to the reference values. The pharmacokinetic and simplified biophysical methods showed similar results and underestimated CBV in tumors exhibiting strong T2* leakage effects. The combined method was effective for correcting T1 and T2* leakage effects across tumor types. Conclusions Correcting for both T1 and T2* leakage effects yielded more accurate measures of CBV. The combined correction method yields more reliable CBV measures than either correction method alone, but for certain brain tumor types (e.g., gliomas) the simplified biophysical method may provide a robust and computationally efficient alternative. PMID:26362714

The optimization of essential oils supercritical CO2 extraction from Lavandula hybrida through static-dynamic steps procedure and semi-continuous technique using response surface method

PubMed Central

Kamali, Hossein; Aminimoghadamfarouj, Noushin; Golmakani, Ebrahim; Nematollahi, Alireza

2015-01-01

Aim: The aim of this study was to examine and evaluate crucial variables in essential oils extraction process from Lavandula hybrida through static-dynamic and semi-continuous techniques using response surface method. Materials and Methods: Essential oil components were extracted from Lavandula hybrida (Lavandin) flowers using supercritical carbon dioxide via static-dynamic steps (SDS) procedure, and semi-continuous (SC) technique. Results: Using response surface method the optimum extraction yield (4.768%) was obtained via SDS at 108.7 bar, 48.5°C, 120 min (static: 8×15), 24 min (dynamic: 8×3 min) in contrast to the 4.620% extraction yield for the SC at 111.6 bar, 49.2°C, 14 min (static), 121.1 min (dynamic). Conclusion: The results indicated that a substantial reduction (81.56%) solvent usage (kg CO2/g oil) is observed in the SDS method versus the conventional SC method. PMID:25598636

Preparation of samples for leaf architecture studies, a method for mounting cleared leaves1

PubMed Central

Vasco, Alejandra; Thadeo, Marcela; Conover, Margaret; Daly, Douglas C.

2014-01-01

• Premise of the study: Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. • Methods and Results: Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. • Conclusions: The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago showing no signs of bubbling or discoloration. PMID:25225627

Fission-fragment total kinetic energy and mass yields for neutron-induced fission of 235U and 238U with En =200 keV - 30 MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duke, D. L.; Tovesson, F.; Brys, T.; Geppert-Kleinrath, V.; Hambsch, F.-J.; Laptev, A.; Meharchand, R.; Manning, B.; Mayorov, D.; Meierbachtol, K.; Mosby, S.; Perdue, B.; Richman, D.; Shields, D.; Vidali, M.

2017-09-01

The average Total Kinetic Energy (TKE) release and fission-fragment yields in neutron-induced fission of 235U and 238U was measured using a Frisch-gridded ionization chamber. These observables are important nuclear data quantites that are relevant to applications and for informing the next generation of fission models. The measurements were performed a the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and cover En = 200 keV - 30 MeV. The double-energy (2E) method was used to determine the fission-fragment yields and two methods of correcting for prompt-neutron emission were explored. The results of this study are correlated mass and TKE data.

Optimisation of a Naviglio-assisted extraction followed by determination of piperine content in Piper longum extracts.

PubMed

Gigliarelli, Giulia; Pagiotti, Rita; Persia, Diana; Marcotullio, Maria Carla

2017-01-01

Studies were made to increase the yield of piperine extraction using Naviglio Extractor® solid-liquid dynamic extractor (SLDE) from fruits of Piper longum. The effects of ratio w/v were investigated and optimised for the best method. The maximum yield of piperine (317.7 mg/g) from P. longum fruits was obtained in SLDE 1:50 ethanol extract. Extraction yields of piperine obtained from Soxhlet extraction, decotion (International Organization for Standardization) and conventional maceration extraction methods were found to be 233.7, 231.8 and 143.6 mg/g, respectively. The results of the present study indicated that Naviglio Extractor® is an effective technique for the extraction of piperine from long pepper.

Maximizing RNA yield from archival renal tumors and optimizing gene expression analysis.

PubMed

Glenn, Sean T; Head, Karen L; Teh, Bin T; Gross, Kenneth W; Kim, Hyung L

2010-01-01

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues are widely available for gene expression analysis using TaqMan PCR. Five methods, including 4 commercial kits, for recovering RNA from paraffin-embedded renal tumor tissue were compared. The MasterPure kit from Epicentre produced the highest RNA yield. However, the difference in RNA yield between the kit from Epicenter and Invitrogen's TRIzol method was not significant. Using the top 3 RNA isolation methods, the manufacturers' protocols were modified to include an overnight Proteinase K digestion. Overnight protein digestion resulted in a significant increase in RNA yield. To optimize the reverse transcription reaction, conventional reverse transcription with random oligonucleotide primers was compared to reverse transcription using primers specific for genes of interest. Reverse transcription using gene-specific primers significantly increased the quantity of cDNA detectable by TaqMan PCR. Therefore, expression profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue using TaqMan qPCR can be optimized by using the MasterPure RNA isolation kit modified to include an overnight Proteinase K digestion and gene-specific primers during the reverse transcription.

Yield Determination of Underground and Near Surface Explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasyanos, M.

2015-12-01

As seismic coverage of the earth's surface continues to improve, we are faced with signals from a wide variety of explosions from various sources ranging from oil train and ordnance explosions to military and terrorist attacks, as well as underground nuclear tests. We present on a method for determining the yield of underground and near surface explosions, which should be applicable for many of these. We first review the regional envelope method that was developed for underground explosions (Pasyanos et al., 2012) and more recently modified for near surface explosions (Pasyanos and Ford, 2015). The technique models the waveform envelope templates as a product of source, propagation (geometrical spreading and attenuation), and site terms, while near surface explosions include an additional surface effect. Yields and depths are determined by comparing the observed envelopes to the templates and minimizing the misfit. We then apply the method to nuclear and chemical explosions for a range of yields, depths, and distances. We will review some results from previous work, and show new examples from ordnance explosions in Scandinavia, nuclear explosions in Eurasia, and chemical explosions in Nevada associated with the Source Physics Experiments (SPE).

Aquifer-yield continuum as a guide and typology for science-based groundwater management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, Suzanne A.; Sharp, John M.; Guillaume, Joseph H. A.; Mace, Robert E.; Eaton, David J.

2013-03-01

Groundwater availability is at the core of hydrogeology as a discipline and, simultaneously, the concept is the source of ambiguity for management and policy. Aquifer yield has undergone multiple definitions resulting in a range of scientific methods to calculate and model availability reflecting the complexity of combined scientific, management, policy, and stakeholder processes. The concept of an aquifer-yield continuum provides an approach to classify groundwater yields along a spectrum, from non-use through permissive sustained, sustainable, maximum sustained, safe, permissive mining to maximum mining yields, that builds on existing literature. Additionally, the aquifer-yield continuum provides a systems view of groundwater availability to integrate physical and social aspects in assessing management options across aquifer settings. Operational yield describes the candidate solutions for operational or technical implementation of policy, often relating to a consensus yield that incorporates human dimensions through participatory or adaptive governance processes. The concepts of operational and consensus yield address both the social and the technical nature of science-based groundwater management and governance.

Improvement of lipid yield from microalgae Spirulina platensis using ultrasound assisted osmotic shock extraction method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adetya, NP; Hadiyanto, H.

2018-01-01

Microalgae Spirulina sp. has been identified as potential source of natural food supplement and food colorant. The high water content of microalgae (70-90%) causes an obstacle in biomass dehydration which requires large amounts of energy, eventually damaging the lipid in the microalgae. Therefore, the lipid must be extracted by using a suitable method which complies to wet biomass conditions. One of the methods is applying osmotic shock. This study was aimed to investigate the influence of osmotic agent (NaCl) concentration (10-30%) and extraction time (20-50 min) on yield of lipid and also to determine the optimal conditions in the extraction process through response surface methodology. The extraction was conducted at a temperature of 40°C under ultrasound frequency of 40 kHz. The result showed that the optimum yield lipid obtained was 6.39% in 16.98% NaCl concentration for 36 minutes 10 seconds.

Effect of warming temperatures on US wheat yields.

PubMed

Tack, Jesse; Barkley, Andrew; Nalley, Lawton Lanier

2015-06-02

Climate change is expected to increase future temperatures, potentially resulting in reduced crop production in many key production regions. Research quantifying the complex relationship between weather variables and wheat yields is rapidly growing, and recent advances have used a variety of model specifications that differ in how temperature data are included in the statistical yield equation. A unique data set that combines Kansas wheat variety field trial outcomes for 1985-2013 with location-specific weather data is used to analyze the effect of weather on wheat yield using regression analysis. Our results indicate that the effect of temperature exposure varies across the September-May growing season. The largest drivers of yield loss are freezing temperatures in the Fall and extreme heat events in the Spring. We also find that the overall effect of warming on yields is negative, even after accounting for the benefits of reduced exposure to freezing temperatures. Our analysis indicates that there exists a tradeoff between average (mean) yield and ability to resist extreme heat across varieties. More-recently released varieties are less able to resist heat than older lines. Our results also indicate that warming effects would be partially offset by increased rainfall in the Spring. Finally, we find that the method used to construct measures of temperature exposure matters for both the predictive performance of the regression model and the forecasted warming impacts on yields.

Angular distribution measurements of photo-neutron yields produced by 2.0 GeV electrons incident on thick targets.

PubMed

Lee, Hee-Seock; Ban, Syuichi; Sanami, Toshiya; Takahashi, Kazutoshi; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Shin, Kazuo; Chung, Chinwha

2005-01-01

A study of differential photo-neutron yields by irradiation with 2 GeV electrons has been carried out. In this extension of a previous study in which measurements were made at an angle of 90 degrees relative to incident electrons, the differential photo-neutron yield was obtained at two other angles, 48 degrees and 140 degrees, to study its angular characteristics. Photo-neutron spectra were measured using a pulsed beam time-of-flight method and a BC418 plastic scintillator. The reliable range of neutron energy measurement was 8-250 MeV. The neutron spectra were measured for 10 Xo-thick Cu, Sn, W and Pb targets. The angular distribution characteristics, together with the previous results for 90 degrees, are presented in the study. The experimental results are compared with Monte Carlo calculation results. The yields predicted by MCNPX 2.5 tend to underestimate the measured ones. The same trend holds for the comparison results using the EGS4 and PICA3 codes.

Feasibility of groundwater recharge dam projects in arid environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaafar, H. H.

2014-05-01

A new method for determining feasibility and prioritizing investments for agricultural and domestic recharge dams in arid regions is developed and presented. The method is based on identifying the factors affecting the decision making process and evaluating these factors, followed by determining the indices in a GIS-aided environment. Evaluated parameters include results from field surveys and site visits, land cover and soils data, precipitation data, runoff data and modeling, number of beneficiaries, domestic irrigation demand, reservoir objectives, demography, reservoirs yield and reliability, dam structures, construction costs, and operation and maintenance costs. Results of a case study on more than eighty proposed dams indicate that assessment of reliability, annualized cost/demand satisfied and yield is crucial prior to investment decision making in arid areas. Irrigation demand is the major influencing parameter on yield and reliability of recharge dams, even when only 3 months of the demand were included. Reliability of the proposed reservoirs as related to their standardized size and net inflow was found to increase with increasing yield. High priority dams were less than 4% of the total, and less priority dams amounted to 23%, with the remaining found to be not feasible. The results of this methodology and its application has proved effective in guiding stakeholders for defining most favorable sites for preliminary and detailed design studies and commissioning.

High density Polyethylene plastic waste treatment with microwave heating pyrolysis method using coconut-shell activated carbon to produce alternative fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juliastuti, S. R.; Hisbullah, M. I.; Abdillah, M.

2018-03-01

Pyrolysis is a technology that could crack polimer such as plastic waste into alternative fuels. This research uses microwave heating methode, which more efficient than conventional heating methode. The plastic waste used is 200 grams of HDPE, with feed to catalyst weight ratio are 1:1, 0.6:1, 0.4:1. Pyrolysis was run at temperatures of 250, 300, 350, & 400 °C for 15, 30 and 45 min. From the experimental result, the best variable of pyrolysis process with microwave method is at 45 minutes, at 400°C, and 1:1 feed to catalyst weight ratio. Result shows that yield of liquid and gas product is 99.22%; yield of residue is 0.78%; value of liquid product’s composition (cycloparaffin and n-paraffin) is 54.09% and concentration of methane gas is 10.2%.

Estimating tar and nicotine exposure: human smoking versus machine generated smoke yields.

PubMed

St Charles, F K; Kabbani, A A; Borgerding, M F

2010-02-01

Determine human smoked (HS) cigarette yields of tar and nicotine for smokers using their own brand in their everyday environment. A robust, filter analysis method was used to estimate the tar and nicotine yields for 784 subjects. Seventeen brands were chosen to represent a wide range of styles: 85 and 100 mm lengths; menthol and non-menthol; 17, 23, and 25 mm circumference; with tar yields [Federal Trade Commission (FTC) method] ranging from 1 to 18 mg. Tar bands chosen corresponded to yields of 1-3 mg, 4-6 mg, 7-12 mg, and 13+ mg. A significant difference (p<0.0001) in HS yields of tar and nicotine between tar bands was found. Machine-smoked yields were reasonable predictors of the HS yields for groups of subjects, but the relationship was neither exact nor linear. Neither the FTC, the Massachusetts (MA) nor the Canadian Intensive (CI) machine-smoking methods accurately reflect the HS yields across all brands. The FTC method was closest for the 7-12 mg and 13+ mg products and the MA method was closest for the 1-3mg products. The HS yields for the 4-6 mg products were approximately midway between the FTC and the MA yields. HS nicotine yields corresponded well with published urinary and plasma nicotine biomarker studies. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimizing cropland cover for stable food production in Sub-Saharan Africa using simulated yield and Modern Portfolio Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodin, P.; Olin, S.; Pugh, T. A. M.; Arneth, A.

2014-12-01

Food security can be defined as stable access to food of good nutritional quality. In Sub Saharan Africa access to food is strongly linked to local food production and the capacity to generate enough calories to sustain the local population. Therefore it is important in these regions to generate not only sufficiently high yields but also to reduce interannual variability in food production. Traditionally, climate impact simulation studies have focused on factors that underlie maximum productivity ignoring the variability in yield. By using Modern Portfolio Theory, a method stemming from economics, we here calculate optimum current and future crop selection that maintain current yield while minimizing variance, vs. maintaining variance while maximizing yield. Based on simulated yield using the LPJ-GUESS dynamic vegetation model, the results show that current cropland distribution for many crops is close to these optimum distributions. Even so, the optimizations displayed substantial potential to either increase food production and/or to decrease its variance regionally. Our approach can also be seen as a method to create future scenarios for the sown areas of crops in regions where local food production is important for food security.

Minimization of Residual Stress in an Al-Cu Alloy Forged Plate by Different Heat Treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Ya-Bo; Shao, Wen-Zhu; Jiang, Jian-Tang; Zhang, Bao-You; Zhen, Liang

2015-06-01

In order to improve the balance of mechanical properties and residual stress, various quenching and aging treatments were applied to Al-Cu alloy forged plate. Residual stresses determined by the x-ray diffraction method and slitting method were compared. The surface residual stress measured by x-ray diffraction method was consistent with that measured by slitting method. The residual stress distribution of samples quenched in water with different temperatures (20, 60, 80, and 100 °C) was measured, and the results showed that the boiling water quenching results in a 91.4% reduction in residual stress magnitudes compared with cold water quenching (20 °C), but the tensile properties of samples quenched in boiling water were unacceptably low. Quenching in 80 °C water results in 75% reduction of residual stress, and the reduction of yield strength is 12.7%. The residual stress and yield strength level are considerable for the dimensional stability of aluminum alloy. Quenching samples into 30% polyalkylene glycol quenchants produced 52.2% reduction in the maximum compressive residual stress, and the reduction in yield strength is 19.7%. Moreover, the effects of uphill quenching and thermal-cold cycling on the residual stress were also investigated. Uphill quenching and thermal-cold cycling produced approximately 25-40% reduction in residual stress, while the effect on tensile properties is quite slight.

Graphical user interface for yield and dose estimations for cyclotron-produced technetium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, X.; Vuckovic, M.; Buckley, K.; Bénard, F.; Schaffer, P.; Ruth, T.; Celler, A.

2014-07-01

The cyclotron-based 100Mo(p,2n)99mTc reaction has been proposed as an alternative method for solving the shortage of 99mTc. With this production method, however, even if highly enriched molybdenum is used, various radioactive and stable isotopes will be produced simultaneously with 99mTc. In order to optimize reaction parameters and estimate potential patient doses from radiotracers labeled with cyclotron produced 99mTc, the yields for all reaction products must be estimated. Such calculations, however, are extremely complex and time consuming. Therefore, the objective of this study was to design a graphical user interface (GUI) that would automate these calculations, facilitate analysis of the experimental data, and predict dosimetry. The resulting GUI, named Cyclotron production Yields and Dosimetry (CYD), is based on Matlab®. It has three parts providing (a) reaction yield calculations, (b) predictions of gamma emissions and (c) dosimetry estimations. The paper presents the outline of the GUI, lists the parameters that must be provided by the user, discusses the details of calculations and provides examples of the results. Our initial experience shows that the proposed GUI allows the user to very efficiently calculate the yields of reaction products and analyze gamma spectroscopy data. However, it is expected that the main advantage of this GUI will be at the later clinical stage when entering reaction parameters will allow the user to predict production yields and estimate radiation doses to patients for each particular cyclotron run.

Graphical user interface for yield and dose estimations for cyclotron-produced technetium.

PubMed

Hou, X; Vuckovic, M; Buckley, K; Bénard, F; Schaffer, P; Ruth, T; Celler, A

2014-07-07

The cyclotron-based (100)Mo(p,2n)(99m)Tc reaction has been proposed as an alternative method for solving the shortage of (99m)Tc. With this production method, however, even if highly enriched molybdenum is used, various radioactive and stable isotopes will be produced simultaneously with (99m)Tc. In order to optimize reaction parameters and estimate potential patient doses from radiotracers labeled with cyclotron produced (99m)Tc, the yields for all reaction products must be estimated. Such calculations, however, are extremely complex and time consuming. Therefore, the objective of this study was to design a graphical user interface (GUI) that would automate these calculations, facilitate analysis of the experimental data, and predict dosimetry. The resulting GUI, named Cyclotron production Yields and Dosimetry (CYD), is based on Matlab®. It has three parts providing (a) reaction yield calculations, (b) predictions of gamma emissions and (c) dosimetry estimations. The paper presents the outline of the GUI, lists the parameters that must be provided by the user, discusses the details of calculations and provides examples of the results. Our initial experience shows that the proposed GUI allows the user to very efficiently calculate the yields of reaction products and analyze gamma spectroscopy data. However, it is expected that the main advantage of this GUI will be at the later clinical stage when entering reaction parameters will allow the user to predict production yields and estimate radiation doses to patients for each particular cyclotron run.

Revisiting tuberculous pleurisy: pleural fluid characteristics and diagnostic yield of mycobacterial culture in an endemic area

PubMed Central

Ruan, Sheng-Yuan; Chuang, Yu-Chung; Lin, Jou-Wei; Chien, Jung-Yien; Huang, Chun-Ta; Kuo, Yao-Wen; Lee, Li-Na; Yu, Chong-Jen J

2012-01-01

Background Tuberculous pleurisy is traditionally indicated by extreme lymphocytosis in pleural fluid and low yield of effusion culture. However, there is considerable inconsistency among previous study results. In addition, these data should be updated due to early effusion studies and advances in culture methods. Methods From January 2004 to June 2009, patients with tuberculous pleurisy were retrospectively identified from the mycobacteriology laboratories and the pathology and tuberculosis registration databases of two hospitals in Taiwan where tuberculosis is endemic. Pleural fluid characteristics and yields of mycobacterial cultures using liquid media were evaluated. Results A total of 382 patients with tuberculous pleurisy were identified. The median lymphocyte percentage of total cells in pleural fluids was 84% (IQR 64–95%) and 17% of cases had a lymphocyte percentage of <50%. The lymphocyte percentage was negatively associated with the probability of a positive effusion culture (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99). The diagnostic yields were 63% for effusion culture, 48% for sputum culture, 79% for the combination of effusion and sputum cultures, and 74% for histological examination of pleural biopsy specimens. Conclusion The degree of lymphocyte predominance in tuberculous pleurisy was lower than was previously thought. The lymphocyte percentage in pleural fluid was negatively associated with the probability of a positive effusion culture. With the implementation of a liquid culture method, the sensitivity of effusion culture was much higher than has been previously reported, and the combination of effusion and sputum cultures provided a good diagnostic yield. PMID:22436167

Recent Developments in the Formability of Aluminum Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banabic, Dorel; Cazacu, Oana; Paraianu, Liana; Jurco, Paul

2005-08-01

The paper presents a few recent contributions brought by the authors in the field of the formability of aluminum alloys. A new concept for calculating Forming Limit Diagrams (FLD) using the finite element method is presented. The article presents a new strategy for calculating both branches of an FLD, using a Hutchinson - Neale model implemented in a finite element code. The simulations have been performed with Abaqus/Standard. The constitutive model has been implemented using a UMAT subroutine. The plastic anisotropy of the sheet metal is described by the Cazacu-Barlat and the BBC2003 yield criteria. The theoretical predictions have been compared with the results given by the classical Hutchinson - Neale method and also with experimental data for different aluminum alloys. The comparison proves the capability of the finite element method to predict the strain localization. A computer program used for interactive calculation and graphical representation of different Yield Loci and Forming Limit Diagrams has also been developed. The program is based on a Hutchinson-Neale model. Different yield criteria (Hill 1948, Barlat-Lian and BBC 2003) are implemented in this model. The program consists in three modules: a graphical interface for input, a module for the identification and visualization of the yield surfaces, and a module for calculating and visualizing the forming limit curves. A useful facility offered by the program is the possibility to perform the sensitivity analysis both for the yield surface and the forming limit curves. The numerical results can be compared with experimental data, using the import/export facilities included in the program.

Recent Developments in the Formability of Aluminum Alloys

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Banabic, Dorel; Paraianu, Liana; Jurco, Paul

The paper presents a few recent contributions brought by the authors in the field of the formability of aluminum alloys. A new concept for calculating Forming Limit Diagrams (FLD) using the finite element method is presented. The article presents a new strategy for calculating both branches of an FLD, using a Hutchinson - Neale model implemented in a finite element code. The simulations have been performed with Abaqus/Standard. The constitutive model has been implemented using a UMAT subroutine. The plastic anisotropy of the sheet metal is described by the Cazacu-Barlat and the BBC2003 yield criteria. The theoretical predictions have beenmore » compared with the results given by the classical Hutchinson - Neale method and also with experimental data for different aluminum alloys. The comparison proves the capability of the finite element method to predict the strain localization. A computer program used for interactive calculation and graphical representation of different Yield Loci and Forming Limit Diagrams has also been developed. The program is based on a Hutchinson-Neale model. Different yield criteria (Hill 1948, Barlat-Lian and BBC 2003) are implemented in this model. The program consists in three modules: a graphical interface for input, a module for the identification and visualization of the yield surfaces, and a module for calculating and visualizing the forming limit curves. A useful facility offered by the program is the possibility to perform the sensitivity analysis both for the yield surface and the forming limit curves. The numerical results can be compared with experimental data, using the import/export facilities included in the program.« less

Electromagnetic Navigation Diagnostic Bronchoscopy

PubMed Central

Gildea, Thomas R.; Mazzone, Peter J.; Karnak, Demet; Meziane, Moulay; Mehta, Atul C.

2006-01-01

Rationale: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy using superDimension/Bronchus System is a novel method to increase diagnostic yield of peripheral and mediastinal lung lesions. Objectives: A prospective, open label, single-center, pilot study was conducted to determine the ability of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy to sample peripheral lung lesions and mediastinal lymph nodes with standard bronchoscopic instruments and demonstrate safety. Methods: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy was performed using the superDimension/Bronchus system consisting of electromagnetic board, position sensor encapsulated in the tip of a steerable probe, extended working channel, and real-time reconstruction of previously acquired multiplanar computed tomography images. The final distance of the steerable probe to lesion, expected error based on the actual and virtual markers, and procedure yield was gathered. Measurements: 60 subjects were enrolled between December 2004 and September 2005. Mean navigation times were 7 ± 6 min and 2 ± 2 min for peripheral lesions and lymph nodes, respectively. The steerable probe tip was navigated to the target lung area in all cases. The mean peripheral lesions and lymph nodes size was 22.8 ± 12.6 mm and 28.1 ± 12.8 mm. Yield was determined by results obtained during the bronchoscopy per patient. Results: The yield/procedure was 74% and 100% for peripheral lesions and lymph nodes, respectively. A diagnosis was obtained in 80.3% of bronchoscopic procedures. A definitive diagnosis of lung malignancy was made in 74.4% of subjects. Pneumothorax occurred in two subjects. Conclusion: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy is a safe method for sampling peripheral and mediastinal lesions with high diagnostic yield independent of lesion size and location. PMID:16873767

Evaluation of the pulse-contour method of determining stroke volume in man.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alderman, E. L.; Branzi, A.; Sanders, W.; Brown, B. W.; Harrison, D. C.

1972-01-01

The pulse-contour method for determining stroke volume has been employed as a continuous rapid method of monitoring the cardiovascular status of patients. Twenty-one patients with ischemic heart disease and 21 patients with mitral valve disease were subjected to a variety of hemodynamic interventions. The pulse-contour estimations, using three different formulas derived by Warner, Kouchoukos, and Herd, were compared with indicator-dilution outputs. A comparison of the results of the two methods for determining stroke volume yielded correlation coefficients ranging from 0.59 to 0.84. The better performing Warner formula yielded a coefficient of variation of about 20%. The type of hemodynamic interventions employed did not significantly affect the results using the pulse-contour method. Although the correlation of the pulse-contour and indicator-dilution stroke volumes is high, the coefficient of variation is such that small changes in stroke volume cannot be accurately assessed by the pulse-contour method. However, the simplicity and rapidity of this method compared to determination of cardiac output by Fick or indicator-dilution methods makes it a potentially useful adjunct for monitoring critically ill patients.

Microwave-assisted extraction of lipid from fish waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimi, M. A.; Omar, R.; Ethaib, S.; Siti Mazlina, M. K.; Awang Biak, D. R.; Nor Aisyah, R.

2017-06-01

Processing fish waste for extraction of value added products such as protein, lipid, gelatin, amino acids, collagen and oil has become one of the most intriguing researches due to its valuable properties. In this study the extraction of lipid from sardine fish waste was carried out using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and compared with Soxhlets and Hara and Radin methods. A mixture of two organic solvents isopropanol/hexane and distilled water were used for MAE and Hara and Radin methods. Meanwhile, Soxhlet method utilized only hexane as solvent. The results show that the higher yield of lipid 80.5 mg/g was achieved using distilled water in MAE method at 10 min extraction time. Soxhlet extraction method only produced 46.6 mg/g of lipid after 4 hours of extraction time. Lowest yield of lipid was found at 15.8 mg/g using Hara and Radin method. Based on aforementioned results, it can be concluded MAE method is superior compared to the Soxhlet and Hara and Radin methods which make it an attractive route to extract lipid from fish waste.

Optimization of selenylation modification for garlic polysaccharide based on immune-enhancing activity.

PubMed

Gao, Zhenzhen; Chen, Jin; Qiu, Shulei; Li, Youying; Wang, Deyun; Liu, Cui; Li, Xiuping; Hou, Ranran; Yue, Chanjuan; Liu, Jie; Li, Hongquan; Hu, Yuanliang

2016-01-20

Garlic polysaccharide (GPS) was modified in selenylation respectively by nitric acid-sodium selenite (NA-SS), glacial acetic acid-selenous acid (GA-SA), glacial acetic acid-sodium selenite (GA-SS) and selenium oxychloride (SOC) methods each under nine modification conditions of L9(3(4)) orthogonal design and each to obtain nine selenizing GPSs (sGPSs). Their structures were identified, yields and selenium contents were determined, selenium yields were calculated, and the immune-enhancing activities of four sGPSs with higher selenium yields were compared taking unmodified GPS as control. The results showed that among four methods the selenylation efficiency of NA-SS method were the highest, the activity of sGPS5 was the strongest and significantly stronger than that of unmodified GPS. This indicates that selenylation modification can significantly enhance the immune-enhancing activity of GPS, NA-SS method is the best method and the optimal conditions are 0.8:1 weight ratio of sodium selenite to GPS, reaction temperature of 70 °C and reaction time of 10h. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MkMRCC, APUCC, APUBD calculations of didehydronated species: comparison among calculated through-bond effective exchange integrals for diradicals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Toru; Nishihara, Satomichi; Yamanaka, Shusuke; Kitagawa, Yasutaka; Kawakami, Takashi; Okumura, Mitsutaka; Yamaguchi, Kizashi

2010-10-01

Mukherjee's type of multireference coupled-cluster (MkMRCC), approximate spin-projected spin-unrestricted CC (APUCC), and AP spin-unrestricted Brueckner's (APUBD) methods were applied to didehydronated ethylene, allyl cation, cis-butadiene, and naphthalene. The focus is on descriptions of magnetic properties for these diradical species such as S-T gaps and diradical characters. Several types of orbital sets were examined as reference orbitals for MkMRCC calculations, and it was found that the change of orbital sets do not give significant impacts on computational results for these species. Comparison of MkMRCC results with APUCC and APUBD results show that these two types of methods yield similar results. These results show that the quantum spin corrected UCC and UBD methods can effectively account for both nondynamical and dynamical correlation effects that are covered by the MkMRCC methods. It was also shown that appropriately parameterized hybrid density functional theory (DFT) with AP corrections (APUDFT) calculations yielded very accurate data that qualitatively agree with those of MRCC and APUBD methods. This hierarchy of methods, MRCC, APUCC, and APUDFT, is expected to constitute a series of standard ab initio approaches towards radical systems, among which we could choose one of them, depending on the size of the systems and the required accuracy.

Current lipid extraction methods are significantly enhanced adding a water treatment step in Chlorella protothecoides.

PubMed

Ren, Xiaojie; Zhao, Xinhe; Turcotte, François; Deschênes, Jean-Sébastien; Tremblay, Réjean; Jolicoeur, Mario

2017-02-11

Microalgae have the potential to rapidly accumulate lipids of high interest for the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and energy (e.g. biodiesel) industries. However, current lipid extraction methods show efficiency limitation and until now, extraction protocols have not been fully optimized for specific lipid compounds. The present study thus presents a novel lipid extraction method, consisting in the addition of a water treatment of biomass between the two-stage solvent extraction steps of current extraction methods. The resulting modified method not only enhances lipid extraction efficiency, but also yields a higher triacylglycerols (TAG) ratio, which is highly desirable for biodiesel production. Modification of four existing methods using acetone, chloroform/methanol (Chl/Met), chloroform/methanol/H 2 O (Chl/Met/H 2 O) and dichloromethane/methanol (Dic/Met) showed respective lipid extraction yield enhancement of 72.3, 35.8, 60.3 and 60.9%. The modified acetone method resulted in the highest extraction yield, with 68.9 ± 0.2% DW total lipids. Extraction of TAG was particularly improved with the water treatment, especially for the Chl/Met/H 2 O and Dic/Met methods. The acetone method with the water treatment led to the highest extraction level of TAG with 73.7 ± 7.3 µg/mg DW, which is 130.8 ± 10.6% higher than the maximum value obtained for the four classical methods (31.9 ± 4.6 µg/mg DW). Interestingly, the water treatment preferentially improved the extraction of intracellular fractions, i.e. TAG, sterols, and free fatty acids, compared to the lipid fractions of the cell membranes, which are constituted of phospholipids (PL), acetone mobile polar lipids and hydrocarbons. Finally, from the 32 fatty acids analyzed for both neutral lipids (NL) and polar lipids (PL) fractions, it is clear that the water treatment greatly improves NL-to-PL ratio for the four standard methods assessed. Water treatment of biomass after the first solvent extraction step helps the subsequent release of intracellular lipids in the second extraction step, thus improving the global lipids extraction yield. In addition, the water treatment positively modifies the intracellular lipid class ratios of the final extract, in which TAG ratio is significantly increased without changes in the fatty acids composition. The novel method thus provides an efficient way to improve lipid extraction yield of existing methods, as well as selectively favoring TAG, a lipid of the upmost interest for biodiesel production.

Fast and Efficient Stochastic Optimization for Analytic Continuation

DOE PAGES

Bao, Feng; Zhang, Guannan; Webster, Clayton G; ...

2016-09-28

In this analytic continuation of imaginary-time quantum Monte Carlo data to extract real-frequency spectra remains a key problem in connecting theory with experiment. Here we present a fast and efficient stochastic optimization method (FESOM) as a more accessible variant of the stochastic optimization method introduced by Mishchenko et al. [Phys. Rev. B 62, 6317 (2000)], and we benchmark the resulting spectra with those obtained by the standard maximum entropy method for three representative test cases, including data taken from studies of the two-dimensional Hubbard model. Genearally, we find that our FESOM approach yields spectra similar to the maximum entropy results.more » In particular, while the maximum entropy method yields superior results when the quality of the data is strong, we find that FESOM is able to resolve fine structure with more detail when the quality of the data is poor. In addition, because of its stochastic nature, the method provides detailed information on the frequency-dependent uncertainty of the resulting spectra, while the maximum entropy method does so only for the spectral weight integrated over a finite frequency region. Therefore, we believe that this variant of the stochastic optimization approach provides a viable alternative to the routinely used maximum entropy method, especially for data of poor quality.« less

Dry column-thermal energy analyzer method for determining N-nitrosopyrrolidine in fried bacon: collaborative study.

PubMed

Fiddler, W; Pensabene, J W; Gates, R A; Phillips, J G

1984-01-01

A dry column method for isolating N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) from fried, cure-pumped bacon and detection by gas chromatography-thermal energy analyzer (TEA) was studied collaboratively. Testing the results obtained from 11 collaborators for homogeneous variances among samples resulted in splitting the nonzero samples into 2 groups of sample levels, each with similar variances. Outlying results were identified by AOAC-recommended procedures, and laboratories having outliers within a group were excluded. Results from the 9 collaborators remaining in the low group yielded coefficients of variation (CV) of 6.00% and 7.47% for repeatability and reproducibility, respectively, and the 8 collaborators remaining in the high group yielded CV values of 5.64% and 13.72%, respectively. An 85.2% overall average recovery of the N-nitrosoazetidine internal standard was obtained with an average laboratory CV of 10.5%. The method has been adopted official first action as an alternative to the mineral oil distillation-TEA screening procedure.

Effect of filters and reconstruction algorithms on I-124 PET in Siemens Inveon PET scanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ram Yu, A.; Kim, Jin Su

2015-10-01

Purpose: To assess the effects of filtering and reconstruction on Siemens I-124 PET data. Methods: A Siemens Inveon PET was used. Spatial resolution of I-124 was measured to a transverse offset of 50 mm from the center FBP, 2D ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM2D), 3D re-projection algorithm (3DRP), and maximum a posteriori (MAP) methods were tested. Non-uniformity (NU), recovery coefficient (RC), and spillover ratio (SOR) parameterized image quality. Mini deluxe phantom data of I-124 was also assessed. Results: Volumetric resolution was 7.3 mm3 from the transverse FOV center when FBP reconstruction algorithms with ramp filter was used. MAP yielded minimal NU with β =1.5. OSEM2D yielded maximal RC. SOR was below 4% for FBP with ramp, Hamming, Hanning, or Shepp-Logan filters. Based on the mini deluxe phantom results, an FBP with Hanning or Parzen filters, or a 3DRP with Hanning filter yielded feasible I-124 PET data.Conclusions: Reconstruction algorithms and filters were compared. FBP with Hanning or Parzen filters, or 3DRP with Hanning filter yielded feasible data for quantifying I-124 PET.

Optimizing Phosphoric Acid plus Hydrogen Peroxide (PHP) Pretreatment on Wheat Straw by Response Surface Method for Enzymatic Saccharification.

PubMed

Qiu, Jingwen; Wang, Qing; Shen, Fei; Yang, Gang; Zhang, Yanzong; Deng, Shihuai; Zhang, Jing; Zeng, Yongmei; Song, Chun

2017-03-01

Wheat straw was pretreated by phosphoric acid plus hydrogen peroxide (PHP), in which temperature, time, and H 3 PO 4 proportion for pretreatment were investigated by using response surface method. Results indicated that hemicellulose and lignin removal positively responded to the increase of pretreatment temperature, H 3 PO 4 proportion, and time. H 3 PO 4 proportion was the most important variable to control cellulose recovery, followed by pretreatment temperature and time. Moreover, these three variables all negatively related to cellulose recovery. Increasing H 3 PO 4 proportion can improve enzymatic hydrolysis; however, reduction on cellulose recovery results in decrease of glucose yield. Extra high temperature or long time for pretreatment was not beneficial to enzymatic hydrolysis and glucose yield. Based on the criterion for minimizing H 3 PO 4 usage and maximizing glucose yield, the optimized pretreatment conditions was 40 °C, 2.0 h, and H 3 PO 4 proportion of 70.2 % (H 2 O 2 proportion of 5.2 %), by which glucose yielded 299 mg/g wheat straw (946.2 mg/g cellulose) after 72-h enzymatic hydrolysis.

Comparison of Methods for the Extraction of DNA from Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Archival Tissues

PubMed Central

Sengüven, Burcu; Baris, Emre; Oygur, Tulin; Berktas, Mehmet

2014-01-01

Aim: Discussing a protocol involving xylene-ethanol deparaffinization on slides followed by a kit-based extraction that allows for the extraction of high quality DNA from FFPE tissues. Methods: DNA was extracted from the FFPE tissues of 16 randomly selected blocks. Methods involving deparaffinization on slides or tubes, enzyme digestion overnight or for 72 hours and isolation using phenol chloroform method or a silica-based commercial kit were compared in terms of yields, concentrations and the amplifiability. Results: The highest yield of DNA was produced from the samples that were deparaffinized on slides, digested for 72 hours and isolated with a commercial kit. Samples isolated with the phenol-chloroform method produced DNA of lower purity than the samples that were purified with kit. The samples isolated with the commercial kit resulted in better PCR amplification. Conclusion: Silica-based commercial kits and deparaffinized on slides should be considered for DNA extraction from FFPE. PMID:24688314

A collaborative comparison of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) standard setting methods at Australian medical schools.

PubMed

Malau-Aduli, Bunmi Sherifat; Teague, Peta-Ann; D'Souza, Karen; Heal, Clare; Turner, Richard; Garne, David L; van der Vleuten, Cees

2017-12-01

A key issue underpinning the usefulness of the OSCE assessment to medical education is standard setting, but the majority of standard-setting methods remain challenging for performance assessment because they produce varying passing marks. Several studies have compared standard-setting methods; however, most of these studies are limited by their experimental scope, or use data on examinee performance at a single OSCE station or from a single medical school. This collaborative study between 10 Australian medical schools investigated the effect of standard-setting methods on OSCE cut scores and failure rates. This research used 5256 examinee scores from seven shared OSCE stations to calculate cut scores and failure rates using two different compromise standard-setting methods, namely the Borderline Regression and Cohen's methods. The results of this study indicate that Cohen's method yields similar outcomes to the Borderline Regression method, particularly for large examinee cohort sizes. However, with lower examinee numbers on a station, the Borderline Regression method resulted in higher cut scores and larger difference margins in the failure rates. Cohen's method yields similar outcomes as the Borderline Regression method and its application for benchmarking purposes and in resource-limited settings is justifiable, particularly with large examinee numbers.

Laser Synthesis of Supported Catalysts for Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanderWal, Randall L.; Ticich, Thomas M.; Sherry, Leif J.; Hall, Lee J.; Schubert, Kathy (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Four methods of laser assisted catalyst generation for carbon nanotube (CNT) synthesis have been tested. These include pulsed laser transfer (PLT), photolytic deposition (PLD), photothermal deposition (PTD) and laser ablation deposition (LABD). Results from each method are compared based on CNT yield, morphology and structure. Under the conditions tested, the PLT was the easiest method to implement, required the least time and also yielded the best pattemation. The photolytic and photothermal methods required organometallics, extended processing time and partial vacuums. The latter two requirements also held for the ablation deposition approach. In addition to control of the substrate position, controlled deposition duration was necessary to achieve an active catalyst layer. Although all methods were tested on both metal and quartz substrates, only the quartz substrates proved to be inactive towards the deposited catalyst particles.

Electron-induced electron yields of uncharged insulating materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, Ryan Carl

Presented here are electron-induced electron yield measurements from high-resistivity, high-yield materials to support a model for the yield of uncharged insulators. These measurements are made using a low-fluence, pulsed electron beam and charge neutralization to minimize charge accumulation. They show charging induced changes in the total yield, as much as 75%, even for incident electron fluences of <3 fC/mm2, when compared to an uncharged yield. The evolution of the yield as charge accumulates in the material is described in terms of electron recapture, based on the extended Chung and Everhart model of the electron emission spectrum and the dual dynamic layer model for internal charge distribution. This model is used to explain charge-induced total yield modification measured in high-yield ceramics, and to provide a method for determining electron yield of uncharged, highly insulating, high-yield materials. A sequence of materials with progressively greater charge susceptibility is presented. This series starts with low-yield Kapton derivative called CP1, then considers a moderate-yield material, Kapton HN, and ends with a high-yield ceramic, polycrystalline aluminum oxide. Applicability of conductivity (both radiation induced conductivity (RIC) and dark current conductivity) to the yield is addressed. Relevance of these results to spacecraft charging is also discussed.

Performance of FFT methods in local gravity field modelling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Forsberg, Rene; Solheim, Dag

1989-01-01

Fast Fourier transform (FFT) methods provide a fast and efficient means of processing large amounts of gravity or geoid data in local gravity field modelling. The FFT methods, however, has a number of theoretical and practical limitations, especially the use of flat-earth approximation, and the requirements for gridded data. In spite of this the method often yields excellent results in practice when compared to other more rigorous (and computationally expensive) methods, such as least-squares collocation. The good performance of the FFT methods illustrate that the theoretical approximations are offset by the capability of taking into account more data in larger areas, especially important for geoid predictions. For best results good data gridding algorithms are essential. In practice truncated collocation approaches may be used. For large areas at high latitudes the gridding must be done using suitable map projections such as UTM, to avoid trivial errors caused by the meridian convergence. The FFT methods are compared to ground truth data in New Mexico (xi, eta from delta g), Scandinavia (N from delta g, the geoid fits to 15 cm over 2000 km), and areas of the Atlantic (delta g from satellite altimetry using Wiener filtering). In all cases the FFT methods yields results comparable or superior to other methods.

Temporal Correlations and Neural Spike Train Entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Simon R.; Panzeri, Stefano

2001-06-01

Sampling considerations limit the experimental conditions under which information theoretic analyses of neurophysiological data yield reliable results. We develop a procedure for computing the full temporal entropy and information of ensembles of neural spike trains, which performs reliably for limited samples of data. This approach also yields insight to the role of correlations between spikes in temporal coding mechanisms. The method, when applied to recordings from complex cells of the monkey primary visual cortex, results in lower rms error information estimates in comparison to a ``brute force'' approach.

High yield fabrication of fluorescent nanodiamonds

PubMed Central

Boudou, Jean-Paul; Curmi, Patrick; Jelezko, Fedor; Wrachtrup, Joerg; Aubert, Pascal; Sennour, Mohamed; Balasubramanian, Gopalakrischnan; Reuter, Rolf; Thorel, Alain; Gaffet, Eric

2009-01-01

A new fabrication method to produce homogeneously fluorescent nanodiamonds with high yields is described. The powder obtained by high energy ball milling of fluorescent high pressure, high temperature diamond microcrystals was converted in a pure concentrated aqueous colloidal dispersion of highly crystalline ultrasmall nanoparticles with a mean size less than or equal to 10 nm. The whole fabrication yield of colloidal quasi-spherical nanodiamonds was several orders of magnitude higher than those previously reported starting from microdiamonds. The results open up avenues for the industrial cost-effective production of fluorescent nanodiamonds with well-controlled properties. PMID:19451687

An Assessment of the Water Development Project (GAP) of Turkey: Meeting Its Objectives and EU Criteria for Turkey’s Accession

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

less water supplied to farmers, the less the yield crop will be. In a comparative study of twelve irrigation schemes in the GAP region, relative...Moreover, the study states that the method it uses to yield the performance results of the irrigation schemes in the GAP area requires few climatic...agriculture sector production issued by the GAP - RDA administration mention the yields in production up to the year 2001–02. Few of these published

Environmental monitoring: data trending using a frequency model.

PubMed

Caputo, Ross A; Huffman, Anne

2004-01-01

Environmental monitoring programs for the oversight of classified environments have used traditional statistical control charts to monitor trends in microbial recovery for classified environments. These methodologies work well for environments that yield measurable microbial recoveries. However, today successful increased control of microbial content yields numerous instances where microbial recovery in a sample is generally zero. As a result, traditional control chart methods cannot be used appropriately. Two methods to monitor the performance of a classified environment where microbial recovery is zero are presented. Both methods use the frequency between non-zero microbial recovery as an event. Therefore, the frequency of events is monitored rather than the microbial recovery count. Both methods are shown to be appropriate for use in the described instances.

Measuring 3D point configurations in pictorial space

PubMed Central

Wagemans, Johan; van Doorn, Andrea J; Koenderink, Jan J

2011-01-01

We propose a novel method to probe the depth structure of the pictorial space evoked by paintings. The method involves an exocentric pointing paradigm that allows one to find the slope of the geodesic connection between any pair of points in pictorial space. Since the locations of the points in the picture plane are known, this immediately yields the depth difference between the points. A set of depth differences between all pairs of points from an N-point (N > 2) configuration then yields the configuration in depth up to an arbitrary depth offset. Since an N-point configuration implies N(N−1) (ordered) pairs, the number of observations typically far exceeds the number of inferred depths. This yields a powerful check on the geometrical consistency of the results. We report that the remaining inconsistencies are fully accounted for by the spread encountered in repeated observations. This implies that the concept of ‘pictorial space’ indeed has an empirical significance. The method is analyzed and empirically verified in considerable detail. We report large quantitative interobserver differences, though the results of all observers agree modulo a certain affine transformation that describes the basic cue ambiguities. This is expected on the basis of a formal analysis of monocular optical structure. The method will prove useful in a variety of potential applications. PMID:23145227

Predictor symbology in computer-generated pictorial displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grunwald, A. J.

1981-01-01

The display under investigation, is a tunnel display for the four-dimensional commercial aircraft approach-to-landing under instrument flight rules. It is investigated whether more complex predictive information such as a three-dimensional perspective vehicle symbol, predicting the future vehicle position as well as future vehicle attitude angles, contributes to a better system response, and suitable predictor laws for the predictor motions, are formulated. Methods for utilizing the predictor symbol in controlling the forward velocity of the aircraft in four-dimensional approaches, are investigated. The simulator tests show, that the complex perspective vehicle symbol yields improved damping in the lateral response as compared to a flat two-dimensional predictor cross, but yields generally larger vertical deviations. Methods of using the predictor symbol in controlling the forward velocity of the vehicle are shown to be effective. The tunnel display with superimposed perspective vehicle symbol yields very satisfactory results and pilot acceptance in the lateral control but is found to be unsatisfactory in the vertical control, as a result of too large vertical path-angle deviations.

Simplified Method to Isolate Highly Pure Canine Pancreatic Islets

PubMed Central

Woolcott, Orison O.; Bergman, Richard N.; Richey, Joyce M.; Kirkman, Erlinda L.; Harrison, L. Nicole; Ionut, Viorica; Lottati, Maya; Zheng, Dan; Hsu, Isabel R.; Stefanovski, Darko; Kabir, Morvarid; Kim, Stella P.; Catalano, Karyn J.; Chiu, Jenny D.; Chow, Robert H.

2015-01-01

Objectives The canine model has been used extensively to improve the human pancreatic islet isolation technique. At the functional level, dog islets show high similarity to human islets and thus can be a helpful tool for islet research. We describe and compare 2 manual isolation methods, M1 (initial) and M2 (modified), and analyze the variables associated with the outcomes, including islet yield, purity, and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Methods Male mongrel dogs were used in the study. M2 (n = 7) included higher collagenase concentration, shorter digestion time, faster shaking speed, colder purification temperature, and higher differential density gradient than M1 (n = 7). Results Islet yield was similar between methods (3111.0 ± 309.1 and 3155.8 ± 644.5 islets/g, M1 and M2, respectively; P = 0.951). Pancreas weight and purity together were directly associated with the yield (adjusted R2 = 0.61; P = 0.002). Purity was considerably improved with M2 (96.7% ± 1.2% vs 75.0% ± 6.3%; P = 0.006). M2 improved GSIS (P = 0.021). Independently, digestion time was inversely associated with GSIS. Conclusions We describe an isolation method (M2) to obtain a highly pure yield of dog islets with adequate β-cell glucose responsiveness. The isolation variables associated with the outcomes in our canine model confirm previous reports in other species, including humans. PMID:21792087

Interval sampling methods and measurement error: a computer simulation.

PubMed

Wirth, Oliver; Slaven, James; Taylor, Matthew A

2014-01-01

A simulation study was conducted to provide a more thorough account of measurement error associated with interval sampling methods. A computer program simulated the application of momentary time sampling, partial-interval recording, and whole-interval recording methods on target events randomly distributed across an observation period. The simulation yielded measures of error for multiple combinations of observation period, interval duration, event duration, and cumulative event duration. The simulations were conducted up to 100 times to yield measures of error variability. Although the present simulation confirmed some previously reported characteristics of interval sampling methods, it also revealed many new findings that pertain to each method's inherent strengths and weaknesses. The analysis and resulting error tables can help guide the selection of the most appropriate sampling method for observation-based behavioral assessments. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Effects of extraction methods on the antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Agaricus blazei Murrill.

PubMed

Jia, Shaoyi; Li, Feng; Liu, Yong; Ren, Haitao; Gong, Guili; Wang, Yanyan; Wu, Songhai

2013-11-01

Five polysaccharides were obtained from Agaricus blazei Murrill (ABM) through different extraction methods including hot water extraction, single enzyme extraction (pectinase, cellulase or papain) and compound enzymes extraction (cellulase:pectinase:papain). Their characteristics such as the polysaccharide yield, polysaccharide content, protein content, infrared spectra were determined, and antioxidant activities were investigated on the basis of hydroxyl radical, DPPH free radical, ABTS free radical and reducing power. The results showed that five extracts exhibited antioxidant activities in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with other methods, the compound enzymes extraction method was found to present the highest polysaccharides yield (17.44%). Moreover, compound enzymes extracts exhibited the strongest reducing power and highest scavenging rates on hydroxyl radicals, DPPH radicals and ABTS radicals. On the contrary, hot water extraction method had the lowest polysaccharides yield of 11.95%, whose extracts also exhibited the lowest antioxidant activities. Overall, the available data obtained in vitro models suggested that ABM extracts were natural antioxidants and compound enzymes extraction was an appropriate, mild and effective extracting method for obtaining the polysaccharide extracts from Agaricus blazei Murrill (ABM). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A multivariate model and statistical method for validating tree grade lumber yield equations

Treesearch

Donald W. Seegrist

1975-01-01

Lumber yields within lumber grades can be described by a multivariate linear model. A method for validating lumber yield prediction equations when there are several tree grades is presented. The method is based on multivariate simultaneous test procedures.

Recent progress in invariant pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsenault, Henri H.; Chang, S.; Gagne, Philippe; Gualdron Gonzalez, Oscar

1996-12-01

We present some recent results in invariant pattern recognition, including methods that are invariant under two or more distortions of position, orientation and scale. There are now a few methods that yield good results under changes of both rotation and scale. Some new methods are introduced. These include locally adaptive nonlinear matched filters, scale-adapted wavelet transforms and invariant filters for disjoint noise. Methods using neural networks will also be discussed, including an optical method that allows simultaneous classification of multiple targets.

