Assessment of the Accuracy of a Multi-Beam LED Scanner Sensor for Measuring Olive Canopies

MDPI. CC BYCanopy characterization has become important when trying to optimize any kind of agricultural operation in high-growing crops, such as olive. Many sensors and techniques have reported satisfactory results in these approaches and in this work a 2D laser scanner was explored for measuring canopy trees in real-time conditions. The sensor was tested in both laboratory and field conditions to check its accuracy, its cone width, and its ability to characterize olive canopies in situ. The sensor was mounted on a mast and tested in laboratory conditions to check: (i) its accuracy at different measurement distances; (ii) its measurement cone width with different reflectivity targets; and (iii) the influence of the target’s density on its accuracy. The field tests involved both isolated and hedgerow orchards, in which the measurements were taken manually and with the sensor. The canopy volume was estimated with a methodology consisting of revolving or extruding the canopy contour. The sensor showed high accuracy in the laboratory test, except for the measurements performed at 1.0 m distance, with 60 mm error (6%). Otherwise, error remained below 20 mm (1% relative error). The cone width depended on the target reflectivity. The accuracy decreased with the target density

Apropiación de Sí: Una Experiencia Hermenéutica

The understanding of the subjective foundations of a patient’s suffering and illness throughout the therapeutic process, is a relevant and transversal variable for psychotherapeutic models based on a Constructivist paradigm. From the Hermeneutic Phenomenological Post-Rationalist psychotherapeutic method, this phenomenon is called Self Appropriation. Because this phenomenon  occurs in the private sphere of experience, the methodology used for studying it must allow its access from a  first person perspectitve, this is, from the person who experiences it. This qualitative study was carried out, with a descriptive scope, using the Micro-phenomenological Interview methodology. Using this methodology, the results of ten interviews with patients who had undergone a constructivist psychotherapy were collected and analyzed. The results obtained allowed us to understand the appropriation of oneself as a transversal phenomenon characterized as  a transformation in the way of understanding and accessing their suffering. This new form of intelligibility allows the patient to position  himself in a place of ownership  regarding his  circumstances, and guides renewing action and opens possibilities for  personal transformation.Que el sujeto consultante desarrolle -a lo largo de su tratamiento- una comprensión de los fundamentos subjetivos de su padecimiento, es considerado como un variable relevante por la investigación en proceso psicoterapéutico, y una cualidad transversal en modelos psicoterapéuticos fundamentados en el paradigma Constructivista. Desde el método psicoterapéutico Posracionalista Fenomenológico Hermenéutico, a este fenómeno se le denomina: Apropiación de sí. Al ser un fenómeno que ocurre en la esfera privada de la experiencia, se estima relevante su estudio desde una metodología que acceda a éste, desde la primera persona que lo experimenta. De esta manera, se realizó un estudio cualitativo, de alcance descriptivo, utilizando la metodología de Entrevista Micro-fenomenológica. Se recolectó y analizó, bajo esta metodología, los resultados de diez entrevistas a sujetos que hayan cursado una psicoterapia de corte constructivista. Los resultados obtenidos permiten comprender la apropiación de sí como un fenómeno transversal en los sujetos entrevistados, caracterizándose como una transformación en el modo de acceder comprensiblemente a su propio padecer. Esta inteligibilidad permite una posición en propiedad respecto a sus circunstancias, que orienta a la acción renovadora, abriendo posibilidades a través de la transformación personal

2-(Fluoromethoxy)-4′-(S-methanesulfonimidoyl)-1,1′-biphenyl (UCM-1306), an Orally Bioavailable Positive Allosteric Modulator of the Human Dopamine D1 Receptor for Parkinson’s Disease

