Fast template matching with polynomials.

Template matching is widely used for many applications in image and signal processing. This paper proposes a novel template matching algorithm, called algebraic template matching. Given a template and an input image, algebraic template matching efficiently calculates similarities between the template and the partial images of the input image, for various widths and heights. The partial image most similar to the template image is detected from the input image for any location, width, and height. In the proposed algorithm, a polynomial that approximates the template image is used to match the input image instead of the template image. The proposed algorithm is effective especially when the width and height of the template image differ from the partial image to be matched. An algorithm using the Legendre polynomial is proposed for efficient approximation of the template image. This algorithm not only reduces computational costs, but also improves the quality of the approximated image. It is shown theoretically and experimentally that the computational cost of the proposed algorithm is much smaller than the existing methods.     

Alpha-anomer-selective glucosylation of menthol with high yield through a crystal accumulation reaction using lyophilized cells of Xanthomonas campestris WU-9701

L-Menthyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside (alpha-MenG) is a desirable derivative of L-menthol with useful properties for the production of new flavors and novel food additives. Bacteria were screened for alpha-anomer-selective glucosylation activity toward l-menthol, resulting in the isolation of two strains, Xanthomonas campestris WU-9701 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia WU-9702, from independent soil samples. Since the safety of X. campestris for use in the food industry is well established, WU-9701 was selected as the more suitable strain for further study. When 50 mg X. campestris WU-9701 lyophilized cells as a biocatalyst were incubated with 1.0 M maltose and 100 mg L-menthol in 10 ml of 10 mM H3BO3NaOHKCl buffer (pH 8.0) at 40 degrees C, alpha-MenG was accumulated, mainly in a crystalline form, through the anomer-selective synthesis reaction without any by-product formation. Under the optimal conditions, 202 mg alpha-MenG was obtained over 48 h with a highest conversion yield of 99.1% based on the supplied L-menthol. Crude alpha-MenG formed through this "crystal accumulation reaction" was easily collected from the reaction mixture by separation on filter paper. Plank-like crystals of purified alpha-MenG were subsequently obtained by recrystallization in ethyl acetate solution.     

Grafting of methyl methacrylate onto collagen initiated by tributylborane

The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto collagen initiated by tributylborane was investigated in aqueous medium. The total conversion, percentage of grafting and efficiency of grafting increased with increasing collagen content. The optimum conditions on the percentage of grafting and efficiency of grafting were determined by varying initiator concentration, monomer concentration, and polymerization temperature. The grafting onto denaturated collagen was also studied. It has been suggested that the grafting onto collagen proceeds by a radical mechanism via a complex of TBB and hydrated collagen.     

Structural effect of a series of block copolymers consisting of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(N-hydroxyethylacrylamide) on thermoresponsive behavior

Well-defined diblock and triblock copolymers consisting of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and poly(N-hydroxyethylacrylamide) (PHEAA) were prepared using the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method. The number-average molecular weight and fraction of each segment were precisely controllable by adjusting the monomer/initiator ratio in feed. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of a series of block copolymers with different compositions was examined using a turbidimetry analysis. The copolymers with a relatively lower molar fraction of HEAA units in the polymer chain exhibited phase transition phenomenon, in which the LCST depended on the fraction in the copolymer. On the other hand, the LCST disappeared for the copolymers with higher HEAA unit molar fractions. The ¹H NMR measurement clarified that the disappearance of the LCST was attributed to the formation of the water-soluble micelle. Furthermore, the thermoresponsive property of the series of block copolymers was elucidated on the basis of the structural effect of the copolymer, which includes the order and length of the block segments.     

Influence of Transient Flooding on Multi-Anchor Walls

The paper presents the results of three full-scale tests that were carried out to investigate the influence of transient flooding on the performance of multi-anchor reinforced soil walls (MAW). The walls were constructed to a height of 6 m and flooded from the front of the structures to about mid-height and then drained in two to four stages. The walls were constructed with three different sand soils varying with respect to permeability, fines content and shear strength. Earth pressures and anchor loads were monitored during the flooding and draining stages and in-situ anchor pullout tests were performed. The analysis of results showed that the wall facings were very permeable and thus prevented unbalanced hydrostatic or seepage forces from developing during drawdown that could increase anchor loads beyond drained condition values. The accuracy of the current PWRC (2002) analytical model to estimate anchor capacity of MAW systems was demonstrated to vary widely depending on soil type and whether the soil was flooded or drained. However, on the load side, the method proposed by Miyata et al. (2009) to predict anchor loads was judged to be more accurate than the current BS8006 (2005) and PWRC (2002) methods based on the mean and spread of bias statistics where bias is defined as the ratio of measured to predicted anchor load.     