Acoustic Signature from Flames as a Combustion Diagnostic Tool

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

empirical visual flame length had to be input to the computer for the inversion method to give good results. That is, if the experiment cnd inversion...method were asked to yield the flame length , poor results were obtained. Since this wa3 part of the information sought for practical application of the...to small experimental uncertainty. The method gave reasonably good results for the open flame but substantial input (the flame length ) had to be

Linkages among climate change, crop yields and Mexico–US cross-border migration

PubMed Central

Feng, Shuaizhang; Krueger, Alan B.; Oppenheimer, Michael

2010-01-01

Climate change is expected to cause mass human migration, including immigration across international borders. This study quantitatively examines the linkages among variations in climate, agricultural yields, and people's migration responses by using an instrumental variables approach. Our method allows us to identify the relationship between crop yields and migration without explicitly controlling for all other confounding factors. Using state-level data from Mexico, we find a significant effect of climate-driven changes in crop yields on the rate of emigration to the United States. The estimated semielasticity of emigration with respect to crop yields is approximately −0.2, i.e., a 10% reduction in crop yields would lead an additional 2% of the population to emigrate. We then use the estimated semielasticity to explore the potential magnitude of future emigration. Depending on the warming scenarios used and adaptation levels assumed, with other factors held constant, by approximately the year 2080, climate change is estimated to induce 1.4 to 6.7 million adult Mexicans (or 2% to 10% of the current population aged 15–65 y) to emigrate as a result of declines in agricultural productivity alone. Although the results cannot be mechanically extrapolated to other areas and time periods, our findings are significant from a global perspective given that many regions, especially developing countries, are expected to experience significant declines in agricultural yields as a result of projected warming. PMID:20660749

Linkages among climate change, crop yields and Mexico-US cross-border migration.

PubMed

Feng, Shuaizhang; Krueger, Alan B; Oppenheimer, Michael

2010-08-10

Climate change is expected to cause mass human migration, including immigration across international borders. This study quantitatively examines the linkages among variations in climate, agricultural yields, and people's migration responses by using an instrumental variables approach. Our method allows us to identify the relationship between crop yields and migration without explicitly controlling for all other confounding factors. Using state-level data from Mexico, we find a significant effect of climate-driven changes in crop yields on the rate of emigration to the United States. The estimated semielasticity of emigration with respect to crop yields is approximately -0.2, i.e., a 10% reduction in crop yields would lead an additional 2% of the population to emigrate. We then use the estimated semielasticity to explore the potential magnitude of future emigration. Depending on the warming scenarios used and adaptation levels assumed, with other factors held constant, by approximately the year 2080, climate change is estimated to induce 1.4 to 6.7 million adult Mexicans (or 2% to 10% of the current population aged 15-65 y) to emigrate as a result of declines in agricultural productivity alone. Although the results cannot be mechanically extrapolated to other areas and time periods, our findings are significant from a global perspective given that many regions, especially developing countries, are expected to experience significant declines in agricultural yields as a result of projected warming.

Integration process of fermentation and liquid biphasic flotation for lipase separation from Burkholderia cepacia.

PubMed

Sankaran, Revathy; Show, Pau Loke; Lee, Sze Ying; Yap, Yee Jiun; Ling, Tau Chuan

2018-02-01

Liquid Biphasic Flotation (LBF) is an advanced recovery method that has been effectively applied for biomolecules extraction. The objective of this investigation is to incorporate the fermentation and extraction process of lipase from Burkholderia cepacia using flotation system. Initial study was conducted to compare the performance of bacteria growth and lipase production using flotation and shaker system. From the results obtained, bacteria shows quicker growth and high lipase yield via flotation system. Integration process for lipase separation was investigated and the result showed high efficiency reaching 92.29% and yield of 95.73%. Upscaling of the flotation system exhibited consistent result with the lab-scale which are 89.53% efficiency and 93.82% yield. The combination of upstream and downstream processes in a single system enables the acceleration of product formation, improves the product yield and facilitates downstream processing. This integration system demonstrated its potential for biomolecules fermentation and separation that possibly open new opportunities for industrial production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid alkali catalyzed transesterification of microalgae lipids to biodiesel using simultaneous cooling and microwave heating and its optimization.

PubMed

Chee Loong, Teo; Idris, Ani

2014-12-01

Biodiesel with improved yield was produced from microalgae biomass under simultaneous cooling and microwave heating (SCMH). Nannochloropsis sp. and Tetraselmis sp. which were known to contain higher lipid species were used. The yield obtained using this novel technique was compared with the conventional heating (CH) and microwave heating (MWH) as the control method. The results revealed that the yields obtained using the novel SCMH were higher; Nannochloropsis sp. (83.33%) and Tetraselmis sp. (77.14%) than the control methods. Maximum yields were obtained using SCMH when the microwave was set at 50°C, 800W, 16h of reaction with simultaneous cooling at 15°C; and water content and lipid to methanol ratio in reaction mixture was kept to 0 and 1:12 respectively. GC analysis depicted that the biodiesel produced from this technique has lower carbon components (<19 C) and has both reasonable CN and IV reflecting good ignition and lubricating properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential method for gas production: high temperature co-pyrolysis of lignite and sewage sludge with vacuum reactor and long contact time.

PubMed

Yang, Xiao; Yuan, Chengyong; Xu, Jiao; Zhang, Weijiang

2015-03-01

Lignite and sewage sludge were co-pyrolyzed in a vacuum reactor with high temperature (900°C) and long contact time (more than 2h). Beneficial synergetic effect on gas yield was clearly observed. Gas yield of blend fuel was evidently higher than that of both parent fuels. The gas volume yield, gas lower heating value (LHV), fixed carbon conversion and H2/CO ratio were 1.42 Nm(3)/kg(blend fuel), 10.57 MJ/Nm(3), 96.64% and 0.88% respectively, which indicated this new method a feasible one for gas production. It was possible that sewage sludge acted as gasification agents (CO2 and H2O) and catalyst (alkali and alkaline earth metals) provider during co-pyrolysis, promoting CO2-char and H2O-char gasification which, as a result, invited the improvement of gas volume yield, gas lower heating value and fixed carbon conversion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth and yield of patchouli (Pogostemon cablin, Benth) due to mulching and method of fertilizer on rain-fed land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasruddin; Harahap, E. M.; Hanum, C.; Siregar, L. A. M.

2018-02-01

The drought stress that occurs during growth results in a drastic reduction in growth and yield. This study was aimed to study the effect of mulching and method of fertilizer application in reducing the impact of drought stress on patchouli plants. The experiment was conducted from July to December 2016 using a split plot design into three replications with two treatment factors. The first factor was mulch factor with three levels, i.e. M0 (without mulch), M1 (rice straw mulch) and M2 (silver black plastic mulch). The second factor was the method of fertilizer application consisting of three stages: C1 (once), C2 (twice), C3 (three times). The parameters included plant height, number of branches, number of leaves, root length, wet weight of plant, root canopy ratio, total of chlorophyll, soil temperature and soil moisture content. The results showed the use of straw mulch reduce the impact of drought stress on patchouli plants. Two times fertilizer application gave better growth and yield. The use of straw mulch produced lower temperature degrees and maintained soil moisture content.

Accuracy of least-squares methods for the Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bochev, Pavel B.; Gunzburger, Max D.

1993-01-01

Recently there has been substantial interest in least-squares finite element methods for velocity-vorticity-pressure formulations of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The main cause for this interest is the fact that algorithms for the resulting discrete equations can be devised which require the solution of only symmetric, positive definite systems of algebraic equations. On the other hand, it is well-documented that methods using the vorticity as a primary variable often yield very poor approximations. Thus, here we study the accuracy of these methods through a series of computational experiments, and also comment on theoretical error estimates. It is found, despite the failure of standard methods for deriving error estimates, that computational evidence suggests that these methods are, at the least, nearly optimally accurate. Thus, in addition to the desirable matrix properties yielded by least-squares methods, one also obtains accurate approximations.

A comparison of accelerated solvent extraction, Soxhlet extraction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction for analysis of terpenoids and sterols in tobacco.

PubMed

Shen, Jinchao; Shao, Xueguang

2005-11-01

The performance of accelerated solvent extraction in the analysis of terpenoids and sterols in tobacco samples was investigated and compared with those of Soxhlet extraction and ultrasonically assisted extraction with respect to yield, extraction time, reproducibility and solvent consumption. The results indicate that although the highest yield was achieved by Soxhlet extraction, ASE appears to be a promising alternative to classical methods since it is faster and uses less solvent, especially when applied to the investigation of large batch tobacco samples. However, Soxhlet extraction is still the preferred method for analyzing sterols since it gives a higher extraction efficiency than other methods.

Prediction of beef carcass salable yield and trimmable fat using bioelectrical impedance analysis.

PubMed

Zollinger, B L; Farrow, R L; Lawrence, T E; Latman, N S

2010-03-01

Bioelectrical impedance technology (BIA) is capable of providing an objective method of beef carcass yield estimation with the rapidity of yield grading. Electrical resistance (Rs), reactance (Xc), impedance (I), hot carcass weight (HCW), fat thickness between the 12th and 13th ribs (FT), estimated percentage kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (KPH%), longissimus muscle area (LMA), length between electrodes (LGE) as well as three derived carcass values that included electrical volume (EVOL), reactive density (XcD), and resistive density (RsD) were determined for the carcasses of 41 commercially fed cattle. Carcasses were subsequently fabricated into salable beef products reflective of industry standards. Equations were developed to predict percentage salable carcass yield (SY%) and percentage trimmable fat (FT%). Resulting equations accounted for 81% and 84% of variation in SY% and FT%, respectively. These results indicate that BIA technology is an accurate predictor of beef carcass composition. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrated microfluidic card with TaqMan probes and high-resolution melt analysis to detect tuberculosis drug resistance mutations across 10 genes.

PubMed

Pholwat, Suporn; Liu, Jie; Stroup, Suzanne; Gratz, Jean; Banu, Sayera; Rahman, S M Mazidur; Ferdous, Sara Sabrina; Foongladda, Suporn; Boonlert, Duangjai; Ogarkov, Oleg; Zhdanova, Svetlana; Kibiki, Gibson; Heysell, Scott; Houpt, Eric

2015-02-24

Genotypic methods for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are desirable to speed the diagnosis and proper therapy of tuberculosis (TB). However, the numbers of genes and polymorphisms implicated in resistance have proliferated, challenging diagnostic design. We developed a microfluidic TaqMan array card (TAC) that utilizes both sequence-specific probes and high-resolution melt analysis (HRM), providing two layers of detection of mutations. Twenty-seven primer pairs and 40 probes were designed to interrogate 3,200 base pairs of critical regions of the inhA, katG, rpoB, embB, rpsL, rrs, eis, gyrA, gyrB, and pncA genes. The method was evaluated on 230 clinical M. tuberculosis isolates from around the world, and it yielded 96.1% accuracy (2,431/2,530) in comparison to that of Sanger sequencing and 87% accuracy in comparison to that of the slow culture-based susceptibility testing. This TAC-HRM method integrates assays for 10 genes to yield fast, comprehensive, and accurate drug susceptibility results for the 9 major antibiotics used to treat TB and could be deployed to improve treatment outcomes. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis threatens global tuberculosis control efforts. Optimal therapy utilizes susceptibility test results to guide individualized treatment regimens; however, the susceptibility testing methods in use are technically difficult and slow. We developed an integrated TaqMan array card method with high-resolution melt analysis that interrogates 10 genes to yield a fast, comprehensive, and accurate drug susceptibility result for the 9 major antituberculosis antibiotics. Copyright © 2015 Pholwat et al.

Optimal 2D-SIM reconstruction by two filtering steps with Richardson-Lucy deconvolution.

PubMed

Perez, Victor; Chang, Bo-Jui; Stelzer, Ernst Hans Karl

2016-11-16

Structured illumination microscopy relies on reconstruction algorithms to yield super-resolution images. Artifacts can arise in the reconstruction and affect the image quality. Current reconstruction methods involve a parametrized apodization function and a Wiener filter. Empirically tuning the parameters in these functions can minimize artifacts, but such an approach is subjective and produces volatile results. We present a robust and objective method that yields optimal results by two straightforward filtering steps with Richardson-Lucy-based deconvolutions. We provide a resource to identify artifacts in 2D-SIM images by analyzing two main reasons for artifacts, out-of-focus background and a fluctuating reconstruction spectrum. We show how the filtering steps improve images of test specimens, microtubules, yeast and mammalian cells.

Optimal 2D-SIM reconstruction by two filtering steps with Richardson-Lucy deconvolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez, Victor; Chang, Bo-Jui; Stelzer, Ernst Hans Karl

2016-11-01

Structured illumination microscopy relies on reconstruction algorithms to yield super-resolution images. Artifacts can arise in the reconstruction and affect the image quality. Current reconstruction methods involve a parametrized apodization function and a Wiener filter. Empirically tuning the parameters in these functions can minimize artifacts, but such an approach is subjective and produces volatile results. We present a robust and objective method that yields optimal results by two straightforward filtering steps with Richardson-Lucy-based deconvolutions. We provide a resource to identify artifacts in 2D-SIM images by analyzing two main reasons for artifacts, out-of-focus background and a fluctuating reconstruction spectrum. We show how the filtering steps improve images of test specimens, microtubules, yeast and mammalian cells.

Project-Method Fit: Exploring Factors That Influence Agile Method Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Diana K.

2013-01-01

While the productivity and quality implications of agile software development methods (SDMs) have been demonstrated, research concerning the project contexts where their use is most appropriate has yielded less definitive results. Most experts agree that agile SDMs are not suited for all project contexts. Several project and team factors have been…

Oyster mushroom cultivation with rice and wheat straw.

PubMed

Zhang, Ruihong; Li, Xiujin; Fadel, J G

2002-05-01

Cultivation of the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus sajor-caju, on rice and wheat straw without nutrient supplementation was investigated. The effects of straw size reduction method and particle size, spawn inoculation level, and type of substrate (rice straw versus wheat straw) on mushroom yield, biological efficiency, bioconversion efficiency, and substrate degradation were determined. Two size reduction methods, grinding and chopping, were compared. The ground straw yielded higher mushroom growth rate and yield than the chopped straw. The growth cycles of mushrooms with the ground substrate were five days shorter than with the chopped straw for a similar particle size. However, it was found that when the straw was ground into particles that were too small, the mushroom yield decreased. With the three spawn levels tested (12%, 16% and 18%), the 12% level resulted in significantly lower mushroom yield than the other two levels. Comparing rice straw with wheat straw, rice straw yielded about 10% more mushrooms than wheat straw under the same cultivation conditions. The dry matter loss of the substrate after mushroom growth varied from 30.1% to 44.3%. The straw fiber remaining after fungal utilization was not as degradable as the original straw fiber, indicating that the fungal fermentation did not improve the feed value of the straw.

Comparison of amino acid digestibility of feedstuffs determined with the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay and the standardized ileal amino acid digestibility assay.

PubMed

Kim, E J; Utterback, P L; Applegate, T J; Parsons, C M

2011-11-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare amino acid digestibility of several feedstuffs using 2 commonly accepted methods: the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay (PFR) and the standardized ileal amino acid assay (SIAAD). Six corn, 6 corn distillers dried grains with or without solubles (DDGS/DDG), one wet distillers grains, one condensed solubles, 2 meat and bone meal (MBM) and a poultry byproduct meal were evaluated. Due to insufficient amounts, the wet distillers grains and condensed solubles were only evaluated in roosters. Standardized amino acid digestibility varied among the feed ingredients and among samples of the same ingredient for both methods. For corn, there were generally no differences in amino acid digestibility between the 2 methods. When differences did occur, there was no consistent pattern among the individual amino acids and methods. Standardized amino acid digestibility was not different between the 2 methods for 4 of the DDG samples; however, the PFR yielded higher digestibility values for a high protein DDG and a conventionally processed DDGS. The PFR yielded higher amino acid digestibility values than the SIAAD for several amino acids in 1 MBM and the poultry byproduct meal, but it yielded lower digestibility values for the other MBM. Overall, there were no consistent differences between methods for amino acid digestibility values. In conclusion, the PFR and SIAAD methods are acceptable for determining amino acid digestibility. However, these procedures do not always yield similar results for all feedstuffs evaluated. Thus, further studies are needed to understand the underlying causes in this variability.

Production of Y-86 and other radiometals for research purposes using a solution target system.

PubMed

Oehlke, Elisabeth; Hoehr, Cornelia; Hou, Xinchi; Hanemaayer, Victoire; Zeisler, Stefan; Adam, Michael J; Ruth, Thomas J; Celler, Anna; Buckley, Ken; Benard, Francois; Schaffer, Paul

2015-11-01

Diagnostic radiometals are typically obtained from cyclotrons by irradiating solid targets or from radioisotope generators. These methods have the advantage of high production yields, but require additional solid target handling infrastructure that is not readily available to many cyclotron facilities. Herein, we provide an overview of our results regarding the production of various positron-emitting radiometals using a liquid target system installed on a 13 MeV cyclotron at TRIUMF. Details about the production, purification and quality control of (89)Zr, (68)Ga and for the first time (86)Y are discussed. Aqueous solutions containing 1.35-1.65 g/mL of natural-abundance zinc nitrate, yttrium nitrate, and strontium nitrate were irradiated on a 13 MeV cyclotron using a standard liquid target. Different target body and foil materials were investigated for corrosion. Production yields were calculated using theoretical cross-sections from the EMPIRE code and compared with experimental results. The radioisotopes were extracted from irradiated target material using solid phase extraction methods adapted from previously reported methods, and used for radiolabelling experiments. We demonstrated production quantities that are sufficient for chemical and biological studies for three separate radiometals, (89)Zr (Asat = 360 MBq/μA and yield = 3.17 MBq/μA), (86)Y (Asat = 31 MBq/μA and yield = 1.44 MBq/μA), and (68)Ga (Asat = 141 MBq/μA and yield = 64 MBq/μA) from one hour long irradiations on a typical medical cyclotron. (68)Ga yields were sufficient for potential clinical applications. In order to avoid corrosion of the target body and target foil, nitrate solutions were chosen as well as niobium as target-body material. An automatic loading system enabled up to three production runs per day. The separation efficiency ranged from 82 to 99%. Subsequently, (68)Ga and (86)Y were successfully used to radiolabel DOTA-based chelators while deferoxamine was used to coordinate (89)Zr. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Methods to Improve the Extraction and Recovery of DNA from Cotton Swabs for Forensic Analysis

PubMed Central

Adamowicz, Michael S.; Stasulli, Dominique M.; Sobestanovich, Emily M.; Bille, Todd W.

2014-01-01

Samples for forensic DNA analysis are often collected from a wide variety of objects using cotton or nylon tipped swabs. Testing has shown that significant quantities of DNA are retained on the swab, however, and subsequently lost. When processing evidentiary samples, the recovery of the maximum amount of available DNA is critical, potentially dictating whether a usable profile can be derived from a piece of evidence or not. The QIAamp DNA Investigator extraction kit was used with its recommended protocol for swabs (one hour incubation at 56°C) as a baseline. Results indicate that over 50% of the recoverable DNA may be retained on the cotton swab tip, or otherwise lost, for both blood and buccal cell samples when using this protocol. The protocol’s incubation time and temperature were altered, as was incubating while shaking or stationary to test for increases in recovery efficiency. An additional step was then tested that included periodic re-suspension of the swab tip in the extraction buffer during incubation. Aliquots of liquid blood or a buccal cell suspension were deposited and dried on cotton swabs and compared with swab-less controls. The concentration of DNA in each extract was quantified and STR analysis was performed to assess the quality of the extracted DNA. Stationary incubations and those performed at 65°C did not result in significant gains in DNA yield. Samples incubated for 24 hours yielded less DNA. Increased yields were observed with three and 18 hour incubation periods. Increases in DNA yields were also observed using a swab re-suspension method for both cell types. The swab re-suspension method yielded an average two-fold increase in recovered DNA yield with buccal cells and an average three-fold increase with blood cells. These findings demonstrate that more of the DNA collected on swabs can be recovered with specific protocol alterations. PMID:25549111

A network-based approach for semi-quantitative knowledge mining and its application to yield variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schauberger, Bernhard; Rolinski, Susanne; Müller, Christoph

2016-12-01

Variability of crop yields is detrimental for food security. Under climate change its amplitude is likely to increase, thus it is essential to understand the underlying causes and mechanisms. Crop models are the primary tool to project future changes in crop yields under climate change. A systematic overview of drivers and mechanisms of crop yield variability (YV) can thus inform crop model development and facilitate improved understanding of climate change impacts on crop yields. Yet there is a vast body of literature on crop physiology and YV, which makes a prioritization of mechanisms for implementation in models challenging. Therefore this paper takes on a novel approach to systematically mine and organize existing knowledge from the literature. The aim is to identify important mechanisms lacking in models, which can help to set priorities in model improvement. We structure knowledge from the literature in a semi-quantitative network. This network consists of complex interactions between growing conditions, plant physiology and crop yield. We utilize the resulting network structure to assign relative importance to causes of YV and related plant physiological processes. As expected, our findings confirm existing knowledge, in particular on the dominant role of temperature and precipitation, but also highlight other important drivers of YV. More importantly, our method allows for identifying the relevant physiological processes that transmit variability in growing conditions to variability in yield. We can identify explicit targets for the improvement of crop models. The network can additionally guide model development by outlining complex interactions between processes and by easily retrieving quantitative information for each of the 350 interactions. We show the validity of our network method as a structured, consistent and scalable dictionary of literature. The method can easily be applied to many other research fields.

High-Yield Method for Dispersing Simian Kidneys for Cell Cultures

PubMed Central

de Oca, H. Montes; Probst, P.; Grubbs, R.

1971-01-01

A technique for dispersion of animal tissue cells is described. The proposed technique is based on the concomitant use of trypsin and disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA). The use of the two dispersing agents (trypsin and disodium EDTA) markedly enhances cell yield as compared with the standard cell dispersion methods. Moreover, significant reduction in the amount of time required for complete tissue dispersal, presence of a very low number of nonviable cells, less cell clumping, and more uniform monolayer formation upon cultivation compare favorably with the results usually obtained with the standard trypsinization technique. Images PMID:4993235

Digital simulation of an arbitrary stationary stochastic process by spectral representation.

PubMed

Yura, Harold T; Hanson, Steen G

2011-04-01

In this paper we present a straightforward, efficient, and computationally fast method for creating a large number of discrete samples with an arbitrary given probability density function and a specified spectral content. The method relies on initially transforming a white noise sample set of random Gaussian distributed numbers into a corresponding set with the desired spectral distribution, after which this colored Gaussian probability distribution is transformed via an inverse transform into the desired probability distribution. In contrast to previous work, where the analyses were limited to auto regressive and or iterative techniques to obtain satisfactory results, we find that a single application of the inverse transform method yields satisfactory results for a wide class of arbitrary probability distributions. Although a single application of the inverse transform technique does not conserve the power spectra exactly, it yields highly accurate numerical results for a wide range of probability distributions and target power spectra that are sufficient for system simulation purposes and can thus be regarded as an accurate engineering approximation, which can be used for wide range of practical applications. A sufficiency condition is presented regarding the range of parameter values where a single application of the inverse transform method yields satisfactory agreement between the simulated and target power spectra, and a series of examples relevant for the optics community are presented and discussed. Outside this parameter range the agreement gracefully degrades but does not distort in shape. Although we demonstrate the method here focusing on stationary random processes, we see no reason why the method could not be extended to simulate non-stationary random processes. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Control system estimation and design for aerospace vehicles with time delay

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allgaier, G. R.; Williams, T. L.

1972-01-01

The problems of estimation and control of discrete, linear, time-varying systems are considered. Previous solutions to these problems involved either approximate techniques, open-loop control solutions, or results which required excessive computation. The estimation problem is solved by two different methods, both of which yield the identical algorithm for determining the optimal filter. The partitioned results achieve a substantial reduction in computation time and storage requirements over the expanded solution, however. The results reduce to the Kalman filter when no delays are present in the system. The control problem is also solved by two different methods, both of which yield identical algorithms for determining the optimal control gains. The stochastic control is shown to be identical to the deterministic control, thus extending the separation principle to time delay systems. The results obtained reduce to the familiar optimal control solution when no time delays are present in the system.

The US Stock Market Leads the Federal Funds Rate and Treasury Bond Yields

PubMed Central

Guo, Kun; Zhou, Wei-Xing; Cheng, Si-Wei; Sornette, Didier

2011-01-01

Using a recently introduced method to quantify the time-varying lead-lag dependencies between pairs of economic time series (the thermal optimal path method), we test two fundamental tenets of the theory of fixed income: (i) the stock market variations and the yield changes should be anti-correlated; (ii) the change in central bank rates, as a proxy of the monetary policy of the central bank, should be a predictor of the future stock market direction. Using both monthly and weekly data, we found very similar lead-lag dependence between the S&P 500 stock market index and the yields of bonds inside two groups: bond yields of short-term maturities (Federal funds rate (FFR), 3M, 6M, 1Y, 2Y, and 3Y) and bond yields of long-term maturities (5Y, 7Y, 10Y, and 20Y). In all cases, we observe the opposite of (i) and (ii). First, the stock market and yields move in the same direction. Second, the stock market leads the yields, including especially the FFR. Moreover, we find that the short-term yields in the first group lead the long-term yields in the second group before the financial crisis that started in mid-2007 and the inverse relationship holds afterwards. These results suggest that the Federal Reserve is increasingly mindful of the stock market behavior, seen as key to the recovery and health of the economy. Long-term investors seem also to have been more reactive and mindful of the signals provided by the financial stock markets than the Federal Reserve itself after the start of the financial crisis. The lead of the S&P 500 stock market index over the bond yields of all maturities is confirmed by the traditional lagged cross-correlation analysis. PMID:21857954

The US stock market leads the federal funds rate and treasury bond yields.

PubMed

Guo, Kun; Zhou, Wei-Xing; Cheng, Si-Wei; Sornette, Didier

2011-01-01

Using a recently introduced method to quantify the time-varying lead-lag dependencies between pairs of economic time series (the thermal optimal path method), we test two fundamental tenets of the theory of fixed income: (i) the stock market variations and the yield changes should be anti-correlated; (ii) the change in central bank rates, as a proxy of the monetary policy of the central bank, should be a predictor of the future stock market direction. Using both monthly and weekly data, we found very similar lead-lag dependence between the S&P 500 stock market index and the yields of bonds inside two groups: bond yields of short-term maturities (Federal funds rate (FFR), 3M, 6M, 1Y, 2Y, and 3Y) and bond yields of long-term maturities (5Y, 7Y, 10Y, and 20Y). In all cases, we observe the opposite of (i) and (ii). First, the stock market and yields move in the same direction. Second, the stock market leads the yields, including especially the FFR. Moreover, we find that the short-term yields in the first group lead the long-term yields in the second group before the financial crisis that started in mid-2007 and the inverse relationship holds afterwards. These results suggest that the Federal Reserve is increasingly mindful of the stock market behavior, seen as key to the recovery and health of the economy. Long-term investors seem also to have been more reactive and mindful of the signals provided by the financial stock markets than the Federal Reserve itself after the start of the financial crisis. The lead of the S&P 500 stock market index over the bond yields of all maturities is confirmed by the traditional lagged cross-correlation analysis.

Statistical bias correction method applied on CMIP5 datasets over the Indian region during the summer monsoon season for climate change applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasanna, V.

2018-01-01

This study makes use of temperature and precipitation from CMIP5 climate model output for climate change application studies over the Indian region during the summer monsoon season (JJAS). Bias correction of temperature and precipitation from CMIP5 GCM simulation results with respect to observation is discussed in detail. The non-linear statistical bias correction is a suitable bias correction method for climate change data because it is simple and does not add up artificial uncertainties to the impact assessment of climate change scenarios for climate change application studies (agricultural production changes) in the future. The simple statistical bias correction uses observational constraints on the GCM baseline, and the projected results are scaled with respect to the changing magnitude in future scenarios, varying from one model to the other. Two types of bias correction techniques are shown here: (1) a simple bias correction using a percentile-based quantile-mapping algorithm and (2) a simple but improved bias correction method, a cumulative distribution function (CDF; Weibull distribution function)-based quantile-mapping algorithm. This study shows that the percentile-based quantile mapping method gives results similar to the CDF (Weibull)-based quantile mapping method, and both the methods are comparable. The bias correction is applied on temperature and precipitation variables for present climate and future projected data to make use of it in a simple statistical model to understand the future changes in crop production over the Indian region during the summer monsoon season. In total, 12 CMIP5 models are used for Historical (1901-2005), RCP4.5 (2005-2100), and RCP8.5 (2005-2100) scenarios. The climate index from each CMIP5 model and the observed agricultural yield index over the Indian region are used in a regression model to project the changes in the agricultural yield over India from RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The results revealed a better convergence of model projections in the bias corrected data compared to the uncorrected data. The study can be extended to localized regional domains aimed at understanding the changes in the agricultural productivity in the future with an agro-economy or a simple statistical model. The statistical model indicated that the total food grain yield is going to increase over the Indian region in the future, the increase in the total food grain yield is approximately 50 kg/ ha for the RCP4.5 scenario from 2001 until the end of 2100, and the increase in the total food grain yield is approximately 90 kg/ha for the RCP8.5 scenario from 2001 until the end of 2100. There are many studies using bias correction techniques, but this study applies the bias correction technique to future climate scenario data from CMIP5 models and applied it to crop statistics to find future crop yield changes over the Indian region.

Agricultural drought risk monitoring and yield loss forecast with remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagy, Attila; Tamás, János; Fehér, János

2015-04-01

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Global Water Partnership (GWP) have launched a joint Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) to improve monitoring and prevention of droughts. In the frame of this project this study focuses on identification of agricultural drought characteristics and elaborates a monitoring method (with application of remote sensing data), which could result in appropriate early warning of droughts before irreversible yield loss and/or quality degradation occur. The spatial decision supporting system to be developed will help the farmers in reducing drought risk of the different regions by plant specific calibrated drought indexes. The study area was the Tisza River Basin, which is located in Central Europe within the Carpathian Basin. For the investigations normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used calculated from 16 day moving average chlorophyll intensity and biomass quantity data. The results offer concrete identification of remote sensing and GIS data tools for agricultural drought monitoring and forecast, which eventually provides information on physical implementation of drought risk levels. In the first step, we statistically normalized the crop yield maps and the MODIS satellite data. Then the drought-induced crop yield loss values were classified. The crop yield loss data were validated against the regional meteorological drought index values (SPI), the water management and soil physical data. The objective of this method was to determine the congruency of data derived from spectral data and from field measurements. As a result, five drought risk levels were developed to identify the effect of drought on yields: Watch, Early Warning, Warning, Alert and Catastrophe. In the frame of this innovation such a data link and integration, missing from decision process of IDMP, are established, which can facilitate the rapid spatial and temporal monitoring of meteorological, agricultural drought phenomena and its economic relations, increasing the time factors effectiveness of decision support system. This methodology will be extendable for other Central European countries when country specific data are available and entered into the system. This new drought risk monitoring and forecasting method is an improvement for hydrologists, meteorologists and farmers, allowing to set up a complex drought monitoring system, where for a given period and respective catchment area the expected yield loss can be predicted, and the role of vegetation in the hydrological cycle could be more precisely quantified. Based on the results more water-saving agricultural land use alternatives could be planned on drought areas.

Separation and characterization of lignin from bio-ethanol production residue.

PubMed

Guo, Guowan; Li, Shujun; Wang, Lu; Ren, Shixue; Fang, Guizhen

2013-05-01

In order to develop an adequate method to separate lignin from bio-ethanol production residue, solvent extraction was conducted by using benzyl alcohol, dioxane and ethanol. Compared to the conventional alkali-solution and acid-isolation method, benzyl alcohol and dioxane extraction could reach higher lignin yield of 71.55% and 74.14% respectively. FTIR and XRD analysis results indicate that sodium hydroxide solution dissolved most of the lignin in the raw material. However, the low lignin yield by this method may be attributed to the products loss during the complex separation process. GPC and (1)H NMR results revealed that the dioxane-lignin had closer molecular weight with alkali-lignin, lower S/G ratio (0.22) and higher OHPh/OHAl ratio (0.45) with respect to benzyl alcohol-lignin. The results divulge that the lignin products separated from bio-ethanol production residue by dioxane extraction had fairly potential application with better chemical activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

All-inkjet-printed thin-film transistors: manufacturing process reliability by root cause analysis.

PubMed

Sowade, Enrico; Ramon, Eloi; Mitra, Kalyan Yoti; Martínez-Domingo, Carme; Pedró, Marta; Pallarès, Jofre; Loffredo, Fausta; Villani, Fulvia; Gomes, Henrique L; Terés, Lluís; Baumann, Reinhard R

2016-09-21

We report on the detailed electrical investigation of all-inkjet-printed thin-film transistor (TFT) arrays focusing on TFT failures and their origins. The TFT arrays were manufactured on flexible polymer substrates in ambient condition without the need for cleanroom environment or inert atmosphere and at a maximum temperature of 150 °C. Alternative manufacturing processes for electronic devices such as inkjet printing suffer from lower accuracy compared to traditional microelectronic manufacturing methods. Furthermore, usually printing methods do not allow the manufacturing of electronic devices with high yield (high number of functional devices). In general, the manufacturing yield is much lower compared to the established conventional manufacturing methods based on lithography. Thus, the focus of this contribution is set on a comprehensive analysis of defective TFTs printed by inkjet technology. Based on root cause analysis, we present the defects by developing failure categories and discuss the reasons for the defects. This procedure identifies failure origins and allows the optimization of the manufacturing resulting finally to a yield improvement.

Assessing the impacts of sustainable agricultural practices for water quality improvements in the Vouga catchment (Portugal) using the SWAT model.

PubMed

Rocha, João; Roebeling, Peter; Rial-Rivas, María Ermitas

2015-12-01

The extensive use of fertilizers has become one of the most challenging environmental issues in agricultural catchment areas. In order to reduce the negative impacts from agricultural activities and to accomplish the objectives of the European Water Framework Directive we must consider the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices. In this study, we assess sustainable agricultural practices based on reductions in N-fertilizer application rates (from 100% to 0%) and N-application methods (single, split and slow-release) across key agricultural land use classes in the Vouga catchment, Portugal. The SWAT model was used to relate sustainable agricultural practices, agricultural yields and N-NO3 water pollution deliveries. Results show that crop yields as well as N-NO3 exportation rates decrease with reductions in N-application rates and single N-application methods lead to lower crop yields and higher N-NO3 exportation rates as compared to split and slow-release N-application methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective production of chemicals from biomass pyrolysis over metal chlorides supported on zeolite.

PubMed

Leng, Shuai; Wang, Xinde; Cai, Qiuxia; Ma, Fengyun; Liu, Yue'e; Wang, Jianguo

2013-12-01

Direct biomass conversion into chemicals remains a great challenge because of the complexity of the compounds; hence, this process has attracted less attention than conversion into fuel. In this study, we propose a simple one-step method for converting bagasse into furfural (FF) and acetic acid (AC). In this method, bagasse pyrolysis over ZnCl2/HZSM-5 achieved a high FF and AC yield (58.10%) and a 1.01 FF/AC ratio, but a very low yield of medium-boiling point components. However, bagasse pyrolysis using HZSM-5 alone or ZnCl2 alone still remained large amounts of medium-boiling point components or high-boiling point components. The synergistic effect of HZSM-5 and ZnCl2, which combines pyrolysis, zeolite cracking, and Lewis acid-selective catalysis results in highly efficient bagasse conversion into FF and AC. Therefore, our study provides a novel, simple method for directly converting biomass into high-yield useful chemical. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of pretreatment methods on mixed inoculum for both batch and continuous thermophilic biohydrogen production from cassava stillage.

PubMed

Luo, Gang; Xie, Li; Zou, Zhonghai; Wang, Wen; Zhou, Qi

2010-02-01

Anaerobic sludges, pretreated by chloroform, base, acid, heat and loading-shock, as well as untreated sludge were evaluated for their thermophilic fermentative hydrogen-producing characters from cassava stillage in both batch and continuous experiments. Results showed that the highest hydrogen production was obtained by untreated sludge and there were significant differences (p<0.05) in hydrogen yields (varied from 32.9 to 65.3mlH(2)/gVS) among the tested pretreatment methods in batch experiments. However, the differences in hydrogen yields disappeared in continuous experiments, which indicated the pretreatment methods had only short-term effects on the hydrogen production. Further study showed that alkalinity was a crucial parameter influencing the fermentation process. When the influent was adjusted to pH 6 by NaHCO(3) instead of NaOH, the hydrogen yield increased from about 40 to 52mlH(2)/gVS in all the experiments. Therefore, pretreatment of anaerobic sludge is unnecessary for practical thermophilic fermentative hydrogen production from cassava stillage.

Development and Validation of an Enzymatic Method To Determine Stevioside Content from Stevia rebaudiana.

PubMed

Udompaisarn, Somsiri; Arthan, Dumrongkiet; Somana, Jamorn

2017-04-19

An enzymatic method for specific determination of stevioside content was established. Recombinant β-glucosidase BT_3567 (rBT_3567) from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron HB-13 exhibited selective hydrolysis of stevioside at β-1,2-glycosidic bond to yield rubusoside and glucose. Coupling of this enzyme with glucose oxidase and peroxidase allowed for quantitation of stevioside content in Stevia samples by using a colorimetric-based approach. The series of reactions for stevioside determination can be completed within 1 h at 37 °C. Stevioside determination using the enzymatic assay strongly correlated with results obtained from HPLC quantitation (r 2 = 0.9629, n = 16). The percentages of coefficient variation (CV) of within day (n = 12) and between days (n = 12) assays were lower than 5%, and accuracy ranges were 95-105%. This analysis demonstrates that the enzymatic method developed in this study is specific, easy to perform, accurate, and yields reproducible results.

Hot topic: Bovine milk samples yielding negative or nonspecific results in bacterial culturing--the possible role of PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism in mastitis diagnosis.

PubMed

Schwaiger, K; Wimmer, M; Huber-Schlenstedt, R; Fehlings, K; Hölzel, C S; Bauer, J

2012-01-01

A large proportion of mastitis milk samples yield negative or nonspecific results (i.e., no mastitis pathogen can be identified) in bacterial culturing. Therefore, the culture-independent PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism method was applied to the investigation of bovine mastitis milk samples. In addition to the known mastitis pathogens, the method was suitable for the detection of fastidious bacteria such as Mycoplasma spp., which are often missed by conventional culturing methods. The detection of Helcococcus ovis in 4 samples might indicate an involvement of this species in pathogenesis of bovine mastitis. In conclusion, PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism is a promising tool for gaining new insights into the bacteriological etiology of mastitis. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultivating Fluorescent Flowers with Highly Luminescent Carbon Dots Fabricated by a Double Passivation Method.

PubMed

Han, Shuai; Chang, Tao; Zhao, Haiping; Du, Huanhuan; Liu, Shan; Wu, Baoshuang; Qin, Shenjun

2017-07-07

In this work, we present the fabrication of highly luminescent carbon dots (CDs) by a double passivation method with the assistance of Ca(OH)₂. In the reaction process, Ca 2+ protects the active functional groups from overconsumption during dehydration and carbonization, and the electron-withdrawing groups on the CD surface are converted to electron-donating groups by the hydroxyl ions. As a result, the fluorescence quantum yield of the CDs was found to increase with increasing Ca(OH)₂ content in the reaction process. A blue-shift optical spectrum of the CDs was also found with increasing Ca(OH)₂ content, which could be attributed to the increasing of the energy gaps for the CDs. The highly photoluminescent CDs obtained (quantum yield: 86%) were used to cultivate fluorescent carnations by a water culture method, while the results of fluorescence microscopy analysis indicated that the CDs had entered the plant tissue structure.

Simultaneous fitting of genomic-BLUP and Bayes-C components in a genomic prediction model.

PubMed

Iheshiulor, Oscar O M; Woolliams, John A; Svendsen, Morten; Solberg, Trygve; Meuwissen, Theo H E

2017-08-24

The rapid adoption of genomic selection is due to two key factors: availability of both high-throughput dense genotyping and statistical methods to estimate and predict breeding values. The development of such methods is still ongoing and, so far, there is no consensus on the best approach. Currently, the linear and non-linear methods for genomic prediction (GP) are treated as distinct approaches. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of an iterative method (called GBC) that incorporates aspects of both linear [genomic-best linear unbiased prediction (G-BLUP)] and non-linear (Bayes-C) methods for GP. The iterative nature of GBC makes it less computationally demanding similar to other non-Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approaches. However, as a Bayesian method, GBC differs from both MCMC- and non-MCMC-based methods by combining some aspects of G-BLUP and Bayes-C methods for GP. Its relative performance was compared to those of G-BLUP and Bayes-C. We used an imputed 50 K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) dataset based on the Illumina Bovine50K BeadChip, which included 48,249 SNPs and 3244 records. Daughter yield deviations for somatic cell count, fat yield, milk yield, and protein yield were used as response variables. GBC was frequently (marginally) superior to G-BLUP and Bayes-C in terms of prediction accuracy and was significantly better than G-BLUP only for fat yield. On average across the four traits, GBC yielded a 0.009 and 0.006 increase in prediction accuracy over G-BLUP and Bayes-C, respectively. Computationally, GBC was very much faster than Bayes-C and similar to G-BLUP. Our results show that incorporating some aspects of G-BLUP and Bayes-C in a single model can improve accuracy of GP over the commonly used method: G-BLUP. Generally, GBC did not statistically perform better than G-BLUP and Bayes-C, probably due to the close relationships between reference and validation individuals. Nevertheless, it is a flexible tool, in the sense, that it simultaneously incorporates some aspects of linear and non-linear models for GP, thereby exploiting family relationships while also accounting for linkage disequilibrium between SNPs and genes with large effects. The application of GBC in GP merits further exploration.

Development of Two Analytical Methods Based on Reverse Phase Chromatographic and SDS-PAGE Gel for Assessment of Deglycosylation Yield in N-Glycan Mapping.

PubMed

Eckard, Anahita D; Dupont, David R; Young, Johnie K

2018-01-01

N -lined glycosylation is one of the critical quality attributes (CQA) for biotherapeutics impacting the safety and activity of drug product. Changes in pattern and level of glycosylation can significantly alter the intrinsic properties of the product and, therefore, have to be monitored throughout its lifecycle. Therefore fast, precise, and unbiased N -glycan mapping assay is desired. To ensure these qualities, using analytical methods that evaluate completeness of deglycosylation is necessary. For quantification of deglycosylation yield, methods such as reduced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and reduced capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) have been commonly used. Here we present development of two additional methods to evaluate deglycosylation yield: one based on LC using reverse phase (RP) column and one based on reduced sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE gel) with offline software (GelAnalyzer). With the advent of rapid deglycosylation workflows in the market for N -glycan profiling replacing overnight incubation, we have aimed to quantify the level of deglycosylation in a selected rapid deglycosylation workflow. Our results have shown well resolved peaks of glycosylated and deglycosylated protein species with RP-LC method allowing simple quantification of deglycosylation yield of protein with high confidence. Additionally a good correlation, ≥0.94, was found between deglycosylation yields estimated by RP-LC method and that of reduced SDS-PAGE gel method with offline software. Evaluation of rapid deglycosylation protocol from GlycanAssure™ HyPerformance assay kit performed on fetuin and RNase B has shown complete deglycosylation within the recommended protocol time when evaluated with these techniques. Using this kit, N -glycans from NIST mAb were prepared in 1.4 hr and analyzed by hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) ultrahigh performance LC (UHPLC) equipped with a fluorescence detector (FLD). 37 peaks were resolved with good resolution. Excellent sample preparation repeatability was found with relative standard deviation (RSD) of <5% for peaks with >0.5% relative area.

Methods to isolate extracellular vesicles for diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Hyejin; Kim, Jiyoon; Park, Jaesung

2017-12-01

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-bound bodies that are released into extracellular space by diverse cells, and are found in body fluids like blood, urine and saliva. EVs contain RNA, DNA and proteins, which can be biomarkers for diagnosis. EVs can be obtained by minimally-invasive biopsy, so they are useful in disease diagnosis. High yield and purity contribute to precise diagnosis of disease, but damaged EVs and impurities can cause confu sed results. However, EV isolation methods have different yields and purities. Furthermore, the isolation method that is most suitable to maximize EV recovery efficiency depends on the experimental conditions. This review focuses on merits and demerits of several types of EV isolation methods, and provides examples of how to diagnose disease by exploiting information obtained by analysis of EVs.

Ginsenoside extraction from Panax quinquefolium L. (American ginseng) root by using ultrahigh pressure.

PubMed

Zhang, Shouqin; Chen, Ruizhan; Wu, Hua; Wang, Changzheng

2006-04-11

A new method of ultrahigh pressure extraction (UPE) was used to extract the ginsenosides from Panax quinquefolium L. (American ginseng) root at room temperature. Several solvents, including water, ethanol, methanol, and n-butanol were used in the UPE. The ginsenosides were quantified by a HPLC equipped with UV-vis detector. The results showed that ethanol is the most efficient solvent among the used ones. Compared with other methods, i.e., Soxhlet extraction, heat reflux extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and supercritical CO2 extraction, the UPE has the highest extraction yield in the shortest time. The extraction yield of 0.861% ginsenoside-Rc in 2 min was achieved by the UPE, while the yields of 0.284% and 0.661% were obtained in several hours by supercritical CO2 extraction and the heat reflux extraction, respectively.

Skin friction drag reduction in turbulent flow using spanwise traveling surface waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musgrave, Patrick F.; Tarazaga, Pablo A.

2017-04-01

A major technological driver in current aircraft and other vehicles is the improvement of fuel efficiency. One way to increase the efficiency is to reduce the skin friction drag on these vehicles. This experimental study presents an active drag reduction technique which decreases the skin friction using spanwise traveling waves. A novel method is introduced for generating traveling waves which is low-profile, non-intrusive, and operates under various flow conditions. This wave generation method is discussed and the resulting traveling waves are presented. These waves are then tested in a low-speed wind tunnel to determine their drag reduction potential. To calculate the drag reduction, the momentum integral method is applied to turbulent boundary layer data collected using a pitot tube and traversing system. The skin friction coefficients are then calculated and the drag reduction determined. Preliminary results yielded a drag reduction of ≍ 5% for 244Hz traveling waves. Thus, this novel wave generation method possesses the potential to yield an easily implementable, non-invasive drag reduction technology.

Induction of lipids and resultant FAME profiles of microalgae from coastal waters of Pearl River Delta.

PubMed

Daroch, Maurycy; Shao, Congcong; Liu, Ying; Geng, Shu; Cheng, Jay J

2013-10-01

This article presents a study on identification, cultivation and characterisation of microalgal strains from the coastal waters of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong, China. Thirty-seven identified strains belong to the families: Chlorellaceae, Scotiellocystoidaceae, Scenedesmaceae,Selenastraceae,Micractiniaceae, Coccomyxaceae, Trebouxiaceae and Chlorococcaceae. Of isolated strains, Hindakia PKUAC 169 was selected for lipid induction using two methods: nitrogen starvation and salt stress. After derivatisation of algal lipids through in situ transesterification, lipid profiles of the alga under the two methods were analysed. The results have shown that both lipid yield and fatty acid profiles vary with the methods. Of the two tested methods of inducing lipid production, salt stress yielded three-fold higher lipid productivity than nitrogen starvation. The lipids are predominantly composed of C14-C18 fatty acids, which are favourable for biodiesel production. Moreover, the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids was below the limit of 12% set by EN14214 biodiesel standard. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Numerical simulations of incompressible laminar flows using viscous-inviscid interaction procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shatalov, Alexander V.

The present method is based on Helmholtz velocity decomposition where velocity is written as a sum of irrotational (gradient of a potential) and rotational (correction due to vorticity) components. Substitution of the velocity decomposition into the continuity equation yields an equation for the potential, while substitution into the momentum equations yields equations for the velocity corrections. A continuation approach is used to relate the pressure to the gradient of the potential through a modified Bernoulli's law, which allows the elimination of the pressure variable from the momentum equations. The present work considers steady and unsteady two-dimensional incompressible flows over an infinite cylinder and NACA 0012 airfoil shape. The numerical results are compared against standard methods (stream function-vorticity and SMAC methods) and data available in literature. The results demonstrate that the proposed formulation leads to a good approximation with some possible benefits compared to the available formulations. The method is not restricted to two-dimensional flows and can be used for viscous-inviscid domain decomposition calculations.

Estimating plant distance in maize using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

PubMed

Zhang, Jinshui; Basso, Bruno; Price, Richard F; Putman, Gregory; Shuai, Guanyuan

2018-01-01

Distance between rows and plants are essential parameters that affect the final grain yield in row crops. This paper presents the results of research intended to develop a novel method to quantify the distance between maize plants at field scale using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Using this method, we can recognize maize plants as objects and calculate the distance between plants. We initially developed our method by training an algorithm in an indoor facility with plastic corn plants. Then, the method was scaled up and tested in a farmer's field with maize plant spacing that exhibited natural variation. The results of this study demonstrate that it is possible to precisely quantify the distance between maize plants. We found that accuracy of the measurement of the distance between maize plants depended on the height above ground level at which UAV imagery was taken. This study provides an innovative approach to quantify plant-to-plant variability and, thereby final crop yield estimates.

Assessment of In-Place Oil Shale Resources of the Green River Formation, Piceance Basin, Western Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Ronald C.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Pantea, Michael P.; Self, Jesse G.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed a reassessment of in-place oil shale resources, regardless of richness, in the Eocene Green River Formation in the Piceance Basin, western Colorado. A considerable amount of oil-yield data has been collected after previous in-place assessments were published, and these data were incorporated into this new assessment. About twice as many oil-yield data points were used, and several additional oil shale intervals were included that were not assessed previously for lack of data. Oil yields are measured using the Fischer assay method. The Fischer assay method is a standardized laboratory test for determining the oil yield from oil shale that has been almost universally used to determine oil yields for Green River Formation oil shales. Fischer assay does not necessarily measure the maximum amount of oil that an oil shale can produce, and there are retorting methods that yield more than the Fischer assay yield. However, the oil yields achieved by other technologies are typically reported as a percentage of the Fischer assay oil yield, and thus Fischer assay is still considered the standard by which other methods are compared.

Yield surface evolution for columnar ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhiwei; Ma, Wei; Zhang, Shujuan; Mu, Yanhu; Zhao, Shunpin; Li, Guoyu

A series of triaxial compression tests, which has capable of measuring the volumetric strain of the sample, were conducted on columnar ice. A new testing approach of probing the experimental yield surface was performed from a single sample in order to investigate yield and hardening behaviors of the columnar ice under complex stress states. Based on the characteristic of the volumetric strain, a new method of defined the multiaxial yield strengths of the columnar ice is proposed. The experimental yield surface remains elliptical shape in the stress space of effective stress versus mean stress. The effect of temperature, loading rate and loading path in the initial yield surface and deformation properties of the columnar ice were also studied. Subsequent yield surfaces of the columnar ice have been explored by using uniaxial and hydrostatic paths. The evolution of the subsequent yield surface exhibits significant path-dependent characteristics. The multiaxial hardening law of the columnar ice was established experimentally. A phenomenological yield criterion was presented for multiaxial yield and hardening behaviors of the columnar ice. The comparisons between the theoretical and measured results indicate that this current model is capable of giving a reasonable prediction for the multiaxial yield and post-yield properties of the columnar ice subjected to different temperature, loading rate and path conditions.

Identification of Swallowing Tasks From a Modified Barium Swallow Study That Optimize the Detection of Physiological Impairment

PubMed Central

Armeson, Kent E.; Hill, Elizabeth G.; Bonilha, Heather Shaw; Martin-Harris, Bonnie

2017-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify which swallowing task(s) yielded the worst performance during a standardized modified barium swallow study (MBSS) in order to optimize the detection of swallowing impairment. Method This secondary data analysis of adult MBSSs estimated the probability of each swallowing task yielding the derived Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP™©; Martin-Harris et al., 2008) Overall Impression (OI; worst) scores using generalized estimating equations. The range of probabilities across swallowing tasks was calculated to discern which swallowing task(s) yielded the worst performance. Results Large-volume, thin-liquid swallowing tasks had the highest probabilities of yielding the OI scores for oral containment and airway protection. The cookie swallowing task was most likely to yield OI scores for oral clearance. Several swallowing tasks had nearly equal probabilities (≤ .20) of yielding the OI score. Conclusions The MBSS must represent impairment while requiring boluses that challenge the swallowing system. No single swallowing task had a sufficiently high probability to yield the identification of the worst score for each physiological component. Omission of swallowing tasks will likely fail to capture the most severe impairment for physiological components critical for safe and efficient swallowing. Results provide further support for standardized, well-tested protocols during MBSS. PMID:28614846

Covariance Matrix Evaluations for Independent Mass Fission Yields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terranova, N., E-mail: nicholas.terranova@unibo.it; Serot, O.; Archier, P.

