When analyzing the spatio-temporal dependence in most environmental and earth sciences variables such as pollutant concentrations at different levels of the atmosphere, a special property is ...observed: the covariances and cross-covariances are stronger in certain directions. This property is attributed to the presence of natural forces, such as wind, which cause the transport and dispersion of these variables. This spatio-temporal dynamics prompted the use of the Lagrangian reference frame alongside any Gaussian spatio-temporal geostatistical model. Under this modeling framework, a whole new class was birthed and was known as the class of spatio-temporal covariance functions under the Lagrangian framework, with several developments already established in the univariate setting, in both stationary and nonstationary formulations, but less so in the multivariate case. Despite the many advances in this modeling approach, efforts have yet to be directed to probing the case for the use of multiple advections, especially when several variables are involved. Accounting for multiple advections would make the Lagrangian framework a more viable approach in modeling realistic multivariate transport scenarios. In this work, we establish a class of Lagrangian spatio-temporal cross-covariance functions with multiple advections, study its properties, and demonstrate its use on a bivariate pollutant dataset of particulate matter in Saudi Arabia.
Supplementary materials
for this article are available online.
The physico-chemical properties of oil from
Moringa oleifera seed were determined following extraction either with petroleum ether or 2% Neutrase 0.8L (a neutral bacterial protease from
Bacillus ...amyloiquefaciens, Novozyme Bagsvaerd Denmark). The enzyme was chosen following a preliminary study conducted on the enzymatic extraction of
M. oleifera seed oil using four commercial enzymes that showed Neutrase to be the best enzyme with the highest oil recovery value. The enzymes used were Termamyl 120L, Type L (α-Amylase), Neutrase
® 0.8L (Neutral protease), Celluclast
® 1.5 L FG (Cellulase) and Pectinex
® Ultra SP-L (Pectinase), all from Novozyme, Denmark. The fatty acid compositions of solvent and enzyme-extracted oil from
M. oleifera seed were determined. Results showed that the solvent-extracted oil has 67.9% oleic acid compared to 70.0% in enzyme-extracted oil. Results obtained following analysis of extracted oil showed that the oil is highly unsaturated because of the high percentage of oleic acid. Apart from oleic acid, other prominent fatty acids were palmitic (7.8% and 6.8%), stearic (7.6% and 6.5%), and behenic (6.2% and 5.8%) acids for solvent and enzyme-extracted oils, respectively. It was liquid at room temperature and pale-yellow in colour (0.7R
+
5.9Y and 0.7R
+
3.0Y for solvent and enzyme-extracted oils, respectively). Electronic nose analysis showed that it had flavor similar to that of peanut oil. The melting points estimated by differential scanning calorimetry were found to be 19.0 and 18.9 °C for the solvent- and enzyme-extracted oils, respectively. The oil contains 36.7% triolein as the main triacylglycerol. The extraction methods were found to slightly influence the relative amounts of the fatty acids in the oil. The oils extracted using these two methods were found to differ in the percentage composition of their fatty acids. Quality attributes such as relative percent of oleic acid, total percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, iodine value, free fatty acid and unsaponifiable matter contents and the colour of the enzyme-extracted oil were better than those of the solvent-extracted oil.
The Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) instrument is a multipurpose high-contrast imaging platform designed for the discovery and detailed characterization of exoplanetary systems ...and serves as a testbed for high-contrast imaging technologies for ELTs. It is a multiband instrument which makes use of light from 600 to 2500 nm, allowing for coronagraphic direct exoplanet imaging of the inner 3λ/D from the stellar host. Wavefront sensing and control are key to the operation of SCExAO. A partial correction of low-order modes is provided by Subaru's facility adaptive optics system with the final correction, including high-order modes, implemented downstream by a combination of a visible pyramid wavefront sensor and a 2000-element deformable mirror. The well-corrected NIR (y-K bands) wavefronts can then be injected into any of the available coronagraphs, including but not limited to the phase-induced amplitude apodization and the vector vortex coronagraphs, both of which offer an inner working angle as low as 1λ/D. Noncommon path, low-order aberrations are sensed with a coronagraphic low-order wavefront sensor in the infrared (IR). Low noise, high frame rate NIR detectors allow for active speckle nulling and coherent differential imaging, while the HAWAII 2RG detector in the HiCIAO imager and/or the CHARIS integral field spectrograph (from mid-2016) can take deeper exposures and/or perform angular, spectral, and polarimetric differential imaging. Science in the visible is provided by two interferometric modules: VAMPIRES and FIRST, which enable subdiffraction limited imaging in the visible region with polarimetric and spectroscopic capabilities respectively. We describe the instrument in detail and present preliminary results both on-sky and in the laboratory.
