Discrete-time point processes in urban traffic queue estimation

This research was motivated by the belief that it is possible to develop improved algorithms for the computer control of urban traffic. Previous research suggested that the computer software, and especially the filtering and prediction algorithms, is the limiting factor in computerized traffic control. Since the modern approach to filtering and prediction begins with the development of models for the generation of the data and since these models are also useful in the control problem, this paper deals with the modeling of traffic queues and filtering and prediction. It is shown that the data received from vehicle detectors is a discrete-time point process. The formation and dispersion of queues at a traffic signal is then modeled by a discrete-time time-varying Markov chain which is related to the observation point process. Three such models of increasing complexity are given. Recent results in the theory of point-process filtering and prediction are then used to derive the nonlinear minimum error variance filters/predictors corresponding to these models. It is then shown that these optimal estimators are computationally feasible in a micro-processor. All three algorithms were tested against the UTCS-1 traffic simulator and, in one case, against an algorithm in current use called ASCOT. Some results of these tests are shown. They indicate good performance in every case and better performance than ASCOT in the comparable case.     

Large-scale biomedical image analysis in grid environments

This paper presents the application of a component-based Grid middleware system for processing extremely large images obtained from digital microscopy devices. We have developed parallel, out-of-core techniques for different classes of data processing operations employed on images from confocal microscopy scanners. These techniques are combined into a data preprocessing and analysis pipeline using the component-based middleware system. The experimental results show that: 1) our implementation achieves good performance and can handle very large datasets on high-performance Grid nodes, consisting of computation and/or storage clusters and 2) it can take advantage of Grid nodes connected over high-bandwidth wide-area networks by combining task and data parallelism.     

False aneurysms in carotid arteries of cattle and water buffalo during shechita and halal slaughter

It has previously been shown that the cattle brain is supplied with blood via a basi-occipital plexus, in addition to branches from the carotid and basilar arteries. In addition it has been shown during conventional stunning and slaughter that the carotid arteries in cattle can develop false aneurysms at their severed ends and this can curtail exsanguination. This investigation examined whether false aneurysms can occur during religious slaughter, and during bleeding following electrical stunning that simultaneously induced a cardiac arrest. The prevalence of large (>3 cm outer diameter) false aneurysms in cattle carotid arteries was 10% for both shechita and halal slaughter. The prevalence of animals with bilateral false aneurysms (at least 2 cm in one artery and at least 3 cm diameter in the opposite artery) was 7% and 8% for shechita and halal slaughter, respectively. No false aneurysms occurred during bleeding in cattle that were electrically stunned and simultaneously developed a cardiac arrest. The combination of false aneurysms and collateral routes to the brain present a risk of sustained consciousness during religious slaughter in cattle.     

Simplex lattice mixture design approach on the rheological behavior of glucomannan based salep-honey drink mixtures: An optimization study based on the sensory properties

The rheological properties of salep drink sweetened with different honeys were measured using a controlled-stress rheometer. Mixture design experiments were used to study the effect of interactions among pine, flower and highland honeys on the rheological properties of salep-honey drink mixture (SHDM) samples. In addition, product optimization was carried out using the ridge analysis to determine the optimum mixture proportions based on sensory properties of SHDM samples. Flower honey was the component showing the highest effect on the consistency coefficient values of SHDM samples. The preference of panelists was more prominent for the SHDM samples including the higher concentrations of highland honey with respect to odour and overall preference parameters. Optimum values of pine, flower and highland honeys in the mixture were found to be 0–85%, 0–40% and 15–100%, respectively, with respect to sensory properties. In addition, ridge analysis results revealed that the SHDM should include 65% highland honey, 35% pine honey and no flower honey to obtain the maximum overall preference score (7.24). The consistency coefficient and flow behavior index values of the sample to get maximum overall preference score (7.24) were predicted to be 3.650 Pa sⁿ and 0.435, respectively.     

Immobilization of glucoamylase on magnetic poly(styrene) particles

Magnetic poly(styrene) particles including active groups were prepared for enzyme immobilization without any activation process. Glucoamylase, which is widely used in industry, was immobilized onto these particles. The effects of pH, buffer concentration, and temperature on immobilization were investigated; moreover, the effect of immobilization temperature on immobilized glucoamylase activity was determined for the hydrolysis of maltose. The acetate buffer with the concentration of 6 × 10⁻⁴ M at pH 4 and 20–30°C was found as the most suitable medium for the immobilization of the glucoamylase. The amount of bound protein is 8 mg/g particle with the immobilization yield of 70%. The maximum activity obtained with immobilized glucoamylase is approximately 70% of the free one. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 69–73, 1999     

A Novel Approach to Limit Chemical Deterioration of Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) Fillets: Coating with Electrospun Nanofibers as Characterized by Molecular,Thermal, and Microstructural Properties