2015-01-15

Recent needs for more accurate fission product yields include covariance information to allow improved uncertainty estimations of the parameters used by design codes. The aim of this work is to investigate the possibility to generate more reliable and complete uncertainty information on independent mass fission yields. Mass yields covariances are estimated through a convolution between the multi-Gaussian empirical model based on Brosa's fission modes, which describe the pre-neutron mass yields, and the average prompt neutron multiplicity curve. The covariance generation task has been approached using the Bayesian generalized least squared method through the CONRAD code. Preliminary results on mass yieldsmore » variance-covariance matrix will be presented and discussed from physical grounds in the case of {sup 235}U(n{sub th}, f) and {sup 239}Pu(n{sub th}, f) reactions.« less

Lineaments on Skylab photographs: Detection, mapping, and hydrologic significance in central Tennessee

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, G. K. (Principal Investigator)

1976-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Lineaments were detected on Skylab photographs by stereo viewing, projection viewing, and composite viewing. Sixty-nine percent more lineaments were found by stereo viewing than by projection, but segments of projection lineaments are longer; total length of lineaments found by these two methods is nearly the same. Most Skylab lineaments consist of topographic depression: stream channel alinements, straight valley walls, elongated swales, and belts where sinkholes are abundant. Most of the remainder are vegetation alinements. Lineaments are most common in dissected areas having a thin soil cover. Results of test drilling show: (1) the median yield of test wells on Skylab lineaments is about six times the median yield of all existing wells; (2) three out of seven wells on Skylab lineaments yield more than 6.3 1/s (110 gal/min): (3) low yields are possible on lineaments as well as in other favorable locations; and (4) the largest well yields can be obtained at well locations of Skylab lineaments that also are favorably located with respect to topography and geologic structure, and are in the vicinity of wells with large yields.

Yield variability prediction by remote sensing sensors with different spatial resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumhálová, Jitka; Matějková, Štěpánka

2017-04-01

Currently, remote sensing sensors are very popular for crop monitoring and yield prediction. This paper describes how satellite images with moderate (Landsat satellite data) and very high (QuickBird and WorldView-2 satellite data) spatial resolution, together with GreenSeeker hand held crop sensor, can be used to estimate yield and crop growth variability. Winter barley (2007 and 2015) and winter wheat (2009 and 2011) were chosen because of cloud-free data availability in the same time period for experimental field from Landsat satellite images and QuickBird or WorldView-2 images. Very high spatial resolution images were resampled to worse spatial resolution. Normalised difference vegetation index was derived from each satellite image data sets and it was also measured with GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor for the year 2015 only. Results showed that each satellite image data set can be used for yield and plant variability estimation. Nevertheless, better results, in comparison with crop yield, were obtained for images acquired in later phenological phases, e.g. in 2007 - BBCH 59 - average correlation coefficient 0.856, and in 2011 - BBCH 59-0.784. GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor was not suitable for yield estimation due to different measuring method.

Laboratory Measurements of Photolytic Parameters for Formaldehyde.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-01

dynamic dilution methods. Compressed air stored in steel cylinders, carefully selected to contain carbon monoxide and hydrogen at mixing ratios of...in air has been investi- gated in the laboratory at two temperatures: 300 and 220 K. Quantum yields for the formation of CO and H2 were determined at...procedures in the case of pure formaldehyde gave consistent results. (b) Quantum Yields Mixtures of formaldehyde in air were photolyzed in a

Increasing plant growth by modulating omega-amidase expression in plants

DOEpatents

Unkefer, Pat J.; Anderson, Penelope S.; Knight, Thomas J.

2015-06-30

The present disclosure relates to compositions and methods for increasing the leaf-to-root ratio of the signal metabolite 2-oxoglutaramate and related proline molecules in plants by modulating levels of .omega.-amidase to increase nitrogen use efficiency, resulting in enhanced growth, faster growth rates, greater seed and fruit/pod yields, earlier and more productive flowering, increased tolerance to high salt conditions, and increased biomass yields.

Qualitative and quantitative assessment of DNA quality of frozen beef based on DNA yield, gel electrophoresis and PCR amplification and their correlations to beef quality.

PubMed

Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Ting; Liu, Yongfeng; Wang, Xingyu; Zhang, Lan; Ku, Ting; Quek, Siew Young

2018-09-15

Freezing is a practical method for meat preservation but the quality of frozen meat can deteriorate with storage time. This research investigated the effect of frozen storage time (up to 66 months) on changes in DNA yield, purity and integrity in beef, and further analyzed the correlation between beef quality (moisture content, protein content, TVB-N value and pH value) and DNA quality in an attempt to establish a reliable, high-throughput method for meat quality control. Results showed that frozen storage time influenced the yield and integrity of DNA significantly (p < 0.05). The DNA yield decreased as frozen storage time increased due to DNA degradation. The half-life (t 1/2  = ln2/0.015) was calculated as 46 months. The DNA quality degraded dramatically with the increased storage time based on gel electrophoresis results. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA) were observed in all frozen beef samples. Using real-time PCR for quantitative assessment of DNA and meat quality revealed that correlations could be established successfully with mathematical models to evaluate frozen beef quality. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil properties affecting wheat yields following drilling-fluid application.

PubMed

Bauder, T A; Barbarick, K A; Ippolito, J A; Shanahan, J F; Ayers, P D

2005-01-01

Oil and gas drilling operations use drilling fluids (mud) to lubricate the drill bit and stem, transport formation cuttings to the surface, and seal off porous geologic formations. Following completion of the well, waste drilling fluid is often applied to cropland. We studied potential changes in soil compaction as indicated by cone penetration resistance, pH, electrical conductivity (EC(e)), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), extractable soil and total straw and grain trace metal and nutrient concentrations, and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. 'TAM 107') grain yield following water-based, bentonitic drilling-fluid application (0-94 Mg ha(-1)) to field test plots. Three methods of application (normal, splash-plate, and spreader-bar) were used to study compaction effects. We measured increasing SAR, EC(e), and pH with drilling-fluid rates, but not to levels detrimental to crop production. Field measurements revealed significantly higher compaction within areas affected by truck travel, but also not enough to affect crop yield. In three of four site years, neither drilling-fluid rate nor application method affected grain yield. Extractions representing plant availability and plant analyses results indicated that drilling fluid did not significantly increase most trace elements or nutrient concentrations. These results support land application of water-based bentonitic drilling fluids as an acceptable practice on well-drained soils using controlled rates.

Multigrid methods in structural mechanics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, I. S.; Bigelow, C. A.; Taasan, S.; Hussaini, M. Y.

1986-01-01

Although the application of multigrid methods to the equations of elasticity has been suggested, few such applications have been reported in the literature. In the present work, multigrid techniques are applied to the finite element analysis of a simply supported Bernoulli-Euler beam, and various aspects of the multigrid algorithm are studied and explained in detail. In this study, six grid levels were used to model half the beam. With linear prolongation and sequential ordering, the multigrid algorithm yielded results which were of machine accuracy with work equivalent to 200 standard Gauss-Seidel iterations on the fine grid. Also with linear prolongation and sequential ordering, the V(1,n) cycle with n greater than 2 yielded better convergence rates than the V(n,1) cycle. The restriction and prolongation operators were derived based on energy principles. Conserving energy during the inter-grid transfers required that the prolongation operator be the transpose of the restriction operator, and led to improved convergence rates. With energy-conserving prolongation and sequential ordering, the multigrid algorithm yielded results of machine accuracy with a work equivalent to 45 Gauss-Seidel iterations on the fine grid. The red-black ordering of relaxations yielded solutions of machine accuracy in a single V(1,1) cycle, which required work equivalent to about 4 iterations on the finest grid level.

A novel rheometer design for yield stress fluids

Treesearch

Joseph R. Samaniuk; Timothy W. Shay; Thatcher W. Root; Daniel J. Klingenberg; C. Tim Scott

2014-01-01

An inexpensive, rapid method for measuring the rheological properties of yield stress fluids is described and tested. The method uses an auger that does not rotate during measurements, and avoids material and instrument-related difficulties, for example, wall slip and the presence of large particles, associated with yield stress fluids. The method can be used...

ENSO and PDO-related climate variability impacts on Midwestern United States crop yields.

PubMed

Henson, Chasity; Market, Patrick; Lupo, Anthony; Guinan, Patrick

2017-05-01

An analysis of crop yields for the state of Missouri was completed to determine if an interannual or multidecadal variability existed as a result of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Corn and soybean yields were recorded in kilograms per hectare for each of the six climate regions of Missouri. An analysis using the Mokhov "method of cycles" demonstrated interannual, interdecadal, and multidecadal variations in crop yields. Cross-spectral analysis was used to determine which region was most impacted by ENSO and PDO influenced seasonal (April-September) temperature and precipitation. Interannual (multidecadal) variations found in the spectral analysis represent a relationship to ENSO (PDO) phase, while interdecadal variations represent a possible interaction between ENSO and PDO. Average crop yields were then calculated for each combination of ENSO and PDO phase, displaying a pronounced increase in corn and soybean yields when ENSO is warm and PDO is positive. Climate regions 1, 2, 4, and 6 displayed significant differences (p value of 0.10 or less) in yields between El Niño and La Niña years, representing 55-70 % of Missouri soybean and corn productivity, respectively. Final results give the opportunity to produce seasonal predictions of corn and soybean yields, specific to each climate region in Missouri, based on the combination of ENSO and PDO phases.

Impact of immortal person-time and time scale in comparative effectiveness research for medical devices: a case for implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

PubMed

Mi, Xiaojuan; Hammill, Bradley G; Curtis, Lesley H; Greiner, Melissa A; Setoguchi, Soko

2013-08-01

To assess the extent of immortal time bias in estimating the clinical effectiveness of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and the impact of methods of handling immortal time bias. Retrospective population-based cohort study of patients with heart failure in a national registry linked to Medicare claims (2003-2008). We compared three methods of handling immortal time bias, namely the Mantel-Byar (or time-dependent exposure assignment), the landmark, and the exclusion methods. Of the 5,226 study patients, 1,274 (24.4%) received ICD therapy. Total person-years in the Mantel-Byar method were 2,639, or 490 more than that in the exclusion method, reflecting potential immortal time in the study. The exclusion method yielded a hazard ratio of 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63-0.80), which was 16% lower than the Mantel-Byar method (0.84; 95% CI: 0.75-0.95). The 120-day landmark method yielded similar results to those produced by the Mantel-Byar method (0.82; 95% CI: 0.72-0.95). Immortal time bias was detected in the ICD clinical effectiveness study, which might have led to substantial bias overestimating the treatment effect if handled by exclusion. When an appropriate landmark was selected, that method yielded similar hazard ratios to those obtained by the Mantel-Byar method, supporting the validity of the landmark method. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Video image analysis as a potential grading system for Uruguayan beef carcasses.

PubMed

Vote, D J; Bowling, M B; Cunha, B C N; Belk, K E; Tatum, J D; Montossi, F; Smith, G C

2009-07-01

A study was conducted in 2 phases to evaluate the effectiveness of 1) the VIAscan Beef Carcass System (BCSys; hot carcass system) and the CVS BeefCam (chilled carcass system), used independently or in combination, to predict Uruguayan beef carcass fabrication yields; and 2) the CVS BeefCam to segregate Uruguayan beef carcasses into groups that differ in the Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values of their LM steaks. The results from the meat yield phase of the present study indicated that the prediction of saleable meat yield percentages from Uruguayan beef carcasses by use of the BCSys or CVS BeefCam is similar to, or slightly better than, the use of USDA yield grade calculated to the nearest 0.1 and was much more effective than prediction based on Uruguay National Institute of Meat (INAC) grades. A further improvement in fabrication yield prediction could be obtained by use of a dual-component video image analysis (VIA) system. Whichever method of VIA prediction of fabrication yield is used, a single predicted value of fabrication yield for every carcass removes an impediment to the implementation of a value-based pricing system. Additionally, a VIA method of predicting carcass yield has the advantage over the current INAC classification system in that estimates would be produced by an instrument rather than by packing plant personnel, which would appeal to cattle producers. Results from the tenderness phase of the study indicated that the CVS BeefCam output variable for marbling was not (P > 0.05) able to segregate steer and heifer carcasses into groups that differed in WBSF values. In addition, the results of segregating steer and heifer carcasses according to muscle color output variables indicate that muscle maturity and skeletal maturity were useful for segregating carcasses according to differences in WBSF values of their steaks (P > 0.05). Use of VIA to predict beef carcass fabrication yields could improve accuracy and reduce subjectivity in comparison with use of current INAC grades. Use of VIA to sort carcasses according to muscle color would allow for the marketing of more consistent beef products with respect to tenderness. This would help facilitate the initiation of a value-based marketing system for the Uruguayan beef industry.

Isobaric yield ratio difference in heavy-ion collisions, and comparison to isoscaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Chun-Wang; Wang, Shan-Shan; Zhang, Yan-Li; Wei, Hui-Ling

2013-03-01

An isobaric yield ratio difference (IBD) method is proposed to study the ratio of the difference between the chemical potential of neutron and proton to temperature (Δμ/T) in heavy-ion collisions. The Δμ/T determined by the IBD method (IB-Δμ/T) is compared to the results of the isoscaling method (IS-Δμ/T), which uses the isotopic or the isotonic yield ratio. Similar distributions of the IB- and IS-Δμ/T are found in the measured 140A MeV 40,48Ca+9Be and the 58,64Ni+9Be reactions. The IB- and IS-Δμ/T both have a distribution with a plateau in the small mass fragments plus an increasing part in the fragments of relatively larger mass. The IB- and IS-Δμ/T plateaus show dependence on the n/p ratio of the projectile. It is suggested that the height of the plateau is decided by the difference between the neutron density (ρn) and the proton density (ρp) distributions of the projectiles, and the width shows the overlapping volume of the projectiles in which ρn and ρp change very little. The difference between the IB- and IS-Δμ/T is explained by the isoscaling parameters being constrained by the many isotopes and isotones, while the IBD method only uses the yields of two isobars. It is suggested that the IB-Δμ/T is more reasonable than the IS-Δμ/T, especially when the isotopic or isotonic ratio disobeys the isoscaling. As to the question whether the Δμ/T depends on the density or the temperature, the density dependence is preferred since the low density can result in low temperature in the peripheral reactions.

Multivariate classification of the infrared spectra of cell and tissue samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Haaland, D.M.; Jones, H.D.; Thomas, E.V.

1997-03-01

Infrared microspectroscopy of biopsied canine lymph cells and tissue was performed to investigate the possibility of using IR spectra coupled with multivariate classification methods to classify the samples as normal, hyperplastic, or neoplastic (malignant). IR spectra were obtained in transmission mode through BaF{sub 2} windows and in reflection mode from samples prepared on gold-coated microscope slides. Cytology and histopathology samples were prepared by a variety of methods to identify the optimal methods of sample preparation. Cytospinning procedures that yielded a monolayer of cells on the BaF{sub 2} windows produced a limited set of IR transmission spectra. These transmission spectra weremore » converted to absorbance and formed the basis for a classification rule that yielded 100{percent} correct classification in a cross-validated context. Classifications of normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic cell sample spectra were achieved by using both partial least-squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) classification methods. Linear discriminant analysis applied to principal components obtained from the spectral data yielded a small number of misclassifications. PLS weight loading vectors yield valuable qualitative insight into the molecular changes that are responsible for the success of the infrared classification. These successful classification results show promise for assisting pathologists in the diagnosis of cell types and offer future potential for {ital in vivo} IR detection of some types of cancer. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital Society for Applied Spectroscopy}« less

Extraction methods of Amaranthus sp. grain oil isolation.

PubMed

Krulj, Jelena; Brlek, Tea; Pezo, Lato; Brkljača, Jovana; Popović, Sanja; Zeković, Zoran; Bodroža Solarov, Marija

2016-08-01

Amaranthus sp. is a fast-growing crop with well-known beneficial nutritional values (rich in protein, fat, dietary fiber, ash, and minerals, especially calcium and sodium, and containing a higher amount of lysine than conventional cereals). Amaranthus sp. is an underexploited plant source of squalene, a compound of high importance in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This paper has examined the effects of the different extraction methods (Soxhlet, supercritical fluid and accelerated solvent extraction) on the oil and squalene yield of three genotypes of Amaranthus sp. grain. The highest yield of the extracted oil (78.1 g kg(-1) ) and squalene (4.7 g kg(-1) ) in grain was obtained by accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) in genotype 16. Post hoc Tukey's HSD test at 95% confidence limit showed significant differences between observed samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used for assessing the effect of different genotypes and extraction methods on oil and squalene yield, and also the fatty acid composition profile. Using coupled PCA and CA of observed samples, possible directions for improving the quality of product can be realized. The results of this study indicate that it is very important to choose both the right genotype and the right method of extraction for optimal oil and squalene yield. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Regional crop gross primary production and yield estimation using fused Landsat-MODIS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, M.; Kimball, J. S.; Maneta, M. P.; Maxwell, B. D.; Moreno, A.

2017-12-01

Accurate crop yield assessments using satellite-based remote sensing are of interest for the design of regional policies that promote agricultural resiliency and food security. However, the application of current vegetation productivity algorithms derived from global satellite observations are generally too coarse to capture cropland heterogeneity. Merging information from sensors with reciprocal spatial and temporal resolution can improve the accuracy of these retrievals. In this study, we estimate annual crop yields for seven important crop types -alfalfa, barley, corn, durum wheat, peas, spring wheat and winter wheat over Montana, United States (U.S.) from 2008 to 2015. Yields are estimated as the product of gross primary production (GPP) and a crop-specific harvest index (HI) at 30 m spatial resolution. To calculate GPP we used a modified form of the MOD17 LUE algorithm driven by a 30 m 8-day fused NDVI dataset constructed by blending Landsat (5 or 7) and MODIS Terra reflectance data. The fused 30-m NDVI record shows good consistency with the original Landsat and MODIS data, but provides better spatiotemporal information on cropland vegetation growth. The resulting GPP estimates capture characteristic cropland patterns and seasonal variations, while the estimated annual 30 m crop yield results correspond favorably with county-level crop yield data (r=0.96, p<0.05). The estimated crop yield performance was generally lower, but still favorable in relation to field-scale crop yield surveys (r=0.42, p<0.01). Our methods and results are suitable for operational applications at regional scales.

Total lipid extraction of homogenized and intact lean fish muscles using pressurized fluid extraction and batch extraction techniques.

PubMed

Isaac, Giorgis; Waldebäck, Monica; Eriksson, Ulla; Odham, Göran; Markides, Karin E

2005-07-13

The reliability and efficiency of pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) technique for the extraction of total lipid content from cod and the effect of sample treatment on the extraction efficiency have been evaluated. The results were compared with two liquid-liquid extraction methods, traditional and modified methods according to Jensen. Optimum conditions were found to be with 2-propanol/n-hexane (65:35, v/v) as a first and n-hexane/diethyl ether (90:10, v/v) as a second solvent, 115 degrees C, and 10 min of static time. PFE extracts were cleaned up using the same procedure as in the methods according to Jensen. When total lipid yields obtained from homogenized cod muscle using PFE were compared yields obtained with original and modified Jensen methods, PFE gave significantly higher yields, approximately 10% higher (t test, P < 0.05). Infrared and NMR spectroscopy suggested that the additional material that inflates the gravimetric results is rather homogeneous and is primarily consists of phospholipid with headgroups of inositidic and/or glycosidic nature. The comparative study demonstrated that PFE is an alternative suitable technique to extract total lipid content from homogenized cod (lean fish) and herring (fat fish) muscle showing a precision comparable to that obtained with the traditional and modified Jensen methods. Despite the necessary cleanup step, PFE showed important advantages in the solvent consumption was cut by approximately 50% and automated extraction was possible.

Supercritical fluid extraction from spent coffee grounds and coffee husks: antioxidant activity and effect of operational variables on extract composition.

PubMed

Andrade, Kátia S; Gonçalvez, Ricardo T; Maraschin, Marcelo; Ribeiro-do-Valle, Rosa Maria; Martínez, Julian; Ferreira, Sandra R S

2012-01-15

The present study describes the chemical composition and the antioxidant activity of spent coffee grounds and coffee husks extracts, obtained by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO(2) and with CO(2) and co-solvent. In order to evaluate the high pressure method in terms of process yield, extract composition and antioxidant activity, low pressure methods, such as ultrasound (UE) and soxhlet (SOX) with different organic solvents, were also applied to obtain the extracts. The conditions for the SFE were: temperatures of 313.15K, 323.15K and 333.15K and pressures from 100 bar to 300 bar. The SFE kinetics and the mathematical modeling of the overall extraction curves (OEC) were also investigated. The extracts obtained by LPE (low pressure extraction) with ethanol showed the best results for the global extraction yield (X(0)) when compared to SFE results. The best extraction yield was 15±2% for spent coffee grounds with ethanol and 3.1±04% for coffee husks. The antioxidant potential was evaluated by DPPH method, ABTS method and Folin-Ciocalteau method. The best antioxidant activity was showed by coffee husk extracts obtained by LPE. The quantification and the identification of the extracts were accomplished using HPLC analysis. The main compounds identified were caffeine and chlorogenic acid for the supercritical extracts from coffee husks. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Microwave Synergistic Extraction of Ricinine from Castor Cake by Response Surface Methodology.

PubMed

Xu, Wei; Yan, Xiuhua; Shao, Rong; Chen, Ligen; Ke, Zengguang

Castor cake is the residue in castor oil production in which many active components exist and the major one among them is ricinine. In this study, optimization of extraction of ricinine from castor cake using ultrasonic-microwave synergistic extraction (UMSE) was investigated to obtain high yield and purity by Box-Behnken design (BBD) response surface design. The optimal conditions of extraction were: ultrasound power 342 W, extracting time 5 min, microwave power 395 W, and non-significant factor of liquid/solid ratio 1:10. The crude extraction was recrystallized from ethanol. As a result, the maximum yield of ricinine was approximately 67.52%. The purity of ricinine was 99.39% which was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Additionally, the structure of purified ricinine was identified by fourier transforms infrared (FTIR) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to characterize the prismatic crystals morphology of ricinine. Results demonstrated that the present method combined the advantages of ultrasonic extraction and microwave extraction, which is time-saving with high extraction yield. Our results offer a suitable method for large-scale isolation of ricinine.

Exploratory study of fission product yields of neutron-induced fission of U 235 ,   U 238 , and Pu 239 at 8.9 MeV

DOE PAGES

Bhatia, C.; Fallin, B. F.; Gooden, M. E.; ...

2015-06-05

Using dual-fission chambers each loaded with a thick (200–400–mg/cm 2) actinide target of 235,238U or 239Pu and two thin (~10–100–μg/cm 2) reference foils of the same actinide, the cumulative yields of fission products ranging from 92Sr to 147Nd have been measured at E n = 8.9MeV. The 2H(d,n) 3He reaction provided the quasimonoenergetic neutron beam. Here, the experimental setup and methods used to determine the fission product yield (FPY) are described, and results for typically eight high-yield fission products are presented.

A New Approach to Simulate Groundwater Table Dynamics and Its Validation in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, M.; Lu, H.; Dan, L.; Yang, K.

2017-12-01

The groundwater has very important role in hydrology-climate-human activity interaction. But the groundwater table dynamics currently is not well simulated in global-scale land surface models. Meanwhile, almost all groundwater schemes are adopting a specific yield method to estimate groundwater table, in which how to determine the proper specific yield value remains a big challenge. In this study, we developed a Soil Moisture Correlation (SMC) method to simulate groundwater table dynamics. We coupled SMC with a hydrological model (named as NEW) and compared it with the original model in which a specific yield method is used (named as CTL). Both NEW and CTL were tested in Tangnaihai Subbasin of Yellow River and Jialingjiang Subbasin along Yangtze River, where underground water is less impacted by human activities. The simulated discharges by NEW and CTL are compared against gauge observations. The comparison results reveal that after calibration both models are able to reproduce the discharge well. However, there is no parameter needed to be calibrated for SMC. It indicates that SMC method is more efficient and easy-to-use than the specific yield method. Since there is no direct groundwater table observation in these two basins, simulated groundwater table were compared with a global data set provided by Fan et al. (2013). Both NEW and CTL estimate lower depths than Fan does. Moreover, when comparing the variation of terrestrial water storage (TWS) derived from NEW with that observed by GRACE, good agreements were confirmed. It demonstrated that SMC method is able to reproduce groundwater level dynamics reliably.

Modern Optimization Methods in Minimum Weight Design of Elastic Annular Rotating Disk with Variable Thickness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafari, S.; Hojjati, M. H.

2011-12-01

Rotating disks work mostly at high angular velocity and this results a large centrifugal force and consequently induce large stresses and deformations. Minimizing weight of such disks yields to benefits such as low dead weights and lower costs. This paper aims at finding an optimal disk thickness profile for minimum weight design using the simulated annealing (SA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) as two modern optimization techniques. In using semi-analytical the radial domain of the disk is divided into some virtual sub-domains as rings where the weight of each rings must be minimized. Inequality constrain equation used in optimization is to make sure that maximum von Mises stress is always less than yielding strength of the material of the disk and rotating disk does not fail. The results show that the minimum weight obtained for all two methods is almost identical. The PSO method gives a profile with slightly less weight (6.9% less than SA) while the implementation of both PSO and SA methods are easy and provide more flexibility compared with classical methods.

Evaluation of Non-Ozone-Depleting-Chemical Cleaning Methods for Space Mechanisms Using a Vacuum Spiral Orbit Rolling Contact Tribometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jansen, Mark J.; Jones, William R., Jr.; Wheeler, Donald R.; Keller, Dennis J.

2000-01-01

Because CFC 113, an ozone depleting chemical (ODC), can no longer be produced, alternative bearing cleaning methods must be studied. The objective of this work was to study the effect of the new cleaning methods on lubricant lifetime using a vacuum bearing simulator (spiral orbit rolling contact tribometer). Four alternative cleaning methods were studied: ultra-violet (UV) ozone, aqueous levigated alumina slurry (ALAS), super critical fluid (SCF) CO2 and aqueous Brulin 815GD. Baseline tests were done using CFC 113. Test conditions were the following: a vacuum of at least 1.3 x 10(exp -6) Pa, 440C steel components, a rotational speed of 10 RPM, a lubricant charge of between 60-75 micrograms, a perfluoropolyalkylether lubricant (Z-25), and a load of 200N (44.6 lbs., a mean Hertzian stress of 1.5 GPa). Normalized lubricant lifetime was determined by dividing the total number of ball orbits by the amount of lubricant. The failure condition was a friction coefficient of 0.38. Post-test XPS analysis was also performed, showing slight variations in post-cleaning surface chemistry. Statistical analysis of the resultant data was conducted and it was determined that the data sets were most directly comparable when subjected to a natural log transformation. The natural log life (NL-Life) data for each cleaning method were reasonably normally (statistically) distributed and yielded standard deviations that were not significantly different among the five cleaning methods investigated. This made comparison of their NL-Life means very straightforward using a Bonferroni multiple comparison of means procedure. This procedure showed that the ALAS, UV-ozone and CFC 113 methods were not statistically significantly different from one another with respect to mean NL-Life. It also found that the SCF CO2 method yielded a significantly higher mean NL-Life than the mean NL-Lives of the ALAS, UV-ozone and CFC 113 methods. It also determined that the aqueous Brulin 815GD method yielded a mean NL-Life that was statistically significantly higher than the mean NL-Lives of each of the other four methods. Baseline tests using CFC 113 cleaned parts yielded a mean NL-Life 3.62 orbits/micro-g. ALAS and UV-ozone yielded similar mean NL-Life (3.31 orbits/mg and 3.33 orbits/micro-g, respectively). SCF CO2, gave a mean NL-Life of 4.08 orbits/mg and aqueous Brulin 8l5GD data yielded the longest mean NL-Life (4.66 orbits/micro-g).

A comparison of two adaptive multivariate analysis methods (PLSR and ANN) for winter wheat yield forecasting using Landsat-8 OLI images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Pengfei; Jing, Qi

2017-02-01

An assumption that the non-linear method is more reasonable than the linear method when canopy reflectance is used to establish the yield prediction model was proposed and tested in this study. For this purpose, partial least squares regression (PLSR) and artificial neural networks (ANN), represented linear and non-linear analysis method, were applied and compared for wheat yield prediction. Multi-period Landsat-8 OLI images were collected at two different wheat growth stages, and a field campaign was conducted to obtain grain yields at selected sampling sites in 2014. The field data were divided into a calibration database and a testing database. Using calibration data, a cross-validation concept was introduced for the PLSR and ANN model construction to prevent over-fitting. All models were tested using the test data. The ANN yield-prediction model produced R2, RMSE and RMSE% values of 0.61, 979 kg ha-1, and 10.38%, respectively, in the testing phase, performing better than the PLSR yield-prediction model, which produced R2, RMSE, and RMSE% values of 0.39, 1211 kg ha-1, and 12.84%, respectively. Non-linear method was suggested as a better method for yield prediction.

Curved-flow, rolling-flow, and oscillatory pure-yawing wind-tunnel test methods for determination of dynamic stability derivatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, J. R.; Grafton, S. B.; Lutze, F. H.

1981-01-01

Dynamic stability derivatives are evaluated on the basis of rolling-flow, curved-flow and snaking tests. Attention is given to the hardware associated with curved-flow, rolling-flow and oscillatory pure-yawing wind-tunnel tests. It is found that the snaking technique, when combined with linear- and forced-oscillation methods, yields an important method for evaluating beta derivatives for current configurations at high angles of attack. Since the rolling flow model is fixed during testing, forced oscillations may be imparted to the model, permitting the measurement of damping and cross-derivatives. These results, when coupled with basic rolling-flow or rotary-balance data, yield a highly accurate mathematical model for studies of incipient spin and spin entry.

Diagnostic utility of the cell block method versus the conventional smear study in pleural fluid cytology

PubMed Central

Shivakumarswamy, Udasimath; Arakeri, Surekha U; Karigowdar, Mahesh H; Yelikar, BR

2012-01-01

Background: The cytological examinations of serous effusions have been well-accepted, and a positive diagnosis is often considered as a definitive diagnosis. It helps in staging, prognosis and management of the patients in malignancies and also gives information about various inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions. Diagnostic problems arise in everyday practice to differentiate reactive atypical mesothelial cells and malignant cells by the routine conventional smear (CS) method. Aims: To compare the morphological features of the CS method with those of the cell block (CB) method and also to assess the utility and sensitivity of the CB method in the cytodiagnosis of pleural effusions. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the cytology section of the Department of Pathology. Sixty pleural fluid samples were subjected to diagnostic evaluation for over a period of 20 months. Along with the conventional smears, cell blocks were prepared by using 10% alcohol–formalin as a fixative agent. Statistical analysis with the ‘z test’ was performed to identify the cellularity, using the CS and CB methods. Mc. Naemer's χ2test was used to identify the additional yield for malignancy by the CB method. Results: Cellularity and additional yield for malignancy was 15% more by the CB method. Conclusions: The CB method provides high cellularity, better architectural patterns, morphological features and an additional yield of malignant cells, and thereby, increases the sensitivity of the cytodiagnosis when compared with the CS method. PMID:22438610

Simultaneous Genotype Calling and Haplotype Phasing Improves Genotype Accuracy and Reduces False-Positive Associations for Genome-wide Association Studies

PubMed Central

Browning, Brian L.; Yu, Zhaoxia

2009-01-01

We present a novel method for simultaneous genotype calling and haplotype-phase inference. Our method employs the computationally efficient BEAGLE haplotype-frequency model, which can be applied to large-scale studies with millions of markers and thousands of samples. We compare genotype calls made with our method to genotype calls made with the BIRDSEED, CHIAMO, GenCall, and ILLUMINUS genotype-calling methods, using genotype data from the Illumina 550K and Affymetrix 500K arrays. We show that our method has higher genotype-call accuracy and yields fewer uncalled genotypes than competing methods. We perform single-marker analysis of data from the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium bipolar disorder and type 2 diabetes studies. For bipolar disorder, the genotype calls in the original study yield 25 markers with apparent false-positive association with bipolar disorder at a p < 10−7 significance level, whereas genotype calls made with our method yield no associated markers at this significance threshold. Conversely, for markers with replicated association with type 2 diabetes, there is good concordance between genotype calls used in the original study and calls made by our method. Results from single-marker and haplotypic analysis of our method's genotype calls for the bipolar disorder study indicate that our method is highly effective at eliminating genotyping artifacts that cause false-positive associations in genome-wide association studies. Our new genotype-calling methods are implemented in the BEAGLE and BEAGLECALL software packages. PMID:19931040

Rapid, cost-effective and accurate quantification of Yucca schidigera Roezl. steroidal saponins using HPLC-ELSD method.

PubMed

Tenon, Mathieu; Feuillère, Nicolas; Roller, Marc; Birtić, Simona

2017-04-15

Yucca GRAS-labelled saponins have been and are increasingly used in food/feed, pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries. Existing techniques presently used for Yucca steroidal saponin quantification remain either inaccurate and misleading or accurate but time consuming and cost prohibitive. The method reported here addresses all of the above challenges. HPLC/ELSD technique is an accurate and reliable method that yields results of appropriate repeatability and reproducibility. This method does not over- or under-estimate levels of steroidal saponins. HPLC/ELSD method does not require each and every pure standard of saponins, to quantify the group of steroidal saponins. The method is a time- and cost-effective technique that is suitable for routine industrial analyses. HPLC/ELSD methods yield a saponin fingerprints specific to the plant species. As the method is capable of distinguishing saponin profiles from taxonomically distant species, it can unravel plant adulteration issues. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Reliable yields of public water-supply wells in the fractured-rock aquifers of central Maryland, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammond, Patrick A.

2018-02-01

Most studies of fractured-rock aquifers are about analytical models used for evaluating aquifer tests or numerical methods for describing groundwater flow, but there have been few investigations on how to estimate the reliable long-term drought yields of individual hard-rock wells. During the drought period of 1998 to 2002, many municipal water suppliers in the Piedmont/Blue Ridge areas of central Maryland (USA) had to institute water restrictions due to declining well yields. Previous estimates of the yields of those wells were commonly based on extrapolating drawdowns, measured during short-term single-well hydraulic pumping tests, to the first primary water-bearing fracture in a well. The extrapolations were often made from pseudo-equilibrium phases, frequently resulting in substantially over-estimated well yields. The methods developed in the present study to predict yields consist of extrapolating drawdown data from infinite acting radial flow periods or by fitting type curves of other conceptual models to the data, using diagnostic plots, inverse analysis and derivative analysis. Available drawdowns were determined by the positions of transition zones in crystalline rocks or thin-bedded consolidated sandstone/limestone layers (reservoir rocks). Aquifer dewatering effects were detected by type-curve matching of step-test data or by breaks in the drawdown curves constructed from hydraulic tests. Operational data were then used to confirm the predicted yields and compared to regional groundwater levels to determine seasonal variations in well yields. Such well yield estimates are needed by hydrogeologists and water engineers for the engineering design of water systems, but should be verified by the collection of long-term monitoring data.

Immunocapture and microplate-based activity and quantity measurement of pyruvate dehydrogenase in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaowen; Pervez, Hira; Andersen, Lars W; Uber, Amy; Montissol, Sophia; Patel, Parth; Donnino, Michael W

2015-01-01

Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity is altered in many human disorders. Current methods require tissue samples and yield inconsistent results. We describe a modified method for measuring PDH activity from isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). RESULTS/METHODOLOGY: We found that PDH activity and quantity can be successfully measured in human PBMCs. Freeze-thaw cycles cannot efficiently disrupt the mitochondrial membrane. Processing time of up to 20 h does not affect PDH activity with proteinase inhibitor addition and a detergent concentration of 3.3% showed maximum yield. Sample protein concentration is correlated to PDH activity and quantity in human PBMCs from healthy subjects. Measuring PDH activity from PBMCs is a novel, easy and less invasive way to further understand the role of PDH in human disease.

Predictors of mother and child DNA yields in buccal cell samples collected in pediatric cancer epidemiologic studies: a report from the Children’s Oncology group

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Collection of high-quality DNA is essential for molecular epidemiology studies. Methods have been evaluated for optimal DNA collection in studies of adults; however, DNA collection in young children poses additional challenges. Here, we have evaluated predictors of DNA quantity in buccal cells collected for population-based studies of infant leukemia (N = 489 mothers and 392 children) and hepatoblastoma (HB; N = 446 mothers and 412 children) conducted through the Children’s Oncology Group. DNA samples were collected by mail using mouthwash (for mothers and some children) and buccal brush (for children) collection kits and quantified using quantitative real-time PCR. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify predictors of DNA yield. Results Median DNA yield was higher for mothers in both studies compared with their children (14 μg vs. <1 μg). Significant predictors of DNA yield in children included case–control status (β = −0.69, 50% reduction, P = 0.01 for case vs. control children), brush collection type, and season of sample collection. Demographic factors were not strong predictors of DNA yield in mothers or children in this analysis. Conclusions The association with seasonality suggests that conditions during transport may influence DNA yield. The low yields observed in most children in these studies highlight the importance of developing alternative methods for DNA collection in younger age groups. PMID:23937514

MicroRNA profile of silk gland reveals different silk yields of three silkworm strains.

PubMed

Qin, Sheng; Danso, Blessing; Zhang, Jing; Li, Juan; Liu, Na; Sun, Xia; Hou, Chengxiang; Luo, Heng; Chen, Keping; Zhang, Guozheng; Li, Muwang

2018-05-05

Silk proteins are synthesized and secreted by the silk gland. The differential gene expression in it leads to different silk yield among various silkworm strains. As crucial factors, microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate protein synthesis at post-transcriptional level in silk gland. MiRNAs expression level in the silk gland of three silkworm strains (Jingsong, Lan10 and Dazao) was analyzed and 33 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were discovered between JingSong (JS) and Lan10 (L10), 60 DEMs between JS and Dazao, 54 DEMs between L10 and Dazao respectively. The DEMs target genes were predicted combing with two different methods and their functions were annotated according to gene ontology. Our previous studies showed that a batch of genes related to silk yield were identified in JS and L10 strains by comparative transcriptome and quantitative trait loci (QTL) method. Thirteen DEMs whose target genes are related to protein biosynthesis processes were screened by combining with these researches. Twelve DEMs potentially regulate nineteen genes which exist in our QTL results. Six common DEMs potentially regulate the genes in both of previous results. Finally, five DEMs were selected to verify their expression levels between JS and L10 by qRT-PCR, which showed similar difference as the results of small RNA-sequencing. MiRNAs in the silk gland may directly affect silk protein biosynthesis in different silkworm strains. In current work, we identified a batch of DEMs which potentially regulate the genes related to silk yield. Further functionally study of these miRNAs will contribute to improve varieties and boost the silk yield. Our research provides a basis for studying these miRNAs and their functions in silk production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A rapid, efficient, and economic device and method for the isolation and purification of mouse islet cells

PubMed Central

Zongyi, Yin; Funian, Zou; Hao, Li; Ying, Cheng; Jialin, Zhang

2017-01-01

Rapid, efficient, and economic method for the isolation and purification of islets has been pursued by numerous islet-related researchers. In this study, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of our developed patented method with those of commonly used conventional methods (Ficoll-400, 1077, and handpicking methods). Cell viability was assayed using Trypan blue, cell purity and yield were assayed using diphenylthiocarbazone, and islet function was assayed using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-glucose stimulation testing 4 days after cultivation. The results showed that our islet isolation and purification method required 12 ± 3 min, which was significantly shorter than the time required in Ficoll-400, 1077, and HPU groups (34 ± 3, 41 ± 4, and 30 ± 4 min, respectively; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in islet viability among the four groups. The islet purity, function, yield, and cost of our method were superior to those of the Ficoll-400 and 1077 methods, but inferior to the handpicking method. However, the handpicking method may cause wrist injury and visual impairment in researchers during large-scale islet isolation (>1000 islets). In summary, the MCT method is a rapid, efficient, and economic method for isolating and purifying murine islet cell clumps. This method overcomes some of the shortcomings of conventional methods, showing a relatively higher quality and yield of islets within a shorter duration at a lower cost. Therefore, the current method provides researchers with an alternative option for islet isolation and should be widely generalized. PMID:28207765

A rapid, efficient, and economic device and method for the isolation and purification of mouse islet cells.

PubMed

Zongyi, Yin; Funian, Zou; Hao, Li; Ying, Cheng; Jialin, Zhang; Baifeng, Li

2017-01-01

Rapid, efficient, and economic method for the isolation and purification of islets has been pursued by numerous islet-related researchers. In this study, we compared the advantages and disadvantages of our developed patented method with those of commonly used conventional methods (Ficoll-400, 1077, and handpicking methods). Cell viability was assayed using Trypan blue, cell purity and yield were assayed using diphenylthiocarbazone, and islet function was assayed using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-glucose stimulation testing 4 days after cultivation. The results showed that our islet isolation and purification method required 12 ± 3 min, which was significantly shorter than the time required in Ficoll-400, 1077, and HPU groups (34 ± 3, 41 ± 4, and 30 ± 4 min, respectively; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in islet viability among the four groups. The islet purity, function, yield, and cost of our method were superior to those of the Ficoll-400 and 1077 methods, but inferior to the handpicking method. However, the handpicking method may cause wrist injury and visual impairment in researchers during large-scale islet isolation (>1000 islets). In summary, the MCT method is a rapid, efficient, and economic method for isolating and purifying murine islet cell clumps. This method overcomes some of the shortcomings of conventional methods, showing a relatively higher quality and yield of islets within a shorter duration at a lower cost. Therefore, the current method provides researchers with an alternative option for islet isolation and should be widely generalized.

[Optimized condition for protoplast isolation from maize, wheat and rice leaves].

PubMed

Sun, He; Lang, Zhihong; Zhu, Li; Huang, Dafang

2013-02-01

Maize (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) are three staple crops and accordingly it is very meaningful to optimize the condition of their protoplasts isolation. The concentration of the enzyme, the time of isolation and centrifugal force in protoplast isolation were investigated to find their effects on protoplast yield and viability using leaves of maize (Zong 3), wheat (Chinese Spring) and rice (Nipponbare). The results show that the concentration of the enzyme and the time of isolation affected the protoplast yield significantly. Although the yield of protoplast was increased with high concentration of enzyme and long incubated time, it led to too much cells breakdown. The orthogonal experimental design results show that the best condition of maize protoplast isolation was Cellulase R-10 1.5%, Macerozyme R-10 0.5%, 50 r/min 7 h, 100 x g 2 min and the protoplasts yield was 7x106 cells/g fresh weight (FW); the best condition of wheat protoplast isolation was Cellulase R-10 1.5%, Macerozyme R-10 0.5%, 50 r/min 5 h, 100 x g 2 min and the protoplasts yield was 6 x 10(6) cells/g FW; the best condition of rice protoplast isolation was Cellulase R-10 2.0%, Macerozyme R-10 0.7%, 50 r/min 7 h, 1 000 x g 2 min and the protoplasts yield was 6x10(6) cells/g FW. The vitalities were more than 90% using fluorescein diacetate staining method. 50%-80% transformation efficiency was obtained when protoplasts were transformed by green fluorescent protein using PEG-Ca2+ method.

Extraction of antioxidants from Chlorella sp. using subcritical water treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakaria, S. M.; Mustapa Kamal, S. M.; Harun, M. R.; Omar, R.; Siajam, S. I.

2017-06-01

Chlorella sp. microalgae is one of the main source of natural bioactive compounds used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Subcritical water extraction is the technique that offers an efficient, non-toxic, and environmental-friendly method to obtain natural ingredients. In this work, the extracts of Chlorella sp. microalgae was evaluated in terms of: chemical composition, extraction (polysaccharides) yield and antioxidant activity, using subcritical water extraction. Extractions were performed at temperatures ranging from 100°C to 300°C. The results show that by using subcritical water, the highest yield of polysaccharides is 23.6 that obtained at 150°C. Analysis on the polysaccharides yield show that the contents were highly influenced by the extraction temperature. The individual antioxidant activity were evaluated by in vitro assay using a free radical method. In general, the antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained at different water temperatures was high, with values of 31.08-54.29 . The results indicated that extraction by subcritical water was effective and Chlorella sp. can be a useful source of natural antioxidants.

New procedure for extraction of algal lipids from wet biomass: a green clean and scalable process.

PubMed

Dejoye Tanzi, Celine; Abert Vian, Maryline; Chemat, Farid

2013-04-01

A new procedure, called Simultaneous Distillation and Extraction Process (SDEP), for lipid extraction from wet microalgae (Nannochloropsis oculata and Dunaliella salina) was reported. This method does not require a pre-drying of the biomass and employs alternative solvents such as d-limonene, α-pinene and p-cymene. This procedure has been compared with Soxhlet extraction (Sox) and Bligh & Dyer method (B&D). For N. oculata, results showed that SDEP-cymene provided similar lipid yields to B&D (21.45% and 23.78%), while SDEP-limonene and pinene provided lower yields (18.73% and 18.75% respectively). For D. salina, SDEP-pinene provided the maximum lipid yield (3.29%) compared to the other solvents, which is quite close to B&D result (4.03%). No significant differences in terms of distribution of lipid classes and fatty acid composition have been obtained for different techniques. Evaluation of energy consumption indicates a substantial saving in the extraction cost by SDEP compared to the conventional extraction technique, Soxhlet. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smokers' knowledge and understanding of advertised tar numbers: health policy implications.

PubMed Central

Cohen, J B

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVES. This article examines health policy implications of providing smokers with numerical tar yield information in cigarette advertising. METHODS. Results of a national probability telephone survey regarding smokers' knowledge and understanding of numerical tar yields and deliveries are reported. RESULTS. Few smokers knew the tar level of their own cigarettes (the exception being smokers of 1- to 5-mg tar cigarettes), and a majority could not correctly judge the relative tar levels of cigarettes. Smokers were unsure whether switching to lower-tar cigarettes would reduce their personal health risks. Many smokers relied on absolute numbers in making trade-offs between number of cigarettes smoked and their tar levels, thus confusion machine-rated tar-yields with actual amounts ingested. CONCLUSIONS. The wisdom of the present method of providing tar and nicotine numbers in ads and recommendations for modifying the test protocol are now under discussion. This research indicates that these tar numbers and their implications are poorly understood. The paper recommends revisions in tar ratings to make them more useful and a required statement on cigarette packages to more explicitly relate tar levels to major health risks. PMID:8561236

Estimating chlorophyll content and photochemical yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII) using solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence measurements at different growing stages of attached leaves

PubMed Central

Tubuxin, Bayaer; Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Parinaz; Ginnan, Yusaku; Hosoi, Fumiki; Omasa, Kenji

2015-01-01

This paper illustrates the possibility of measuring chlorophyll (Chl) content and Chl fluorescence parameters by the solar-induced Chl fluorescence (SIF) method using the Fraunhofer line depth (FLD) principle, and compares the results with the standard measurement methods. A high-spectral resolution HR2000+ and an ordinary USB4000 spectrometer were used to measure leaf reflectance under solar and artificial light, respectively, to estimate Chl fluorescence. Using leaves of Capsicum annuum cv. ‘Sven’ (paprika), the relationships between the Chl content and the steady-state Chl fluorescence near oxygen absorption bands of O2B (686nm) and O2A (760nm), measured under artificial and solar light at different growing stages of leaves, were evaluated. The Chl fluorescence yields of ΦF 686nm/ΦF 760nm ratios obtained from both methods correlated well with the Chl content (steady-state solar light: R2 = 0.73; artificial light: R2 = 0.94). The SIF method was less accurate for Chl content estimation when Chl content was high. The steady-state solar-induced Chl fluorescence yield ratio correlated very well with the artificial-light-induced one (R2 = 0.84). A new methodology is then presented to estimate photochemical yield of photosystem II (ΦPSII) from the SIF measurements, which was verified against the standard Chl fluorescence measurement method (pulse-amplitude modulated method). The high coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.74) between the ΦPSII of the two methods shows that photosynthesis process parameters can be successfully estimated using the presented methodology. PMID:26071530

Preparation of samples for leaf architecture studies, a method for mounting cleared leaves.

PubMed

Vasco, Alejandra; Thadeo, Marcela; Conover, Margaret; Daly, Douglas C

2014-09-01

Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. • Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. • The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago showing no signs of bubbling or discoloration.

Growth analysis and yield of two varieties of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) as influenced by different weed control methods.

PubMed

Olayinka, Bolaji U; Etejere, Emmanuel O

Field trials were carried out to evaluate the effects of seven weed management strategies on the growth and yield of two groundnut varieties (Samnut 10 and MK 373) for two successive seasons (2010-2011). The experimental layout was a split plot complete randomized block design with three replications. The two groundnut varieties showed identical pattern of results for leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate and crop growth rate as well as yield. All the weed control treatments significantly enhanced the growth and yield compared with the weedy check. The weed free check had the highest growth but the highest yield was recorded from rice straw mulch at 0.1 m depth + one hand weeding at 6 weeks after sowing (WAS) due to increase in number of matured pods per plant, seed weight per plant and 100-seed weight. The results showed that rice straw mulch at 0.1 m depth + one hand weeding at 6 WAS was better agronomical practice for enhancing growth and yield of groundnut. This enhancement could be as a result of its positive influence on physiological parameters such as leaf area index, dry matter accumulation, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate and crop growth rate. Its use is also ecofriendly as it limits the need for synthetic herbicide.

Direct Fluorescence Detection of Allele-Specific PCR Products Using Novel Energy-Transfer Labeled Primers.

PubMed

Winn-Deen

1998-12-01

Background: Currently analysis of point mutations can be done by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by gel analysis or by gene-specific PCR followed by hybridization with an allele-specific probe. Both of these mutation detection methods require post-PCR laboratory time and run the risk of contaminating subsequent experiments with the PCR product liberated during the detection step. The author has combined the PCR amplification and detection steps into a single procedure suitable for closed-tube analysis. Methods and Results: Allele-specific PCR primers were designed as Sunrise energy-transfer primers and contained a 3' terminal mismatch to distinguish between normal and mutant DNA. Cloned normal (W64) and mutant (R64) templates of the beta3-adrenergic receptor gene were tested to verify amplification specificity and yield. A no-target negative control was also run with each reaction. After PCR, each reaction was tested for fluorescence yield by measuring fluorescence on a spectrofluorimeter or fluorescent microtitreplate reader. The cloned controls and 24 patient samples were tested for the W64R mutation by two methods. The direct fluorescence results with the Sunrise allele-specific PCR method gave comparable genotypes to those obtained with the PCR/ restriction digest/gel electrophoresis control method. No PCR artifacts were observed in the negative controls or in the PCR reactions run with the mismatched target. Conclusions: The results of this pilot study indicate good PCR product and fluorescence yield from allele-specific energy-transfer labeled primers, and the capability of distinguishing between normal and mutant alleles based on fluorescence alone, without the need for restriction digestion, gel electrophoresis, or hybridization with an allele-specific probe.

Rapid Direct Testing of Susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to Isoniazid and Rifampin on Nutrient and Blood Agar in Resource-Starved Settings

PubMed Central

Ikram, Aamer; Coban, Ahmet Yilmaz; Martin, Anandi

2012-01-01

In this study, we evaluated the performance of blood agar (by macroscopic growth) and nutrient agar (by a microcolony detection method) for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis against rifampin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH), using 67 smear-positive sputum specimens. The direct proportion method on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium was used as the “gold standard.” Compared with LJ medium, results for both media were in 100% agreement for RIF, while for INH the agreement levels for blood agar and nutrient agar were 98% and 95%, respectively. Within 2 weeks, 100% of specimens yielded results on blood agar, while 96.8% of specimens yielded results on nutrient agar. Our study showed that blood agar and nutrient agar can be used as alternative media for direct susceptibility testing of RIF and INH, especially in resource-poor settings. PMID:22357498

Rapid direct testing of susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isoniazid and rifampin on nutrient and blood agar in resource-starved settings.

