Evaluation of coloured nets in peach protected cultivation

The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of the radiometric properties of coloured nets on peach tree photomorphogenesis. The modification of the spectral distribution of the transmitted radiation and thus the effects on the tree vegetative and productive activity were studied. A field experimental test using coloured nets for the protection of peach trees was carried out during 2008 at the experimental farm of the University of Bari, latitude 41° 05' N. A blue net and a red net, characterised by a nominal shading factor of 40%, and a neutral net with a nominal 12% shading factor were tested. Peach trees in open field conditions were used as control. The effects of the nets on the trees growth were correlated with the radiometric properties of the nets, which were evaluated by means of laboratory tests. The red and blue nets influenced mainly the B/FR ratio: the former net decreased and the latter increased the B/FR ratio. The nets influenced the quantity as the quality of the yield. The red net increased the shoot growth of the trees more than the blue one. The nets influenced positively the fruit weight and skin colour in comparison to the open-field

The dynamics of cultivation and floods in arable lands of Central Argentina

Although floods in watersheds have been associated with land-use change since ancient times, the dynamics of flooding is still incompletely understood. In this paper we explored the relations between rainfall, groundwater level, and cultivation to explain the dynamics of floods in the extremely flat and valuable arable lands of the Quinto river watershed, in central Argentina. The analysis involved an area of 12.4 million hectare during a 26-year period (1978–2003), which comprised two extensive flooding episodes in 1983–1988 and 1996–2003. Supported by information from surveys as well as field and remote sensing measurements, we explored the correlation among precipitation, groundwater levels, flooded area and land use. Flood extension was associated to the dynamics of groundwater level. While no correlation with rainfall was recorded in lowlands, a significant correlation (<i>P</i><0.01) between groundwater and rainfall in highlands was found when estimations comprise a time lag of one year. Correlations between groundwater level and flood extension were positive in all cases, but while highly significant relations (<i>P</i><0.01) were found in highlands, non significant relations (<i>P</i>>0.05) predominate in lowlands. Our analysis supports the existence of a cyclic mechanism driven by the reciprocal influence between cultivation and groundwater in highlands. This cycle would involve the following stages: (a) cultivation boosts the elevation of groundwater levels through decreased evapotranspiration; (b) as groundwater level rises, floods spread causing a decline of land cultivation; (c) flooding propitiates higher evapotranspiration favouring its own retraction; (d) cultivation expands again following the retreat of floods. Thus, cultivation would trigger a destabilizing feedback self affecting future cultivation in the highlands. It is unlikely that such sequence can work in lowlands. The results suggest that rather than responding directly and solely to the same mechanism, floods in lowlands may be the combined result of various factors like local rainfall, groundwater level fluctuations, surface and subsurface lateral flow, and water-body interlinking. Although the hypothetical mechanisms proposed here require additional understanding efforts, they suggest a promising avenue of environmental management in which cultivation could be steered in the region to smooth the undesirable impacts of floods

Comparison of different techniques for characterizing the diesel injector internal dimensions

