Vector rational interpolation schemes for erroneous motion field estimation applied to MPEG-2 error concealment

A study on the use of vector rational interpolation for the estimation of erroneously received motion fields of MPEG-2 predictively coded frames is undertaken in this paper, aiming further at error concealment (EC). Various rational interpolation schemes have been investigated, some of which are applied to different interpolation directions. One scheme additionally uses the boundary matching error and another one attempts to locate the direction of minimal/maximal change in the local motion field neighborhood. Another one further adopts bilinear interpolation principles, whereas a last one additionally exploits available coding mode information. The methods present temporal EC methods for predictively coded frames or frames for which motion information pre-exists in the video bitstream. Their main advantages are their capability to adapt their behavior with respect to neighboring motion information, by switching from linear to nonlinear behavior, and their real-time implementation capabilities, enabling them for real-time decoding applications. They are easily embedded in the decoder model to achieve concealment along with decoding and avoid post-processing delays. Their performance proves to be satisfactory for packet error rates up to 2% and for video sequences with different content and motion characteristics and surpass that of other state-of-the-art temporal concealment methods that also attempt to estimate unavailable motion information and perform concealment afterwards.     

Synthesis and properties of a mitochondrial peripheral benzodiazepine receptor conjugate

Peripheral benzodiazepine receptors are potential targets for cancer therapeutics through the use of specific ligands such as the pro-apoptotic benzodiazepine RO5-4864. However, the poor water solubility of this compound has been a limitation to its application in vivo. Herein we describe an efficient synthesis for the conjugation, via a cleavable linker arm, of RO5-4864 to a novel tumour-delivery tool, the B-subunit of Shiga toxin (STxB). The conjugate is water soluble and specifically targets cancer cells that overexpress the glycolipid Gb3, the cellular Shiga toxin receptor that is found on several human tumours. After internalisation via retrograde transport, the prodrug is cleaved inside cells to release the active principle. Delivery by STxB therefore increases the cytotoxic activity of RO5-4864 and its tumour specificity.     

Groundwater salinization in the Saloum (Senegal) delta aquifer: minor elements and isotopic indicators

The hydrochemistry of minor elements bromide (Br), boron (B), strontium (Sr), environmental stable isotopes (18O and 2H) together with major-ion chemistry (chloride, sodium, calcium) has been used to constrain the source(s), relative age, and processes of salinization in the Continental Terminal (CT) aquifer in the Saloum (mid-west Senegal) region. Seventy-one groundwater wells which include 24 wells contaminated by saltwater and three sites along the hypersaline Saloum River were sampled to obtain additional information on the hydrochemical characteristics of the groundwater defined in previous studies. Use of Br against Cl confirms the Saloum River saline water intrusion up to a contribution of 7% into the aquifer. In addition to this recent intrusion, a relatively ancient intrusion of the Saloum River water which had reached at least as far as 20 km south from the source was evidenced. The high molar ratio values of Sr/Cl and Sr/Ca indicate an additional input of strontium presumably derived from carbonate precipitation/dissolution reactions and also via adsorption reactions. The variable B concentrations (7-650 microg/L) found in the groundwater samples were tested against the binary mixing model to evaluate the processes of salinization which are responsible for the investigated system. Sorption of B and depletion of Na occur as the Saloum river water intrudes the aquifer (salinization) in the northern part of the region, whereas B desorption and Na enrichment occur as the fresh groundwater flushing displaces the saline waters in the coastal strip (refreshening). In the central zone where ancient intrusion prevailed, the process of freshening of the saline groundwater is indicated by the changes in major-ion chemistry as well as B desorption and Na enrichment. In addition to these processes, stable isotopes reveal that mixing with recently infiltrating waters and evaporation contribute to the changes in isotopic signature.     

Mechanism of textile metal dye biotransformation by Trametes versicolor

The biodegradation of Grey Lanaset G, which consists of a mixture of metal complexed dye, was studied. Experiments were carried out in a bioreactor with retained pellets of the fungus Trametes versicolor that was operated under conditions of laccase production. Although decolorization was highly efficient (90%), no direct relationship to extracellular enzyme was apparent. Moreover, the extracellular enzyme was found to be unable to degrade the dye in vitro. The process involves several steps. Thus, the initial adsorption of the dye and its transfer into cells is followed by breaking of the metal complex bond in the cells release of the components. The metal (Cr and Co) contents of the biomass and treated solutions, and their closer relationship to intracellular enzyme and degradation of the dye, confirm the initial hypothesis.     

Influence of Internal and External Parameters in Temperature of Hybrid PV/T Water Collector

The combination of photovoltaic system with a thermal to form the hybrid PVT （photovoltaic thermal）, which together will generate electricity and heat. This energy depends on the input that is to say the energy of solar radiation, temperature and speed wind and output which is the operating temperature of the system. This production also depends on the mode of heat removal. The authors present in this article; a study by a numerical simulation of the thermal behavior of a prototype hybrid sensor through the development of an energy balance that involves heat exchange between the different components of the hybrid sensor, and it will allow us to study the influence of internal and external parameters on the temperature variation in the different layers of the prototype PV/T studied.     

Multicellular Alamouti scheme performance in Rayleigh and shadow fading

In this paper, we study the performance of two downlink multicellular systems: a multiple inputs single output (MISO) system using the Alamouti code and a multiple inputs multiple outputs (MIMO) system using the Alamouti code at the transmitter side and a maximum ratio combining (MRC) as a receiver, in terms of outage probability. The channel model includes path-loss, shadowing, and fast fading, and the system is considered interference-limited. Two cases are distinguished: constant shadowing and log-normally distributed shadowing. In the first case, closed form expressions of the outage probability are proposed. For a log-normally distributed shadowing, we derive easily computable expressions of the outage probability. The proposed expressions allow for fast and simple performance evaluation for the two multicellular wireless systems: MISO Alamouti and MIMO Alamouti with MRC receiver. We use a fluid model approach to provide simpler outage probability expressions depending only on the distance between the considered user and its serving base station.     

Extension of the anaerobic digestion model No. 1 (ADM1) to include phenolic compounds biodegradation processes for the simulation of anaerobic co-digestion of olive mill wastes at thermophilic temperature

This paper describes for the first time the extension of the anaerobic digestion model No. 1 (ADM1) to handle and simulate the anaerobic degradation processes of phenol compounds and homologues in olive mill wastewater (OMW) and olive mill solid waste (OMSW) at thermophilic temperature (55 degrees C). The general structure of the ADM1 was not changed except for the modifications related to the inclusion of phenolic compounds degradation processes into acetate and further into methane and CO(2). The effect of soluble phenolic compounds upon pH was taken into account in the pH simulation equations. The inhibitory effect of phenolic compounds on the fermenting process and methanogenic sub-populations was accounted for by the use of non-competitive inhibition functions. The most sensitive and new phenolic parameters were calibrated and validated using experimental data from our previous study dealing with the thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of OMW with OMSW in semi-continuous tubular digesters. The simulation results indicated that the extended ADM1 was able to predict with reasonable accuracy effluent phenol concentrations and gas flow rates and effluent pH of various influent concentrations digested at hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 36 and 24 days.