Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2002

The faculty and staff of the Animal Science Program are pleased to present the sixth edition of the Arkansas Animal Science Report. As with virtually all programs in the country, budget constraints presented serious challenges to teaching, research, and extension programming. However, the faculty and staff responded with innovation, good management, and hard work to maintain a productive program designed to benefit the students of the University and the citizens of the state. We are committed to remaining faithful to our Land-Grant mission. A sincere thank you is owed to Dr. Zelpha Johnson and Dr. Wayne Kellogg for editing this publication. We are proud that Meat and Poultry magazine ranked the animal and poultry programs at the University of Arkansas among the top four in the United States for 2003. This is a tribute to the dedicated and talented faculty in the Departments of Animal Science, Poultry Science, and Food Science and to their high level of cooperation

Annual Report: 2008

I submit herewith the annual report from the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, for the period ending December 31, 2008. This is done in accordance with an act of Congress, approved March 2, 1887, entitled, “An act to establish agricultural experiment stations, in connection with the agricultural college established in the several states under the provisions of an act approved July 2, 1862, and under the acts supplementary thereto,” and also of the act of the Alaska Territorial Legislature, approved March 12, 1935, accepting the provisions of the act of Congress. The research reports are organized according to our strategic plan, which focuses on high-latitude soils, high-latitude agriculture, natural resources use and allocation, ecosystems management, and geographic information. These areas cross department and unit lines, linking them and unifying the research. We have also included in our financial statement information on the special grants we receive. These special grants allow us to provide research and outreach that is targeted toward economic development in Alaska. Research conducted by our graduate and undergraduate students plays an important role in these grants and the impact they make on Alaska.Financial statement -- Grants -- Students -- Research reports: Partners, Facilities, and Programs; Geographic Information; High-Latitude Agriculture; High-Latitude Soils, Management of Ecosystems; Natural Resources Use and Allocation; Index to Reports -- Publications -- Facult

Structure From Motion Methodology Captures Seasonal Influences on Coastal Bluff Erosion and Landslide Hazards in Casco Bay, ME

Shoreline erosion in response to rising sea level is a global problem. Recognizing the need for observational data on coastal bluff recession in Casco Bay, Maine, we employed Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetric methods in a dynamic intertidal environment. Evaluating the method as a means to measure and monitor dynamic geomorphological changes occurring at a coastal bluff shows that a spatial resolution of centimeters over an area of 10’s to 100’s of meters can be attained at relatively low cost. The efficient methodology allows for frequent surveys at an operational scale, leading to greater temporal resolution and quantification of bluff erosion activity that supports understanding of the local geohazard. With the greater temporal resolution gained from this evaluation additional inferences are made towards seasonal controls on bluff geomorphology. In the local temperate climate, the dominant erosional actor is characteristically linked to seasonal transitions. Given the urgency of coastal erosion, the lack of local records, and newfound feasibility of repeat surveys, Structure from Motion presents the opportunity to address the uncertainty of bluff instability with an approach that accounts for quantified change over time. Observations were evaluated with respect to: 1) the coastal bluff erosion cycle conceptual model; 2) local landslide hazards; and 3) preservation of a shoreline status record

Design, fabrication and evaluation of an online Intelligent machine for trout beheading and gutting

