Model reduction method for a class of 2-D systems, A

Includes bibliographical references.A decomposition-aggregation scheme for reduction of dimensionality for a class of 2-D systems is introduced. This method, which is based upon the extension of the singular perturbation method in two dimensions, is used to decompose the original 2-D system into two reduced-order 2-D subsystems. These reduced order subsystems are shown to effectively capture the dynamical behavior of the original full-order system. Two numerical examples are provided that indicate the effectiveness of this method when used in image modeling applications.This work was supported in part by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and by Fonds Pour la Formation de Chercheurs et L'aide la Recherche, Programme E'tablissment de Nouveaux Chercheurs

Reduced order strip Kalman filtering using singular perturbation method

Includes bibliographical references.Strip Kalman filtering for restoration of images degraded by linear shift invariant (LSI) blur and additive white Gaussian (WG) noise is considered. The image process is modeled by a 1-D vector autoregressive (AR) model in each strip. It is shown that the composite dynamic model that is obtained by combining the image model and the blur model takes the form of a singularly perturbed system owing to the strong-weak correlation effects within a window. The time scale property of the singularly perturbed system is then utilized to decompose the original system into reduced order subsystems which closely capture the behavior of the full order system. For these subsystems the relevant Kalman filtering equations are given which provide the suboptimal filtered estimates of the image and the one-step prediction estimates of the blur needed for the next stage. Simulation results are also provided

Circular dichroism of magneto-phonon resonance in doped graphene

Polarization resolved, Raman scattering response due to E$_{2g}$ phonon in monolayer graphene has been investigated in magnetic fields up to 29 T. The hybridization of the E$_{2g}$ phonon with only the fundamental inter Landau level excitation (involving the n=0 Landau level) is observed and only in one of the two configurations of the circularly crossed polarized excitation and scattered light. This polarization anisotropy of the magneto-phonon resonance is shown to be inherent to relatively strongly doped graphene samples, with carrier concentration typical for graphene deposited on SiO$_2$

Amelioration of a saline sodic soil through cultivation of a salt-tolerant grass Leptochloa fusca

Reclamation of saline lands seems difficult for climatic and economic reasons, but cultivation of salt-tolerant plants is an approach to increasing productivity and improvement of salt-affected wastelands. A five-year field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of growing a salt-tolerant species Leptochloa fusca (L.) Kunth (kallar grass) on chemical properties of a saline sodic soil irrigated with poor quality groundwater. Soil salinity, sodicity and pH decreased exponentially by growing kallar grass as a result of leaching of salts from surface (0–20 cm) to lower depths (>100 cm). Concentrations of soluble cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and anions (Cl−, SO42− and HCO3−) were reduced through to greater soil depths. A significant decline in soil pH was attributed to release of CO2 by grass roots and solublization of CaCO3. Both soil salinity and soil pH were significantly correlated with Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Cl−, HCO3− and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). Significant correlations were found between soluble cations (Na+, Ca2+ and K+), soluble anions (Cl−, SO42− and HCO3−) and the SAR. In contrast, there were negative correlations between soil organic matter content and all chemical properties. The ameliorative effects on the soil chemical environment were pronounced after three years of growing kallar grass. Cultivation of kallar grass enhanced leaching and interactions among soil chemical properties and thus restored soil fertility. The soil maintained the improved characteristics with further growth of the grass up to five years suggesting that growing salt-tolerant plants is a sustainable approach to biological amelioration of saline wastelands.J. Akhter, K. Mahmood, K.A. Malik, S. Ahmed and R. Murra

Purification and characterization of cyclodextrin glucanotransferase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. G1

A cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) was successively purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, and affinity chromatography on a-CD (epoxy)-Sepharose 6B column. The specific activity of the CGTase was increased approximately 2200-fold, from 8.43 U/mg protein to 18,866 U/mg protein. SDS-PAGE showed that the purified CGTase was homogeneous and the molecular weight of the purified CGTase was about 75 kDa. The molecular weight of the enzyme that was estimated by gel filtration under native condition was 79 kDa. This has indicated that Bacillus sp. G1 CGTase is a monomeric protein. The isoelectric point (pI) of the enzyme was about 8.8. Characterization of the enzyme exhibited optimum pH and temperature of 6.0 and 60 8C, respectively. The enzyme was stable from pH 7.0 to 9.0 and retained its high activity up to 60 8C. However, in the presence of 20 mM Ca2+, the purified CGTase is able to prolong its thermal stability up to 70 8C. CGTase was strongly inhibited by ZnSO4, CuSO4, CoCl2, FeSO4, FeCl3 and EDTA. Km and Vmax for the purified enzyme were 0.15 mg/ml and 60.39 mg bcyclodextrin/( ml min), respectively, with soluble starch as substrate. In cyclodextrin production, tapioca starch was found to be the best substrate used to produce CDs. The enzyme produced g- and b-CD in the ratio of 0.11:0.89 after 24 h incubation at 60 8C, without the presence of any selective agents