PubMed

Satti, Luqman; Ikram, Aamer; Coban, Ahmet Yilmaz; Martin, Anandi

2012-05-01

In this study, we evaluated the performance of blood agar (by macroscopic growth) and nutrient agar (by a microcolony detection method) for drug susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis against rifampin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH), using 67 smear-positive sputum specimens. The direct proportion method on Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) medium was used as the "gold standard." Compared with LJ medium, results for both media were in 100% agreement for RIF, while for INH the agreement levels for blood agar and nutrient agar were 98% and 95%, respectively. Within 2 weeks, 100% of specimens yielded results on blood agar, while 96.8% of specimens yielded results on nutrient agar. Our study showed that blood agar and nutrient agar can be used as alternative media for direct susceptibility testing of RIF and INH, especially in resource-poor settings.

Geometric analysis and restitution of digital multispectral scanner data arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, J. R.; Mikhail, E. M.

1975-01-01

An investigation was conducted to define causes of geometric defects within digital multispectral scanner (MSS) data arrays, to analyze the resulting geometric errors, and to investigate restitution methods to correct or reduce these errors. Geometric transformation relationships for scanned data, from which collinearity equations may be derived, served as the basis of parametric methods of analysis and restitution of MSS digital data arrays. The linearization of these collinearity equations is presented. Algorithms considered for use in analysis and restitution included the MSS collinearity equations, piecewise polynomials based on linearized collinearity equations, and nonparametric algorithms. A proposed system for geometric analysis and restitution of MSS digital data arrays was used to evaluate these algorithms, utilizing actual MSS data arrays. It was shown that collinearity equations and nonparametric algorithms both yield acceptable results, but nonparametric algorithms possess definite advantages in computational efficiency. Piecewise polynomials were found to yield inferior results.

Lipid Extraction and Cholesterol Quantification: A Simple Protocol

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barreto, M. Carmo

2005-01-01

Enzymatic methods are used to measure cholesterol levels but a simple and inexpensive method is described, which is particularly important when one has repeated lab sessions during the week. It can be carried out on the organic phase containing the lipids, without evaporating the solvent, yielding quick results.

A fixed full-matrix method for determining ice sheet height change from satellite altimeter: an ENVISAT case study in East Antarctica with backscatter analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yuande; Hwang, Cheinway; E, Dongchen

2014-09-01

A new method, called the fixed full-matrix method (FFM), is used to compute height changes at crossovers of satellite altimeter ground tracks. Using the ENVISAT data in East Antarctica, FFM results in crossovers of altimeter heights that are 1.9 and 79 times more than those from the fixed half method (FHM) and the one-row method (ORM). The mean standard error of height changes is about 14 cm from ORM, which is reduced to 7 cm by FHM and to 3 cm by FFM. Unlike FHM, FFM leads to uniform errors in the first-half and second-half height-change time series. FFM has the advantage in improving the accuracy of the change of height and backscattered power over ORM and FHM. Assisted by the ICESat-derived height changes, we determine the optimal threshold correlation coefficient (TCC) for a best correction for the backscatter effect on ENVISAT height changes. The TCC value of 0.92 yields an optimal result for FFM. With this value, FFM yields ENVISAT-derived height change rates in East Antarctica mostly falling between and 3 cm/year, and matching the ICESat result to 0.94 cm/year. The ENVISAT result will provide a constraint on the current mass balance result along the Chinese expedition route CHINARE.

Method for reproducibly preparing a low-melting high-carbon yield precursor

DOEpatents

Smith, Wesley E.; Napier, Jr., Bradley

1978-01-01

The present invention is directed to a method for preparing a reproducible synthetic carbon precursor by the autoclave polymerization of indene (C.sub.9 H.sub.8) at a temperature in the range of 470.degree.-485.degree. C, and at a pressure in the range of about 1000 to about 4300 psi. Volatiles in the resulting liquid indene polymer are removed by vacuum outgassing to form a solid carbon precursor characterized by having a relatively low melting temperature, high-carbon yield, and high reproducibility which provide for the fabrication of carbon and graphite composites having strict requirements for reproducible properties.

Combined pretreatment of electrolysis and ultra-sonication towards enhancing solubilization and methane production from mixed microalgae biomass.

PubMed

Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Sivagurunathan, Periyasamy; Zhen, Guangyin; Kobayashi, Takuro; Kim, Sang-Hyoun; Xu, Kaiqin

2017-12-01

This study investigated the effect of combination of pretreatment methods such as ultra-sonication and electrolysis for the minimum energy input to recover the maximal carbohydrate and solubilization (in terms of sCOD) from mixed microalgae biomass. The composition of the soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD), protein, carbohydrate revealed that the hydrolysis method had showed positive impact on the increasing quantity and thus enhanced methane yields. As a result, the combination of these 2 pretreatments showed the greatest yield of soluble protein and carbohydrate as 279 and 309mg/L, which is the recovery of nearly 85 and 90% in terms of total content of them. BMP tests showed peak methane production yield of 257mL/gVS added , for the hydrolysate of combined pretreatment as compared to the control experiment of 138mL/gVS added. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast and inexpensive synthesis of pentacene with high yield using 6,13-pentacenequinone as precursor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mota, María L.; Rodriguez, Bibiana; Carrillo, Amanda; Ambrosio, Roberto C.; Luque, Priscy A.; Mireles, Marcela; Vivaldo, Israel; Quevedo, Manuel A.

2018-02-01

Pentacene is an important semiconductor in the field of organic electronics. In this work is presented an alternative synthesis procedure to obtain pentacene from 6,13-pentacenequinone as a precursor. Synthesis of pentacene was performed in two reactions, Diels-Adler cycloaddition of 6,13-pentacenequinone followed by 6,13-pentacenequinone reduction to pentacene, employing LiAlH4 as reducing agent. The products were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-NMR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-VIS). In this work, 6,13-pentacenequinone was synthetized with a high yield (55%) using an alternative method. The optimization process resulted in an overall reduction of reaction time while exhibiting high yield. The method presented here provides an affordable pentacene synthesis route with high purity, which can be further applied for research and development of organic electronic applications.

Existence of the sugar-bisulfite adducts and its inhibiting effect on degradation of monosaccharide in acid system.

PubMed

Shi, Yan

2014-02-01

Degradation of fermentable monosaccharides is one of the primary concerns for acid prehydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass. Recently, in our research on degradation of pure monosaccharides in aqueous SO₂ solution by gas chromatography (GC) analysis, we found that detected yield was not actual yield of each monosaccharide due to the existence of sugar-bisulfite adducts, and a new method was developed by ourselves which led to accurate detection of recovery yield of each monosaccharide in aqueous SO₂ solution by GC analysis. By the use of this method, degradation of each monosaccharide in aqueous SO₂ was investigated and results showed that sugar-bisulfite adducts have different inhibiting effect on degradation of each monosaccharide in aqueous SO₂ because of their different stability. In addition, NMR testing also demonstrated possible existence of reaction between conjugated based HSO₃(-) and aldehyde group of sugars in acid system.

Decentralized modal identification using sparse blind source separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadhu, A.; Hazra, B.; Narasimhan, S.; Pandey, M. D.

2011-12-01

Popular ambient vibration-based system identification methods process information collected from a dense array of sensors centrally to yield the modal properties. In such methods, the need for a centralized processing unit capable of satisfying large memory and processing demands is unavoidable. With the advent of wireless smart sensor networks, it is now possible to process information locally at the sensor level, instead. The information at the individual sensor level can then be concatenated to obtain the global structure characteristics. A novel decentralized algorithm based on wavelet transforms to infer global structure mode information using measurements obtained using a small group of sensors at a time is proposed in this paper. The focus of the paper is on algorithmic development, while the actual hardware and software implementation is not pursued here. The problem of identification is cast within the framework of under-determined blind source separation invoking transformations of measurements to the time-frequency domain resulting in a sparse representation. The partial mode shape coefficients so identified are then combined to yield complete modal information. The transformations are undertaken using stationary wavelet packet transform (SWPT), yielding a sparse representation in the wavelet domain. Principal component analysis (PCA) is then performed on the resulting wavelet coefficients, yielding the partial mixing matrix coefficients from a few measurement channels at a time. This process is repeated using measurements obtained from multiple sensor groups, and the results so obtained from each group are concatenated to obtain the global modal characteristics of the structure.

Comparison of tests of accommodation for computer users.

PubMed

Kolker, David; Hutchinson, Robert; Nilsen, Erik

2002-04-01

With the increased use of computers in the workplace and at home, optometrists are finding more patients presenting with symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome. Among these symptomatic individuals, research supports that accommodative disorders are the most common vision finding. A prepresbyopic group (N= 30) and a presbyopic group (N = 30) were selected from a private practice. Assignment to a group was determined by age, accommodative amplitude, and near visual acuity with their distance prescription. Each subject was given a thorough vision and ocular health examination, then administered several nearpoint tests of accommodation at a computer working distance. All the tests produced similar results in the presbyopic group. For the prepresbyopic group, the tests yielded very different results. To effectively treat symptomatic VDT users, optometrists must assess the accommodative system along with the binocular and refractive status. For presbyopic patients, all nearpoint tests studied will yield virtually the same result. However, the method of testing accommodation, as well as the test stimulus presented, will yield significantly different responses for prepresbyopic patients. Previous research indicates that a majority of patients prefer the higher plus prescription yielded by the Gaussian image test.

Correlation complementarity yields bell monogamy relations.

PubMed

Kurzyński, P; Paterek, T; Ramanathan, R; Laskowski, W; Kaszlikowski, D

2011-05-06

We present a method to derive Bell monogamy relations by connecting the complementarity principle with quantum nonlocality. The resulting monogamy relations are stronger than those obtained from the no-signaling principle alone. In many cases, they yield tight quantum bounds on the amount of violation of single and multiple qubit correlation Bell inequalities. In contrast with the two-qubit case, a rich structure of possible violation patterns is shown to exist in the multipartite scenario.

Generalized Buneman Pruning for Inferring the Most Parsimonious Multi-state Phylogeny

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misra, Navodit; Blelloch, Guy; Ravi, R.; Schwartz, Russell

Accurate reconstruction of phylogenies remains a key challenge in evolutionary biology. Most biologically plausible formulations of the problem are formally NP-hard, with no known efficient solution. The standard in practice are fast heuristic methods that are empirically known to work very well in general, but can yield results arbitrarily far from optimal. Practical exact methods, which yield exponential worst-case running times but generally much better times in practice, provide an important alternative. We report progress in this direction by introducing a provably optimal method for the weighted multi-state maximum parsimony phylogeny problem. The method is based on generalizing the notion of the Buneman graph, a construction key to efficient exact methods for binary sequences, so as to apply to sequences with arbitrary finite numbers of states with arbitrary state transition weights. We implement an integer linear programming (ILP) method for the multi-state problem using this generalized Buneman graph and demonstrate that the resulting method is able to solve data sets that are intractable by prior exact methods in run times comparable with popular heuristics. Our work provides the first method for provably optimal maximum parsimony phylogeny inference that is practical for multi-state data sets of more than a few characters.

An experimental case study to estimate Pre-harvest Wheat Acreage/Production in Hilly and Plain region of Uttarakhand state: Challenges and solutions of problems by using satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uniyal, D.; Kimothi, M. M.; Bhagya, N.; Ram, R. D.; Patel, N. K.; Dhaundiya, V. K.

2014-11-01

Wheat is an economically important Rabi crop for the state, which is grown on around 26 % of total available agriculture area in the state. There is a variation in productivity of wheat crop in hilly and tarai region. The agricultural productivity is less in hilly region in comparison of tarai region due to terrace cultivation, traditional system of agriculture, small land holdings, variation in physiography, top soil erosion, lack of proper irrigation system etc. Pre-harvest acreage/yield/production estimation of major crops is being done with the help of conventional crop cutting method, which is biased, inaccurate and time consuming. Remote Sensing data with multi-temporal and multi-spectral capabilities has shown new dimension in crop discrimination analysis and acreage/yield/production estimation in recent years. In view of this, Uttarakhand Space Applications Centre (USAC), Dehradun with the collaboration of Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, Ahmedabad and Uttarakhand State Agriculture Department, have developed different techniques for the discrimination of crops and estimation of pre-harvest wheat acreage/yield/production. In the 1st phase, five districts (Dehradun, Almora, Udham Singh Nagar, Pauri Garhwal and Haridwar) with distinct physiography i.e. hilly and plain regions, have been selected for testing and verification of techniques using IRS (Indian Remote Sensing Satellites), LISS-III, LISS-IV satellite data of Rabi season for the year 2008-09 and whole 13 districts of the Uttarakhand state from 2009-14 along with ground data were used for detailed analysis. Five methods have been developed i.e. NDVI (Normalized Differential Vegetation Index), Supervised classification, Spatial modeling, Masking out method and Programming on visual basics methods using multitemporal satellite data of Rabi season along with the collateral and ground data. These methods were used for wheat discriminations and preharvest acreage estimations and subsequently results were compared with Bureau of Estimation Statistics (BES). Out of these five different methods, wheat area that was estimated by spatial modeling and programming on visual basics has been found quite near to Bureau of Estimation Statistics (BES). But for hilly region, maximum fields were going in shadow region, so it was difficult to estimate accurate result, so frequency distribution curve method has been used and frequency range has been decided to discriminate wheat pixels from other pixels in hilly region, digitized those regions and result shows good result. For yield estimation, an algorithm has been developed by using soil characteristics i.e. texture, depth, drainage, temperature, rainfall and historical yield data. To get the production estimation, estimated yield multiplied by acreage of crop per hectare. Result shows deviation for acreage estimation from BES is around 3.28 %, 2.46 %, 3.45 %, 1.56 %, 1.2 % and 1.6 % (estimation not declared till now by state Agriculture dept. For the year 2013-14) estimation and deviation for production estimation is around 4.98 %, 3.66 % 3.21 % , 3.1 % NA and 2.9 % for the consecutive above mentioned years i.e. 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14. The estimated data has been provided to State Agriculture department for their use. To forecast production before harvest facilitate the formulation of workable marketing strategies leading to better export/import of crop in the state, which will help to lead better economic condition of the state. Yield estimation would help agriculture department in assessment of productivity of land for specific crop. Pre-harvest wheat acreage/production estimation, is useful to facilitate the reliable and timely estimates and enable the administrators and planners to take strategic decisions on import-export policy matters and trade negotiations.

Dry matter yields and quality of forages derived from grass species and organic production methods (year 111).

PubMed

Pholsen, S; Rodchum, P; Higgs, D E B

2014-07-01

This third year work was carried on at Khon Kaen University during the 2008-2009 to investigate dry matter yields of grass, grass plus legumes, grown on Korat soil series (Oxic Paleustults). The experiment consisted of twelve-treatment combinations of a 3x4 factorial arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The results showed that Dry Matter Yields (DMY) of Ruzi and Guinea grass were similar with mean values of 6,585 and 6,130 kg ha(-1) whilst Napier gave the lowest (884 kg ha(-1)). With grass plus legume, grass species and production methods gave highly significant dry matter yields where Guinea and Ruzi gave dry matter yields of 7,165 and 7,181 kg ha(-1), respectively and Napier was the least (2,790 kg ha(-1)). The production methods with the use of cattle manure gave the highest DMY (grass alone) of 10,267 kg ha(-1) followed by Wynn and Verano with values of 6,064 and 3,623 kg ha(-1), respectively. Guinea plus cattle manure gave the highest DMY of 14,599 kg ha(-1) whilst Ruzi gave 12,977 kg ha(-1). Guinea plus Wynn gave DMY of 7,082 kg ha(-1). Ruzi plus Verano gave DMY of 6,501 kg ha(-1). Forage qualities of crude protein were highest with those grown with grass plus legumes. Some prospects in improving production were discussed.

Policosanol fabrication from insect wax and optimization by response surface methodology

PubMed Central

Ma, Jinju; Zhang, Hong

2018-01-01

Background Insect wax is a famous biological resource for the role in economic production in China. Insect wax is a good source of policosanol, which may is a candidate supplement in foodstuff and pharmaceuticals that has important physiological activities. Therefore, this work aims to investigate a high-yield and rapid method for policosanol fabrication from insect wax. Results The conditions for policosanol fabrication were optimized as follows: an oil bath temperature of 112.7°C and reductant dosage of 0.97 g (used for the reduction of 10.00 g of insect wax). The yield of policosanol reached 83.20%, which was 4 times greater than that of existing methods, such as saponification. The total content of policosanol obtained under the optimal conditions reached 87%. In other words, a high yield of policosanol was obtained from insect wax (723.84 mg/g), that was 55 times higher than that generated from beeswax-brown via saponification. The concentrations of metal residues in policosanol were within the limits of the European Union regulations and EFSA stipulation. The LD50 values for oral doses of insect wax and policosanol were both > 5 g/kg. Conclusion Policosanol was fabricated via solvent-free reduction from insect wax using LiAlH4 at a high yield. The fabrication conditions were optimized. Policosanol and insect wax showed high security, which made them potential candidates as supplements in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. The rapid and high-yield method has great potential for commercial manufacturing of policosanol. PMID:29763430

Estimation of rice yield affected by drought and relation between rice yield and TVDI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hongo, C.; Tamura, E.; Sigit, G.

2016-12-01

Impact of climate change is not only seen on food production but also on food security and sustainable development of society. Adaptation to climate change is a pressing issue throughout the world to reduce the risks along with the plans and strategies for food security and sustainable development. As a key adaptation to the climate change, agricultural insurance is expected to play an important role in stabilizing agricultural production through compensating the losses caused by the climate change. As the adaptation, the Government of Indonesia has launched agricultural insurance program for damage of rice by drought, flood and pest and disease. The Government started a pilot project in 2013 and this year the pilot project has been extended to 22 provinces. Having the above as background, we conducted research on development of new damage assessment method for rice using remote sensing data which could be used for evaluation of damage ratio caused by drought in West Java, Indonesia. For assessment of the damage ratio, estimation of rice yield is a key. As the result of our study, rice yield affected by drought in dry season could be estimated at level of 1 % significance using SPOT 7 data taken in 2015, and the validation result was 0.8t/ha. Then, the decrease ratio in rice yield about each individual paddy field was calculated using data of the estimated result and the average yield of the past 10 years. In addition, TVDI (Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index) which was calculated from Landsat8 data in heading season indicated the dryness in low yield area. The result suggests that rice yield was affected by irrigation water shortage around heading season as a result of the decreased precipitation by El Nino. Through our study, it becomes clear that the utilization of remote sensing data can be promising for assessment of the damage ratio of rice production precisely, quickly and quantitatively, and also it can be incorporated into the insurance procedures.

Radiolabeling of multimeric neurotensin(8-13) analogs with the short-lived positron emitter fluorine-18.

PubMed

Hultsch, Christina; Berndt, Mathias; Bergmann, Ralf; Wuest, Frank

2007-07-01

Three methods for (18)F-labeling of dimeric and tetrameric neurotensin(8-13) derivatives were evaluated with respect to the labeling yield and the required peptide amounts. Labeling using N-succinimidyl-4-[(18)F]fluorobenzoate ([(18)F]SFB) gave low radiochemical yield for the dimeric peptides. Coupling of the tetramer with [(18)F]SFB was not successful. High yields were obtained for labeling of the aminooxy-functionalized neurotensin(8-13) dimer using 4-[(18)F]fluorobenzaldehyde ([(18)F]FBA) whilst coupling of the corresponding tetramer gave only low yields. Labeling of sulfydryl-functionalized neurotensin(8-13) derivatives using the maleinimide 4-[(18)F]fluorobenzaldehyde-O-[6-(2,5-dioxo-2,5-dihydro-pyrrol-1-yl)-hexyl]-oxime ([(18)F]FBAM) resulted in high radiochemical yields for both, the dimer and the tetramer. Therefore, [(18)F]FBAM seems to be the most suitable (18)F-labeling agent for multivalent neurotensin(8-13) derivatives.

Sputtering yields of carbon based materials under high particle flux with low energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, K.; Nagase, A.; Dairaku, M.; Akiba, M.; Araki, M.; Okumura, Y.

1995-04-01

A new ion source which can produce high particle flux beams at low energies has been developed. This paper presents preliminary results on the sputtering yield of the carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFCs) measured with the new ion source. The sputtering yields of 1D and 2D CFCs, which are candidate materials for the divertor armour tiles, have been measured by the weight loss method under the hydrogen and deuterium particle fluxes of 2 ˜ 7 × 10 20/m 2 s at 50 ˜ 150 eV. Preferential sputtering of the matrix was observed on CFCs which included the matrix of 40 ˜ 60 w%. The energy dependence of the sputtering yields was weak. The sputtering yields of CFCs normally irradiated with deuterium beam were from 0.073 to 0.095, and were around three times larger than those with hydrogen beam.

A Comparison of Machine Learning Approaches for Corn Yield Estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, N.; Lee, Y. W.

2017-12-01

Machine learning is an efficient empirical method for classification and prediction, and it is another approach to crop yield estimation. The objective of this study is to estimate corn yield in the Midwestern United States by employing the machine learning approaches such as the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and deep neural networks (DNN), and to perform the comprehensive comparison for their results. We constructed the database using satellite images from MODIS, the climate data of PRISM climate group, and GLDAS soil moisture data. In addition, to examine the seasonal sensitivities of corn yields, two period groups were set up: May to September (MJJAS) and July and August (JA). In overall, the DNN showed the highest accuracies in term of the correlation coefficient for the two period groups. The differences between our predictions and USDA yield statistics were about 10-11 %.

Optimizing Fungal DNA Extraction Methods from Aerosol Filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimenez, G.; Mescioglu, E.; Paytan, A.

2016-12-01

Fungi and fungal spores can be picked up from terrestrial ecosystems, transported long distances, and deposited into marine ecosystems. It is important to study dust-borne fungal communities, because they can stay viable and effect the ambient microbial populations, which are key players in biogeochemical cycles. One of the challenges of studying dust-borne fungal populations is that aerosol samples contain low biomass, making extracting good quality DNA very difficult. The aim of this project was to increase DNA yield by optimizing DNA extraction methods. We tested aerosol samples collected from Haifa, Israel (polycarbonate filter), Monterey Bay, CA (quartz filter) and Bermuda (quartz filter). Using the Qiagen DNeasy Plant Kit, we tested the effect of altering bead beating times and incubation times, adding three freeze and thaw steps, initially washing the filters with buffers for various lengths of time before using the kit, and adding a step with 30 minutes of sonication in 65C water. Adding three freeze/thaw steps, adding a sonication step, washing with a phosphate buffered saline overnight, and increasing incubation time to two hours, in that order, resulted in the highest increase in DNA for samples from Israel (polycarbonate). DNA yield of samples from Monterey (quart filter) increased about 5 times when washing with buffers overnight (phosphate buffered saline and potassium phophate buffer), adding a sonication step, and adding three freeze and thaw steps. Samples collected in Bermuda (quartz filter) had the highest increase in DNA yield from increasing incubation to 2 hours, increasing bead beating time to 6 minutes, and washing with buffers overnight (phosphate buffered saline and potassium phophate buffer). Our results show that DNA yield can be increased by altering various steps of the Qiagen DNeasy Plant Kit protocol, but different types of filters collected at different sites respond differently to alterations. These results can be used as preliminary results to continue developing fungi DNA extraction methods. Developing these methods will be important as dust storms are predicted to increase due to increased draughts and anthropogenic activity, and the fungal communities of these dust-storms are currently relatively understudied.

Numerical solution of 2D-vector tomography problem using the method of approximate inverse

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Svetov, Ivan; Maltseva, Svetlana; Polyakova, Anna

2016-08-10

We propose a numerical solution of reconstruction problem of a two-dimensional vector field in a unit disk from the known values of the longitudinal and transverse ray transforms. The algorithm is based on the method of approximate inverse. Numerical simulations confirm that the proposed method yields good results of reconstruction of vector fields.

Comparison of brown sugar, hot water, and salt methods for detecting western cherry fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) larvae in sweet cherry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Brown sugar or hot water methods have been developed to detect larvae of tephritid fruit flies in post-harvest fruit in order to maintain quarantine security. It would be useful to determine if variations of these methods can yield better results and if less expensive alternatives exist. This stud...

Evaluation of Procedures for Isolation of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria from Soil and Water

PubMed Central

Kamala, T.; Paramasivan, C. N.; Herbert, Daniel; Venkatesan, P.; Prabhakar, R.

1994-01-01

Six methods of decontamination each for the isolation of mycobacteria from soil and water were compared. On the basis of the results obtained, three of the six methods for soil and two of the six methods for water were further evaluated. For both soil and water samples, the method using 3% sodium lauryl sulfate in combination with 1% NaOH yielded more positives than the other methods. PMID:16349208

Integrated bioethanol production to boost low-concentrated cellulosic ethanol without sacrificing ethanol yield.

PubMed

Xu, Youjie; Zhang, Meng; Roozeboom, Kraig; Wang, Donghai

2018-02-01

Four integrated designs were proposed to boost cellulosic ethanol titer and yield. Results indicated co-fermentation of corn flour with hydrolysate liquor from saccharified corn stover was the best integration scheme and able to boost ethanol titers from 19.9 to 123.2 g/L with biomass loading of 8% and from 36.8 to 130.2 g/L with biomass loadings of 16%, respectively, while meeting the minimal ethanol distillation requirement of 40 g/L and achieving high ethanol yields of above 90%. These results indicated integration of first and second generation ethanol production could significantly accelerate the commercialization of cellulosic biofuel production. Co-fermentation of starchy substrate with hydrolysate liquor from saccharified biomass is able to significantly enhance ethanol concentration to reduce energy cost for distillation without sacrificing ethanol yields. This novel method could be extended to any pretreatment of biomass from low to high pH pretreatment as demonstrated in this study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Full-Waveform Envelope Templates for Low Magnitude Discrimination and Yield Estimation at Local and Regional Distances with Application to the North Korean Nuclear Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, S. H.

2017-12-01

Monitoring seismologists have successfully used seismic coda for event discrimination and yield estimation for over a decade. In practice seismologists typically analyze long-duration, S-coda signals with high signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) at regional and teleseismic distances, since the single back-scattering model reasonably predicts decay of the late coda. However, seismic monitoring requirements are shifting towards smaller, locally recorded events that exhibit low SNR and short signal lengths. To be successful at characterizing events recorded at local distances, we must utilize the direct-phase arrivals, as well as the earlier part of the coda, which is dominated by multiple forward scattering. To remedy this problem, we have developed a new hybrid method known as full-waveform envelope template matching to improve predicted envelope fits over the entire waveform and account for direct-wave and early coda complexity. We accomplish this by including a multiple forward-scattering approximation in the envelope modeling of the early coda. The new hybrid envelope templates are designed to fit local and regional full waveforms and produce low-variance amplitude estimates, which will improve yield estimation and discrimination between earthquakes and explosions. To demonstrate the new technique, we applied our full-waveform envelope template-matching method to the six known North Korean (DPRK) underground nuclear tests and four aftershock events following the September 2017 test. We successfully discriminated the event types and estimated the yield for all six nuclear tests. We also applied the same technique to the 2015 Tianjin explosions in China, and another suspected low-yield explosion at the DPRK test site on May 12, 2010. Our results show that the new full-waveform envelope template-matching method significantly improves upon longstanding single-scattering coda prediction techniques. More importantly, the new method allows monitoring seismologists to extend coda-based techniques to lower magnitude thresholds and low-yield local explosions.

A quantitative method for risk assessment of agriculture due to climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Zhiqiang; Pan, Zhihua; An, Pingli; Zhang, Jingting; Zhang, Jun; Pan, Yuying; Huang, Lei; Zhao, Hui; Han, Guolin; Wu, Dong; Wang, Jialin; Fan, Dongliang; Gao, Lin; Pan, Xuebiao

2018-01-01

Climate change has greatly affected agriculture. Agriculture is facing increasing risks as its sensitivity and vulnerability to climate change. Scientific assessment of climate change-induced agricultural risks could help to actively deal with climate change and ensure food security. However, quantitative assessment of risk is a difficult issue. Here, based on the IPCC assessment reports, a quantitative method for risk assessment of agriculture due to climate change is proposed. Risk is described as the product of the degree of loss and its probability of occurrence. The degree of loss can be expressed by the yield change amplitude. The probability of occurrence can be calculated by the new concept of climate change effect-accumulated frequency (CCEAF). Specific steps of this assessment method are suggested. This method is determined feasible and practical by using the spring wheat in Wuchuan County of Inner Mongolia as a test example. The results show that the fluctuation of spring wheat yield increased with the warming and drying climatic trend in Wuchuan County. The maximum yield decrease and its probability were 3.5 and 64.6%, respectively, for the temperature maximum increase 88.3%, and its risk was 2.2%. The maximum yield decrease and its probability were 14.1 and 56.1%, respectively, for the precipitation maximum decrease 35.2%, and its risk was 7.9%. For the comprehensive impacts of temperature and precipitation, the maximum yield decrease and its probability were 17.6 and 53.4%, respectively, and its risk increased to 9.4%. If we do not adopt appropriate adaptation strategies, the degree of loss from the negative impacts of multiclimatic factors and its probability of occurrence will both increase accordingly, and the risk will also grow obviously.

Xylan extraction from pretreated sugarcane bagasse using alkaline and enzymatic approaches.

PubMed

Sporck, Daniele; Reinoso, Felipe A M; Rencoret, Jorge; Gutiérrez, Ana; Del Rio, José C; Ferraz, André; Milagres, Adriane M F

2017-01-01

New biorefinery concepts are necessary to drive industrial use of lignocellulose biomass components. Xylan recovery before enzymatic hydrolysis of the glucan component is a way to add value to the hemicellulose fraction, which can be used in papermaking, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Hemicellulose removal can also facilitate subsequent cellulolytic glucan hydrolysis. Sugarcane bagasse was pretreated with an alkaline-sulfite chemithermomechanical process to facilitate subsequent extraction of xylan by enzymatic or alkaline procedures. Alkaline extraction methods yielded 53% (w/w) xylan recovery. The enzymatic approach provided a limited yield of 22% (w/w) but produced the xylan with the lowest contamination with lignin and glucan components. All extracted xylans presented arabinosyl side groups and absence of acetylation. 2D-NMR data suggested the presence of O -methyl-glucuronic acid and p -coumarates only in enzymatically extracted xylan. Xylans isolated using the enzymatic approach resulted in products with molecular weights (Mw) lower than 6 kDa. Higher Mw values were detected in the alkali-isolated xylans. Alkaline extraction of xylan provided a glucan-enriched solid readily hydrolysable with low cellulase loads, generating hydrolysates with a high glucose/xylose ratio. Hemicellulose removal before enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulosic fraction proved to be an efficient manner to add value to sugarcane bagasse biorefining. Xylans with varied yield, purity, and structure can be obtained according to the extraction method. Enzymatic extraction procedures produce high-purity xylans at low yield, whereas alkaline extraction methods provided higher xylan yields with more lignin and glucan contamination. When xylan extraction is performed with alkaline methods, the residual glucan-enriched solid seems suitable for glucose production employing low cellulase loadings.

Tensile Properties of 17-7 PH and 12 MoV Stainless-Steel Sheet under Rapid-Heating and Constant-Temperature Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manning, Charles R., Jr.; Price, Howard L.

1961-01-01

Results are presented of rapid-heating tests of 17-7 PH and 12 MoV stainless-steel sheet heated to failure at temperature rates from about 1 F to 170 F per second under constant-load conditions. Yield and rupture strengths obtained from rapid-heating tests are compared with yield and tensile strengths obtained from short-time elevated-temperature tensile tests (30-minute exposure). A rate-temperature parameter was used to construct master curves from which yield and rupture stresses or temperatures can be predicted. A method for measuring strain by optical means is described.

Hydroacylation of 2-vinyl benzaldehyde systems: an efficient method for the synthesis of chiral 3-substituted indanones.

PubMed

Kundu, Kousik; McCullagh, James V; Morehead, Andrew T

2005-11-23

Asymmetric rhodium-catalyzed hydroacylation has been utilized in the synthesis of 3-substituted indanones with high conversions and enantioselectivity. The hydroacylation reaction of 2-vinyl benzaldehyde had been previously reported to give a low yield of indanone and an unidentified product. We have identified this compound as a dimer of the starting material. Substitution at the alpha-position of the 2-vinyl benzaldehyde substrates blocks the competitive dimerization reaction and allows the reaction to proceed with yields generally greater than 90%. Utilization of BINAP as a chiral ligand results in good chemical yields and enantioselectivity greater than 95% in most cases.

Numerical computations on one-dimensional inverse scattering problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunn, M. H.; Hariharan, S. I.

1983-01-01

An approximate method to determine the index of refraction of a dielectric obstacle is presented. For simplicity one dimensional models of electromagnetic scattering are treated. The governing equations yield a second order boundary value problem, in which the index of refraction appears as a functional parameter. The availability of reflection coefficients yield two additional boundary conditions. The index of refraction by a k-th order spline which can be written as a linear combination of B-splines is approximated. For N distinct reflection coefficients, the resulting N boundary value problems yield a system of N nonlinear equations in N unknowns which are the coefficients of the B-splines.

Evaluating an mHealth App for Health and Well-Being at Work: Mixed-Method Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Wiezer, Noortje; Janssen, Joris H; Vink, Peter; Kraaij, Wessel

2018-01-01

Background To improve workers’ health and well-being, workplace interventions have been developed, but utilization and reach are unsatisfactory, and effects are small. In recent years, new approaches such as mobile health (mHealth) apps are being developed, but the evidence base is poor. Research is needed to examine its potential and to assess when, where, and for whom mHealth is efficacious in the occupational setting. To develop interventions for workers that actually will be adopted, insight into user satisfaction and technology acceptance is necessary. For this purpose, various qualitative evaluation methods are available. Objective The objectives of this study were to gain insight into (1) the opinions and experiences of employees and experts on drivers and barriers using an mHealth app in the working context and (2) the added value of three different qualitative methods that are available to evaluate mHealth apps in a working context: interviews with employees, focus groups with employees, and a focus group with experts. Methods Employees of a high-tech company and experts were asked to use an mHealth app for at least 3 weeks before participating in a qualitative evaluation. Twenty-two employees participated in interviews, 15 employees participated in three focus groups, and 6 experts participated in one focus group. Two researchers independently coded, categorized, and analyzed all quotes yielded from these evaluation methods with a codebook using constructs from user satisfaction and technology acceptance theories. Results Interviewing employees yielded 785 quotes, focus groups with employees yielded 266 quotes, and the focus group with experts yielded 132 quotes. Overall, participants muted enthusiasm about the app. Combined results from the three evaluation methods showed drivers and barriers for technology, user characteristics, context, privacy, and autonomy. A comparison between the three qualitative methods showed that issues revealed by experts only slightly overlapped with those expressed by employees. In addition, it was seen that the type of evaluation yielded different results. Conclusions Findings from this study provide the following recommendations for organizations that are planning to provide mHealth apps to their workers and for developers of mHealth apps: (1) system performance influences adoption and adherence, (2) relevancy and benefits of the mHealth app should be clear to the user and should address users’ characteristics, (3) app should take into account the work context, and (4) employees should be alerted to their right to privacy and use of personal data. Furthermore, a qualitative evaluation of mHealth apps in a work setting might benefit from combining more than one method. Factors to consider when selecting a qualitative research method are the design, development stage, and implementation of the app; the working context in which it is being used; employees’ mental models; practicability; resources; and skills required of experts and users. PMID:29592846

A review of the application of propensity score methods yielded increasing use, advantages in specific settings, but not substantially different estimates compared with conventional multivariable methods

PubMed Central

Stürmer, Til; Joshi, Manisha; Glynn, Robert J.; Avorn, Jerry; Rothman, Kenneth J.; Schneeweiss, Sebastian

2006-01-01

Objective Propensity score analyses attempt to control for confounding in non-experimental studies by adjusting for the likelihood that a given patient is exposed. Such analyses have been proposed to address confounding by indication, but there is little empirical evidence that they achieve better control than conventional multivariate outcome modeling. Study design and methods Using PubMed and Science Citation Index, we assessed the use of propensity scores over time and critically evaluated studies published through 2003. Results Use of propensity scores increased from a total of 8 papers before 1998 to 71 in 2003. Most of the 177 published studies abstracted assessed medications (N=60) or surgical interventions (N=51), mainly in cardiology and cardiac surgery (N=90). Whether PS methods or conventional outcome models were used to control for confounding had little effect on results in those studies in which such comparison was possible. Only 9 out of 69 studies (13%) had an effect estimate that differed by more than 20% from that obtained with a conventional outcome model in all PS analyses presented. Conclusions Publication of results based on propensity score methods has increased dramatically, but there is little evidence that these methods yield substantially different estimates compared with conventional multivariable methods. PMID:16632131

Background estimation and player detection in badminton video clips using histogram of pixel values along temporal dimension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Yahui; Ma, Xiao; Gao, Xinyu; Zhou, Fangxu

2015-12-01

Computer vision is an important tool for sports video processing. However, its application in badminton match analysis is very limited. In this study, we proposed a straightforward but robust histogram-based background estimation and player detection methods for badminton video clips, and compared the results with the naive averaging method and the mixture of Gaussians methods, respectively. The proposed method yielded better background estimation results than the naive averaging method and more accurate player detection results than the mixture of Gaussians player detection method. The preliminary results indicated that the proposed histogram-based method could estimate the background and extract the players accurately. We conclude that the proposed method can be used for badminton player tracking and further studies are warranted for automated match analysis.

Methodology for constructing a colour-difference acceptability scale.

PubMed

Laborie, Baptiste; Viénot, Françoise; Langlois, Sabine

2010-09-01

Observers were invited to report their degree of satisfaction on a 6-point semantic scale with respect to the conformity of a test colour with a white reference colour, simultaneously presented on a PDP display. Eight test patches were chosen along each of the +a*, -a*, +b*, -b* axes of the CIELAB chromaticity plane, at Y = 80 ± 2 cd.m(-2) . Experimental conditions reliably represented the automotive environment (patch size, angular distance between patches) and observers could move their head and eyes freely. We have compared several methods of category scaling, the Torgerson-DMT method (Torgerson, W. S. (1958). Theory and methods of scaling. Wiley, New York, USA); two versions of the regression method i.e. Bonnet's (Bonnet, C. (1986). Manuel pratique de psychophysique. Armand Colin, Paris, France) and logistic regression; and the medians method. We describe in detail a case where all methods yield substantial but slightly different results. The solution proposed by the regression method which works with incomplete matrices and yields results directly on a colorimetric scale is probably the most useful in this industrial context. Finally we summarize the implementation of the logistic regression method over four hues and for one experimental condition. © 2010 The Authors, Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics © 2010 The College of Optometrists.

Simulated Impacts of Climate Change on Water Use and Yield of Irrigated Sugarcane in South Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, M.R; Singels, A.; Ruane, A. C.

2015-01-01

Reliable predictions of climate change impacts on water use, irrigation requirements and yields of irrigated sugarcane in South Africa (a water-scarce country) are necessary to plan adaptation strategies. Although previous work has been done in this regard, methodologies and results vary considerably. The objectives were (1) to estimate likely impacts of climate change on sugarcane yields, water use and irrigation demand at three irrigated sugarcane production sites in South Africa (Malelane, Pongola and La Mercy) for current (1980-2010) and future (2070-2100) climate scenarios, using an approach based on the Agricultural Model Inter-comparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) protocols; and (2) to assess the suitability of this methodology for investigating climate change impacts on sugarcane production. Future climate datasets were generated using the Delta downscaling method and three Global Circulation Models (GCMs) assuming atmospheric CO2 concentration [CO2] of 734 ppm(A2 emissions scenario). Yield and water use were simulated using the DSSAT-Canegro v4.5 model. Irrigated cane yields are expected to increase at all three sites (between 11 and 14%), primarily due to increased interception of radiation as a result of accelerated canopy development. Evapotranspiration and irrigation requirements increased by 11% due to increased canopy cover and evaporative demand. Sucrose yields are expected to decline because of increased consumption of photo-assimilate for structural growth and maintenance respiration. Crop responses in canopy development and yield formation differed markedly between the crop cycles investigated. Possible agronomic implications of these results include reduced weed control costs due to shortened periods of partial canopy, a need for improved efficiency of irrigation to counter increased demands, and adjustments to ripening and harvest practices to counter decreased cane quality and optimize productivity. Although the Delta climate data downscaling method is considered robust, accurate and easily-understood, it does not change the future number of rain-days per month. The impacts of this and other climate data simplifications ought to be explored in future work. Shortcomings of the DSSAT-Canegro model include the simulated responses of phenological development, photosynthesis and respiration processes to high temperatures, and the disconnect between simulated biomass accumulation and expansive growth. Proposed methodology refinements should improve the reliability of predicted climate change impacts on sugarcane yield.

Using NOAA/AVHRR based remote sensing data and PCR method for estimation of Aus rice yield in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nizamuddin, Mohammad; Akhand, Kawsar; Roytman, Leonid; Kogan, Felix; Goldberg, Mitch

2015-06-01

Rice is a dominant food crop of Bangladesh accounting about 75 percent of agricultural land use for rice cultivation and currently Bangladesh is the world's fourth largest rice producing country. Rice provides about two-third of total calorie supply and about one-half of the agricultural GDP and one-sixth of the national income in Bangladesh. Aus is one of the main rice varieties in Bangladesh. Crop production, especially rice, the main food staple, is the most susceptible to climate change and variability. Any change in climate will, thus, increase uncertainty regarding rice production as climate is major cause year-to-year variability in rice productivity. This paper shows the application of remote sensing data for estimating Aus rice yield in Bangladesh using official statistics of rice yield with real time acquired satellite data from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor and Principal Component Regression (PCR) method was used to construct a model. The simulated result was compared with official agricultural statistics showing that the error of estimation of Aus rice yield was less than 10%. Remote sensing, therefore, is a valuable tool for estimating crop yields well in advance of harvest, and at a low cost.

Find_tfSBP: find thermodynamics-feasible and smallest balanced pathways with high yield from large-scale metabolic networks.

PubMed

Xu, Zixiang; Sun, Jibin; Wu, Qiaqing; Zhu, Dunming

2017-12-11

Biologically meaningful metabolic pathways are important references in the design of industrial bacterium. At present, constraint-based method is the only way to model and simulate a genome-scale metabolic network under steady-state criteria. Due to the inadequate assumption of the relationship in gene-enzyme-reaction as one-to-one unique association, computational difficulty or ignoring the yield from substrate to product, previous pathway finding approaches can't be effectively applied to find out the high yield pathways that are mass balanced in stoichiometry. In addition, the shortest pathways may not be the pathways with high yield. At the same time, a pathway, which exists in stoichiometry, may not be feasible in thermodynamics. By using mixed integer programming strategy, we put forward an algorithm to identify all the smallest balanced pathways which convert the source compound to the target compound in large-scale metabolic networks. The resulting pathways by our method can finely satisfy the stoichiometric constraints and non-decomposability condition. Especially, the functions of high yield and thermodynamics feasibility have been considered in our approach. This tool is tailored to direct the metabolic engineering practice to enlarge the metabolic potentials of industrial strains by integrating the extensive metabolic network information built from systems biology dataset.

Comparison of different methods for extraction from Tetraclinis articulata: yield, chemical composition and antioxidant activity.

PubMed

Herzi, Nejia; Bouajila, Jalloul; Camy, Séverine; Romdhane, Mehrez; Condoret, Jean-Stéphane

2013-12-15

In the present study, three techniques of extraction: hydrodistillation (HD), solvent extraction (conventional 'Soxhlet' technique) and an innovative technique, i.e., the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), were applied to ground Tetraclinis articulata leaves and compared for extraction duration, extraction yield, and chemical composition of the extracts as well as their antioxidant activities. The extracts were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The antioxidant activity was measured using two methods: ABTS(•+) and DPPH(•). The yield obtained using HD, SFE, hexane and ethanol Soxhlet extractions were found to be 0.6, 1.6, 40.4 and 21.2-27.4 g/kg respectively. An original result of this study is that the best antioxidant activity was obtained with an SFE extract (41 mg/L). The SFE method offers some noteworthy advantages over traditional alternatives, such as shorter extraction times, low environmental impact, and a clean, non-thermally-degraded final product. Also, a good correlation between the phenolic contents and the antioxidant activity was observed with extracts obtained by SFE at 9 MPa. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of extraction methods on the yield, chemical structure and anti-tumor activity of polysaccharides from Cordyceps gunnii mycelia.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhen-Yuan; Dong, Fengying; Liu, Xiaocui; Lv, Qian; YingYang; Liu, Fei; Chen, Ling; Wang, Tiantian; Wang, Zheng; Zhang, Yongmin

2016-04-20

This study was to investigate the effects of different extraction methods on the yield, chemical structure and antitumor activity of polysaccharides from Cordyceps gunnii (C. gunnii) mycelia. Five extraction methods were used to extract crude polysaccharides (CPS), which include room-temperature water extraction (RWE), hot-water extraction (HWE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and cellulase-assisted extraction (CAE). Then Sephadex G-100 was used for purification of CPS. As a result, the antitumor activities of CPS and PPS on S180 cells were evaluated. Five CPS and purified polysaccharides (PPS) were obtained. The yield of CPS by microwave-assisted extraction (CPSMAE) was the highest and its anti-tumor activity was the best and its macromolecular polysaccharide (3000-1000kDa) ratio was the largest. The PPS had the same monosaccharide composition, but their obvious difference was in the antitumor activity and the physicochemical characteristics, such as intrinsic viscosity, specific rotation, scanning electron microscopy and circular dichroism spectra. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The identification of sustainable yield for hot spring regarding water level and temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ke, Kai-Yuan; Tan, Yih-Chi

2017-04-01

In order to sustainably manage and utilize the limited hot spring resource, the cool-hot water exchange model is established by combination of Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT) and SHEMAT. Hot spring in Ziaoxi, Taiwan, is chosen as study area. With data of geography, weather, land use and soil texture, SWAT can simulate precipitation induced infiltration and recharge for SHEMAT. Then SHEMAT is calibrated and verified with in-situ observation data of hot spring temperature and water level. The relation among precipitation, pumping, change of water temperature and water level is thus investigated. The effect of point well pumping, which dramatically lower the water level and temperature, due to prosperous development of hot spring building and industry is also considered for better model calibration. In addition, by employing a modified Hill's method, the sustainable yield is identified. Unlike traditional Hill's method, the modified Hill's method could account for not only the change of water level but also the temperature. As a result, the estimated sustainable yield provide a reasonable availability of hot spring resources without further decline of the water level and temperature.

All-inkjet-printed thin-film transistors: manufacturing process reliability by root cause analysis

PubMed Central

Sowade, Enrico; Ramon, Eloi; Mitra, Kalyan Yoti; Martínez-Domingo, Carme; Pedró, Marta; Pallarès, Jofre; Loffredo, Fausta; Villani, Fulvia; Gomes, Henrique L.; Terés, Lluís; Baumann, Reinhard R.

2016-01-01

We report on the detailed electrical investigation of all-inkjet-printed thin-film transistor (TFT) arrays focusing on TFT failures and their origins. The TFT arrays were manufactured on flexible polymer substrates in ambient condition without the need for cleanroom environment or inert atmosphere and at a maximum temperature of 150 °C. Alternative manufacturing processes for electronic devices such as inkjet printing suffer from lower accuracy compared to traditional microelectronic manufacturing methods. Furthermore, usually printing methods do not allow the manufacturing of electronic devices with high yield (high number of functional devices). In general, the manufacturing yield is much lower compared to the established conventional manufacturing methods based on lithography. Thus, the focus of this contribution is set on a comprehensive analysis of defective TFTs printed by inkjet technology. Based on root cause analysis, we present the defects by developing failure categories and discuss the reasons for the defects. This procedure identifies failure origins and allows the optimization of the manufacturing resulting finally to a yield improvement. PMID:27649784

Application of artificial intelligent tools to modeling of glucosamine preparation from exoskeleton of shrimp.

PubMed

Valizadeh, Hadi; Pourmahmood, Mohammad; Mojarrad, Javid Shahbazi; Nemati, Mahboob; Zakeri-Milani, Parvin

2009-04-01

The objective of this study was to forecast and optimize the glucosamine production yield from chitin (obtained from Persian Gulf shrimp) by means of genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and artificial neural networks (ANNs) as tools of artificial intelligence methods. Three factors (acid concentration, acid solution to chitin ratio, and reaction time) were used as the input parameters of the models investigated. According to the obtained results, the production yield of glucosamine hydrochloride depends linearly on acid concentration, acid solution to solid ratio, and time and also the cross-product of acid concentration and time and the cross-product of solids to acid solution ratio and time. The production yield significantly increased with an increase of acid concentration, acid solution ratio, and reaction time. The production yield is inversely related to the cross-product of acid concentration and time. It means that at high acid concentrations, the longer reaction times give lower production yields. The results revealed that the average percent error (PE) for prediction of production yield by GA, PSO, and ANN are 6.84, 7.11, and 5.49%, respectively. Considering the low PE, it might be concluded that these models have a good predictive power in the studied range of variables and they have the ability of generalization to unknown cases.

Simultaneous achievement of high ethanol yield and titer in Clostridium thermocellum

DOE PAGES

Tian, Liang; Papanek, Beth; Olson, Daniel G.; ...

2016-06-02

Background Biofuel production from plant cell walls offers the potential for sustainable and economically attractive alternatives to petroleum-based products. Fuels from cellulosic biomass are particularly promising, but would benefit from lower processing costs. Clostridium thermocellum can rapidly solubilize and ferment cellulosic biomass, making it a promising candidate microorganism for consolidated bioprocessing for biofuel production, but increases in product yield and titer are still needed. Results We started with an engineered C. thermocellum strain where the central metabolic pathways to products other than ethanol had been deleted. After two stages of adaptive evolution, an evolved strain was selected with improved yieldmore » and titer. On chemically defined medium with crystalline cellulose as substrate, the evolved strain produced 22.4 ± 1.4 g/L ethanol from 60 g/L cellulose. Moreover, the resulting yield was about 0.39 gETOH/gGluc eq, which is 75 % of the maximum theoretical yield. Genome resequencing, proteomics, and biochemical analysis were used to examine differences between the original and evolved strains. Conclusions A two step selection method successfully improved the ethanol yield and the titer. Finaly, this evolved strain has the highest ethanol yield and titer reported to date for C. thermocellum, and is an important step in the development of this microbe for industrial applications.« less

Using statistical model to simulate the impact of climate change on maize yield with climate and crop uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yi; Zhao, Yanxia; Wang, Chunyi; Chen, Sining

2017-11-01

Assessment of the impact of climate change on crop productions with considering uncertainties is essential for properly identifying and decision-making agricultural practices that are sustainable. In this study, we employed 24 climate projections consisting of the combinations of eight GCMs and three emission scenarios representing the climate projections uncertainty, and two crop statistical models with 100 sets of parameters in each model representing parameter uncertainty within the crop models. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of climate change on maize ( Zea mays L.) yield at three locations (Benxi, Changling, and Hailun) across Northeast China (NEC) in periods 2010-2039 and 2040-2069, taking 1976-2005 as the baseline period. The multi-models ensembles method is an effective way to deal with the uncertainties. The results of ensemble simulations showed that maize yield reductions were less than 5 % in both future periods relative to the baseline. To further understand the contributions of individual sources of uncertainty, such as climate projections and crop model parameters, in ensemble yield simulations, variance decomposition was performed. The results indicated that the uncertainty from climate projections was much larger than that contributed by crop model parameters. Increased ensemble yield variance revealed the increasing uncertainty in the yield simulation in the future periods.

Second derivatives for approximate spin projection methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thompson, Lee M.; Hratchian, Hrant P., E-mail: hhratchian@ucmerced.edu

2015-02-07

The use of broken-symmetry electronic structure methods is required in order to obtain correct behavior of electronically strained open-shell systems, such as transition states, biradicals, and transition metals. This approach often has issues with spin contamination, which can lead to significant errors in predicted energies, geometries, and properties. Approximate projection schemes are able to correct for spin contamination and can often yield improved results. To fully make use of these methods and to carry out exploration of the potential energy surface, it is desirable to develop an efficient second energy derivative theory. In this paper, we formulate the analytical secondmore » derivatives for the Yamaguchi approximate projection scheme, building on recent work that has yielded an efficient implementation of the analytical first derivatives.« less

Epoxidation catalyst and process

DOEpatents

Linic, Suljo; Christopher, Phillip

2010-10-26

Disclosed herein is a catalytic method of converting alkenes to epoxides. This method generally includes reacting alkenes with oxygen in the presence of a specific silver catalyst under conditions suitable to produce a yield of the epoxides. The specific silver catalyst is a silver nanocrystal having a plurality of surface planes, a substantial portion of which is defined by Miller indices of (100). The reaction is performed by charging a suitable reactor with this silver catalyst and then feeding the reactants to the reactor under conditions to carry out the reaction. The reaction may be performed in batch, or as a continuous process that employs a recycle of any unreacted alkenes. The specific silver catalyst has unexpectedly high selectivity for epoxide products. Consequently, this general method (and its various embodiments) will result in extraordinarily high epoxide yields heretofore unattainable.