[EN] The geometry of certain parts of diesel injectors is key to the injection, atomization and fuel-air mixing phenomena. Small variations on the geometrical parameters may have a strong influence on the aforementioned processes. Thus, OEMs need to assess their manufacturing tolerances, whereas researchers in the field (both experimentalists and modelers) rely on the accuracy of a certain metrology technique for their studies. In the current paper, an investigation of the capability of different experimental techniques to determine the geometry of a modern diesel fuel injector has been performed. For this purpose, three main elements of the injector have been evaluated: the control volume inlet and outlet orifices, together with the nozzle orifices. While the direct observation of the samples through an optical microscope is only possible for the simplest pieces, both Computed Tomography Scanning and the visualization of silicone molds technique have proven their ability to characterize the most complex internal shapes corresponding to the internal injector elements. Indeed, results indicate that the differences observed among these methodologies for the determination of the control volume inlet orifice diameter and the nozzle orifice dimensions are smaller than the uncertainties related to the experimental techniques, showing that they are both equally accurate. This implies that the choice of a given technique for the particular application of determining the geometry of diesel injectors can be done on the basis of availability, intrusion and costs, rather than on its accuracy.This work was partly sponsored by "Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad", of the Spanish Government, in the frame of the Project "Estudio de la interaccion chorro-pared en condiciones realistas de motor", Reference TRA2015-67679-c2-1-R.Salvador, FJ.; Gimeno, J.; De La Morena, J.; Carreres, M. (2018). Comparison of different techniques for characterizing the diesel injector internal dimensions. Experimental Techniques. 42(5):467-472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40799-018-0246-1S467472425Mobasheri R, Peng Z, Mostafa S (2012) Analysis the effect of advanced injection strategies on engine performance and pollutant emissions in a heavy duty DI-diesel engine by CFD modeling. Int J Heat Fluid Flow 33(1):59–69Dhar A, Agarwal AK (2015) Experimental investigations of the effect of pilot injection on performance, emissions and combustion characteristics of Karanja biodiesel fuelled CRDI engine. Energy Convers Manag 93:357–366Mohan B, Yang W, Chou SK (2013) Fuel injection strategies for performance improvement and emissions reduction in compression ignition engines—a review. Renew Sust Energ Rev 28(x):664–676Petrovic V, Bracanovic Z, Grozdanic B, Petrovic S, Sazhin S, Knezevic D (2015) The design of a full flow dilution tunnel with a critical flow venturi for the measurement of diesel engine particulate emission. FME Trans 43(2):99–106Ilić Z, Rasuo B, Jovanović M, Janković D (2013) Impact of changing quality of air/fuel mixture during flight of a piston engine aircraft with respect to vibration low frequency spectrum. FME Trans 41(1):25–32Luján JM, Tormos B, Salvador FJ, Galgar K (2009) Comparative analysis of a DI diesel engine fuelled with biodiesel blends during the European MVEG-A cycle: Preliminaru study I. Biomass & Bioenergy 33(6–7):941–947Postrioti L, Mariani F, Battistoni M (2012) Experimental and numerical momentum flux evaluation of high pressure diesel spray. Fuel 98:149–163Payri R, Salvador FJ, Gimeno J, Venegas O (2016) A technique to match the refractive index of different diesel fuels with the refractive index of transparent materials to improve the experimental visualization. Exp Tech 40(1):261–269Duran SP, Porter JM, Parker TE (2015) Ballistic imaging of diesel sprays using a picosecond laser: characterization and demonstration. Appl Opt 54(7):1743Payri R, Salvador FJ, Gimeno J et al (2011) Flow regime effects on non-cavitating injection nozzles over spray behavior. Int J Heat Fluid Flow 32(1):273–284Koukouvinis P, Gavaises M, Li J, Wang L (2016) Large Eddy simulation of diesel injector including cavitation effects and correlation