Effect of particle morphology on thermophoretic velocity of aggregated soot particles

A particle under a temperature gradient experiences a force toward the colder region if a particle is very small. This phenomenon is called thermophoresis, a mass transfer phenomenon induced by the temperature gradient. It is well known that the magnitude of the thermophoretic force depends on the size of particle and the temperature gradient. In addition, the magnitude of the thermophoretic force depends on various factors such as the ambient gas’s kinematic viscosity and thermal conductivity and the morphology of the particle. To understand thermophoresis in detail, the effects of these factors need to be evaluated. In this study, we accurately measured the thermophoretic velocity of aggregated particles in order to understand the effect of particle morphology. We used carbon black particles of well-defined aggregation parameters to systematically understand the effect of morphology. In addition, we introduced a new optical system to measure the velocity and the size of each particle simultaneously. Five different samples of carbon black particles with different aggregation parameters were used to systematically understand the effect of morphology. The measured thermophoretic velocities were almost proportional to νT/T. The measured dimensionless thermophoretic velocities, U_T/(νT/T), were much larger than those expected based on the size of aggregates and rather close to those expected based on the primary particle size even when the size of aggregates are larger than 100 mm. This result infers that thermophoretic velocity of an aggregated particle is governed by the primary particle size. The dimensionless density, the ratio of the bulk density to the true density, which represents the overall packing degree of aggregate, is also found to have a significant effect on the thermophoretic behavior.     

Isolation of Pseudozyma churashimaensis sp. nov., a novel ustilaginomycetous yeast species as a producer of glycolipid biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids

An ustilaginomycetous anamorphic yeast species isolated from the leaves of Saccharum officinarum (sugarcane) in Okinawa, Japan, was identified as a novel Pseudozyma species based on morphological and physiological aspects and molecular taxonomic analysis using the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (26S) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1)-5.8S-ITS2 regions. The name Pseudozyma churashimaensis sp. nov. was proposed for the novel species, with JCM 16988(T) as the type strain. Interestingly, P. churashimaensis was found to produce glycolipid biosurfactants, a mixture of mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), including a novel tri-acetylated derivative (MEL-A2), from glucose. The observed critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the surface tension at CMC of MEL-A2 were 1.7 × 10?? M and 29.2 mN/m, respectively. Moreover, on a water-penetration scan, MEL-A2 efficiently formed different lyotropic liquid crystalline phases, including the lamella phase at a wide range of concentrations, indicating its excellent surface-active and self-assembling properties. The novel strain of the genus Pseudozyma should thus facilitate the application of glycolipid biosurfactants in combination with other MEL producers.     

Influence of poling conditions on the piezoelectric properties of PZT ceramics

The influence of the poling temperature, the poling electric field, the poling time and the distance between electrodes on the dielectric constant _r and the electro-mechanical coupling factor k_r of PZT were investigated using a statistical analysis method. Interactions between various factors affecting _r and k_r parameters were found particularly, with regard to the poling temperature. The k_r value of PZT is influenced more by the absolute voltage than by the applied electric field strength.     

Gluten Gel and Film Properties in the Presence of Cysteine and Sodium Alginate

ABSTRACT:  Wheat flour has an ability of forming dough by mixing with water, which exhibits a rheological property required for making bread. The major protein is gluten, which is a valuable protein material for food industry. In this study, gluten protein gels and films were formed with cysteine and sodium alginate. Adding cysteine improved gel and film properties (stress relaxation behavior, bending strength). The gel containing 0.01 M cysteine had a longer relaxation time and was more rigid than the gel without cysteine. Although adding sodium alginate to the gluten suspension containing cysteine improved the water-holding ability and homogeneity of the gel network, the film from this gel was more brittle than the gluten film with cysteine alone. Microstructural observations of the gels and films with scanning electron microscopy suggested that water evaporation was more heterogeneous from the gel containing sodium alginate than from the gel with cysteine alone. Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) analysis during film formation suggested that the presence of cysteine encourages interaction between gluten molecules and results in intermolecular β-sheet formation in earlier stages than in the no additive condition. FT-IR results also suggested that the combined effect of sodium alginate and cysteine on the protein secondary structure was remarkably different from that of cysteine alone. Our results suggest that addition of a suitable amount of cysteine (0.01 M) and heat treatment to 80 °C during gluten gel and film formation induces a homogenous network in the gel and film by regulating disulfide–sulfide interactions.