Comparing interpolation techniques for monthly rainfall mapping using multiple evaluation criteria and auxiliary data sources: A case study of Sri Lanka

Interpolating climatic variables such as rainfall is challenging due to the highly variable nature of meteorological processes, the effects of terrain and geography, and the difficulty in establishing a representative network of stations. While interpolation models are being adapted to include these effects, often the rainfall data contain significant gaps in coverage. In this paper, we evaluated rainfall data from an agro-ecological monitoring network for producing maps of total monthly rainfall in Sri Lanka. We compared four spatial interpolation techniques: inverse distance weighting, thin-plate splines, ordinary kriging, and Bayesian kriging. Error metrics were used to validate interpolations against independent data. Satellite data were used to assess the spatial pattern of rainfall. Results indicated that Bayesian kriging and splines performed best in low and high rainfall, respectively. Rainfall maps generated from the agro-ecological network were found to have accuracies consistent with previous studies in Sri Lanka.     

Influences of copolymers (Copovidone,Eudragit RL PO and Kollicoat MAE 30 DP) on stability and bioactivity of spray-dried and freeze-dried lysozyme

Protein stability is the most crucial factor in protein pharmaceutical preparations. Various techniques were applied for producing stable protein formulations such as spray-drying and freeze-drying. However, heating and freezing stresses are disadvantages for proteins using these methods, respectively. Accordingly, excipients have been used to preserve therapeutic effects of proteins during processing and for long period of time. Therefore, influences of Copovidone, Eudragit^® RL-PO and Kollicoat^® MAE-30 DP (as excipients) on stability and integrity of lysozyme (as a model protein) in spray-dried and freeze-dried forms were investigated. Protein formulations in both dried forms were prepared without and with the addition of mentioned excipients at different concentrations. Protein formulations were characterized for yield determination, morphology using scanning electron microscopic (SEM), thermal analysis by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), secondary structure stability using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and biological activity. All protein formulations were subjected to a stability study as solid protein formulations for 3 weeks at 24?°C/76% relative humidity and aqueous protein samples were stored at 50?°C for 30?min in a water bath. Results showed that Copovidone successfully preserved integrity and biological activity of lysozyme before and after storage in both spray-dried and freeze-dried forms with more advantage for using higher concentration of the same excipient. Smooth spheres of spray-dried lysozyme formulations with Copovidone were smaller than spray-dried lysozyme without and with Kollicoat^® MAE-30 DP, which affected %yield produced. Copovidone has demonstrated valuable protection ability for lysozyme.     

A rapid method for simultaneous determination of triterpenoid saponins in Pulsatilla turczaninovii using microwave-assisted extraction and high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

In the present study, a microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of seven triterpenoid saponins in Pulsatilla turczaninovii. Operational conditions of MAE were optimized using a central composite design. Multiple-reaction monitoring was employed for quantification while switching the electrospray ion source polarity between positive and negative modes. Full validation of the method was carried out (linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection and limit of quantification). The results indicated that the method was rapid, specific and reliable. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the investigated compounds in nine batches of P. turczaninovii. These samples were collected in different seasons from the Liaoning province and varied greatly. The total triterpenoid saponins content was the highest in April, the seedling stage, and decreased from May to August. The contents of total triterpenoid saponins decreased significantly after the blooming period.     

微波辅助提取墨旱莲总黄酮的工艺优化

采用微波辅助提取墨旱莲中的总黄酮。以总黄酮得率为指标,考察微波辐射时间、液固比、溶剂pH、提取级数等因素对得率的影响,确定了总黄酮的最佳提取工艺条件:以去离子水为溶剂,液固比(V/m)=25 mL/g,微波提取210 s,提取2次,此时墨旱莲总黄酮得率为1.42%,而常规水提取的时间为60 min,得率1.24%,故微波辅助提取法高效,省时。     

酵母细胞中谷胱甘肽的微波辅助提取

采用微波辅助方法提取了酵母细胞中的谷胱甘肽。研究表明 ,在 65 0W功率下对酵母泥直接微波处理 1 2s ,再以 2 0mL/g的物料比提取 1 0min ,或者物料比为 1 5mL/g的酵母悬浮液在 65 0W下处理 60s,都能有效地提取谷胱甘肽 ,提取率分别达到 2 0 89mg/g和 2 1 1 7mg/g。和其他提取方法比较 ,微波辅助提取是一种节省能源、快速、简便、有效的方法。     

