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Detecting rice discoloration with an image analyser

- Armstrong, Bruce, Blakeney, A.B., Armstrong, T.A., Aldred, Peter

Blackpoint impact model for wheat

- Armstrong, Bruce, Weiss, M., Armstrong, T.A., Aldred, Peter

The interaction between malt protein quality and brewing conditions and their impact on beer colloidal stability

- Aldred, Peter, Robinson, Louise, Evans, Evan D., Kaukorvirta-Norja, Anu, Vilpola, Arvil, Home, Silja

Rapid determination of ultra-trace concentrations of mercury in plants and soils by cold vapour inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry

- Hellings, Jacqueline, Adeloju, Samuel, Verheyen, Vincent

  • Authors: Hellings, Jacqueline , Adeloju, Samuel , Verheyen, Vincent
  • Date: 2013
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Microchemical Journal Vol. 111, no. 62-66 (2013), p.62-66
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  • Description: A method is described for rapid and reliable determination of ultra-trace concentrations of mercury in plant and soil samples by cold vapour inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (CV-ICP-OES). Under the established optimum conditions, a detection limit of 3 ng g− 1 was achieved. Rapid decomposition of soil and plant samples were achieved with microwave digestion with a 3:1 HNO3:HCl mixture for only 10 min, enabling close to 100% recovery of mercury. Choice of sample storage condition and nature of sample (dried, wet or frozen) had significant influence on mercury concentrations found in plant and soil samples. Storage of samples as frozen, followed by digestion without drying or on as received basis gave optimum recovery of mercury in the samples. Verification of the effectiveness of the CV-ICP-OES method for reliable mercury determination in plants and soil with microwave digested certified soil and spiked plant samples gave close to 100% and 95–103% recoveries, respectively. The CV-ICP-OES method was successfully applied to the determination of mercury in plant and soil samples from a local Australian forest. The mercury concentrations found in plants range from 23.5 to 78.5 ng g− 1, while those found in soils range from 30.1 to 61.7 ng g− 1.

Thermochemolysis of winery wastewater particulates-molecular structural implications for water reuse

- Mosse, Kim, Verheyen, Vincent, Cruickshank, Alicia, Patti, Antonio, Cavagnaro, Timothy

  • Authors: Mosse, Kim , Verheyen, Vincent , Cruickshank, Alicia , Patti, Antonio , Cavagnaro, Timothy
  • Date: 2012
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis Vol. 97, no. 164-170 (2012), p.
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  • Description: Environmental concerns have increased the interest in winery wastewater remediation and reuse. These practices require more detailed understanding of wastewater composition to ensure optimum usage, and to minimize the risk of long term soil degradation and grape contamination. Particulate organic matter is an important contributor to the carbon burden in winery wastewaters. This article investigates the molecular structure of particulates from the most common winery wastewater treatment processes via infrared spectroscopic and thermochemolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques. Study of the organic composition of both influent and effluent particles enabled further insight into which compounds could prove problematic during treatment and on discharge. The yield and molecular structure of desorbed or “guest” compounds were found to strongly correlate with those produced during pyrolytic cracking. These “guest” compounds and macromolecular fragments form a continuum whose separation is based on molecular size. Polyphenolic and lignin derived compounds tended to survive the water treatment processes within assemblages of microbial detritus. No evidence was found for particles adsorbing and concentrating other unrelated organics such as anthropogenic chemicals from winery wastewaters. Any release of particulates will require careful management to prevent localized accumulation of recalcitrant compounds to toxic levels.

Raman, infrared and XPS study of bamboo phytoliths after chemical digestion

- Watling, Kym, Parr, Jeffrey, Rintoul, Llew, Brown, Christopher, Sullivan, Leigh

  • Authors: Watling, Kym , Parr, Jeffrey , Rintoul, Llew , Brown, Christopher , Sullivan, Leigh
  • Date: 2011
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Spectrochimica Acta - Part A : Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy Vol. 80, no. 1 (2011), p. 106-111
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  • Description: Raman, infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies have been used to examine the effect of various chemical digestion methods on the composition of bamboo phytoliths. Intact bilobate phytoliths, suitable for interrogation by Raman microprobe analysis, were isolated by a microwave wet ashing technique using hydrogen peroxide with nitric and hydrochloric acids. The occluded phytolith carbon presented evidence of cellulose, lignin and carboxylic acids. Nitrate from the nitric acid used in the digestion was observed in homogenized samples of the isolated phytoliths; in addition to nitrogen of plant origin occluded within the phytolith, which was observed as amine nitrogen and ammonia. Intact bilobate phytoliths were not observed following an exothermic hydrogen peroxide/sulfuric acid digest, suggesting that these structures ruptured during this digestion procedure. The silicate network was significantly altered during isolation using the exothermic hydrogen peroxide/sulfuric digest, with surface hydroxyls undergoing condensation to form a SiO 3 ring structure. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advancements in electrochemical DNA sensor for detection of human papilloma virus - A review