to erosion damage. Fuel 175:26–39Som S, Aggarwal SK (2010) Effects of primary breakup modeling on spray and combustion characteristics of compression ignition engines. Combust Flame 157(6):1179–1193Salvador FJ, De la Morena J, Martínez-López J, Jaramillo D (2017) Assessment of compressibility effects on internal nozzle flow in diesel injectors at very high injection pressures. Energy Convers Manag 132:221–230Salvador FJ, Gimeno J, de la Morena J, Martí-Aldaraví P (2012) Using one-dimensional modelling to analyze the influence of the use of biodiesels on the dynamic behaviour of solenoid-operated injectors in common rail systems: Results of the simulation and discussion. Energy Convers Manag 54(1):122–132Taghavifar H, Khalilarya S, Jafarmadar S, Baghery F (2016) 3-D numerical consideration of nozzle structure on combustion and emission characteristics of DI diesel injector. Appl Math Model 40(19–20):8630–8646Edelbauer W (2017) Numerical simulation of cavitating injector flow and liquid spray break-up by combination of Eulerian–Eulerian and volume-of-fluid methods. Comput Fluids 144:19–33Salvador FJ, Carreres M, Jaramillo D, Martínez-López J (2015) Comparison of microsac and VCO diesel injector nozzles in terms of internal nozzle flow characteristics. Energy Convers Manag 103:284–299Salvador FJ, Martínez-López J, Romero JV, Roselló MD (2013) Study of the influence of the needle eccentricity on the internal flow in diesel injector nozzles by computational fluid dynamics calculations. Int J Comput Math 91, no. June:24–31Payri R, Salvador FJ, Carreres M, De la Morena J (Apr. 2016) Fuel temperature influence on the performance of a last generation common-rail diesel ballistic injector. Part II: 1D model development, validation and analysis. Energy Convers Manag 114:376–391Salvador FJ, Hoyas S, Novella R, Martinez-López J (2011) Numerical simulation and extended validation of two-phase compressible flow in diesel injector nozzles. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part-D-J Automob Eng 225(D4):545–563Satkoski C, Shaver G (2011) Piezoelectric fuel injection: pulse-to-pulse coupling and flow rate estimation. IEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron 16(4):627–642Ferrari A, Mittica A (2016) Response of different injector typologies to dwell time variations and a hydraulic analysis of closely-coupled and continuous rate shaping injection schedules. Appl Energy 169:899–911Payri R, Salvador FJ, Gimeno J, De la Morena J (2011) Analysis of diesel spray atomization by means of a near-nozzle field visualization technique. At Sprays 21(9):753–774Li T, Moon S, Sato K, Yokohata H (Feb. 2017) A comprehensive study on the factors affecting near-nozzle spray dynamics of multi-hole GDI injectors. Fuel 190:292–302Yu W, Yang W, Zhao F (2017) Investigation of internal nozzle flow, spray and combustion characteristics fueled with diesel, gasoline and wide distillation fuel (WDF) based on a piezoelectric injector and a direct injection compression ignition engine. Appl Therm Eng 114:905–920Salvador FJ, Carreres M, Crialesi-Esposito M, Plazas AH (2017) Determination of critical operating and geometrical parameters in diesel injectors through one dimensional modelling, design of experiments and an analysis of variance. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part D J Automob EngMacian V, Bermúdez V, Payri R, Gimeno J (2003) New technique for determination of internal geometry of a diesel nozzle with the use of silicone methodology. Exp Tech 27, no April:39–43Piano A, Millo F, Postrioti L, Biscontini G, Cavicchi A, and Pesce FC, (2016) “Numerical and experimental assessment of a solenoid common-rail injector operation with advanced injection strategies,” SAE Int J Engines 9(1)Mitroglou N, Lorenzi M, Santini M, Gavaises M (2016) Application of X-ray micro-computed tomography on high-speed cavitating diesel fuel flows. Exp Fluids 57(11):1–14Kastengren AL, Tilocco FZ, Powell CF, Manin J, Pickett LM, Payri R, Bazyn T (2012) Engine combustion network (ECN): measurements of nozzle geometry and hydraulic behavior. At Sprays 22(12):1011–1052Otsu N (1979) A threshold selection method from gray-level histograms. IEEE Trans Syst Man Cybern 9(1):62–6

