Parameter

Selenium content of soils is an important issue due to the narrow range between the nutritious requirement and toxic effects upon Se exposure. However, its determination is challenging due to low concentrations within complex matrices that hamper the analysis in most spectroscopic techniques. In this study, we explored the possibilities of several analytical approaches combined with total reflection X-ray (TXRF) spectrometry for soil Se determinations. The direct analysis of a solid suspension using 20 mg of fine ground material (<50 µm) has a relatively high Se limit of detection (LOD) of 1 mg/kg (worldwide Se average in soils ) 0.4 mg/kg) and is therefore only suitable for seleniferous soils. Several fast and simple analytical strategies were developed to decrease matrix effects and improve the LOD for Se determination in soil digests. On one hand, the application of a liquid-liquid extraction procedure using ethyl ether and the introduction of a Cr absorbent in the instrument configuration were carried out to avoid the associated problems on TXRF analysis of soil extracts due to the high Fe concentrations (∼700 mg/L). On the other hand, a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction procedure (DLL-ME) before the TXRF analysis of the soil digest was also developed. The effects of various experimental parameters such as sample volume, effect of major elements present in the soil matrix (Fe), and Se concentration in the sample were investigated. The LOD using this analytical methodology (0.05 mg/kg of Se) was comparable to or lower than those obtained in previous works using other popular spectrometric techniques such as GFAAS, ICPMS, and AFS. The calculated Se concentration for JSAC-0411 ([Se] ) 1.32 ( 0.27 mg/kg) using the combination of DLLME and TXRF ([Se] ) 1.40 ( 0.23 mg/kg) was in agreement with the certified value.

In this paper, we consider constructing reliable confidence intervals for regression parameters using robust M-estimation allowing for the possibility of time series correlation among the errors. The change of variance function is used to approximate the theoretical coverage ...

This research presents an integration of remote sensing and GIS for determining the runoff coefficient (C) recommended by American Society of Civil Engineers and Water Pollution Control Federation in 1969. The C is a runoff index used as an input parameter in the most commonly used procedure-the rational method for runoff calculation in small urban watersheds for storm drainage design and analysis. The objective of this study was to evaluate 8 and 16 bit QuickBird (QB) NDVI satellite imagery using an unsupervised classification and the ISODATA algorithm to map impervious area and open space used for the determination of C in GIS spatial modeling. The research hypothesis was that mapping impervious area and open space using high spatial resolution NDVI satellite imagery, generated using the ISODATA algorithm, was an efficient and effective information extraction approach for accurately determining the C value. The 2004 data were provided by the City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The overall classification accuracies of the six QB NDVI thematic maps produced were similar, about 92%. In order to assess the utility of high spatial resolution satellite imagery and to validate the composite runoff index geographic model developed by Thanapura in 2005 and 2006, the C values were calculated in GIS spatial modeling and compared to the industry standard C. Finally, the hypothesis was accepted that finer resolution image and mapping approach used in this study allowed for better discrimination of land cover and thus a more accurate C estimation.

For a long time, aluminium (Al) has been considered an indifferent element from a toxicological point of view. In recent years, however, Al has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several clinical disorders, such as dialysis dementia, the fulminant neurological disorder that can develop in patients on renal dialysis. Therefore, the present experiment was carried out to determine the effectiveness of l-ascorbic acid (AA) in alleviating the toxicity of aluminium chloride (AlCl 3 ) on certain hemato-biochemical parameters, lipid peroxidation and enzyme activities of male New Zealand white rabbits. Six rabbits per group were assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: 0 mg AA and 0 mg AlCl 3 /kg body weight (BW) (control); 40 mg AA/kg BW; 34 mg AlCl 3 /kg BW (1/25 LD 50 ); 34 mg AlCl 3 plus 40 mg AA/kg BW. Rabbits were orally administered their respective doses every other day for 16 weeks. Evaluations were made for lipid peroxidation, enzyme activities and hemato-biochemical parameters. Results obtained showed that AlCl 3 significantly (P < 0.05) induced free radicals and decreased the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the levels of sulfhydryl groups (SH groups) in rabbit plasma, liver, brain, testes and kidney. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (AlP), acid phosphatase (AcP), and phosphorylase activities were significantly decreased in liver and testes due to AlCl 3 administration. While, plasma, liver, testes and brain lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were significantly increased. Contrariwise, the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was significantly decreased in brain and plasma. Aluminium treatment caused a significant decrease in plasma total lipids (TL), blood haemoglobin (Hb), total erythrocytic count (TEC) and packed cell volume (PCV), and increased total leukocyte count (TLC) and the concentrations of glucose, urea, creatinine, bilirubin and cholesterol. Ascorbic acid alone significantly decreased the levels of free radicals, TL, cholesterol, glucose and creatinine, and increased the activity of GST, SH groups, Hb, TEC and PCV. While, the rest of the tested parameters were not affected. Also, the present study showed that ascorbic acid can be effective in the protection of aluminium-induced toxicity.