La clasificación y procesado de pescado empleando máquinas automáticas reduce costes e incrementa el volumen de procesado. Después de su llegada a los mercados de distribución mayorista y minorista, el tamaño de los ejemplares suele ser muy variado para la mayoría de las especies (trucha, caballa, dorada, lubina, etc.). Debido a ello, la limpieza y corte de pescado se realiza habitualmente de forma manual. Este proceso involucra diferentes pasos y a menudo se corta en función de la demanda del usuario: sin cabeza, sin vísceras, sin cabeza ni vísceras, fileteado, etc. Combinando diferentes elementos tecnológicos, hoy en día es posible el desarrollo de sistemas automáticos capaces de mejorar los procesos de corte de pescado y el número de unidades procesadas. En cambio, las máquinas automáticas existentes actualmente son muy complejas y costosas, estando únicamente al alcance de las grandes empresas. La disponibilidad de máquinas automáticas en los pequeños mercados o comercio minorista facilitará el procesado de pescado que se sirve a los clientes, reduciendo el tiempo de espera para el cliente, con mayor calidad en el producto entregado y facilitando el consumo de pescado para la población. Debido a la piel escurridiza del pescado, que posee un bajo coeficiente de fricción, la sujeción del pescado para la ejecución de los procesos de corte y limpieza es una labor que debe realizarse cuidadosamente y con sistemas de agarre específicamente diseñados. Este sistema de agarre debe sujetar el pescado a lo largo de todo el proceso y permitir la actuación de las diferentes herramientas, así como permitir el agarre de piezas de diferente tamaño. Este trabajo realiza la investigación necesaria para el adecuado procesamiento de la trucha (Oncorhynchus mykiss), perteneciente a la familia de los salmónidos. Para permitir que la máquina propuesta se adapte a diferentes tamaños en las piezas de pescado, es necesario un sistema de visión artificial junto con los adecuados algoritmos para obtener las medidas fisiológicas de cada pieza y así poder establecer los puntos de actuación de las herramientas de corte y limpieza. El análisis del pescado se realiza en movimiento mientras éste circula por la máquina, siendo analizado antes de su llegada al primer punto de corte para poder realizar su aplicación en los puntos extraídos por el algoritmo. Adicionalmente, todo el proceso debe ser controlado por un sistema integral de automatización. El sistema será responsable de sincronizar el sistema de visión, el algoritmo de extracción de puntos característicos, la actuación de los elementos de corte y limpieza, así como de gestionar los sistemas de seguridad para evitar que el operario pueda dañarse durante el manejo de la máquina.Today, due to the increase of industrial automation, the need to design and manufacture automated devices with high capabilities in the fish and aquaculture industries is felt obviously. Considering the importance of trout consumption in the food basket and increasing the production efficiency with high quality, designing and developing the systems with higher capabilities compared to previous types is essential. Due to the slippery skin of the fish and the low friction coefficient, it is difficult to control the fish while processing. Since the fish processing operation is done step by step, in addition to providing fish stability, it is necessary that the grippers enable simultaneous operations along the system. Therefore, an automatic system with the ability of belly cutting, beheading, gutting and cleaning stages on different trout sizes is designed and manufactured based on the fish dimensions and cutting point extraction using machine vision. To reach the optimal system, the final model was simulated in Adams software. By performing the simulation, all the necessary forces and torques of the motors and pneumatic jacks were extracted at three input rates of four, seven and 10 fish per minute. To enable the system to process the fish in all capacities, the motors and pneumatic jacks were selected based on the maximum working capacity. Under these conditions, the maximum required force to provide this speed calculated as 332.45 N. Also in the belly cutting subsystem, the required torque for the stepper motor resulted in 1.79-2.145 Nm. The maximum required torque for the gutting stepper motor was calculated as 0.69 Nm in tested processing capacities (4, 7, and 10 fish per minute). The maximum required force of the cleaning jack resulted in 38.76 N. In order to extract the cutting points, the position of the fish fins was extracted by machine vision. To justify the processing method in the fin detection stage the identification of the fin regions resulted in 86.54%, 99.96% and 99.87 for sensitivity, specificity and total accuracy, respectively. By correcting the possible errors, the cutting points (fins) were identified in all fish samples. The controlling algorithm was written in TIA portal software compiled on the programmable logic control (PLC). Thus, the extracted data was sent to the controlling unit using the TCP/IP protocol for precise fish processing

Black & White Photography for 35mm: A Guide to Photography and Darkroom Techniques

