The application of image processing technology to microfluidic chip fluid motion detection

A method to detect the fluid motion in microfluidic chip with imagery processing technology is introduced,which solves the problem that the fluid motion can’t be detected with common method. Firstly,with the fact that in flow process the brightness change is the biggest in the edge of tiny tube,the motion trail can be collected with frame difference method. Then this destination area is cropped to further reduce the amount of calculation in later steps. Secondly,repeat several times of open operation and close operation to obtain the images,which has smooth boundary and barely background noise. Thirdly,find all edge pixels of this motion trail image through boundary tracking algorithm and then obtain the motion trail lines with the Hough transform detection approach. At last,with the lines’ length and the motion time,the flow rate can be calculated easily. Furthermore,some characteristics of the flow can also be obtained,such as the shear stress and the viscosity of the fluid. This paper explicitly states this method process combining with a chip that use for viscosity measurement. And the results have high accuracy and good repeatability,which is demonstrated by the data that standard deviation is less than 0.7 and the precision is less than 1/100.     

Composite gaussian process regression model and its application to prediction of silicon content in hot metal

In order to increase the predictive precision of gaussian process regression based soft sensor, a composite gaussian process regression model is proposed. This model combines the outputs of several gaussian process models as the output according to the variances and the distribution of the outputs, which results in higher prediction accuracy and higher robustness than the single gaussian process model. The proposed composite gaussian process regression model is successfully applied to the prediction of silicon content in hot metal.     

The conception of moisture capacity for ironore and its application to granulation

The optimal water content added into the iron ore mixtures is of vital importance for improving granulation. A novel conception about moisture capacity of the iron ore, which means the maximum water content holding in the iron ore particles of unit mass, is proposed to develop a simple and accurate method. The related equipment and measuring procedure are also given. Five mixtures are selected for moisture capacity measuring, and the granulation experiments with the laboratory scale equipment are also carried out for the five mixtures with various water levels, and the permeability of the granules are also measured to get the optimal water content for each mixture. Comparing the optimal water content with the moisture capacity finds that the two parameters have a good positive relation, meaning that more water is necessary for the mixture with high moisture capacity to get a good permeability index. The relationship between the permeability index and particle size distribution is also discussed. It is found that the size of the granules increases with the increase of water content and the permeability of the burden first increases and then decreases with the increase of water content.     

Simplified culture method of detached ears and its application to vernalization in wheat

Summary The effects of the addition of sulfurous acid into culture solution and of cold treatment of the solution were examined to simplify the culture of detached wheat ears. In the simplified method, detached ears could be cultured at room temperature on the liquid medium containing 100 g/l sucrose and 0.075% sulfurous acid without any sterilization. The immature seeds in detached ears cultured by this method were treated with low temperature or with chemicals known to have vernalizing effect. The chemical treatment did not affect the chilling requirement of immature embryos, although photoperiodic response and narrow-sense earliness were reduced by kinetin and trypsin. The low temperature treatment drastically affected the chilling requirement, and fully vernalized mature seeds having normal germinability were obtained by treating the detached ears in culture with low temperature from 10 days after anthesis.     

Susceptibility of red raspberry varieties to raspberry bushy dwarf virus and its genetic control

Summary Red raspberry varieties known to be susceptible to raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) are listed. Experiments at East Malling suggest that some varieties previously thought to be immune to RBDV are not so although they are difficult to inoculate by grafting. Additional varieties tested may possibly be immune. The response of varieties derived from Lloyd George and segregation in progenies derived from resistant varieties suggest that the genetic control of susceptibility may be by dominant complementary genes.     

Improved algorithms of modal parameter identification and its application to shaking table frame model test

Based on the data-driven stochastic subspace identification (SSI), an improved ITD method, an improved STD method and an improved complex index method are put forward. SSI has high identification accuracy, and Hankel matrix orthogonal projection calculation of data can retain all the useful information in the original data and simultaneously remove noise. The data obtained in P-matrix is taken as input for the ITD , STD and complex index methods, and then the three methods would no longer need random decrement technique or NExt method for pre-processing, thereby eliminating the error caused by the two pretreatment methods.The improved methods are applied to the modal parameter identification for structure shaking table test model by using the simulated earthquake response data from Tongji University. The recognition results further prove the correctness and feasibility of the improved methods.     

