A Knowledge-Based Approach to Raster-Vector Conversion of Large Scale Topographic Maps

Paper-based raster maps are primarily for human consumption, and their interpretation always requires some level of human expertese. Todays computer services in geoinformatics usually require vectorized topographic maps. The usual method of the conversion has been an error-prone, manual process. In this article, the possibilities, methods and difficulties of the conversion are discussed. The results described here are partially implemented in the IRIS project, but further work remains. This emphasizes the tools of digital image processing and knowledge-based approach. The system in development separates the recognition of point-like, line-like and surface-like objects, and the most successful approach appears to be the recognition of these objects in a reversed order with respect to their printing. During the recongition of surfaces, homogeneous and textured surfaces must be distinguished. The most diverse and complicated group constitute the line-like objects. The IRIS project realises a moderate, but significant step towards the automatization of map recognition process, bearing in mind that full automatization is unlikely. It is reasonable to assume that human experts will always be required for high quality interpretation, but it is an exciting challenge to decrease the burden of manual work

A comprehensive systems biological study of autophagy-apoptosis crosstalk during endoplasmic reticulum stress

One of the most important tasks of a living organism is to maintain its genetic integrity with respect to stress. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has a crucial role in sensing cellular homeostasis by controlling metabolism, proteostasis, and several signaling processes. ER stressors can induce autophagy-dependent survival; however excessive level of stress results in apoptotic cell death. Although many molecular components of these networks have already been discovered, the analysis of the dynamical features of the regulatory network of life-or-death decision is still lacking. Our goal was to incorporate both theoretical and molecular biological techniques to explore the autophagy-apoptosis crosstalk under ER stress. Using various levels of different ER stressors we confirmed that the control network always generated an evidently detectable autophagy-dependent threshold for apoptosis activation. We explored the features of this threshold by introducing both autophagy activators and inhibitors, and transient treatment with excessive level of ER stressor was also performed. Our experimental data were also supported by a stochastic approach. Our analysis suggests that even if the switch-like characteristic of apoptosis activation is hardly seen on population level the double negative feedback loop between autophagy and apoptosis inducers introduces bistability in the control network. © 2015 Marianna Holczer et al

Late Miocene to present day structural development of the Polish segment of the Outer Carpathians

This paper presents a few pieces of evidence on neotectonic structural evolution of the Polish segment of the Outer Carpathians. During the Late Neogene, structural development was largely controlled by normal faulting and block uplift. However, there are also indications of compressional stress setting, at least during the Pliocene and particularly within the medial and eastern parts of the belt. In the Quaternary, in turn, structural development has been mainly controlled by compressional stress arrangement, with \sigma _{1} orientated roughly perpendicular to the belt. The Pliocene-Quaternary tectonic mobility of the Polish Outer Carpathians has been relatively weak and mostly of thin-skinned character. Normal faults were formed on the margins of intramontane basins and in the western part of the belt. Rates of uplift of individual structures were variable and the amount of uplift was the greatest in the Late Pliocene and Early Quaternary times. Geomorphologically-detected zones of uplift are relatively narrow and arranged subparallel or under small angle in respect to the strike of principal thrusts and frontal parts of large slices. Such an arrangement is interpreted as resulting from the steepening of frontal thrusts due to horizontal compression within the overthrust flysch nappes. This hypothesis is confirmed by the results of recent break-out and GPS studies, as well as by focal solutions of some Outer Carpathian earthquakes

An improved catalytic system for the reduction of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone

An improved bidentate phosphine-modified recyclable catalytic system was developed for the selective conversion of biomass- derived levulinic acid into γ-valerolactone with a TOF of 21 233 h−1 in solvent-, chlorine- and additive-free reaction environment