Monophenols are widely spread compounds contributing to the flavour of many foods and beverages. They are most likely present in beer, but so far, little is known about their influence on beer flavour. To quantify these monophenols in beer, we optimised a headspace solid-phase microextraction method coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. To improve their isolation from the beer matrix and their chromatographic properties, the monophenols were acetylated using acetic anhydride and KHCO 3 as derivatising agent and base catalyst, respectively. Derivatisation conditions were optimised with attention for the pH of the reaction medium. Additionally, different parameters affecting extraction efficiency were optimised, including fibre coating, extraction time and temperature and salt addition. Afterwards, we calibrated and validated the method successfully and applied it for the analysis of monophenols in beer samples.

ABSTRACT Acceleration characteristics of starting vehicles are needed for many transportation analysis and design purposes involving driveways, turning bays, intersecting streets, traffic signals, railroad crossings, simulation software, etc. Constant acceleration is sometimes assumed or AASHTO Green Book values based on piecewise-constant accelerations are sometimes adopted. Yet, continuing research has shown linearly-decreasing acceleration rates better represent both maximum vehicle acceleration capabilities as well as actual motorist behavior. It is not acceleration that is usually constant during speed changes, but the rate of change in acceleration.

Currently, delayed/pulsatile release and colon delivery represent topics of remarkable interest. The present paper deals with the study and development of an oral dosage form devised to release drugs following a programmed time period after administration or, when opportune design modifications are introduced, to target the colon. The system is composed of a drug-containing core and a hydrophilic swellable polymeric coating capable of delaying drug release through slow interaction with aqueous fluids. An optional external gastroresistant film is applied to overcome gastric emptying variability, thus allowing colon delivery to be pursued according to the time-dependent approach. The aim of this work was to evaluate different hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) viscosity grades as possible materials for the attainment of the system retarding hydrophilic layer. Both the relevant suitability for application onto tablet cores by aqueous spray-coating in fluid bed and capability of delaying drug release for a programmable period were explored and compared. Methocel ® E50 was found to afford the best balance among different important items, i.e. process time, retarding ability, dimensions of the coated units and possibility of finely tuning the delay duration. Further results pointed out the robustness of Methocel ® E50-based systems, which have shown to be practically unaffected by the concentration of the employed coating solution and the pH of the release medium, as well as only poorly influenced by ionic strength, at least with regard to values encompassed in the physiological range for gastrointestinal fluids.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are tailor-made polymers with high selectivity for a given analyte, or group of structurally related compounds. The influence of the process parameters (the moles of functional monomer and cross-linker, the selection of functional monomer and solvent) on the preparation of oseltamivir (OS)-imprinted polymers was investigated. A mathematical method for uniform design to optimize these selected parameters and to increase the MIP selectivity for template molecules was applied. The optimal conditions to synthesize MIP were 0.69 mmol 30% acrylamide (AA) + 70% 4-Vinylpyridine (4-VP) and 5.0 mmol ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) copolymerized in 5 ml toluene in the presence of 0.1 mmol OS. MIP showed high affinity and selectivity for separation of the template molecule from other compounds. In the present study, we have established an effective LC-MS/MS method to identify and quantify OS with good sensitivity, accuracy and precision. Figure A Complexation; B polymerization and template removal; C MIP has high affinity to template molecule; D MIP has some affinity to template molecule analog; E MIP has no affinity to other chemicals with different type from template molecule. a Template molecule; b template molecule analog; c other chemicals

