Electron Microscopy Imaging Applications of Room Temperature Ionic Liquids in the Biological Field: A Review

For biological imaging using electron microscopy (EM), the use of room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) has been proposed as an alternative to traditional lengthy preparation methods. With their low vapor pressures and conductivity, RTILs can be applied onto hard-to-image soft and/or wet samples without dehydration – allowing for a more representative, hydrated state of material and opening the possibility for visualization of in situ physiological processes using conventional EM systems. However, RTILs have yet to be utilized to their full potential by microscopists and microbiologists alike. To this end, this review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of biological applications of RTILs for EM to bridge the RTIL, in situ microscopy, and biological communities. We outline future research avenues for the use of RTILs for the EM observation of biological samples, notably i) RTIL selection and optimization, ii) applications for live cell processes and iii) electron beam and ionic liquid interaction studies.     

FA composition and regiospecific analysis of Acer saccharum (sugar maple tree) and Acer saccharinum (silver maple tree) seed oils

GC analysis was performed to determine regiospecific distribution and FA composition in seed oils of the Aceraceae species, Acer saccharum and A. saccharinum. The oil content in the seeds was low at 5.0% in A. saccharum and 5.8% in A. saccharinum, and the main FA were linoleic (30.8 and 29.4%), oleic (21.3 and 27.6%), palmitic (10.1 and 10.5%), and cis-vaccenic (9.4 and 7.9%) acids, respectively. In addition, both oils contained long-chain monoenes of the n−9 and n−7 groups, including 11-eicosenoic, 13-docosenoic, 15-tetracosenoic, 13-eicosenoic, and 15-docosenoic acids, whereas γ-linolenic acid accounted for 0.8% of total FA in A. saccharum, and 0.5% in A. saccharinum. Regiospecific analysis, performed using the methodology of dibutyroyl derivatives of MAG, indicated that linoleic, oleic, and linolenic acids were mainly esterified at the internal position of TAG in both seed oils, whereas long-chain monoenes of the n−7 group were almost exclusively esterified on the external positions.     

A fuzzy constraint-based approach to data reconciliation in material flow analysis

Data reconciliation consists in modifying noisy or unreliable data in order to make them consistent with a mathematical model (herein a material flow network). The conventional approach relies on least-squares minimization. Here, we use a fuzzy set-based approach, replacing Gaussian likelihood functions by fuzzy intervals, and a leximin criterion. We show that the setting of fuzzy sets provides a generalized approach to the choice of estimated values, that is more flexible and less dependent on oftentimes debatable probabilistic justifications. It potentially encompasses interval-based formulations and the least squares method, by choosing appropriate membership functions and aggregation operations. This paper also lays bare the fact that data reconciliation under the fuzzy set approach is viewed as an information fusion problem, as opposed to the statistical tradition which solves an estimation problem.     

Thermal stability of NO 2 ⋅ and NO⋅ radicals formed in an Al23 catalyst during its preparation from a nitrate precursor

During the preparation of alumina as a catalyst support from aluminium nitrates by precipitation with a NH₄OH base, NO ₂ ^⋅ radicals have been formed in the catalyst after calcination under air in the solid at different temperatures. These radicals remained stable until a calcination temperature of 800°C. When the calcined catalyst was degassed under vacuum above 300 °C, the NO ₂ ^⋅ was reduced to give NO^⋅ and O^- species which were both tightly trapped in the solid. These latter species remained stable until vacuum treatment at 800 °C. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Feedback control for multi-resource usage of virtualised database server

Virtualisation and cloud computing have recently received significant attention. Resource allocation and control of multiple resource usages among virtual machines in virtualised data centres remains an open problem. Therefore, in this paper, our focus is to control CPU (central processing unit) usage and memory consumption of a virtual database machine in a data centre under a time-varying heavy workload. In addition to existing work, we attempt to control multiple outputs, such as the CPU usage and memory consumption of a virtualised database server (DBVM), via changing multiple server parameters, such as the CPU allocation and memory allocation, in real time. We indicated that a virtualised database server might be modelled as a linear time-unvarying system. We obtained and compared both MIMO (multi input–multi output) and multiple SISO (single input–single output) models of that system. We designed multiple SISO feedback controllers to achieve desired CPU usages and memory consumptions under workload.     

Ice sheet survey over Antarctica using satellite altimetry: ERS-2, Envisat,SARAL/AltiKa,the key importance of continuous observations along the same repeat orbit

From September 2002 to October 2010, the Envisat radar altimeter surveyed Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets on a 35 day repeat orbit, providing a unique data set for ice sheet mass balance studies. Up to 85 repeat cycles are available and the whole Envisat data set may be along-track processed in order to provide height variability and trend with a good spatial resolution for the objectives of ice sheet survey.

Soon, a joint Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales/Indian Space Research Organisation mission, SARAL (Satellite with Argos and AltiKa), with the AltiKa payload on board, will be launched on exactly the same orbit (less than 1 km of the nomimal orbit in the across-track direction). This will allow an extension of previous European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellite, ERS-1 and ERS-2, and Envisat missions of the European Space Agency (ESA), in particular from the point of view of ice altimetry. However, AltiKa operates in the Ka band (36.8 GHz), a higher frequency than the classical Ku band (13.6 GHz), leading to important modifications and potential improvements in the interactions between radar wave and snow-pack.