Redução do forrageio do iguana-negro-de-cauda-espinhosa, Ctenosaura similis (Sauria: Iguanidae), na presença de estímulos do predador

The presence of a predator may have direct and indirect effects on the behavior of the prey. Although altered behavior may help prey avoid predators, it also can have a potential impact on critical activities such as foraging. Predator-prey interactions are routinely studied in laboratory-based experiments owing to the perceived difficulties of conducting such experiments in natural settings. We conducted an experimental study under field conditions in Palo Verde National Park in northwestern Costa Rica to assess behavioral responses of Black Spiny-tailed Iguanas (Ctenosaura similis) to the presence of predators and predator cues. Free-roaming iguanas were offered mango in designated areas in the presence of a predator (Boa constrictor), a predator cue (B. constrictor feces), and a control (no predator or predator cue). Results indicate that iguanas reduced their foraging efforts in the presence of both a predator and its cue.A presença de um predador pode exercer efeitos diretos e indiretos sobre o comportamento da presa. Embora a alteração do comportamento possa ajudar a presa a evitar predadores, pode também ter um impacto potencial sobre atividades críticas, como o forrageio. As interações predador-presa são comumente estudadas em experimentos de laboratório devido às dificuldades em conduzir experimentos sob condições naturais. Conduzimos um estudo experimental em campo no Parque Nacional Palo Verde, no noroeste da Costa Rica, para avaliar as respostas dos iguanas-negros-de-cauda-espinhosa (Ctenosaura similis) à presença de predadores e de seus estímulos. Oferecemos manga a iguanas livres em áreas pré-estabelecidas na presença de um predador (Boa constrictor), de um estímulo do predador (fezes de B. constrictor) e em uma áreacontrole (sem predador ou estímulo). Os resultados indicam que os iguanas reduziram seus esforços de forrageio tanto na presença do predador como de seu estímulo

Dual-satellite cloud product generation using temporally updated canonical coordinate features

Includes bibliographical references.State-of-the-art cloud products are typically generated using scientific polar orbiting satellites such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). However, they do not allow for observation of the same region at a regular temporal frequency, rendering them ineffectual for nowcasting problems. Operational satellites such as Meteosat-8 SEVIRI, in contrast, are geostationary and provide continual data at a regular temporal frequency over a much larger region. MODIS-like cloud products cannot be directly generated from operational satellites as they typically have a smaller number of spectral bands and different wavelengths and spatial resolution. This paper applies the canonical coordinate decomposition method to estimate scientific cloud products using imagery from operational satellites. Using the proposed method features of the Meteosat-8 imagery data that are maximally coherent with the data from the MODIS are generated. These features are temporally updated at times and locations where MODIS data are unavailable using the alternating block power method. A subset of the canonical coordinates of Meteosat-8 SEVIRI is then used to create MODIS-like cloud products using several neural networks. The quality of the generated cloud products and their temporal consistency have been demonstrated on several data sets from July 2004. A benchmarking with an independent Meteosat-8-based algorithm is also provided, which shows the promise of our approach in generating MODIS-like cloud products.This work was supported by the Department of Defense Center for Geosciences/Atmospheric Research, Colorado State University, via Cooperative Agreement DAAD19-02-2-0005 with the Army Research Laboratory

Adaptive response to low dose of EMS or MMS in human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated in vitro for 6 hr were exposed to a low (conditioning) dose of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS; 1.5 x 10(-4) M) or methyl methanesulfonate (MMS; 1.5 x 10(-5) M). After 6 hr, the cells were treated with a high (challenging) concentration of the same agent (1.5 x 10(-3) M EMS or 1.5 x 10(-4) M MMS). The cells that received both conditioning and challenging doses became less sensitive to the induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) than those which did not receive the pretreatment with EMS or MMS. They responded with lower frequencies of SCEs. This suggests that conditioning dose of EMS or MMS has offered the lymphocytes to have decreased SCEs. This led to the realization that pre-exposure of lymphocytes to low dose can cause the induction of repair activity. This is a clear indication of the existence of adaptive response induced by alkylating agents whether it is ethylating or methylating in human lymphocytes in vitro