In this paper we discuss the solution of the clustering problem usually solved by the K-means algorithm. The problem is known to have local minimum solutions which are usually what the K-means algorithm obtains. The simulated annealing approach for solving optimization problems is described and is proposed for solving the clustering problem. The parameters of the algorithm are discussed in detail and it is shown that the algorithm converges to a global solution of the clustering problem. We also find optimal parameters values for a specific class of data sets and give recommendations on the choice of parameters for general data sets. Finally, advantages and disadvantages of the approach are presented.

Design Component Parameter Capacity reduction a b s t r a c t A newly designed crankshaft of a compressor for a side-by-side (SBS) refrigerator was studied. Using mass and energy conservation balances, a variety of compressor loads typically found in a refrigeration cycle were analyzed. The laboratory failure modes and mechanisms were compressor locking and crankshaft wear. These were similar to those of the failed samples in the field. Failure analysis, accelerated life testing (ALT), and corrective actions were used to identify the key reliability parameters. The design parameters of the crankshaft included the hole locations and the groove of the crankshaft used for oil lubrication, crankshaft hardness, and thrust washer interference. Based on the analysis and design changes, the B 1 life of the new design is now over ten years with a yearly failure rate of 0.01 percent. A five step procedure is recommended for parts design. ª 2008 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved. Compresseur frigorifique assujetti á des charges á ré pé tition : conception vis-á -vis de la fiabilité et é tude de cas Mots clés : Systé me frigorifique ; Systé me á compression ; Compresseur á piston ; Conception ; Composant ; Paramé tre ; Ré duction de puissance * Corresponding author. Tel.: þ82 62 950 0897; fax: þ82 62 950 6807. E-mail address: [email protected] (S.-w. Woo). w w w. i i fi ir . o r g a v a i l a b l e a t w w w . s c i e n c e d i r e c t . c o m j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / i j r e f r i g 0140-7007/$ -see front matter ª

Le titre de cette communication est à la fois ambigu et ambitieux. Ambigu, car ses deux termes sont généralement présentés en opposition ; ambitieux, car tout praticien est convaincu de la complexité de sa tâche. Va-t-il être possible dans les conditions qui sont octroyées à cette communication de définir un cadre rigoureux pour gérer cette complexité et permettre au praticien de prendre des décisions qui ne relèvent pas uniquement de son intuition éclairée par son expérience ?

Several stages of physics-based mathematical modelling are described for the design of the piano string scale. Strings are assumed to be perfectly flexible, and piano hammers are described by a nonlinear hysteretic model. It is also assumed that the parameters of the hammers for the whole hammer set are determined experimentally beforehand. Simulation procedures are used to systematically adjust the structure of the piano scale to its optimal value. The efficiency of the piano scale is improved by the analysis of the numerically simulated string motion and spectra of the string vibrations excited by the impact of the hammer. The set of variables to be optimized includes the linear mass density and tension of the piano strings and the position of the striking point. In addition, the problem of choosing appropriate tensions for neighbouring strings terminated on separate bass and treble bridges is considered.

The two papers describe trends of the apparent system periods, , and damping factors, , in recorded response of 56T 0 buildings (A1 to A45, and B1 to B14 in of part II) to 15 California earthquakes. The building, foundation, and soil are viewed as an equivalent linear system, excited by horizontal ground motion. Only inertial interaction is considered as ''the more important effect for foundations without large, rigid base slabs or deep embedment'' (by allowing one translation and rocking of the foundation). The kinematic interaction (modification of the free-field motion by the foundation in absence of inertial forces) is neglected as ''second order.'' Rocking and torsional excitation components of the incident motion, differential motions of extended foundations, warping of flexible foundations, and nonlinear soil response due to soilstructure interaction (SSI) are not mentioned. The papers aim to verify the ''simplified analytical procedures similar to those in the BSSC and ATC codes.'' This discussion (1) requests some clarifications; (2) suggests that time-dependent changes in (caused by nonlinear response of soil during SSI) should T have been included in the analysis; and (3) comments on the conditions when kinematic SSI should not be neglected.