In this paper, a synthesis is presented of all available information relevant to ice altimetry scientific purposes as derived from the Envisat mission: mean and temporal derivatives of the height ? but also of the backscatter and of the two waveform parameters ? snow-pack change corrections, across-track surface slope at 1 km scale, etc. The spatial and temporal variability of ice sheet surface elevation is investigated with the help of the high-resolution Envisat along-track observations. We show that at least 50 repeat cycles are needed to reach the required accuracy for the elevation trend. It is thus advocated as potentially highly beneficial for SARAL/AltiKa as a follow-on mission. Moreover, the novel characteristics of SARAL/AltiKa are promising in improving our understanding of snow penetration impact.     

Abietoid seed fatty acid composition—A review of the genera Abies, Cedrus, Hesperopeuce, Keteleeria, Pseudolarix, and Tsuga and preliminary inferences on the taxonomy of Pinaceae

The seed fatty acid (FA) compositions of Abietoids (Abies, Cedrus, Hesperopeuce, Keteleeria, Pseudolarix, and Tsuga) are reviewed in the present study in conclusion to our survey of Pinaceae seed FA compositions. Many unpublished data are given. Abietoids and Pinoids (Pinus, Larix, Ficea, and Pseudotsuga)—constituting the family Pinaceae—are united by the presence of several Δ5-olefinic acids, taxoleic (5,9–18∶2), pinolenic (5,9,12–18∶3) coniferonic (5,9,12,15–18∶4), keteleeronic (5,11–20∶2), and sciadonic (5,11,14–20∶3) acids, and of 14-methyl hexadecanoic (anteiso-17∶0) acid. These acids seldom occur in angiosperm seeds. The proportions of individual Δ5-olefinic acids, however, differ between Pinoids and Abietoids. In the first group, pinolenic acid is much greater than taxoleic acid, whereas in the second group, pinolenic acid is greater than or equal to taxoleic acid. Moreover, taxoleic acid in Abietoids is much greater than taxoleic acid in Pinoids, an apparent limit between the two subfamilies being about 4.5% of that acid relative to total FA. Tsuga spp. appear to be a major exception, as their seed FA compositions are much like those of species from the Pinoid group. In this respect, Hesperopeuce mertensiana, also known as Tsuga mertensiana, has little in common with Abietoids and fits the general FA pattern of Pinoids well. Tsuga spp. and H. mertensiana, from their seed FA compositions, should perhaps be separated from the Abietoid group and their taxonomic position revised. It is suggested that a “Tsugoid” subfamily be created, with seed FA in compliance with the Pinoid pattern and other botanical and immunological criteria of the Abietoid type. All Pinaceae genera, with the exception of Pinus, are quite homogeneous when considering their overall seed FA compositions, including Δ5-olefinic acids. In all cases but one (Pinus), variations from one species to another inside a given genus are of small amplitude. Pinus spp., on the other hand, have highly variable levels of Δ5-olefinic acids in their FA compositions, particularly when sections (e.g., Cembroides vs. Pinus sections) or subsections (e.g., Flexiles and Cembrae subsections from the section Strobus) are compared, although they show qualitatively the same FA patterns characteristic of Pinoids. Multicomponent analysis of Abietoid seed FA allowed grouping of individual species into genera that coincide with the same genera otherwise characterized by more classical botanical criteria. Our studies exemplify how seed FA compositions, particularly owing to the presence of Δ5-olefinic acids, may be useful in sustaining and adding some precision to existing taxonomy of the major family of gymnosperms, Pinaceae.     

Silicon neuron: digital hardware implementation of the quartic model

This paper presents an FPGA implementation of the quartic neuron model. This approach uses digital computation to emulate individual neuron behavior. We implemented the neuron model using fixed-point arithmetic operation. The neuron model’s computations are performed in arithmetic pipelines. It was designed in VHDL language and simulated prior to mapping in the FPGA. We show that the proposed FPGA implementation of the quartic neuron model can emulate the electrophysiological activities in various types of cortical neurons and is capable of producing a variety of different behaviors, with diversity similar to that of neuronal cells. The neuron family of this digital neuron can be modified by appropriately adjusting the neuron model’s parameters.     

On Efficiency of Multi-job Grid Allocation Based on Statistical Trace Data

The ever growing number of computation-intensive applications calls for utilizing large-scale, potentially interoperable distributed infrastructures. Nowadays, such distributed systems enable the management of heterogeneous scientific workflows of considerable sizes, where job scheduling and resource management is a crucial issue. In this paper we focus on the challenges of scheduling parameter sweep applications, a specific and commonly used type of workflows where ordering of job executions is irrelevant. A parameter sweep has a large set of independent job instances, called a multi-job, submitted for execution in a single step. In order to cope with the high uncertainty and unpredictable load of resources, and the simultaneous submissions of multi-job instances, we propose a statistics-based brokering approach for allocating jobs to resources so that the makespan is minimised. Earlier studies claim that users’ predictions on job runtime are inaccurate and unusable for scheduling. Our aim is to examine, whether statistical trace data for the same purpose is efficient compared to randomized allocation.