Direction finding using data-supported optimization

A novel data-supported optimization technique for maximum likelihood (ML) direction-of-arrival estimation is proposed. The essence of our approach is to optimize the likelihood function at certaindata-supported points obtained by a resampled root-MUSIC procedure. These points are shown to comprise a small but representative subset of all possible searching points and contain enough information for solving the ML problem.This work was supported in part by grants from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology (MEST) of Ontario, Communications and Information Technology Ontario (CITO), and by the Senior Individual Grant Program of the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research.     

Utilizing Space-Time Diversity for Wireless Communications

In this paper we consider the use of multiple antennas for wireless communication over fading channels.The fading we consider is quasi-static flat Rayleigh fading. For such a scenario optimal SNR schemes are derived when the transmitter knows the channel and when the transmitter does not know the channel. But in both cases the receiver has to estimate the channel. When the SNR during channel estimation is reasonably high we derive expressions to show the impact of channel estimation errors on SNR.     

Influence of Chemical Pretreatment on the Dissolved Organics in Poplar Alkaline Peroxide Mechanical Pulping Effluent

The components of the effluent from the chemical pretreatment of poplar alkaline peroxide mechanical pulp (APMP) were analyzed in this study. The main dissolved organics were low-molecular weight (LMW) lignin, oligosaccharides, and monosaccharides. The lignin and sugar concentrations in the effluent obtained using different chemical pretreatment conditions and chemical dosages were analyzed using ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy. This analysis provided a theoretical basis for the subsequent treatment and utilization of APMP effluent. The experimental results showed that the dosages of NaOH, H₂O₂, and Na₂SiO₃ in the chemical pretreatment process affected the lignin and sugar concentrations in the effluent and that different chemicals had differing degrees of influence. The degree of influence exhibited the following order: NaOH>H₂O₂>Na₂SiO₃. More specifically, the dosages of NaOH and H₂O₂ had stronger influences on the lignin and sugar concentrations than that of Na₂SiO₃. Indeed, the Na₂SiO₃ dosage hardly affected the lignin and sugar concentrations in the effluent, but Na₂SiO₃ could stabilize the chemical pretreatment system and improve the reactive efficiency of NaOH and H₂O₂. The pretreatment temperature and time also affected the organic components, and the influence of the temperature was stronger than that of time.     

Volatile Emissions from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alnus glutionosa</Emphasis> Induced by Herbivory are Quantitatively Related to the Extent of Damage

Plant volatile organic compounds (VOCs) elicited in response to herbivory serve as cues for parasitic and predatory insects. Knowledge about quantitative relationships between the extent of herbivore-induced damage and the quantities of VOCs released is scarce. We studied the kinetics of VOC-emissions from foliage of the deciduous tree Alnus glutinosa induced by feeding activity of larvae of the geometrid moth Cabera pusaria. Quantitative relationships between the intensity of stress and strength of plant response were determined. Intensity of biotic stress was characterized by herbivore numbers (0–8 larvae) and by the amount of leaf area eaten. The strength of plant response was characterized by monitoring (i) changes in photosynthesis, (ii) leaf ultrastructure, and (iii) plant volatiles. Net assimilation rate displayed compensatory responses in herbivore-damaged leaves compared with control leaves. This compensatory response was associated with an overall increase in chloroplast size. Feeding-induced emissions of products of the lipoxygenase pathway (LOX products; (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenol, 1-hexanol, and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate) peaked at day 1 after larval feeding started, followed by an increase of emissions of ubiquitous monoterpenes peaking on days 2 and 3. The emission of the monoterpene (E)-β-ocimene and of the nerolidol-derived homoterpene 4,8-dimethyl-nona-1,3,7-triene (DMNT) peaked on day 3. Furthermore, the emission kinetics of the sesquiterpene (E,E)-α-farnesene tended to be biphasic with peaks on days 2 and 4 after start of larval feeding. Emission rates of the induced LOX products, of (E)-β-ocimene and (E,E)-α-farnesene were positively correlated with the number of larvae feeding. In contrast, the emission of DMNT was independent of the number of feeders. These data show quantitative relationships between the strength of herbivory and the emissions of LOX products and most of the terpenoids elicited in response to feeding. Thus, herbivory-elicited LOX products and terpenoid emissions may convey both quantitative and qualitative signals to antagonists of the herbivores. In contrast, our data suggest that the feeding-induced homoterpene DMNT conveys the information “presence of herbivores” rather than information about the quantities of herbivores to predators and parasitoids.     

Inulin mixed esters crosslinked with 2-ethyl-hexyl-acrylate and their promotion as bio-based materials

New inulin-based materials were obtained by graft-copolymerization of inulin (poly-β(1 → 2)-fructoside) with 2-ethyl-hexyl acrylate. Inulin mixed esters were first synthesized by acylation using methacryloyl and palmitoyl chlorides. Further, these esters were copolymerized with 2-ethyl-hexyl acrylate in order to obtain bio-based crosslinked materials that could be used as commodity plastics and that would have biodegradable properties. The obtained products were characterized using FT-IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies, thermogravimetry; differential scanning calorimetry, and activation energy for the degradation processes (using Kissinger method) was calculated. These biomaterials were also subjected to density measurement, tensile and torsion tests to evaluate their mechanical properties.     