Determination of pesticide residues in food matrices using the QuEChERS methodology

The determination of pesticide residues in food matrices is a formidable challenge mainly because of the small quantities of analytes and large amounts of interfering substances which can be co-extracted with analytes and, in most cases, adversely affect the results of an analysis. However, safety concerns require that pesticides of the wide range of chemical properties (including acidic, basic and neutral) should be monitored. Because of the wide variety of food matrices, the sample must initially be cleaned up before final analysis. That is why the analytical chemist is faced with the need to devise new methodologies for determining such residues to be determined in a single analytical run. To accomplish the goal, QuEChERS methodology has been developed. It is a streamlined and effective extraction and cleanup approach for the analysis of diverse analyte residues in food matrices. So far, there have been achieved promising results by liquid or gas chromatography analysis, including pesticides, but also acrylamide, pharmaceuticals and veterinary drugs.     

微波辅助法提取紫玉米植株花青素工艺条件优化研究

以紫玉米植株为材料,研究微波辅助法提取紫玉米花色苷的工艺条件,确定微波条件下花色苷最佳提取条件。结果表明,微波功率是影响花色苷提取的主因素,各因子对提取率的影响依次为:微波功率,微波辐射时间,提取温度,料液比;最佳条件为:微波辐射功率700w,辐射时间6min,提取温度60℃,料液比1∶20(g:mL)。与传统的浸提法相比,时间由24h缩短为7min,色素产率由12.24%增加到16.87%。微波辅助提取色素具有提取时间短、减少环境污染、节能省耗、提取率高等优点。     

Variation of composition of an enteric formulation based on Kollicoat MAE 30 D

Using a formulation described previously with Kollicoat MAE 30 D as the film-forming agent, the effect of variations in plasticizer type and quantity and talc concentration on the preparation and processing of spray-coating suspensions and the properties of isolated films and film-coated caffeine tablets prepared using them was investigated. In the preparation and processing of spray-coating suspensions, the plasticizers polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400, PEG1500, and TEC (triethyl citrate) tended to coagulate at all concentrations investigated, while Cremophor RH 40 coagulated above 10% (expressed as a percentage of the mass of the film-forming agent used). Analogous preparations using propylene glycol (PG), PEG6000, and Lutrol F 68, on the other hand, were found to be stable at all concentrations. The instability was not caused by the Kollicoat MAE 30 D polymer dispersion as such, but by interactions between the finely dispersed pigments and other formulation ingredients. Equivalent nonpigmented preparations are stable and do not coagulate. With all the plasticizers investigated, the minimum film-forming temperature (MFT) fell, albeit to differing degrees, as the amount of plasticizer increased. Similarly, the tensile strength of isolated films declined as plasticizer concentration increased, while the reverse was true as regards their elongation at break. Whereas neither the subsequent disintegration time nor the rate of release of active ingredient at pH 6.8 was significantly affected by the various plasticizer additives, the different film-coated tablet formulations with a core containing a powerful disintegrant exhibited varying degrees of permeability to simulated gastric fluid. With PEG6000, permeability increased as the plasticizer concentration increased, while Lutrol F 68 provided an optimum barrier at 20%, and PG provided a good barrier between 10% and 30%. No gastroresistance was obtained with TEC at 10%. Only the best plasticizer formulations were used in the trials with different talc concentrations, namely, those formulations with 20% PEG6000, 20% Lutrol F 68, 20% PG, and 10% PG. When talc was added, the MFT rose, reaching its maximum at 13% talc (as a proportion of the film-forming agent). In the test for gastroresistance, film-coated caffeine tablets without talc absorbed distinctly more acid than those containing talc. Above 27% talc, the acid resistance improved only insignificantly. On the other hand, during this test, only a maximum of 3% of the active ingredient was released into the gastric juice. Of the variants investigated, the formulation with 20% PG and 27% talc performed best.     

结合项目相似度的协同过滤算法

传统的协同过滤算法因为数据集稀疏性的增加而导致推荐准确性降低。针对该问题提出一种结合项目相似度的协同过滤推荐算法。首先计算项目之间的相似度,然后根据项目之间相似度,预测用户未评分项目评分估值,以减小目标用户与候选最近邻居所形成的数据集稀疏性,最后根据用户相似度获得项目推荐集。实验结果表明,该算法能提高寻找最近邻居的准确性,从而改善协同过滤的推荐质量。