Modelling corn production in China using AVHRR‐based vegetation health indices

Weather‐related crop losses have always been a concern for farmers, governments, traders and policy makers for the purpose of balanced food supplies, demands, trade, and distribution of aid to nations in need. Therefore, early crop loss assessment in response to weather fluctuations is an important issue. This paper discusses the utility of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)‐based vegetation health indices as a proxy for modelling corn yield and for early warning of drought‐related losses of agricultural production in China. The indices were tested in Jilin province on corn yield during 1982–2001 using correlation and regression analysis. A strong correlation between corn yield and the vegetation health indices were found during the critical period of corn growth, which starts 2–3 weeks before and 2–3 weeks after corn tassel. Following the results of correlation analysis, several regression equations were constructed where vegetation health indices were used as independent variables. The estimates of corn yield can be carried out well in advance of harvest and the errors of the estimates are 7–10%. The errors become smaller when the estimations are related to losses in corn yield due to drought.     

A case study in the mechanical verification of fault tolerance

To date, there is little evidence that modular reasoning about fault-tolerant systems can simplify the verification process in practice. This question is studied using a prominent example from the fault tolerance literature: the problem of reliable broadcast in point-to-point networks subject to crash failures of processes. The experiences from this case study show how modular specification techniques and rigorous proof re-use can indeed help in such undertakings.     

Evolutionary functional black-box testing in an industrial setting

During the past years, evolutionary testing research has reported encouraging results for automated functional (i.e. black-box) testing. However, despite promising results, these techniques have hardly been applied to complex, real-world systems and as such, little is known about their scalability, applicability, and acceptability in industry. In this paper, we describe the empirical setup used to study the use of evolutionary functional testing in industry through two case studies, drawn from serial production development environments at Daimler and Berner & Mattner Systemtechnik, respectively. Results of the case studies are presented, and research questions are assessed based on them. In summary, the results indicate that evolutionary functional testing in an industrial setting is both scalable and applicable. However, the creation of fitness functions is time-consuming. Although in some cases, this is compensated by the results, it is still a significant factor preventing functional evolutionary testing from more widespread use in industry.     

Materials Surgery – Reactivity Differences of Organic Groups in Hybrids

Synergistic properties in hybrid materials can emerge if the inorganic matrix has an electronic influence on the organic constituents and vice versa. This paper describes the drastic effect of SiO₂ in periodically ordered mesoporous organosilica materials (PMOs) on ethylene groups. A sophisticated, in situ solid‐state NMR spectroscopy study showed that the ozonolysis of ethylene groups follows an entirely different mechanism than is normal for organic, molecular groups. Ultimately, this leads to the topotactic transformation of the PMO material. Only if silicon is not in the alpha position to the double bond does it became possible to establish a new method to functionalize PMOs materials: the targeted scission of the ethylene group and the creation of functionalized pockets inside the pore walls of the mesoporous solid.     

Ruthenium- and Osmium-Arene Complexes of 2-Substituted Indolo[3,2-c]quinolines: Synthesis, Structure, Spectroscopic Properties, and Antiproliferative Activity

The synthesis of new modified indolo[3,2-c]quinoline ligands L(1)-L(8) with metal-binding sites is reported. By coordination to ruthenium- and osmium-arene moieties 16 complexes of the type [(η(6)-p-cymene)M(L)Cl]Cl (1a,b-8a,b), where M is Ru(II) or Os(II) and L is L(1)-L(8), have been prepared. All compounds were comprehensively characterized by elemental analysis, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, IR, UV-vis, and NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (2a, 4a, 4b, 5a, 7a, and 7b). The complexes were tested for antiproliferative activity in vitro in three human cancer cell lines, namely, CH1 (ovarian carcinoma), SW480 (colon adenocarcinoma), and A549 (non-small-cell lung cancer), yielding IC(50) values in the submicromolar or low micromolar range.     

New concepts for lithium minerals processing

A new concept for the enrichment of lithium minerals is offering higher purity and higher yield by applying new processing technologies addressing the specific properties of the pegmatitic host rock. Additional value is created from high quality by-products which will improve the sustainability of mining activity and the overall cost base. Within the new concept, flotation may even be avoided where wet separation techniques are not applicable.Two innovative processing technologies have been integrated in the new concept: electrodynamic fragmentation and optical sorting. Detailed results of lab-technical tests show that the new process design can achieve highly selective liberation and separation processes. Optical and mineralogical analyses of the test products indicate a high benefit for commercial applications.