Tolerance development caused by dopamine replacement with L-DOPA and therapeutic drawbacks upon activation of dopaminergic receptors with orthosteric agonists reveal a significant unmet need for safe and effective treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In search for selective modulators of the D1 receptor, the screening of a chemical library and subsequent medicinal chemistry program around an identified hit resulted in new synthetic compound 26 [UCM-1306, 2-(fluoromethoxy)-4′- (S-methanesulfonimidoyl)-1,1′-biphenyl] that increases the dopamine maximal effect in a dose-dependent manner in human and mouse D1 receptors, is inactive in the absence of dopamine, modulates dopamine affinity for the receptor, exhibits subtype selectivity, and displays low binding competition with orthosteric ligands. The new allosteric modulator potentiates cocaine-induced locomotion and enhances L-DOPA recovery of decreased locomotor activity in reserpinized mice after oral administration. The behavior of compound 26 supports the interest of a positive allosteric modulator of the D1 receptor as a promising therapeutic approach for Parkinson’s disease

Field sprayer for inter and intra-row weed control: performance and labor savings

Studies of new tools and methods for weed control have been motivated by increased consumer demand for organic produce, consumer and regulatory demands for a reduction in environmentally harmful herbicide use, and the decreased availability of farm workers willing to perform manual tasks, such as hand weeding. This study describes the performance of a new sprayer system for commercial production that integrates two herbicide applications in a single pass, selective herbicide (SH) application in narrow bands over the crop row, and a non-selective herbicide (NSH) application between crop rows. A real-time kinematic (RTK) global positioning system (GPS) was used for auto-guidance in seeding and spraying operations. Conventional broadcast SHs and experimental treatments were applied at a constant nominal speed of 5.5 km h-1 for comparison. Trials in commercial sugar beet fields demonstrated the following: (i) average hand-weeding time can be reduced by 53% (ii) the new sprayer system reduced SH use by 76%, and (iii) sugar beet density did not change significantly during treatment. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using the new RTK-GPS controller sprayer system for differential and efficient herbicide application in inter- and intra-row zones in row crop production

Automatic pseudo-coloring approaches to improve visual perception and contrast in polarimetric images of biological tissues

Imaging polarimetry methods have proved their suitability to enhance the image contrast between tissues and structures in organic samples, or even to reveal structures hidden in regular intensity images. These methods are nowadays used in a wide range of biological applications, as for the early diagnosis of different pathologies. To include the discriminatory potential of different polarimetric observables in a single image, a suitable strategy reported in literature consists in associating different observables to different color channels, giving rise to pseudo-colored images helping the visualization of different tissues in samples. However, previous reported polarimetric based pseudo-colored images of tissues are mostly based on simple linear combinations of polarimetric observables whose weights are set ad-hoc, and thus, far from optimal approaches. In this framework, we propose the implementation of two pseudo-colored methods. One is based on the Euclidean distances of actual values of pixels and an average value taken over a given region of interest in the considered image. The second method is based on the likelihood for each pixel to belong to a given class. Such classes being defined on the basis of a statistical model that describes the statistical distribution of values of the pixels in the considered image. The methods are experimentally validated on four different biological samples, two of animal origin and two of vegetal origin. Results provide the potential of the methods to be applied in biomedical and botanical applications

Potencial de secuestro de carbono de residuos de diferentes tipos de cubiertas en olivar bajo clima mediterráneo