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of bioactive saponin from mahogany seed (Swietenia mahogany Jacq)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waziiroh, E.; Harijono; Kamilia, K.

2018-03-01

Mahogany is frequently used for medicines for cancer, tumor, and diabetes, as it contains saponin and flavonoid. Saponin is a complex glycosydic compound consisted of triterpenoids or steroids. Saponin can be extracted from a plant by using a solvent extraction. Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE) is a non-conventional extraction method that use micro waves in the process. This research was conducted by a Complete Random Design with two factors which were extraction time (120, 150, and 180 seconds) and solvent ratio (10:1, 15:1, and 20:1 v/w). The best treatment of MAE were the solvent ratio 15:1 (v/w) for 180 seconds. The best treatment resulting crude saponin extract yield of 41.46%, containing 11.53% total saponins, and 49.17% of antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, the treatment of maceration method were the solvent ratio 20:1 (v/w) for 48 hours resulting 39.86% yield of saponin crude extract, 9.26% total saponins and 56.23% of antioxidant activity. The results showed MAE was more efficient (less time of extraction and solvent amount) than maceration method.

Effects of digestion, chemical separation, and deposition on Po-210 quantitative analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seiner, Brienne N.; Morley, Shannon M.; Beacham, Tere A.

Polonium-210 is a radioactive isotope often used to study sedimentation processes, food chains, aerosol behavior, and atmospheric circulations related to environmental sciences. Materials for the analysis of Po-210 range from tobacco leaves or cotton fibers, to soils and sediments. The purpose of this work was to determine polonium losses from a variety of sample types (soil, cotton fiber, and air filter) due to digestion technique, chemical separation, and deposition method for alpha energy analysis. Results demonstrated that yields from a perchloric acid wet-ash were similar to that from a microwave digestion. Both were greater than the dry-ash procedure. The poloniummore » yield from the perchloric acid wet ash was 87 ± 5%, the microwave digestion had a yield of 100 ± 7%, and the dry ash had a yield of 38 ± 5%. The chemical separation of polonium by an anion exchange resin was used only on the soil samples due to the complex nature of this sample. The yield of Po-209 tracer after chemical separation and deposition for alpha analysis was 83 ± 7% for the soil samples. Spontaneous deposition yields for the cotton and air filters were 87 ± 4% and 92 ± 6%, respectively. Based on the overall process yields for each sample type the amount of Po-210 was quantified using alpha energy analysis. The soil contained 0.18 ± 0.08 Bq/g, the cotton swipe contained 0.7 mBq/g, and the air filter contained 0.04 ± 0.02 mBq/g. High and robust yields of polonium are possible using a suitable digestion, separation, and deposition method.« less

Comparison of non-toxic methods for creating beta-carotene encapsulated in PMMA nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobrzanski, Christopher D.

Nano/microcapsules are becoming more prevalent in various industries such as drug delivery, cosmetics, etc. Current methods of particle formation often use toxic or carcinogenic/mutagenic/reprotoxic (CMR) chemicals. This study intends to improve upon existing methods of particle formation and compare their effectiveness in terms of entrapment efficiency, mean particle size, and yield utilizing only non-toxic chemicals. In this study, the solvent evaporation (SE), spontaneous emulsification, and spontaneous emulsion solvent diffusion (SESD) methods were compared in systems containing green solvents ethyl acetate, dimethyl carbonate or acetone. PMMA particles containing encapsulated beta carotene, an ultraviolet sensitive substance, were synthesized. It was desired to produce particles with minimum mean size and maximum yield and entrapment of beta carotene. The mass of the water phase, the mass of the polymer and the pumping or blending rate were varied for each synthesis method. The smallest particle sizes for SE and SESD both were obtained from the middle water phase sizes, 200 g and 100 g respectively. The particles obtained from the larger water phase in SESD were much bigger, about 5 microns in diameter, even larger than the ones obtained from SE. When varying the mass of PMMA used in each synthesis method, as expected, more PMMA led to larger particles. Increasing the blending rate in SE from 6,500 to 13,500 rpm had a minimal effect on average particle size, but the higher shear resulted in highly polydisperse particles (PDI = 0.87). By decreasing the pump rate in SESD, particles became smaller and had lower entrapment efficiency. The entrapment efficiencies of the particles were generally higher for the larger particles within a mode. Therefore, we found that minimizing the particle size while maximizing entrapment were somewhat contradictory goals. The solvent evaporation method was very consistent in terms of the values of mean particle size, yield, and entrapment efficiency. Comparing the synthesis methods, the smallest particles with the highest yield and entrapment efficiency were generated by the spontaneous emulsification method.

On High-Order Upwind Methods for Advection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huynh, Hung T.

2017-01-01

Scheme III (piecewise linear) and V (piecewise parabolic) of Van Leer are shown to yield identical solutions provided the initial conditions are chosen in an appropriate manner. This result is counter intuitive since it is generally believed that piecewise linear and piecewise parabolic methods cannot produce the same solutions due to their different degrees of approximation. The result also shows a key connection between the approaches of discontinuous and continuous representations.

Increasing water productivity, nitrogen economy, and grain yield of rice by water saving irrigation and fertilizer-N management.

PubMed

Aziz, Omar; Hussain, Saddam; Rizwan, Muhammad; Riaz, Muhammad; Bashir, Saqib; Lin, Lirong; Mehmood, Sajid; Imran, Muhammad; Yaseen, Rizwan; Lu, Guoan

2018-06-01

The looming water resources worldwide necessitate the development of water-saving technologies in rice production. An open greenhouse experiment was conducted on rice during the summer season of 2016 at Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China, in order to study the influence of irrigation methods and nitrogen (N) inputs on water productivity, N economy, and grain yield of rice. Two irrigation methods, viz. conventional irrigation (CI) and "thin-shallow-moist-dry" irrigation (TSMDI), and three levels of nitrogen, viz. 0 kg N ha -1 (N 0 ), 90 kg N ha -1 (N 1 ), and 180 kg N ha -1 (N 2 ), were examined with three replications. Study data indicated that no significant water by nitrogen interaction on grain yield, biomass, water productivity, N uptake, NUE, and fertilizer N balance was observed. Results revealed that TSMDI method showed significantly higher water productivity and irrigation water applications were reduced by 17.49% in TSMDI compared to CI. Thus, TSMDI enhanced root growth and offered significantly greater water saving along with getting more grain yield compared to CI. Nitrogen tracer ( 15 N) technique accurately assessed the absorption and distribution of added N in the soil crop environment and divulge higher nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) influenced by TSMDI. At the same N inputs, the TSMDI was the optimal method to minimize nitrogen leaching loss by decreasing water leakage about 18.63%, which are beneficial for the ecological environment.

Theoretical Calculation of Jet Fuel Thermochemistry. 1; Tetrahydrodicylopentadiene (JP10) Thermochemistry Using the CBS-QB3 and G3(MP2)//B3LYP Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zehe, Michael J.; Jaffe, Richard L.

2010-01-01

High-level ab initio calculations have been performed on the exo and endo isomers of gas-phase tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene (THDCPD), a principal component of the jet fuel JP10, using the Gaussian Gx and Gx(MPx) composite methods, as well as the CBS-QB3 method, and using a variety of isodesmic and homodesmotic reaction schemes. The impetus for this work is to help resolve large discrepancies existing between literature measurements of the formation enthalpy Delta (sub f)H deg (298) for exo-THDCPD. We find that use of the isodesmic bond separation reaction C10H16 + 14CH4 yields 12C2H6 yields results for the exo isomer (JP10) in between the two experimentally accepted values, for the composite methods G3(MP2), G3(MP2)//B3LYP, and CBS-QB3. Application of this same isodesmic bond separation scheme to gas-phase adamantane yields a value for Delta (sub f)H deg (298) within 5 kJ/mol of experiment. Isodesmic bond separation calculations for the endo isomer give a heat of formation in excellent agreement with the experimental measurement. Combining our calculated values for the gas-phase heat of formation with recent measurements of the heat of vaporization yields recommended values for Delta (sub f)H deg (298)liq of -126.4 and -114.7 kJ/mol for the exo and endo isomers, respectively.

Immunocapture and microplate-based activity and quantity measurement of pyruvate dehydrogenase in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaowen; Pervez, Hira; Andersen, Lars W; Uber, Amy; Montissol, Sophia; Patel, Parth; Donnino, Michael W

2015-01-01

Background Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity is altered in many human disorders. Current methods require tissue samples and yield inconsistent results. We describe a modified method for measuring PDH activity from isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results/Methodology We found that PDH activity and quantity can be successfully measured in human PBMCs. Freeze-thaw cycles cannot efficiently disrupt the mitochondrial membrane. Processing time of up to 20 h does not affect PDH activity with proteinase inhibitor addition and a detergent concentration of 3.3% showed maximum yield. Sample protein concentration is correlated to PDH activity and quantity in human PBMCs from healthy subjects. Conclusion Measuring PDH activity from PBMCs is a novel, easy and less invasive way to further understand the role of PDH in human disease. PMID:25826140

Automatic Method for Building Indoor Boundary Models from Dense Point Clouds Collected by Laser Scanners

PubMed Central

Valero, Enrique; Adán, Antonio; Cerrada, Carlos

2012-01-01

In this paper we present a method that automatically yields Boundary Representation Models (B-rep) for indoors after processing dense point clouds collected by laser scanners from key locations through an existing facility. Our objective is particularly focused on providing single models which contain the shape, location and relationship of primitive structural elements of inhabited scenarios such as walls, ceilings and floors. We propose a discretization of the space in order to accurately segment the 3D data and generate complete B-rep models of indoors in which faces, edges and vertices are coherently connected. The approach has been tested in real scenarios with data coming from laser scanners yielding promising results. We have deeply evaluated the results by analyzing how reliably these elements can be detected and how accurately they are modeled. PMID:23443369

Does repeated pleural culture increase the diagnostic yield of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from tuberculous pleural effusion in HIV-negative individuals?

PubMed

Ko, Yousang; Song, Jinkyung; Lee, Suh-Young; Moon, Jin-Wook; Mo, Eun-Kyung; Park, Ji Young; Kim, Joo-Hee; Park, Sunghoon; Hwang, Yong Il; Jang, Seung Hun; Jhun, Byung Woo; Sim, Yun Su; Shin, Tae Rim; Kim, Dong-Gyu; Hong, Ji Young; Lee, Chang Youl; Lee, Myung Goo; Kim, Cheol-Hong; Hyun, In Gyu; Park, Yong Bum

2017-01-01

Despite recent advances in methods for culturing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the diagnostic yield of tuberculous pleural effusion (TBPE) remains unsatisfactory. However, unlike repeated sputum cultures of pulmonary tuberculosis, little is known about the role of repeated pleural cultures. We examined whether repeated pleural cultures are associated with increased MTB yield from TBPE. A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was performed from January 2012 to December 2015 in South Korea. Patients were categorized into two groups: single- or repeated-culture groups. The diagnostic yield of MTB and clinical, radiological, and pleural fluid characteristics were evaluated. Among the 329 patients with TBPE, 77 (23.4%) had repeated cultures and 252 (76.5%) had a single culture. Pleural culture was performed twice in all 77 patients in the repeated-culture group at a 1-day interval (inter-quartile range, 1.0-2.0). In the repeated-culture group, the yield of MTB from the first culture was 31.2%, which was similar to that in the single-culture group (31.2% vs. 29.8%, P = 0.887). However, the yield of MTB from the second culture (10/77, 13.0%) was more than that from the first. These results may be attributable to the insufficient immune clearance for MTB invasion into the pleural space between the first and second cultures. Over time, the yield of the second cultures decreased from 17.4% to 6.7% and then 6.3%. Finally, the overall yield of MTB in the repeated- and single-culture groups was 44.2% and 29.8% respectively (P < 0.001). The results showed that repeated pleural cultures increased MTB yield from TBPE in human immunodeficiency virus-negative individuals. Furthermore, repeated cultures may increase yield when carried out for two consecutive days.

Application of ionic liquids based microwave-assisted simultaneous extraction of carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid and essential oil from Rosmarinus officinalis.

PubMed

Liu, Tingting; Sui, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Rongrui; Yang, Lei; Zu, Yuangang; Zhang, Lin; Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Zhonghua

2011-11-25

An ionic liquid based microwave-assisted simultaneous extraction and distillation (ILMSED) method has been developed for the effective extraction of carnosic acid (CA), rosmarinic acid (RA) and essential oil (EO) from Rosmarinus officinalis. A series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids differing in composition of anion and cation were evaluated for extraction yield in this work. The results obtained indicated that the anions and cations of ionic liquids had influences on the extraction of CA and RA, 1.0M 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([C8mim]Br) solution was selected as solvent. In addition, the ILMSED procedures for the three target ingredients were optimized and compared with other conventional extraction techniques. ILMSED gave the best result due to the highest extraction yield within the shortest extraction time for CA and RA. The novel process developed offered advantages in term of yield and selectivity of EO and shorter isolation time (20 min in comparison of 4h of hydrodistillation), and provides a more valuable EO (with high amount of oxygenated compounds). The microstructures and chemical structures of rosemary samples before and after extraction were also investigated. Moreover, the proposed method was validated by the stability, repeatability and recovery experiments. The results indicated that the developed ILMSED method provided a good alternative for the both extraction of non-volatile compounds (CA and RA) and EO from rosemary as well as other herbs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Boric Acid in Kjeldahl Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruz, Gregorio

2013-01-01

The use of boric acid in the Kjeldahl determination of nitrogen is a variant of the original method widely applied in many laboratories all over the world. Its use is recommended by control organizations such as ISO, IDF, and EPA because it yields reliable and accurate results. However, the chemical principles the method is based on are not…

Highly efficient preparation of sphingoid bases from glucosylceramides by chemoenzymatic method[S

PubMed Central

Gowda, Siddabasave Gowda B.; Usuki, Seigo; Hammam, Mostafa A. S.; Murai, Yuta; Igarashi, Yasuyuki; Monde, Kenji

2016-01-01

Sphingoid base derivatives have attracted increasing attention as promising chemotherapeutic candidates against lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Natural sphingoid bases can be a potential resource instead of those derived by time-consuming total organic synthesis. In particular, glucosylceramides (GlcCers) in food plants are enriched sources of sphingoid bases, differing from those of animals. Several chemical methodologies to transform GlcCers to sphingoid bases have already investigated; however, these conventional methods using acid or alkaline hydrolysis are not efficient due to poor reaction yield, producing complex by-products and resulting in separation problems. In this study, an extremely efficient and practical chemoenzymatic transformation method has been developed using microwave-enhanced butanolysis of GlcCers and a large amount of readily available almond β-glucosidase for its deglycosylation reaction of lysoGlcCers. The method is superior to conventional acid/base hydrolysis methods in its rapidity and its reaction cleanness (no isomerization, no rearrangement) with excellent overall yield. PMID:26667669

Catalytic conversion of cellulose to liquid hydrocarbon fuels by progressive removal of oxygen to facilitate separation processes and achieve high selectivities

DOEpatents

Dumesic, James A.; Ruiz, Juan Carlos Serrano; West, Ryan M.

2015-06-30

Described is a method to make liquid chemicals. The method includes deconstructing cellulose to yield a product mixture comprising levulinic acid and formic acid, converting the levulinic acid to .gamma.-valerolactone, and converting the .gamma.-valerolactone to pentanoic acid. Alternatively, the .gamma.-valerolactone can be converted to a mixture of n-butenes. The pentanoic acid can be decarboxylated yield 1-butene or ketonized to yield 5-nonanone. The 5-nonanone can be hydrodeoxygenated to yield nonane, or 5-nonanone can be reduced to yield 5-nonanol. The 5-nonanol can be dehydrated to yield nonene, which can be dimerized to yield a mixture of C.sub.9 and C.sub.18 olefins, which can be hydrogenated to yield a mixture of alkanes.

Catalytic conversion of cellulose to liquid hydrocarbon fuels by progressive removal of oxygen to facilitate separation processes and achieve high selectivities

DOEpatents

Dumesic, James A [Verona, WI; Ruiz, Juan Carlos Serrano [Madison, WI; West, Ryan M [Madison, WI

2014-01-07

Described is a method to make liquid chemicals. The method includes deconstructing cellulose to yield a product mixture comprising levulinic acid and formic acid, converting the levulinic acid to .gamma.-valerolactone, and converting the .gamma.-valerolactone to pentanoic acid. Alternatively, the .gamma.-valerolactone can be conveted to a mixture of n-butenes. The pentanoic acid can be decarboxylated yield 1-butene or ketonized to yield 5-nonanone. The 5-nonanone can be hydrodeoxygenated to yield nonane, or 5-nonanone can be reduced to yield 5-nonanol. The 5-nonanol can be dehydrated to yield nonene, which can be dimerized to yield a mixture of C.sub.9 and C.sub.18 olefins, which can be hydrogenated to yield a mixture of alkanes.

An Optimized Centrifugal Method for Separation of Semen from Superabsorbent Polymers for Forensic Analysis.

PubMed

Camarena, Lucy R; Glasscock, Bailey K; Daniels, Demi; Ackley, Nicolle; Sciarretta, Marybeth; Seashols-Williams, Sarah J

2017-03-01

Connection of a perpetrator to a sexual assault is best performed through the confirmed presence of semen, thereby proving sexual contact. Evidentiary items can include sanitary napkins or diapers containing superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), complicating spermatozoa visualization and DNA analysis. In this report, we evaluated the impact of SAPS on the current forensic DNA workflow, developing an efficient centrifugal protocol for separating spermatozoa from SAP material. The optimized filtration method was compared to common practices of excising the top layer only, resulting in significantly higher sperm yields when a core sample of the substrate was taken. Direct isolation of the SAP-containing materials without filtering resulted in 20% sample failure; additionally, SAP material was observed in the final eluted DNA samples, causing physical interference. Thus, use of the described centrifugal-filtering method is a simple preliminary step that improves spermatozoa visualization and enables more consistent DNA yields, while also avoiding SAP interference. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Conducting Meta-Analyses Based on p Values

PubMed Central

van Aert, Robbie C. M.; Wicherts, Jelte M.; van Assen, Marcel A. L. M.

2016-01-01

Because of overwhelming evidence of publication bias in psychology, techniques to correct meta-analytic estimates for such bias are greatly needed. The methodology on which the p-uniform and p-curve methods are based has great promise for providing accurate meta-analytic estimates in the presence of publication bias. However, in this article, we show that in some situations, p-curve behaves erratically, whereas p-uniform may yield implausible estimates of negative effect size. Moreover, we show that (and explain why) p-curve and p-uniform result in overestimation of effect size under moderate-to-large heterogeneity and may yield unpredictable bias when researchers employ p-hacking. We offer hands-on recommendations on applying and interpreting results of meta-analyses in general and p-uniform and p-curve in particular. Both methods as well as traditional methods are applied to a meta-analysis on the effect of weight on judgments of importance. We offer guidance for applying p-uniform or p-curve using R and a user-friendly web application for applying p-uniform. PMID:27694466

Non-Contact Laser Based Ultrasound Evaluation of Canned Foods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelton, David

2005-03-01

Laser-Based Ultrasound detection was used to measure the velocity of compression waves transmitted through canned foods. Condensed broth, canned pasta, and non-condensed soup were evaluated in these experiments. Homodyne adaptive optics resulted in measurements that were more accurate than the traditional heterodyne method, as well as yielding a 10 dB gain in signal to noise. A-Scans measured the velocity of ultrasound sent through the center of the can and were able to distinguish the quantity of food stuff in its path, as well as distinguish between meat and potato. B-Scans investigated the heterogeneity of the sample’s contents. The evaluation of canned foods was completely non-contact and would be suitable for continuous monitoring in production. These results were verified by conducting the same experiments with a contact piezo transducer. Although the contact method yields a higher signal to noise ratio than the non-contact method, Laser-Based Ultrasound was able to detect surface waves the contact transducer could not.

Simulation and optimization of continuous extractive fermentation with recycle system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widjaja, Tri; Altway, Ali; Rofiqah, Umi; Airlangga, Bramantyo

2017-05-01

Extractive fermentation is continuous fermentation method which is believed to be able to substitute conventional fermentation method (batch). The recovery system and ethanol refinery will be easier. Continuous process of fermentation will make the productivity increase although the unconverted sugar in continuous fermentation is still in high concentration. In order to make this process more efficient, the recycle process was used. Increasing recycle flow will enhance the probability of sugar to be re-fermented. However, this will make ethanol enter fermentation column. As a result, the accumulated ethanol will inhibit the growth of microorganism. This research aims to find optimum conditions of solvent to broth ratio (S:B) and recycle flow to fresh feed ratio in order to produce the best yield and productivity. This study employed optimization by Hooke Jeeves method using Matlab 7.8 software. The result indicated that optimum condition occured in S: B=2.615 and R: F=1.495 with yield = 50.2439 %.

Cultivating Fluorescent Flowers with Highly Luminescent Carbon Dots Fabricated by a Double Passivation Method

PubMed Central

Chang, Tao; Zhao, Haiping; Du, Huanhuan; Liu, Shan; Wu, Baoshuang; Qin, Shenjun

2017-01-01

In this work, we present the fabrication of highly luminescent carbon dots (CDs) by a double passivation method with the assistance of Ca(OH)2. In the reaction process, Ca2+ protects the active functional groups from overconsumption during dehydration and carbonization, and the electron-withdrawing groups on the CD surface are converted to electron-donating groups by the hydroxyl ions. As a result, the fluorescence quantum yield of the CDs was found to increase with increasing Ca(OH)2 content in the reaction process. A blue-shift optical spectrum of the CDs was also found with increasing Ca(OH)2 content, which could be attributed to the increasing of the energy gaps for the CDs. The highly photoluminescent CDs obtained (quantum yield: 86%) were used to cultivate fluorescent carnations by a water culture method, while the results of fluorescence microscopy analysis indicated that the CDs had entered the plant tissue structure. PMID:28686178

Evaluation of DNA extraction methods for the analysis of microbial community in biological activated carbon.

PubMed

Zheng, Lu; Gao, Naiyun; Deng, Yang

2012-01-01

It is difficult to isolate DNA from biological activated carbon (BAC) samples used in water treatment plants, owing to the scarcity of microorganisms in BAC samples. The aim of this study was to identify DNA extraction methods suitable for a long-term, comprehensive ecological analysis of BAC microbial communities. To identify a procedure that can produce high molecular weight DNA, maximizes detectable diversity and is relatively free from contaminants, the microwave extraction method, the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) extraction method, a commercial DNA extraction kit, and the ultrasonic extraction method were used for the extraction of DNA from BAC samples. Spectrophotometry, agarose gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) analysis were conducted to compare the yield and quality of DNA obtained using these methods. The results showed that the CTAB method produce the highest yield and genetic diversity of DNA from BAC samples, but DNA purity was slightly less than that obtained with the DNA extraction-kit method. This study provides a theoretical basis for establishing and selecting DNA extraction methods for BAC samples.

Similar Estimates of Temperature Impacts on Global Wheat Yield by Three Independent Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Bing; Asseng, Senthold; Muller, Christoph; Ewart, Frank; Elliott, Joshua; Lobell, David B.; Martre, Pierre; Ruane, Alex C.; Wallach, Daniel; Jones, James W.;

Similar estimates of temperature impacts on global wheat yield by three independent methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bing; Asseng, Senthold; Müller, Christoph; Ewert, Frank; Elliott, Joshua; Lobell, David B.; Martre, Pierre; Ruane, Alex C.; Wallach, Daniel; Jones, James W.; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Aggarwal, Pramod K.; Alderman, Phillip D.; Anothai, Jakarat; Basso, Bruno; Biernath, Christian; Cammarano, Davide; Challinor, Andy; Deryng, Delphine; Sanctis, Giacomo De; Doltra, Jordi; Fereres, Elias; Folberth, Christian; Garcia-Vila, Margarita; Gayler, Sebastian; Hoogenboom, Gerrit; Hunt, Leslie A.; Izaurralde, Roberto C.; Jabloun, Mohamed; Jones, Curtis D.; Kersebaum, Kurt C.; Kimball, Bruce A.; Koehler, Ann-Kristin; Kumar, Soora Naresh; Nendel, Claas; O'Leary, Garry J.; Olesen, Jørgen E.; Ottman, Michael J.; Palosuo, Taru; Prasad, P. V. Vara; Priesack, Eckart; Pugh, Thomas A. M.; Reynolds, Matthew; Rezaei, Ehsan E.; Rötter, Reimund P.; Schmid, Erwin; Semenov, Mikhail A.; Shcherbak, Iurii; Stehfest, Elke; Stöckle, Claudio O.; Stratonovitch, Pierre; Streck, Thilo; Supit, Iwan; Tao, Fulu; Thorburn, Peter; Waha, Katharina; Wall, Gerard W.; Wang, Enli; White, Jeffrey W.; Wolf, Joost; Zhao, Zhigan; Zhu, Yan

2016-12-01

The potential impact of global temperature change on global crop yield has recently been assessed with different methods. Here we show that grid-based and point-based simulations and statistical regressions (from historic records), without deliberate adaptation or CO2 fertilization effects, produce similar estimates of temperature impact on wheat yields at global and national scales. With a 1 °C global temperature increase, global wheat yield is projected to decline between 4.1% and 6.4%. Projected relative temperature impacts from different methods were similar for major wheat-producing countries China, India, USA and France, but less so for Russia. Point-based and grid-based simulations, and to some extent the statistical regressions, were consistent in projecting that warmer regions are likely to suffer more yield loss with increasing temperature than cooler regions. By forming a multi-method ensemble, it was possible to quantify `method uncertainty’ in addition to model uncertainty. This significantly improves confidence in estimates of climate impacts on global food security.

Efficient estimation of the maximum metabolic productivity of batch systems.

PubMed

St John, Peter C; Crowley, Michael F; Bomble, Yannick J

2017-01-01

Production of chemicals from engineered organisms in a batch culture involves an inherent trade-off between productivity, yield, and titer. Existing strategies for strain design typically focus on designing mutations that achieve the highest yield possible while maintaining growth viability. While these methods are computationally tractable, an optimum productivity could be achieved by a dynamic strategy in which the intracellular division of resources is permitted to change with time. New methods for the design and implementation of dynamic microbial processes, both computational and experimental, have therefore been explored to maximize productivity. However, solving for the optimal metabolic behavior under the assumption that all fluxes in the cell are free to vary is a challenging numerical task. Previous studies have therefore typically focused on simpler strategies that are more feasible to implement in practice, such as the time-dependent control of a single flux or control variable. This work presents an efficient method for the calculation of a maximum theoretical productivity of a batch culture system using a dynamic optimization framework. The proposed method follows traditional assumptions of dynamic flux balance analysis: first, that internal metabolite fluxes are governed by a pseudo-steady state, and secondly that external metabolite fluxes are dynamically bounded. The optimization is achieved via collocation on finite elements, and accounts explicitly for an arbitrary number of flux changes. The method can be further extended to calculate the complete Pareto surface of productivity as a function of yield. We apply this method to succinate production in two engineered microbial hosts, Escherichia coli and Actinobacillus succinogenes , and demonstrate that maximum productivities can be more than doubled under dynamic control regimes. The maximum theoretical yield is a measure that is well established in the metabolic engineering literature and whose use helps guide strain and pathway selection. We present a robust, efficient method to calculate the maximum theoretical productivity: a metric that will similarly help guide and evaluate the development of dynamic microbial bioconversions. Our results demonstrate that nearly optimal yields and productivities can be achieved with only two discrete flux stages, indicating that near-theoretical productivities might be achievable in practice.

Evaluation of radiochemical neutron activation analysis methods for determination of arsenic in biological materials.

PubMed

Paul, Rick L

2011-01-01

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) with retention on hydrated manganese dioxide (HMD) has played a key role in the certification of As in biological materials at NIST. Although this method provides very high and reproducible yields and detection limits at low microgram/kilogram levels, counting geometry uncertainties may arise from unequal distribution of As in the HMD, and arsenic detection limits may not be optimal due to significant retention of other elements. An alternate RNAA procedure with separation of arsenic by solvent extraction has been investigated. After digestion of samples in nitric and perchloric acids, As(III) is extracted from 2 M sulfuric acid solution into a solution of zinc diethyldithiocarbamate in chloroform. Counting of (76)As allows quantitation of arsenic. Addition of an (77)As tracer solution prior to dissolution allows correction for chemical yield and counting geometries, further improving reproducibility. The HMD and solvent extraction procedures for arsenic were compared through analysis of SRMs 1577c (bovine liver), 1547 (peach leaves), and 1575a (pine needles). Both methods gave As results in agreement with certified values with comparable reproducibility. However, the solvent extraction method yields a factor of 3 improvement in detection limits and is less time-consuming than the HMD method. The new method shows great promise for use in As certification in reference materials.

Comparison of methods for the extraction of DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues.

PubMed

Sengüven, Burcu; Baris, Emre; Oygur, Tulin; Berktas, Mehmet

2014-01-01

Discussing a protocol involving xylene-ethanol deparaffinization on slides followed by a kit-based extraction that allows for the extraction of high quality DNA from FFPE tissues. DNA was extracted from the FFPE tissues of 16 randomly selected blocks. Methods involving deparaffinization on slides or tubes, enzyme digestion overnight or for 72 hours and isolation using phenol chloroform method or a silica-based commercial kit were compared in terms of yields, concentrations and the amplifiability. The highest yield of DNA was produced from the samples that were deparaffinized on slides, digested for 72 hours and isolated with a commercial kit. Samples isolated with the phenol-chloroform method produced DNA of lower purity than the samples that were purified with kit. The samples isolated with the commercial kit resulted in better PCR amplification. Silica-based commercial kits and deparaffinized on slides should be considered for DNA extraction from FFPE.

Determination of denudation rates by the measurement of meteoric 10Be in Guadiana river sediment samples (Spain) by low-energy AMS.

PubMed

Padilla, S; López-Gutiérrez, J M; Sampath, D M R; Boski, T; Nieto, J M; García-León, M

2018-09-01

The concentration of meteoric 10 Be in estuarine sediment samples has been measured by Spanish Accelerator for Radionuclides Analysis (SARA) at CNA and subsequently used to assess the denudation rate in Guadiana river basin together with the sediment budget method, on both sides of the frontier between Spain and Portugal. The two methods yielded coincident results. The estimation by the 10 Be method gave the denudation rate of (0.76 ± 0.10) × 10 -2  cm/y. After correcting for an approximate 80% attenuation of the sediment discharge into the ocean, caused by the river dams, the sediment budget method yielded the rate of (0.77 ± 0.17) × 10 -2  cm/y. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Localization of a variational particle smoother

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morzfeld, M.; Hodyss, D.; Poterjoy, J.

2017-12-01

Given the success of 4D-variational methods (4D-Var) in numerical weather prediction,and recent efforts to merge ensemble Kalman filters with 4D-Var,we consider a method to merge particle methods and 4D-Var.This leads us to revisit variational particle smoothers (varPS).We study the collapse of varPS in high-dimensional problemsand show how it can be prevented by weight-localization.We test varPS on the Lorenz'96 model of dimensionsn=40, n=400, and n=2000.In our numerical experiments, weight localization prevents the collapse of the varPS,and we note that the varPS yields results comparable to ensemble formulations of 4D-variational methods,while it outperforms EnKF with tuned localization and inflation,and the localized standard particle filter.Additional numerical experiments suggest that using localized weights in varPS may not yield significant advantages over unweighted or linearizedsolutions in near-Gaussian problems.

Getting Good Results from Survey Research: Part III

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, James F.

2004-01-01

This article is the third contribution to a research methods series dedicated to getting good results from survey research. In this series, "good results" is a stenographic term used to define surveys that yield accurate and meaningful information that decision makers can use with confidence when conducting program evaluation and policy assessment…

Comparison of ambient solvent extraction methods for the analysis of fatty acids in non-starch lipids of flour and starch

PubMed Central

Bahrami, Niloufar; Yonekura, Lina; Linforth, Robert; Carvalho da Silva, Margarida; Hill, Sandra; Penson, Simon; Chope, Gemma; Fisk, Ian Denis

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Lipids are minor components of flours, but are major determinants of baking properties and end-product quality. To the best of our knowledge, there is no single solvent system currently known that efficiently extracts all non-starch lipids from all flours without the risk of chemical, mechanical or thermal damage. This paper compares nine ambient solvent systems (monophasic and biphasic) with varying polarities: Bligh and Dyer (BD); modified Bligh and Dyer using HCl (BDHCL); modified BD using NaCl (BDNaCl); methanol–chloroform–hexane (3:2:1, v/v); Hara and Radin (hexane–isopropanol, 3:2, v/v); water-saturated n-butanol; chloroform; methanol and hexane for their ability to extract total non-starch lipids (separated by lipid classes) from wheat flour (Triticum aestivum L.). Seven ambient extraction protocols were further compared for their ability to extract total non-starch lipids from three alternative samples: barley flour (Hordeum vulgare L.), maize starch (Zea mays L.) and tapioca starch (Manihot esculenta Crantz). RESULTS For wheat flour the original BD method and those containing HCl or NaCl tended to extract the maximum lipid and a significant correlation between lipid extraction yield (especially the glycolipids and phospholipids) and the polarity of the solvent was observed. For the wider range of samples BD and BD HCl repeatedly offered the maximum extraction yield and using pooled standardized (by sample) data from all flours, total non-starch lipid extraction yield was positively correlated with solvent polarity (r = 0.5682, P < 0.05) and water ratio in the solvent mixture (r = 0.5299, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION In general, BD-based methods showed better extraction yields compared to methods without the addition of water and, most interestingly, there was much greater method dependence of lipid yields in the starches when compared to the flour samples, which is due to the differences in lipid profiles between the two sample types (flours and starches). PMID:24132804

The Contribution of Mixed Methods Research to the Field of Childhood Trauma: A Narrative Review Focused on Data Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boeije, Hennie; Slagt, Meike; van Wesel, Floryt

2013-01-01

In mixed methods research (MMR), integrating the quantitative and the qualitative components of a study is assumed to result in additional knowledge (or "yield"). This narrative review examines the extent to which MMR is used in the field of childhood trauma and provides directions for improving mixed methods studies in this field. A…

Effect of extraction method on the yield of furanocoumarins from fruits of Archangelica officinalis Hoffm.

PubMed

Waksmundzka-Hajnos, M; Petruczynik, A; Dragan, A; Wianowska, D; Dawidowicz, A L

2004-01-01

Optimal conditions for the extraction and analysis of furanocoumarins from fruits of Archangelica officinalis Hoffm. have been determined. The following extraction methods were used: exhaustive extraction in a Soxhlet apparatus, ultrasonication at 25 and 60 degrees C, microwave-assisted solvent extraction in open and closed systems, and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). In most cases the yields of furanocoumarins were highest using the ASE method. The effects of extracting solvent, temperature and time of extraction using this method were investigated. The highest yield of furanocoumarins by ASE was obtained with methanol at 100-130 degrees C for 10 min. The extraction yields of furanocoumarins from plant material by ultrasonication at 60 degrees C and microwave-assisted solvent extraction in an open system were comparable to the extraction yields obtained in the time- and solvent-consuming exhaustive process involving the Soxhlet apparatus.

Determination of melanterite-rozenite and chalcanthite-bonattite equilibria by humidity measurements at 0.1 MPa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chou, I.-Ming; Seal, R.R.; Hemingway, B.S.

2002-01-01

Melanterite (FeSO4??7H2O)-rozenite (FeSO4??4H2O) and chalcanthite (CuSO4??5H2O)-bonattite (CuSO4??3H2O) equilibria were determined by humidity measurements at 0.1 MPa. Two methods were used; one is the gas-flow-cell method (between 21 and 98 ??C), and the other is the humidity-buffer method (between 21 and 70 ??C). The first method has a larger temperature uncertainty even though it is more efficient. With the aid of humidity buffers, which correspond to a series of saturated binary salt solutions, the second method yields reliable results as demonstrated by very tight reversals along each humidity buffer. These results are consistent with those obtained by the first method, and also with the solubility data reported in the literature. Thermodynamic analysis of these data yields values of 29.231 ?? 0.025 and 22.593 ?? 0.040 kJ/mol for standard Gibbs free energy of reaction at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa for melanterite-rozenite and chalcanthite-bonattite equilibria, respectively. The methods used in this study hold great potential for unraveling the thermodynamic properties of sulfate salts involved in dehydration reactions at near ambient conditions.

Evaluating the Impact of DNA Extraction Method on the Representation of Human Oral Bacterial and Fungal Communities

PubMed Central

Biswas, Kristi; Taylor, Michael W.; Gear, Kim

2017-01-01

The application of high-throughput, next-generation sequencing technologies has greatly improved our understanding of the human oral microbiome. While deciphering this diverse microbial community using such approaches is more accurate than traditional culture-based methods, experimental bias introduced during critical steps such as DNA extraction may compromise the results obtained. Here, we systematically evaluate four commonly used microbial DNA extraction methods (MoBio PowerSoil® DNA Isolation Kit, QIAamp® DNA Mini Kit, Zymo Bacterial/Fungal DNA Mini PrepTM, phenol:chloroform-based DNA isolation) based on the following criteria: DNA quality and yield, and microbial community structure based on Illumina amplicon sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of bacteria and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 region of fungi. Our results indicate that DNA quality and yield varied significantly with DNA extraction method. Representation of bacterial genera in plaque and saliva samples did not significantly differ across DNA extraction methods and DNA extraction method showed no effect on the recovery of fungal genera from plaque. By contrast, fungal diversity from saliva was affected by DNA extraction method, suggesting that not all protocols are suitable to study the salivary mycobiome. PMID:28099455

Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tam, A.; Jain, M.

2016-12-01

This research includes two projects pertaining to agricultural systems' adaption to climate change. The first research project focuses on the wheat yielding regions of India. Wheat is a major staple crop and many rural households and smallholder farmers rely on crop yields for survival. We examine the impacts of weather variability and groundwater depletion on agricultural systems, using geospatial analysis and satellite-based analysis and household-based and census data sets. We use these methods to estimate the crop yields and identify what factors are associated with low versus high yielding regions. This can help identify strategies that should be further promoted to increase crop yields. The second research project is a literature review. We conduct a meta-analysis and synthetic review on literature about agricultural adaptation to climate change. We sort through numerous articles to identify and examine articles that associate socio-economic, biophysical, and perceptional factors to farmers' adaption to climate change. Our preliminary results show that researchers tend to associate few factors to a farmers' vulnerability and adaptive capacity, and most of the research conducted is concentrated in North America, whereas tropical regions that are highly vulnerable to weather variability are underrepresented by literature. There are no conclusive results in both research projects as of so far.

Development of a biologically based fertilizer, incorporating Bacillus megaterium A6, for improved phosphorus nutrition of oilseed rape.

PubMed

Hu, Xiaojia; Roberts, Daniel P; Xie, Lihua; Maul, Jude E; Yu, Changbing; Li, Yinshui; Zhang, Shujie; Liao, Xing

2013-04-01

Sustainable methods with diminished impact on the environment need to be developed for the production of oilseed rape in China and other regions of the world. A biological fertilizer consisting of Bacillus megaterium A6 cultured on oilseed rape meal improved oilseed rape seed yield (P < 0.0001) relative to the nontreated control in 2 greenhouse pot experiments using natural soil. This treatment resulted in slightly greater yield than oilseed rape meal without strain A6 in 1 of 2 experiments, suggesting a role for strain A6 in improving yield. Strain A6 was capable of solubilizing phosphorus from rock phosphate in liquid culture and produced enzymes capable of mineralizing organic phosphorus (acid phosphatase, phytase) in liquid culture and in the biological fertilizer. The biologically based fertilizer, containing strain A6, improved plant phosphorus nutrition in greenhouse pot experiments resulting in significantly greater available phosphorus in natural soil and in significantly greater plant phosphorus content relative to the nontreated control. Seed yield and available phosphorus in natural soil were significantly greater with a synthetic chemical fertilizer treatment, reduced in phosphorus content, than the biological fertilizer treatment, but a treatment containing the biological fertilizer combined with the synthetic fertilizer provided the significantly greatest seed yield, available phosphorus in natural soil, and plant phosphorus content. These results suggest that the biological fertilizer was capable of improving oilseed rape seed yield, at least in part, through the phosphorus-solubilizing activity of B. megaterium A6.

Object-based classification of earthquake damage from high-resolution optical imagery using machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, James; Oommen, Thomas; Rebbapragada, Umaa; Levin, Eugene

2016-07-01

Object-based approaches in the segmentation and classification of remotely sensed images yield more promising results compared to pixel-based approaches. However, the development of an object-based approach presents challenges in terms of algorithm selection and parameter tuning. Subjective methods are often used, but yield less than optimal results. Objective methods are warranted, especially for rapid deployment in time-sensitive applications, such as earthquake damage assessment. Herein, we used a systematic approach in evaluating object-based image segmentation and machine learning algorithms for the classification of earthquake damage in remotely sensed imagery. We tested a variety of algorithms and parameters on post-event aerial imagery for the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. Results were compared against manually selected test cases representing different classes. In doing so, we can evaluate the effectiveness of the segmentation and classification of different classes and compare different levels of multistep image segmentations. Our classifier is compared against recent pixel-based and object-based classification studies for postevent imagery of earthquake damage. Our results show an improvement against both pixel-based and object-based methods for classifying earthquake damage in high resolution, post-event imagery.

Urinary extracellular vesicles for RNA extraction: optimization of a protocol devoid of prokaryote contamination

PubMed Central

Tataruch-Weinert, Dorota; Musante, Luca; Kretz, Oliver; Holthofer, Harry

2016-01-01

Background Urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) represent an ideal platform for biomarker discovery. They carry different types of RNA species, and reported profile discrepancies related to the presence/absence of 18s and 28s rRNA remain controversial. Moreover, sufficient urinary RNA yields and respective quality RNA profiles are still to be fully established. Methods UEVs were enriched by hydrostatic filtration dialysis, and RNA content was extracted using 7 different commercially available techniques. RNA quantity was assessed using spectrophotometry and fluorometry, whilst RNA quality was determined by capillary electrophoresis. Results The presence of prokaryotic transcriptome was stressed when cellular RNA, as a control, was spiked into the UEVs samples before RNA extraction. The presence of bacteria in hydrostatic filtration dialysis above 1,000 kDa molecular weight cut-off and in crude urine was confirmed with growth media plates. The efficiency in removing urinary bacteria was evaluated by differential centrifugation, filtration (0.22 µm filters) and chemical pretreatment (water purification tablet). For volumes of urine >200 ml, the chemical treatment provides ease of handling without affecting vesicle integrity, protein and RNA profiles. This protocol was selected to enrich RNA with 7 methods, and its respective quality and quantity were assessed. The results were given as follows: (a) Fluorometry gave more repeatability and reproducibility than spectrophotometry to assess the RNA yields, (b) UEVs were enriched with small RNA, (c) Ribosomal RNA peaks were not observed for any RNA extraction method used and (d) RNA yield was higher for column-based method designed for urinary exosome, whilst the highest relative microRNA presence was obtained using TRIzol method. Conclusion Our results show that the presence of bacteria can lead to misidentification in the electrophoresis peaks. Fluorometry is more reliable than spectrophotometry. RNA isolation method must be selected in conjunction with appropriate UEV collection procedure. We also suggested that a minimum 250 ml of urine should be processed to gather enough RNA for robust quantification, qualification and downstream analysis. PMID:27345058

Neuropsychological Criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment Improves Diagnostic Precision, Biomarker Associations, and Progression Rates

PubMed Central

Bondi, Mark W.; Edmonds, Emily C.; Jak, Amy J.; Clark, Lindsay R.; Delano-Wood, Lisa; McDonald, Carrie R.; Nation, Daniel A.; Libon, David J.; Au, Rhoda; Galasko, Douglas; Salmon, David P.

2014-01-01

We compared two methods of diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI): conventional Petersen/Winblad criteria as operationalized by the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and an actuarial neuropsychological method put forward by Jak and Bondi designed to balance sensitivity and reliability. 1,150 ADNI participants were diagnosed at baseline as cognitively normal (CN) or MCI via ADNI criteria (MCI: n = 846; CN: n = 304) or Jak/Bondi criteria (MCI: n = 401; CN: n = 749), and the two MCI samples were submitted to cluster and discriminant function analyses. Resulting cluster groups were then compared and further examined for APOE allelic frequencies, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarker levels, and clinical outcomes. Results revealed that both criteria produced a mildly impaired Amnestic subtype and a more severely impaired Dysexecutive/Mixed subtype. The neuropsychological Jak/Bondi criteria uniquely yielded a third Impaired Language subtype, whereas conventional Petersen/Winblad ADNI criteria produced a third subtype comprising nearly one-third of the sample that performed within normal limits across the cognitive measures, suggesting this method’s susceptibility to false positive diagnoses. MCI participants diagnosed via neuropsychological criteria yielded dissociable cognitive phenotypes, significant CSF AD biomarker associations, more stable diagnoses, and identified greater percentages of participants who progressed to dementia than conventional MCI diagnostic criteria. Importantly, the actuarial neuropsychological method did not produce a subtype that performed within normal limits on the cognitive testing, unlike the conventional diagnostic method. Findings support the need for refinement of MCI diagnoses to incorporate more comprehensive neuropsychological methods, with resulting gains in empirical characterization of specific cognitive phenotypes, biomarker associations, stability of diagnoses, and prediction of progression. Refinement of MCI diagnostic methods may also yield gains in biomarker and clinical trial study findings because of improvements in sample compositions of ‘true positive’ cases and removal of ‘false positive’ cases. PMID:24844687

A novel isolation method for hen egg yolk antibody, "IgY".

PubMed

Hatta, H; Kim, M; Yamamoto, T

1990-10-01

A method for isolation of egg yolk immunoglobulin, IgG, a livetin protein, was investigated. Several natural gums (carrageenan and xanthan gum) were found to be effective for removal of yolk lipoprotein as a precipitate. The effect was pronounced with lambda-carrageenan and the lipid content in the supernatant after removal of the resulting precipitate was less than 0.4% of that of egg yolk. IgY remained in this supernatant, with a yield of 86%, and was isolated by chromatography on a column of DEAE-Sephacel followed by salting-out with sodium sulfate. IgY thus isolated was almost pure (98%) and the yield was 70 to 100 mg per egg.

Comparative analysis of different survey methods for monitoring fish assemblages in coastal habitats.

PubMed

Baker, Duncan G L; Eddy, Tyler D; McIver, Reba; Schmidt, Allison L; Thériault, Marie-Hélène; Boudreau, Monica; Courtenay, Simon C; Lotze, Heike K

2016-01-01

Coastal ecosystems are among the most productive yet increasingly threatened marine ecosystems worldwide. Particularly vegetated habitats, such as eelgrass (Zostera marina) beds, play important roles in providing key spawning, nursery and foraging habitats for a wide range of fauna. To properly assess changes in coastal ecosystems and manage these critical habitats, it is essential to develop sound monitoring programs for foundation species and associated assemblages. Several survey methods exist, thus understanding how different methods perform is important for survey selection. We compared two common methods for surveying macrofaunal assemblages: beach seine netting and underwater visual census (UVC). We also tested whether assemblages in shallow nearshore habitats commonly sampled by beach seines are similar to those of nearby eelgrass beds often sampled by UVC. Among five estuaries along the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, our results suggest that the two survey methods yield comparable results for species richness, diversity and evenness, yet beach seines yield significantly higher abundance and different species composition. However, sampling nearshore assemblages does not represent those in eelgrass beds despite considerable overlap and close proximity. These results have important implications for how and where macrofaunal assemblages are monitored in coastal ecosystems. Ideally, multiple survey methods and locations should be combined to complement each other in assessing the entire assemblage and full range of changes in coastal ecosystems, thereby better informing coastal zone management.

Specific detection of viable Listeria monocytogenes in Spanish wastewater treatment plants by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization and PCR.

PubMed

Moreno, Yolanda; Ballesteros, Lorena; García-Hernández, Jorge; Santiago, Paula; González, Ana; Ferrús, M Antonia

2011-10-01

Listeria monocytogenes detection in wastewater can be difficult because of the large amount of background microbiota and the presence of viable but non-culturable forms in this environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate a Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) assay combined with Direct Viable Count (DVC) method for detecting viable L. monocytogenes in wastewater samples, as an alternative to conventional culture methods. 16S rRNA sequence data were used to design a specific oligonucleotide probe. In order to assess the suitability of the method, the assays were performed on naturally (n=87) and artificially (n=14) contaminated samples and results were compared to those obtained with the isolation of cells on selective media and with a PCR method. The detection limit of FISH and PCR assays was 10(4) cells/mL without enrichment and 10 cells/mL after enrichment. A total of 47 samples, including 3 samples from effluent sites, yielded FISH positive results for L. monocytogenes. Using DVC-FISH technique, the presence of viable L. monocytogenes cells was detected in 23 out of these 47 FISH positive wastewater samples. PCR and culture methods yielded 27 and 23 positive results, respectively. According to these results, FISH technique has the potential to be used as a sensitive method for the detection and enumeration of L. monocytogenes in environmental wastewater samples. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of cultivar selection and process optimization on ethanol yield from different varieties of sugarcane

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The development of ‘energycane’ varieties of sugarcane is underway, targeting the use of both sugar juice and bagasse for ethanol production. The current study evaluated a selection of such ‘energycane’ cultivars for the combined ethanol yields from juice and bagasse, by optimization of dilute acid pretreatment optimization of bagasse for sugar yields. Method A central composite design under response surface methodology was used to investigate the effects of dilute acid pretreatment parameters followed by enzymatic hydrolysis on the combined sugar yield of bagasse samples. The pressed slurry generated from optimum pretreatment conditions (maximum combined sugar yield) was used as the substrate during batch and fed-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) processes at different solid loadings and enzyme dosages, aiming to reach an ethanol concentration of at least 40 g/L. Results Significant variations were observed in sugar yields (xylose, glucose and combined sugar yield) from pretreatment-hydrolysis of bagasse from different cultivars of sugarcane. Up to 33% difference in combined sugar yield between best performing varieties and industrial bagasse was observed at optimal pretreatment-hydrolysis conditions. Significant improvement in overall ethanol yield after SSF of the pretreated bagasse was also observed from the best performing varieties (84.5 to 85.6%) compared to industrial bagasse (74.5%). The ethanol concentration showed inverse correlation with lignin content and the ratio of xylose to arabinose, but it showed positive correlation with glucose yield from pretreatment-hydrolysis. The overall assessment of the cultivars showed greater improvement in the final ethanol concentration (26.9 to 33.9%) and combined ethanol yields per hectare (83 to 94%) for the best performing varieties with respect to industrial sugarcane. Conclusions These results suggest that the selection of sugarcane variety to optimize ethanol production from bagasse can be achieved without adversely affecting juice ethanol and cane yield, thus maintaining first generation ethanol production levels while maximizing second generation ethanol production. PMID:24725458

Elastic-plastic models for multi-site damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Actis, Ricardo L.; Szabo, Barna A.

1994-01-01

This paper presents recent developments in advanced analysis methods for the computation of stress site damage. The method of solution is based on the p-version of the finite element method. Its implementation was designed to permit extraction of linear stress intensity factors using a superconvergent extraction method (known as the contour integral method) and evaluation of the J-integral following an elastic-plastic analysis. Coarse meshes are adequate for obtaining accurate results supported by p-convergence data. The elastic-plastic analysis is based on the deformation theory of plasticity and the von Mises yield criterion. The model problem consists of an aluminum plate with six equally spaced holes and a crack emanating from each hole. The cracks are of different sizes. The panel is subjected to a remote tensile load. Experimental results are available for the panel. The plasticity analysis provided the same limit load as the experimentally determined load. The results of elastic-plastic analysis were compared with the results of linear elastic analysis in an effort to evaluate how plastic zone sizes influence the crack growth rates. The onset of net-section yielding was determined also. The results show that crack growth rate is accelerated by the presence of adjacent damage, and the critical crack size is shorter when the effects of plasticity are taken into consideration. This work also addresses the effects of alternative stress-strain laws: The elastic-ideally-plastic material model is compared against the Ramberg-Osgood model.