Influence de la litière foliaire de cinq espèces végétales tropicales sur la croissance du mil (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) et du maïs (Zea mays L.) pour le développement (IRD), UR 179, Laboratoire d&#39;écologie microbienne des sols et agrosystèmes tropicaux (Lemsat), Centre ISRA-IRD, Route des hydrocarbures, BP 1386 CP, Dakar, Sénégal &lt;[email protected]&gt; &lt;[email protected]&gt; 2 Institut de recherche pour le développement, Laboratoire MOST, Unité de recherche séquestration du carbone et bio-fonctionnement des sols (UR SeqBio), Ensam, 2 place Viala, Bâtiment 12, 34060 Montpellier cedex 1, France &lt;[email protected]&gt; 3 Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Département de biologie végétale, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, BP 5005, Dakar, Sénégal &lt;[email protected]&gt; Résumé L&#39;objectif de ce travail a été d&#39;évaluer l&#39;influence de la litière de cinq espèces végétales fréquemment utilisées dans les plantations agroforestières en...

This paper focuses on the development of a dynamic multi-level model for simulating of a solar cooling system 7 adopting an adsorption chiller. The model integrates detailed simulation of the adsorption cycle (component level) into 8 the transient simulation of the solar cooling system (system level). The chiller investigated was a standard two-bed 9 silica gel/water unit. The model was used to ascertain the feasibility of solar-driven adsorption cooling and for 10 optimization purposes. In the base case simulated, the adsorption chiller cooled down the outdoor air to 16.1°C. The 11 daily average COP of the chiller was 0.18. Consequently, a spectral analysis was performed on these data for 12 identification of the correlation among the variables involved in the solar cooling system in order to study the effects of 13 the input parameters on the outputs. The outcomes were that the COP depends mainly on T ev >Q cond >Q cool >Q heat and the 14 thermal power delivered to the hot storage unit correlates T z1 >T c . 15 16

This tutorial provides a concise overview of support vector machines and different closely related techniques for pattern classification. The tutorial starts with the formulation of support vector machines for classification. The method of least squares support vector machines is explained. Approaches to retrieve a probabilistic interpretation are covered and it is explained how the binary classification techniques can be extended to multi-class methods. Kernel logistic regression, which is closely related to iteratively weighted least squares support vector machines, is discussed. Different practical aspects of these methods are addressed: the issue of feature selection, parameter tuning, unbalanced data sets, model evaluation and statistical comparison. The different concepts are illustrated on three real-life applications in the field of metabolomics, genetics and proteomics.

Several stages of physics-based mathematical modelling are described for the design of the piano string scale. Strings are assumed to be perfectly flexible, and piano hammers are described by a nonlinear hysteretic model. It is also assumed that the parameters of the hammers for the whole hammer set are determined experimentally beforehand. Simulation procedures are used to systematically adjust the structure of the piano scale to its optimal value. The efficiency of the piano scale is improved by the analysis of the numerically simulated string motion and spectra of the string vibrations excited by the impact of the hammer. The set of variables to be optimized includes the linear mass density and tension of the piano strings and the position of the striking point. In addition, the problem of choosing appropriate tensions for neighbouring strings terminated on separate bass and treble bridges is considered.

This research aims to determine the effect of the level of education and training on employee performance at the Department of Population and Civil Registration (DISDUKCAPIL) Kota Bekasi. This research is ex post facto research. The sample of this research is the Disdukcapil Kota Bekasi employees who have attended education and training (Diklat) in 2020, totaling 39 people. Data collection was carried out using questionnaires and documentation. The data analysis technique used is the classical assumption test with normality test and linearity test and the hypothesis test used is simple regression analysis. The results showed that education and training had a positive and significant effect on employee performance and the effect was in the moderate category as indicated by the regression equation Y = 0.870X + 13,584 with a regression coefficient of 0.745, a coefficient of determination of 0.555, and obtained a count of 6.788 greater from t table (6,788&gt;2,026). Based on the coeffic...

