Real-time nondestructive citrus fruit quality monitoring system: development and laboratory testing

This study reports on the development and laboratory testing of the This study reports on the development and laboratory testing of the nondestructive citrus fruit quality monitoring system.  Prototype system consists of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and visible-near infrared spectroscopy sensors installed on an inclined conveyer for real-time fruit size and total soluble solids (TSS) measurement respectively.  Laboratory test results revealed that the developed system is applicable for instantaneous fruit size (R2 = 0.912) and TSS (R2 = 0.677, standard error of prediction = 0.48 °Brix) determination.  Future applications of such system would be in precision farming for in-field orange quality determination during the harvest and for row specific yield mapping and monitoring.    Keywords: LIDAR sensor, visible-near infrared spectroscopy, fruit size, sugar conten

Inhibitory of Newly Synthesized 3-BrPhOXTs on Corrosion of Stainless Steel in Acidic Medium

Newly synthesized 3-(3-bromophenyl)-2-imino-2,3-dihydrobenzo[d]oxazol-5-yl 4-methylbenzenesulfonate (3-BrPhOXTs) inhibitoRY effect on the corrosion of stainless steel L316 (SS) in sulfuric acid was investigated by means of potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). According to electrochemical results, excellent inhibiting properties for SS corrosion in sulfuric acid has been obtained. The adsorption of 3-BrPhOXTs onto the SS surface followed the Langmuir adsorption model with the free energy of adsorption DG0 ads of –8.94 kj mol–1.KEYWORDS: Organic inhibitor, adsorption, stainless steel, impedance

The comparison of growth rate, survival and food conversion ratio in Penaeus semisulcatus and Fenneropenaeus indicus in Helleh site, Bushehr province

Growth rate, survival and food conversion ratio were compared for two species of shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus and Fenneropenaeus indicus in Bushehr Province in summer 2002. The research was done with two treatments each in three replications in 0.4 ha ponds. Twenty five post larvae of the shrimps in stage PL ^ (12) with a mean weight of 5mg were stocked per square meter of the ponds and cultured for 109 days. We found significant differences during the first 31 days in SGR between P. semisulcatus and F. indicus (P<0.05). The mean final harvest rate was 903.33kg and 1025.00kg in each pond for P. semisulcatus and F. indicus, respectively. No significant differences in physical and chemical parameters were observed between the two species

Determinación de sebo bovino en mantequilla utilizando un método integral

The detection of animal fats such as tallow in butter using standard criteria is more difficult than vegetable fats. In order to perform a complete assessment, several methods are likely to be used together. In the experimental design of this research, compositional characteristics such as fatty acids, sterols and triacylglycerols, along with the conventional physicochemical characteristics of butter mixed with different percentages of tallow (0–15% w/w) were evaluated. An increase of less than 5% (w/w) in bovine tallow content in butter physicochemical tests, sterols and fatty acids could not indicate the adulteration level but the ratio of C6+8+10+12/C18 fatty acids, C52/C50، C52/C48, C52/C46 triacylglycerols, S1, S3, S5-value equation and C52 triacylglycerols could show this adulteration level in butter. Also, the successive use of fatty acids and triacylglycerols resulted in the capability to determine adulteration in butter including bovine tallow above 1% (w/w).La detección de grasas animales, como el sebo en mantequilla, utilizando criterios estándares es más difícil que las grasas vegetales y esto probablemente se puede evaluar mediante la recopilación de métodos de evaluación y mediante un enfoque completo. En el diseño experimental de esta investigación, se evaluaron las características composicionales como los ácidos grasos, esteroles y triacilgliceroles junto con los índices fisicoquímicos convencionales, en mantequilla mezclada con un porcentaje diferente de sebo (0–15% p/p). Mediante un aumento de menos del 5% (p/p) de contenido de sebo bovino en mantequilla, las pruebas fisicoquímicas, los esteroles y los ácidos grasos no pudieron indicar el nivel de adulteración, pero sí lo hizo la relación de ácidos grasos C6+8+10+12/C18, la relación de triacilgliceroles C52C50; C52/C48; C52/C46; los valores de S1, S3, S5 en la ecuación y los triacilgliceroles C52. Además, el uso sucesivo de ácidos grasos y triacilgliceroles dio como resultado la capacidad de determinar la adulteración en la mantequilla, incluido el sebo bovino por encima del 1% (p/p)

Potential Application of Electrical Conductivity (EC) Map for Variable Rate Seeding

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 7 (2005): Potential Application of Electrical Conductivity (EC) Map for Variable Rate Seeding by M. R. Ehsani, C. D. Durairaj, S. Woods, M. Sulliva

Effect of plant canopy shape and flowers on plant count accuracy using remote sensing imagery

