Registration Errors: Are They Always Bad for Super-Resolution?

The super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) of images is an ill posed problem. Traditionally, it is treated as a regularized minimization problem. Moreover, one of the major problems concerning SRR is its dependence on an accurate registration. In this paper, we show that a certain amount of registration error may, in fact, be beneficial for the performance of the least mean square SRR (LMS-SRR) adaptive algorithm. In these cases, the regularization term may be avoided, leading to reduction in computational cost that can be important in real-time SRR applications.     

Stimuli‐Responsive Thin Coatings Using Elastin‐Like Polymers for Biomedical Applications

Smart thin coatings using a recombinant elastin‐like polymer (ELP) containing the cell attachment sequence arginine–glycine–(aspartic acid) (RGD) are fabricated for the first time through simple deposition of the ELP dissolved in aqueous‐based solutions. The biopolymer is produced and characterized using electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy. The temperature and pH responsiveness are assessed by aggregate size measurements and differential scanning calorimetry. The deposition of the studied ELP onto chitosan is followed in situ with a quartz‐crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM‐D). Contact angle measurements are performed at room temperature and at 50 °C, showing reversible changes from a moderate hydrophobic behavior to an extremely wettable surface. AFM analysis performed at room temperature reveals a smooth surface and no organized structure. At 50 °C, the surface presents spherical nanometer‐sized structures of collapsed biopolymer chains. Such results suggest that the ELP chains, when collapsed, aggregate into micelle‐like structures at the surface of the substrate, increasing its water affinity. Cell adhesion tests on the developed coatings are conducted using a SaOS‐2 cell line. Enhanced cell adhesion could be observed in the H‐RGD6‐coated surfaces, as compared with the original chitosan monolayer. An intermediate behavior is found in chitosan coated with the corresponding ELP without the RGD sequence. Therefore, the developed films have great potential as biomimetic coatings of biomaterials for different biomedical applications, including tissue engineering and controlled delivery of bioactive agents. Their thermo‐responsive behavior can also be exploited for tunable cell adhesion and controlled protein adsorption.     

Effect of cooking methods on fatty acids,conjugated isomers of linoleic acid and nutritional quality of beef intramuscular fat

The effect of boiling, microwaving and grilling on the composition and nutritional quality of beef intramuscular fat from cattle fed with two diets was investigated. Longissimus lumborum muscle from 15 Alentejano young bulls fed on concentrate or pasture was analyzed. Cooking losses and, consequently, total lipids, increased directly with the cooking time and internal temperature reached by meat (microwaving > boiling > grilling). The major changes in fatty acid composition, which implicated 16 out of 34 fatty acids, resulted in higher percentages in cooked beef of SFA and MUFA and lower proportions of PUFA, relative to raw meat, while conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers revealed a great stability to thermal processes. Heating decreased the PUFA/SFA ratio of meat but did not change its n−6/n−3 index. Thermal procedures induced only slight oxidative changes in meat immediately after treatment but hardly affected the true retention values of its individual fatty acids (72–168%), including CLA isomers (81–128%).     

Chestnut and acorn starch properties affected by isolation methods

Starches from chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) and acorns (Quercus suber Lam. and Q. rotundifolia Lam.) were isolated from dried fruits using four different methods. These involved a physicochemical and/or an enzymatic treatment followed by centrifugation and sieving: (i) low shear at alkaline pH – LSA, (ii) high shear in water – HSW, (iii) enzymatic treatment at low shear – LSE, (iv) LSA and using successively three sieves – LSA3S. Raw yield, purity, colour parameters, morphology, protein, fat, ash, reducing sugars and amylose contents, damaged starch content and viscoamylographic profiles were studied in isolated starches, presenting different properties through different methods. In general, chestnut starch seems to be poorly resistant to extraction methodologies as shown by the damaged starch content and viscoamylographic properties encountered during this study. Moreover, acorn starches exhibited cross‐linked amylographic patterns. For all the tested raw materials, the LSA3S isolation method always higher yield and purity of starches. Gelatinization temperature and peak consistency were also higher than those shown by starches produced by the other methods, a less damaged structure was also evident. In conclusion, it seems that this method is the most suitable to produce starch for food ingredient usage.     

Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorochemicals in albatrosses, elephant seals, penguins, and polar skuas from the Southern Ocean

Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been used as surfactants in industrial and commercial products for over 50 years. Earlier studies of the geographical distribution of PFCs focused primarily on the Northern Hemisphere, while little attention was paid to the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, livers from eight species of albatrosses, blood from elephant seal, and blood and eggs from penguins and polar skua collected from the Southern Ocean and the Antarctic during 1995-2005 were analyzed for 10 PFCs. In addition, for comparison with the Southern Ocean samples, we analyzed liver, sera, and eggs from two species of albatrosses from Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were found in livers of albatrosses from the Southern Ocean. PFOS was the major contaminant, although the concentrations were <5 ng/g, wet wt, in 92% of the albatross livers analyzed. PFOA was detected in 30% of the albatross livers, with a concentration range of <0.6-2.45 ng/g,wet wt. Other PFCs, including long-chain perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs), were below the limits of quantitation in livers of albatrosses from the Southern Ocean. In liver, sera, and eggs of albatrosses from the North Pacific Ocean, long-chain PFCAs (perfluorononanoate, perfluorodecanoate, perfluoroundecanoate, and perfluorododecanoate) were found at concentrations similar to those of PFOS and PFOA. The mean concentration of PFOS in livers of Laysan albatrosses from the North Pacific Ocean (5.1 ng/g, wet wt) was higher than that in several species of albatrosses from the Southern Ocean (2.2 ng/g, wetwt). Species-specific differences in the concentrations of PFOS were noted among Southern Ocean albatrosses, whereas geographical differences in PFOS concentrations among the Indian Ocean, South Pacific Ocean, and South Atlantic Ocean were insignificant. Concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were, respectively, 2- and 17-fold higher in liver than in sera of Laysan albatrosses. PFOS was found in the blood of elephant seals from Antarctica at concentrations ranging from <0.08 to 3.52 ng/mL. PFOS was found in eggs (2.1-3.1 ng/g) and blood (<0.24-1.4 ng/ mL) of polar skuas but was not detected in penguins from Antarctica. Our study documents the existence of low but detectable levels of PFOS and PFOA in Southern Hemisphere fauna, suggesting distribution of these compounds on a global scale.     

Evaluation of spray drying conditions on properties of microencapsulated oregano essential oil

Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to investigate variations in powder characteristics with respect to spray drying operating parameters including both feed rates (L min^?1) and inlet temperatures (°C). Inlet temperatures around 180 °C provided the lowest values for moisture. Powder recovery was significantly affected (P < 0.10) by inlet air temperature and feed rate, where a raise in inlet temperature and feed rate resulted in higher powder recovery. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed for water activity, solubility and hygroscopicity between treatments. Regarding oil retention, the results showed a significant (P < 0.05) interaction between the two studied factors. A tendency for higher values of oil retention was observed when using combinations of high inlet temperatures/low feed rates and low inlet temperatures/high feed rates. Particle size distribution averaged 2.0, 8.1 and 18.3 μm for D₁₀, D₅₀ and D₉₀, respectively. The morphology of particles showed no cracks in most capsules. The results indicate that high temperature (185 °C) and moderated feed rate (0.63 L min^?1) are the best spray drying conditions.     

A statistical analysis of the affine projection algorithm for unity step size and autoregressive inputs

This paper presents a new statistical analysis of the affine projection (AP) algorithm. An analytical model is derived for autoregressive (AR) inputs for unity step size (fastest convergence). Deterministic recursive equations are derived for the mean AP weight and mean-square error for large values of N (the number of adaptive taps). The value of N is also assumed large compared to the algorithm order (number of input vectors used to determine the weight update direction). The model predictions display better agreement with Monte Carlo simulations in both transient and steady-state than models previously presented in the literature. The model's accuracy is sufficient for most practical design purposes.     

Observational Models of Graphite Pencil Materials

This paper presents models for graphite pencil, drawing paper, blenders, and kneaded eraser that produce realistic looking pencil marks, textures, and tones. Our models are based on an observation of how lead pencils interact with drawing paper, and on the absorptive and dispersive properties of blenders and erasers interacting with lead material deposited over drawing paper. The models consider parameters such as the particle composition of the lead, the texture of the paper, the position and shape of the pencil materials, and the pressure applied to them. We demonstrate the capabilities of our approach with a variety of images and compare them to digitized pencil drawings. We also present image-based rendering results implementing traditional graphite pencil tone rendering methods.     

Toward more evidence-based guidelines for psychology.

Comments on the guidelines developed by the American Psychological Association (APA)'s Presidential Task Force on the Assessment of Age-Consistent Memory Decline and Dementia (see record 1998-11439-016). The present authors contend that the evidentiary basis for specific guidelines is limited especially with regard to discussion of collateral sources of information in the evaluation of dementia and cognitive decline. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

4-Mb MOSFET-selected /spl mu/trench phase-change memory experimental chip

A /spl mu/trench Phase-Change Memory (PCM) cell with MOSFET selector and its integration in a 4-Mb experimental chip fabricated in 0.18-/spl mu/m CMOS technology are presented. A cascode bitline biasing scheme allows read and write voltages to be fed to the addressed storage elements with the required accuracy. The high-performance capabilities of PCM cells were experimentally investigated. A read access time of 45 ns was measured together with a write throughput of 5 MB/s, which represents an improved performance as compared to NOR Flash memories. Programmed cell current distributions on the 4-Mb array demonstrate an adequate working window and, together with first endurance measurements, assess the feasibility of PCMs in standard CMOS technology with few additional process modules.