The application of digital image recognition to the analysis of two-dimensional fingerprints

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint has been commonly used in the quality control and assessment of herbal medicines, and two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint obtained by means of HPLC-diode array detector (HPLC/DAD) can provide higher reliability. In this paper, an approach to the analysis of the 2D HPLC/DAD fingerprints, which was based on digital image recognition techniques, was developed for the first time. First, wavelet transform was employed to eliminate noise signal in the 2D fingerprint, and then the 2D fingerprint was converted into grayscale image. Second, several features of the image were calculated, and hierarchical clustering. This approach was applied to the qualitative analysis of the different samples of coptis chinensis, and the clustering result of samples was all highly consistent with the real situation. Based on the densities in grayscale image, three components in standard samples were quantitative analyzed, and the obtained correlation coefficients between concentration and grayscale density were more than 0.999. Our study indicated that the analysis of the 2D HPLC/DAD fingerprint was successful based on the idea and techniques of digital image recognition techniques, and this proposed approach provided a new pathway for the analysis of two-dimensional spectrums.     

Experimental investigation of the effect of temperature on the strength of polyimide contact structures

A new photogrammetry based measurement technique for contact areas in line contact structures is developed. From the data collected by this technique, a method for measuring the contact strength of contact structures in high temperature applications is proposed. The contact strength of a line contact structure of polyimide at different temperatures is measured; the results show that the increase in temperature decreases the contact strength of the structure. The effect of temperature on the contact strength is studied by investigating the occurrence and evolution of yielding core within the structure at different temperatures. The decrease in the yield strength and elastic modulus of the polyimide material at high temperature induces core yielding at lower loads and eases the propagation of core yielding to the surface.     

Sampling and local models for multivariate image analysis

Local models are a very important concept for microscopic and macroscopic imaging. Different methods of sub-sampling a multivariate image are described both in general and for three examples. The need for sub-sampling and its influence on multivariate image analysis and visualization are studied. Examples from MRI (256 × 256), satellite imaging (7 × 512 × 512) and biofuel studies (6 × 512 × 512) are used to illustrate some of the principles involved.     

Evidence for water structuring forces between surfaces

Structured water on apposing surfaces can generate significant energies due to reorganization and displacement of water as the surfaces encounter each other. Force measurements on a multitude of biological structures using the osmotic stress technique have elucidated commonalities that point toward an underlying hydration force. In this review, the forces of two contrasting systems are considered in detail: highly charged DNA and nonpolar, uncharged hydroxypropyl cellulose. Conditions for both net repulsion and attraction, along with the measured exclusion of chemically different solutes from these macromolecular surfaces, are explored and demonstrate common features consistent with a hydration force origin. Specifically, the observed interaction forces can be reduced to the effects of perturbing structured surface water.     

Ion-specific hydration effects: Extending the Poisson-Boltzmann theory

In aqueous solutions, dissolved ions interact strongly with the surrounding water and surfaces, thereby modifying solution properties in an ion-specific manner. These ion-hydration interactions can be accounted for theoretically on a mean-field level by including phenomenological terms in the free energy that correspond to the most dominant ion-specific interactions. Minimizing this free energy leads to modified Poisson-Boltzmann equations with appropriate boundary conditions. Here, we review how this strategy has been used to predict some of the ways ion-specific effects can modify the forces acting within and between charged interfaces immersed in salt solutions.     

Interaction forces between adsorbed polymer layers

The interaction forces between adsorbed polymer layers were investigated. Two types of graft copolymers that were adsorbed on hydrophobic surfaces have been investigated: (i) a graft copolymer consisting of polymethylmethacrylate/polymethacrylic acid back bone (the B chain) on which several poly(ethylene oxide) chains are grafted (to be referred to as PMMA/PEO_n); and (ii) a graft copolymer consisting of inulin (linear polyfructose with degree of polymerization > 23) (the A chain) on which several C₁₂ chains are grafted (INUTEC SP1). In the first case adsorbed layers of the graft copolymer were obtained on mica sheets and the interaction forces were measured using the surface force apparatus. In the second case the interaction forces were measured using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). For this purpose a hydrophobically modified glass sphere was attached to the tip of the cantilever of the AFM and the glass plate was also made hydrophobic. Both the sphere and the glass plate contained an adsorbed layer of INUTEC SP1.In the surface forces apparatus one essentially measures the energy E(D)–distance D curves for the graft copolymer of PMMA/PEO_n between mica surfaces bearing the graft copolymer and this could be converted to interaction energy between flat surfaces. Using the de Gennes scaling theory, it is possible to calculate the interaction energy between the polymer layers. The same graft copolymer was used in latex dispersions and the high frequency modulus G′_∝ was measured as a function of the volume fraction ? of the dispersion. This high frequency modulus could be related to the potential of mean force. In this way one could compare the results obtained from rheology and those obtained from direct measurement of interaction forces.In the AFM method, the interaction forces are measured in the contact area between two surfaces, i.e. a spherical glass particle and a glass plate. Both glass spheres and plates were hydrophobized using dichlorodimethylsilane. Results were obtained for adsorbed layers of INUTEC SP1 in water and in the presence of various concentrations of Na₂SO₄ (0.3, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5 mol dm^{− 3}). All results showed a rapid increase of force with a decrease of separation distance and the forces were still repulsive up to the highest Na₂SO₄ concentration. This explains the high stability of dispersions when using INUTEC SP1 as stabilizer.     

The regioselectivity of the formation of 2-pyrazolylthiazoles and their precursors from the reaction of 2-hydrazinothiazoles with 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-hetaryl-1,3-butanediones

Reaction of 2-hydrazinothiazoles 1 with 1-thienyl- and 1-furyl-1,3-butanediones 2a,b in methanol in the presence of hydrochloric acid mainly leads to a mixture of pyrazoles 3 and pyrazolines 4 or pyrazoles 3 and 5 in strong acidic conditions. Isomeric hydrazones 6 and pyrazolines 4 were formed and isolated in these reactions in the absence of hydrochloric acid. It has been shown that the regioselectivity in the reaction of diketones 2 with hydrazine 1 is governed by both the concentration of acid and the nature of substituents in the 1,3-diketones 2. Cyclization of hydrazones 6 is shown to occur under milder conditions than dehydration for pyrazolines 4. The new heterocyclic compounds were prepared and fully characterized by NMR spectra and by X-ray analysis for 3c.     

Rapid Low-Cost Determination of Lead(II) in Cassava by an iPod-Based Digital Imaging Colorimeter

An iPod-based digital image colorimeter was developed for the determination of lead(II) in cassava. The method is based on the color values of a lead(II) solution following its reaction with dithizone. Lead(II) from cassava was extracted using an ultraviolet-digestion unit followed by the color-forming reaction and image capture using the ColorConc application operated on an iPod touch. The concentration was predicted by comparing the color values with those collected in a database. The time needed for complete digestion was 30?min. The determined concentrations of lead(II) were from 0.10 to 1.00?µg mL^?1. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.0120 and 0.0399?µg mL^?1, respectively. The recovery values were 105?±?7.07% and 109?±?6.61% at 0.2?µg mL^?1 and 0.4?µg mL^?1 lead(II) (n?=?5). The reported method was demonstrated to be simple, accurate, rapid, precise, and low cost.