Evaluation of a DNA probe for the quantitative detection of common bacterial blight in common bean and its application in a breeding program

Summary Breeding of Phaseolus vulgaris L. for resistance to common bacterial blight (CBB) can be done with visual evaluations of symptoms to distinguish broad resistance classes, but a more quantitative measure was needed for genetic studies of resistance. A novel method of evaluation was developed by quantifying Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli (XCP) in bean leaf tissue infected with CBB using a ³²P-labeled probe and densitometric analysis of hybridization signals. Quantification of bacterial populations using the probe was highly correlated (r=0.98) with the number of colony forming units (CFU) from plate counts of the same leaf samples. The probe was used to follow XCP population dynamics on susceptible (BAT 41) and resistant (OAC 88-1) bean genotypes. OAC 88-1 supported a maximum XCP population which was approximately tenfold less than BAT 41. The probe was also used to study an F₂/F₃ population segregating for resistance. Narrow sense heritability estimates were less for resistance measured on the basis of bacterial populations (0.18–0.26) than on visual scores of symptoms (0.29–0.38). The anticipated response to selection for CBB resistance would be less based on bacterial numbers than based on symptom expression in this population. In breeding for resistance to CBB, selection based on visual symptoms combined with measurements of XCP populations using a DNA probe can be used to develop bean genotypes that are both resistant to symptom development and bacterial multiplication.Abbreviations CBB common bacterial blight - CFU colony forming units - XCP Xanthomonas campestris pv. phaseoli     

Optimum allocation of plots to years,seasons, locations,and replications,and its application to once-over-harvest cucumber trials

Summary Large experiments and breeding trials are often conducted over years, seasons (or planting dates), and locations, and with replication (blocks). This is costly and time-consuming, but it is usually deemed necessary to sample a range of environments. In this paper, we describe a general approach to optimum allocation of sampling effort, and apply it to once-over-harvest cucumber trials. Two criteria for optimality are considered: minimizing the variance of a genotype (or treatment) mean, and minimizing cost per unit information. Costs could include penalties for delaying a breeding program. Thus, costs may depend on the goal, as well as the size, of the experiment or breeding trial.We found that efficient allocation of resources favors using more years and/or season, with fewer locations and/or replications. Using more years with fewer locations and/or replications is suggested when genotypes are to be evaluated by yield alone. When both yield and quality variables are of interest, as is likely, using more seasons with fewer locations and/or replications is recommended.Paper No. 11302 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27695–7601.     

Identification of a SCAR marker linked to a recessive male sterile gene (Tems) and its application in breeding of marigold (Tagetes erecta)

In marigold, an F₂ segregation population of 167 plants was constructed from a cross of a line (M525A) carrying the male sterility trait × an inbred line (f53f). In line M525A, the male sterility trait was controlled by the recessive gene, Tems . The intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR) and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) techniques combined with bulked segregant analysis were used to develop markers linked to the trait. From a survey of the 38 ISSR primers and 170 SRAP primer combinations, only one SRAP marker that was closely linked to the target trait was identified and successfully converted into sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker that was located within 2.4 cM from Tems locus. The marker was validated with five other two-type lines and in each case the male fertile plants were reliably identified. This SCAR marker therefore permits the efficient marker-assisted selection of male sterile individuals in breeding programmes of marigold and will greatly facilitate the breeding of F₁ cultivars.     

Converting restriction fragment length polymorphism to single‐strand conformation polymorphism markers and its application in the fine mapping of a trichome gene in cotton

A well‐characterized and systematically organized collection of genetic markers is crucial in the study of any crop species. It is the basis of map‐based gene cloning and crop improvements through marker‐assisted selections. Single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) has been a robust way of discovering new polymorphisms in marker development without the requirement of sequencing. Here, we report the first approach of applying SSCP marker discovery methods in the genetic map construction and gene mapping of cotton species. A total of 80 restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers were selected from a region on published cotton genetic maps around the T1 gene related to cotton trichome. Among the 80 RFLPs, 28 showed polymorphisms through SSCP, showing a polymorphic rate of approximately 35%, which is much higher than that of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in the same region (7.8%). By integrating these newly generated SSCP markers, a detailed genetic map was reconstructed around this region using an F₂ population derived from a cross between Gossypium arboreum and G. herboceum. The reconstructed region comprises 22 SSCP markers, eight SSR markers and the T1 gene, spanning 21.6 cM. The marker order of the new map agrees well with published reference RFLP maps. The above results suggest that SSCP method can be applied very efficiently and reliably to the marker development of cotton genomes. It will prove to be even more valuable and robust after the public release of cotton whole‐genome sequences.