Evaluating an e-nose ability to detect biogas plant efficiency: a case study

The demand for online monitoring and control of biogas process is increasing, since better monitoring and control system can improve process plants stability and economy. A number of parameters in both the liquid and the gas phase have been suggested as process indicators (pH, alkalinity, VFA and H-2, redox potential, biogas production rate, biogas composition, FOS/TAC ratio, COD and/or VS reduction). The present study proposes the use of complex sensors as a possible solution to engineer a consistent control system. Tests were performed to analyze the biogas coming from a biogas plant in which conditions of pre-overloading and overloading were artificially inducted. The different inducted functioning conditions were recognised using a FOS/TAC tester, or the ratio volatile organic acids/alkaline buffer capacity. The FOS/TAC ratio has long been recognized extending as far as the imminent inversion of the digester biology to be detected at an early stage. Data coming from the e-nose were sorted and classified according to FOS/TAC ratio as a reference method. Not all the sensors of the e-nose were reactive to manure digestates, but four of them, sensitive to aromatic compounds, ammonia alkanes and methane, resulted crucial in the samples identification. Results confirmed that the e-nose can discriminate different digestion conditions, demonstrating the possibility to reduce the number of sensors in this innovative tool for biogas control systems. However, this instrument cannot be considered a complete alternative to traditional analysis systems, as, for example, the FOS/TAC titration, but a supporting tool for a quick analysis of the system

Preliminary results of a field study on goats milk yield and lactation persistency as affected by automatic cluster removals

Automatic cluster removers (ACRs), although rarely adopted in goats milking, are available to remove milking equipment after milking. Main advantages of ACRs are overmilking reduction, improved teat condition, labour saving, improved milking routine. An innovative flow-based ACR for sheep and goats was coupled with an electronic milk meter was installed on the 16+16 parallel milking parlour with 32 milking units of the experimental goat farm associated with the University of Milan. Two balanced groups of 12 Saanen goats each were selected according to parity and days in milking. Animals were milked twice a day., and the milking machine was set up to provide 90 pulsations/min in a 50:50 ratio with a vacuum level of 42 kPa. One group was milked with an ACR switch point of 70 g/min and a delay time of 10 s, while the reference one was milked disabling the ACRs. Reattachment of milking units to goats was discouraged. Individual milk yields were recorded at each milking session through electronic milk meters and the flock management software. Milk yields recorded on the whole lactation were analyzed to evaluate the ACR effect on goats daily milk production, and by nonlinear regression, to determine Wood\u2019s lactation curves of the two groups. Results highlighted a higher mean milk daily production for the ACR group with 1.82 kg vs 1.68 kg of noACR group (P < 0.001). The results showed that ACR group reached significantly higher milk production with a significant better persistency during the whole lactation

Blood and plasma biochemical variables in laying hens of different strains and ages

Cet article présente une corrélation phono-sémantique attestée entre plusieurs formes lexicales de l’hébreu classique. Adopter la démarche de la théorie des matrices et des étymons permet d’envisager un réseau conceptuel rapprochant les concepts de « souffle », « sacré » et « odeur », réseau articulé par une série de similitudes d’ordre acoustique ou articulatoire. En effet, en hébreu comme dans les langues sémitiques en général, les formes lexicales renvoyant à ces notions sont souvent identiques ou très proches. Elles sont constituées d’une même base consonantique comme l’illustrent les étymons {ḥ,r} et {š,p} dont voici quelques exemples de réalisations : rûaḥ (ar. rūḥ) : « souffle, haleine, âme, vent, respiration, air, vie, esprit » ; rēaḥ (ar. rā’iḥa) : « odeur » ; reqaḥ : « parfum » ; nepeš (ar. nafs) : « souffle, haleine, odeur, parfum, vie » ; nâšap : « souffler » ; šâ’ap : « aspirer, humer, soupirer ».This article’s main objective is to present a phono-semantic link attested between some classical Hebrew words. The use of the Matrix and Etymons Theory leads us to describe a particular semantic web where the notions of “blowing, breathing”, “holiness” and “smell” seem to be articulated by some looking alike phonetic articulations or acoustic results. Indeed, in Hebrew as in any other Semitic language, these notions are often expressed by close or identical terms. Those ones are actually formed on a similar consonantal basis as the etymons {ḥ,r} and {š,p}: rûaḥ (ar. rūḥ): “breath, soul, blast of air, wind, air, life, spirit”; rēaḥ (ar. rā’iḥa): “smell”; reqaḥ: “perfume”; nepeš (ar. nafs): “breath, smell, perfume, life”; nâšap: “to blow”; šâ’ap : “to inhale, to smell, to sigh”.يتعرّض هذا المقال للعلاقة الصوتية الدلالية الموجودة بين مجموعة من الوحدات المعجمية في اللغة العبرية الكلاسيكية. وقد اعتمدنا في تحليلنا لهذه الوحدات على نظرية المصفوفات والأثول التي مكّنتنا من ملاحظة شبكة تصورية تجمع بين مفاهيم : «ريح، نفس» و«مقدّس» و«رائحة»، وهي تترابط في إطار سلسلة من التشابهات السمعية والتلفظية. ففي العبرية، كما هو الشأن عموما في اللغات السامية، الوحدات المعجمية التي تحيل على هذه المفاهيم تتشابه أو تتقارب. فهي تتشكل من نفس المكون الصامتي كما يبيّن ذلك تحقّق الأثلين : {ح، ر} و{ش، پ} في الكلمات التالية : rûaḥ : «روح، ريح، نفس، حياة» ؛ rēaḥ : «رائحة» ؛ reqaḥ : «عِطر، طِيب» ؛ nepeš : «نَفَس، رائحة، طِيب، حياة» ؛ nâšap : «هبّ، نفخ» ؛ šâ’ap : «تنفّس، مصّ، استنشق، رشف، تنهّد»