DILIGENT: integrating digital library and Grid technologies for a new Earth observation research infrastructure

This paper introduces DILIGENT, a digital library infrastructure built by integrating digital library and Grid technologies and resources. This infrastructure allows different communities to dynamically build specialised digital libraries capable to support the entire e-Science knowledge production and consumption life-cycle by using shared computing, storage, content, and application resources. The paper presents some of the main software services that implement the DILIGENT system. Moreover, it exemplifies the provided features by presenting how the DILIGENT infrastructure is being exploited in supporting the activity of user communities working in the Earth Science Environmental sector. This work is partially funded by the European Commission in the context of the DILIGENT project, under the 2nd call of FP6 IST priority.     

A comparison of gene organization in the zwf region of the genomes of the cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 and Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

The region of the genome encoding the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase gene zwf was analysed in a unicellular cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942, and a filamentous, heterocystous cyanobacterium, Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Comparison of cyanobacterial zwf sequences revealed the presence of two absolutely conserved cysteine residues which may be implicated in the light/dark control of enzyme activity. The presence in both strains of a gene fbp, encoding fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, upstream from zwf strongly suggests that the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway in these organisms may function to completely oxidize glucose 6-phosphate to CO2. The amino acid sequence of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase does not support the idea of its light activation by a thiol/disulfide exchange mechanism. In the case of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, the tal gene, encoding transaldolase, lies between zwf and fbp.     

Lead recovery from aqueous environment by using porous carbon of citrus fruits waste: equilibrium,kinetics and thermodynamic studies

ABSTRACT

The mixture of citrus fruits (orange, grapefruit, mandarin, and lemon) wastes was utilized to obtain high surface area activated carbon (AC) by H₃PO₄ activation. The production conditions were optimized and the optimum conditions were determined. The optimal-activated carbon (CFWAC) was characterized by various physicochemical techniques. CFWAC was also used as a sorbent for Pb (II) ions from water. Batch experiments were performed to explore the adsorption capacity and mechanism. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model showed good fitness to the experimental data. The maximum Pb (II) adsorption capacity of CFWAC was found to be 163.93 mg/g.     

Electrolysis of MgCl2 with a top inserted anode and an Mg-Pb cathode

High energy consumption in the production of magnesium by molten salt electrolysis is mainly due to the recombination of magnesium and chlorine. The large interelectrode distance used, in conventional techniques, to reduce the extent of back reaction, results in a significant potential drop. A laboratory cell that enables the operation with smaller interelectrode distance and easy separation of electrode products has been used to study electrolytic magnesium production. The cell features a top inserted graphite anode and a Mg-Pb alloy cathode at the bottom. Current efficiency and power consumption were determined at 690° C using a current density of 0.48 A cm^–2. Experiments were performed to study the effects of MgCl₂ concentration and anode-cathode distance (a.c.d.) on cell operation. Results indicated that an electrolyte containing 20% MgCl₂ (equiweight NaCl:KCl and 1 % NaF) with a 3 cm a.c.d. reduced the cell voltage to 3.72 V. This value corresponds to an energy consumption of 11.3 kWh kg^–1 including the refining of Mg-Pb alloy produced at the cathode. This cell performance is more energy efficient compared to conventional magnesium cells.     

Supply chain network design using an integrated neuro-fuzzy and MILP approach: A comparative design study

In this study, an integrated supply chain (SC) design model is developed and a SC network design case is examined for a reputable multinational company in alcohol free beverage sector. Here, a three echelon SC network is considered under demand uncertainty and the proposed integrated neuro-fuzzy and mixed integer linear programming (MILP) approach is applied to this network to realize the design effectively. Matlab 7.0 is used for neuro-fuzzy demand forecasting and, the MILP model is solved using Lingo 10.0. Then Matlab 7.0 is used for artificial neural network (ANN) simulation to supply a comparative study and to show the applicability and efficiency of ANN simulation for this type of problem. By evaluating the output data, the SC network for this case is designed, and the optimal product flow between the factories, warehouses and distributors are calculated. Also it is proved that the ANN simulation can be used instead of analytical computations because of ensuring a simplified representation for this method and time saving.     

An interactive approach for multi-attribute auctions

Auction processes are commonly employed in many environments. With rapid advances in Internet and computing technologies, electronic auctions have become very popular. People sell and buy a wide range of goods and services online. There is a growing need for the proper management of online auctions and for providing support to parties involved. In this paper, we develop an interactive approach supporting both the buyer and the bidders in a multi-attribute, single-item, multi-round, reverse auction environment. We demonstrate the algorithm on a number of problems.     

An extract of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> induces wound healing through inhibitions of Ca²⁺ mobilizations,mitochondrial oxidative stress and cell death in epithelial cells: Involvement of TRPM2 channels

The wound is induced by several mechanical and metabolic factors. In the etiology of the wound recovery, excessive oxidative stress, calcium ion (Ca²⁺) influx, and apoptosis have important roles. Ca²⁺-permeable TRPM2 channel is activated by oxidative stress. Protective roles of Hypericum perforatum extract (HP) on the mechanical nerve injury-induced apoptosis and oxidative toxicity through regulation of TRPM2 in the experimental animals were recently reported. The potential protective roles in HP treatment were evaluated on the TRPM2-mediated cellular oxidative toxicity in the renal epithelium (MPK) cells. The cells were divided into three groups as control, wound, and wound + HP treatment (75 µM for 72 h). Wound diameters were more importantly decreased in the wound+HP group than in the wound group. In addition, the results of laser confocal microscopy analyses indicated protective roles of HP and TRPM2 antagonists (N-(p-Amylcinnamoyl) anthranilic acid and 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate) against the wound-induced increase of Ca²⁺ influx and mitochondrial ROS production. The wound-induced increase of early (annexin V-FITC) apoptosis and late (propidium iodide) apoptosis were also decreased in the cells by the HP treatment. In conclusion, HP treatment acted protective effects against wound-mediated oxidative cell toxicity and apoptosis through TRPM2 inhibition. These effects may be attributed to their potent antioxidant effect.     

Effect of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on Wear Resistance of AISI 52100 Bearing Steel

In this study, the effects of deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) on the wear resistance of AISI 52100 bearing steel were investigated. For this purpose, a number of bearing steel samples were held for different times (12, 24, 36, 48, 60 h) at deep cryogenic temperatures (?145 °C). The wear experiments were carried out in a ball–disk arrangement, by applying loads of 10 and 20 N and a sliding velocity of 0.15 m/s. After conducting the experimental studies, 36 h was found to be the optimal holding time. At this holding time, the wear rate and friction coefficient were decreased, while the hardness reached to maximum values. It was observed that DCT led to significant microstructural changes, which resulted in improved tribological properties.