Application of geochemical zonality coefficients in mineral prospectivity mapping

Indices of geochemical zonality (Vz) of multielements around mineral deposits and their spatial associations with particular geological, geochemical, and structural factors are critical aspects that must be considered in mineral exploration. Values of Vz indices allow distinction between sub-ore and supra-ore anomalies, which are associated with outcropping and blind deposits, respectively. In this paper, we used a map of a Vz index (Zn?Pb/Cu*Ag) in weights-of-evidence analysis of regional-scale prospectivity for porphyry-Cu deposits in the area covered by 1:100,000 scale map sheet of Jebal-Barez (Kerman province, southern Iran). For comparison, we used a Cu map instead of the Vz map in the weights-of-evidence (WofE) analysis. The Vz-in-WofE prospectivity model outperforms the Cu-in-WofE prospectivity model. In fact, prior to writing this paper, blind porphyry-Cu mineralization was intersected at depth by borehole exploration in a high prospectivity zone delineated by the Vz-in-WofE model. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the Vz-in-WofE for regional-scale targeting of blind mineral deposits.     

Label-Free,Longitudinal Visualization of PDT Response In Vitro with Optical Coherence Tomography

A major challenge in creating and optimizing therapeutics in the fight against cancer is visualizing and understanding the microscale spatiotemporal treatment response dynamics that occur in patients. This is especially true for photodynamic therapy (PDT), where therapeutic optimization relies on understanding the interplay between factors such as photosensitizer localization and uptake, in addition to light dose and delivery rate. In vitro 3D culture systems that recapitulate many of the biological features of human disease are powerful platforms for carrying out detailed studies on PDT response and resistance. Current techniques for visualizing these models, however, often lack accuracy due to the perturbative nature of the sample preparation, with light attenuation complicating the study of intact models. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an ideal method for the long-term, non-perturbative study of in vitro models and their response to PDT. Monitoring the response of 3D models to PDT by time-lapse OCT methods promises to provide new perspectives and open the way to cancer treatment methodologies that can be translated towards the clinic.     

Comparative evaluation of task priorities for processing and bandwidth capacities-based workflow scheduling for cloud environment

The Journal of Supercomputing - With the development of the cloud computing market, cloud computing providers are offering to their users the flexibility to choose the desired capacity of both...     

MDTP: a novel multi-directional triangles pattern for face expression recognition

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Face expression recognition is a key-subject of machine learning, and the primary issue on it is lack of accuracy. This paper proposes a novel face expression...     

Isolation,composition, morphological and pasting properties of starches from rice cultivars grown in Nigeria

The isolation, composition, morphology and pasting properties of rice starches from different rice cultivars (N2R, Nerica II rice; IGR, Igbemo rice; ILR, Ilaje rice; and EAR, Efon Alaye rice) were studied. The starches were isolated from their flours by using a modified deproteination method in 0.1% NaOH. The highest starch yield of 65% was obtained from EAR with a residual protein of 0.41% and lowest starch yield of 45.70% from IGR with a residual protein of 0.42%. The AAM concentration of rice starches ranged from 21.88 to 26.04%. The sizes of the starch granules obtained from SEM were between 3 and 8 µm, some of the granules were individual (single) while others were fused (compound granules). The starch granules were small, polygonal and irregular in shape. The pasting parameters were evaluated using rapid visco analyser (RVA). Significant differences were observed in individual pasting parameters such as peak viscosity (PV), breakdown viscosity (BV), final viscosity (FV) and setback viscosity (SV). Cooked ILR starch had the highest PV (279.69 RVU; rapid viscosity units) and BV (52.50 RVU) when compared to the other starches. In contrast, N2R showed the highest FV (329.92 RVU) and SV (102.50 RVU), the latter due to the high concentration of AAM. The results revealed that cultivar has an effect on composition and pasting properties of rice starch.     

Impact of Gram-negative bacteria in interaction with a complex microbial consortium on biogenic amine content and sensory characteristics of an uncooked pressed cheese

The impact of Gram-negative bacteria on sensory characteristics and production of volatile compounds as well as biogenic amines (BA) in the core of an uncooked pressed type model cheese was investigated in the presence of a defined complex microbial consortium. Eleven strains of Gram-negative bacteria, selected on the basis of their biodiversity and in vitro BA-production ability, were individually tested in a model cheese. Four out of 6 strains of Enterobacteriaceae (Citrobacter freundii UCMA 4217, Klebsiella oxytoca 927, Hafnia alvei B16 and Proteus vulgaris UCMA 3780) reached counts close to 6 log CFU g⁻¹ in the model cheese. In core of cheeses inoculated with Gram-negative bacteria, only slight differences were observed for microbial counts (Enterococcus faecalis or Lactobacillus plantarum count differences below 1 log CFU g⁻¹), acetate concentration (differences below 200 mg kg⁻¹) and texture (greater firmness) in comparison to control cheeses. Cheese core colour, odour and volatile compound composition were not modified. Although ornithine, the precursor of putrescine, was present in all cheeses, putrescine was only detected in cheeses inoculated with H. alvei B16 and never exceeded 2.18 mmol kg⁻¹ cheese dry matter. Cadaverine was only detected in cheeses inoculated with H. alvei B16, K. oxytoca 927, Halomonas venusta 4C1A or Morganella morganii 3A2A but at lower concentrations (<1.05 mmol kg⁻¹ cheese dry matter), although lysine was available. Only insignificant amounts of the detrimental BA histamine and tyramine, as well as isopentylamine, tryptamine or phenylethylamine, were produced in the cheese model by any of the Gram-negative strains, including those which produced these BA at high levels in vitro.     

Quantification of viable Brochothrix thermosphacta in cooked shrimp and salmon by real-time PCR

Brochothrix thermosphacta, a Gram-positive bacterium, is considered as the predominant spoilage microbiota of modified atmosphere packing (MAP) shrimp and fish. Traditional methods currently used to detect B. thermosphacta in foods are time-consuming and labour-intensive. The aim of this study was to develop a real-time PCR quantification method combined with a propidium monoazide (PMA) sample treatment step to monitor the population of B. thermosphacta in cooked shrimp and salmon. The specificity of the two primers MO405 and MO404 used to amplify a 70 bp fragment of the 16S rRNA gene was demonstrated by using purified DNA from 30 strains, among 21 bacterial species including 22 reference strains. Using these primers for real-time PCR and in pure culture, a good correlation was obtained between real-time PCR and the conventional plating method. Quantification was linear over 7-log units using artificially inoculated samples. The method performed successfully when tested on naturally contaminated cooked shrimp and fresh salmon, with a minimum threshold of 1.9×102 CFU/g for accurate quantification of B. thermosphacta. The correlation between the B. thermosphacta counts obtained by real-time PCR and plate counts on naturally contaminated shrimp and salmon was high (R2=0.895). Thus, this study presents a rapid tool for producing reliable quantitative data on B. thermosphacta in cooked shrimp and fresh salmon.