The maintenance of plant cover between olive grove lanes until the beginning of spring is a soil management alternative that is gradually being adopted by olive growers. As well as protecting the soil from erosion, plant covers have other advantages such as improving the physicochemical properties of the soil, favouring its biodiversity and contributing towards the capturing of atmospheric carbon and its fixation in the soil. A trial was conducted over three growing seasons in an olive plantation situated in southern Spain. It was designed to evaluate the C fixation potential of the residues of the cover species Brachypodium distachyon, Eruca vesicaria, Sinapis alba and of spontaneous weeds; and also to study the decomposition dynamics of plant residues after mowing cover. After 156 and 171 days of decomposition, the species that released the largest amount of C was Brachypodium with values of 2,157 and 1,666 kg ha-1 respectively, while the lowest values of 461 and 509 kg ha-1 were obtained by spontaneous weeds. During the third season (163 days of decomposition) and due to the weather conditions restricting the emergence and growth of cover, spontaneous weeds released the most C with a value of 1,494 kg ha-1. With respect to the fixation of C, Sinapis records the best results with an increase in soil organic C (SOC) concentration of 7,690 kg ha-1. Considering the three seasons and a depth of 20 cm, the behaviour sequence of the different species in favouring the fixation of soil organic C was Sinapis>Brachypodium>spontaneous weeds>Eruca.El mantenimiento de una cubierta vegetal entre líneas de olivo hasta el comienzo de la primavera es una alternativa de manejo de suelo que está siendo gradualmente adoptada por los olivareros. Así como la protección del suelo contra la erosión, las cubiertas vegetales tienen otras ventajas como la mejora de las propiedades físico-químicas del suelo, favorecer su biodiversidad y contribuir a la captura de carbono atmosférico y su fijación en el suelo. Se ha realizado un ensayo durante tres campañas en una plantación de olivos situada en el sur de España. Éste fue diseñado para evaluar el potencial de fijación de C en residuos de cubiertas de las especies Brachypodium distachyon, Eruca vesicaria, Sinapis alba y de hierba espontánea; y también para estudiar la dinámica de descomposición del residuo tras el desbroce de la cubierta. Después de 156 y 171 días de descomposición, la especie que más cantidad de C liberó fue el Brachypodium con un valor de 2157 y 1666 kg ha-1 respectivamente, mientras que los valores más bajos fueron 461 y 509 kg ha-1 y se obtuvieron por la hierba espontánea. Durante la 3ª campaña (163 días de descomposición), debido a las condiciones climáticas, se vio restringida la emergencia y el crecimiento de la cubierta. La hierba espontánea liberó la mayor cantidad de C con un valor de 1494 kg ha-1. Con respecto a la fijación de C, Sinapis registró los mejores resultados con un incremento de la concentración de C orgánico en suelo de 7690 kg ha-1. Considerando las 3 campañas y una profundidad de 20 cm, la secuencia de especies que favorecen la fijación de C orgánico fue Sinapis>Brachypodium>hierba espontánea>Eruca

Clima y satisfacción laboral como predictores del desempeño: en una organización estatal chilena

Nowadays, there is a general agreement on the idea that organizational climate and job satisfaction are strongly associated as fundamental variables on organization management. Hence, there is not a clear vision with respect on how these variables are related with the job performance. The purpose of this study is to determine if exists a significant relation between the variables and if climate organizational or job satisfaction are significant predictors of the job performance. The study is sectional correlational, using quantitative (instruments) and qualitative (one focus group) techniques, in 96 workers from public institution of Maule�s region. The results showed that exist a significant relation between the variables and that the job performance is better by both variables. Considering the dimensions of job performance, only the climate predict significantly the "Worker Behavior" and "Personal Conditions", by the other hand the satisfaction predict significantly Efficiency and Productivity.Actualmente existe consenso respecto a que el clima organizacional y la satisfacción laboral son variables fundamentales dentro de la gestión de las organizaciones. Sin embargo, no está claro cuáles son los efectos específicos que tienen dichas variables sobre el desempeño laboral en general, ni tampoco sobre los aspectos específicos del desempeño, tales como el comportamiento normativo, la productividad y las relaciones sociales. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar si el clima organizacional y la satisfacción laboral son predictores significativos tanto del desempeño laboral como de sus dimensiones específicas. Se aplicaron los cuestionarios de clima organizacional de Litwing y Stringer (1989) y de satisfacción laboral JDI y JIG (1969) a un total de 96 trabajadores de un organismo público de la Región del Maule. Los cuestionarios fueron contestados de forma individual y en un solo momento. Esta aplicación fue realizada junto al proceso de evaluación anual de desempeño de la institución. En esta evaluación se aplicó un cuestionario confeccionado por la institución cuyo objetivo era evaluar tres dimensiones del desempeño de los funcionarios (�comportamiento funcionario, condiciones personales, rendimiento y productividad). Se evidencia que existe una relación significativa entre el clima, la satisfacción y el desempeño. Y que el desempeño es predicho de mejor forma por las variables en conjunto. Considerando las dimensiones del desempeño, sólo el clima predice significativamente el comportamiento funcionario y las condiciones personales, mientras que la satisfacción sólo predice el Rendimiento y la Productividad