Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the microwave-assisted direct liquefaction of Sargassum polycystum C.Agardh in ethylene glycol (EG) with H(2)SO(4) as a catalyst. Based on the results of single factor experiments, EG-to-feedstock ratio, temperature and catalyst content were chosen as independent variables for a central composite rotatable design (CCRD). The optimal liquef...

A variation of the reduction-based approach to spatiotemporal interpolation (STI), in which time is treated independently from the spatial dimensions, is proposed in this paper. We reviewed and compared three widely-used spatial interpolation techniques: ordinary kriging, inverse distance weighting and the triangular irregular network. We also proposed a new distribution-based distance weightin...

Spatial discontinuity often causes poor accuracy when a single model is used for the surface modeling of soil properties in complex geomorphic areas. Here we present a method for adaptive surface modeling of combined secondary variables to improve prediction accuracy during the interpolation of soil properties (ASM-SP). Using various secondary variables and multiple base interpolation models, A...

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla (Carr.) Mitford cv. Pubescens) is an important timber substitute in China. Site specific stand management requires an accurate estimate of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock for maintaining stand productivity and understanding global carbon cycling. This study compared ordinary kriging (OK) and inverse distance weighting (IDW) approaches to study the spatial ...

Estuarine ecosystems are becoming increasingly altered by the concentration of human populations near the coastline, however a robust indicator of this change is lacking. We developed an index of waterbird community integrity (IWCI) and tested its sensitivity to anthropogenic activities within 28 watersheds and associated subestuaries of Chesapeake Bay, USA. The IWCI was used as a tool to gain ...

In order to estimate rainfall magnitude at unmeasured locations, this entry to the Spatial Interpolation Comparison of 1997 (SIC'97) used 2-dimensional, anisotropic, inverse-distance weighting interpolator (IDW), with cross-validation as a method of optimizing the interpolator's parameters. A jackknife resampling was then used to reduce bias of the predictions and estimate their uncertainty. Th...

Accurate methods quantifying whole landfill surface flux of methane are important for regulatory and research purposes. This paper presents the results from the analysis of chamber measurements utilizing geospatial techniques [kriging and inverse distance weighting (IDW)] to arrive at an estimation of the whole landfill surface flux from the spatially distributed chamber measurement points. The...

PURPOSE We recently discovered a novel gene responsive to tumor-conditioned media: endothelial-derived gene 1 (EG-1). Its transcript has been shown to be present in epithelial cells, as well as in endothelial cells. In this study, we examined the levels of EG-1 protein expression in breast, colon, prostate, and lung cancers, which constitute the four most common solid malignancies in the United...