Air cooler Finned tube Modelling Simulation Heat transfer Parameter Fin a b s t r a c t A new model for simulating air-to-refrigerant fin-and-tube heat exchangers, with arbitrary fin sheet which encompasses variable tube diameters, variable tube locations, variable tube pitches, internal as well as external jagged edges, variable number of tubes per bank and variable location of fin cuts, is introduced. This model is based on a segment-bysegment approach and is developed to be a general purpose and flexible simulation tool. To account for fin conduction and air propagation through the heat exchanger, it is spatially modeled on a Cartesian grid. A new methodology for air side propagation, required for arbitrary fin sheets, is introduced. The model prediction is validated against experimental data for a condenser using R410A as the working fluid. The predicted results agree within AE5% of overall heat load, and AE25% for total refrigerant pressure drop. ª 2009 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.

L&#39;influence des non-linéarités de comportement des sols fins sur le calcul des ouvrages souterrains est analysé à travers deux exemples. Un modèle élastique de type hyperbolique et le modèle Cam-Clay modifié auquel est associée une loi élastique non linéaire ont été utilisés. Les principaux résultats de leur application au calcul d&#39;un tunnel creusé dans un massif de sol marneux homogène mettent en évidence l&#39;influence de la non-linéarité de la déformation sur la courbe de convergence du terrain.

A previously developed one-dimensional model, based on a forward marching solution technique of the conservation equations has been used to study ejector operation and performance in a large range of refrigeration working conditions. Several important features of ejector operation characteristics were simulated. Global parameter values, their local distributions along the ejector including the temperature, the pressure and the Mach number were calculated for design and off design conditions. Operation parameters such as the entrainment ratio u, compression ratios P exit /P ev , P g /P exit and the geometric ratio (D/D c ) 2 were found to significantly affect performance. The impact of the generator, the evaporator, the condenser and related thermodynamic parameters, which have been assessed in this study, are summarized as: Fluid mixing conditions dictated by the fluid type, the mixing chamber geometry, the inlet and outlet constraints, may lead to off design operation with related stability and performance deterioration Internal superheat generation, due to inefficient mixing and normal shock waves is very important in off design operation Some degree of inlet superheat (around 5 8C) is necessary to prevent internal condensation but excess superheat is detrimental to the condenser efficiency at exit Generator pressure conditions and the evaporator temperature significantly affect ejector performance. Crown Impact des conditions de fonctionnement sur la performance d'un éjecteur supersonique dans une installation frigorifique

Important design paramaters that influence the building thermal behavior and in particular natural cooling are discussed. Among these design parameters are: ventilation, evaporation, proper shading, orientation of the building and its proportions with respect to the orientation, the color of the building's envelope and its conductivity, the thermal mass of the building, night radiation to the sky and the stack effect. The latter is the katabatic and anabatic cooling.

In this paper, we study a fractional order iterative functional differential equation with parameter. Some theorems to prove existence of the iterative series solutions are presented under some natural conditions. Unfortunately, uniqueness results can not be obtained since the solution operator is not Lipschitz continuous but only Hölder continuous. Meanwhile, data dependence results of solutions and parameters provide possible way to describe the error estimates between explicit and approximative solutions for such problems. We also make some examples to illustrate our results. Finally, we conclude with some possible extensions to general parametrized iterative fractional functional differential equations.

15 + 1 EU-priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) Large volume injection (LVI) Programmed temperature vaporization (PTV) Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) Food a b s t r a c t This paper presents the optimisation of a programmed temperature vaporization solvent vent (PTV-SV) injection gas chromatographic mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method for the analysis of the 15 + 1 EUpriority PAHs in food extracts. Three operation parameters (vent time, vent flow and vent pressure) were optimised by applying a D-optimal experimental design. Among these variables, vent time showed the highest effect on the analytical response (signal intensity) of the target PAHs.