The physicochemical properties and chemical composition of oil extracted from five varieties of plant seeds (bittermelon, Kalahari melon, kenaf, pumpkin and roselle seeds) were examined by ...established methods. The thermal properties of extracted oils by differential scanning calorimetry were also evaluated. Sensorial profiles of these seed oils were defined through the CieLab (
L*,
a*,
b*) colour. Most of the quality indices and fatty acid compositions showed significant (
P
<
0.05) variations among the extracted oils. Physicochemical properties of the oils extracted were iodine value, 86.0–125.0
g I
2/100
g oil; saponification value, 171.0–190.7
mg of KOH/g of oil; acid value, 1.1–12.9
mg of KOH/g of oil, free fatty acid, 0.6–6.5
g/100
g of oil, and peroxide value 1.5–6.5
meq of O
2/kg of oil. Palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids were the major fatty acids in all of the extracted seed oils except for bittermelon, where eleostearic acid was the major fatty acid. Gallic, protocatechuic,
p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, syringic,
p-coumaric and ferulic acids were identified in the extracted plant oils. Among these, vanillic acid was predominant in all extracted oils. The oils were rich in tocopherols with γ-tocopherol as the major components in all oil samples. Among the phytosterols, sitosterol was the major phytosterol extracted from the five plant seed oils. The seeds of these plants contain a great number of valuable minor compounds, which have a potential high value as food and for production of non-food products.
ABSTRACT
We present intensity interferometry of the luminous blue variable P Cyg in the light of its H α emission performed with 1 m-class telescopes. We compare the measured visibility points to ...synthesized interferometric data based on the CMFGEN physical modelling of a high-resolution spectrum of P Cyg recorded almost simultaneously with our interferometry data. Tuning the stellar parameters of P Cyg and its H α linear diameter, we estimate the distance of P Cyg as 1.56 ± 0.25 kpc, which is compatible within 1σ with 1.36 ± 0.24 kpc reported by the Gaia DR2 catalogue of parallaxes recently published. Both the values are significantly smaller than the canonic value of 1.80 ± 0.10 kpc usually adopted in literature. Our method used to calibrate the distance of P Cyg can apply to very massive and luminous stars both in our Galaxy and neighbouring galaxies, and can improve the so-called wind momentum–luminosity relation that potentially applies to calibrate cosmological candles in the local Universe.
Epidemiological evidence suggests that smoking cigarettes may be beneficial in pemphigus, but no systematic evaluation exists to corroborate this assumption. Therefore, a systematic literature review ...with pooled data analysis of the smoking status in patients with pemphigus was conducted. Electronic searches using PubMed from inception to November 2017 identified 13 reports meeting predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most were case–control studies partly reporting that pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus occurred less frequently in current and former smokers. Studies also indicated that duration of smoking and number of cigarettes smoked were lower in patients with pemphigus than controls and that remission may be achieved sooner in those who smoke. However, although a generally low prevalence of smoking was demonstrated in patients with pemphigus, which was lower than in controls by pooled analysis, some investigations found no difference regarding the smoking status compared with non‐pemphigus subjects. One study demonstrated more severe mucosal involvement in non‐smoking patients with pemphigus, whereas another observed no difference in the rate of cutaneous or mucosal lesions between smokers and non‐smokers with pemphigus. This review indicates that smoking may be a possible protective factor in pemphigus, although some compromised study methodologies yet hinder any firm conclusion. Further investigations with a refined quality design are required to resolve the so far partly conflicting results in this area.
Display omitted
► The hydrophilicity of the mixed-matrix membrane was greatly enhanced. ► Both standard blocking and cake filtration mechanisms took part in the filtration. ► The mixed-matrix ...membrane has significant UV-cleaning properties. ► The mixed-matrix membrane could provide 100% flux recovery ratios.