Combining detailed explanations of all aspects of black-and-white 35mm photography with exercises that clearly illustrate each concept step-by-step results in a comprehensive how-to guide to the camera and darkroom. This manual covers the basics of taking a shot by explaining the camera functions, how the camera meters light, and the proper use of filters. It teaches beginning through advanced techniques for shooting, developing, and printing and offers advice on selecting the right lens, the proper depth of field, and correct exposure. Included are darkroom tips on setup and maintenance and details of the latest technology and equipment.https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/lmu_ebook_collection/1001/thumbnail.jp

Development and growth of skeletal muscle

The main body of this work contributes to an understanding of the development and growth of skeletal muscle in a range of Vertebrates from fish to pigs. Particular emphasis is paid to the contribution of numbers and types of muscle fibres to overall muscle growth and ultimate mass, and also to the mechanisms whereby factors such as nutrition in mammals and temperature in fish may affect these parameters. The work is divided into three main sections.The first section covers aspects of prenatal mammalian development including myogenesis and placentation. Muscle develops as two populations of muscle fibres. Primary myofibres form first and this is followed by the formation of a larger population of secondary fibres. Restricting maternal nutrition may compromise the formation of secondary fibres but not primaries. Studies on the placenta and on levels of specific factors, e.g. insulin-like growth factors, has given some insight into the mechanism of nutritional effects on muscle fibre development. Nutritional experiments have highlighted energy levels in the earlier stages of gestation as most critical in the development of muscle fibre number. This finding has been developed in pig experiments which have shown that extra feed in early gestation can produce piglets with more secondary fibres at birth and which grow faster and more efficiently to slaughter.The second section incorporates work on postnatal mammalian muscle. Studies, on pigs in particular, have shown that primary fibre number relates more to genotype than does secondary fibre number. Total muscle fibre number correlates with some parameters of carcass leanness and with postnatal growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. The influence of factors such as nutrition, dwarfism, obesity and sex on aspects of muscle growth and muscle fibre types has been studied as well as the functional adaptation of muscle metabolism in different species.The third section includes work on fish muscle development and growth in a range of species. There is particular emphasis on the role of temperature during embryonic stages on the development of muscle cellularity. In salmonid species higher temperatures have been shown to produce muscle with larger but fewer muscle fibres than at lower temperatures. There are also effects on the expression of specific genes during development. The effect on muscle cellularity may have a consequence for the posthatch growth of the fish when subsequently reared at the same temperature. Further work has suggested that oxygen availability may be compromised at the higher temperature and may be a significant factor in the temperature affect on muscle cellularity. Temperature effects on muscle metabolism have also been demonstrated

More&More: A Guide to a Harmonized System

More&More is an art and research project that explores the language and mechanics of global trade, container shipping, and the exchange of goods. It questions a mercantile structure that by necessity disallows the presence of ocean as a real space in order to flatten the world into a Pangaea of capital. The project is presented in two volumes, released in conjunction with an exhibition of Marina Zurkow’s work (with collaborators Sarah Rothberg, Surya Mattu, and others) at bitforms gallery in New York City in February 2016. This book, More&More (A Guide to the Harmonized System), is an experimental “brick” of a book that intervenes in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (also known as the HS Code). The HS Code is the internationally accepted standard of product classification, which codifies the way nations conduct import/export. All legal trade products (and illegal ones that find loopholes) are shipped using this system. More&More (A Guide to the Harmonized System) lists the astonishing variety of items that are shipped around the world, and includes instructions for using the code to ship items (both legally and illegally). It also includes poetic, personal, and scholarly annotations by Stacy Alaimo, Heather Davis, Kathleen Forde, Dylan Gauthier, Elena Glasberg, Calliope Mathios, Steve Mentz, Astrida Neimanis, Chris Piuma, Elspeth Probyn, Sarah Rothberg, Phil Steinberg, Rita Wong, and Marina Zurkow. Its companion book, More&More (The Invisible Oceans), is a catalog of the exhibition, featuring many full-color images of the art on display (including video stills, bespoke bathing suits, and fungal sculptures), as well as an introduction by Marina Zurkow and a conversation between Zurkow and international curator Kathleen Forde