Multilinear model for spatial pattern analysis of the Measurement of Haze and Visual Effects project

A multilinear model was developed for the analysis of the spatial patterns and possible sources affecting haze and its visual effects in the southwestern United States. The data from the project Measurement of Haze and Visual Effects (MOHAVE) collected during the late winter and mid-summer of 1992 at the monitoring sites in four states (i.e., California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah) were used in the study. The three-way data array was analyzed by a four-product-term model. This study makes a direct effort to include wind patterns as a component in the model in order to obtain the information of the spatial patterns of source contributions. The solution is computed using the conjugate gradient algorithm with applied non-negativity constraints. For the winter data set, reasonable solutions contained six sources and six wind patterns. The analysis of summer data required seven sources and seven wind patterns. The ME results are compared to the prior single-species empirical orthogonal function analysis results--and prior work describing the transport pathways.     

Real-time PCR detection of the thermostable direct hemolysin and thermolabile hemolysin genes in a Vibrio parahaemolyticus cultured from mussels and mussel homogenate associated with a foodborne outbreak

Molecular methods have become vital epidemiological tools in the detection and characterization of bacteria associated with a foodborne outbreak. We used both culture and real-time PCR to detect a Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolate associated with a foodborne outbreak. The outbreak occurred in July 2002 in Polk County, Florida, and originated at a Chinese buffet, with one person being hospitalized. The hospital isolated V. parahaemolyticus from the patient but destroyed the sample after diagnosis. From an onsite visit of the restaurant, food samples that possibly contributed to the outbreak were collected and sent to the Florida Department of Health, Tampa Branch Laboratory. Crab legs, crabsticks, and mussel samples were homogenized and incubated according to the Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical Manual culture protocol. Three sets of primers and a TaqMan probe were designed to target the tdh, trh, and tlh genes and used for real-time PCR. This study was successful in isolating V. parahaemolyticus from a mussel sample and detecting two of its genes (tdh and tlh) in food and pure culture by real-time PCR.     

碳水化合物——蛋白质饮料对运动耐力的影响

人在长时间运动后的疲劳和体内存储的肌糖原的消耗密切相关,因此运动后糖原合成的速度是短时间内运动恢复的关键因素。接下来的实验有效地研究了运动后补充的营养成分对于再次运动时耐力表现的影响。     

CLONING OF A YEAST GENE WHICH CAUSES PHENOLIC OFF-FLAVOURS IN BEER

A gene (POF1) has been cloned, which confers upon yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) the ability to decarboxylate phenolic acids such as ferulic and trans-cinnamic acid. This property was previously shown to be a cause of phenolic off-flavour production in wort fermentations. The identity of the cloned gene was confirmed as POF1 by gene disruption techniques. Southern blotting of total genomic DNA revealed that sequences homologous to POF1 are conserved in Pof^? brewing strains of Sacch. cerevisiae. The transformation of a Pof^? lager strain with the cloned POF1 gene led to the production of an aroma characteristic of a phenolic off-flavour, when the transformed strain was used in wort fermentations. This latter observation suggests that the Pof^? phenotype of brewers' yeast is specifically due to the absence of a functional POF1 gene.     

Atmospheric mercury (Hg) in the Adirondacks: concentrations and sources

Hourly averaged gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) concentrations and hourly integrated reactive gaseous Hg (RGM), and particulate Hg (Hg(p)) concentrations in the ambient air were measured at Huntington Forest in the Adirondacks, New York from June 2006 to May 2007. The average concentrations of GEM, RGM, and Hg(p) were 1.4 +/- 0.4 ng m(-3), 1.8 +/- 2.2 pg m(-3), and 3.2 +/- 3.7 pg m(-3), respectively. RGM represents < 3.5% of total atmospheric Hg or total gaseous Hg (TGM: GEM + RGM) and Hg(p) represents < 3.0% of the total atmospheric Hg. The highest mean concentrations of GEM, RGM, and Hg(p) were measured during winter and summer whereas the lowest mean concentrations were measured during spring and fall. Significant diurnal patterns were apparent in warm seasons for all species whereas diurnal patterns were weak in cold seasons. RGM was better correlated with ozone concentration and temperature in both warm (rho (RGM - ozone) = 0.57, p < 0.001; rho (RGM - temperature) = 0.62, p < 0.001) and cold seasons (rho (RGM - ozone) = 0.48, p = 0.002; rho (RGM - temperature) = 0.54, p = 0.011) than the other species. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis was applied to identify possible Hg sources. This method identified areas in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, Indiana, and Missouri, which coincided well with sources reported in a 2002 U.S. mercury emissions inventory.     

