34 research outputs found
CropSAT â A decision support system for practical use of satellite images in precision agriculture
CropSAT is an interactive decision support system (DSS) that provides vegetation index (VI) maps from Sentinel-2 data all across the globe and lets users delineate fields, design variable-rate application of user specified inputs (mainly nitrogen, but also e.g. fungicides or growth regulators) based on the VI maps. The CropSAT DSS was initially developed in a research project at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and has since its launch in 2015 been continuously developed in a private-public-partnership between SLU, private companies and the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Now it has global coverage, is continuously updated with new satellite images, and is provided free-of-charge in multiple languages (including Arabic and French). The present study aims at describing the CropSAT systems, summarizing research results from the ongoing developmental process and pointing to opportunities for applications in precision agriculture, e.g. in Morocco and other countries in North Africa
Job burnout and its relationship to achieving competitive superiority among the employees of the University of Baghdad
This research focuses on the epidemic of Job burnout and seeks to achieve sustainable preeminence among the employees of the University of Baghdad. It also identifies the meaning of the differences between the two genders of males and females according to the variables, and it also does the correlation between the two variables. First, the two researchers developed a test of job burnout that incorporates 18 items, which has been proven to be statistically fit. Moreover, they developed a competitive superiority measure consisting of 22 items in it, and its psychometric properties confirm their fit. The two tools were applied to a sample of 120 employees who were randomly selected from six colleges at the University of Baghdad, alongside university staff. As for API 2021â2022, the research concluded that it is found that the research sample of the employees of Baghdad University did not have any job burnout. Research reveals that females and males differ in job burnout, and it is more normal for females to be depressed, which leads to burnout in the workplace. The within-group result of the research has shown the fair competitive advantage of the University of Baghdad students. No differences in male and female brains reach significance, as institutional forces push for achieving dominant positions in competition. The results of the statistical analysis confirmed that the competitive sustainability of work belonging to the staff of the University of Baghdad does not correlate with job burnout
Thermo-mechanical behaviour of a compacted swelling clay
Compacted unsaturated swelling clay is often considered as a possible buffer
material for deep nuclear waste disposal. An isotropic cell permitting
simultaneous control of suction, temperature and pressure was used to study the
thermo-mechanical behaviour of this clay. Tests were performed at total
suctions ranging from 9 to 110 MPa, temperature from 25 to 80 degrees C,
isotropic pressure from 0.1 to 60 MPa. It was observed that heating at constant
suction and pressure induces either swelling or contraction. The results from
compression tests at constant suction and temperature evidenced that at lower
suction, the yield pressure was lower, the elastic compressibility parameter
and the plastic compressibility parameter were higher. On the other hand, at a
similar suction, the yield pressure was slightly influenced by the temperature;
and the compressibility parameters were insensitive to temperature changes. The
thermal hardening phenomenon was equally evidenced by following a
thermo-mechanical path of loading-heating-cooling-reloading
Baby Grain Passport