Coating of sea bream fillets with thymol loaded chitosan based electrospun nanofibers (TLCN) and chitosan based nanafibers (CN) has been presented a novel approach to delay chemical deterioration. We assessed CN and TLCN with respect of scanting of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), trimethylamine (TMA), thiobarbituric acid (TBA) deterioration during cold storage condition. Electrospinning process was applied to obtain TLCN and CN. Both of nanofibers obtained from biopolymer and bioactive material were cylindrical, smooth, beadless. Thermal, molecular, zeta potential (ZP), and surface properties of the groups were investigated, revealing that CN indicated molecular interactions with thymol in nanofibers, reduce in physical properties of these structures, thermal decomposition (an alteration in mass of CN and TLCN at temperatures below 190 °C, corresponding to 20.53% and 19.97%, respectively) and also dispersion stabilities (ζ potential) of CN and TLCN were determined 33.68 ± 3.35 and 21.85 ± 1.96 mV, respectively. TVBN and TMA stability analyses demonstrated that CN and TLCN were both effective in delaying chemical deterioration of fish fillets, furthermore TLCN was more effective against chemical deterioration. TBA analyses results of fish fillets indicated that CN and TLCN delayed rancidity in fish meat as compared to control group samples. The presented study results suggested that coating of the sea bream fillets with CN and TLCN would be a promising approach to delay the chemical deterioration of fish fillets.     

Effect of an organic compound (Methyl Red) interfacial layer on the calculation of characteristic parameters of an Al/Methyl Red/p-Si sandwich Schottky barrier diode

An Al/Methyl Red/p-Si sandwich Schottky barrier diode (SBD) has been fabricated by adding a solution of the organic compound Methyl Red in chloroform onto a p-Si substrate, and then evaporating the solvent. Current-voltage (I-V) measurements of the Al/Methyl Red/p-Si sandwich SBD have been carried out at room temperature and in the dark. The Al/Methyl Red/p-Si sandwich SBD demonstrated rectifying behavior. Barrier height (BH) and ideality factor values of 0.855 eV and 1.19, respectively, for this device have been determined from the forward-bias I-V characteristics. The Al/Methyl Red/p-Si sandwich SBD showed non-ideal I-V behavior with the value of ideality factor greater than unity. The energy distribution of the interface state density determined from I-V characteristics increases exponentially with bias from 3.68 × 10¹² cm^− 2 eV^− 1 at (0.81 − E_v) eV to 9.99 × 10¹³ cm^− 2 eV^− 1 at (0.69 − E_v) eV.     

Excitation energy-dependent nature of Raman scattering spectrum in GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well structures

The excitation energy-dependent nature of Raman scattering spectrum, vibration, electronic or both, has been studied using different excitation sources on as-grown and annealed n- and p-type modulation-doped Ga_1 − xIn_xN_yAs_1 − y/GaAs quantum well structures. The samples were grown by molecular beam technique with different N concentrations (y = 0%, 0.9%, 1.2%, 1.7%) at the same In concentration of 32%. Micro-Raman measurements have been carried out using 532 and 758 nm lines of diode lasers, and the 1064 nm line of the Nd-YAG laser has been used for Fourier transform-Raman scattering measurements. Raman scattering measurements with different excitation sources have revealed that the excitation energy is the decisive mechanism on the nature of the Raman scattering spectrum. When the excitation energy is close to the electronic band gap energy of any constituent semiconductor materials in the sample, electronic transition dominates the spectrum, leading to a very broad peak. In the condition that the excitation energy is much higher than the band gap energy, only vibrational modes contribute to the Raman scattering spectrum of the samples. Line shapes of the Raman scattering spectrum with the 785 and 1064 nm lines of lasers have been observed to be very broad peaks, whose absolute peak energy values are in good agreement with the ones obtained from photoluminescence measurements. On the other hand, Raman scattering spectrum with the 532 nm line has exhibited only vibrational modes. As a complementary tool of Raman scattering measurements with the excitation source of 532 nm, which shows weak vibrational transitions, attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy has been also carried out. The results exhibited that the nature of the Raman scattering spectrum is strongly excitation energy-dependent, and with suitable excitation energy, electronic and/or vibrational transitions can be investigated.     

Influence of fortification with sodium–calcium caseinate and whey protein concentrate on microbiological,textural and sensory properties of set‐type yoghurt

The effect of fortification of yoghurt with sodium–calcium caseinate (SCC) and whey protein concentrate (WPC) on some properties of set‐type yoghurt were investigated. The addition of WPC enhanced the viability of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus more than SCC. The highest firmness values were obtained from SCC‐fortified yoghurts, whereas yoghurts fortified with WPC had the highest water‐holding capacity during storage. The yoghurts fortified with 4% w/w SCC or 4% w/w WPC had the highest viscosity. Yoghurts fortified with 2% w/w SMP, SCC or WPC showed similar taste and overall acceptability scores; however, samples containing 4% w/w SCC or 4% w/w WPC had the lowest scores.