The use of contextual information to improve land cover classification of digital remotely sensed data

All land cover classifications which use remotely sensed data contain error. Where this error is assumed to conform to particular spatial patterns, then it may be possible to apply automated correction procedures. Tests were carried out on urban:non-urban classifications of four sets of Landsat data of the U.K. Confusion between roads and urban areas was reduced by adding the results of linear feature detection to the urban classification. The results were then smoothed and remaining objects below a given size were removed. Results showed that increases in accuracy were obtained which were statistically significant at the 95 per cent confidence level.     

Colloidal particle aggregation in three dimensions

Colloidal systems are of importance not only for everyday products, but also for the development of new advanced materials. In many applications, it is crucial to understand and control colloidal interaction. In this paper, we study colloidal particle aggregation of silica nanoparticles, where the data are given in a three-dimensional micrograph obtained by high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy tomography. We investigate whether dynamic models for particle aggregation, namely the diffusion limited cluster aggregation and the reaction limited cluster aggregation models, can be used to construct structures present in the scanning transmission electron microscopy data. We compare the experimentally obtained silica aggregate to the simulated postaggregated structures obtained by the dynamic models. In addition, we fit static Gibbs point process models, which are commonly used models for point patterns with interactions, to the silica data. We were able to simulate structures similar to the silica structures by using Gibbs point process models. By fitting Gibbs models to the simulated cluster aggregation patterns, we saw that a smaller probability of aggregation would be needed to construct structures similar to the observed silica particle structure.     

OXIDATION MECHANISMS IN REAL FOOD EMULSIONS: METHOD FOR SEPARATION OF MAYONNAISE BY ULTRACENTRIFUGATION

With the aim of studying partition coefficients of antioxidants and secondary oxidation products in a real food emulsion a method for the separation of mayonnaise was developed. The method included freezing and a mild precentrifugation step followed by ultracentrifugation at 197,500 x g. The precentrifugation separated most of the oil (96%) from the rest of the mayonnaise. The ultracentrifugation separated the remaining fraction into four phases: a small oil phase constituting 0.25% of the total, a relatively small emulsion phase (approximately 5%, w/w), an almost translucent aqueous phase that constituted the largest fraction (88%, w/w), and lastly a precipitate (6%, w/w). The objective of the present investigation was to test the efficiency of the method to separate a hydrophobic compound, the methyl ester of C23:0, and a hydrophilic compound, NaCl. The oil soluble compound (C23:0) was almost completely recovered (96%) in the oil phase after the preseparation step, whereas the water soluble compound (NaCl) was almost completely recovered (86%) in the aqueous phase obtained     

Preserving elemental content in adherent mammalian cells for analysis by synchrotron‐based x‐ray fluorescence microscopy

Trace metals play important roles in biological function, and x‐ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) provides a way to quantitatively image their distribution within cells. The faithfulness of these measurements is dependent on proper sample preparation. Using mouse embryonic fibroblast NIH/3T3 cells as an example, we compare various approaches to the preparation of adherent mammalian cells for XFM imaging under ambient temperature. Direct side‐by‐side comparison shows that plunge‐freezing‐based cryoimmobilization provides more faithful preservation than conventional chemical fixation for most biologically important elements including P, S, Cl, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and possibly Ca in adherent mammalian cells. Although cells rinsed with fresh media had a great deal of extracellular background signal for Cl and Ca, this approach maintained cells at the best possible physiological status before rapid freezing and it does not interfere with XFM analysis of other elements. If chemical fixation has to be chosen, the combination of 3% paraformaldehyde and 1.5 % glutaraldehyde preserves S, Fe, Cu and Zn better than either fixative alone. When chemically fixed cells were subjected to a variety of dehydration processes, air drying was proved to be more suitable than other drying methods such as graded ethanol dehydration and freeze drying. This first detailed comparison for x‐ray fluorescence microscopy shows how detailed quantitative conclusions can be affected by the choice of cell preparation method.     

Design and implementation of a leader-follower cooperative control system for unmanned helicopters

In this paper, we present a full scheme for the cooperative control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) helicopters. We adopt the leader-follower pattern to maintain a fixed geometrical formation while navigating the UAVs following certain trajectories. More specifically, the leader is commanded to fly on some predefined trajectories, and each follower is controlled to maintain its position in formation using the measurement of its inertial position and the information of the leader position and velocity, obtained through a wireless modem. More specifications are made for multiple UAV formation flight. In order to avoid possible collisions of UAV helicopters in the actual formation flight test, a collision avoidance scheme based on some predefined alert zones and protected zones is employed. Simulations and experimental results are presented to verify our design.     

The Isolation and Characterization of the Tribe Mimeae in Foodstuffs

SUMMARY— Mima and Herellea organisms, which have been reported to be members of the tribe Mimeae and to have pathogenic properties, were isolated from 25 of 96 retail food samples investigated. Mima were isolated from 16% of the samples; Herellea were found in 9%. Fresh and prepared meats, seafoods, dairy products, and vegetables contained these organisms, but dehydrated foods were free of Mimeae. Because of certain similarity to the Neisseriaceae and the pseudomonads and their relatively limited biochemical activity, these organisms are often difficult to identify. The morphological and physiological characteristics of Mima and Herellea are described and their possible significance in foods discussed.     

RELATION OF SUCKING STRENGTH TO PERSONALITY VARIABLES.

ATTEMPTED TO DEMONSTRATE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUCKING STRENGTH IN NORMAL ADULTS AND PERSONALITY VARIABLES. TESTS OF SUCKING STRENGTH, CONTROL MEASURES OF MANUAL STRENGTH AND VITAL CAPACITY, AND MMPI QUESTIONNAIRES WERE GIVEN TO 44 MEN AND 33 WOMEN. MEN AND WOMEN BOTH HAD SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN SUCKING AND WELSH'S R DIMENSION, AFTER AGE CORRECTION. MALES ALSO SHOWED POSITIVE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN SUCKING AND THE PHYSICAL TESTS OF MANUAL STRENGTH AND VITAL CAPACITY. FOR WOMEN, HOWEVER, SUCKING WAS RELATED TO SEVERAL PERSONALITY VARIABLES BUT NOT TO THE PHYSICAL TESTS. THIS SEX DIFFERENCE IN CORRELATIONAL PATTERN SUGGESTS THAT DIFFERENCES IN SUCKING STRENGTH ARE DETERMINED MORE BY PERSONALITY VARIABLES IN WOMEN AND MORE PHYSICAL STRENGTH VARIABLES IN MEN. IT IT IS ASSUMED THAT REPRESSION MAY STEM FROM UNCONSCIOUS CONFLICTS ABOUT ORAL NEEDS, THEN THE DATA ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE IDEA THAT THE SUCKING TESTS REFLECT SIMILAR CONFLICTS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Texture of Pecans Measured by Sensory and Instrumental Means

The texture of pecans (Carya illinoensis) from four cuhivars (Barton, Mahan, Western and Wichita) was analyzed using sensory and instrumental methods. Sensory hardness, flexibility and crispness were rated by trained panelists. Ranking of hardness and crispness was also carried out. A Texture Analyser TAXT2 was used for 50% compression, texture profile analysis (TPA), puncture and bending. Puncture and 50% compression gave best reproducibility, least variability and agreement with sensory data. The most relevant TPA parameters were cohesiveness, elasticity and fracturabihty. Parameters from the bending test did not indicate texture of the pecans suitably.