Using empirical negative cumulative extropy and image quality assessment to determine the accumulation of elements in marine organisms.

In this study, the assessment of metals absorption capacity by macroalgae using image analysis was investigated for the first time and compared with fish bioaccumulatio. Empirical cumulative entropy (ECE), and also empirical negative cumulative extropy (ENCEX) were used as a newly introduced (information-based) indices. The regression equation was obtained between fish tissue-seawater in muscle of Sphyraena putnamiae (ENCEX=0.2001BAF; R2=0.96); In the case of muscle of Liza subviridis, the regression model was as (ENCEX=0.1950BAF; R2=0.93). The regression equation was obtained between algae-sediment (ENCEXH. hamulosa=0.2695BAF; R2=0.97). The studied indices showed a high accumulation of Hypnea hamulosa compared to the other algae (ECE=0.2601; ENCEX=0.3995). IQA method showed the same result exhibiting that the algae can be evaluated as a bio-indicator of element accumulation using image analysis. Image analysis can help us find macro algae with high absorption capacity without laboratory examinations.

Fractional Deng Entropy and Extropy and Some Applications.

Deng entropy and extropy are two measures useful in the Dempster-Shafer evidence theory (DST) to study uncertainty, following the idea that extropy is the dual concept of entropy. In this paper, we present their fractional versions named fractional Deng entropy and extropy and compare them to other measures in the framework of DST. Here, we study the maximum for both of them and give several examples. Finally, we analyze a problem of classification in pattern recognition in order to highlight the importance of these new measures.

Results on Varextropy Measure of Random Variables.

In 2015, Lad, Sanfilippo and Agrò proposed an alternative measure of uncertainty dual to the entropy known as extropy. This paper provides some results on a dispersion measure of extropy of random variables which is called varextropy and studies several properties of this concept. Especially, the varextropy measure of residual and past lifetimes, order statistics, record values and proportional hazard rate models are discussed. Moreover, the conditional varextropy is considered and some properties of this measure are studied. Finally, a new stochastic comparison method, named varextropy ordering, is introduced and some of its properties are presented.

Empirical cumulative entropy as a new trace elements indicator to determine the relationship between algae-sediment pollution in the Persian Gulf, southern Iran.

In this paper, the amount of 19 elements in three species of algae and associated sediment in the northern margin of the Persian Gulf was investigated. A sampling of algae was performed on the coast with a length of 5 km in each station and surface sediment was sampled at the same time in low and middle intertidal zones. The values of elements in the samples were measured by using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) device. Then, the amount of bioaccumulation factor in algae tissue relative to sediment (biota-sediment accumulation factor, BSAF) was determined. The value of BSAF was compared with the empirical cumulative entropy (ECE). ECE is based on comparing the element information in algae with those in sediments. The results showed that BSAF was very closely related to the ECE factor so that significant correlations were obtained for algae species of P. gymnospora (ECE = 0.477 BSAF, R2: 0.967), H. hamulosa (ECE = 0.542 BSAF, R2: 0.979), and C. membranacea (ECE = 0.356 BSAF, R2: 0.976). The ECE values > 0.4 were similar to those obtained for BSAF > 1, exhibiting that the element accumulation in algae was higher than in sediments. Based on ECE, to determine the vanadium accumulation in the environment, the C. membranacea algae are more appropriate than H. hamulosa. Overall, the data showed that ECE is a good alternative to BSAF in estimating marine pollution.

Trace and Major Elements Concentration in Fish and Associated Sediment-Seawater, Northern Shores of the Persian Gulf.

The concentration of 19 metal and non-metal elements in two fishes (Liza subviridis and Sphyraena jello) and associated sediment-seawater from the northern part of the Persian Gulf was measured. The samples were gathered from two industrial ports, one commercial port, and one residential port. The metal accumulation in the muscle and liver of fishes was evaluated. Nickel (mean 362.07-712.83 µg/g) and chromium (mean 470.00-691.47 µg/g) in sediment and zinc (mean 9.01-31.15 µg/L) and arsenic (mean 18.22-22.14 µg/L) in seawater had the most abundancy among studied elements. The accumulation of elements in S. jello (a pelagic species) was higher than L. subviridis (a demersal species). For both species, major elements of S and Mg and trace elements of Fe, Al, Si, Zn, and Cu showed highest accumulation. Also, fish samples from Emam Hassan Port were more contaminated than other stations. Ecological indexes values have revealed a low to moderate elemental pollution of sediment and fish samples in the north part of the Persian Gulf.

Potential of trees leaf/ bark to control atmospheric metals in a gas and petrochemical zone.

Leaf and bark of trees are tools for assessing the effects of the heavy metals pollution and monitoring the environmental air quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of Ni, Pb, V, and Co metals in four tree/shrub species (Conocarpus erectus, Nerium oleander, Bougainvillea spectabilis willd, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) in the heavily industrial zone of Asaloyeh, Iran. Two industrial zones (sites 1 and 2), two urban areas (sites 3 and 4), and two rural areas (sites 5 and 6) in the Asaloyeh industrial zone and an uncontaminated area as a control were selected. Sampling from leaf and bark of trees was carried out in spring 2016. The metals content in the washed and unwashed leaf and bark was investigated. The results showed that four studied metals in N. oleander, C. erectus, and B. spectabilis willd in all case sites were significantly higher than that of in the control site (p < 0.05). The highest concentration of metals was found in sites 3, 4, and 6; this was due to dispersion of the pollutants from industrial environments by dominant winds. The highest comprehensive bio-concentration index (CBCI) was found in leaf (0.37) and bark (0.12) of N. oleander. The maximum metal accumulation index (MAI) in the samples was found in leaf of N. oleander (1.58) and in bark of H. rosa-sinensis (1.95). The maximum bio-concentration factor (BCF) was seen for cobalt metal in the N. oleander leaf (0.89). The nickel concentration in washed-leaf samples of C. erectus was measured to be 49.64% of unwashed one. In general, the N. oleander and C. erectus species were found to have the highest absorption rate from the atmosphere and soil than other studied species, and are very suitable tools for managing air pollution in highly industrialized areas.