Strategies for biofortification in Brazil.

Micronutrient deficiencies in the developing world. Biofortification as an intervention strategy. Brazil's biofortification programs. Progress in some individual crops. Conclusion

Computational investigation of diesel nozzle internal flow during the complete injection event

[EN] Currently, diesel engines are calibrated using more and more complex multiple injection strategies. Under these conditions, the characteristics of the flow exiting the fuel injector are strongly affected by the transient interaction between the needle, the sac volume and the orifices, which are not yet clear. In the current paper, a methodology combining a 1D injector model and 3D-CFD simulations is proposed. First, the characteristics of the nozzle flow have been experimentally assessed in transient conditions by means of injection rate and momentum flux measurements. Later, the 3D-CFD modeling approach has been validated at steady-state fixed lift conditions. Finally, a previously developed 1D injector model has been used to extract the needle lift profiles and transient pressure boundary conditions used for the full-transient 3D-CFD simulations, using adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) strategies to be able to simulate the complete injection rate starting from 1 mu m lift.This work was partly sponsored by "Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad'', of the Spanish Government, in the frame of the Project "Estudio de la interaccion chorro-pared en condiciones realistas de motor'', Reference TRA2015-67679-c2-1-R. The authors would like also to thank the computer resources, technical expertise and assistance provided by Universidad de Valencia in the use of the supercomputer "Tirant''. Mr. Jaramillo's Thesis is funded by "Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esports'' of Generalitat Valenciana in the frame of the program "Programa VALI + D para investigadores en formacion, Reference ACIF/2015/040.Salvador, FJ.; De La Morena, J.; Bracho Leon, G.; Jaramillo-Císcar, D. (2018). Computational investigation of diesel nozzle internal flow during the complete injection event. Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering. 40(3):153-167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-018-1074-zS153167403Hall CAS, Lambert JG, Balogh SB (2014) EROI of different fuels and the implications for society. Energy Policy 64:141–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.05.049Lujan JM, Tormos B, Salvador FJ, Gargar K (2009) Comparative analysis of a DI diesel engine fuelled with biodiesel blends during the European MVEG-A cycle: preliminary study (I). Biomass Bioenergy 33:941–947. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2009.02.004Pickett LM, Siebers DL (2004) Soot in diesel fuel jets: effects of ambient temperature, ambient density, and injection pressure. Combust Flame 138:114–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2004.04.006Dec JE (1997) A Conceptual Model of DI Diesel Combustion Based on Laser-Sheet Imaging. SAE Tech. Pap. 970873Wang X, Huang Z, Zhang W et al (2011) Effects of ultra-high injection pressure and micro-hole nozzle on flame structure and soot formation of impinging diesel spray. Appl Energy 88:1620–1628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2010.11.035Sayin C, Gumus M, Canakci M (2013) Influence of injector hole number on the performance and emissions of a di diesel engine fueled with biodiesel-diesel fuel blends. Appl Therm Eng 61:121–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2013.07.038Mohan B, Yang W, Chou SK (2013) Fuel injection strategies for performance improvement and emissions reduction in compression ignition engines—A review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 28:664–676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.08.051Payri R, Salvador FJ, Gimeno J, De la Morena J (2011) Influence of injector technology on injection and combustion development, Part 1: hydraulic characterization. Appl Energy 88:1068–1074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2010.10.012Park SW, Kim JW, Lee CS (2006) Effect of injector type on fuel-air mixture formation of high-speed diesel sprays. Proc Inst Mech Eng D 220:647–659. https://doi.org/10.1243/09544070D20304Moon S, Komada K, Sato K et al (2015) Ultrafast X-ray study of multi-hole GDI injector sprays: effects of nozzle hole length and number on initial spray formation. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 68:68–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2015.03.027Powell CF, Kastengren AL, Liu Z, Fezzaa K (2010) The effects of diesel injector needle motion on spray structure. J Eng Gas Turbines Power 133:12802. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4001073Huang W, Moon S, Ohsawa K (2016) Near-nozzle dynamics of diesel spray under varied needle lifts and its prediction using analytical model. Fuel 180:292–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2016.04.042Sun Z-Y, Li G-X, Chen C et al (2015) Numerical investigation on effects of nozzle’s geometric parameters on the flow and the cavitation characteristics within injector’s nozzle for a high-pressure common-rail DI diesel engine. Energy Convers Manag 89:843–861. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.10.047Devassy BM, Habchi C, Daniel E (2015) Atomization modelling of liquid jets using a two-surface density approach. At Sprays 25:47–80Moon S, Gao Y, Park S et al (2015) Effect of the number and position of nozzle holes on in- and near-nozzle dynamic characteristics of diesel injection. Fuel 150:112–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2015.01.097Payri R, Salvador FJ, Carreres M, De la Morena J (2016) Fuel temperature influence on the performance of a last generation common-rail diesel ballistic injector. Part II: 1D model development, validation and analysis. Energy Convers Manag 114:376–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2016.02.043Plamondon E, Seers P (2014) Development of a simplified dynamic model for a piezoelectric injector using multiple injection strategies with biodiesel/diesel-fuel blends. Appl Energy 131:411–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.06.039Postrioti L, Malaguti S, Bosi M et al (2014) Experimental and numerical characterization of a direct solenoid actuation injector for diesel engine applications. Fuel 118:316–328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2013.11.001Desantes JM, Salvador FJ, Lopez JJ, De la Morena J (2011) Study of mass and momentum transfer in diesel sprays based on X-ray mass distribution measurements and on a theoretical derivation. Exp Fluids 50:233–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-010-0919-8De la Morena J, Neroorkar K, Plazas AH et al (2013) Numerical analysis of the influence of diesel nozzle design on internal flow characteristics for 2-valve diesel engine application. At Sprays 23:97–118. https://doi.org/10.1615/AtomizSpr.2013006361Duke DJ, Schmidt DP, Neroorkar K et al (2013) High-resolution large eddy simulations of cavitating gasoline-ethanol blends. Int J Engine Res 14:578–589. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468087413501824Mitroglou N, McLorn M, Gavaises M et al (2014) Instantaneous and ensemble average cavitation structures in diesel micro-channel flow orifices. Fuel 116:736–742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2013.08.060Wang X, Li K, Su W (2012) Experimental and numerical investigations on internal flow characteristics of diesel nozzle under real fuel injection conditions. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 42:204–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2012.04.022Sou A, Pratama RH (2016) Effects of asymmetric inflow on cavitation in fuel injector and discharged liquid jet. At Sprays 26:939–959. https://doi.org/10.1615/AtomizSpr.2015013501Xue Q, Battistoni M, Powell CF et al (2015) An Eulerian CFD model and X-ray radiography for coupled nozzle flow and spray in internal combustion engines. Int J Multiph Flow 70:77–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2014.11.012Castilla R, Gamez-Montero PJ, Ertrk N et al (2010) Numerical simulation of turbulent flow in the suction chamber of a gearpump using deforming mesh and mesh replacement. Int J Mech Sci 52:1334–1342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2010.06.009Parlak Z, Engin T (2012) Time-dependent CFD and quasi-static analysis of magnetorheological fluid dampers with experimental validation. Int J Mech Sci 64:22–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2012.08.006Chiatti G, Chiavola O, Palmieri F (2009) Spray modeling for diesel engine performance analysis. SAE Tech Pap 2009-01-0835. https://doi.org/10.4271/2009-01-0835Marcer R, Audiffren C, Viel A, et al (2010) Coupling 1D system AMESim and 3D CFD EOLE models for diesel injection simulation Renault. In: ILASS—Eur. 2010, 23rd Annu. Conf. Liq. At. Spray Syst., pp 1–10Desantes JM, Salvador FJ, Carreres M, Martínez-López J (2014) Large-eddy simulation analysis of the influence of the needle lift on the cavitation in diesel injector nozzles. 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Ferulic acid: a key component in grass lignocellulose recalcitrance to hydrolysis