Ensiling and hydrothermal pretreatment of grass: consequences for enzymatic biomass conversion and total monosaccharide yields

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Ensiling may act as a pretreatment of fresh grass biomass and increase the enzymatic conversion of structural carbohydrates to fermentable sugars. However, ensiling does not provide sufficient severity to be a standalone pretreatment method. Here, ensiling of grass is combined with hydrothermal treatment (HTT) with the aim of improving the enzymatic biomass convertibility and decrease the required temperature of the HTT. Results Grass silage (Festulolium Hykor) was hydrothermally treated at temperatures of 170, 180, and 190°C for 10 minutes. Relative to HTT treated dry grass, ensiling increased the solubilization of dry matter (DM) during HTT and gave increased glucan content, but lower lignin in the insoluble fiber fraction. Ensiling improved glucose yields in the enzymatic hydrolysis of the washed solid fiber fraction at the lower HTT temperatures. At 170°C glucose yield improved from 17 to 24 (w/w)% (45 to 57% cellulose convertibility), and at 180°C glucose yield improved from 22 to 29 (w/w)% (54 to 69% cellulose convertibility). Direct HTT of grass at 190°C gave the same high glucose yield as for grass silage (35 (w/w)% (77% cellulose convertibility)) and improved xylan yields (27% xylan convertibility). The effect of ensiling of grass prior to HTT improved the enzymatic conversion of cellulose for HTT at 170 and 180°C, but the increased glucose release did not make up for the loss of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) during ensiling. Overall, sugar yields (C6 + C5) were similar for HTT of grass and grass silage at both 170 and 180°C, but at 190°C the overall sugar yield was better for HTT of dry grass. Conclusions This study unequivocally establishes that ensiling of grass as a biomass pretreatment method comes with a loss of WSC. The loss of WSC by ensiling is not necessarily compensated for by providing a lower temperature requirement for HTT for high enzymatic monosaccharide release. However, ensiling can be an advantageous storage method prior to grass processing. PMID:25024743

Catalytic conversion of cellulose to liquid hydrocarbon fuels by progressive removal of oxygen to facilitate separation processes and achieve high selectivities

DOEpatents

Dumesic, James A [Verona, WI; Ruiz, Juan Carlos Serrano [Madison, WI; West, Ryan M [Madison, WI

2012-04-03

Described is a method to make liquid chemicals, such as functional intermediates, solvents, and liquid fuels from biomass-derived cellulose. The method is cascading; the product stream from an upstream reaction can be used as the feedstock in the next downstream reaction. The method includes the steps of deconstructing cellulose to yield a product mixture comprising levulinic acid and formic acid, converting the levulinic acid to .gamma.-valerolactone, and converting the .gamma.-valerolactone to pentanoic acid. Alternatively, the .gamma.-valerolactone can be converted to a mixture of n-butenes. The pentanoic acid so formed can be further reacted to yield a host of valuable products. For example, the pentanoic acid can be decarboxylated yield 1-butene or ketonized to yield 5-nonanone. The 5-nonanone can be hydrodeoxygenated to yield nonane, or 5-nonanone can be reduced to yield 5-nonanol. The 5-nonanol can be dehydrated to yield nonene, which can be dimerized to yield a mixture of C.sub.9 and C.sub.18 olefins, which can be hydrogenated to yield a mixture of alkanes. Alternatively, the nonene may be isomerized to yield a mixture of branched olefins, which can be hydrogenated to yield a mixture of branched alkanes. The mixture of n-butenes formed from .gamma.-valerolactone can also be subjected to isomerization and oligomerization to yield olefins in the gasoline, jet and Diesel fuel ranges.

Determining the sputter yields of molybdenum in low-index crystal planes via electron backscattered diffraction, focused ion beam and atomic force microscope

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huang, H.S., E-mail: 160184@mail.csc.com.tw; Chiu, C.H.; Hong, I.T.

2013-09-15

Previous literature has used several monocrystalline sputtering targets with various crystalline planes, respectively, to investigate the variations of the sputter yield of materials in different crystalline orientations. This study presents a method to measure the sputtered yields of Mo for the three low-index planes (100), (110), and (111), through using an easily made polycrystalline target. The procedure was firstly to use electron backscattered diffraction to identify the grain positions of the three crystalline planes, and then use a focused ion beam to perform the micro-milling of each identified grain, and finally the sputter yields were calculated from the removed volumes,more » which were measured by atomic force microscope. Experimental results showed that the sputter yield of the primary orientations for Mo varied as Y{sub (110)} > Y{sub (100)} > Y{sub (111)}, coincidental with the ranking of their planar atomic packing densities. The concept of transparency of ion in the crystalline substance was applied to elucidate these results. In addition, the result of (110) orientation exhibiting higher sputter yield is helpful for us to develop a Mo target with a higher deposition rate for use in industry. By changing the deformation process from straight rolling to cross rolling, the (110) texture intensity of the Mo target was significantly improved, and thus enhanced the deposition rate. - Highlights: • We used EBSD, FIB and AFM to measure the sputter yields of Mo in low-index planes. • The sputter yield of the primary orientations for Mo varied as Y{sub (110)} > Y{sub (100)} > Y{sub (111)}. • The transparency of ion was used to elucidate the differences in the sputter yield. • We improved the sputter rate of polycrystalline Mo target by adjusting its texture.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nekkab, M., E-mail: mohammed-nekkab@yahoo.com; LESIMS laboratory, Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Setif 1, 19000 Setif; Kahoul, A.

The analytical methods based on X-ray fluorescence are advantageous for practical applications in a variety of fields including atomic physics, X-ray fluorescence surface chemical analysis and medical research and so the accurate fluorescence yields (ω{sub K}) are required for these applications. In this contribution we report a new parameters for calculation of K-shell fluorescence yields (ω{sub K}) of elements in the range of 11≤Z≤30. The experimental data are interpolated by using the famous analytical function (ω{sub k}/(1−ω{sub k})){sup 1/q} (were q=3, 3.5 and 4) vs Z to deduce the empirical K-shell fluorescence yields. A comparison is made between the resultsmore » of the procedures followed here and those theoretical and other semi-empirical fluorescence yield values. Reasonable agreement was typically obtained between our result and other works.« less

Adjusting slash pine growth and yield for silvicultural treatments

Treesearch

Stephen R. Logan; Barry D. Shiver

2006-01-01

With intensive silvicultural treatments such as fertilization and competition control now commonplace in today's slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) plantations, a method to adjust current growth and yield models is required to accurately account for yield increases due to these practices. Some commonly used ad-hoc methods, such as raising site...

Two methods for proteomic analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue result in differential protein identification, data quality, and cost.

PubMed

Luebker, Stephen A; Wojtkiewicz, Melinda; Koepsell, Scott A

2015-11-01

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is a rich source of clinically relevant material that can yield important translational biomarker discovery using proteomic analysis. Protocols for analyzing FFPE tissue by LC-MS/MS exist, but standardization of procedures and critical analysis of data quality is limited. This study compared and characterized data obtained from FFPE tissue using two methods: a urea in-solution digestion method (UISD) versus a commercially available Qproteome FFPE Tissue Kit method (Qkit). Each method was performed independently three times on serial sections of homogenous FFPE tissue to minimize pre-analytical variations and analyzed with three technical replicates by LC-MS/MS. Data were evaluated for reproducibility and physiochemical distribution, which highlighted differences in the ability of each method to identify proteins of different molecular weights and isoelectric points. Each method replicate resulted in a significant number of new protein identifications, and both methods identified significantly more proteins using three technical replicates as compared to only two. UISD was cheaper, required less time, and introduced significant protein modifications as compared to the Qkit method, which provided more precise and higher protein yields. These data highlight significant variability among method replicates and type of method used, despite minimizing pre-analytical variability. Utilization of only one method or too few replicates (both method and technical) may limit the subset of proteomic information obtained. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Comparison of Response Surface Construction Methods for Derivative Estimation Using Moving Least Squares, Kriging and Radial Basis Functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krishnamurthy, Thiagarajan

2005-01-01

Response construction methods using Moving Least Squares (MLS), Kriging and Radial Basis Functions (RBF) are compared with the Global Least Squares (GLS) method in three numerical examples for derivative generation capability. Also, a new Interpolating Moving Least Squares (IMLS) method adopted from the meshless method is presented. It is found that the response surface construction methods using the Kriging and RBF interpolation yields more accurate results compared with MLS and GLS methods. Several computational aspects of the response surface construction methods also discussed.

Stability of compressible Taylor-Couette flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, Kai-Hsiung; Chow, Chuen-Yen

1991-01-01

Compressible stability equations are solved using the spectral collocation method in an attempt to study the effects of temperature difference and compressibility on the stability of Taylor-Couette flow. It is found that the Chebyshev collocation spectral method yields highly accurate results using fewer grid points for solving stability problems. Comparisons are made between the result obtained by assuming small Mach number with a uniform temperature distribution and that based on fully incompressible analysis.

A bayesian approach to classification criteria for spectacled eiders

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, B.L.; Wade, P.R.; Stehn, R.A.; Cochrane, J.F.

1996-01-01

To facilitate decisions to classify species according to risk of extinction, we used Bayesian methods to analyze trend data for the Spectacled Eider, an arctic sea duck. Trend data from three independent surveys of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta were analyzed individually and in combination to yield posterior distributions for population growth rates. We used classification criteria developed by the recovery team for Spectacled Eiders that seek to equalize errors of under- or overprotecting the species. We conducted both a Bayesian decision analysis and a frequentist (classical statistical inference) decision analysis. Bayesian decision analyses are computationally easier, yield basically the same results, and yield results that are easier to explain to nonscientists. With the exception of the aerial survey analysis of the 10 most recent years, both Bayesian and frequentist methods indicated that an endangered classification is warranted. The discrepancy between surveys warrants further research. Although the trend data are abundance indices, we used a preliminary estimate of absolute abundance to demonstrate how to calculate extinction distributions using the joint probability distributions for population growth rate and variance in growth rate generated by the Bayesian analysis. Recent apparent increases in abundance highlight the need for models that apply to declining and then recovering species.

Development of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of antioxidant compounds from Petai (Parkia speciosa Hassk.) leaves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buanasari; Palupi, P. D.; Serang, Y.; Pramudono, B.; Sumardiono, S.

2018-04-01

Research on Petai (Parkia speciosa Hassk.) suggests it has an antihypertension, antidiabetic, analgesic, and antiulcer effects. In the present study, an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method was developed for the effective extraction of active compound from petai leaves. Some parameters such as ethanol concentration (0, 20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 100 %v), solid-to-liquid ratio (1:5; 1:10; 1:15; 1:20; 1:25; 1:30; 1:35; 1:40; 1:50 g/mL), extraction time (15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50 minutes) and extraction temperature (40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70°C) were studied and evaluated base on extract yield and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picry hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. The result showed that the highest extract yield was obtained at 40% ethanol concentration, 1:30 (%w/v) of solid-to-liquid ratio, 30 minutes and 65°C of temperature with DPPH scavenging activity 92.53 ± 0.87% and extract yield 21.25 ± 2.38%. The result obtained is helpful for the utilization of Petai leaves, and also indicated that ultrasonic-assisted extraction is a very recommended method for the extraction of active compounds from plant material.

Scope and limitations of the TEMPO/EPR method for singlet oxygen detection: the misleading role of electron transfer.

PubMed

Nardi, Giacomo; Manet, Ilse; Monti, Sandra; Miranda, Miguel A; Lhiaubet-Vallet, Virginie

2014-12-01

For many biological and biomedical studies, it is essential to detect the production of (1)O2 and quantify its production yield. Among the available methods, detection of the characteristic 1270-nm phosphorescence of singlet oxygen by time-resolved near-infrared (TRNIR) emission constitutes the most direct and unambiguous approach. An alternative indirect method is electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in combination with a singlet oxygen probe. This is based on the detection of the TEMPO free radical formed after oxidation of TEMP (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine) by singlet oxygen. Although the TEMPO/EPR method has been widely employed, it can produce misleading data. This is demonstrated by the present study, in which the quantum yields of singlet oxygen formation obtained by TRNIR emission and by the TEMPO/EPR method are compared for a set of well-known photosensitizers. The results reveal that the TEMPO/EPR method leads to significant overestimation of singlet oxygen yield when the singlet or triplet excited state of the photosensitizer is efficiently quenched by TEMP, acting as electron donor. In such case, generation of the TEMP(+) radical cation, followed by deprotonation and reaction with molecular oxygen, gives rise to an EPR-detectable TEMPO signal that is not associated with singlet oxygen production. This knowledge is essential for an appropriate and error-free application of the TEMPO/EPR method in chemical, biological, and medical studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anomalous softening of yield strength in tantalum at high pressures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jing, Qiumin, E-mail: j-qm@163.com; Wu, Qiang; Xu, Ji-an

2015-02-07

The pressure dependence of the yield strength of tantalum was investigated experimentally up to 101 GPa at room temperature using a diamond anvil cell. A yield strength softening is observed between 52 and 84 GPa, whereas a normal trend is observed below 52 GPa and above 84 GPa. The onset pressure of the softening is in agreement with previous results obtained by the pressure gradient method and shock wave experiments. This unusual strength softening in tantalum is not related with structural transformation, preferred orientation, or material damage. Our measurements indicate that microscopic deviatoric strain is the major reason for the observed strength softening inmore » tantalum.« less

High-yielding continuous-flow synthesis of antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine

PubMed Central

Telang, Nakul S; Kong, Caleb J; Verghese, Jenson; Gilliland III, Stanley E; Ahmad, Saeed; Dominey, Raymond N

2018-01-01

Numerous synthetic methods for the continuous preparation of fine chemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API’s) have been reported in recent years resulting in a dramatic improvement in process efficiencies. Herein we report a highly efficient continuous synthesis of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ). Key improvements in the new process include the elimination of protecting groups with an overall yield improvement of 52% over the current commercial process. The continuous process employs a combination of packed bed reactors with continuous stirred tank reactors for the direct conversion of the starting materials to the product. This high-yielding, multigram-scale continuous synthesis provides an opportunity to achieve increase global access to hydroxychloroquine for treatment of malaria. PMID:29623120

Spallation yield of neutrons produced in thick lead target bombarded with 250 MeV protons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, L.; Ma, F.; Zhanga, X. Y.; Ju, Y. Q.; Zhang, H. B.; Ge, H. L.; Wang, J. G.; Zhou, B.; Li, Y. Y.; Xu, X. W.; Luo, P.; Yang, L.; Zhang, Y. B.; Li, J. Y.; Xu, J. K.; Liang, T. J.; Wang, S. L.; Yang, Y. W.; Gu, L.

2015-01-01

The neutron yield from thick target of Pb irradiated with 250 MeV protons has been studied experimentally. The neutron production was measured with the water-bath gold method. The thermal neutron distributions in the water were determined according to the measured activities of Au foils. Corresponding results calculated with the Monte Carlo code MCNPX were compared with the experimental data. It was found out that the Au foils with cadmium cover significantly changed the spacial distribution of the thermal neutron field. The corrected neutron yield was deduced to be 2.23 ± 0.19 n/proton by considering the influence of the Cd cover on the thermal neutron flux.

Measurement of Workability of Fresh Concrete Using a Mixing Truck

PubMed Central

Amziane, Sofiane; Ferraris, Chiara F.; Koehler, Eric P.

2005-01-01

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the workability of fresh portland cement concrete while it is still in the mixing truck by determining fundamental rheological parameters (plastic viscosity and yield stress). Nine concrete mixtures with different values of yield stress and plastic viscosity were tested in a concrete truck. The measurements made with the truck were based on the typical method of determining the flow behavior in a traditional fluid rheometer; that is, the shear rate in the mixing truck was swept from high to low by varying the rotation speed of the drum. The results of these experiments are discussed and compared with data provided by the ICAR rheometer, a portable rheometer designed for measuring concrete rheology. The test results indicate that the mixing truck equipment is sufficiently sensitive to detect differences in yield stress, slump, and plastic viscosity. However, the plastic viscosity determined by the truck measurement did not correlate with plastic viscosity as measured by the ICAR rheometer, while the yield stress determined by the truck measurement did correlate well with the measured slump and the ICAR rheometer results Suggestions are given on how to improve the mixing truck for better use as a rheometer. PMID:27308103

Incorporating uncertainty into the ranking of SPARROW model nutrient yields from Mississippi/Atchafalaya River basin watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Schwarz, Gregory E.; Saad, David A.; Alexander, Richard B.

2009-01-01

Excessive loads of nutrients transported by tributary rivers have been linked to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Management efforts to reduce the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico and improve the water quality of rivers and streams could benefit from targeting nutrient reductions toward watersheds with the highest nutrient yields delivered to sensitive downstream waters. One challenge is that most conventional watershed modeling approaches (e.g., mechanistic models) used in these management decisions do not consider uncertainties in the predictions of nutrient yields and their downstream delivery. The increasing use of parameter estimation procedures to statistically estimate model coefficients, however, allows uncertainties in these predictions to be reliably estimated. Here, we use a robust bootstrapping procedure applied to the results of a previous application of the hybrid statistical/mechanistic watershed model SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) to develop a statistically reliable method for identifying “high priority” areas for management, based on a probabilistic ranking of delivered nutrient yields from watersheds throughout a basin. The method is designed to be used by managers to prioritize watersheds where additional stream monitoring and evaluations of nutrient-reduction strategies could be undertaken. Our ranking procedure incorporates information on the confidence intervals of model predictions and the corresponding watershed rankings of the delivered nutrient yields. From this quantified uncertainty, we estimate the probability that individual watersheds are among a collection of watersheds that have the highest delivered nutrient yields. We illustrate the application of the procedure to 818 eight-digit Hydrologic Unit Code watersheds in the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River basin by identifying 150 watersheds having the highest delivered nutrient yields to the Gulf of Mexico. Highest delivered yields were from watersheds in the Central Mississippi, Ohio, and Lower Mississippi River basins. With 90% confidence, only a few watersheds can be reliably placed into the highest 150 category; however, many more watersheds can be removed from consideration as not belonging to the highest 150 category. Results from this ranking procedure provide robust information on watershed nutrient yields that can benefit management efforts to reduce nutrient loadings to downstream coastal waters, such as the Gulf of Mexico, or to local receiving streams and reservoirs.

Evaluation of Fifteen Cultivars of Cool-Season Perennial Grasses as Biofuel Feedstocks Using Near-Infrared

DOE PAGES

Payne, Courtney E.; Wolfrum, Edward J.; Nagle, Nicholas J.; ...

2017-06-22

Cool-season (C3) perennial grasses have a long history of cultivation and use as animal forage. This study evaluated 15 cultivars of C3 grasses, when harvested in late June for increased biomass yield, as biofuel feedstocks using near- infrared spectroscopy (NIR) based partial least square (PLS) analysis. These grasses were grown near Iliff, CO, for three growing seasons (2009-2011). The carbohydrate composition and released carbohydrates (total glucose and xylose released from dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis [EH]) were predicted for samples from the study using NIR/PLS. The results were analyzed from a biofuels perspective, where composition combined with harvest yieldmore » provided information on the carbohydrate yield available for biomass conversion processes, and released carbohydrate yield provided information on the accessibility of those carbohydrates to conversion methods. The range in harvest yields varied more among cultivars (2900 kg ha-1) than did the range in carbohydrate composition (56.0 g kg-1) or released carbohydrates (60.0 g kg-1). When comparing carbohydrate yield to released carbohydrate yield between cultivars, an efficiency as high as 87% release of available carbohydrates was obtained for pubescent wheatgrass [ Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey 'Mansaka'], with a low of 71% for hybrid wheatgrass [Elytrigia repens (L.) nevski pseudoroegneria spicata (PURSH) A. Love 'Newhy']. Though hybrid wheatgrass had the lowest release efficiency, its high harvest yield resulted in release of more total carbohydrates than half the other cultivars analyzed. Furthermore, this suggested that harvest yield, carbohydrate release, and carbohydrate composition, together play significant roles in biofuel feedstock evaluation.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The five iron catalysts reported were all promoted with potassium. The most promising results were obtained with the catalyst containing UCC-111 (Appendix B, Run 10225-3). In earlier studies UCC-111 alone had been found to be a poor Task 1 catalyst for oligomerizing propylene. Physically combined with potassium-promoted iron, however, it proved surprisingly effective as a syngas catalyst in Task 2. It produced straight-chain olefinic hydrocarbons, as a normal Fischer-Tropsch catalyst does, but unlike the normal Fischer-Tropsch catalyst, it may also have isomerized the carbon-carbon double bond. Transfer of the double bond from the usual Position 1, typical for Fischer-Tropsch products,more » to an interior position, should not only lower the pour point of the liquid product, but it should raise its octane number as well. Four of the six cobalt catalysts reported this quarter were promoted with either thorium or thorium and potassium. All six were synthesized by the precipitate-slurry method, with either LZ-105-6, LZ-Y-82, UCC-101 or UCC-107 as the Molecular Sieve component. The test results for most of these catalysts indicate that cobalt is more effective than iron in producing a high yield of motor fuels. This increase in motor fuel yield was due primarily to a higher yield of diesel oil, with the gasoline yield remaining approximately the same as for the iron catalysts. This increased diesel oil yield, as well as an increased methane yield, was balanced against a decreased C/sub 2/-C/sub 4/ yield. The yields of the heavy fractions for both metal catalysts remained relatively low.« less

Evaluation of Fifteen Cultivars of Cool-Season Perennial Grasses as Biofuel Feedstocks Using Near-Infrared

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Payne, Courtney E.; Wolfrum, Edward J.; Nagle, Nicholas J.

Cool-season (C3) perennial grasses have a long history of cultivation and use as animal forage. This study evaluated 15 cultivars of C3 grasses, when harvested in late June for increased biomass yield, as biofuel feedstocks using near- infrared spectroscopy (NIR) based partial least square (PLS) analysis. These grasses were grown near Iliff, CO, for three growing seasons (2009-2011). The carbohydrate composition and released carbohydrates (total glucose and xylose released from dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis [EH]) were predicted for samples from the study using NIR/PLS. The results were analyzed from a biofuels perspective, where composition combined with harvest yieldmore » provided information on the carbohydrate yield available for biomass conversion processes, and released carbohydrate yield provided information on the accessibility of those carbohydrates to conversion methods. The range in harvest yields varied more among cultivars (2900 kg ha-1) than did the range in carbohydrate composition (56.0 g kg-1) or released carbohydrates (60.0 g kg-1). When comparing carbohydrate yield to released carbohydrate yield between cultivars, an efficiency as high as 87% release of available carbohydrates was obtained for pubescent wheatgrass [ Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey 'Mansaka'], with a low of 71% for hybrid wheatgrass [Elytrigia repens (L.) nevski pseudoroegneria spicata (PURSH) A. Love 'Newhy']. Though hybrid wheatgrass had the lowest release efficiency, its high harvest yield resulted in release of more total carbohydrates than half the other cultivars analyzed. Furthermore, this suggested that harvest yield, carbohydrate release, and carbohydrate composition, together play significant roles in biofuel feedstock evaluation.« less

Parameters influencing the yield and composition of the essential oil from Cretan Vitex agnus-castus fruits.

PubMed

Sørensen, J M; Katsiotis, S T

2000-04-01

Mature and immature fruits of a Cretan Vitex agnus-castus L. population were chosen to investigate different parameters such as comminution, maturity, distillation period and extraction method influencing the essential oil yield and composition. The effect of the comminution and the maturity of the plant material showed highly significant differences in yield and composition of the essential oils obtained, as well as the distillation duration from one to five hours and the method applied (hydrodistillation and simultaneous distillation extraction). The variation of 36 essential oil components due to the parameters applied was studied. The results showed that many different essential oil qualities can be obtained from the same plant material according to the parameters employed in its extraction. Entire fruits hydrodistilled for one hour yielded an oil much richer in monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds whereas the best combination to obtain an oil rich in less volatile compounds is by SDE of comminuted fruits for five hours. For mature fruits the main components varied as follows due to the parameters studied: sabinene 16.4-44.1%, 1,8-cineole 8.4-15.2%, beta-caryophyllene 2.1-5.0%, and trans-beta-farnesene 5.0-11.7%.

237Np analytical method using 239Np tracers and application to a contaminated nuclear disposal facility

DOE PAGES

Snow, Mathew S.; Morrison, Samuel S.; Clark, Sue B.; ...

2017-03-21

In this study, environmental 237Np analyses are challenged by low 237Np concentrations and lack of an available yield tracer; we report a rapid, inexpensive 237Np analytical approach employing the short lived 239Np (t1/2 = 2.3 days) as a chemical yield tracer followed by 237Np quantification using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. 239Np tracer is obtained via separation from a 243Am stock solution and standardized using gamma spectrometry immediately prior to sample processing. Rapid digestions using a commercial, 900 W "Walmart" microwave and Parr microwave vessels result in 99.8 ± 0.1% digestion yields, while chromatographic separations enable Np/U separation factors on themore » order of 10 6 and total Np yields of 95 ± 4% (2σ). Application of this method to legacy soil samples surrounding a radioactive disposal facility (the Subsurface Disposal Area at Idaho National Laboratory) reveal the presence of low level 237Np contamination within 600 m of this site, with maximum 237Np concentrations on the order of 10 3 times greater than nuclear weapons testing fallout levels.« less

237 Np analytical method using 239 Np tracers and application to a contaminated nuclear disposal facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Snow, Mathew S.; Morrison, Samuel S.; Clark, Sue B.

2017-06-01

Environmental 237Np analyses are challenged by low 237Np concentrations and lack of an available yield tracer; we report a rapid, inexpensive 237Np analytical approach employing the short lived 239Np (t1/2 = 2.3 days) as a chemical yield tracer followed by 237Np quantification using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. 239Np tracer is obtained via separation from a 243Am stock solution and standardized using gamma spectrometry immediately prior to sample processing. Rapid digestions using a commercial, 900 watt “Walmart” microwave and Parr microwave vessels result in 99.8 ± 0.1% digestion yields, while chromatographic separations enable Np/U separation factors on the order of 106more » and total Np yields of 95 ± 4% (2σ). Application of this method to legacy soil samples surrounding a radioactive disposal facility (the Subsurface Disposal Area at Idaho National Laboratory) reveal the presence of low level 237Np contamination within 600 meters of this site, with maximum 237Np concentrations on the order of 103 times greater than nuclear weapons testing fallout levels.« less

237Np analytical method using 239Np tracers and application to a contaminated nuclear disposal facility.

PubMed

Snow, Mathew S; Morrison, Samuel S; Clark, Sue B; Olson, John E; Watrous, Matthew G

2017-06-01

Environmental 237 Np analyses are challenged by low 237 Np concentrations and lack of an available yield tracer; we report a rapid, inexpensive 237 Np analytical approach employing the short lived 239 Np (t 1/2  = 2.3 days) as a chemical yield tracer followed by 237 Np quantification using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. 239 Np tracer is obtained via separation from a 243 Am stock solution and standardized using gamma spectrometry immediately prior to sample processing. Rapid digestions using a commercial, 900 W "Walmart" microwave and Parr microwave vessels result in 99.8 ± 0.1% digestion yields, while chromatographic separations enable Np/U separation factors on the order of 10 6 and total Np yields of 95 ± 4% (2σ). Application of this method to legacy soil samples surrounding a radioactive disposal facility (the Subsurface Disposal Area at Idaho National Laboratory) reveal the presence of low level 237 Np contamination within 600 m of this site, with maximum 237 Np concentrations on the order of 10 3 times greater than nuclear weapons testing fallout levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of processing parameters of UAV integral structural components based on yield response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yunsheng

2018-05-01

In order to improve the overall strength of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), it is necessary to optimize the processing parameters of UAV structural components, which is affected by initial residual stress in the process of UAV structural components processing. Because machining errors are easy to occur, an optimization model for machining parameters of UAV integral structural components based on yield response is proposed. The finite element method is used to simulate the machining parameters of UAV integral structural components. The prediction model of workpiece surface machining error is established, and the influence of the path of walking knife on residual stress of UAV integral structure is studied, according to the stress of UAV integral component. The yield response of the time-varying stiffness is analyzed, and the yield response and the stress evolution mechanism of the UAV integral structure are analyzed. The simulation results show that this method is used to optimize the machining parameters of UAV integral structural components and improve the precision of UAV milling processing. The machining error is reduced, and the deformation prediction and error compensation of UAV integral structural parts are realized, thus improving the quality of machining.

Schematic microscopic approach to the description of M1 transitions between mixed-symmetry and fully symmetric collective states in {gamma}-soft nuclei based on RPA-IBM boson mapping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jolos, R. V.; Shirikova, N. Yu.; Voronov, V. V.

A schematic microscopic method is developed to calculate the M1 transition probabilities between the mixed-symmetry and the fully symmetric states in {gamma}-soft nuclei. The method is based on the random-phase approximation-interacting boson model (RPA-IBM) boson mapping of the most collective isoscalar boson. All other boson modes with higher excitation energies, including the mixed-symmetry boson, are described in the framework of RPA. As an example the M1 transition probabilities are calculated for the {sup 124-134}Xe isotopes and compared with the experimental data. The results agree well with the data for the ratio B(M1;1{sub ms}{sup +}{yields}2{sub 2}{sup +})/B(M1;1{sub ms}{sup +}{yields}0{sub 1}{sup +}).more » However, the calculated ratio B(M1;2{sub ms}{sup +}{yields}2{sub 1}{sup +})/B(M1;1{sub ms}{sup +}{yields}0{sub 1}{sup +}) shows a significantly weaker dependence on the mass number than the experimental data.« less

A Note on Procrustean Rotation in Exploratory Factor Analysis: A Computer Intensive Approach to Goodness-of-Fit Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raykov, Tenko; Little, Todd D.

1999-01-01

Describes a method for evaluating results of Procrustean rotation to a target factor pattern matrix in exploratory factor analysis. The approach, based on the bootstrap method, yields empirical approximations of the sampling distributions of: (1) differences between target elements and rotated factor pattern matrices; and (2) the overall…

Economic Pressure and Marital Quality: An Illustration of the Method Variance Problem in the Causal Modeling of Family Processes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenz, Frederick O.; And Others

1991-01-01

Examined effects of method variance on models linking family economic pressure, marital quality, and expressions of hostility and warmth among 76 couples. Observer reports yielded results linking economic pressure to marital quality indirectly through interactional processes such as hostility. Self-reports or spouses' reports made it difficult to…

Efficient methods for enol phosphate synthesis using carbon-centred magnesium bases.

PubMed

Kerr, William J; Lindsay, David M; Patel, Vipulkumar K; Rajamanickam, Muralikrishnan

2015-10-28

Efficient conversion of ketones into kinetic enol phosphates under mild and accessible conditions has been realised using the developed methods with di-tert-butylmagnesium and bismesitylmagnesium. Optimisation of the quench protocol resulted in high yields of enol phosphates from a range of cyclohexanones and aryl methyl ketones, with tolerance of a range of additional functional units.

Improving Alpha Spectrometry Energy Resolution by Ion Implantation with ICP-MS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dion, Michael P.; Liezers, Martin; Farmer, Orville T.

2015-01-01

We report results of a novel technique using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) as a method of source preparation for alpha spectrometry. This method produced thin, contaminant free 241Am samples which yielded extraordinary energy resolution which appear to be at the lower limit of the detection technology used in this research.

Development of a European Ensemble System for Seasonal Prediction: Application to crop yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terres, J. M.; Cantelaube, P.

2003-04-01

Western European agriculture is highly intensive and the weather is the main source of uncertainty for crop yield assessment and for crop management. In the current system, at the time when a crop yield forecast is issued, the weather conditions leading up to harvest time are unknown and are therefore a major source of uncertainty. The use of seasonal weather forecast would bring additional information for the remaining crop season and has valuable benefit for improving the management of agricultural markets and environmentally sustainable farm practices. An innovative method for supplying seasonal forecast information to crop simulation models has been developed in the frame of the EU funded research project DEMETER. It consists in running a crop model on each individual member of the seasonal hindcasts to derive a probability distribution of crop yield. Preliminary results of cumulative probability function of wheat yield provides information on both the yield anomaly and the reliability of the forecast. Based on the spread of the probability distribution, the end-user can directly quantify the benefits and risks of taking weather-sensitive decisions.

Development and validation of polar RP-HPLC method for screening for ectoine high-yield strains in marine bacteria with green chemistry.

PubMed

Chen, Jun; Chen, Jianwei; Wang, Sijia; Zhou, Guangmin; Chen, Danqing; Zhang, Huawei; Wang, Hong

2018-04-02

A novel, green, rapid, and precise polar RP-HPLC method has been successfully developed and screened for ectoine high-yield strain in marine bacteria. Ectoine is a polar and extremely useful solute which allows microorganisms to survive in extreme environmental salinity. This paper describes a polar-HPLC method employed polar RP-C18 (5 μm, 250 × 4.6 mm) using pure water as the mobile phase and a column temperature of 30 °C, coupled with a flow rate at 1.0 mL/min and detected under a UV detector at wavelength of 210 nm. Our method validation demonstrates excellent linearity (R 2  = 0.9993), accuracy (100.55%), and a limit of detection LOQ and LOD of 0.372 and 0.123 μgmL -1 , respectively. These results clearly indicate that the developed polar RP-HPLC method for the separation and determination of ectoine is superior to earlier protocols.

Approximate Solution Methods for Spectral Radiative Transfer in High Refractive Index Layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siegel, R.; Spuckler, C. M.

1994-01-01

Some ceramic materials for high temperature applications are partially transparent for radiative transfer. The refractive indices of these materials can be substantially greater than one which influences internal radiative emission and reflections. Heat transfer behavior of single and laminated layers has been obtained in the literature by numerical solutions of the radiative transfer equations coupled with heat conduction and heating at the boundaries by convection and radiation. Two-flux and diffusion methods are investigated here to obtain approximate solutions using a simpler formulation than required for exact numerical solutions. Isotropic scattering is included. The two-flux method for a single layer yields excellent results for gray and two band spectral calculations. The diffusion method yields a good approximation for spectral behavior in laminated multiple layers if the overall optical thickness is larger than about ten. A hybrid spectral model is developed using the two-flux method in the optically thin bands, and radiative diffusion in bands that are optically thick.

A Rapid Dialysis Method for Analysis of Artificial Sweeteners in Foods (2nd Report).

PubMed

Tahara, Shoichi; Yamamoto, Sumiyo; Yamajima, Yukiko; Miyakawa, Hiroyuki; Uematsu, Yoko; Monma, Kimio

2017-01-01

Following the previous report, a rapid dialysis method was developed for the extraction and purification of four artificial sweeteners, namely, sodium saccharide (Sa), acesulfame potassium (AK), aspartame (APM), and dulcin (Du), which are present in various foods. The method was evaluated by the addition of 0.02 g/kg of these sweeteners to a cookie sample, in the same manner as in the previous report. Revisions from the previous method were: reduction of the total dialysis volume from 200 to 100 mL, change of tube length from 55 to 50 cm, change of dialysate from 0.01 mol/L hydrochloric aqueous solution containing 10% sodium chloride to 30% methanol solution, and change of dialysis conditions from ambient temperature with occasional shaking to 50℃ with shaking at 160 rpm. As a result of these revisions, the recovery reached 99.3-103.8% with one hour dialysis. The obtained recovery yields were comparable to the recovery yields in the previous method with four hour dialysis.

Quantification and characterisation of fatty acid methyl esters in microalgae: Comparison of pretreatment and purification methods.

PubMed

Lage, Sandra; Gentili, Francesco G

2018-06-01

A systematic qualitative and quantitative analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) is crucial for microalgae species selection for biodiesel production. The aim of this study is to identify the best method to assess microalgae FAMEs composition and content. A single-step method, was tested with and without purification steps-that is, separation of lipid classes by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) or solid-phase extraction (SPE). The efficiency of a direct transesterification method was also evaluated. Additionally, the yield of the FAMEs and the profiles of the microalgae samples with different pretreatments (boiled in isopropanol, freezing, oven-dried and freeze-dried) were compared. The application of a purification step after lipid extraction proved to be essential for an accurate FAMEs characterisation. The purification methods, which included TLC and SPE, provided superior results compared to not purifying the samples. Freeze-dried microalgae produced the lowest FAMEs yield. However, FAMEs profiles were generally equivalent among the pretreatments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fast cleavage of phycocyanobilin from phycocyanin for use in food colouring.

PubMed

Roda-Serrat, Maria Cinta; Christensen, Knud Villy; El-Houri, Rime Bahij; Fretté, Xavier; Christensen, Lars Porskjær

2018-02-01

Phycocyanins from cyanobacteria are possible sources for new natural blue colourants. Their chromophore, phycocyanobilin (PCB), was cleaved from the apoprotein by solvolysis in alcohols and alcoholic aqueous solutions. In all cases two PCB isomers were obtained, while different solvent adducts were formed upon the use of different reagents. The reaction is believed to take place via two competing pathways, a concerted E2 elimination and a S N 2 nucleophilic substitution. Three cleavage methods were compared in terms of yield and purity: conventional reflux, sealed vessel heated in an oil bath, and microwave assisted reaction. The sealed vessel method is a new approach for fast cleavage of PCB from phycocyanin and gave at 120°C the same yield within 30min compared to 16h by the conventional reflux method (P<0.05). In addition the sealed vessel method resulted in improved purity compared to the other methods. Microwave irradiation increased product degradation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A temperature match based optimization method for daily load prediction considering DLC effect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu, Z.

This paper presents a unique optimization method for short term load forecasting. The new method is based on the optimal template temperature match between the future and past temperatures. The optimal error reduction technique is a new concept introduced in this paper. Two case studies show that for hourly load forecasting, this method can yield results as good as the rather complicated Box-Jenkins Transfer Function method, and better than the Box-Jenkins method; for peak load prediction, this method is comparable in accuracy to the neural network method with back propagation, and can produce more accurate results than the multi-linear regressionmore » method. The DLC effect on system load is also considered in this method.« less

Enhancing USDA's Retrospective Analog Year Analyses Using NASA Satellite Precipitation and Soil Moisture Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, W. L.; Shannon, H. D.

2013-12-01

The USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) is responsible for monitoring weather and climate impacts on domestic and foreign crop development. One of WAOB's primary goals is to determine the net cumulative effect of weather and climate anomalies on final crop yields. To this end, a broad array of information is consulted, including maps, charts, and time series of recent weather, climate, and crop observations; numerical output from weather and crop models; and reports from the press, USDA attachés, and foreign governments. The resulting agricultural weather assessments are published in the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, to keep farmers, policy makers, and commercial agricultural interests informed of weather and climate impacts on agriculture. Because both the amount and timing of precipitation significantly affect crop yields, WAOB has often, as part of its operational process, used historical time series of surface-based precipitation observations to visually identify growing seasons with similar (analog) weather patterns as, and help estimate crop yields for, the current growing season. As part of a larger effort to improve WAOB estimates by integrating NASA remote sensing observations and research results into WAOB's decision-making environment, a more rigorous, statistical method for identifying analog years was developed. This method, termed the analog index (AI), is based on the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient. The AI was computed for five study areas and six growing seasons of data analyzed (2003-2007 as potential analog years and 2008 as the target year). Previously reported results compared the performance of AI for time series derived from surface-based observations vs. satellite-retrieved precipitation data. Those results showed that, for all five areas, crop yield estimates derived from satellite-retrieved precipitation data are closer to measured yields than are estimates derived from surface-based precipitation observations. Subsequent work has compared the relative performance of AI for time series derived from satellite-retrieved surface soil moisture data and from root zone soil moisture derived from the assimilation of surface soil moisture data into a land surface model. These results, which also showed the potential benefits of satellite data for analog year analyses, will be presented.

Using flow cytometry to estimate pollen DNA content: improved methodology and applications

PubMed Central

Kron, Paul; Husband, Brian C.

2012-01-01

Background and Aims Flow cytometry has been used to measure nuclear DNA content in pollen, mostly to understand pollen development and detect unreduced gametes. Published data have not always met the high-quality standards required for some applications, in part due to difficulties inherent in the extraction of nuclei. Here we describe a simple and relatively novel method for extracting pollen nuclei, involving the bursting of pollen through a nylon mesh, compare it with other methods and demonstrate its broad applicability and utility. Methods The method was tested across 80 species, 64 genera and 33 families, and the data were evaluated using established criteria for estimating genome size and analysing cell cycle. Filter bursting was directly compared with chopping in five species, yields were compared with published values for sonicated samples, and the method was applied by comparing genome size estimates for leaf and pollen nuclei in six species. Key Results Data quality met generally applied standards for estimating genome size in 81 % of species and the higher best practice standards for cell cycle analysis in 51 %. In 41 % of species we met the most stringent criterion of screening 10 000 pollen grains per sample. In direct comparison with two chopping techniques, our method produced better quality histograms with consistently higher nuclei yields, and yields were higher than previously published results for sonication. In three binucleate and three trinucleate species we found that pollen-based genome size estimates differed from leaf tissue estimates by 1·5 % or less when 1C pollen nuclei were used, while estimates from 2C generative nuclei differed from leaf estimates by up to 2·5 %. Conclusions The high success rate, ease of use and wide applicability of the filter bursting method show that this method can facilitate the use of pollen for estimating genome size and dramatically improve unreduced pollen production estimation with flow cytometry. PMID:22875815

Solubilities of crystalline drugs in polymers: an improved analytical method and comparison of solubilities of indomethacin and nifedipine in PVP, PVP/VA, and PVAc.

PubMed

Sun, Ye; Tao, Jing; Zhang, Geoff G Z; Yu, Lian

2010-09-01

A previous method for measuring solubilities of crystalline drugs in polymers has been improved to enable longer equilibration and used to survey the solubilities of indomethacin (IMC) and nifedipine (NIF) in two homo-polymers [polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)] and their co-polymer (PVP/VA). These data are important for understanding the stability of amorphous drug-polymer dispersions, a strategy actively explored for delivering poorly soluble drugs. Measuring solubilities in polymers is difficult because their high viscosities impede the attainment of solubility equilibrium. In this method, a drug-polymer mixture prepared by cryo-milling is annealed at different temperatures and analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry to determine whether undissolved crystals remain and thus the upper and lower bounds of the equilibrium solution temperature. The new annealing method yielded results consistent with those obtained with the previous scanning method at relatively high temperatures, but revised slightly the previous results at lower temperatures. It also lowered the temperature of measurement closer to the glass transition temperature. For D-mannitol and IMC dissolving in PVP, the polymer's molecular weight has little effect on the weight-based solubility. For IMC and NIF, the dissolving powers of the polymers follow the order PVP > PVP/VA > PVAc. In each polymer studied, NIF is less soluble than IMC. The activities of IMC and NIF dissolved in various polymers are reasonably well fitted to the Flory-Huggins model, yielding the relevant drug-polymer interaction parameters. The new annealing method yields more accurate data than the previous scanning method when solubility equilibrium is slow to achieve. In practice, these two methods can be combined for efficiency. The measured solubilities are not readily anticipated, which underscores the importance of accurate experimental data for developing predictive models.

Analysis of aquifer tests in the Punjab region of West Pakistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bennett, Gordon D.; ,; Sheikh, Ijaz Ahmed; Alr, Sabire

1967-01-01

The results of 141 pumping tests in the Punjab Plain of West Pakistan are reported. Methods of test analysis are described in detail, and an outline of the theory underlying these methods is given. The lateral permeability of the screened interval is given for all tests; the specific yield of the material at water-table depth is given for 1(6 tests; and the vertical permeability of the material between the water table and the top of the screen is given for 14 tests. The lateral permeabilities are predominantly in the range 0.001 to 0.006 cfs per sq ft; the average value is 0.0032 cfs per sq ft. Specific yields generally range from 0.02 to 0.26; the average value is 0.14. All vertical permeability results fall in the range 10 -5 to 10 -3 cfs per sq ft.

Comparison of methods of preserving tissues for pesticide analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stickel, W.H.; Stickel, L.F.; Dyrland, R.A.; Hughes, D.L.

1984-01-01

Formalin preservation, freezing, spoiling followed by freezing, and phenoxyethanol were compared in terms of concentrations of DDT, DDD, DDE, endrin, and hepatachlor epoxide measured in brain, liver and carcass of birds fed dietary dosages of pesticides and in spiked egg homogenate. Phenoxyethanol proved to be an unsatisfactory preservative; the amount of 'extractable lipid' was excessive, and measurements of concentrations in replicates were erratic. Concentrations of residues in formalin-preserved and frozen samples did not differ significantly in any tissue. Percentage lipid in brains and eggs, however, were significantly lower in formalin-preserved samples. Samples of muscle and liver that had been spoiled before freezing yielded less DDD, and muscle samples yielded more DDT than formalin-preserved samples. The authors conclude that formalin preservation is a satisfactory method for preservation of field samples and that the warming and spoiling of samples that may occur unavoidably in the field will not result in misleading analytical results.

Comparison of Online Survey Recruitment Platforms for Hard-to-Reach Pregnant Smoking Populations: Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Agas, Jessica Marie; Lee, Melissa; Pan, Julia Lily; Buttenheim, Alison Meredith

2018-01-01

Background Recruiting hard-to-reach populations for health research is challenging. Web-based platforms offer one way to recruit specific samples for research purposes, but little is known about the feasibility of online recruitment and the representativeness and comparability of samples recruited through different Web-based platforms. Objective The objectives of this study were to determine the feasibility of recruiting a hard-to-reach population (pregnant smokers) using 4 different Web-based platforms and to compare participants recruited through each platform. Methods A screener and survey were distributed online through Qualtrics Panel, Soapbox Sample, Reddit, and Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results of each recruitment platform, including eligibility yield, quality yield, income, race, age, and gestational age. Results Of the 3847 participants screened for eligibility across all 4 Web-based platforms, 535 were eligible and 308 completed the survey. Amazon mTurk yielded the fewest completed responses (n=9), 100% (9/9) of which passed several quality metrics verifying pregnancy and smoking status. Qualtrics Panel yielded 14 completed responses, 86% (12/14) of which passed the quality screening. Soapbox Sample produced 107 completed surveys, 67% (72/107) of which were found to be quality responses. Advertising through Reddit produced the highest completion rate (n=178), but only 29.2% (52/178) of those surveys passed the quality metrics. We found significant differences in eligibility yield, quality yield, age, number of previous pregnancies, age of smoking initiation, current smokers, race, education, and income (P<.001). Conclusions Although each platform successfully recruited pregnant smokers, results varied in quality, cost, and percentage of complete responses. Moving forward, investigators should pay careful attention to the percentage yield and cost of online recruitment platforms to maximize internal and external validity. PMID:29661751

Prototype Procedures to Describe Army Jobs

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

ratings for the same MOS. Consistent with a multi-trait multi- method framework, high profile similarities (or low mean differences ) among different ...rater types for the same MOS would indicate convergent validity. That is, different methods (i.e., rater types) yield converging results for the same... different methods of data collection depends upon the type of data collected. For example, it could be that data on work-oriented descriptors are most

Effect of drying on yield and calorific values of extractables from leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiatr, S.M.

1984-04-01

The effect of dehydration on yield and calorific values has been investigated for oils, hydrocarbons, and poly-phenols extracted from leaves of Euphorbia esula (leafy spurge). Methods of dehydration employed were with a warm oven (50 degrees C), a hot oven (105 degrees C), at room temperature (25 degrees C), and with freeze drying. Generally, dehydration resulted in a loss of yield for all extractives. Noteworthy exceptions were oil yields from the warm-oven or air-dried biomass which did not differ significantly from fresh tissue. Significant differences in calorific values (range 4643-5192 cal/g) were observed for each category of whole leafy biomassmore » dehydrated as indicated above. Dehydration reduced the calorific value of oils (range 9483-10,095 cal/g) but tended to increase the calorific values of polyphenols (range 4178-6033 cal/g). NMR spectroscopy of the oil fraction suggested that dehydration did not grossly alter the composition of oils, despite differences in yield and calorific values.« less

Effect of drying on yield and calorific values of extractables from leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiatr, S.M.

1984-01-01

The effect of dehydration on yield and calorific values has been investigated for oils, hydrocarbons, and polyphenols extracted from leaves of Euphorbia esula (leafy spurge). Methods of dehydration employed were with a warm oven (50/sup 0/C), a hot oven (105/sup 0/C), at room temperature (25/sup 0/C), and with freeze drying. Generally, dehydration resulted in a loss of yield for all extractives. Noteworthy exceptions were oil yields from the warm-oven- or air-dried biomass which did not differ significantly from fresh tissue. Significant differences in calorific values (range 4643-5192 cal/g) were observed for each category of whole leafy biomass dehydrated as indicatedmore » above. Dehydration reduced the calorific value of oils (range 9483-10,095 cal/g) but tended to increase the calorific values of polyphenols (range 4178-6033 cal/g). NMR spectroscopy of the oil fraction suggested that dehydration did not grossly alter the composition of oils, despite differences in yield and calorific values.« less

High-yield production of mannitol by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides CTCC G123 from chicory-derived inulin hydrolysate.

PubMed

Zhang, Min; Gu, Lei; Cheng, Chao; Zhu, Junru; Wu, Hao; Ma, Jiangfeng; Dong, Weiliang; Kong, Xiangping; Jiang, Min; Ouyang, Pingkai

2017-08-01

Chicory is an agricultural plant with considerable potential as a carbohydrate substrate for low-cost production of biochemicals. In this work, the production of mannitol by Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides CTCC G123 from chicory-derived inulin hydrolysate was investigated. The bioconversion process initially suffered from the leakage of fructose to the phosphoketolase pathway, resulting in a low mannitol yield. When inulin hydrolysate was supplemented with glucose as a substrate for mannitol production in combination with aeration induction and nicotinic acid induced redox modulation strategies, the mannitol yield greatly improved. Under these conditions, significant improvement in the glucose consumption rate, intracellular NADH levels and mannitol dehydrogenase specific activity were observed, with mannitol production increasing from 64.6 to 88.1 g/L and overall yield increase from 0.69 to 0.94 g/g. This work demonstrated an efficient method for the production of mannitol from inulin hydrolysate with a high overall yield.

High temperature - low mass solar blanket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mesch, H. G.

1979-01-01

Interconnect materials and designs for use with ultrathin silicon solar cells are discussed, as well as the results of an investigation of the applicability of parallel-gap resistance welding for interconnecting these cells. Data relating contact pull strength and cell electrical degradation to variations in welding parameters such as time, voltage and pressure are presented. Methods for bonding ultrathin cells to flexible substances and for bonding thin (75 micrometers) covers to these cells are described. Also, factors influencing fabrication yield and approaches for increasing yield are discussed. The results of vacuum thermal cycling and thermal soak tests on prototype ultrathin cell test coupons and one solar module blanket are presented.

Partial branch and bound algorithm for improved data association in multiframe processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poore, Aubrey B.; Yan, Xin

1999-07-01

A central problem in multitarget, multisensor, and multiplatform tracking remains that of data association. Lagrangian relaxation methods have shown themselves to yield near optimal answers in real-time. The necessary improvement in the quality of these solutions warrants a continuing interest in these methods. These problems are NP-hard; the only known methods for solving them optimally are enumerative in nature with branch-and-bound being most efficient. Thus, the development of methods less than a full branch-and-bound are needed for improving the quality. Such methods as K-best, local search, and randomized search have been proposed to improve the quality of the relaxation solution. Here, a partial branch-and-bound technique along with adequate branching and ordering rules are developed. Lagrangian relaxation is used as a branching method and as a method to calculate the lower bound for subproblems. The result shows that the branch-and-bound framework greatly improves the resolution quality of the Lagrangian relaxation algorithm and yields better multiple solutions in less time than relaxation alone.

Investigation on the fast co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge with biomass and the combustion reactivity of residual char.