- Rasouli, Elisa, Shahnavaz, Zohreh, Basirun, Wan, Rezayi, Majid, Avan, Amir, Ghayour-Mobarhan, Majid, Khandanlou, Roshanak, Johan, Mohd

  • Authors: Rasouli, Elisa , Shahnavaz, Zohreh , Basirun, Wan , Rezayi, Majid , Avan, Amir , Ghayour-Mobarhan, Majid , Khandanlou, Roshanak , Johan, Mohd
  • Date: 2018
  • Type: Text , Journal article , Review
  • Relation: Analytical Biochemistry Vol. 556, no. (2018), p. 136-144
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  • Description: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted disease, transmitted through intimate skin contact or mucosal membrane. The HPV virus consists of a double-stranded circular DNA and the role of HPV virus in cervical cancer has been studied extensively. Thus it is critical to develop rapid identification method for early detection of the virus. A portable biosensing device could give rapid and reliable results for the identification and quantitative determination of the virus. The fabrication of electrochemical biosensors is one of the current techniques utilized to achieve this aim. In such electrochemical biosensors, a single-strand DNA is immobilized onto an electrically conducting surface and the changes in electrical parameters due to the hybridization on the electrode surface are measured. This review covers the recent developments in electrochemical DNA biosensors for the detection of HPV virus. Due to the several advantages of electrochemical DNA biosensors, their applications have witnessed an increased interest and research focus nowadays.

Prolonged androgenic anabolic steroid (AAS) induced QT interval shortening : A suitable screening tool?

- Sculthorpe, Nicholas, Taylor, Lee, Grace, Fergal

  • Authors: Sculthorpe, Nicholas , Taylor, Lee , Grace, Fergal
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Drug Testing and Analysis Vol. 8, no. 1 (2016), p. 120-122
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  • Description: Androgenic anabolic steroid (AAS) abuse is associated with changes in cardiac electrophysiology. Recently heart rate corrected QT interval (QTc) has been suggested as a method of screening for AAS use in athletes despite conflicting reports. This study aimed to further investigate the effect of AAS on QTc in a cohort of long-term AAS users in whom the affects may be more pronounced. Using a cross-sectional cohort design with AAS using resistance trained athletes (AS n = 15) and a group of non-AAS using resistance trained, age matched controls (C n = 15). AS had a long history of AAS use (18 +/- 2 yrs) and AS and C both had >19 years of resistance training. Participants underwent a resting electrocardiogram (ECG), from which, the QTc interval was calculated using the Bazett formula. The main outcome measure was significant differences in mean corrected QTc between groups. A secondary outcome was to calculate a QTc that best differentiated between C and AS. Results indicated that QTc was shorter in AS than in C (382.0 +/- 21.01 ms versus 409 +/- 18.77 ms for AS and C respectively p < 0.001). Chi squared analyses revealed a greater incidence of QTc < 380 ms in AS versus C p < 0.01, specificity 93% sensitivity 60%). In conclusion these results supports previous findings that AAS use causes a reduction in QTc, however, the specificity and sensitivity in our sample is lower than reported previously and precludes use as a screening tool.