Structural and magnetic properties of Li2O–Fe2O3 ceramic nanostructures

xLi₂O–(1−x)α-Fe₂O₃ (x=0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7) nanoparticle systems were successfully synthesized by mechanochemical activation of Li₂O and α-Fe₂O₃ mixtures for 0–12 h of ball milling time. The study aims at exploring the formation of magnetic oxide semiconductors at the nanoscale, which is of crucial importance for catalysis, sensing and electrochemical applications. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetic measurements were used to study the phase evolution of xLi₂O–(1−x)α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticle systems under the mechanochemical activation process. Rietveld refinement of the XRD patterns yielded the values of the particle size as function of composition and milling times and indicated the presence of Li-substituted hematite and tetra lithium iron oxide LiFeO₂, along with the formation of multiple phases for large x values and long milling times. The Mössbauer studies showed that the spectrum of the mechanochemically activated composites evolved from a sextet for hematite to sextets and a doublet upon duration of the milling process with lithium oxide. Magnetic measurements recorded at 5 K to room temperature (RT) in an applied magnetic field of 50,000 Oe showed that the magnetization of the milled samples is larger at low temperatures than at RT and increases with decreasing particle size. Zero field cooling measurements made possible the determination of the blocking temperatures of the specimens as function of ball milling time and evidenced the occurrence of superparamagnetism in the studied samples. This result correlates well with the observed presence of a quadrupole-split doublet in the Mössbauer spectra.     

Continuous hydrogenation of vegetable oils in reactors equipped with static mixers

Continuous hydrogenation of industrially refined soybean oil with Harshaw Ni catalyst was achieved in a slurry column equipped with Sulzer SMV motionless mixers. The influence of the operating parameters (temperature, pressure, catalyst concentration and gas velocity) was investigated. The presumption that, in this equipment, the liquid-solid mass transfer limits the rate of the process is in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Calcium phosphates grown on bacterial cellulose template

Bacterial cellulose membranes were employed as templates for calcium phosphates deposition by successive immersion in solutions of Ca(NO₃)₂·4H₂O and (NH₄)₂HPO₄, under ultrasonication. During the wet chemical reaction, mineral phases were loaded on bacterial cellulose fibrils, leading to precursor hybrid composites. These were subjected to a lyophilisation procedure in order to preserve the 3D porous aspect and afterwards to a thermal treatment with the aim of removing the polymeric phase and generating well crystallized structures. Different types of morphologies were achieved by varying the heating rate, as well as the calcination temperature and period. The as-prepared samples and the final ones were investigated from compositional and structural point of view through X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and morphologically concerning by scanning electron microscopy. The magnetic properties were also evaluated in order to demonstrate the suitability of the obtained materials for the development of magnetic scaffolds dedicated to hard tissue applications.     

Collagen immobilization on poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polyurethane films after UV functionalization

An attractive alternative method to add new functionalities such as biocompatibility due to the micro- and nanoscaled modification of surfaces is offered by UV-modified polymers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the UV light functionalization on two polymers, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and polyurethane (PU) films, by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared–attenuated total reflectance (FTIR–ATR), and contact angle measurements. Thus, the UV-irradiation activates the polymers surface by breaking some chemical bonds and generation of new functional groups on the surface. This process can be controlled by the irradiation time. The topography provides the formation of superposed ‘nap’ and ‘wall-type’ structures on both untreated and treated samples. The surface parameters were found to depend on the polymer films before and after irradiation. The immobilization of collagen on PET surface was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements and for PU surface was proved by FTIR–ATR. First technique suggests an increase of the nitrogen content at longer UV exposure time, and the second one reveals the appearance of the protein Amide I band. Supplementary, AFM measurements clearly revealed the presence of collagen attached on the polymer surface. Thus, these new UV-irradiated polymers are promising materials in our further attempts to obtain new biofunctionalized surfaces.     

New Insights into Lignin Modification during Chlorine Dioxide Bleaching Sequences (III): The Impact of Modifications in the (EO) versus E Stage on the D1 Stage

Abstract

Chlorine dioxide delignification (D₀) modifies kraft residual lignin by oxidizing phenolic groups to both quinone and muconic acid structures. Alkaline extraction (E), in addition to removing solubilized lignin, converts quinone moieties to polyphenols. These polyphenols are easily oxidized by oxygen in an (EO) stage or by ClO₂ in a D₁ stage to hydroxyquinones (～1.8 mmol/g lignin). Pulps treated by D₀E consume considerably more ClO₂ in the D₁ than D₀(EO), and have lower bleachability, as was quantified by a simple bleaching model. Both D₀E and D₀(EO) pulps approach a common brightness ceiling (～83 ISO) when excess ClO₂ is applied. Examination of the post‐D₁ b* values indicates that D₀E and D₀(EO) also have similar asymptotic b* values (～6), indicating that both pulps have similar residual chromophores. Hydroxyquinone structures appear to be eliminated in the D₁ stage for D₀(EO) pulps, and at high ClO₂ levels for D₀E pulps.