PubMed

Deng, Shuanghui; Tan, Houzhang; Wang, Xuebin; Yang, Fuxin; Cao, Ruijie; Wang, Zhao; Ruan, Renhui

2017-09-01

Gaining the valuable fuels from sewage sludge is a promising method. In this work, the fast pyrolysis characteristics of sewage sludge (SS), wheat straw (WS) and their mixtures in different proportions were carried out in a drop-tube reactor. The combustion reactivity of the residual char obtained was investigated in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Results indicate that SS and WS at different pyrolysis temperatures yielded different characteristic gas compositions and product distributions. The co-pyrolysis of SS with WS showed that there existed a synergistic effect in terms of higher gas and bio-oil yields and lower char yield, especially at the WS adding percentage of 80wt%. The addition of WS to SS increased the carbon content in the SS char and improved char porous structures, resulting in an improvement in the combustion reactivity of the SS char. The research results can be used to promote co-utilization of sewage sludge and biomass. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Can plastic mulching replace irrigation in dryland agriculture?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, L.; Daryanto, S.; Jacinthe, P. A.

2017-12-01

Increasing water use efficiency (WUE) is a key strategy to maintaining crops yield without over-exploiting the scarce water resource. Plastic mulching technology for wheat and maize has been commonly used in China, but their effect on yield, soil moisture, evapotranspiration (ET), and WUE has not been compared with traditional irrigation method. Using a meta-analysis approach, we quantitatively examined the efficacy of plastic mulching in comparison with traditional irrigation in dryland agriculture. Our results showed that plastic mulching technique resulted in yield increase comparable to irrigated crops but used 24% less water. By covering the ridges with plastic and channeling rainwater into a very narrow planting zone (furrow), plastic mulching increased WUE and available soil moisture. Higher WUE in plastic-mulched croplands was likely a result of greater proportion of available water being used for transpiration than evaporation. If problems related to production costs and residual plastic pollution could be managed, plastic mulching technology would become a promising strategy for dryland farming in other regions.

Simulating eroded soil organic carbon with the SWAT-C model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xuesong

The soil erosion and associated lateral movement of eroded carbon (C) have been identified as a possible mechanism explaining the elusive terrestrial C sink of ca. 1.7-2.6 PgC yr(-1). Here we evaluated the SWAT-C model for simulating long-term soil erosion and associated eroded C yields. Our method couples the CENTURY carbon cycling processes with a Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) to estimate C losses associated with soil erosion. The results show that SWAT-C is able to simulate well long-term average eroded C yields, as well as correctly estimate the relative magnitude of eroded C yields by crop rotations. Wemore » also evaluated three methods of calculating C enrichment ratio in mobilized sediments, and found that errors associated with enrichment ratio estimation represent a significant uncertainty in SWAT-C simulations. Furthermore, we discussed limitations and future development directions for SWAT-C to advance C cycling modeling and assessment.« less

Application of Ionic Liquids in the Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Proanthocyanidins from Larix gmelini Bark

PubMed Central

Yang, Lei; Sun, Xiaowei; Yang, Fengjian; Zhao, Chunjian; Zhang, Lin; Zu, Yuangang

2012-01-01

Ionic liquid based, microwave-assisted extraction (ILMAE) was successfully applied to the extraction of proanthocyanidins from Larix gmelini bark. In this work, in order to evaluate the performance of ionic liquids in the microwave-assisted extraction process, a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids with different cations and anions were evaluated for extraction yield, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide was selected as the optimal solvent. In addition, the ILMAE procedure for the proanthocyanidins was optimized and compared with other conventional extraction techniques. Under the optimized conditions, satisfactory extraction yield of the proanthocyanidins was obtained. Relative to other methods, the proposed approach provided higher extraction yield and lower energy consumption. The Larix gmelini bark samples before and after extraction were analyzed by Thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the ILMAE method is a simple and efficient technique for sample preparation. PMID:22606036

Predictions of biochar production and torrefaction performance from sugarcane bagasse using interpolation and regression analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Wei-Hsin; Hsu, Hung-Jen; Kumar, Gopalakrishnan; Budzianowski, Wojciech M; Ong, Hwai Chyuan

2017-12-01

This study focuses on the biochar formation and torrefaction performance of sugarcane bagasse, and they are predicted using the bilinear interpolation (BLI), inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation, and regression analysis. It is found that the biomass torrefied at 275°C for 60min or at 300°C for 30min or longer is appropriate to produce biochar as alternative fuel to coal with low carbon footprint, but the energy yield from the torrefaction at 300°C is too low. From the biochar yield, enhancement factor of HHV, and energy yield, the results suggest that the three methods are all feasible for predicting the performance, especially for the enhancement factor. The power parameter of unity in the IDW method provides the best predictions and the error is below 5%. The second order in regression analysis gives a more reasonable approach than the first order, and is recommended for the predictions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressurized liquid extraction and chemical characterization of safflower oil: A comparison between methods.

PubMed

Conte, Rogério; Gullich, Letícia M D; Bilibio, Denise; Zanella, Odivan; Bender, João P; Carniel, Naira; Priamo, Wagner L

2016-12-15

This work investigates the extraction process of safflower oil using pressurized ethanol, and compares the chemical composition obtained (in terms of fatty acids) with other extraction techniques. Soxhlet and Ultrasound showed maximum global yield of 36.53% and 30.41%, respectively (70°C and 240min). PLE presented maximum global yields of 25.62% (3mLmin(-1)), 19.94% (2mLmin(-1)) and 12.37% (1mLmin(-1)) at 40°C, 100bar and 60min. Palmitic acid showed the lower concentration in all experimental conditions (from 5.70% to 7.17%); Stearic and Linoleic acid presented intermediate concentrations (from 2.93% to 25.09% and 14.09% to 19.06%, respectively); Oleic acid showed higher composition (from 55.12% to 83.26%). Differences between percentages of fatty acids, depending on method were observed. Results may be applied to maximize global yields and select fatty acids, reducing the energetic costs and process time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interrelation Between Safety Factors and Reliability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elishakoff, Isaac; Chamis, Christos C. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

An evaluation was performed to establish relationships between safety factors and reliability relationships. Results obtained show that the use of the safety factor is not contradictory to the employment of the probabilistic methods. In many cases the safety factors can be directly expressed by the required reliability levels. However, there is a major difference that must be emphasized: whereas the safety factors are allocated in an ad hoc manner, the probabilistic approach offers a unified mathematical framework. The establishment of the interrelation between the concepts opens an avenue to specify safety factors based on reliability. In cases where there are several forms of failure, then the allocation of safety factors should he based on having the same reliability associated with each failure mode. This immediately suggests that by the probabilistic methods the existing over-design or under-design can be eliminated. The report includes three parts: Part 1-Random Actual Stress and Deterministic Yield Stress; Part 2-Deterministic Actual Stress and Random Yield Stress; Part 3-Both Actual Stress and Yield Stress Are Random.

Molecular understanding of mutagenicity using potential energy methods. Progress report, July 1, 1992--September 30, 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broyde, S.; Shapiro, R.

1993-09-01

Our objective has been to elucidate on a molecular level, at atomic resolution, the structures of DNAs modified by highly mutagenic aromatic amines and hydrocarbons. The underlying hypothesis is that DNA replicates with reduced fidelity when its normal right-handed B-structure is altered, and one result is a higher mutation rate. This change in structure may occur normally at a low incidence but it may be enhanced greatly after covalent modification by a mutagenic substance. The methods that we use to elucidate structures are computational, but we keep in close contact with experimental developments, and we incorporate data from NMR studiesmore » in our calculations when they are available. X-ray and low resolution spectroscopic studies have not succeeded in producing atomic resolution views of mutagen and carcinogen-oligonucleotide adducts. Even the high resolution NMR method cannot alone yield molecular views, though it does so in combination with our computations. The specific methods that we employ are minimized potential energy calculations using the torsion angle space molecular mechanics program DUPLEX to yield static views. Molecular dynamics simulations of static structures with solvent and salt can be carried out with the program AMBER; this yields mobile views in a medium that mimics aspects of the natural aqueous environment of the cell.« less

A novel one-class SVM based negative data sampling method for reconstructing proteome-wide HTLV-human protein interaction networks.

PubMed

Mei, Suyu; Zhu, Hao

2015-01-26

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) prediction is generally treated as a problem of binary classification wherein negative data sampling is still an open problem to be addressed. The commonly used random sampling is prone to yield less representative negative data with considerable false negatives. Meanwhile rational constraints are seldom exerted on model selection to reduce the risk of false positive predictions for most of the existing computational methods. In this work, we propose a novel negative data sampling method based on one-class SVM (support vector machine, SVM) to predict proteome-wide protein interactions between HTLV retrovirus and Homo sapiens, wherein one-class SVM is used to choose reliable and representative negative data, and two-class SVM is used to yield proteome-wide outcomes as predictive feedback for rational model selection. Computational results suggest that one-class SVM is more suited to be used as negative data sampling method than two-class PPI predictor, and the predictive feedback constrained model selection helps to yield a rational predictive model that reduces the risk of false positive predictions. Some predictions have been validated by the recent literature. Lastly, gene ontology based clustering of the predicted PPI networks is conducted to provide valuable cues for the pathogenesis of HTLV retrovirus.

On plant detection of intact tomato fruits using image analysis and machine learning methods.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Kyosuke; Guo, Wei; Yoshioka, Yosuke; Ninomiya, Seishi

2014-07-09

Fully automated yield estimation of intact fruits prior to harvesting provides various benefits to farmers. Until now, several studies have been conducted to estimate fruit yield using image-processing technologies. However, most of these techniques require thresholds for features such as color, shape and size. In addition, their performance strongly depends on the thresholds used, although optimal thresholds tend to vary with images. Furthermore, most of these techniques have attempted to detect only mature and immature fruits, although the number of young fruits is more important for the prediction of long-term fluctuations in yield. In this study, we aimed to develop a method to accurately detect individual intact tomato fruits including mature, immature and young fruits on a plant using a conventional RGB digital camera in conjunction with machine learning approaches. The developed method did not require an adjustment of threshold values for fruit detection from each image because image segmentation was conducted based on classification models generated in accordance with the color, shape, texture and size of the images. The results of fruit detection in the test images showed that the developed method achieved a recall of 0.80, while the precision was 0.88. The recall values of mature, immature and young fruits were 1.00, 0.80 and 0.78, respectively.

Highly efficient extraction of anthocyanins from grape skin using deep eutectic solvents as green and tunable media.

PubMed

Jeong, Kyung Min; Zhao, Jing; Jin, Yan; Heo, Seong Rok; Han, Se Young; Yoo, Da Eun; Lee, Jeongmi

2015-12-01

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were investigated as tunable, environmentally benign, yet superior extraction media to enhance the extraction of anthocyanins from grape skin, which is usually discarded as waste. Ten DESs containing choline chloride as hydrogen bond acceptor combined with different hydrogen bond donors were screened for high extraction efficiencies based on the anthocyanin extraction yields. As a result, citric acid, D-(+)-maltose, and fructose were selected as the effective DES components, and the newly designed DES, CM-6 that is composed of citric acid and D-(+)-maltose at 4:1 molar ratio, exhibited significantly higher levels of anthocyanin extraction yields than conventional extraction solvents such as 80% aqueous methanol. The final extraction method was established based on the ultrasound-assisted extraction under conditions optimized using response surface methodology. Its extraction yields were double or even higher than those of conventional methods that are time-consuming and use volatile organic solvents. Our method is truly a green method for anthocyanin extraction with great extraction efficiency using a minimal amount of time and solvent. Moreover, this study suggested that grape skin, the by-products of grape juice processing, could serve as a valuable source for safe, natural colorants or antioxidants by use of the eco-friendly extraction solvent, CM-6.

[Analysis of aromatic hydrocarbons in cracking products of jet fuel by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry].

PubMed

Li, Haijing; Zhang, Xiangwen

2017-08-08

As coking precursors, aromatic hydrocarbons have an effect on the cracking stability of fuels. A method for identifying and quantitating aromatics in the supercritical cracking products of jet fuel was established by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS). The effects of main chromatographic conditions such as initial oven temperature and modulation period on the separation of supercritical cracking products were studied. The method has good separation ability for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) isomers. A total of 27 aromatics, including monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tetracyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc., were identified based on standard mass spectra, the retention times of standards and literature reports. Moreover, the corresponding quantitative determination was achieved by external standard method of GC×GC-FID. The results showed that the contents of aromatics increased with the increase of gas yield. When gas yield reached 22%, the bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons began to produce, and their contents increased exponentially with the increase of gas yield. Compared with the traditional GC-MS, the method has better separation and qualitative ability, and can be applied to the separation of complex samples and qualitative and quantitative analyses of cracking products.

Data accuracy assessment using enterprise architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Närman, Per; Holm, Hannes; Johnson, Pontus; König, Johan; Chenine, Moustafa; Ekstedt, Mathias

2011-02-01

Errors in business processes result in poor data accuracy. This article proposes an architecture analysis method which utilises ArchiMate and the Probabilistic Relational Model formalism to model and analyse data accuracy. Since the resources available for architecture analysis are usually quite scarce, the method advocates interviews as the primary data collection technique. A case study demonstrates that the method yields correct data accuracy estimates and is more resource-efficient than a competing sampling-based data accuracy estimation method.

An Evaluation of Partial Digestion Protocols for the Extraction and Measurement of Trace Metals of Environmental Concern in Marine and Estuarine Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winters, S. J.; Krahforst, C.; Sherman, L.; Kehm, K.

2013-12-01

As part of a broad study of the fate and transport of trace metals in estuarine sediments (Krahforst et al., 2013), the efficacy of commonly-used partial digestion protocols, including ISO 11466 (treatment with aqua regia), EPA 3050B (nitric acid followed by H2O2) and a modified rock digestion method ('RD' method- H2O2 followed by nitric), were evaluated for two NIST SRM materials, marine sediment 2702 and estuarine sediment 1646a. Unlike so-called total sediment digestions, the methods studied in this work do not employ hydrofluoric acid and are thought to leave silicates substantially or wholly intact. These methods can in principle compliment studies based on total digestions by providing information about trace metals in phases that are potentially more labile in the marine environment. Samples were digested in ~150 mg aliquots. Application of ISO 11466 and EPA 3050B followed published protocols except that digestions were carried out in trace-metal clean 15 mL capped Teflon vessels in an Al block digester and, at the end of the procedure, the supernatant was decanted from undigested material following repeated centrifugation in 2% nitric acid. Digested solutions were analyzed for Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Ag, Cd, Sn and Pb content by ICPMS. All elements were analyzed in collision reaction cell mode to minimize isobaric interferences, except Cd and Ag, which were analyzed in standard mode. Instrument performance was monitored in-run by analyzing the SRM 1643e and several quality-check standards. Two repeated digestions of SRM 2702 and SRM 1646a using EPA 3050B produced identical yields, within the standard deviation of repeated analyses (0 - 5%), for all analyzed elements except Cu, which varied by 30% for SRM 2702. The same was true for ISO 11466, although the standard deviation of repeated analyses for this digestion series tended to be larger (< ~15%). The RD method, which consists of pre-treatment with H2O2 followed by repeated treatments with nitric acid, produced the highest average yields for all elements, ranging from 50% of the Al in SRM 2702 up to ~100% for Cd and Pb. The higher recoveries for the RD method may indicate that pre-treatment with H2O2 more effectively removes organics compared with the conventional methods. Yields for ISO 11466 digestions typically range from 5 - 15% higher than EPA 3050B for all studied elements. Comparisons between the two sediments demonstrated that the acid-extractable fraction differs for several elements. For example results from all three digestion methods confirm a ~40% difference in yield for Mn between SRM 2702 and SRM 1646a. Overall, the results indicate that yields for trace element analyses of marine and estuarine sediments resulting from partial digestion are sensitive to the digestion technique, and in particular the methods employed for removal of organic phases. This work was supported by NSF Grant EAR-0922733 and a Maryland Sea Grant Program Development Award.

Piecewise SALT sampling for estimating suspended sediment yields

Treesearch

Robert B. Thomas

1989-01-01

A probability sampling method called SALT (Selection At List Time) has been developed for collecting and summarizing data on delivery of suspended sediment in rivers. It is based on sampling and estimating yield using a suspended-sediment rating curve for high discharges and simple random sampling for low flows. The method gives unbiased estimates of total yield and...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Witkowski, Peter T.; Charite Universitaetsmedizin, CCM, Institut fuer Virologie, Helmut Ruska Haus, Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin; Schuenadel, Livia, E-mail: SchuenadelL@rki.de

Research highlights: {yields} Real-time data acquisition by RT-CES requires low operative effort. {yields} Time to result is reduced by using RT-CES instead of conventional methods. {yields} RT-CES enables quantification of virus titers in unknown samples. {yields} RT-CES is a useful tool for high-throughput characterization of antiviral agents. {yields} An RT-CES-based virus neutralization test was established. -- Abstract: Impedance-based biosensing known as real-time cell electronic sensing (RT-CES) belongs to an emerging technology for analyzing the status of cells in vitro. In the present study protocols were developed for an RT-CES-based system (xCELLigence{sup TM}, Roche Applied Science, ACEA Biosciences Inc.) to supplementmore » conventional techniques in pox virology. First, proliferation of cells susceptible to orthopoxviruses was monitored. For virus titration cells were infected with vaccinia virus and cell status, represented by the dimensionless impedance-based cell index (CI), was monitored. A virus-dose dependent decrease in electrical impedance could be shown. Calculation of calibration curves at a suitable CI covering a dynamic range of 4 log enabled the quantification of virus titers in unknown samples. Similarly, antiviral effects could be determined as shown for anti-poxviral agents ST-246 and Cidofovir. Published values for the in vitro concentration that inhibited virus replication by 50% (IC{sub 50}) could be confirmed while cytotoxicity in effective concentrations was excluded in long-term incubation experiments. Finally, an RT-CES-based virus neutralization test was established. Various poxvirus-specific antibodies were examined for their neutralizing activity and a calculation mode for the neutralizing antibody titer was introduced. In summary, the presented RT-CES-based methods outmatch end-point assays by observing the cell population throughout the entire experiment while workload and time to result are reduced.« less

Microfluidic labeling of biomolecules with radiometals for use in nuclear medicine.

PubMed

Wheeler, Tobias D; Zeng, Dexing; Desai, Amit V; Önal, Birce; Reichert, David E; Kenis, Paul J A

2010-12-21

Radiometal-based radiopharmaceuticals, used as imaging and therapeutic agents in nuclear medicine, consist of a radiometal that is bound to a targeting biomolecule (BM) using a bifunctional chelator (BFC). Conventional, macroscale radiolabeling methods use an excess of the BFC-BM conjugate (ligand) to achieve high radiolabeling yields. Subsequently, to achieve maximal specific activity (minimal amount of unlabeled ligand), extensive chromatographic purification is required to remove unlabeled ligand, often resulting in longer synthesis times and loss of imaging sensitivity due to radioactive decay. Here we describe a microreactor that overcomes the above issues through integration of efficient mixing and heating strategies while working with small volumes of concentrated reagents. As a model reaction, we radiolabel 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) conjugated to the peptide cyclo(Arg-Gly-Asp-DPhe-Lys) with (64)Cu(2+). We show that the microreactor (made from polydimethylsiloxane and glass) can withstand 260 mCi of activity over 720 hours and retains only minimal amounts of (64)Cu(2+) (<5%) upon repeated use. A direct comparison between the radiolabeling yields obtained using the microreactor and conventional radiolabeling methods shows that improved mixing and heat transfer in the microreactor leads to higher yields for identical reaction conditions. Most importantly, by using small volumes (~10 µL) of concentrated solutions of reagents (>50 µM), yields of over 90% can be achieved in the microreactor when using a 1:1 stoichiometry of radiometal to BFC-BM. These high yields eliminate the need for use of excess amounts of often precious BM and obviate the need for a chromatographic purification process to remove unlabeled ligand. The results reported here demonstrate the potential of microreactor technology to improve the production of patient-tailored doses of radiometal-based radiopharmaceuticals in the clinic.

The effect of lactation number, stage, length, and milking frequency on milk yield in Korean Holstein dairy cows using automatic milking system

PubMed Central

Vijayakumar, Mayakrishnan; Park, Ji Hoo; Ki, Kwang Seok; Lim, Dong Hyun; Kim, Sang Bum; Park, Seong Min; Jeong, Ha Yeon; Park, Beom Young; Kim, Tae Il

2017-01-01

Objective The aim of the current study was to describe the relationship between milk yield and lactation number, stage, length and milking frequency in Korean Holstein dairy cows using an automatic milking system (AMS). Methods The original data set consisted of observations from April to October 2016 of 780 Holstein cows, with a total of 10,751 milkings. Each time a cow was milked by an AMS during the 24 h, the AMS management system recorded identification numbers of the AMS unit, the cow being milking, date and time of the milking, and milk yield (kg) as measured by the milk meters installed on each AMS unit, date and time of the lactation, lactation stage, milking frequency (NoM). Lactation stage is defined as the number of days milking per cows per lactation. Milk yield was calculated per udder quarter in the AMS and was added to 1 record per cow and trait for each milking. Milking frequency was measured the number of milkings per cow per 24 hour. Results From the study results, a significant relationship was found between the milk yield and lactation number (p<0.001), with the maximum milk yield occurring in the third lactation cows. We recorded the highest milk yield, in a greater lactation length period of early stage (55 to 90 days) at a 4× milking frequency/d, and the lowest milk yield was observed in the later stage (>201 days) of cows. Also, milking frequency had a significant influence on milk yield (p<0.001) in Korean Holstein cows using AMS. Conclusion Detailed knowledge of these factors such as lactation number, stage, length, and milking frequency associated with increasing milk yield using AMS will help guide future recommendations to producers for maximizing milk yield in Korean Dairy industries. PMID:28423887

Assessing the likely value of gravity and drawdown measurements to constrain estimates of hydraulic conductivity and specific yield during unconfined aquifer testing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blainey, Joan B.; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Cordova, Jeffrey T.

2007-01-01

Pumping of an unconfined aquifer can cause local desaturation detectable with high‐resolution gravimetry. A previous study showed that signal‐to‐noise ratios could be predicted for gravity measurements based on a hydrologic model. We show that although changes should be detectable with gravimeters, estimations of hydraulic conductivity and specific yield based on gravity data alone are likely to be unacceptably inaccurate and imprecise. In contrast, a transect of low‐quality drawdown data alone resulted in accurate estimates of hydraulic conductivity and inaccurate and imprecise estimates of specific yield. Combined use of drawdown and gravity data, or use of high‐quality drawdown data alone, resulted in unbiased and precise estimates of both parameters. This study is an example of the value of a staged assessment regarding the likely significance of a new measurement method or monitoring scenario before collecting field data.

Selection of assessment methods for evaluating banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) damage on highland cooking banana (Musa spp., genome group AAA-EA).

PubMed

Gold, C S; Ragama, P E; Coe, R; Rukazambuga, N D T M

2005-04-01

Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) is an important pest on bananas and plantains. Population build-up is slow and damage becomes increasingly important in successive crop cycles (ratoons). Yield loss results from plant loss, mat disappearance and reduced bunch size. Damage assessment requires destructive sampling and is most often done on corms of recently harvested plants. A wide range of damage assessment methods exist and there are no agreed protocols. It is critical to know what types of damage best reflect C. sordidus pest status through their relationships with yield loss. Multiple damage assessment parameters (i.e. for the corm periphery, cortex and central cylinder) were employed in two yield loss trials and a cultivar-screening trial in Uganda. Damage to the central cylinder had a greater effect on plant size and yield loss than damage to the cortex or corm periphery. In some cases, a combined assessment of damage to the central cylinder and cortex showed a better relationship with yield loss than an assessment of the central cylinder alone. Correlation, logistic and linear regression analyses showed weak to modest correlations between damage to the corm periphery and damage to the central cylinder. Thus, damage to the corm periphery is not a strong predictor of the more important damage to the central cylinder. Therefore, C. sordidus damage assessment should target the central cylinder and cortex.

A novel two-step ultrasound post-assisted lye peeling regime for tomatoes: Reducing pollution while improving product yield and quality.

PubMed

Gao, Ruiping; Ye, Fayin; Lu, Zhiqiang; Wang, Jiajia; Li Shen, Xiao; Zhao, Guohua

2018-07-01

In this paper, the effects and mechanisms of a novel two-step tomato peeling method, hot lye with a post-assistance of ultrasound, were investigated. The present work aims to improve the environmental friendliness of the conventional hot lye tomato peeling method (10% w/v, 97 °C, 45 s). The results showed that 4% (w/v) lye treatment at 97 °C for 30 s with a post-assistance of a 31.97 W/L ultrasound treatment at 70 °C for 50 s achieved a 100% peelability. In this scenario, the peeling yield and lycopene content in the peeled product were significantly higher than the peeling yield and lycopene content with the conventional hot lye peeling method. The present two-step peeling method was concluded with a mechanism of chemico-mechanical synergism, in which the hot lye functions mainly in a chemical way while the ultrasound is a mechanical process. Especially from the lye side, this work first demonstrated that the lye penetrated across the tomato skin via a pitting model rather than evenly. The findings reported in this paper not only provide a novel tomato peeling method with significant environmental benefits but also discover new clues to the peeling mechanism using hot lye. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of pectin extraction and antioxidant activities from Jerusalem artichoke

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shengyi; Shi, Xuejie; Xu, Lanlan; Yi, Yuetao

2016-03-01

Jerusalem artichoke is an economic crop widely planted in saline-alkaline soil. The use of Jerusalem artichoke is of great significance. In this study, the response surface method was employed to optimize the effects of processing variables (extraction temperature, pH, extraction time, and liquid-to-solid ratio) on the yield of Jerusalem artichoke pectin. Under the optimal extraction conditions: pH 1.52, 63.62 min, 100°C and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 44.4 mL/g, the maximum pectin yield was predicted to be 18.76%. Experiments were conducted under these optimal conditions and a pectin yield of 18.52±0.90% was obtained, which validated the model prediction. The effects of diff erent drying methods (freeze drying, spray drying and vacuum drying) on the properties of Jerusalem artichoke pectin were evaluated and they were compared with apple pectin. FTIR spectral analysis showed no major structural diff erences in Jerusalem artichoke pectin samples produced by various drying treatments. The antioxidant activities of pectin dried by diff erent methods were investigated using in vitro hydroxyl and DPPH radical scavenging systems. The results revealed that the activities of spray dried pectin (SDP) and apple pectin (AP) were stronger than those of vacuum oven dried pectin (ODP) and vacuum freeze dried pectin (FDP). Therefore compared with the other two drying methods, the spray drying method was the best.

Metabolomic prediction of yield in hybrid rice.

PubMed

Xu, Shizhong; Xu, Yang; Gong, Liang; Zhang, Qifa

2016-10-01

Rice (Oryza sativa) provides a staple food source for more than 50% of the world's population. An increase in yield can significantly contribute to global food security. Hybrid breeding can potentially help to meet this goal because hybrid rice often shows a considerable increase in yield when compared with pure-bred cultivars. We recently developed a marker-guided prediction method for hybrid yield and showed a substantial increase in yield through genomic hybrid breeding. We now have transcriptomic and metabolomic data as potential resources for prediction. Using six prediction methods, including least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP), stochastic search variable selection, partial least squares, and support vector machines using the radial basis function and polynomial kernel function, we found that the predictability of hybrid yield can be further increased using these omic data. LASSO and BLUP are the most efficient methods for yield prediction. For high heritability traits, genomic data remain the most efficient predictors. When metabolomic data are used, the predictability of hybrid yield is almost doubled compared with genomic prediction. Of the 21 945 potential hybrids derived from 210 recombinant inbred lines, selection of the top 10 hybrids predicted from metabolites would lead to a ~30% increase in yield. We hypothesize that each metabolite represents a biologically built-in genetic network for yield; thus, using metabolites for prediction is equivalent to using information integrated from these hidden genetic networks for yield prediction. © 2016 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Investigation of heterogeneous asymmetric dihydroxylation over OsO{sub 4}-(QN){sub 2}PHAL catalysts of functionalized bimodal mesoporous silica with ionic liquid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qiu, Shenjie; Sun, Jihong, E-mail: jhsun@bjut.edu.cn; Li, Yuzhen

2011-08-15

Highlights: {yields} Functionalized bimodal mesoporous silica with MTMSPIm{sup +}Cl{sup -}. {yields} Mesoporous catalyst immobilized with OsO{sub 4}-(QN){sub 2}PHAL. {yields} Catalysts for asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction with high yield and enatioselectivity. {yields} Recyclable catalysts. -- Abstract: A novel synthesis of the functionalized bimodal mesoporous silica with ionic liquid (FBMMs) was performed. After grafting 1-methyl-3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylimidazolium chloride onto the surface of bimodal mesoporous silicas, 1,4-bis(9-O-quininyl)phthalazine ((QN){sub 2}-PHAL) and K{sub 2}Os(OH){sub 4}.2H{sub 2}O were immobilized onto the modified FBMMs by adsorption or ionic exchange methods, and then, the asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction was carried out by using solid catalysts. Techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier Transformmore » Infrared spectroscopy, N{sub 2} adsorption and desorption were employed to characterize their structure and properties. The results showed that the mesoporous ordering degree of bimodal mesoporous silica decreased after functionalization and immobilization of OsO{sub 4}-(QN){sub 2}PHAL. Being very effective in asymmetric dihydroxylation with high yield and enantioselectivity, the prepared heterogeneous solid catalyst could be recycled for five times with little loss of enantioselectivity, with comparison of those results obtained in homophase system. Moreover, the effect of Osmium catalyst on asymmetric dihydroxylation was investigated.« less

Comparing Thermal Process Validation Methods for Salmonella Inactivation on Almond Kernels.

PubMed

Jeong, Sanghyup; Marks, Bradley P; James, Michael K

2017-01-01

Ongoing regulatory changes are increasing the need for reliable process validation methods for pathogen reduction processes involving low-moisture products; however, the reliability of various validation methods has not been evaluated. Therefore, the objective was to quantify accuracy and repeatability of four validation methods (two biologically based and two based on time-temperature models) for thermal pasteurization of almonds. Almond kernels were inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 30 or Enterococcus faecium (NRRL B-2354) at ~10 8 CFU/g, equilibrated to 0.24, 0.45, 0.58, or 0.78 water activity (a w ), and then heated in a pilot-scale, moist-air impingement oven (dry bulb 121, 149, or 177°C; dew point <33.0, 69.4, 81.6, or 90.6°C; v air = 2.7 m/s) to a target lethality of ~4 log. Almond surface temperatures were measured in two ways, and those temperatures were used to calculate Salmonella inactivation using a traditional (D, z) model and a modified model accounting for process humidity. Among the process validation methods, both methods based on time-temperature models had better repeatability, with replication errors approximately half those of the surrogate ( E. faecium ). Additionally, the modified model yielded the lowest root mean squared error in predicting Salmonella inactivation (1.1 to 1.5 log CFU/g); in contrast, E. faecium yielded a root mean squared error of 1.2 to 1.6 log CFU/g, and the traditional model yielded an unacceptably high error (3.4 to 4.4 log CFU/g). Importantly, the surrogate and modified model both yielded lethality predictions that were statistically equivalent (α = 0.05) to actual Salmonella lethality. The results demonstrate the importance of methodology, a w , and process humidity when validating thermal pasteurization processes for low-moisture foods, which should help processors select and interpret validation methods to ensure product safety.

Rapid analysis of composition and reactivity in cellulosic biomass feedstocks with near-infrared spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Payne, Courtney E.; Wolfrum, Edward J.

2015-03-12

Obtaining accurate chemical composition and reactivity (measures of carbohydrate release and yield) information for biomass feedstocks in a timely manner is necessary for the commercialization of biofuels. Our objective was to use near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and partial least squares (PLS) multivariate analysis to develop calibration models to predict the feedstock composition and the release and yield of soluble carbohydrates generated by a bench-scale dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis assay. Major feedstocks included in the calibration models are corn stover, sorghum, switchgrass, perennial cool season grasses, rice straw, and miscanthus. Here are the results: We present individual model statistics tomore » demonstrate model performance and validation samples to more accurately measure predictive quality of the models. The PLS-2 model for composition predicts glucan, xylan, lignin, and ash (wt%) with uncertainties similar to primary measurement methods. A PLS-2 model was developed to predict glucose and xylose release following pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. An additional PLS-2 model was developed to predict glucan and xylan yield. PLS-1 models were developed to predict the sum of glucose/glucan and xylose/xylan for release and yield (grams per gram). The release and yield models have higher uncertainties than the primary methods used to develop the models. In conclusion, it is possible to build effective multispecies feedstock models for composition, as well as carbohydrate release and yield. The model for composition is useful for predicting glucan, xylan, lignin, and ash with good uncertainties. The release and yield models have higher uncertainties; however, these models are useful for rapidly screening sample populations to identify unusual samples.« less

Rapid analysis of composition and reactivity in cellulosic biomass feedstocks with near-infrared spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Payne, Courtney E.; Wolfrum, Edward J.

Obtaining accurate chemical composition and reactivity (measures of carbohydrate release and yield) information for biomass feedstocks in a timely manner is necessary for the commercialization of biofuels. Our objective was to use near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and partial least squares (PLS) multivariate analysis to develop calibration models to predict the feedstock composition and the release and yield of soluble carbohydrates generated by a bench-scale dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis assay. Major feedstocks included in the calibration models are corn stover, sorghum, switchgrass, perennial cool season grasses, rice straw, and miscanthus. Here are the results: We present individual model statistics tomore » demonstrate model performance and validation samples to more accurately measure predictive quality of the models. The PLS-2 model for composition predicts glucan, xylan, lignin, and ash (wt%) with uncertainties similar to primary measurement methods. A PLS-2 model was developed to predict glucose and xylose release following pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis. An additional PLS-2 model was developed to predict glucan and xylan yield. PLS-1 models were developed to predict the sum of glucose/glucan and xylose/xylan for release and yield (grams per gram). The release and yield models have higher uncertainties than the primary methods used to develop the models. In conclusion, it is possible to build effective multispecies feedstock models for composition, as well as carbohydrate release and yield. The model for composition is useful for predicting glucan, xylan, lignin, and ash with good uncertainties. The release and yield models have higher uncertainties; however, these models are useful for rapidly screening sample populations to identify unusual samples.« less

[Effects of irrigation amount and various fertigation methods on yield and quality of cucumber in greenhouse].

PubMed

Fang, Dong-ping; Zhang, Fu-cang; Li, Jing; Wang, Hai-dong; Xiang, You-zhen; Zhang, Yan

2015-06-01

Taking cucumber as experimental plant, an experiment was conducted to study the effects of irrigation amount and fertigation methods on growth, yield and quality of cucumber in greenhouse. The experiment had designed two irrigation levels, i.e. 100% ET0 (W1) and 75% ET0 (W2), and four fertigation fertilization ratios, i.e. 100%, 66.6%, 33.3% and 0% (Z100, Z66 , Z33, Z0) fertigation of a total amount of (360:180:540 kg · hm(-2)) (N:P2O5:K2O) by 8 times with the corresponding remainders (0%, 33.3%, 66.6% and 100%) were applied to soil as basic fertilization before the planting according to the recommended fertilization rate, and no fertilizer treatment was set up as the control (CK). Results showed that irrigation and fertilization levels had positive correlations with plant height, leaf areas, dry mass, yield and quality of cucumber. Yield at W1Z100 was the highest, reaching 67760 kg · hm(-2). W2 treatment increased the mean water use efficiency (WUE) by 9.4% compared to W1. W2Z100 treatment had the highest WUE, reaching 47.13 kg · m(-3). Yield at W2Z100 was only 3.4% lower than the maximum, but saved 25% of water. Yield and dry matter at Z100 were 15.3% and 16.8% higher than at Z0, respectively, the cucumber fruit vitamin C, soluble protein and soluble sugar contents were increased, and the water use efficiency was increased by 19.1%. W2Z100 treatment was the best treatment which could enable cucumber to obtain both the high-yield and the high-quality.

Estimating groundwater recharge uncertainty from joint application of an aquifer test and the water-table fluctuation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delottier, H.; Pryet, A.; Lemieux, J. M.; Dupuy, A.

2018-05-01

Specific yield and groundwater recharge of unconfined aquifers are both essential parameters for groundwater modeling and sustainable groundwater development, yet the collection of reliable estimates of these parameters remains challenging. Here, a joint approach combining an aquifer test with application of the water-table fluctuation (WTF) method is presented to estimate these parameters and quantify their uncertainty. The approach requires two wells: an observation well instrumented with a pressure probe for long-term monitoring and a pumping well, located in the vicinity, for the aquifer test. The derivative of observed drawdown levels highlights the necessity to represent delayed drainage from the unsaturated zone when interpreting the aquifer test results. Groundwater recharge is estimated with an event-based WTF method in order to minimize the transient effects of flow dynamics in the unsaturated zone. The uncertainty on groundwater recharge is obtained by the propagation of the uncertainties on specific yield (Bayesian inference) and groundwater recession dynamics (regression analysis) through the WTF equation. A major portion of the uncertainty on groundwater recharge originates from the uncertainty on the specific yield. The approach was applied to a site in Bordeaux (France). Groundwater recharge was estimated to be 335 mm with an associated uncertainty of 86.6 mm at 2σ. By the use of cost-effective instrumentation and parsimonious methods of interpretation, the replication of such a joint approach should be encouraged to provide reliable estimates of specific yield and groundwater recharge over a region of interest. This is necessary to reduce the predictive uncertainty of groundwater management models.

What are the implications of variation in root hair length on tolerance to phosphorus deficiency in combination with water stress in barley (Hordeum vulgare)?

PubMed Central

Brown, L.K.; George, T.S.; Thompson, J.A.; Wright, G.; Lyon, J.; Dupuy, L.; Hubbard, S.F.; White, P.J.

2012-01-01

Background and Aims Phosphorus commonly limits crop yield and is frequently applied as fertilizer; however, supplies of quality rock phosphate for fertilizer production are diminishing. Plants have evolved many mechanisms to increase their P-fertilizer use efficiency, and an understanding of these traits could result in improved long-term sustainability of agriculture. Here a mutant population is utilized to assess the impact of root hair length on P acquisition and yield under P-deficient conditions alone or when combined with drought. Methods Mutants with various root hair phenotypes were grown in the glasshouse in pots filled with soil representing sufficient and deficient P treatments and, in one experiment, a range of water availability was also imposed. Plants were variously harvested at 7 d, 8 weeks and 14 weeks, and variables including root hair length, rhizosheath weight, biomass, P accumulation and yield were measured. Key Results The results confirmed the robustness of the root hair phenotypes in soils and their relationship to rhizosheath production. The data demonstrated that root hair length is important for shoot P accumulation and biomass, while only the presence of root hairs is critical for yield. Root hair presence was also critical for tolerance to extreme combined P deficit and drought stress, with genotypes with no root hairs suffering extreme growth retardation in comparison with those with root hairs. Conclusions The results suggest that although root hair length is not important for maintaining yield, the presence of root hairs is implicit to sustainable yield of barley under P-deficient conditions and when combined with extreme drought. Root hairs are a trait that should be maintained in future germplasm. PMID:22539540

[Predicting the impact of climate change in the next 40 years on the yield of maize in China].

PubMed

Ma, Yu-ping; Sun, Lin-li; E, You-hao; Wu, Wei

2015-01-01

Climate change will significantly affect agricultural production in China. The combination of the integral regression model and the latest climate projection may well assess the impact of future climate change on crop yield. In this paper, the correlation model of maize yield and meteorological factors was firstly established for different provinces in China by using the integral regression method, then the impact of climate change in the next 40 years on China's maize production was evaluated combined the latest climate prediction with the reason be ing analyzed. The results showed that if the current speeds of maize variety improvement and science and technology development were constant, maize yield in China would be mainly in an increasing trend of reduction with time in the next 40 years in a range generally within 5%. Under A2 climate change scenario, the region with the most reduction of maize yield would be the Northeast except during 2021-2030, and the reduction would be generally in the range of 2.3%-4.2%. Maize yield reduction would be also high in the Northwest, Southwest and middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River after 2031. Under B2 scenario, the reduction of 5.3% in the Northeast in 2031-2040 would be the greatest across all regions. Other regions with considerable maize yield reduction would be mainly in the Northwest and the Southwest. Reduction in maize yield in North China would be small, generally within 2%, under any scenarios, and that in South China would be almost unchanged. The reduction of maize yield in most regions would be greater under A2 scenario than under B2 scenario except for the period of 2021-2030. The effect of the ten day precipitation on maize yield in northern China would be almost positive. However, the effect of ten day average temperature on yield of maize in all regions would be generally negative. The main reason of maize yield reduction was temperature increase in most provinces but precipitation decrease in a few provinces. Assessments of the future change of maize yield in China based on the different methods were not consistent. Further evaluation needs to consider the change of maize variety and scientific and technological progress, and to enhance the reliability of evaluation models.

Solubility of the Proteinogenic α-Amino Acids in Water, Ethanol, and Ethanol–Water Mixtures

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

The addition of organic solvents to α-amino acids in aqueous solution could be an effective method in crystallization. We reviewed the available data on the solubility of α-amino acids in water, water–ethanol mixtures, and ethanol at 298.15 K and 0.1 MPa. The solubility of l-alanine, l-proline, l-arginine, l-cysteine, and l-lysine in water and ethanol mixtures and the solubility of l-alanine, l-proline, l-arginine, l-cysteine, l-lysine, l-asparagine, l-glutamine, l-histidine, and l-leucine in pure ethanol systems were measured and are published here for the first time. The impact on the solubility of amino acids that can convert in solution, l-glutamic acid and l-cysteine, was studied. At lower concentrations, only the ninhydrin method and the ultraperfomance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method yield reliable results. In the case of α-amino acids that convert in solution, only the UPLC method was able to discern between the different α-amino acids and yields reliable results. Our results demonstrate that α-amino acids with similar physical structures have similar changes in solubility in mixed water/ethanol mixtures. The solubility of l-tryptophan increased at moderate ethanol concentrations. PMID:29545650

Comparison of the effectiveness of some common animal data scaling techniques in estimating human radiation dose

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sparks, R.B.; Aydogan, B.

In the development of new radiopharmaceuticals, animal studies are typically performed to get a first approximation of the expected radiation dose in humans. This study evaluates the performance of some commonly used data extrapolation techniques to predict residence times in humans using data collected from animals. Residence times were calculated using animal and human data, and distributions of ratios of the animal results to human results were constructed for each extrapolation method. Four methods using animal data to predict human residence times were examined: (1) using no extrapolation, (2) using relative organ mass extrapolation, (3) using physiological time extrapolation, andmore » (4) using a combination of the mass and time methods. The residence time ratios were found to be log normally distributed for the nonextrapolated and extrapolated data sets. The use of relative organ mass extrapolation yielded no statistically significant change in the geometric mean or variance of the residence time ratios as compared to using no extrapolation. Physiologic time extrapolation yielded a statistically significant improvement (p < 0.01, paired t test) in the geometric mean of the residence time ratio from 0.5 to 0.8. Combining mass and time methods did not significantly improve the results of using time extrapolation alone. 63 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Measurements of {Gamma}(Z{sup O} {yields} b{bar b})/{Gamma}(Z{sup O} {yields} hadrons) using the SLD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Neal, H.A. Jr. II

1995-07-01

The quantity R{sub b} = {Gamma}(Z{sup o} {yields}b{bar b})/{Gamma}(Z{sup o} {yields} hadrons) is a sensitive measure of corrections to the Zbb vertex. The precision necessary to observe the top quark mass dependent corrections is close to being achieved. LEP is already observing a 1.8{sigma} deviation from the Standard Model prediction. Knowledge of the top quark mass combined with the observation of deviations from the Standard Model prediction would indicate new physics. Models which include charged Higgs or light SUSY particles yield predictions for R{sub b} appreciably different from the Standard Model. In this thesis two independent methods are used tomore » measure R{sub b}. One uses a general event tag which determines R{sub b} from the rate at which events are tagged as Z{sup o} {yields} b{bar b} in data and the estimated rates at which various flavors of events are tagged from the Monte Carlo. The second method reduces the reliance on the Monte Carlo by separately tagging each hemisphere as containing a b-decay. The rates of single hemisphere tagged events and both hemisphere tagged events are used to determine the tagging efficiency for b-quarks directly from the data thus eliminating the main sources of systematic error present in the event tag. Both measurements take advantage of the unique environment provided by the SLAC Linear Collider (SLC) and the SLAC Large Detector (SLD). From the event tag a result of R{sub b} = 0.230{plus_minus}0.004{sub statistical}{plus_minus}0.013{sub systematic} is obtained. The higher precision hemisphere tag result obtained is R{sub b} = 0.218{plus_minus}0.004{sub statistical}{plus_minus}0.004{sub systematic}{plus_minus}0.003{sub Rc}.« less

The Effect of Fermentation and Drying on Clicanthus Nutans Lindai Extract Chemical Constituents and Bioactivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y. Y.; Teh, P. S.; Kumaresan, S.; Tiong, C. H.

2017-06-01

In this study, two processes (fermentation and drying) were conducted on Clicanthus Nutans Lindau, which is well-known for its antioxidant activities. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of these processes towards the Total Phenolic Content (TPC), antioxidant activity and the crude yield of the leaves. For the fermentation process, the fermentation time is varied for 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours. For drying, oven drying (40, 45 and 50°C, freeze-drying and shade drying are investigated. Blanching was also conducted for oven dried samples (90°C for 1 minute). It was found that 12 hours fermentation produced the highest yield corresponding to Total Phenolic Content at 0.33 while 6 hours fermentation produced the highest Antioxidant Activity and yield at 2.218 x 10-10 mg/mL and 0.64 . On the other hand, 48 hours fermentation produced the highest overall extract yield at 0.64 . Analysis for antioxidant activity was carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Folin-Ciocalteau method for Total Phenolic Content. Thermal inactivation kinetics (blanching) has been investigated for oven drying samples. Results showed that 40°C oven drying and 50°C oven drying with blanching has better retention of bioactive constituents. Blanching has no significant effect on phenolic content but has increased the crude extract for higher temperature oven drying. It has no positive effect on antioxidant activity. Drying is also a better processing method compared to fermentation as drying has slightly favorable results in all three aspects. Through comparison with extraction time of 60 minutes for 40°C oven drying and 6 hour fermented samples, yield of total phenolic content and overall yield of oven dried sample is higher than fermented sample by 4.14 and 0.39 respectively as well as showing better antioxidant activity.

Increased recovery of touch DNA evidence using FTA paper compared to conventional collection methods.

PubMed

Kirgiz, Irina A; Calloway, Cassandra

2017-04-01

Tape lifting and FTA paper scraping methods were directly compared to traditional double swabbing for collecting touch DNA from car steering wheels (n = 70 cars). Touch DNA was collected from the left or right side of each steering wheel (randomized) using two sterile cotton swabs, while the other side was sampled using water-soluble tape or FTA paper cards. DNA was extracted and quantified in duplicate using qPCR. Quantifiable amounts of DNA were detected for 100% of the samples (n = 140) collected independent of the method. However, the DNA collection yield was dependent on the collection method. A statistically significant difference in DNA yield was observed between FTA scraping and double swabbing methods (p = 0.0051), with FTA paper collecting a two-fold higher amount. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in DNA yields between the double swabbing and tape lifting techniques (p = 0.21). Based on the DNA concentration required for 1 ng input, 47% of the samples collected using FTA paper would be expected to yield a short tandem repeat (STR) profile compared to 30% and 23% using double swabbing or tape, respectively. Further, 55% and 77% of the samples collected using double swabbing or tape, respectively, did not yield a high enough DNA concentration for the 0.5 ng of DNA input recommended for conventional STR kits and would be expected to result in a partial or no profile compared to 35% of the samples collected using FTA paper. STR analysis was conducted for a subset of the higher concentrated samples to confirm that the DNA collected from the steering wheel was from the driver. 32 samples were selected with DNA amounts of at least 1 ng total DNA (100 pg/μl when concentrated if required). A mixed STR profile was observed for 26 samples (88%) and the last driver was the major DNA contributor for 29 samples (94%). For one sample, the last driver was the minor DNA contributor. A full STR profile of the last driver was observed for 21 samples (69%) and a partial profile was observed for nine samples (25%); STR analysis failed for two samples collected using tape (6%). In conclusion, we show that the FTA paper scraping method has the potential to collect higher DNA yields from touch DNA evidence deposited on non-porous surfaces often encountered in criminal cases compared to conventional methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Noise suppressed partial volume correction for cardiac SPECT/CT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chan, Chung; Liu, Chi, E-mail: chi.liu@yale.edu

Purpose: Partial volume correction (PVC) methods typically improve quantification at the expense of increased image noise and reduced reproducibility. In this study, the authors developed a novel voxel-based PVC method that incorporates anatomical knowledge to improve quantification while suppressing noise for cardiac SPECT/CT imaging. Methods: In the proposed method, the SPECT images were first reconstructed using anatomical-based maximum a posteriori (AMAP) with Bowsher’s prior to penalize noise while preserving boundaries. A sequential voxel-by-voxel PVC approach (Yang’s method) was then applied on the AMAP reconstruction using a template response. This template response was obtained by forward projecting a template derived frommore » a contrast-enhanced CT image, and then reconstructed using AMAP to model the partial volume effects (PVEs) introduced by both the system resolution and the smoothing applied during reconstruction. To evaluate the proposed noise suppressed PVC (NS-PVC), the authors first simulated two types of cardiac SPECT studies: a {sup 99m}Tc-tetrofosmin myocardial perfusion scan and a {sup 99m}Tc-labeled red blood cell (RBC) scan on a dedicated cardiac multiple pinhole SPECT/CT at both high and low count levels. The authors then applied the proposed method on a canine equilibrium blood pool study following injection with {sup 99m}Tc-RBCs at different count levels by rebinning the list-mode data into shorter acquisitions. The proposed method was compared to MLEM reconstruction without PVC, two conventional PVC methods, including Yang’s method and multitarget correction (MTC) applied on the MLEM reconstruction, and AMAP reconstruction without PVC. Results: The results showed that the Yang’s method improved quantification, however, yielded increased noise and reduced reproducibility in the regions with higher activity. MTC corrected for PVE on high count data with amplified noise, although yielded the worst performance among all the methods tested on low-count data. AMAP effectively suppressed noise and reduced the spill-in effect in the low activity regions. However it was unable to reduce the spill-out effect in high activity regions. NS-PVC yielded superior performance in terms of both quantitative assessment and visual image quality while improving reproducibility. Conclusions: The results suggest that NS-PVC may be a promising PVC algorithm for application in low-dose protocols, and in gated and dynamic cardiac studies with low counts.« less

Method for resurrecting negative electron affinity photocathodes after exposure to an oxidizing gas

DOEpatents

Mulhollan, Gregory A; Bierman, John C

2012-10-30

A method by which negative electron affinity photocathodes (201), single crystal, amorphous, or otherwise ordered, can be made to recover their quantum yield following exposure to an oxidizing gas has been discovered. Conventional recovery methods employ the use of cesium as a positive acting agent (104). In the improved recovery method, an electron beam (205), sufficiently energetic to generate a secondary electron cloud (207), is applied to the photocathode in need of recovery. The energetic beam, through the high secondary electron yield of the negative electron affinity surface (203), creates sufficient numbers of low energy electrons which act on the reduced-yield surface so as to negate the effects of absorbed oxidizing atoms thereby recovering the quantum yield to a pre-decay value.

The 9-MilCA method as a rapid, partly automated protocol for simultaneously recording milk coagulation, curd firming, syneresis, cheese yield, and curd nutrients recovery or whey loss.

PubMed

Cipolat-Gotet, C; Cecchinato, A; Stocco, G; Bittante, G

2016-02-01

The aim of this study was to propose and test a new laboratory cheesemaking procedure [9-mL milk cheesemaking assessment (9-MilCA)], which records 15 traits related to milk coagulation, curd firming, syneresis, cheese yield, and curd nutrients recovery or whey loss. This procedure involves instruments found in many laboratories (i.e., heaters and lacto-dynamographs), with an easy modification of the sample rack for the insertion of 10-mL glass tubes. Four trials were carried out to test the 9-MilCA procedure. The first trial compared 8 coagulation and curd firming traits obtained using regular or modified sample racks to process milk samples from 60 cows belonging to 5 breeds and 3 farms (480 tests). The obtained patterns exhibited significant but irrelevant between-procedure differences, with better repeatability seen for 9-MilCA. The second trial tested the reproducibility and repeatability of the 7 cheesemaking traits obtained using the 9-MilCA procedure on individual samples from 60 cows tested in duplicate in 2 instruments (232 tests). The method yielded very repeatable outcomes for all 7 tested cheese yield and nutrient recovery traits (repeatability >98%), with the exception of the fresh cheese yield (84%), which was affected by the lower repeatability (67%) of the water retained in the curd. In the third trial (96 tests), we found that using centrifugation in place of curd cooking and draining (as adopted in several published studies) reduced the efficiency of whey separation, overestimated all traits, and worsened the repeatability. The fourth trial compared 9-MilCA with a more complex model cheese-manufacturing process that mimics industry practices, using 1,500-mL milk samples (72 cows, 216 tests). The average results obtained from 9-MilCA were similar to those obtained from the model cheeses, with between-method correlations ranging from 78 to 99%, except for the water retained in the curd (r=54%). Our results indicate that new 9-MilCA method is a powerful research tool that allows the rapid, inexpensive, and partly automated analysis processing 40 samples per day with 2 replicates each, using 1 lacto-dynamograph, 2 heaters, and 3 modified sample racks, and yields a complete picture of the cheesemaking process (e.g., milk gelation, curd firming, syneresis, and whey expulsion) as well as the cheese yield and the efficiency of energy or nutrients retention in the cheese or loss in the whey. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil Extracted by SC-CO₂ from Seeds of Trachyspermum ammi.