Det Ă€r utmanande att producera tillrĂ€ckliga volymer spannmĂ„l som uppfyller kvalitetskriterierna för barnmatsrĂ„vara, frĂ€mst pĂ„ grund av strikta grĂ€nsvĂ€rden för tungmetaller och mykotoxiner. Med bĂ€ttre underlag i form av digitala kartor och vĂ€derbaserade riskmodeller, som tillgĂ€ngliggörs i Ă€ndamĂ„lsenliga beslutssystem, kan man arbeta mer effektivt med sourcing (rĂ„varuförsörjning), spĂ„rbarhet och kvalitetssĂ€kring. Det ger möjlighet att öka kapaciteten att producera svensk spannmĂ„lsrĂ„vara med barnmatskvalitet, bĂ„de för inhemsk konsumtion och export, och samtidigt stĂ€lla hĂ„llbarhetskrav pĂ„ odlingen. Med förbĂ€ttrade modeller i digitala beslutsstöd för vĂ€xtodlare kan man lĂ€ttare optimera resurseffektiviteten, vilket bidrar till förverkligandet av nationella och internationella miljö- och klimatmĂ„l. T.ex. kan satellitbaserade kartunderlag anvĂ€ndas för att med högre rumslig upplösning anpassa gödselgivor till lokala behov (s.k. precisionsodling). I projektet Baby Grain Passport har vi arbetat med följande frĂ„gor i fyra arbetspaket:1) Till vilka omrĂ„den bör man styra barnmatsodlingen för att sĂ€kerstĂ€lla att kadmiumhalten i grödan Ă€r sĂ„ lĂ„g som möjligt?2) Hur kan man kartera â och ta hĂ€nsyn till â varierande skördenivĂ„er inom fĂ€lt nĂ€r man anpassar gödselgivor?3) Hur kan man undvika mykotoxiner som kan bildas vid odling och lagring?4) Hur kan man ta kombinera statiska och dynamiska beslutsunderlag för effektivare sourcing och logistik av spannmĂ„l med specialkvalitet?Markinformation frĂ„n miljöövervakning och mĂ€tkampanjer som Mark- och grödoinventeringen samt Jordbruksverkets Ă„kermarksprovtagning, utgör en vĂ€rdefull grund för att kunna kartlĂ€gga och undvika risk för höga kadmiumhalter i spannmĂ„lspartier. Genom att kombinera punktobservationer med högupplöst bakgrundsinformation enligt principer för digital markkartering togs detaljerade riskkartor för höga kadmiumhalter i matjord fram. I samverkan med SLUs miljöövervakning har sedan metoden generaliserats till ett ramverk för digital Ă„kermarkskartering (Ă
kermarksdatakuben, Ă
MDK), som kan anvĂ€ndas för att förhĂ„llandevis snabbt ta fram nya eller uppdaterade kartprodukter Ă€ven över flera andra tungmetaller â i projektet gjordes en test med kartlĂ€ggning av nickelhalter i mark och i havre. I kartlĂ€ggningsarbetet blev det tydligt att vissa geografiska omrĂ„den Ă€r sĂ€rskilt lĂ€mpade för produktion av spannmĂ„l till barnmat. Risken för att pĂ„trĂ€ffa kadmiumhalter (och nickelhalter) över grĂ€nsen för barnmat i havre och vete Ă€r liten i t.ex. stora delar av VĂ€stsverige (Halland, VĂ€stra Götaland och VĂ€rmland). Resultat frĂ„n kadmiumkarteringen i marken finns tillgĂ€nglig hĂ€r: https://bit.ly/sannolika_kadmiumhalter.. Precisionsstyrning av vĂ€xtnĂ€ring tillĂ€mpas idag ganska brett men det finns utrymme till ytterligare förbĂ€ttring, t.ex. genom att hĂ€nsyn tas till varierande skördepotential inom fĂ€lt. För att kunna göra det behövs effektiva metoder att generera underlag i form av detaljerade skördekartor. Fritt tillgĂ€ngliga satellitdata kan nyttjas för förenklad skördekartering, utan krav pĂ„ egen utrustning. NĂ€r det gĂ€ller satellitbaserad skördekartering Ă€r det lĂ€mpligt att arbeta pĂ„ en nĂ„got grövre upplösning Ă€n den ursprungliga upplösningen hos satellitbilderna, t.ex. 40 m eller ett antal homogena zoner inom fĂ€lt. Modellerna blir mer tillförlitliga om de bygger pĂ„ ett vegetationsindex som Ă€r kĂ€nsligt fĂ„r grödans vattenstatus (NDWI) och om man anvĂ€nder satellitdata frĂ„n ett relativt sent utvecklingsstadium (nĂ€ra mjölkmognad), alternativt tidsserier av data frĂ„n uppkomst fram till detta stadium.  Prognossystem och mĂ€tprogram för mykotoxinerna DON och T2+HT2 Ă€r nödvĂ€ndiga för att under pĂ„gĂ„ende sĂ€song informera inköpsprocessen samt för fortsatt kunskapsuppbyggnad kring biologi och utbredning av de fusariumsvampar som bildar toxinerna. För att sĂ€kert komma under det nya grĂ€nsvĂ€rde för T2+HT2, som frĂ„n och med 2024 gĂ€ller för skalad havre till barnmat, bör man ha halter Inköp av spannmĂ„l med sĂ€rskilda kvalitetskrav Ă€r en kritisk process som i grova drag innebĂ€r att man utifrĂ„n stĂ€llda krav hittar de volymer som Ă€r bĂ€st lĂ€mpade. LantmĂ€nnen utvecklar nu sina interna strategier och system för inköp och logistik av spannmĂ„l med specialkvaliteter. Genom att nyttja bl.a. framtagna riskkartor och riskmodeller frĂ„n projektet som underlag, kan man fĂ„ en sĂ€krare urvalsbas och bli effektivare. I processen kan man samtidigt stĂ€lla krav pĂ„ att rĂ„varan Ă€r hĂ„llbart odlad. Det Ă€r denna levande infrastuktur av data, metoder och rutiner som utgör Baby Grain Passport