In the near future, grasses must provide most of the biomass for the production of renewable fuels. However, grass cell walls are characterized by a large quantity of hydroxycinnamic acids such as ferulic and p-coumaric acids, which are thought to reduce the biomass saccharification. Ferulic acid (FA) binds to lignin, polysaccharides and structural proteins of grass cell walls cross-linking these components. A controlled reduction of FA level or of FA cross-linkages in plants of industrial interest can improve the production of cellulosic ethanol. Here, we review the biosynthesis and roles of FA in cell wall architecture and in grass biomass recalcitrance to enzyme hydrolysis

A SURVEY of CHRONIC GVHD and OTHER OUTCOMES - A SNAPSHOT of BRAZILIAN ALLOGENEIC HEMATOPOIETIC CELL TRANSPLANTATION (HCT) CENTERS

Univ Fed Parana, BR-80060000 Curitiba, Parana, BrazilNatl Canc Inst, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilState Univ São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Campina, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilAmaral Carvalho Hosp, Jau, BrazilAmaral Carvalho Hosp, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilAlbert Einstein Hosp, São Paulo, BrazilCanc Hosp Barretos, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilPernambuco Blood Bank, Recife, PE, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv State Univ São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilFred Hutchinson Canc Res Ctr, Seattle, WA 98104 USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Analysis of the performance of under-sleeper pads in highspeed line transition zones

[EN] In many high-speed railway lines, the zones between embankments and structures may present some discontinuities, in terms of track geometry and track stiffness, which may create discomfort for passengers, induce deterioration of track and vehicle materials and even raise the risk of derailment to dangerous levels. In the attempt to attenuate the consequences of such problems, some solutions pointing at progressively changing the vertical stiffness in the railway track have been tested, such as transition zones or pads placed either between the rails and the sleepers or under the sleepers. The contribution of under-sleeper pads in transition regions and their effect on the railway infrastructure is specifically analysed in the present paper. The results obtained are of interest since they provide useful information for railway managers on infrastructure design and justify the need to implement such transition ones.Insa Franco, R.; Salvador Zuriaga, P.; Inarejos Mesa, J.; Medina González, L. (2014). Analysis of the performance of under-sleeper pads in highspeed line transition zones. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Transport. 167(2):63-77. doi:10.1680/tran.11.00033S6377167

Case report: A novel case of parental mosaicism in SMC1A gene causes inherited Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Ultimate advances in genetic technologies have permitted the detection of transmitted cases of congenital diseases due to parental gonadosomatic mosaicism. Regarding Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS), up to date, only a few cases are known to follow this inheritance pattern. However, the high prevalence of somatic mosaicism recently reported in this syndrome (∼13%), together with the disparity observed in tissue distribution of the causal variant, suggests that its prevalence in this disorder could be underestimated. Here, we report a new case of parental gonadosomatic mosaicism in SMC1A gene that causes inherited CdLS, in which the mother of the patient carries the causative variant in very low allele frequencies in buccal swab and blood. While the affected child presents with typical CdLS phenotype, his mother does not show any clinical manifestations. As regards SMC1A, the difficulty of clinical identification of carrier females has been already recognized, as well as the gender differences observed in CdLS expressivity when the causal variant is found in this gene. Currently, the use of DNA deep-sequencing techniques is highly recommended when it comes to molecular diagnosis of patients, as well as in co-segregation studies. These enable us to uncover gonadosomatic mosaic events in asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic parents that had been overlooked so far, which might have great implications regarding genetic counseling for recurrence risk

Brand Identity and Online Self-Customisation Usefulness Perception

Online self-customisation (OSC) enables customers to tailor their preferences to certain product features via a brand-hosted online platform. Recent literature has given increasing attention to how consumers value OSC. However, extant research is characterised by a scarcity of understanding the effects of brand identity and individual differences on consumer responses to OSC. The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of trust and the moderating role of need for uniqueness on the effects of brand identity prestige and brand identity similarity on consumer perceived usefulness of OSC. A field survey, through mall intercept, was conducted to test this conceptual framework. Our findings advance this field by finding that, not only the brand identity and consumer need for uniqueness, but also the interaction between them may affect consumers’ evaluation of OSC