Impact of simulated solar irradiation on disinfection byproduct precursors

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is the major drinking water source for 23 million California residents. Consequently, many studies have examined disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation in relation to Delta dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration. However, DOC characteristics within the Delta are not the same as those entering downstream water treatment facilities. As water is transferred to Southern California through the California Aqueduct, a 714.5 km-open channel, it is exposed to sunlight, potentially altering DBP precursors. We collected water from three sites within the Delta and one nearthe California Aqueduct, representing different DOC sources, and irradiated them in a solar simulator at a dose equivalent to that received during four days conveyance in the aqueduct. Photolytic changes in DOC were assessed by measuring CO2 and organic acid production, fluorescence, and ultraviolet absorbance over time. Trihalomethane (THM) and haloacetic acid (HAA) formation potentials, as well as the distribution of hydrophobic, transphilic, and hydrophilic acid fractions were determined at exposures equivalent to one and four days. Solar irradiation significantly decreased ultraviolet absorbance and fluorescence intensity, produced organic acids, and increased the hydrophilic fraction of waters. These changes in DOC caused a shift in bromine incorporation among the THM and HAA species. Our results are the first to demonstrate the importance of sunlight in altering DOC with respect to DBP formation.     

Catalysis of gasification of coal-derived cokes and chars

Calcium is the most important in-situ catalyst for gasification of US coal chars in O₂, CO₂ and H₂O. It is a poor catalyst for gasification of chars by H₂. Potassium and sodium added to low-rank coals by ion exchange and high-rank coals by impregnation are excellent catalysts for char gasification in O₂, CO₂ and H₂O. Carbon monoxide inhibits catalysis of the CH₂O reaction by calcium, potassium and sodium; H₂ inhibits catalysis by calcium. Thus injection of synthesis gas into the gasifier will inhibit the CH₂O reaction. Iron is not an important catalyst for the gasification of chars in O₂, CO₂ and H₂O, because it is invariably in the oxidized state. Carbon monoxide disproportionates to deposit carbon from a dry synthesis gas mixture (3 vol H₂ + 1 vol CO) over potassium-, sodium- and iron-loaded lignite char and a raw bituminous coal char, high in pyrite, at 1123 K and 0.1 MPa pressure. The carbon is highly reactive, with the injection of 2.7 kPa H₂O to the synthesis gas resulting in net carbon gasification. The effect of traces of sulphur in the gas stream on catalysis of gasification or carbon-forming reactions by calcium, potassium, or sodium is not well understood at present. Traces of sulphur do, however, inhibit catalysis by iron.     

Variations of the chemical composition of clonal black tea (Camellia sinensis) due to delayed withering

The chemical composition of black teas (Camellia sinensis L) varies when the green leaf from which they are manufactured is withered physically to the same degree but for different periods. Caffeine contents progressively increase with prolonged withering time whereas theaflavins decrease due to prolonged withering. Although the sums of group I and group II volatile flavour compounds (VFC) decrease with prolonged withering time, the flavour index (expressed as group II VFC/group I VFC) increases due to prolonged withering. No significant changes were noted in the thearubigin levels with variation in withering time, but the tasters' evaluations were at a maximum for teas withered for 14 h. Subsequently the evaluation decreased with longer withering times.     

The power of inequality semijoins

Semijoin is a relational operator used in many relational query processing algorithms. Semijoins can be used to “reduce” the database by delimitting portions of the database that contain data relevant to a given query. For some queries, there exist sequences of semijoins that delimit the exact portions of the database needed to answer the query. Such sequences are called full reducers.

This paper considers a class of queries called natural inequality queries (NI queries), and characterizes a subclass for which full reducers exist. We also present an efficient algorithm that decides whether an NI query lies within this subclass, and constructs a full reducer for the query. The NI queries are a subset of the aggregate-free, conjunctive queries of QUEL, and permit join clauses to include <, , =, , >.     

Leukocyte image analysis in the diff3 system

The diff3 System uses image processing and pattern recognition techniques to automatically analyze normal and abnormal white blood cells in a blood smear. The system consists of a spinner which creates a monolayer of cells on a glass slide, a stainer utilizing Wright's stain, the reagents to support the spinner and stainer, and an analyzer for automatic slide handling, analysis and report generation. The analyzer incorporates a wide range of image processing functions, including the generation and storage of gray scale image data, whole-field and partial-field image histogramming, and high-order binary image texture analysis and image transformation using the Golay processor (GLOPR). This paper describes the manner in which these hardware capabilities are used for white cell acquisition, scene segmentation and feature analysis. It concludes with some examples of texture extraction which illustrate the power of the Golay processor as a tool for image analysis.