Biomechanical forces promote blood development through prostaglandin E2 and the cAMPâPKA signaling axis
Focused beam reflectance measurement as innovative process analytical technology tool in fluid bed granulation process control
Predictions of Cu, Zn, and Cd Concentrations in Soil Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Measurements
Portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) measurements on 1520 soil samples were used to create national prediction models for copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) concentrations in agricultural soil. The models were validated at both national and farm scales. Multiple linear regression (MLR), random forest (RF), and multivariate adaptive regression spline (MARS) models were created and compared. National scale cross-validation of the models gave the following R-2 values for predictions of Cu (R-2 = 0.63), Zn (R-2 = 0.92), and Cd (R-2 = 0.70) concentrations. Independent validation at the farm scale revealed that Zn predictions were relatively successful regardless of the model used (R-2 > 0.90), showing that a simple MLR model can be sufficient for certain predictions. However, predictions at the farm scale revealed that the non-linear models, especially MARS, were more accurate than MLR for Cu (R-2 = 0.94) and Cd (R-2 = 0.80). These results show that multivariate modelling can compensate for some of the shortcomings of the PXRF device (e.g., high limits of detection for certain elements and some elements not being directly measurable), making PXRF sensors capable of predicting elemental concentrations in soil at comparable levels of accuracy to conventional laboratory analyses
Assessment of future Syrian water resources supply and demand by WEAP model.
Water availability is one of the most important factors for economic development in the Middle East. The Water Evaluation And Planning (WEAP) model was used to assess present and future water demand and supply in Syria till 2050. Nonconventional water resources, climate change, development, industrial growth, regional cooperation, and implementation of new water saving techniques/devices were considered important factors to include in the analysis using the WEAP model. Six scenarios were evaluated depending on the actual situation, climate change, best available technology, advanced technology, regional cooperation, and regional conflict. The results displayed a vital need for new water resources to balance the unmet water demands. Climate change will have a major effect on the Syrian water resources; possible regional conflict will also to a major extent affect water balance. However, regional cooperation and using the best available technology can help in minimizing the gap between supply and demand
Focused beam reflectance method as an innovative (PAT) tool to monitor in-line granulation process in fluidized bed
Fluidized bed granulation is a commonly used unit operation in the pharmaceutical industry. But still to obtain and control the desired granule size is challenging due to many process variables affecting the final product. Focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM, Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland) is an increasingly popular particle growth analysis technique. FBRM tool was installed in two different locations inside a fluidized bed granulator (GPCG2, Glatt, Binzen) in order to monitor the granulation growth kinetics. An experimental design was created to study the effect of process variables using FBRM probe and comparing the results with the one's measured by sieve analysis. The probe location is of major importance to get smooth and robust curves. The excess feeding of binder solution might lead to agglomeration and thus to process collapse, however this phenomenon was clearly detected with FBRM method. On the other hand, the process variables at certain levels might affect the FBRM efficiency by blocking the probe window with sticky particles. A good correlation was obtained (R(2)â=â0.95) between FBRM and sieve analysis mean particle size. The proposed in-line monitoring tool enables the operator to select appropriate process parameters and control the wet granulation process more efficiently