In this study, the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)–Titanium dioxide (TiO2) mixed-matrix membranes were prepared via phase inversion technique. The properties of PVDF–TiO2 mixed-matrix membranes were characterized based on pore size distribution, membrane porosity, field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and photocatalytic behavior. The hydrophilicity of the mixed-matrix membrane was enhanced and resulted in the improved pure water permeability (392.81±10.93l/m2hbar) compared to that 76.99±4.87l/m2hbar of the neat membrane. The neat and mixed-matrix membranes were further investigated in terms of filtration, adsorption and UV-cleaning properties based on methylene blue (MB) solution. Mixed-matrix membranes showed excellent removal efficiency (∼99%) when sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was introduced into the MB feed solution. The produced mixed-matrix membrane shows some slight photocatalytic properties improvement as FTIR results reviewed that the cleavage of CN bonding due to MB adsorption reduced more significantly with the presence of TiO2 NPs and ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. The UV-cleaning properties of the mixed-matrix membrane were further proved by the 100% flux recovery ratios (FRRs) for mixed-matrix membrane, suggesting that the embedded TiO2 NPs was photocatalytically active and able to degrade the adsorbed MB in the membrane.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we report on spatial intensity interferometry measurements within the Hα line on two stars: the Luminous Blue Variable supergiant P Cygni and the late-type B supergiant ...Rigel. The experimental setup was upgraded to allow simultaneous measurement of two polarization channels, instead of one in our previous setup, and the zero baseline correlation function on-sky to validate independent estimates obtained from the stellar spectrum and the instrumental spectral throughput. Combined with simultaneous spectra measurements and based on radiative transfer models calculated with the code CMFGEN, we were able to fit our measured visibility curves to extract the stellar distances. Our distance determinations for both P Cygni (1.61 ± 0.18 kpc) and Rigel (0.26 ± 0.02 kpc) agree very well with the values provided by astrometry with the Gaia and Hipparcos missions, respectively. This result for Rigel was obtained by adopting a stellar luminosity of L⋆ = 123 000 L⊙, which is reported in the literature as being consistent with the Hipparcos distance to Rigel. However, due to the lack of consensus on Rigel’s luminosity, we also explore how the adoption of the stellar luminosity in our models affects our distance determination for Rigel. In conclusion, we support, in an independent way, the distance to Rigel as the one provided by the Hipparcos mission, when taking the luminosity of 123 000 L⊙ at face value. This study is the first successful step towards extending the application of the Wind Momentum Luminosity Relation method for distance calibration from an LBV supergiant to a more normal late-type B supergiant.
•Ethylparaben and butylparaben exposure led to acute toxicity in zebrafish embryos.•Determination of BM dose values were performed using model averaging approach.•Developmental alterations were ...reported.•Zebrafish larvae showed behavioral changes.
Toxicological effects of butylparaben (BuP) and ethylparaben (EtP) on zebrafish (Danio rerio) early-life stages are not well established. The present study evaluated, using zebrafish embryos and larvae, the toxicity of BuP and EtP through benchmark dose (BMD) approach. BuP was more toxic than EtP to zebrafish larvae. In fact, Lethal Concentration 50 (LC50) values at 96 h post-fertilization (hpf) for BuP and EtP were 2.34 mg/L and 20.86 mg/L, respectively. Indeed, BMD confidence interval (lower bound (BMDL) - upper bound (BMDU) was 0.91–1.92 mg/L for BuP and 10.8–17.4 mg/L for EtP. Zebrafish embryos exposed to 1 mg/L, 2.5 mg/L of BuP and 5 mg/L, 10 mg/L, 20 mg/L, 30 mg/L of EtP showed several developmental abnormalities and teratological effects compared to negative control. Exposed zebrafish developed reduced heartbeat, reduction in blood circulation, blood stasis, pericardial edema, deformed notochord and misshaped yolk sac. Embryos exposed to the highest concentrations of the chemicals (2.5 mg/L of BuP, 10 mg/L, 20 mg/L and 30 mg/L of EtP) showed the developmental abnormalities at 48 hpf while those treated with 1 mg/L of BuP and 10 mg/L of EtP reported behavioral changes at 72 hpf, including trembling of head, pectoral fins and spinal cord. This research identified the lethal and sublethal effects of BuP and EtP in zebrafish early-life stages and could be helpful to elucidate the developmental pathways of toxicity of parabens.
A pure, well crystallized and highly (003) oriented LiCoO2 thin film was deposited on stainless steel substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The overall diffusion coefficients of lithium-ion in the ...potential range between 3.85 and 4.2V were measured by three different electrochemical methods namely, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiostatic intermittent titration technique (PITT). From CV, the apparent chemical diffusion coefficient of lithium-ion was estimated to be 2X10-13cm2/s. EIS revealed that the charge-transfer resistance obviously decreased above 3.90V and changed little up to 4.22V. The diffusion coefficients obtained from EIS were in the order of 10-12cm2/s while they were in the range of 6X10-13 and 8X10-12cm2/s from PITT, depending on the potentials.
PDF