Tianeptine is a serotonin-uptake enhancer drug whose antidepressant effectiveness is based on its ability to reduce rather than increase serotonin availability at the synaptic cleft. This paradoxical neuropharmacological mechanism has raised doubt among neuropharmacologists and psychiatrists as to the role of tianeptine as a trusty–reliable antidepressant drug. This controversial issue led us to investigate the acute effects of a single, oral dose (12.5 mg) of this drug on circulating neurotransmitters and cardiovascular parameters in 50 healthy subjects. The drug provoked a striking and significant reduction of plasma noradrenaline (NA) and plasma serotonin (f-5-HT) while it increased plasma dopamine (DA) and platelet serotonin (p-5-HT) concentrations within the 4-h study period. No adrenaline (Ad) changes were registered. The NA/Ad ratio and the f-5-HT/p-5-HT ratio showed significant reduction throughout the test. Finally, although diastolic blood pressure (DBP) showed significant decrease, neither systolic blood pressure (SBP) nor heart rate (HR) showed significant change. These findings are consistent with the postulation that tianeptine reduces both neural sympathetic activity and parasympathetic activity without affecting adrenal sympathetic activity, enabling us to discuss the possible mechanisms involved in the antidepressant effects of tianeptine. The well-known fact that major depressed patients always show raised NA plus lower than normal p-5-HT levels, both disorders which are normalized by tianeptine, gives neurochemical support to the clinical improvement triggered by the drug in these patients. Summarizing, the results presented in this study demonstrate that tianeptine triggers significant reduction of circulating noradrenaline and plasma serotonin while increasing circulating dopamine and platelet serotonin. Other possible neuropharmacological effects are also discussed.

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh Pemahaman Kode Etik Akuntan, Kecerdasan Emosional, dan Religiusitas Terhadap Perilaku Etis Mahasiswa Akuntansi. Penelitian ini menggunakan teknik analisis regresi linear berganda. Dalam penentuan sampel penelitian ini menggunakan rumus Slovin. Dari hasil perhitungan didapatkan bahwa sampel berjumlah minimal 75 orang responden yang merupakan mahasiswa aktif angkatan 2015 dan telah menempuh mata kuliah pengauditan 1. Jenis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah data kuantitatif, yang berupa hasil jawaban oleh responden yang dinyatakan dalam bentuk angka-angka dari kuesioner yang diukur menggunakan skala Likert. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa, pemahaman kode etik akuntan, kecerdasan emosional, dan religiusitas berpengaruh positif terhadap perilaku etis mahasiswa akuntansi.

Pharmaceutical pellets are spherical or nearly spherical multi-unit dosage forms designed to optimize pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics features of drug release. The distribution of the pharmaceutical ingredients in the layers and core is a very important parameter for appropriate drug release, especially for pellets manufactured by the process of layer gain. Physical aspects of the sample are normally evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), but it is in many cases unsuitable to provide conclusive chemical information about the distribution of the pharmaceutical ingredients in both layers and core. On the other hand, methods based on spectroscopic imaging can be very promising for this purpose. In this work, a Near-Infrared Chemical Imaging (NIR-CI) method was developed and applied to the analysis of diclophenac sodium pellets. Since all the compounds present in the sample were known in advance, Classical Least Squares (CLS) was used for calculations. The results have shown that the method was capable of providing chemical information about the distribution of the active ingredient and excipients in the core and coating layers and therefore can be complementary to SEM for the pharmaceutical development of pellets.