PubMed

Singh, Aarti; Ahmad, Anees

2017-07-11

Bcakground: Extracts obtained from natural sources such as plants are of immense importance for humans. Methods: Therefore this study was conducted to obtain essential oil from the seeds of T. ammi by conventional and non-conventional methods. Hydrodistillation (HD), Solvent Extraction (SE), Ultrasonication (US), and Supercritical Carbon-dioxide (SC-CO₂) extraction techniques were used to extract essential oil from the powdered seeds of T. ammi . A quality control method for each extracted oil was developed using HPTLC, FTIR, and GC-MS. The optimization process was carried out using fractional factorial design (FFD) under which three parameters were considered: pressure (150, 175, and 300 bar), temperature (25, 30, and 40 °C), and CO₂ flow rate (5, 10, 15 g/min). Results: The yield of essential oil obtained from the HD, SE, US, and SC-CO₂ methods were 1.20%, 1.82%, 2.30%, and 2.64% v/w , respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH and superoxide scavenging methods and the IC 50 (Inhibition Concentration) values of the T. ammi oil sample were found to be 36.41 and 20.55 µg mL -1 , respectively. Conclusion: The present paper reported that different extraction methods lead to different yields of essential oils and the choice of a suitable method is extremely important to obtain more preferred compounds. The yield was higher in the SC-CO₂ method and it is a sustainable and green extraction technique. Many important constituents were detected in analytical techniques. Antioxidant activities carried out showed that essential oil extracted from T. ammi seeds possess significant antioxidant activity.

Defect window analysis by using SEM-contour based shape quantifying method for sub-20nm node production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hibino, Daisuke; Hsu, Mingyi; Shindo, Hiroyuki; Izawa, Masayuki; Enomoto, Yuji; Lin, J. F.; Hu, J. R.

2013-04-01

The impact on yield loss due to systematic defect which remains after Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) modeling has increased, and achieving an acceptable yield has become more difficult in the leading technology beyond 20 nm node production. Furthermore Process-Window has become narrow because of the complexity of IC design and less process margin. In the past, the systematic defects have been inspected by human-eyes. However the judgment by human-eyes is sometime unstable and not accurate. Moreover an enormous amount of time and labor will have to be expended on the one-by-one judgment for several thousands of hot-spot defects. In order to overcome these difficulties and improve the yield and manufacturability, the automated system, which can quantify the shape difference with high accuracy and speed, is needed. Inspection points could be increased for getting higher yield, if the automated system achieves our goal. Defect Window Analysis (DWA) system by using high-precision-contour extraction from SEM image on real silicon and quantifying method which can calculate the difference between defect pattern and non-defect pattern automatically, which was developed by Hitachi High-Technologies, has been applied to the defect judgment instead of the judgment by human-eyes. The DWA result which describes process behavior might be feedback to design or OPC or mask. This new methodology and evaluation results will be presented in detail in this paper.

Calibrationless parallel magnetic resonance imaging: a joint sparsity model.

PubMed

Majumdar, Angshul; Chaudhury, Kunal Narayan; Ward, Rabab

2013-12-05

State-of-the-art parallel MRI techniques either explicitly or implicitly require certain parameters to be estimated, e.g., the sensitivity map for SENSE, SMASH and interpolation weights for GRAPPA, SPIRiT. Thus all these techniques are sensitive to the calibration (parameter estimation) stage. In this work, we have proposed a parallel MRI technique that does not require any calibration but yields reconstruction results that are at par with (or even better than) state-of-the-art methods in parallel MRI. Our proposed method required solving non-convex analysis and synthesis prior joint-sparsity problems. This work also derives the algorithms for solving them. Experimental validation was carried out on two datasets-eight channel brain and eight channel Shepp-Logan phantom. Two sampling methods were used-Variable Density Random sampling and non-Cartesian Radial sampling. For the brain data, acceleration factor of 4 was used and for the other an acceleration factor of 6 was used. The reconstruction results were quantitatively evaluated based on the Normalised Mean Squared Error between the reconstructed image and the originals. The qualitative evaluation was based on the actual reconstructed images. We compared our work with four state-of-the-art parallel imaging techniques; two calibrated methods-CS SENSE and l1SPIRiT and two calibration free techniques-Distributed CS and SAKE. Our method yields better reconstruction results than all of them.

Using Satellite Data to Identify the Causes of and Potential Solutions for Yield Gaps in India's Wheat Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, M.; Singh, B.; Srivastava, A.; Malik, R. K.; McDonald, A.; Lobell, D. B.

2017-12-01

Food security will be increasingly challenged by climate change, natural resource degradation, and population growth. Wheat yields, in particular, have already stagnated in many regions and will be further affected by warming temperatures. Despite these challenges, wheat yields can be increased by improving management practices in regions with existing yield gaps. We present two studies that are using satellite data to better understand the factors contributing to yield gaps and potential interventions to close yield gaps in India's main wheat belt, the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). To identify the magnitude and causes of current yield gaps, we produced 30 meter resolution yield maps from 2001 to 2015 using Landsat sallite data and a new method that translates satellite vegetation indices to yield estimates using crop model simulations, bypassing the need for ground calibration data. This is one of the first attempts to apply this method to a smallholder agriculture system, where ground calibration data are rarely available. We find that yields can be increased by 11% on average and up to 32% in the eastern IGP by improving management to current best practices within a given district. Additionally, if current best practices from the highest-yielding state of Punjab are implemented in the eastern IGP, yields could increase by almost 110%. Considering the factors that most influence yields, later sow dates and warmer temperatures are most associated with low yields across the IGP. This suggests that strategies to reduce the negative effects of heat stress, like earlier sowing and planting heat-tolerant wheat varieties, are critical to increasing wheat yields in this globally-important agricultural region. We also apply this method to high-resolution micro-satellite data (< 5 m) to map field and sub-field level yields across villages in Bihar in the eastern IGP. Using these data, we assess the impacts of a new fertilizer spreader technology and identify whether satellite data can be used to appropriately target this intervention.

Microfluidic radiolabeling of biomolecules with PET radiometals

PubMed Central

Zeng, Dexing; Desai, Amit V.; Ranganathan, David; Wheeler, Tobias D.; Kenis, Paul J. A.; Reichert, David E.

2012-01-01

Introduction A robust, versatile and compact microreactor has been designed, fabricated and tested for the labeling of bifunctional chelate conjugated biomolecules (BFC-BM) with PET radiometals. Methods The developed microreactor was used to radiolabel a chelate, either 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) or 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA) that had been conjugated to cyclo(Arg-Gly-Asp-DPhe-Lys) peptide, with both 64Cu and 68Ga respectively. The microreactor radiolabeling conditions were optimized by varying temperature, concentration and residence time. Results Direct comparisons between the microreactor approach and conventional methods showed improved labeling yields and increased reproducibility with the microreactor under identical labeling conditions, due to enhanced mass and heat transfer at the microscale. More importantly, over 90% radiolabeling yields (incorporation of radiometal) were achieved with a 1:1 stoichiometry of bifunctional chelate biomolecule conjugate (BFC-BM) to radiometal in the microreactor, which potentially obviates extensive chromatographic purification that is typically required to remove the large excess of unlabeled biomolecule in radioligands prepared using conventional methods. Moreover, higher yields for radiolabeling of DOTA-functionalized BSA protein (Bovine Serum Albumin) were observed with 64Cu/68Ga using the microreactor, which demonstrates the ability to label both small and large molecules. Conclusions A robust, reliable, compact microreactor capable of chelating radiometals with common chelates has been developed and validated. Based on our radiolabeling results, the reported microfluidic approach overall outperforms conventional radiosynthetic methods, and is a promising technology for the radiometal labeling of commonly utilized BFC-BM in aqueous solutions. PMID:23078875

Investigation of inconsistent ENDF/B-VII.1 independent and cumulative fission product yields with proposed revisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pigni, Marco T; Francis, Matthew W; Gauld, Ian C

A recent implementation of ENDF/B-VII. independent fission product yields and nuclear decay data identified inconsistencies in the data caused by the use of updated nuclear scheme in the decay sub-library that is not reflected in legacy fission product yield data. Recent changes in the decay data sub-library, particularly the delayed neutron branching fractions, result in calculated fission product concentrations that are incompatible with the cumulative fission yields in the library, and also with experimental measurements. A comprehensive set of independent fission product yields was generated for thermal and fission spectrum neutron induced fission for 235,238U and 239,241Pu in order tomore » provide a preliminary assessment of the updated fission product yield data consistency. These updated independent fission product yields were utilized in the ORIGEN code to evaluate the calculated fission product inventories with experimentally measured inventories, with particular attention given to the noble gases. An important outcome of this work is the development of fission product yield covariance data necessary for fission product uncertainty quantification. The evaluation methodology combines a sequential Bayesian method to guarantee consistency between independent and cumulative yields along with the physical constraints on the independent yields. This work was motivated to improve the performance of the ENDF/B-VII.1 library in the case of stable and long-lived cumulative yields due to the inconsistency of ENDF/B-VII.1 fission p;roduct yield and decay data sub-libraries. The revised fission product yields and the new covariance data are proposed as a revision to the fission yield data currently in ENDF/B-VII.1.« less

Web-Based Training Methods for Behavioral Health Providers: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Jackson, Carrie B; Quetsch, Lauren B; Brabson, Laurel A; Herschell, Amy D

2018-07-01

There has been an increase in the use of web-based training methods to train behavioral health providers in evidence-based practices. This systematic review focuses solely on the efficacy of web-based training methods for training behavioral health providers. A literature search yielded 45 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Results indicated that the serial instruction training method was the most commonly studied web-based training method. While the current review has several notable limitations, findings indicate that participating in a web-based training may result in greater post-training knowledge and skill, in comparison to baseline scores. Implications and recommendations for future research on web-based training methods are discussed.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of three bufadienolides from Chinese medicine ChanSu.

PubMed

Sun, Yinshi; Bi, Jianjie; Zhang, Li; Ye, Baoxing

2012-11-01

In this study, the application of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method was shown to be more efficient in extracting anti-tumor bufadienolides (bufalin, cinobufagin and resibufogenin) from important animal medicine of ChanSu than the maceration extraction (ME) and soxhlet extraction (SE) method. The effects of ultrasonic variables including extraction solvent, solvent concentration, solvent to solid ratio, ultrasound power, temperature, extraction time and particle size on the yields of three bufadienolides were investigated. The optimum extraction conditions found were: 70% (v/v) methanol solution, solvent to solid ratio of 10ml/g, ultrasound power of 125W, temperature of 20°C, extraction time of 20min and particle size of 60-80 mesh. The extraction yields of bufalin, cinobufagin and resibufogenin were 43.17±0.85, 52.58±1.12, 137.70±2.65mg/g, respectively. In order to achieve a similar yield as UAE, soxhlet extraction required 6h and maceration extraction required much longer time of 18h. The results indicated that UAE is an alternative method for extracting bufadienolides from ChanSu. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

WaferOptics® mass volume production and reliability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolterink, E.; Demeyer, K.

2010-05-01

The Anteryon WaferOptics® Technology platform contains imaging optics designs, materials, metrologies and combined with wafer level based Semicon & MEMS production methods. WaferOptics® first required complete new system engineering. This system closes the loop between application requirement specifications, Anteryon product specification, Monte Carlo Analysis, process windows, process controls and supply reject criteria. Regarding the Anteryon product Integrated Lens Stack (ILS), new design rules, test methods and control systems were assessed, implemented, validated and customer released for mass production. This includes novel reflowable materials, mastering process, replication, bonding, dicing, assembly, metrology, reliability programs and quality assurance systems. Many of Design of Experiments were performed to assess correlations between optical performance parameters and machine settings of all process steps. Lens metrologies such as FFL, BFL, and MTF were adapted for wafer level production and wafer mapping was introduced for yield management. Test methods for screening and validating suitable optical materials were designed. Critical failure modes such as delamination and popcorning were assessed and modeled with FEM. Anteryon successfully managed to integrate the different technologies starting from single prototypes to high yield mass volume production These parallel efforts resulted in a steep yield increase from 30% to over 90% in a 8 months period.

Investigation of Atmospheric Effects on Retrieval of Sun-Induced Fluorescence Using Hyperspectral Imagery.

PubMed

Ni, Zhuoya; Liu, Zhigang; Li, Zhao-Liang; Nerry, Françoise; Huo, Hongyuan; Sun, Rui; Yang, Peiqi; Zhang, Weiwei

2016-04-06

Significant research progress has recently been made in estimating fluorescence in the oxygen absorption bands, however, quantitative retrieval of fluorescence data is still affected by factors such as atmospheric effects. In this paper, top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance is generated by the MODTRAN 4 and SCOPE models. Based on simulated data, sensitivity analysis is conducted to assess the sensitivities of four indicators-depth_absorption_band, depth_nofs-depth_withfs, radiance and Fs/radiance-to atmospheric parameters (sun zenith angle (SZA), sensor height, elevation, visibility (VIS) and water content) in the oxygen absorption bands. The results indicate that the SZA and sensor height are the most sensitive parameters and that variations in these two parameters result in large variations calculated as the variation value/the base value in the oxygen absorption depth in the O₂-A and O₂-B bands (111.4% and 77.1% in the O₂-A band; and 27.5% and 32.6% in the O₂-B band, respectively). A comparison of fluorescence retrieval using three methods (Damm method, Braun method and DOAS) and SCOPE Fs indicates that the Damm method yields good results and that atmospheric correction can improve the accuracy of fluorescence retrieval. Damm method is the improved 3FLD method but considering atmospheric effects. Finally, hyperspectral airborne images combined with other parameters (SZA, VIS and water content) are exploited to estimate fluorescence using the Damm method and 3FLD method. The retrieval fluorescence is compared with the field measured fluorescence, yielding good results (R² = 0.91 for Damm vs. SCOPE SIF; R² = 0.65 for 3FLD vs. SCOPE SIF). Five types of vegetation, including ailanthus, elm, mountain peach, willow and Chinese ash, exhibit consistent associations between the retrieved fluorescence and field measured fluorescence.

Investigation of Atmospheric Effects on Retrieval of Sun-Induced Fluorescence Using Hyperspectral Imagery

PubMed Central

Ni, Zhuoya; Liu, Zhigang; Li, Zhao-Liang; Nerry, Françoise; Huo, Hongyuan; Sun, Rui; Yang, Peiqi; Zhang, Weiwei

2016-01-01

Significant research progress has recently been made in estimating fluorescence in the oxygen absorption bands, however, quantitative retrieval of fluorescence data is still affected by factors such as atmospheric effects. In this paper, top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance is generated by the MODTRAN 4 and SCOPE models. Based on simulated data, sensitivity analysis is conducted to assess the sensitivities of four indicators—depth_absorption_band, depth_nofs-depth_withfs, radiance and Fs/radiance—to atmospheric parameters (sun zenith angle (SZA), sensor height, elevation, visibility (VIS) and water content) in the oxygen absorption bands. The results indicate that the SZA and sensor height are the most sensitive parameters and that variations in these two parameters result in large variations calculated as the variation value/the base value in the oxygen absorption depth in the O2-A and O2-B bands (111.4% and 77.1% in the O2-A band; and 27.5% and 32.6% in the O2-B band, respectively). A comparison of fluorescence retrieval using three methods (Damm method, Braun method and DOAS) and SCOPE Fs indicates that the Damm method yields good results and that atmospheric correction can improve the accuracy of fluorescence retrieval. Damm method is the improved 3FLD method but considering atmospheric effects. Finally, hyperspectral airborne images combined with other parameters (SZA, VIS and water content) are exploited to estimate fluorescence using the Damm method and 3FLD method. The retrieval fluorescence is compared with the field measured fluorescence, yielding good results (R2 = 0.91 for Damm vs. SCOPE SIF; R2 = 0.65 for 3FLD vs. SCOPE SIF). Five types of vegetation, including ailanthus, elm, mountain peach, willow and Chinese ash, exhibit consistent associations between the retrieved fluorescence and field measured fluorescence. PMID:27058542

Investigation of Inconsistent ENDF/B-VII.1 Independent and Cumulative Fission Product Yields with Proposed Revisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pigni, M.T., E-mail: pignimt@ornl.gov; Francis, M.W.; Gauld, I.C.

A recent implementation of ENDF/B-VII.1 independent fission product yields and nuclear decay data identified inconsistencies in the data caused by the use of updated nuclear schemes in the decay sub-library that are not reflected in legacy fission product yield data. Recent changes in the decay data sub-library, particularly the delayed neutron branching fractions, result in calculated fission product concentrations that do not agree with the cumulative fission yields in the library as well as with experimental measurements. To address these issues, a comprehensive set of independent fission product yields was generated for thermal and fission spectrum neutron-induced fission for {supmore » 235,238}U and {sup 239,241}Pu in order to provide a preliminary assessment of the updated fission product yield data consistency. These updated independent fission product yields were utilized in the ORIGEN code to compare the calculated fission product inventories with experimentally measured inventories, with particular attention given to the noble gases. Another important outcome of this work is the development of fission product yield covariance data necessary for fission product uncertainty quantification. The evaluation methodology combines a sequential Bayesian method to guarantee consistency between independent and cumulative yields along with the physical constraints on the independent yields. This work was motivated to improve the performance of the ENDF/B-VII.1 library for stable and long-lived fission products. The revised fission product yields and the new covariance data are proposed as a revision to the fission yield data currently in ENDF/B-VII.1.« less

The Equivalence of the Radial Return and Mendelson Methods for Integrating the Classical Plasticity Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Aboudi, Jacob; Arnold, Steven M.

2006-01-01

The radial return and Mendelson methods for integrating the equations of classical plasticity, which appear independently in the literature, are shown to be identical. Both methods are presented in detail as are the specifics of their algorithmic implementation. Results illustrate the methods' equivalence across a range of conditions and address the question of when the methods require iteration in order for the plastic state to remain on the yield surface. FORTRAN code implementations of the radial return and Mendelson methods are provided in the appendix.

Plasma-screening effects on the electron-impact excitation of hydrogenic ions in dense plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jung, Young-Dae

1993-01-01

Plasma-screening effects are investigated on electron-impact excitation of hydrogenic ions in dense plasmas. Scaled cross sections Z(exp 4) sigma for 1s yields 2s and 1s yields 2p are obtained for a Debye-Hueckel model of the screened Coulomb interaction. Ground and excited bound wave functions are modified in the screened Coulomb potential (Debye-Hueckel model) using the Ritz variation method. The resulting atomic wave functions and their eigenenergies agree well with the numerical and high-order perturbation theory calculations for the interesting domain of the Debye length not less than 10. The Born approximation is used to describe the continuum states of the projectile electron. Plasma screening effects on the atomic electrons cannot be neglected in the high-density cases. Including these effects, the cross sections are appreciably increased for 1s yields 2s transitions and decreased for 1s yields 2p transitions.

Improving the yield and quality of DNA isolated from white-rot fungi.

PubMed

Kuhad, R C; Kapoor, R K; Lal, R

2004-01-01

A new simple method used to eliminate polysaccharides that cause problems during DNA isolation was established for 6 different white-rot fungi using 1% hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as wash buffer and followed by centrifugation. Variation in the DNA yield and quality was ascertained using precipitating agents, detergents and cell-wall-hydrolyzing chitinase. Considerable amount of exopolysaccharides from fungal biomass was removed with the use of 1% CTAB wash buffer followed by centrifugation. The DNA varied in terms of yield and quality. For the DNA extraction use of 2% SDS in extraction buffer worked best for Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, Cyathus bulleri, Cyathus striatus and Cyathus stercoreus, while 2% CTAB worked best for Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Pleurotus ostreatus. Elimination of phenol and use of absolute ethanol for precipitating DNA resulted in good yield and quality of DNA. This DNA was amenable to restriction endonuclease digestion.

Enhancement of succinate yield by manipulating NADH/NAD+ ratio and ATP generation.

PubMed

Li, Jiaojiao; Li, Yikui; Cui, Zhiyong; Liang, Quanfeng; Qi, Qingsheng

2017-04-01

We previously engineered Escherichia coli YL104 to efficiently produce succinate from glucose. In this study, we investigated the relationships between the NADH/NAD + ratio, ATP level, and overall yield of succinate production by using glucose as the carbon source in YL104. First, the use of sole NADH dehydrogenases increased the overall yield of succinate by 7% and substantially decreased the NADH/NAD + ratio. Second, the soluble fumarate reductase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was overexpressed to manipulate the anaerobic NADH/NAD + ratio and ATP level. Third, another strategy for reducing the ATP level was applied by introducing ATP futile cycling for improving succinate production. Finally, a combination of these methods exerted a synergistic effect on improving the overall yield of succinate, which was 39% higher than that of the previously engineered strain YL104. The study results indicated that regulation of the NADH/NAD + ratio and ATP level is an efficient strategy for succinate production.

Using pattern analysis methods to do fast detection of manufacturing pattern failures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Evan; Wang, Jessie; Sun, Mason; Wang, Jeff; Zhang, Yifan; Sweis, Jason; Lai, Ya-Chieh; Ding, Hua

2016-03-01

At the advanced technology node, logic design has become extremely complex and is getting more challenging as the pattern geometry size decreases. The small sizes of layout patterns are becoming very sensitive to process variations. Meanwhile, the high pressure of yield ramp is always there due to time-to-market competition. The company that achieves patterning maturity earlier than others will have a great advantage and a better chance to realize maximum profit margins. For debugging silicon failures, DFT diagnostics can identify which nets or cells caused the yield loss. But normally, a long time period is needed with many resources to identify which failures are due to one common layout pattern or structure. This paper will present a new yield diagnostic flow, based on preliminary EFA results, to show how pattern analysis can more efficiently detect pattern related systematic defects. Increased visibility on design pattern related failures also allows more precise yield loss estimation.

A comparative study of qualitative and quantitative methods for the assessment of adhesive remnant after bracket debonding.

PubMed

Cehreli, S Burcak; Polat-Ozsoy, Omur; Sar, Cagla; Cubukcu, H Evren; Cehreli, Zafer C

2012-04-01

The amount of the residual adhesive after bracket debonding is frequently assessed in a qualitative manner, utilizing the adhesive remnant index (ARI). This study aimed to investigate whether quantitative assessment of the adhesive remnant yields more precise results compared to qualitative methods utilizing the 4- and 5-point ARI scales. Twenty debonded brackets were selected. Evaluation and scoring of the adhesive remnant on bracket bases were made consecutively using: 1. qualitative assessment (visual scoring) and 2. quantitative measurement (image analysis) on digital photographs. Image analysis was made on scanning electron micrographs (SEM) and high-precision elemental maps of the adhesive remnant as determined by energy dispersed X-ray spectrometry. Evaluations were made in accordance with the original 4-point and the modified 5-point ARI scales. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated, and the data were evaluated using Friedman test followed by Wilcoxon signed ranks test with Bonferroni correction. ICC statistics indicated high levels of agreement for qualitative visual scoring among examiners. The 4-point ARI scale was compliant with the SEM assessments but indicated significantly less adhesive remnant compared to the results of quantitative elemental mapping. When the 5-point scale was used, both quantitative techniques yielded similar results with those obtained qualitatively. These results indicate that qualitative visual scoring using the ARI is capable of generating similar results with those assessed by quantitative image analysis techniques. In particular, visual scoring with the 5-point ARI scale can yield similar results with both the SEM analysis and elemental mapping.

Improved 68 Ga-labeling method using ethanol addition: Application to the α-helical peptide DOTA-FAMP.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Koki; Kawachi, Emi; Uehara, Yoshinari; Yoshida, Tsuyoshi; Imaizumi, Satoshi; Ogawa, Masahiro; Miura, Shin-Ichiro; Saku, Keijiro

2017-01-01

We examined the 68 Ga labeling of the α-helical peptide, DOTA-FAMP, and evaluated conformational changes during radiolabeling. 68 Ga-DOTA-FAMP is a positron emission tomography probe candidate for atherosclerotic plaques. The labeling yield achieved by Zhernosekov's method (using acetone for 68 Ga purification) was compared with that achieved by the original and 2 modified Mueller's methods (using NaCl solution). Modified method I involves desalting the 68 Ga prior to labeling, and modified method II involves the inclusion of ethanol in the labeling solution. The labeling yield using Zhernosekov's method was 62% ± 5.4%. In comparison, Mueller's original method gave 8.9% ± 1.7%. Modified method I gave a slight improvement of 32% ± 2.1%. Modified method II further increased the yield to 66% ± 3.4%. Conformational changes were determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy, revealing that these differences could be attributed to conformational changes. Heat treatment affects peptide conformation, which leads to aggregation and decreases the labeling yield. Mueller's method is simpler, but harsh conditions preclude its application to biomolecules. To suppress aggregation, we included a desalting process and added ethanol in the labeling solution. These changes significantly improved the labeling yield. Before use for imaging, conformational changes of biomolecules during radiolabeling should be evaluated by circular dichroism spectroscopy to ensure the homogeneity of the labeled product. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recovery of failed solid-state anaerobic digesters.

PubMed

Yang, Liangcheng; Ge, Xumeng; Li, Yebo

2016-08-01

This study examined the performance of three methods for recovering failed solid-state anaerobic digesters. The 9-L digesters, which were fed with corn stover, failed at a feedstock/inoculum (F/I) ratio of 10 with negligible methane yields. To recover the systems, inoculum was added to bring the F/I ratio to 4. Inoculum was either added to the top of a failed digester, injected into it, or well-mixed with the existing feedstock. Digesters using top-addition and injection methods quickly resumed and achieved peak yields in 10days, while digesters using well-mixed method recovered slowly but showed 50% higher peak yields. Overall, these methods recovered 30-40% methane from failed digesters. The well-mixed method showed the highest methane yield, followed by the injection and top-addition methods. Recovered digesters outperformed digesters had a constant F/I ratio of 4. Slow mass transfer and slow growth of microbes were believed to be the major limiting factors for recovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability Criteria for Differential Equations with Variable Time Delays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schley, D.; Shail, R.; Gourley, S. A.

2002-01-01

Time delays are an important aspect of mathematical modelling, but often result in highly complicated equations which are difficult to treat analytically. In this paper it is shown how careful application of certain undergraduate tools such as the Method of Steps and the Principle of the Argument can yield significant results. Certain delay…

Toward more accurate loss tangent measurements in reentrant cavities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moyer, R. D.

1980-05-01

Karpova has described an absolute method for measurement of dielectric properties of a solid in a coaxial reentrant cavity. His cavity resonance equation yields very accurate results for dielectric constants. However, he presented only approximate expressions for the loss tangent. This report presents more exact expressions for that quantity and summarizes some experimental results.

Application of Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing for Quantitative Evaluation of Crop Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaw, J.; Luvall, J.; Rickman, D.; Mask, P.; Wersinger, J.; Sullivan, D.; Arnold, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Evidence suggests that thermal infrared emittance (TIR) at the field-scale is largely a function of the integrated crop/soil moisture continuum. Because soil moisture dynamics largely determine crop yields in non-irrigated farming (85 % of Alabama farms are non-irrigated), TIR may be an effective method of mapping within field crop yield variability, and possibly, absolute yields. The ability to map yield variability at juvenile growth stages can lead to improved soil fertility and pest management, as well as facilitating the development of economic forecasting. Researchers at GHCC/MSFC/NASA and Auburn University are currently investigating the role of TIR in site-specific agriculture. Site-specific agriculture (SSA), or precision farming, is a method of crop production in which zones and soils within a field are delineated and managed according to their unique properties. The goal of SSA is to improve farm profits and reduce environmental impacts through targeted agrochemical applications. The foundation of SSA depends upon the spatial and temporal characterization of soil and crop properties through the creation of management zones. Management zones can be delineated using: 1) remote sensing (RS) data, 2) conventional soil testing and soil mapping, and 3) yield mapping. Portions of this research have concentrated on using remote sensing data to map yield variability in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) crops. Remote sensing data have been collected for several fields in the Tennessee Valley region at various crop growth stages during the last four growing seasons. Preliminary results of this study will be presented.

Predicting meat yields and commercial meat cuts from carcasses of young bulls of Spanish breeds by the SEUROP method and an image analysis system.

PubMed

Oliver, A; Mendizabal, J A; Ripoll, G; Albertí, P; Purroy, A

2010-04-01

The SEUROP system is currently in use for carcass classification in Europe. Image analysis and other new technologies are being developed to enhance and supplement this classification system. After slaughtering, 91 carcasses of local Spanish beef breeds were weighed and classified according to the SEUROP system. Two digital photographs (a side and a dorsal view) were taken of the left carcass sides, and a total of 33 morphometric measurements (lengths, perimeters, areas) were made. Commercial butchering of these carcasses took place 24 h postmortem, and the different cuts were grouped according to four commercial meat cut quality categories: extra, first, second, and third. Multiple regression analysis of carcass weight and the SEUROP conformation score (x variables) on meat yield and the four commercial cut quality category yields (y variables) was performed as a measure of the accuracy of the SEUROP system. Stepwise regression analysis of carcass weight and the 33 morphometric image analysis measurements (x variables) and meat yield and yields of the four commercial cut quality categories (y variables) was carried out. Higher accuracy was achieved using image analysis than using only the current SEUROP conformation score. The regression coefficient values were between R(2)=0.66 and R(2)=0.93 (P<0.001) for the SEUROP system and between R(2)=0.81 and R(2)=0.94 (P<0.001) for the image analysis method. These results suggest that the image analysis method should be helpful as a means of supplementing and enhancing the SEUROP system for grading beef carcasses. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new strategy for strain improvement of Aurantiochytrium sp. based on heavy-ions mutagenesis and synergistic effects of cold stress and inhibitors of enoyl-ACP reductase.

PubMed

Cheng, Yu-Rong; Sun, Zhi-Jie; Cui, Gu-Zhen; Song, Xiaojin; Cui, Qiu

2016-11-01

Developing a strain with high docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) yield and stable fermenting-performance is an imperative way to improve DHA production using Aurantiochytrium sp., a microorganism with two fatty acid synthesis pathways: polyketide synthase (PKS) pathway and Type I fatty acid synthase (FAS) pathway. This study investigated the growth and metabolism response of Aurantiochytrium sp. CGMCC 6208 to two inhibitors of enoyl-ACP reductase of Type II FAS pathway (isoniazid and triclosan), and proposed a method of screening high DHA yield Aurantiochytrium sp. strains with heavy ion mutagenesis and pre-selection by synergistic usage of cold stress (4°C) and FAS inhibitors (triclosan and isoniazid). Results showed that (1) isoniazid and triclosan have positive effects on improving DHA level of cells; (2) mutants from irradiation dosage of 120Gy yielded more DHA compared with cells from 40Gy, 80Gy treatment and wild type; (3) DHA contents of mutants pre-selected by inhibitors of enoyl-ACP reductase of Type II FAS pathway (isoniazid and triclosan)at 4°C, were significantly higher than that of wild type; (4) compared to the wild type, the DHA productivity and yield of a mutant (T-99) obtained from Aurantiochytrium sp. CGMCC 6208 by the proposed method increased by 50% from 0.18 to 0.27g/Lh and 30% from 21 to 27g/L, respectively. In conclusion, this study developed a feasible method to screen Aurantiochytrium sp. with high DHA yield by a combination of heavy-ion mutagenesis and mutant-preselection by FAS inhibitors and cold stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving phosphorus uptake and wheat productivity by phosphoric acid application in alkaline calcareous soils.

PubMed

Akhtar, Muhammad; Yaqub, Muhammad; Naeem, Asif; Ashraf, Muhammad; Hernandez, Vicente Espinosa

2016-08-01

Low phosphorus (P) efficiency from existing granular fertilisers necessitates searching for efficient alternatives to improve wheat productivity in calcareous soil. Multi-location trials have shown that phosphoric acid (PA) produced 16% higher wheat grain over commercial P fertilisers, i.e. diammonium phosphate (DAP) and triple superphosphate (TSP). Methods of P application significantly influenced grain yield and the efficiency of methods was observed in the order: PA placement below seed > PA, DAP or TSP fertigation > DAP or TSP broadcast. The sub-surface application of PA produced highest grain yields (mean of all rates), i.e. 4669, 4158 and 3910 kg ha(-1) in Bagh, Bhalwal and Shahpur soil series, respectively. Phosphoric acid at 66 kg P2 O5 ha(-1) was found more effective in increasing gain yield over that of control. Trend in grain P uptake was found similar to that observed for grain yield. Maximum P uptake by grain was recorded at the highest P rate and the lowest at zero P. The significant increase in P uptake with P rates was generally related to the increase in yield rather than its concentration in grain. Phosphorus agronomic efficiency (PAE) and phosphorus recovery efficiency (PRE) were found higher at lower P rate (44 kg P2 O5 ha(-1) ) and decreased with P application. However, PA applied by the either method resulted in higher PAE and PRE compared to DAP and TSP. Phosphoric acid is suggested as an efficient alternative to commercial granular P fertilisers for wheat production in alkaline calcareous soils. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

New rapid method for determining edgewise compressive strength of corrugated fiberboard

Treesearch

John W. Koning

1986-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine if corrugated fiberboard specimens that had been necked down with a common router would yield acceptable edgewise compressive strength values. Tests were conducted on specimens prepared using a circular saw and router, and the results were compared with those obtained on specimens prepared according to TAPPI Test Method T...

Specific Yields Estimated from Gravity Change during Pumping Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, K. H.; Hwang, C.; Chang, L. C.

2017-12-01

Specific yield (Sy) is the most important parameter to describe available groundwater capacity in an unconfined aquifer. When estimating Sy by a field pumping test, aquifer heterogeneity and well performers will cause a large uncertainty. In this study, we use a gravity-based method to estimate Sy. At the time of pumping test, amounts of mass (groundwater) are forced to be taken out. If drawdown corn is big and close enough to high precision gravimeter, the gravity change can be detected. The gravity-based method use gravity observations that are independent from traditional flow computation. Only the drawdown corn should be modeled with observed head and hydrogeology data. The gravity method can be used in most groundwater field tests, such as locally pumping/injection tests initiated by active man-made or annual variations due to natural sources. We apply our gravity method at few sites in Taiwan situated over different unconfined aquifer. Here pumping tests for Sy determinations were also carried out. We will discuss why the gravity method produces different results from traditional pumping test, field designs and limitations of the gravity method.

Accurate paleointensities - the multi-method approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Groot, Lennart

2016-04-01

The accuracy of models describing rapid changes in the geomagnetic field over the past millennia critically depends on the availability of reliable paleointensity estimates. Over the past decade methods to derive paleointensities from lavas (the only recorder of the geomagnetic field that is available all over the globe and through geologic times) have seen significant improvements and various alternative techniques were proposed. The 'classical' Thellier-style approach was optimized and selection criteria were defined in the 'Standard Paleointensity Definitions' (Paterson et al, 2014). The Multispecimen approach was validated and the importance of additional tests and criteria to assess Multispecimen results must be emphasized. Recently, a non-heating, relative paleointensity technique was proposed -the pseudo-Thellier protocol- which shows great potential in both accuracy and efficiency, but currently lacks a solid theoretical underpinning. Here I present work using all three of the aforementioned paleointensity methods on suites of young lavas taken from the volcanic islands of Hawaii, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Terceira. Many of the sampled cooling units are <100 years old, the actual field strength at the time of cooling is therefore reasonably well known. Rather intuitively, flows that produce coherent results from two or more different paleointensity methods yield the most accurate estimates of the paleofield. Furthermore, the results for some flows pass the selection criteria for one method, but fail in other techniques. Scrutinizing and combing all acceptable results yielded reliable paleointensity estimates for 60-70% of all sampled cooling units - an exceptionally high success rate. This 'multi-method paleointensity approach' therefore has high potential to provide the much-needed paleointensities to improve geomagnetic field models for the Holocene.

Projection-free approximate balanced truncation of large unstable systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flinois, Thibault L. B.; Morgans, Aimee S.; Schmid, Peter J.

2015-08-01

In this article, we show that the projection-free, snapshot-based, balanced truncation method can be applied directly to unstable systems. We prove that even for unstable systems, the unmodified balanced proper orthogonal decomposition algorithm theoretically yields a converged transformation that balances the Gramians (including the unstable subspace). We then apply the method to a spatially developing unstable system and show that it results in reduced-order models of similar quality to the ones obtained with existing methods. Due to the unbounded growth of unstable modes, a practical restriction on the final impulse response simulation time appears, which can be adjusted depending on the desired order of the reduced-order model. Recommendations are given to further reduce the cost of the method if the system is large and to improve the performance of the method if it does not yield acceptable results in its unmodified form. Finally, the method is applied to the linearized flow around a cylinder at Re = 100 to show that it actually is able to accurately reproduce impulse responses for more realistic unstable large-scale systems in practice. The well-established approximate balanced truncation numerical framework therefore can be safely applied to unstable systems without any modifications. Additionally, balanced reduced-order models can readily be obtained even for large systems, where the computational cost of existing methods is prohibitive.

Plant-Based Assessment of Inherent Soil Productivity and Contributions to China’s Cereal Crop Yield Increase since 1980

PubMed Central

Fan, Mingsheng; Lal, Rattan; Cao, Jian; Qiao, Lei; Su, Yansen; Jiang, Rongfeng; Zhang, Fusuo

2013-01-01

Objective China’s food production has increased 6-fold during the past half-century, thanks to increased yields resulting from the management intensification, accomplished through greater inputs of fertilizer, water, new crop strains, and other Green Revolution’s technologies. Yet, changes in underlying quality of soils and their effects on yield increase remain to be determined. Here, we provide a first attempt to quantify historical changes in inherent soil productivity and their contributions to the increase in yield. Methods The assessment was conducted based on data-set derived from 7410 on-farm trials, 8 long-term experiments and an inventory of soil organic matter concentrations of arable land. Results Results show that even without organic and inorganic fertilizer addition crop yield from on-farm trials conducted in the 2000s was significantly higher compared with those in the 1980s — the increase ranged from 0.73 to 1.76 Mg/ha for China’s major irrigated cereal-based cropping systems. The increase in on-farm yield in control plot since 1980s was due primarily to the enhancement of soil-related factors, and reflected inherent soil productivity improvement. The latter led to higher and stable yield with adoption of improved management practices, and contributed 43% to the increase in yield for wheat and 22% for maize in the north China, and, 31%, 35% and 22% for early and late rice in south China and for single rice crop in the Yangtze River Basin since 1980. Conclusions Thus, without an improvement in inherent soil productivity, the ‘Agricultural Miracle in China’ would not have happened. A comprehensive strategy of inherent soil productivity improvement in China, accomplished through combining engineering-based measures with biological-approaches, may be an important lesson for the developing world. We propose that advancing food security in 21st century for both China and other parts of world will depend on continuously improving inherent soil productivity. PMID:24058605

Optimisation of novel method for the extraction of steviosides from Stevia rebaudiana leaves.

PubMed

Puri, Munish; Sharma, Deepika; Barrow, Colin J; Tiwary, A K

2012-06-01

Stevioside, a diterpene glycoside, is well known for its intense sweetness and is used as a non-caloric sweetener. Its potential widespread use requires an easy and effective extraction method. Enzymatic extraction of stevioside from Stevia rebaudiana leaves with cellulase, pectinase and hemicellulase, using various parameters, such as concentration of enzyme, incubation time and temperature, was optimised. Hemicellulase was observed to give the highest stevioside yield (369.23±0.11μg) in 1h in comparison to cellulase (359±0.30μg) and pectinases (333±0.55μg). Extraction from leaves under optimised conditions showed a remarkable increase in the yield (35 times) compared with a control experiment. The extraction conditions were further optimised using response surface methodology (RSM). A central composite design (CCD) was used for experimental design and analysis of the results to obtain optimal extraction conditions. Based on RSM analysis, temperature of 51-54°C, time of 36-45min and the cocktail of pectinase, cellulase and hemicellulase, set at 2% each, gave the best results. Under the optimised conditions, the experimental values were in close agreement with the prediction model and resulted in a three times yield enhancement of stevioside. The isolated stevioside was characterised through 1 H-NMR spectroscopy, by comparison with a stevioside standard. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computational simulation of natUO2, 232ThO2 and U3O8-Al pills to estimate (p,fission) 99Mo yield in the modeled targets irradiated by CYCLONE30 accelerator.

PubMed

Jozvaziri, Atieh; Gholamzadeh, Zohreh; Yousefi, Kamran; Mirvakili, Seyed Mohammad; Alizadeh, Masoomeh; Aboudzadeh, Mohammadreza

2017-03-01

99 Mo is important for both therapy and imaging purposes. Accelerator and reactor-based procedures are applied to produce it. Newly proton-fission method has been taken in attention by some research centers. In the present work, computationally investigation of the 99 Mo yield in different fissionable targets irradiated by proton was aimed. The results showed UO 2 pill target could be efficiently used to produce 11.12Ci/g-U saturation yield of 99 Mo using 25MeV proton irradiation of the optimized-dimension target with 70µA current. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recovery of Technetium Adsorbed on Charcoal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Engelmann, Mark D.; Metz, Lori A.; Ballou, Nathan E.

2006-05-01

Two methods capable of near complete recovery of technetium adsorbed on charcoal are presented. The first involves liquid extraction of the technetium from the charcoal by hot 4M nitric acid. An average recovery of 98% (n=3) is obtained after three rounds of extraction. The second method involves dry ashing with air in a quartz combustion tube at 400-450 C. This method yields an average recovery of 96% (n=5). Other thermal methods were attempted, but resulted in reduced recovery and incomplete material balance

Determining the 40K radioactivity in rocks using x-ray spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilakouta, M.; Kallithrakas-Kontos, N.; Nikolaou, G.

2017-09-01

In this paper we propose an experimental method for the determination of potassium-40 (40K) radioactivity in commercial granite samples using x-ray fluorescence (XRF). The method correlates the total potassium concentration (yield) in samples deduced by XRF analysis with the radioactivity of the sample due to the 40K radionuclide. This method can be used in an undergraduate student laboratory. A brief theoretical background and description of the method, as well as some results and their interpretation, are presented.

Quaternion normalization in spacecraft attitude determination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deutschmann, Julie; Bar-Itzhack, Itzhack; Galal, Ken

1992-01-01

Methods are presented to normalize the attitude quaternion in two extended Kalman filters (EKF), namely, the multiplicative EKF (MEKF) and the additive EKF (AEKF). It is concluded that all the normalization methods work well and yield comparable results. In the AEKF, normalization is not essential, since the data chosen for the test do not have a rapidly varying attitude. In the MEKF, normalization is necessary to avoid divergence of the attitude estimate. All of the methods of the methods behave similarly when the spacecraft experiences low angular rates.

Method of sound synthesis

DOEpatents

Miner, Nadine E.; Caudell, Thomas P.

2004-06-08

A sound synthesis method for modeling and synthesizing dynamic, parameterized sounds. The sound synthesis method yields perceptually convincing sounds and provides flexibility through model parameterization. By manipulating model parameters, a variety of related, but perceptually different sounds can be generated. The result is subtle changes in sounds, in addition to synthesis of a variety of sounds, all from a small set of models. The sound models can change dynamically according to changes in the simulation environment. The method is applicable to both stochastic (impulse-based) and non-stochastic (pitched) sounds.

Prediction of submarine scattered noise by the acoustic analogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Testa, C.; Greco, L.

2018-07-01

The prediction of the noise scattered by a submarine subject to the propeller tonal noise is here addressed through a non-standard frequency-domain formulation that extends the use of the acoustic analogy to scattering problems. A boundary element method yields the scattered pressure upon the hull surface by the solution of a boundary integral equation, whereas the noise radiated in the fluid domain is evaluated by the corresponding boundary integral representation. Propeller-induced incident pressure field on the scatterer is detected by combining an unsteady three-dimensional panel method with the Bernoulli equation. For each frequency of interest, numerical results concern with sound pressure levels upon the hull and in the flowfield. The validity of the results is established by a comparison with a time-marching hydrodynamic panel method that solves propeller and hull jointly. Within the framework of potential-flow hydrodynamics, it is found out that the scattering formulation herein proposed is appropriate to successfully capture noise magnitude and directivity both on the hull surface and in the flowfield, yielding a computationally efficient solution procedure that may be useful in preliminary design/multidisciplinary optimization applications.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu Shioumin; Kruijs, Robbert van de; Zoethout, Erwin

Ion sputtering yields for Ru, Mo, and Si under Ar{sup +} ion bombardment in the near-threshold energy range have been studied using an in situ weight-loss method with a Kaufman ion source, Faraday cup, and quartz crystal microbalance. The results are compared to theoretical models. The accuracy of the in situ weight-loss method was verified by thickness-decrease measurements using grazing incidence x-ray reflectometry, and results from both methods are in good agreement. These results provide accurate data sets for theoretical modeling in the near-threshold sputter regime and are of relevance for (optical) surfaces exposed to plasmas, as, for instance, inmore » extreme ultraviolet photolithography.« less

Crop response to deep tillage - a meta-analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Florian; Don, Axel; Hennings, Inga; Schmittmann, Oliver; Seidel, Sabine J.

2017-04-01

Subsoil, i.e. the soil layer below the topsoil, stores tremendous stocks of nutrients and can keep water even under drought conditions. Deep tillage may be a method to enhance the plant-availability of subsoil resources. However, in field trials, deep tillage effects on crop yields were inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of crop yield response to subsoiling, deep ploughing and deep mixing of soil profiles. Our search resulted in 1530 yield comparisons following deep and conventional control tillage on 67 experimental cropping sites. The vast majority of the data derived from temperate latitudes, from trials conducted in the USA (679 observations) and Germany (630 observations). On average, crop yield response to deep tillage was slightly positive (6% increase). However, individual deep tillage effects were highly scattered including about 40% yield depressions after deep tillage. Deep tillage on soils with root restrictive layers increased crop yields about 20%, while soils containing >70% silt increased the risk of yield depressions following deep tillage. Generally, deep tillage effects increased with drought intensity indicating deep tillage as climate adaptation measure at certain sites. Our results suggest that deep tillage can facilitate the plant-availability of subsoil nutrients, which increases crop yields if (i) nutrients in the topsoil are growth limiting, and (ii) deep tillage does not come at the cost of impairing topsoil fertility. On sites with root restrictive soil layers, deep tillage can be an effective measure to mitigate drought stress and improve the resilience of crops. However, deep tillage should only be performed on soils with a stable structure, i.e. <70% silt content. We will discuss the contribution of deep tillage options to enhance the sustainability of agricultural production by facilitating the uptake of nutrients and water from the subsoil.

Reconciling incongruous qualitative and quantitative findings in mixed methods research: exemplars from research with drug using populations.

PubMed

Wagner, Karla D; Davidson, Peter J; Pollini, Robin A; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Washburn, Rachel; Palinkas, Lawrence A

2012-01-01

Mixed methods research is increasingly being promoted in the health sciences as a way to gain more comprehensive understandings of how social processes and individual behaviours shape human health. Mixed methods research most commonly combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis strategies. Often, integrating findings from multiple methods is assumed to confirm or validate the findings from one method with the findings from another, seeking convergence or agreement between methods. Cases in which findings from different methods are congruous are generally thought of as ideal, whilst conflicting findings may, at first glance, appear problematic. However, the latter situation provides the opportunity for a process through which apparently discordant results are reconciled, potentially leading to new emergent understandings of complex social phenomena. This paper presents three case studies drawn from the authors' research on HIV risk amongst injection drug users in which mixed methods studies yielded apparently discrepant results. We use these case studies (involving injection drug users [IDUs] using a Needle/Syringe Exchange Program in Los Angeles, CA, USA; IDUs seeking to purchase needle/syringes at pharmacies in Tijuana, Mexico; and young street-based IDUs in San Francisco, CA, USA) to identify challenges associated with integrating findings from mixed methods projects, summarize lessons learned, and make recommendations for how to more successfully anticipate and manage the integration of findings. Despite the challenges inherent in reconciling apparently conflicting findings from qualitative and quantitative approaches, in keeping with others who have argued in favour of integrating mixed methods findings, we contend that such an undertaking has the potential to yield benefits that emerge only through the struggle to reconcile discrepant results and may provide a sum that is greater than the individual qualitative and quantitative parts. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reconciling incongruous qualitative and quantitative findings in mixed methods research: exemplars from research with drug using populations

PubMed Central

Wagner, Karla D.; Davidson, Peter J.; Pollini, Robin A.; Strathdee, Steffanie A.; Washburn, Rachel; Palinkas, Lawrence A.

2011-01-01

Mixed methods research is increasingly being promoted in the health sciences as a way to gain more comprehensive understandings of how social processes and individual behaviours shape human health. Mixed methods research most commonly combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis strategies. Often, integrating findings from multiple methods is assumed to confirm or validate the findings from one method with the findings from another, seeking convergence or agreement between methods. Cases in which findings from different methods are congruous are generally thought of as ideal, while conflicting findings may, at first glance, appear problematic. However, the latter situation provides the opportunity for a process through which apparently discordant results are reconciled, potentially leading to new emergent understandings of complex social phenomena. This paper presents three case studies drawn from the authors’ research on HIV risk among injection drug users in which mixed methods studies yielded apparently discrepant results. We use these case studies (involving injection drug users [IDUs] using a needle/syringe exchange program in Los Angeles, California, USA; IDUs seeking to purchase needle/syringes at pharmacies in Tijuana, Mexico; and young street-based IDUs in San Francisco, CA, USA) to identify challenges associated with integrating findings from mixed methods projects, summarize lessons learned, and make recommendations for how to more successfully anticipate and manage the integration of findings. Despite the challenges inherent in reconciling apparently conflicting findings from qualitative and quantitative approaches, in keeping with others who have argued in favour of integrating mixed methods findings, we contend that such an undertaking has the potential to yield benefits that emerge only through the struggle to reconcile discrepant results and may provide a sum that is greater than the individual qualitative and quantitative parts. PMID:21680168

Estimating the responses of winter wheat yields to moisture variations in the past 35 years in Jiangsu Province of China

PubMed Central

Ding, Jinfeng; Li, Chunyan

2018-01-01

Jiangsu is an important agricultural province in China. Winter wheat, as the second major grain crop in the province, is greatly affected by moisture variations. The objective of this study was to investigate whether there were significant trends in changes in the moisture conditions during wheat growing seasons over the past decades and how the wheat yields responded to different moisture levels by means of a popular drought index, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). The study started with a trend analysis and quantification of the moisture conditions with the Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s Slope method, respectively. Then, correlation analysis was carried out to determine the relationship between de-trended wheat yields and multi-scalar SPEI. Finally, a multivariate panel regression model was established to reveal the quantitative yield responses to moisture variations. The results showed that the moisture conditions in Jiangsu were generally at a normal level, but this century appeared slightly drier in because of the relatively high temperatures. There was a significant correlation between short time scale SPEI values and wheat yields. Among the three critical stages of wheat development, the SPEI values in the late growth stage (April-June) had a closer linkage to the yields than in the seedling stage (October-November) and the over-wintering stage (December-February). Moreover, the yield responses displayed an asymmetric characteristic, namely, moisture excess led to higher yield losses compared to moisture deficit in this region. The maximum yield increment could be obtained under the moisture level of slight drought according to the 3-month SPEI at the late growth stage, while extreme wetting resulted in the most severe yield losses. The moisture conditions in the first 15 years of the 21st century were more favorable than in the last 20 years of the 20th century for wheat production in Jiangsu. PMID:29329353