Profiling of faecal water and urine metabolites among Papua New Guinea highlanders believed to be adapted to low protein intake

- Tomitsuka, Eriko, Igai, Katsura, Tadokoro, Kiyoshi, Morita, Ayako, Baba, Jun, Suda, Wataru, Greenhill, Andrew, Horwood, Paul, Soli, Kevin, Siba, Peter, Odani, Shingo, Natsuhara, Kazumi, Morita, Hidetoshi, Umezaki, Masahiro

  • Authors: Tomitsuka, Eriko , Igai, Katsura , Tadokoro, Kiyoshi , Morita, Ayako , Baba, Jun , Suda, Wataru , Greenhill, Andrew , Horwood, Paul , Soli, Kevin , Siba, Peter , Odani, Shingo , Natsuhara, Kazumi , Morita, Hidetoshi , Umezaki, Masahiro
  • Date: 2017
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Metabolomics Vol. 13, no. 9 (2017), p.
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  • Description: Introduction: Adequate amount of proteins from foods are normally needed to maintain muscle mass of the human body. Although protein intakes of Papua New Guinea (PNG) highlanders are less than biologically adequate, protein deficiency related disorders have rarely been reported. It has been postulated that gut microbiota play a role in such low-protein-adaptation. Objective: To explore underlying biological mechanisms of low-protein adaptation among PNG highlanders by investigating metabolomic profiles of faecal water and urine. Methods: We performed metabolome analysis using faecal water extracted from faecal samples of PNG highlanders, PNG non-highlanders and Japanese subjects. We paid special attention to amino acids and other metabolites produced by gut microbiota, as well as to metabolites involved in nitrogen recycling in the human gut. Results: Our results indicated that amino acid levels were higher in faecal water from PNG highlanders than PNG non-highlanders, but amino acid levels did not differ between PNG highlanders and Japanese subjects. Among PNG highlander samples, amino acid levels tended to be higher in those who consumed less protein. Conclusion: We speculated that a greater proportion of urea was excreted to the intestine among the PNG highlanders than other groups, and that the urea was used for nitrogen salvage. Intestinal bacteria are essential for producing ammonia from urea and also for producing amino acids from ammonia, which is a key process in low-protein adaptation. Profiling the gut microbiota of PNG highlanders is an important avenue for further research into the mechanisms of low-protein adaptation.

First human impacts and responses of aquatic systems : A review of palaeolimnological records from around the world

- Dubois, Nathalie, Saulnier-Talbot, Emilie, Mills, Keely, Gell, Peter, Battarbee, Rick, Bennion, Helen, Chawchai, Sakonvan, Dong, Xuhui, Francus, Pierre, Flower, Roger, Gomes, Doriedson, Gregory-Eaves, Irene, Humane, Sumedh, Kattel, Giri, Jenny, JeanPhilippe, Langdon, Peter, Massaferro, Julieta, McGowan, Suzanne, Mikomagi, Annika, Ngoc, Nguyen, Ratnayake, Amila, Reid, Michael, Rose, Neil, Saros, Jasmine, Schillereff, Daniel, Tolotti, Monica, Valero-Garces, Blas

A robust gradient based method for building extraction from LiDAR and photogrammetric imagery

- Siddiqui, Fasahat, Teng, Shyh, Awrangjeb, Mohammad, Lu, Guojun

  • Authors: Siddiqui, Fasahat , Teng, Shyh , Awrangjeb, Mohammad , Lu, Guojun
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Sensors (Switzerland) Vol. 16, no. 7 (2016), p. 1-24
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  • Description: Existing automatic building extraction methods are not effective in extracting buildings which are small in size and have transparent roofs. The application of large area threshold prohibits detection of small buildings and the use of ground points in generating the building mask prevents detection of transparent buildings. In addition, the existingmethods use numerous parameters to extract buildings in complex environments, e.g.,hilly area and high vegetation. However, the empirical tuning of large number of parameters reduces the robustness of building extraction methods. This paper proposes a novel Gradient-based Building Extraction (GBE) method to address these limitations. The proposed method transforms the Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) height information into intensity image without interpolation of point heights and then analyses the gradient information in the image. Generally, building roof planes have a constant height change along the slope of a roof plane whereas trees have a random height change. With such an analysis, buildings of a greater range of sizes with a transparent or opaque roof can be extracted. In addition, a local colour matching approach is introduced as a post-processing stage to eliminate trees. This stage of our proposed method does not require any manual setting and all parameters are set automatically from the data. The other post processing stages including variance, point density and shadow elimination are also applied to verify the extracted buildings, where comparatively fewer empirically set parameters are used. The performance of the proposed GBE method is evaluated on two benchmark data sets by using the object and pixel based metrics (completeness, correctness and quality). Our experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method in eliminating trees, extracting buildings of all sizes, and extracting buildings with and without transparent roof. When compared with current state-of-the-art building extraction methods, the proposed method outperforms the existing methods in various evaluation metrics. © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
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