An experiment was carried out to investigate 1) the transfer of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) into the milk of dairy ewes fed diets naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1); 2) the effect of the addition of dried yeast culture in the diet on this transfer; and 3) the alteration of enzymatic activities in the liver of ewes fed diets contaminated with AFB1. Twenty-four Sarda dairy ewes were divided in 4 groups and fed a concentrate mix containing 4 amounts of wheat meal naturally contaminated with aflatoxins. The diet of the control group had no wheat meal, whereas that of treated groups had low, medium, or high amounts of contaminated wheat, which corresponded to 1.13, 2.30, and 5.03 microg of AFB1/kg of feed, respectively. The experiment lasted 14 d. On d 8 to 14 from the beginning of the trial, 12 g/d of a commercial dried yeast product (DYP) of Kluyveromyces lactis was added to the diet of each ewe. The AFM1 concentration in individual milk samples and the blood serum metabolites wer...

This paper explores the relationship between remote sensing measurements of land surface temperature and biophysical/socioeconomic data by utilizing the association rule mining technique. The surfaces associated with urban uses typically radiate more heat as compared to its rural counterparts. There is a need to quantitatively analyze this contrast in temperature and the biophysical and social characteristics which influence it. Furthermore, in order to consider the urban heat island (UHI) effect, a parameterization is required to account for the urban surface characteristics impacts on the magnitude of land surface temperature (LST). The association rule mining model has demonstrated to bring in additional quantitative information concerning the relationships among urban parameters. The ASTER data from 2000 was used for the selection of appropriate variables to be used in the model. This information was then used for generating association rules between land-use land-cover (LULC) and LST information from 2000LST information from , 2001LST information from , and 2004. The results thus obtained quantitatively described the relationships between various urban parameters. It was found that there was little change in the percentage area of the LULC types from 2000 to 2004. This made the comparison of the results possible. In the case of the 2000 data, it was found that forest and impervious surfaces had strong association with temperature and scaled normalized difference vegetation index (SNDVI). Specific zones such as hospitals and universities had negative association with water. The comparison of data from 2000, 2001, and 2004 suggests that impervious surface and the zoning category of airport had a strong association. Nevertheless, the information extracted needs to be analyzed in greater detail in order to arrive at robust decision rules. Overall, the model so developed has demonstrated to be effective in predicting associations between urban LST and pertinent factors. This model could be useful for urban planners and environmental managers in quantifying rules that characterize a particular urban landscape.

Although inulin clearance measured during constant infusion is still considered the reference method, single-injection of 51Cr-EDTA with subsequent plasma sampling has become the most popular technique for the routine assessment of glomerular filtration rate. Despite the fact that the technique has been in use for 30 years, there are only a few reports of normal values calculated directly from 51Cr-EDTA data and normal ranges have generally been produced by conversions of inulin data. The aim of this study was to measure the variation in total plasma clearance, calculated directly from 51Cr-EDTA measurements, in normal males and females, of Saudi Arabian origin, over a wide range. Altogether, 201 potential kidney donors aged 16-60 years were studied. No statistically significant association of total plasma clearance with age or sex could be demonstrated; however, predictive equations suggesting a small decline in total plasma clearance with age were developed. The figures presented suggest that the reduction in total plasma clearance of 51Cr-EDTA with age is relatively shallow up to the age of at least 60 years and that normal ranges produced by conversion of inulin data may overestimate the decline with age.

Super dust storms occurred over the Middle East and southwest Asia on March 2012. These storms reduced the air quality over the Gulf Region, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan. Airports were shut down due to poor visibility, schools were closed, and hundreds of people were hospitalized with respiratory problems. In order to better understand the effects of such dust storms we have analyzed aerosol optical and radiative properties during this event using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer and the Aerosol Robotic Network. Maximum aerosol optical depth (AOD) values occurred on the18th of March in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, where values of 4.9, 4.4, 4.3, and 4.9 were recorded, respectively. In Oman, the Arabian Sea, and Iran, maximum AOD values occurred on the 19th of March, reaching 4.5, 5, and 5, respectively. The dust storm then spread across Pakistan, passing through Multan, Faisalabad, and Lahore where maximum AOD values of 2.1, 2.6, and 2.7, respectively, were attained on the 20th of March. The maximum aerosol volume size distributions (VSDs) in Lahore occurred on dusty days and minimum VSDs on non-dusty days. The VSD, single scattering albedo, refractive index, and asymmetry parameter values on dusty days suggested that dust aerosols were predominant over anthropogenic aerosols in these urban environments. The shortwave aerosol radiative forcing (ARF) values (on both dusty and non-dusty days) ranged between −50 W m −2 and −194 W m −2 (average: −114 ± 40 W m −2 ) at the earth's surface, and between −31 W m −2 and −105 W m −2 (average: −58 ± 25 W m −2 ) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). The longwave aerosol ARF values ranged between +6 W m −2 and +20 W m −2 (average: +12 ± 4 W m −2 ) at the earth's surface, and between +7 W m −2 and +30 W m −2 (average: +16 ± 7 W m −2 ) at the TOA. Longwave radiations therefore produced significant warming, both at the TOA and at the earth's surface.