Separate experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of plant canopy shape and presence of flowers on counting accuracy of container-grown plants.  Images were taken at 12 m above the ground.  Two species of juniper (Juniperus chinensis L. ‘Sea Green’ and Juniperus horizontalis Moench ‘Plumosa Compacta’) were selected to evaluate plant shape and Coral Drift ® rose (Rosa sp. ‘Meidrifora’) was used to evaluate the presence of flowers on plant count.  Counting algorithms were trained using Feature Analyst (FA).  Total counting error, false positives and unidentified plants were reported. There was no difference between all variables measured when an algorithm trained with an image displaying regular or irregular plant canopy shape was applied to images displaying both plant canopy shapes even though the canopy shape of ‘Sea Green’ is less compact than ‘Plumosa Compacta’.  There was a significant difference in all variables measured between images of flowering and non-flowering plants when non-flowering ‘samples’ were used the train the counting algorithm in FA; total counting errors and unidentified plants was greater for flowering plants.  In this specific case, applying an algorithm that did not include a training set displaying flowers, resulted in a less accurate count.  Algorithms developed using FA appears to be fairly robust under these conditions

Cournot competition in networked markets

The paper considers a model of competition among firms that produce a homogeneous good in a networked environment. A bipartite graph determines which subset of markets a firm can supply to. Firms compete a la Cournot and decide how to allocate their production output to the markets they are directly connected to. We assume that markets have inverse linear demand and firms have quadratic production costs. First, we show that the resulting Cournot game has a unique equilibrium for any given network and provide a characterization of the production quantities at equilibrium. Our results identify a close connection between the equilibrium outcome and supply paths in the underlying network structure. In particular, we show that whether two firms see their output in different markets as strategic substitutes or complements depends critically on the paths between those markets in the line graph induced by the original bipartite network. Armed with a characterization of the equilibrium supply decisions, we explore the effect of changes in the network structure on firms' profits and consumer welfare. First, we study the question of a firm entering a new market. We show that entry may not be beneficial for either the firm or the consumers as such a move affects the entire vector of production quantities. The firm might face a more aggressive competition in its original markets due to its entry to a new market. Moreover, the effect on other firms and consumers also depends on their location in the network. This is in stark contrast with standard results in Cournot oligopoly where entry implies more competition in the market and thus higher consumer welfare. Similarly, the effect of a merger between two firms on profits and overall welfare largely depends on the structure of competition in the original Cournot market. In particular, we show that insights from analyzing mergers in a single market do not carry over in a networked environment. Market concentration indices are insufficient to correctly account for the network effect of a merger and one should not restrict attention to the set of markets that the firms participating in the merger supply to. Finally, we study the operations of a cartel including the entire set of firms. We show that the cartel maximizes its profits by appropriately segmenting the markets among its members so that a firm supplies solely to the ones allocated to it, and we provide an algorithm that computes the optimal production quantities for each firm in the cartel. © 2014 Authors

10-kA pulsed power supply for superconducting coils

A new 4-MW inductor-converter bridge (ICB) for supplying power to pulsed superconducting magnets is under construction at Argonne National Laoratory. This is a second-generation ICB built at Argonne Lab. The analytical, design, and control techniques developed for the first prototype have been used in the design of the new system. The paper presents the important considerations in the design of the new ICB. A brief description of the operation of the circuit is also given

Observations on the efficiency of using different cashmere combs

The effect of using small or large cashmere combs on cashmere harvest, cashmere quality and combing time was studied on Raeini cashmere goats in nomadic goat breeding systems of the Iranian province of Kerman. Two groups of 20 goats of different ages were combed with either a large or a small comb, three times with intervals of 2 weeks in early spring when natural fiber shedding has started. Combed cashmere weight, duration of combing, fiber diameter, and down yield were measured. A sample of combed cashmere was analyzed using a Laserscan instrument. A general linear model including type of comb, stage of combing and age of goat was fitted to analyze the data. Small combs collect more cashmere (31.0 vs. 21.7 g, P 0.05) but combing time is higher (3.75 vs. 2.79 min, P < 0.01). In the first two combing sessions much more cashmere was obtained than in the last (28.1, 32.0 and 19.0 g, respectively, P < 0.01), but the weight of total combed cashmere was much less than typical shorn fleece weights. Combing can be justified only if a considerable price premium can be obtained from selling combed cashmere instead of selling shorn cashmere, or if the combed cashmere is used to add value on-farm. If this is the case, small combs with short rods are preferable since more cashmere can be collected without affecting its qualityFil: Ansari-Renani, Hamid R. Animal Science Research Institute; IránFil: Mueller, Joaquin Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Rischkowsky, Barbara. International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas; EtiopíaFil: Seyed Momend, S.M. Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center; IránFil: Ehsani, M. Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center; IránFil: Moradi, Sepehr. University of Zanjan. Agriculture College. Animal Science Department; Irá