Model-based user interface (UI) development environments are aimed at generating one or many UIs from one or many models. Model-driven engineering (MDE) of UIs is assumed to be superior to those environments since they make the UI design knowledge visible, explicit, and external, for instance as model-to-model transformations and model-to-code compilation rules. These transformations and rules are often considered inflexible, complex to express, and hard to develop by UI designers and developers who ...

This paper compares the properties of bare nouns in a non-plural marking French Lexifier Creole to those in plural marking languages in order to better understand the role played by number, both semantic and morphological, in determining the meaning of bare nouns. A parameter is proposed that distinguishes languages according to whether or not the structure of their nominal expressions obligatorily includes a functional projection for Number. The presence of NumP is taken to enforce the realization of a kind into its instances, offering a link between the morpho-structure of bare nouns and their interpretation that obviates the needs for a semantic parameterization. #

Three linked leaf and canopy radiative transfer models were used to assess uncertainties in three vegetation architectures for the relationships between canopy water content and Equivalent Water Thickness (EWT). The leaf radiative transfer model PROSPECT was linked to SAILH, rowMCRM, and FLIM canopy reflectance models to generate synthetic spectra for a range of leaf and canopy parameters under closed, rowstructured, and forest canopy architectures, respectively. Leaf water content (C w ) and leaf area index (LAI) were used to calculate canopy water content. Leaf and canopy parameters that affect the retrieval of EWT, estimated by the MODTRAN-based fitting technique, were used to investigate their influence on the water content estimates. Results showed a consistent relationship between retrieved EWT and canopy water content for the different simulated architectural scenarios. It was shown that EWT was negatively affected by leaf dry matter and soil background. Retrievals of EWT from hyperspectral Advanced Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) imagery at three study sites were then used for cross-validation of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) data, assessing the behavior of NDVI, EVI, NDWI, and SIWSI as potential indicators of vegetation water content. All four MODIS indexes showed consistent agreement with retrievals of EWT from AVIRIS imagery at the agricultural site and the savanna-shrub site, with EVI having the highest correlation. However, at the conifer forest study site the two water indexes, NDWI and SIWSI, yielded better agreement with retrievals of EWT than NDVI and EVI. The performance of NDVI was inconsistent across sites. This manuscript demonstrates the importance of canopy architecture when estimating EWT by showing that large errors are obtained when EWT estimates derived from absorption feature curve-fitting are applied to different canopy types. These errors are propagated in simple indexes that produce inconsistent results when applied to divergent vegetation conditions.

Laminar shear is the primary mechanism of cell damage, limiting flow rate (and hence flux) in crossflow microfiltration of animal cells. Sensitivity to hydrodynamic and interfacial stress is reduced by the addition of 0.1% Pluronic polyol. A critical average wall shear rate of 3000 s-' (above which damage occurs) is found for several cell types, including mammalian and insect cells. Hydrodynamic stress also limits the maximum tip speed in a rotary lobe pump to less than 350 cm/s. Turbulent flow in the recirculation loop piping at Reynolds numbers of up to 71,000 does not cause cell damage. Maximum sustainable flux decreases with cell concentration and increases with cell size (in qualitative agreement with the hydrodynamic lift model). A flux of 30 to 75 L/m2 h (depending on cell size) can be sustained during 20-fold concentration from 2.5 X lo6 cells/mL, while maintaining high cell viability.